lifesitenews--2020-05-26--Top EU diplomat: Coronavirus is ‘the great accelerator of history’

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BRUSSELS , May 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A top European Union ( EU ) diplomat has said that the coronavirus is accelerating “ the end of the American-led system and arrival of an Asian century , ” while urging EU nations to work together with “ collective discipline ” to form a “ more robust strategy ” for engagement with China .
Josep Borrell , High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Vice-President of the European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded address to a conference of German ambassadors on Monday , with Germany set to take over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU in July .
Borrell described COVID-19 as “ the great accelerator of history ” before saying that “ the end of the American-led system and arrival of an Asian century…is now happening in front of our eyes.
” “ If the 21st century turns out to be an Asian century , as the 20th was an American one , the pandemic may well be remembered as the turning point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The EU diplomat said that the increasing rivalry between the U.S. and China means “ the pressure to choose sides is growing , ” but that the EU should “ follow our own interests and values and avoid being instrumentalized by one or the other.
” Borrell stressed that relations between the U.S. and China were having “ paralyzing effect on the multilateral system ” and that the “ globalization model is under pressure , ” with the world becoming more “ state-driven.
” However he urged the 27 European nations to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order to engage effectively with China , saying that relations between China and the EU were not always “ based on trust , transparency , and reciprocity.
” Borrell said a “ real common strategic culture as a ‘ Team Europe ’ ” is required for a “ more robust strategy for China , ” but lamented that the EU bloc was often unable to reach a consensus because “ member states cling to their national viewpoints instead of understanding that there is a broader common interest.
” Later in the conference , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China ’ s lack of transparency during the coronavirus crisis .
“ China 's self-image shows a country that is emerging from the crisis better than anyone else .
But what does it mean for global trust in China as a leading power if demands for transparency are consistently ignored ?
And will international companies continue to produce ‘ just in time ’ in China if the causes of such a crisis are not verified ?
” Maas said .
China ’ s failure to accurately report coronavirus cases has been repeatedly questioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. halted funding to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) in April , after Trump said that the U.N. health group had “ failed to investigate credible reports [ on coronavirus cases ] from sources in Wuhan that conflicted directly with the Chinese government 's official accounts.
” On April 30 the WHO ’ s China representative appeared to blame the Chinese government for having covered up the true number of coronavirus cases in the country .
On May 23 in an interview with Breitbart News , U.S. Vice President Mike Pence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down ” in its response to the coronavirus .
“ China let the world down and [ the ] World Health Organization was their willing partner , in withholding from the United States and the wider world vital information about the coronavirus that would have made it possible for us to stand up a national response sooner .
”

'The end of the American-led system and arrival of an Asian century…is now happening in front of our eyes,' said Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Vice-President of the European Commission.
PETITION: No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
BRUSSELS, May 26, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A top European Union (EU) diplomat has said that the coronavirus is accelerating “the end of the American-led system and arrival of an Asian century,” while urging EU nations to work together with “collective discipline” to form a “more robust strategy” for engagement with China.
Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Vice-President of the European Commission, made the remarks in a recorded address to a conference of German ambassadors on Monday, with Germany set to take over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU in July.
Borrell described COVID-19 as “the great accelerator of history” before saying that “the end of the American-led system and arrival of an Asian century…is now happening in front of our eyes.”
“If the 21st century turns out to be an Asian century, as the 20th was an American one, the pandemic may well be remembered as the turning point of this process,” he said.
The EU diplomat said that the increasing rivalry between the U.S. and China means “the pressure to choose sides is growing,” but that the EU should “follow our own interests and values and avoid being instrumentalized by one or the other.”
Borrell stressed that relations between the U.S. and China were having “paralyzing effect on the multilateral system” and that the “globalization model is under pressure,” with the world becoming more “state-driven.”
However he urged the 27 European nations to form a “collective discipline” in order to engage effectively with China, saying that relations between China and the EU were not always “based on trust, transparency, and reciprocity.”
Borrell said a “real common strategic culture as a ‘Team Europe’” is required for a “more robust strategy for China,” but lamented that the EU bloc was often unable to reach a consensus because “member states cling to their national viewpoints instead of understanding that there is a broader common interest.”
Later in the conference, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas openly questioned China’s lack of transparency during the coronavirus crisis.
“China's self-image shows a country that is emerging from the crisis better than anyone else. But what does it mean for global trust in China as a leading power if demands for transparency are consistently ignored? And will international companies continue to produce ‘just in time’ in China if the causes of such a crisis are not verified?” Maas said.
China’s failure to accurately report coronavirus cases has been repeatedly questioned by U.S. President Donald Trump. The U.S. halted funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) in April, after Trump said that the U.N. health group had “failed to investigate credible reports [on coronavirus cases] from sources in Wuhan that conflicted directly with the Chinese government's official accounts.” On April 30 the WHO’s China representative appeared to blame the Chinese government for having covered up the true number of coronavirus cases in the country.
On May 23 in an interview with Breitbart News, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said China has “let the world down” in its response to the coronavirus.
“China let the world down and [the] World Health Organization was their willing partner, in withholding from the United States and the wider world vital information about the coronavirus that would have made it possible for us to stand up a national response sooner.”
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lifesitenews--2020-05-26--Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

May 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In response to the coronavirus crisis , LifeSite is offering Catholics throughout the world a chance to be united in praying the rosary together , at the same time , every day at 12:00 noon EST .
The rosary is led by Father Anthony Pillari , an American priest currently in Italy .
To date , Catholics from Israel , Uganda , Italy , France , Germany , Ireland , the United Kingdom , the U.S. , Canada , Mexico , Chile , Brazil , Australia , New Zealand , the Philippines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as other countries , have been joining in .
The whole world – including the Church – has been thrown into chaos because of the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) .
Thousands of people have passed away as a result of the viral outbreak , while thousands more have been sickened .
And , across the world , business has come to a grinding halt , resulting in sudden job loss and threatening economic recession .
If there ever was a time for prayer , this is it .
Catholics around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sacraments , but in many places are unable to access them because of bishops ’ orders or government restrictions .
We know that community with other believers is vital all the time , but especially during this time of global calls for “ sheltering-in-place ” and quarantine .
“ The rosary is the weapon for these times , ” St. Padre Pio said .
Through prayer , we can shape history , change the world , and bring this painful crisis to an end .
Join us today !
Send photos or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rosary with Father Pillari to [ email protected ]

(LifeSiteNews) — In response to the crisis unfolding in our world and in the Church, LifeSite is happy to promote Regina Angelorum Press’s Daily Rosary, which is offering Catholics throughout the world the chance to be united daily in prayer, in the Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Crusade.
Catholics from all over the world — from Israel, Uganda, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Pakistan, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and other countries — are gathering daily to pray the Rosary, led by Father Pillari, JCL, MCL, STL, an American priest currently studying in Italy.
The Daily Rosary is being offered each day at 12noon EST through Regina Angelorum Press’ YouTube Channel to which you can subscribe HERE.
The goal is, by means of this Daily Rosary and by embracing and living out the message given by the Virgin Mary at Fatima, the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.
To help obtain that goal, Bishop Athanasius Schneider graciously composed the following prayer for this worldwide Rosary crusade:
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, you are the holy Mother of God and our tender Mother. Look upon the distress in which the Church and the whole of humanity are living because of the spread of materialism and the persecution of the Church. In Fatima you warned against these errors, as you spoke about the errors of Russia. You are the Mediatrix of all graces. Implore your Divine Son to grant this special grace for the Pope: that he might consecrate Russia to your Immaculate Heart, so that Russia will be converted, a period of peace will be granted to the world, and your Immaculate Heart will triumph, through an authentic renewal of the Church in the splendor of the purity of the Catholic Faith, of the sacredness of Divine worship and of the holiness of the Christian life. O Queen of the holy Rosary and our sweet Mother, turn your merciful eyes to us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer. Amen. + Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana
To learn more about the urgency of responding to Our Lady’s message at Fatima, and about what you can do, please read Cardinal Burke’s 2017 address at the Rome Life Forum.
As St. Padre Pio once said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times.” Through prayer, God can shape history, change the world, and bring about a great time of renewal and peace for the Church and for the world, through the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. Join us today!
If you would like to follow along with the prayers said during this Rosary, you can access them HERE. The document also includes a brief F.A.Q. pertaining to the daily Rosary.
You can send your prayer requests to https://reginangelorumpress.com/prayer-intentions/
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lifesitenews--2020-05-26--Austrian bishops commission book calling same-sex relationships ‘image of God’s goodness’

LINZ , Austria , May 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A new book commissioned by the Austrian bishops argues that homosexual relationships come from God , revealing God ’ s “ goodness and humanity.
” The book calls upon the Church to change her teaching against homosexuality and to bless homosexual relationships .
According to liturgical scholar Fr .
Ewald Vollger OT , who contributed to the book , changing Church teaching on homosexuality “ can be not only discussed , but also demanded.
” The Church could only bless homosexual relationships after a previous change to Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Talking to the diocesan newspaper of the Diocese of Linz , he said , “ There is also a considerable number of bishops that would like to see a rethinking in the area of sexual morality for the evaluation of same-sex relationships.
” While making sure to distinguish the blessing from the sacrament of marriage , Vollger nevertheless claimed that homosexuality needs to be seen in a positive light .
“ Just as marriage between a man and a woman is an image of God ’ s creative love , so is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s attention to human beings , ” he said .
“ If partners live the gift of mutual love in faithfulness to one another and live their lives with the spiritual gifts of God such as kindness , forbearance , patience , reconciliation , etc.
, their relationship is also an image of God ’ s goodness and humanity.
” Vollger praised the blessing of homosexual couples on Valentine ’ s Day , as it takes place annually , for instance , in Cardinal Christoph Schönborn ’ s cathedral in Vienna .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Austrian bishops , however , goes beyond that .
“ A benediction , as proposed from the point of view of the theology of liturgy , would also have an official character through which the Church expresses the obligation of fidelity and the exclusivity of the relationship , ” according to Vollger .
In his interview with the diocesan newspaper , Vollger did not explain how Church doctrine could change .
The Church ’ s condemnation of homosexuality goes back to ancient biblical times .
“ The rejection of homosexual behavior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is well known , ” writes Catholic Answers .
“ In Genesis 19 , two angels in disguise visit the city of Sodom and are offered hospitality and shelter by Lot .
During the night , the men of Sodom demand that Lot hand over his guests for homosexual intercourse.
” After Lot ’ s refusal , “ the angels blind the men of Sodom .
Lot and his household escape , and the town is destroyed by fire ‘ because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is because of this passage that homosexuality is called one of the four sins that cry out to God for vengeance .
In the New Testament , St. Paul is clear that active unrepentant homosexuals can not enter heaven .
“ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God ?
Do not be deceived ; neither the immoral , nor idolaters , nor adulterers , nor homosexuals , nor thieves , nor the greedy , nor drunkards , nor revilers , nor robbers will inherit the kingdom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that homosexual acts are “ acts of grave depravity , ” pointing out that tradition has “ always declared that ‘ homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.
’ ” “ They are contrary to the natural law .
They close the sexual act to the gift of life .
They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity .
Under no circumstances can they be approved , ” states the Catechism .
The Catholic Church furthermore teaches that the homosexual inclination is also “ objectively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the purpose of drawing a man and a woman together to become husband and wife in marriage .
The book commissioned by the Austrian bishops looks at the blessing of homosexual relationships not only from the point of view of liturgy .
It also contains a section on ethics and moral theology , a biblical section , as well as a chapter looking at the current situation in Austria , where homosexual “ marriage ” was legalized in 2019 .
Advocates for changing Catholic teaching on homosexuality in North America used the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agenda .
New Ways Ministry , which , according to its website , “ educates and advocates for justice and equality for lesbian , gay , bisexual , and transgender ( LGBT ) Catholics , and reconciliation within the larger church and civil communities , ” also wrote about it .
German-speaking bishops are a significant force in advancing the homosexual agenda .
Cardinal Reinhard Marx , at the time head of the German Bishop ’ s Conference , said in 2019 , “ I insist : we welcome homosexuals , they belong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sacramental community.
” He added that homosexual couples can receive “ a blessing in the sense of a pastoral accompaniment , we can pray together.
” The current president of the German Bishops ’ Conference , Bishop Georg Bätzing , has also called for changing the Church ’ s official teaching on “ practiced homosexuality ” by “ jumping over trenches.
” “ Here the statement of the Catechism is first of all that these people are to be met with esteem and respect , ” Bätzing said in an interview earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act is seen as evidence of a disordered sexual life .
This is something that many people no longer want or can understand.
” Bätzing claimed that in moral theology , “ we have long since moved towards saying ” that if “ true love and faithfulness are lived , ” even among same-sex partners , “ we must acknowledge that.
” On the other hand , German Cardinal Gerhard Müller has come down strongly on the side of Church doctrine during a talk in 2018 .
“ If a priest blesses a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ atrocity at a holy site , namely , to approve of something that God does not approve of , ” the former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith pointed out .

A new book commissioned by the bishops demands that Church teaching on homosexuality be overturned
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LINZ, Austria, May 26, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A new book commissioned by the Austrian bishops argues that homosexual relationships come from God, revealing God’s “goodness and humanity.” The book calls upon the Church to change her teaching against homosexuality and to bless homosexual relationships.
According to liturgical scholar Fr. Ewald Volgger OT, who contributed to the book, changing Church teaching on homosexuality “can be not only discussed, but also demanded.” The Church could only bless homosexual relationships after a previous change to Church teaching, as Volgger pointed out himself.
Talking to the diocesan newspaper of the Diocese of Linz, he said, “There is also a considerable number of bishops that would like to see a rethinking in the area of sexual morality for the evaluation of same-sex relationships.”
While making sure to distinguish the blessing from the sacrament of marriage, Volgger nevertheless claimed that homosexuality needs to be seen in a positive light.
“Just as marriage between a man and a woman is an image of God’s creative love, so is a same-sex relationship an image of God’s attention to human beings,” he said. “If partners live the gift of mutual love in faithfulness to one another and live their lives with the spiritual gifts of God such as kindness, forbearance, patience, reconciliation, etc., their relationship is also an image of God’s goodness and humanity.”
Volgger praised the blessing of homosexual couples on Valentine’s Day, as it takes place annually, for instance, in Cardinal Christoph Schönborn’s cathedral in Vienna. The blessing proposed in the book commissioned by the Austrian bishops, however, goes beyond that.
“A benediction, as proposed from the point of view of the theology of liturgy, would also have an official character through which the Church expresses the obligation of fidelity and the exclusivity of the relationship,” according to Volgger.
In his interview with the diocesan newspaper, Volgger did not explain how Church doctrine could change. The Church’s condemnation of homosexuality goes back to ancient biblical times.
“The rejection of homosexual behavior that is found in the Old Testament is well known,” writes Catholic Answers. “In Genesis 19, two angels in disguise visit the city of Sodom and are offered hospitality and shelter by Lot. During the night, the men of Sodom demand that Lot hand over his guests for homosexual intercourse.”
After Lot’s refusal, “the angels blind the men of Sodom. Lot and his household escape, and the town is destroyed by fire ‘because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord’ (Gen. 19:13).”
It is because of this passage that homosexuality is called one of the four sins that cry out to God for vengeance.
In the New Testament, St. Paul is clear that active unrepentant homosexuals cannot enter heaven.
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God,” he writes.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that homosexual acts are “acts of grave depravity,” pointing out that tradition has “always declared that ‘homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.’”
“They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved,” states the Catechism.
The Catholic Church furthermore teaches that the homosexual inclination is also “objectively disordered” since God created sexual attraction for the purpose of drawing a man and a woman together to become husband and wife in marriage.
The book commissioned by the Austrian bishops looks at the blessing of homosexual relationships not only from the point of view of liturgy. It also contains a section on ethics and moral theology, a biblical section, as well as a chapter looking at the current situation in Austria, where homosexual “marriage” was legalized in 2019.
Advocates for changing Catholic teaching on homosexuality in North America used the publication of the book to push their agenda.
Pro-homosexual Jesuit Fr. James Martin tweeted about it:
The Archdiocese of Salzburg has commissioned the publication of a new book exploring the possibility of blessing same-sex unions: “The Benediction of Same Sex Partnerships”: https://t.co/lI8FGiN2Lh — James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) May 25, 2020
New Ways Ministry, which, according to its website, “educates and advocates for justice and equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Catholics, and reconciliation within the larger church and civil communities,” also wrote about it.
German-speaking bishops are a significant force in advancing the homosexual agenda.
Cardinal Reinhard Marx, at the time head of the German Bishop’s Conference, said in 2019, “I insist: we welcome homosexuals, they belong to the Church, also to the sacramental community.” He added that homosexual couples can receive “a blessing in the sense of a pastoral accompaniment, we can pray together.”
The current president of the German Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing, has also called for changing the Church’s official teaching on “practiced homosexuality” by “jumping over trenches.”
“Here the statement of the Catechism is first of all that these people are to be met with esteem and respect,” Bätzing said in an interview earlier this year. “But every single sexual act is seen as evidence of a disordered sexual life. This is something that many people no longer want or can understand.”
Bätzing claimed that in moral theology, “we have long since moved towards saying” that if “true love and faithfulness are lived,” even among same-sex partners, “we must acknowledge that.”
On the other hand, German Cardinal Gerhard Müller has come down strongly on the side of Church doctrine during a talk in 2018.
“If a priest blesses a homosexual couple, then this is an atrocity at a holy site, namely, to approve of something that God does not approve of,” the former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith pointed out.
June 5, 2020 correction: The priest’s name has been corrected from Vollger to Volgger.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-26--From the gay lifestyle back to his wife and family: The story of Doug Mainwaring

May 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Twenty years ago , Doug Mainwaring left his wife and two children to live as a gay man .
His story may or may not surprise you , but it will definitely bring you hope .
A new video , produced by LifeSiteNews , tells the story of Mainwaring ’ s abandonment of his family to live as a gay man and eventual reunion with his family from the most unlikely of roads : same-sex marriage activism .
In his search for ways to argue in favor of same-sex marriage , Mainwaring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him back to Christ and to opposition of same-sex marriage and LGBT activists in the political square .
Having lived his life as an activist on the other side of the tracks , Mainwaring reflects on the battle raging against the family saying : “ The sexual revolution has been the bloodiest war in history , and after having violently taken hundreds of millions of children ’ s lives through abortion , and after millions more have been critically wounded through divorce and adult selfishness , the fate of children is more precarious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideology are inflicted on our children in our schools , in the media , and even at drag queen story times in our public libraries .
In the few short years since Obergefell , we have been plunging down a slippery slope into the ghastly world of transgenderism .
Obergefell opened a door that should never have been opened , releasing the contagion of transgenderism on an unsuspecting , unprepared public and our kids are now its most susceptible , tragic victims.
” Mainwaring then urges readers to help in LifeSite ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the dark forces attacking and pillaging the Church and our families with impunity ” by joining their growing army of sustaining supporters .
Thanks to the generosity of a family close to LifeSite , everyone who becomes a monthly donor to the mission in 2020 will have their monthly gift matched for the entire year up to $ 120,000 .
If you ’ d like more information on how you can have an impact in bringing truth to the world through the pro-life and pro-family news reporting of LifeSiteNews , visit https @ @ @ @ @

Twenty years ago, Doug Mainwaring left his wife and two children to live as a gay man. His story may or may not surprise you, but it will definitely bring you hope.
May 26, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Twenty years ago, Doug Mainwaring left his wife and two children to live as a gay man. His story may or may not surprise you, but it will definitely bring you hope.
A new video, produced by LifeSiteNews, tells the story of Mainwaring’s abandonment of his family to live as a gay man and eventual reunion with his family from the most unlikely of roads: same-sex marriage activism.
In his search for ways to argue in favor of same-sex marriage, Mainwaring discovered the Truth, which eventually led him back to Christ and to opposition of same-sex marriage and LGBT activists in the political square.
Having lived his life as an activist on the other side of the tracks, Mainwaring reflects on the battle raging against the family saying:
“The sexual revolution has been the bloodiest war in history, and after having violently taken hundreds of millions of children’s lives through abortion, and after millions more have been critically wounded through divorce and adult selfishness, the fate of children is more precarious than ever. The lies of LGBT ideology are inflicted on our children in our schools, in the media, and even at drag queen story times in our public libraries. In the few short years since Obergefell, we have been plunging down a slippery slope into the ghastly world of transgenderism. Obergefell opened a door that should never have been opened, releasing the contagion of transgenderism on an unsuspecting, unprepared public and our kids are now its most susceptible, tragic victims.”
Mainwaring then urges readers to help in LifeSite’s effort to “expose and strike back at the dark forces attacking and pillaging the Church and our families with impunity” by joining their growing army of sustaining supporters.
Thanks to the generosity of a family close to LifeSite, everyone who becomes a monthly donor to the mission in 2020 will have their monthly gift matched for the entire year up to $120,000.
If you’d like more information on how you can have an impact in bringing truth to the world through the pro-life and pro-family news reporting of LifeSiteNews, visit https://give.lifesitenews.com/sustainlife for more information
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lifesitenews--2020-05-26--St Philip Neri, inspiration to St John Henry Newman, can inspire us all

May 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Today is the feast of St. Philip Neri ( July 21 , 1515–May 26 , 1595 ) , one of the most beloved saints of recent centuries and well known as the founder of the Congregation of the Oratory .
St. Philip lived exactly during the eruption and spread of Protestantism , although his own energies were focused more on the conversion of Catholics at the heart of Christendom , leading to his nickname “ Second Apostle of Rome.
” Nevertheless , many centuries after his death , his Congregation would number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cleric and eventual cardinal John Henry Newman ( 1801–1890 ) .
In the second half of his life ( 1845 onward ) , Newman became a great promoter in England of the gentle spirituality of St. Philip and the model of the Oratorian life .
At some point in his later years , Newman began to compose a novena of prayers to St. Philip , which he never finished , having written texts for the first four days .
These prayers were published after his death in a book of devotions edited by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Here we find many touching expressions of Newman ’ s deep personal devotion to the one he had taken as his primary patron : O my dear and holy Patron , Philip , I put myself into thy hands , and for the love of Jesus , for that love ’ s sake which chose thee and made thee a saint , I implore thee to pray for me , that , as He has brought thee to heaven , so in due time He may take me to heaven too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and troubles of this life ; thou knowest well what it is to bear the assaults of the devil , the mockery of the world , and the temptations of flesh and blood .
Thou knowest how weak is human nature , and how treacherous the human heart , and thou art so full of sympathy and compassion , that , amidst all thy present ineffable glory and blessedness , thou canst , I know , give a thought to me .
Think of me then , my dear St. Philip , be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though I am at times so unmindful of thee .
Gain for me all things necessary for my perseverance in the grace of God , and my eternal salvation .
Gain for me , by thy powerful intercession , the strength to fight a good fight , to witness boldly for God and religion in the midst of sinners , to be brave when Satan would frighten or force me to what is wrong , to overcome myself , to do my whole duty , and thus to be acquitted in the judgment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apostle of Rome , Saint of primitive times , pray for me .
( “ Four Prayers to St. Philip , ” I , in Prayers , Verses , and Devotions [ San Francisco : Ignatius Press , 1989 ] , 323 ) Readers can not but smile to find Newman , who was one of the most influential public figures , prolific writers , and effective spiritual directors of the nineteenth century , whose legacy lives on into the twenty-first century , accusing himself in the fourth prayer of having done “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lacking those very virtues in which the Oratorian was particularly outstanding : Thou art my glorious protector , and , after Jesus , Mary , and Joseph , canst do most for me in life and death .
In thy labours thou didst follow thy Lord and Saviour , and in thy hidden life and hidden virtues , in thy purity , humility , and fervour , art nearest to Mary and Joseph of all saints .
I have long dedicated myself to thee , but I have done nothing worthy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call myself thine , because thou hast a right to have followers of great innocence , great honesty of purpose , and great resolution , and these virtues I have not .
Thou , Philip , hast no anxiety about thyself , for thou art already in heaven , therefore thou canst afford to have a care for me .
Watch over me , keep me from lagging behind , gain for me the grace necessary to keep me up to my duty , so that I may make progress in all virtues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Patron of thine own , who didst turn so many hearts to God , pray for me .
We can understand this as the holy humility of one who does not pride himself on any good but who sees rather where he has failed , where he is wanting , and how much he needs the powerful intercession of the saints and the grace of God to do any good at all .
Newman left us with a treasure trove of other reflections and prayers for St. Philip Neri .
He completed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” with meditations adapted from Bacci ’ s biography as translated by Father Faber ( the text is available here ) , looking at the saint ’ s humility , devotion , exercise of prayer , purity , tenderness of heart , cheerfulness , patience , care for the salvation of souls , and miraculous gifts .
Each meditation is accompanied by a prayer written by Newman .
Attached to this novena is a Litany of St. Philip , which Newman wrote out in English and in Latin .
I find the final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today in honor of this great saint :

Many centuries after his death, St. Philip's Congregation of the Oratory would number among its famous members the former Anglican cleric and eventual cardinal John Henry Newman.
May 26, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Today is the feast of St. Philip Neri (July 21, 1515–May 26, 1595), one of the most beloved saints of recent centuries and well known as the founder of the Congregation of the Oratory. St. Philip lived exactly during the eruption and spread of Protestantism, although his own energies were focused more on the conversion of Catholics at the heart of Christendom, leading to his nickname “Second Apostle of Rome.” Nevertheless, many centuries after his death, his Congregation would number among its famous members the former Anglican cleric and eventual cardinal John Henry Newman (1801–1890). In the second half of his life (1845 onward), Newman became a great promoter in England of the gentle spirituality of St. Philip and the model of the Oratorian life.
At some point in his later years, Newman began to compose a novena of prayers to St. Philip, which he never finished, having written texts for the first four days. These prayers were published after his death in a book of devotions edited by William P. Neville of the Birmingham Oratory. Here we find many touching expressions of Newman’s deep personal devotion to the one he had taken as his primary patron:
O my dear and holy Patron, Philip, I put myself into thy hands, and for the love of Jesus, for that love’s sake which chose thee and made thee a saint, I implore thee to pray for me, that, as He has brought thee to heaven, so in due time He may take me to heaven too. Thou hast had experience of the trials and troubles of this life; thou knowest well what it is to bear the assaults of the devil, the mockery of the world, and the temptations of flesh and blood. Thou knowest how weak is human nature, and how treacherous the human heart, and thou art so full of sympathy and compassion, that, amidst all thy present ineffable glory and blessedness, thou canst, I know, give a thought to me. Think of me then, my dear St. Philip, be sure to think of me, even though I am at times so unmindful of thee. Gain for me all things necessary for my perseverance in the grace of God, and my eternal salvation. Gain for me, by thy powerful intercession, the strength to fight a good fight, to witness boldly for God and religion in the midst of sinners, to be brave when Satan would frighten or force me to what is wrong, to overcome myself, to do my whole duty, and thus to be acquitted in the judgment. Vessel of the Holy Ghost, Apostle of Rome, Saint of primitive times, pray for me. (“Four Prayers to St. Philip,” I, in Prayers, Verses, and Devotions [San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1989], 323)
Readers cannot but smile to find Newman, who was one of the most influential public figures, prolific writers, and effective spiritual directors of the nineteenth century, whose legacy lives on into the twenty-first century, accusing himself in the fourth prayer of having done “nothing” worthy of St. Philip and of lacking those very virtues in which the Oratorian was particularly outstanding:
Thou art my glorious protector, and, after Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, canst do most for me in life and death. In thy labours thou didst follow thy Lord and Saviour, and in thy hidden life and hidden virtues, in thy purity, humility, and fervour, art nearest to Mary and Joseph of all saints. I have long dedicated myself to thee, but I have done nothing worthy of thee, and I am ashamed to call myself thine, because thou hast a right to have followers of great innocence, great honesty of purpose, and great resolution, and these virtues I have not. Thou, Philip, hast no anxiety about thyself, for thou art already in heaven, therefore thou canst afford to have a care for me. Watch over me, keep me from lagging behind, gain for me the grace necessary to keep me up to my duty, so that I may make progress in all virtues[.] … Director of souls, Patron of thine own, who didst turn so many hearts to God, pray for me.
We can understand this as the holy humility of one who does not pride himself on any good but who sees rather where he has failed, where he is wanting, and how much he needs the powerful intercession of the saints and the grace of God to do any good at all.
Newman left us with a treasure trove of other reflections and prayers for St. Philip Neri. He completed a different “Novena of St. Philip” with meditations adapted from Bacci’s biography as translated by Father Faber (the text is available here), looking at the saint’s humility, devotion, exercise of prayer, purity, tenderness of heart, cheerfulness, patience, care for the salvation of souls, and miraculous gifts. Each meditation is accompanied by a prayer written by Newman. Attached to this novena is a Litany of St. Philip, which Newman wrote out in English and in Latin.
I find the final petitions especially noteworthy and fitting to pray today in honor of this great saint:
[St. Philip,] who didst observe chastity in thy youth, pray for us. Who didst seek Rome by divine guidance, pray for us. Who didst hide so long in the Catacombs, pray for us. Who didst receive the Holy Ghost into thy heart, pray for us. Who didst experience such wonderful ecstasies, pray for us. Who didst so lovingly serve the little ones, pray for us. Who didst wash the feet of pilgrims, pray for us. Who didst ardently thirst after martyrdom, pray for us. Who didst distribute the daily word of God, pray for us. Who didst turn so many hearts to God, pray for us. Who didst converse so sweetly with Mary, pray for us. Who didst raise the dead, pray for us. Who didst set up thy houses in all lands, pray for us.
Peter Kwasniewski, Thomistic theologian, liturgical scholar, and choral composer, is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College in California (B.A. Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy). He taught at the International Theological Institute in Austria and the Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Austria Program, then helped establish Wyoming Catholic College in 2006. There he taught theology, philosophy, music, and art history and directed the choirs until leaving in 2018 to devote himself full-time to writing and lecturing. Today he contributes regularly to many websites and publications, including New Liturgical Movement, OnePeterFive, LifeSiteNews, Rorate Caeli, The Remnant, and Catholic Family News, and has published thirteen books, including four on traditional Catholicism: Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis (Angelico, 2014, also available in Czech, Polish, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Belarusian), Noble Beauty, Transcendent Holiness (Angelico, 2017), Tradition and Sanity (Angelico, 2018), and Reclaiming Our Roman Catholic Birthright: The Genius and Timeliness of the Traditional Latin Mass (Angelico, 2020). His work has been translated into at least eighteen languages. Kwasniewski is a scholar of The Aquinas Institute in Green Bay, which is publishing the Opera Omnia of the Angelic Doctor, a Fellow of the Albertus Magnus Center for Scholastic Studies, and a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center. He has published over a thousand articles on Thomistic thought, sacramental and liturgical theology, the history and aesthetics of music, and the social doctrine of the Church. For news, information, article links, sacred music, and the home of Os Justi Press, visit his personal website, www.peterkwasniewski.com.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-23--Catholic professional’s online education org helps students with intellectual, learning challenges

PALMDALE , California , May 22 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — A Catholic teacher has been successfully running an online education institution to provide a learning environment especially for Catholic children with special needs in the safety of their homes .
Margaret Walsh , a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College with a Master 's in special education , founded Secret Garden Educational Pathways to help special needs students to learn in a Catholic environment and to make up for the ways that curricula provided by schools were failing to meet the students ’ real needs .
The website was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had existed under the name Living Pictures since 2015 .
The online service , run from Walsh ’ s location in California , is named after the story The Secret Garden , where a young girl , Mary , finds a secret garden in ruins hidden on the grounds of a mansion .
With the help of her friends and a gardener , Mary transforms the garden into its former beauty .
In the process , she and her friends are also transformed .
Walsh maintains that students with learning disabilities are similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strengthening mental “ pathways , ” students can discover their strengths and overcome their weaknesses to blossom into successful and joyful students , she said .
The Secret Garden Education Pathways seeks to help Catholic children with special needs “ go to the heart of learning ” — namely , the Catholic Faith — to further the student ’ s learning ability .
In an email to LifeSiteNews , Walsh said the first reason she decided to start this organization was the realization that students who have difficulties learning academically will also have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she worked in a secular school , Walsh taught two Catholic high-schoolers .
She asked them a question about Purgatory and learned that they knew nothing about their faith .
She realized that Catholic students with disabilities who have little knowledge of regular subjects would also likely have little knowledge of their faith .
Walsh also desired to offer students a learning environment where parents could be confident about the content and the teachers to which their children would be exposed .
In light of the LGBT agenda ’ s infiltration of schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the fact that students with special needs are often more at risk than other students , Walsh sees it as important to provide a learning environment for these children in the safety of their homes .
Statistics report that children with learning disabilities are significantly more likely to be molested than non-disabled children .
“ In a time when the public schools have turned into a political battlefield rife with immoral content , and Catholic private and homeschools often do n't have the means or expertise to help students with special needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my venture , ” Walsh said .
Special needs students are susceptible and seek to please others , meaning that exposure to people and ideas “ is even more sensitive than students without learning disabilities , ” Walsh explained .
“ It is highly important , ” Walsh continued , “ to provide a very safe and healthy environment where students can improve academically , boost their confidence , learn their Faith and have no worries about the environment or interactions .
PETITION : No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus !
Sign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uses Catholic materials to offer “ professional remediation and therapy services ” for special needs students .
“ What I am doing is different than many other people , and is often a missing piece of the puzzle that is needed for outcome success , ” Walsh told LifeSiteNews .
“ Most of the time schools are helping students by modifying the curriculum and accommodating the learning style of the student , i.e .
if Johnny is a visual learner , the teacher will write things on a whiteboard or if Johnny ca @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would be allowed to do just 5 problems .
Oftentimes this means getting a diagnosis and then learning to live with the diagnosis with accommodations , ” she said .
“ However , we are offering the other missing piece of the puzzle through remediation and education therapy .
We are looking at the diagnosis , or the expressed weaknesses a student has , and then helping the student strengthen processing and thinking skills so that they can improve their abilities and potential and reach higher levels of success .
Instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s learn how to live with this ’ , we are taking the approach , ‘ let 's see if we can move beyond this and strengthen the mental pathways needed to learn more easily ’ .
I call it a growth mindset and we have seen so many improvements in students we work with , ” Walsh continued .
“ An analogy would be someone who injured their leg and the medical doctor says that they will always have that injury and crutches are the best way to live with it vs. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person strengthen the injured leg so that the chances of walking without crutches are better , ” she added .
Walsh outlined a number of reasons why parents would choose her program .
1 .
They can easily access it from home and their students often feel more comfortable working from their own home .
This also means they do n't have to drive anywhere and have the rest of the family sit in the car for hours .
2 .
We are happy to bring the parents into the learning process and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can to work better with their students .
3 .
For Catholic families , we use Catholic materials that offer room for discussion and exploration of the truths of the Church and stories of saints , that they may not have been able to understand before .
This is one of the things I love most about this is that we can help students explore their faith while strengthening their processing , which can be applied to any subject .
One of the reasons I founded this company is because I discovered that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” subjects like history and math , they are often not understanding their Faith to the fullness they can .
4 .
We are aware of the financial constraints of many families and strive to keep the cost much lower than other therapy groups , charging less than half the rate most places charge .
5 .
When we work with students , we use our own materials initially and then often help students transition to learn how to work better within their own curriculum .
While the company is Catholic , Walsh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Catholics and Protestants alike .
The company has worked with Protestants in the past and modifies materials “ so that there is not a specifically Catholic emphasis.
” The program also uses many materials that would appeal to a wide range of beliefs , such as Aesop 's Fables , the Book of Virtues , and historical articles .
The education center helps children who struggle with reading , memory , focus , comprehension , dyslexia , dysgraphia , dyscalculia , and general learning difficulties .
It offers “ Student Booster Programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one with specially trained teachers to overcome the students ’ weaknesses .
The center offers a Comprehension and Literacy Program and a Decoding ( reading and spelling ) Program plus consultation with therapists .
The classes are one-on-one with teachers via online classrooms on the video conference platform Zoom .
Classes are frequent to strengthen the concepts learned , starting with daily classes for several weeks .
After an assessment , students continue with about 1–3 classes each week .
“ The kids are in the comfort and safety of their home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is actually conducive to making more progress.
” The methods used enable students to succeed in any subject .
The program “ is cumulative , ” each step building upon the previous to allow students to reach their level by working through their developmental stages .
Walsh outlined how she has helped students with disabilities learn .
“ For example , we 've worked with students who could barely read when they started with us , and now they are reading the Chronicles of Narnia ( some of them ca n't put a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve worked with students who had great difficulties with memory and comprehension , who couldn ’ t remember what they had learned just hours previous , and now they are enjoying school , have confidence and even studying encyclicals , ” she said .
“ Though there is a wide range of how much each student can improve , we have seen very promising improvements with most of our students .
I believe this is because we are helping them strengthen their processing pathways so that the information is less corrupted due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she added .
Parents testify that these methods help their children to learn .
One parent wrote in a comment posted on Secret Garden ’ s website : “ Margaret was a great addition to our homeschool this past year .
She worked with my fourteen-year-old son on a variety of things including strengthening his use of imagery , improving his retelling skills and increasing his reading comprehension .
My son really looked forward to his classes with Margaret , whose calm and patient ways seemed to decrease his anxiety .
Not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I also saw his confidence increase .
Thank you , Margaret !
” “ Our son was struggling with reading quite a lot and had never really read at grade level , ” another parent wrote .
“ He always tested very low in reading as well .
After working with Ms. Walsh intensely during a 6-week summer program , his reading ability was noticeably improved , and kept improving as the school year went on .
What has been most remarkable is seeing his most recent test results .
Marked improvement across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reading !
” One student wrote , “ Margaret helped me with a lot of things .
She taught me how to picture so that I could understand what I was reading .
She also taught me different mind games , which was my favorite thing .
AND , she was a lot of fun !
” May 23 , 2020 correction : An earlier version of this report mistakenly referred to Walsh as a mother .

A teacher has been successfully running an online education institution to provide a learning environment especially for Catholic children with special needs in the safety of their homes.
PALMDALE, California, May 22, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A Catholic teacher has been successfully running an online education institution to provide a learning environment especially for Catholic children with special needs in the safety of their homes.
Margaret Walsh, a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College with a Master's in special education, founded Secret Garden Educational Pathways to help special needs students to learn in a Catholic environment and to make up for the ways that curricula provided by schools were failing to meet the students’ real needs. The website was launched in 2017; however, it had existed under the name Living Pictures since 2015.
Garden in disrepair
The online service, run from Walsh’s location in California, is named after the story The Secret Garden, where a young girl, Mary, finds a secret garden in ruins hidden on the grounds of a mansion. With the help of her friends and a gardener, Mary transforms the garden into its former beauty. In the process, she and her friends are also transformed.
Walsh maintains that students with learning disabilities are similar to a garden in disrepair.
By strengthening mental “pathways,” students can discover their strengths and overcome their weaknesses to blossom into successful and joyful students, she said.
The ‘heart of learning’
The Secret Garden Education Pathways seeks to help Catholic children with special needs “go to the heart of learning” — namely, the Catholic Faith — to further the student’s learning ability.
In an email to LifeSiteNews, Walsh said the first reason she decided to start this organization was the realization that students who have difficulties learning academically will also have trouble learning about the Faith.
When she worked in a secular school, Walsh taught two Catholic high-schoolers. She asked them a question about Purgatory and learned that they knew nothing about their faith. She realized that Catholic students with disabilities who have little knowledge of regular subjects would also likely have little knowledge of their faith.
Walsh also desired to offer students a learning environment where parents could be confident about the content and the teachers to which their children would be exposed.
In light of the LGBT agenda’s infiltration of schools, drag queens, sex education, and the fact that students with special needs are often more at risk than other students, Walsh sees it as important to provide a learning environment for these children in the safety of their homes. Statistics report that children with learning disabilities are significantly more likely to be molested than non-disabled children.
“In a time when the public schools have turned into a political battlefield rife with immoral content, and Catholic private and homeschools often don't have the means or expertise to help students with special needs, I am excited to be sharing my venture,” Walsh said.
Special needs students are susceptible and seek to please others, meaning that exposure to people and ideas “is even more sensitive than students without learning disabilities,” Walsh explained.
“It is highly important,” Walsh continued, “to provide a very safe and healthy environment where students can improve academically, boost their confidence, learn their Faith and have no worries about the environment or interactions.
PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
What Secret Garden offers
The education center uses Catholic materials to offer “professional remediation and therapy services” for special needs students.
“What I am doing is different than many other people, and is often a missing piece of the puzzle that is needed for outcome success,” Walsh told LifeSiteNews.
“Most of the time schools are helping students by modifying the curriculum and accommodating the learning style of the student, i.e. if Johnny is a visual learner, the teacher will write things on a whiteboard or if Johnny can't complete a whole math lesson, he would be allowed to do just 5 problems. Oftentimes this means getting a diagnosis and then learning to live with the diagnosis with accommodations,” she said.
“However, we are offering the other missing piece of the puzzle through remediation and education therapy. We are looking at the diagnosis, or the expressed weaknesses a student has, and then helping the student strengthen processing and thinking skills so that they can improve their abilities and potential and reach higher levels of success. Instead of taking the approach, ‘let’s learn how to live with this’, we are taking the approach, ‘let's see if we can move beyond this and strengthen the mental pathways needed to learn more easily’. I call it a growth mindset and we have seen so many improvements in students we work with,” Walsh continued.
“An analogy would be someone who injured their leg and the medical doctor says that they will always have that injury and crutches are the best way to live with it vs. a physical therapist who will help that person strengthen the injured leg so that the chances of walking without crutches are better,” she added.
Walsh outlined a number of reasons why parents would choose her program.
1. They can easily access it from home and their students often feel more comfortable working from their own home. This also means they don't have to drive anywhere and have the rest of the family sit in the car for hours.
2. We are happy to bring the parents into the learning process and give them as many tools as they can to work better with their students.
3. For Catholic families, we use Catholic materials that offer room for discussion and exploration of the truths of the Church and stories of saints, that they may not have been able to understand before. This is one of the things I love most about this is that we can help students explore their faith while strengthening their processing, which can be applied to any subject. One of the reasons I founded this company is because I discovered that if students are struggling with “common” subjects like history and math, they are often not understanding their Faith to the fullness they can.
4. We are aware of the financial constraints of many families and strive to keep the cost much lower than other therapy groups, charging less than half the rate most places charge.
5. When we work with students, we use our own materials initially and then often help students transition to learn how to work better within their own curriculum.
While the company is Catholic, Walsh told LifeSiteNews she is happy to work with Catholics and Protestants alike. The company has worked with Protestants in the past and modifies materials “so that there is not a specifically Catholic emphasis.”
The program also uses many materials that would appeal to a wide range of beliefs, such as Aesop's Fables, the Book of Virtues, and historical articles.
The education center helps children who struggle with reading, memory, focus, comprehension, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and general learning difficulties.
It offers “Student Booster Programs,” helping students work one on one with specially trained teachers to overcome the students’ weaknesses.
The center offers a Comprehension and Literacy Program and a Decoding (reading and spelling) Program plus consultation with therapists.
Making progress
The classes are one-on-one with teachers via online classrooms on the video conference platform Zoom. Classes are frequent to strengthen the concepts learned, starting with daily classes for several weeks. After an assessment, students continue with about 1–3 classes each week.
“The kids are in the comfort and safety of their home,” Walsh said. “And it is actually conducive to making more progress.”
The methods used enable students to succeed in any subject. The program “is cumulative,” each step building upon the previous to allow students to reach their level by working through their developmental stages.
Walsh outlined how she has helped students with disabilities learn.
“For example, we've worked with students who could barely read when they started with us, and now they are reading the Chronicles of Narnia (some of them can't put a book down now). We’ve worked with students who had great difficulties with memory and comprehension, who couldn’t remember what they had learned just hours previous, and now they are enjoying school, have confidence and even studying encyclicals,” she said.
“Though there is a wide range of how much each student can improve, we have seen very promising improvements with most of our students. I believe this is because we are helping them strengthen their processing pathways so that the information is less corrupted due to weakness and they can truly understand.” she added.
‘Thank you’
Parents testify that these methods help their children to learn.
One parent wrote in a comment posted on Secret Garden’s website: “Margaret was a great addition to our homeschool this past year. She worked with my fourteen-year-old son on a variety of things including strengthening his use of imagery, improving his retelling skills and increasing his reading comprehension. My son really looked forward to his classes with Margaret, whose calm and patient ways seemed to decrease his anxiety. Not only did I see improvement academically, but I also saw his confidence increase. Thank you, Margaret!”
“Our son was struggling with reading quite a lot and had never really read at grade level,” another parent wrote. “He always tested very low in reading as well. After working with Ms. Walsh intensely during a 6-week summer program, his reading ability was noticeably improved, and kept improving as the school year went on. What has been most remarkable is seeing his most recent test results. Marked improvement across ALL areas of testing, including the reading!”
One student wrote, “Margaret helped me with a lot of things. She taught me how to picture so that I could understand what I was reading. She also taught me different mind games, which was my favorite thing. AND, she was a lot of fun!”
May 23, 2020 correction: An earlier version of this report mistakenly referred to Walsh as a mother.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-27--Dad posts videos teaching basic tasks. Fatherless viewers’ responses are heartbreaking

May 26 , 2020 ( Intellectual Takeout ) — A recent post on Imgur caught my eye for its startling glimpse into the true state of American families .
Seeking to be a help to others , a young man posted a link to his father ’ s new YouTube channel titled “ Dad , how do I ?
” The channel was born out of firsthand experience of growing up without a father present to teach vital life skills .
Among other things , this channel features a father of two grown children demonstrating how to change a tire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a leaking toilet .
The videos clearly fill a void .
Within hours of posting the link on Imgur , the channel more than doubled its subscriber base .
It is approaching 1 million subscribers as of this writing .
[ LifeSite editor ’ s note : As of Tuesday evening , May 26 , the channel is approaching 2 million subscribers . ]
Comments on the post demonstrate both sarcasm and a secret longing , with some suggesting new topic ideas and others expressing their need for a father figure and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need and enthusiasm for his advice , the father produced a thank you video , expressing a genuine humility in his parenting skills , but an earnest desire to help others .
Please understand that I didn ’ t always do everything right with my kids .
We were quick to reconcile if I failed , because you ’ re going to fail as a dad !
It ’ s part of the human experience , you aren ’ t going to always do things right , so I think it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not pretend that you ’ ve got it all figured out because your kids are going to find out sooner or later that you don ’ t have it figured out when they grow up .
Again , responses to the video were heartbreaking , including this comment : My father left when I was 6 and have not heard from him sence [ sic ] .
My mother does not help at all .
I feel like this [ is ] an essence of my father , and I almost started crying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I never had .
Thank you for being the light in my dark and broken world .
Keep it up .
America is a nation full of lost , lonely , and adrift young adults , many of whom are craving the love , support , and interest of the father they never had .
Their voices echo the pain expressed in Whittaker Chambers ’ Witness as he relates how his own father was often absent , and was unsupportive even when he was around .
Chambers admits to loving his father , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their home left a void .
Perhaps it ’ s not surprising then that Chambers went on to engage in aggressive political action , eventually becoming a Communist spy .
Chambers eventually reconsidered his ways and became a hard-working , honest American , but it took many years and difficult experiences before he got there .
Consider , however , another young boy trained to be an honest , hard-working American from his earliest days .
As told in the story Little Britches , Ralph Moody lost his father at age 11 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family , helping his mother raise and support their crew of six members .
Though young , Moody was up to the task because of the love , character , and work ethic his father had instilled in him .
Lacking the strong father Moody had , young Americans today are headed down the path that Chambers took .
Dealing with father loss and the uncertainty which it brings , they are forging ahead , seeking answers and ideologies upon which to hang their hat .
Never have we so badly needed men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like the aforementioned father with the YouTube channel , “ Hey , I ’ m not perfect , but I ’ m here to help you in the ways that I can.
” Fathers , and men in general , have been much maligned in recent decades as imbeciles who can ’ t do anything right .
But even as they ’ re maligned , there seems to be a deep sense that fathers are greatly needed .
Is it time we stop badmouthing fathers and instead step up to support them ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the smallest unit of society — the family — then perhaps the next generation will grow up to fill the void of great leadership in the nation at large .

May 26, 2020 (Intellectual Takeout) — A recent post on Imgur caught my eye for its startling glimpse into the true state of American families.
Seeking to be a help to others, a young man posted a link to his father’s new YouTube channel titled “Dad, how do I?” The channel was born out of firsthand experience of growing up without a father present to teach vital life skills. Among other things, this channel features a father of two grown children demonstrating how to change a tire, iron a shirt, and fix a leaking toilet.
The videos clearly fill a void. Within hours of posting the link on Imgur, the channel more than doubled its subscriber base. It is approaching 1 million subscribers as of this writing. [LifeSite editor’s note: As of Tuesday evening, May 26, the channel is approaching 2 million subscribers.] Comments on the post demonstrate both sarcasm and a secret longing, with some suggesting new topic ideas and others expressing their need for a father figure and his wisdom.
Overwhelmed by the outpouring of need and enthusiasm for his advice, the father produced a thank you video, expressing a genuine humility in his parenting skills, but an earnest desire to help others.
Please understand that I didn’t always do everything right with my kids. We were quick to reconcile if I failed, because you’re going to fail as a dad! It’s part of the human experience, you aren’t going to always do things right, so I think it’s very important to ask for forgiveness and not pretend that you’ve got it all figured out because your kids are going to find out sooner or later that you don’t have it figured out when they grow up.
Again, responses to the video were heartbreaking, including this comment:
My father left when I was 6 and have not heard from him sence [sic]. My mother does not help at all. I feel like this [is] an essence of my father, and I almost started crying… Thank you for being the dad I never had. Thank you for being the light in my dark and broken world. Keep it up.
America is a nation full of lost, lonely, and adrift young adults, many of whom are craving the love, support, and interest of the father they never had. Their voices echo the pain expressed in Whittaker Chambers’ Witness as he relates how his own father was often absent, and was unsupportive even when he was around. Chambers admits to loving his father, but the turmoil his inconsistency caused in their home left a void. Perhaps it’s not surprising then that Chambers went on to engage in aggressive political action, eventually becoming a Communist spy. Chambers eventually reconsidered his ways and became a hard-working, honest American, but it took many years and difficult experiences before he got there.
Consider, however, another young boy trained to be an honest, hard-working American from his earliest days. As told in the story Little Britches, Ralph Moody lost his father at age 11 and had to become the man of the family, helping his mother raise and support their crew of six members. Though young, Moody was up to the task because of the love, character, and work ethic his father had instilled in him.
Lacking the strong father Moody had, young Americans today are headed down the path that Chambers took. Dealing with father loss and the uncertainty which it brings, they are forging ahead, seeking answers and ideologies upon which to hang their hat. Never have we so badly needed men to stand up and humbly say, like the aforementioned father with the YouTube channel, “Hey, I’m not perfect, but I’m here to help you in the ways that I can.”
Fathers, and men in general, have been much maligned in recent decades as imbeciles who can’t do anything right. But even as they’re maligned, there seems to be a deep sense that fathers are greatly needed.
Is it time we stop badmouthing fathers and instead step up to support them? If we can have great leaders today in the smallest unit of society — the family — then perhaps the next generation will grow up to fill the void of great leadership in the nation at large.
Published with permission from Intellectual Takeout.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-27--VA gov heads to beach for selfies, then announces statewide mask mandate: Live coronavirus updates

LifeSite ’ s previous ( and future ) live updates on the coronavirus crisis and how it relates to issues our readers care about can be viewed HERE .
This Memorial Day weekend , Virginia Governor Ralph Northam – who , as the commonwealth begins easing its lockdown , is rumored to be contemplating ordering all residents to wear masks – was photographed at a newly reopened beach not wearing a mask and standing close to beachgoers to take selfies with them .
Northam ’ s governorship has been marred by his apparent endorsement of infanticide in January 2019 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his medical school yearbook either wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood or blackface .
Should he mandate masks in certain settings , the mandate would have to be instituted as an exception to a Virginia law making covering one ’ s face in public a felony .
The law , which has exceptions for events like Halloween , theatrical performances , and a “ public health emergency , ” was apparently “ created ... in response to the KKK presence in Virginia , ” according to a Virginia Beach attorney .
May 26 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northam announced this afternoon that beginning Friday , face coverings will be required inside buildings , with some exceptions .
Officials from China ’ s province of Guangdong said on Monday they are planning to build dozens of high-level biosafety laboratories that should be able to safely handle infectious diseases , including at least one capable of handling Ebola… Shi Zhengli , deputy director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology and a researcher known as the “ Bat Woman ” for her focus on coronaviruses in bats , warned in an interview with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the viruses we have discovered are just the tip of the iceberg ” and more pandemics are probably on the way .
• Bishop Schneider : Lockdown is a trial that can bring about great ‘ spiritual benefit ’ May 26 , 2020 , 7:09 p.m. EST : According to the Daily Beast , “ So many people working from home with the AC on could strain grids coast to coast ...
Hot weather blackouts have long plagued neighborhoods and towns from New York to California to Texas .
But now experts are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working from home or are unemployed—cranking their air conditioners as the temperature rises on sunny days—will only strain transmission lines and transformers further.
” May 26 , 2020 , 4:55 p.m. EST : The Catholic bishops of Washington state responded to President Trump calling on state governors to allow churches to reopen with a letter saying in part : We want to let you know that the public celebration of Mass was suspended , not out of fear , but out of our deepest respect for human life and health .
As disciples @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be instruments of God ’ s protection for the vulnerable and the public common good .
Our love of God and neighbor is always personal and not partisan .
While we share the desire to bring people back to Mass as quickly as possible , we will wait to schedule our public worship when it is safe and we are prepared to do so .
May 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Last week , The Federalist published an interview with an addiction expert who says there is a “ pandemic within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are relapsing and overdosing because of conditions caused by the coronavirus lockdowns .
“ People need purpose , they need connection , they need fellowship , ” Tim Ryan of A Man in Recovery Foundation said .
“ Now they ’ re all alone.
” The doctor in charge of a California trauma center offered a similarly grim observation : “ we ’ ve seen a year ’ s worth of suicide attempts in the last four weeks.
” In a May 6 article that remains relevant , pro-life bioethicist Wesley J. Smith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous temptation to remove control over policy from democratic deliberation in favor of a technocracy , i.e.
, rule by ‘ experts.
’ In health care , such a system would be particularly perilous since the experts placed in charge of policy would be ‘ bioethicists ’ whose predominant views disparage the sanctity of human life.
” The most influential of our would-be health-care overlords hold immoral and amoral values not shared by most of those who would be impacted by their policy prescriptions .
For example , most mainstream [ bioethics ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have unique value and — unless they have a modifier such as “ Catholic ” or “ pro-life ” in front of their identifier — embrace a utilitarian “ quality of life ” approach to medical decision-making , according to which some of us are judged to have greater worth than others based on discriminatory criteria such as cognitive capacity , state of health , and age .
Governor Gretchen Whitmer ’ s husband is the latest public figure to be criticized for apparently ignoring strict lockdown rules .
The New York Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — whose strict coronavirus lockdown policies have caused infamous revolts in the state — is taking heat after her husband appeared to have flouted some of her own advice about holiday travel.
” The man whose “ doomsday ” predictions about the coronavirus led to the U.K. ’ s strict lockdown and influenced those of other countries , Neil Ferguson , resigned as a government advisor after it was revealed he broke his own rules to visit his mistress .
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot , after closing hair salons and declaring , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” received a haircut anyway and defended doing so because “ I ’ m the public face of this city.
” • U.S. Supreme Court asked to intervene in California ’ s ‘ biased ’ shutdown of churches • French faithful joyfully return to worship as churches reopen after more than two months in lockdown

Live updates on the coronavirus crisis and how it relates to pro-life issues, faith, and freedom.
LifeSite’s previous (and future) live updates on the coronavirus crisis and how it relates to issues our readers care about can be viewed HERE.
This Memorial Day weekend, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam – who, as the commonwealth begins easing its lockdown, is rumored to be contemplating ordering all residents to wear masks – was photographed at a newly reopened beach not wearing a mask and standing close to beachgoers to take selfies with them. Northam’s governorship has been marred by his apparent endorsement of infanticide in January 2019 and the revelation that he is pictured in his medical school yearbook either wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood or blackface.
Should he mandate masks in certain settings, the mandate would have to be instituted as an exception to a Virginia law making covering one’s face in public a felony. The law, which has exceptions for events like Halloween, theatrical performances, and a “public health emergency,” was apparently “created…in response to the KKK presence in Virginia,” according to a Virginia Beach attorney.
May 26, 2020, 3:36 p.m. EST: Northam announced this afternoon that beginning Friday, face coverings will be required inside buildings, with some exceptions.
May 27, 2020, 9:43 a.m. EST: The Daily Wire reports:
The pastor of a Chicago church said multiple police cars and a government representative showed up at his church on Sunday demanding services end. Pastor Courtney Lewis of Cornerstone Baptist Church told Todd Starnes on his eponymous radio show that he was in the middle of church services when someone began to bang loudly on the front doors. Outside, he said, were three police cars, two unmarked cars, and a representative from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office. Lewis told Starnes it was “like the Soviet-style KGB.”
And according to the Washington Post, “A third of Americans are showing signs of clinical anxiety or depression, Census Bureau data shows, the most definitive and alarming sign yet of the psychological toll exacted by the coronavirus pandemic” (emphasis added).
May 26, 2020, 9:12 p.m. EST: Breitbart reports:
Officials from China’s province of Guangdong said on Monday they are planning to build dozens of high-level biosafety laboratories that should be able to safely handle infectious diseases, including at least one capable of handling Ebola… Shi Zhengli, deputy director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology and a researcher known as the “Bat Woman” for her focus on coronaviruses in bats, warned in an interview with Chinese state television on Monday that “the viruses we have discovered are just the tip of the iceberg” and more pandemics are probably on the way.
Recent LifeSiteNews coverage of the coronavirus crisis includes:
May 26, 2020, 7:09 p.m. EST: According to the Daily Beast, “So many people working from home with the AC on could strain grids coast to coast…Hot weather blackouts have long plagued neighborhoods and towns from New York to California to Texas. But now experts are warning that millions of Americans who are working from home or are unemployed—cranking their air conditioners as the temperature rises on sunny days—will only strain transmission lines and transformers further.”
May 26, 2020, 4:55 p.m. EST: The Catholic bishops of Washington state responded to President Trump calling on state governors to allow churches to reopen with a letter saying in part:
We want to let you know that the public celebration of Mass was suspended, not out of fear, but out of our deepest respect for human life and health. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to be instruments of God’s protection for the vulnerable and the public common good. Our love of God and neighbor is always personal and not partisan. While we share the desire to bring people back to Mass as quickly as possible, we will wait to schedule our public worship when it is safe and we are prepared to do so.
May 26, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Last week, The Federalist published an interview with an addiction expert who says there is a “pandemic within a pandemic.” He said drug addicts are relapsing and overdosing because of conditions caused by the coronavirus lockdowns.
“People need purpose, they need connection, they need fellowship,” Tim Ryan of A Man in Recovery Foundation said. “Now they’re all alone.”
The doctor in charge of a California trauma center offered a similarly grim observation: “we’ve seen a year’s worth of suicide attempts in the last four weeks.”
In a May 6 article that remains relevant, pro-life bioethicist Wesley J. Smith of the Discovery Institute explored the “dangerous temptation to remove control over policy from democratic deliberation in favor of a technocracy, i.e., rule by ‘experts.’ In health care, such a system would be particularly perilous since the experts placed in charge of policy would be ‘bioethicists’ whose predominant views disparage the sanctity of human life.”
He wrote:
The most influential of our would-be health-care overlords hold immoral and amoral values not shared by most of those who would be impacted by their policy prescriptions. For example, most mainstream [bioethics] practitioners reject the belief that human beings have unique value and — unless they have a modifier such as “Catholic” or “pro-life” in front of their identifier — embrace a utilitarian “quality of life” approach to medical decision-making, according to which some of us are judged to have greater worth than others based on discriminatory criteria such as cognitive capacity, state of health, and age.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s husband is the latest public figure to be criticized for apparently ignoring strict lockdown rules.
The New York Post reports, “The governor of Michigan — whose strict coronavirus lockdown policies have caused infamous revolts in the state — is taking heat after her husband appeared to have flouted some of her own advice about holiday travel.”
The man whose “doomsday” predictions about the coronavirus led to the U.K.’s strict lockdown and influenced those of other countries, Neil Ferguson, resigned as a government advisor after it was revealed he broke his own rules to visit his mistress. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, after closing hair salons and declaring, “getting your roots done is not essential,” received a haircut anyway and defended doing so because “I’m the public face of this city.”
Recent LifeSiteNews coverage of the coronavirus crisis includes:
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lifesitenews--2020-05-27--Leading UK research university: You’re transphobic if you think a man can’t become female

May 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — I fully realize that mocking the absurd sanctimonies of university students is like shooting fish in a barrel .
To make fun of young people while they are in full ideological bloom and have not yet been knocked about by the real world sometimes seems cruel , especially considering the real possibility that they actually believe this stuff .
That said , occasionally , these fervent and fevered wokelings make a statement that simply begs for a response .
Today was one of those days .
Consider this tweet , sent out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Leicester , a public research university in England .
It is a helpful definition of transphobia for all those who were born into the dark and evil days of yore , when there were only men and women .
Those days are gone , and now we know better .
“ Transphobia , ” the SSSUL informs us solemnly , “ is intolerance of gender diversity .
It is based around the idea that there are only two sexes — male or female , which you stay in from birth.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s leave the grammar of this sentence filled with hostage words to the side for one moment and consider the point being made .
First , there is the concept that the sex binary is an “ idea , ” one that all previous generations had inflicted on them by elementary biology classes , common sense , and their lying eyes .
There have been no scientific discoveries in recent decades to rebut this obvious fact , and it is noticeable that nobody claims that , say , penguins also come in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ humans , because the more gullible among us can be persuaded that this is the case .
And then there is the proposition that “ transphobia ” — the fear or hatred of transgender people — is an “ intolerance of gender diversity , ” the idea that there are dozens ( probably more since I last checked ) of different genders , all of them valid because somebody just made them up .
To point out that there are not dozens of genders , apparently , is “ fear ” or “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidentally were not so very long ago people who wanted to switch from male to female or vice versa , and were , like all of us , unaware of just how many options there actually were .
Those were much simpler times — even for transgender people .
We should not allow the frequency of this stupidity to numb us to how insane it really is .
At a university , an educational institution tasked with educating the upcoming generations of leaders ( let that sink in ) , student-politicians are calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hatred.
” And we all know what the progressive response to perceived “ hatred ” is : censorship .
What about science ?
Shut up !
they explain .
I had wondered if the COVID-19 pandemic would pause all of this babble for a bit .
Several wags have already noted on Twitter and elsewhere that governmental bodies generally sympathetic to the aims of the gender activists have been remarkably binary in their reporting of coronavirus infection rates .
We ’ ve been told how many men have been infected , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been infected , but there has been a stubborn and hateful refusal to report on how the gender-fluid members of society have fared during all of this .
If I didn ’ t know better , I would think the medical community is trying to erase their existence .
Or perhaps , when we are faced with genuine , real-world problems , we all have to drop the act for a bit and let the adults do their work .
Jonathon ’ s new podcast , The Van Maren Show , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-life and pro-family movement .
In his latest episode , he interviews Scott Klusendorf about the fundamental flaw Klusendorf sees in the idea of locking down the country under the guise of preventing people from getting coronavirus .
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below :

To point out that there are not dozens of genders, apparently, is 'fear' or 'hatred' of transgender people.
May 26, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — I fully realize that mocking the absurd sanctimonies of university students is like shooting fish in a barrel. To make fun of young people while they are in full ideological bloom and have not yet been knocked about by the real world sometimes seems cruel, especially considering the real possibility that they actually believe this stuff. That said, occasionally, these fervent and fevered wokelings make a statement that simply begs for a response. Today was one of those days.
Consider this tweet, sent out by the Student Support Services of the University of Leicester, a public research university in England. It is a helpful definition of transphobia for all those who were born into the dark and evil days of yore, when there were only men and women. Those days are gone, and now we know better. “Transphobia,” the SSSUL informs us solemnly, “is intolerance of gender diversity. It is based around the idea that there are only two sexes — male or female, which you stay in from birth.” The tweet was later deleted.
Let’s leave the grammar of this sentence filled with hostage words to the side for one moment and consider the point being made. First, there is the concept that the sex binary is an “idea,” one that all previous generations had inflicted on them by elementary biology classes, common sense, and their lying eyes. There have been no scientific discoveries in recent decades to rebut this obvious fact, and it is noticeable that nobody claims that, say, penguins also come in dozens of genders. It is just humans, because the more gullible among us can be persuaded that this is the case.
And then there is the proposition that “transphobia” — the fear or hatred of transgender people — is an “intolerance of gender diversity,” the idea that there are dozens (probably more since I last checked) of different genders, all of them valid because somebody just made them up. To point out that there are not dozens of genders, apparently, is “fear” or “hatred” of transgender people, who incidentally were not so very long ago people who wanted to switch from male to female or vice versa, and were, like all of us, unaware of just how many options there actually were.
Those were much simpler times — even for transgender people.
We should not allow the frequency of this stupidity to numb us to how insane it really is. At a university, an educational institution tasked with educating the upcoming generations of leaders (let that sink in), student-politicians are calling a basic recognition of biological fact “hatred.” And we all know what the progressive response to perceived “hatred” is: censorship. What about science? Shut up! they explain.
Follow Jonathon van Maren on Facebook
I had wondered if the COVID-19 pandemic would pause all of this babble for a bit. Several wags have already noted on Twitter and elsewhere that governmental bodies generally sympathetic to the aims of the gender activists have been remarkably binary in their reporting of coronavirus infection rates. We’ve been told how many men have been infected, and we’ve been told how many women have been infected, but there has been a stubborn and hateful refusal to report on how the gender-fluid members of society have fared during all of this. If I didn’t know better, I would think the medical community is trying to erase their existence.
Or perhaps, when we are faced with genuine, real-world problems, we all have to drop the act for a bit and let the adults do their work.
Jonathon’s new podcast, The Van Maren Show, is dedicated to telling the stories of the pro-life and pro-family movement. In his latest episode, he interviews Scott Klusendorf about the fundamental flaw Klusendorf sees in the idea of locking down the country under the guise of preventing people from getting coronavirus.
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below:
Follow Jonathon Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer, and pro-life activist. His commentary has been translated into more than eight languages and published widely online as well as print newspapers such as the Jewish Independent, the National Post, the Hamilton Spectator and others. He has received an award for combating anti-Semitism in print from the Jewish organization B’nai Brith. His commentary has been featured on CTV Primetime, Global News, EWTN, and the CBC as well as dozens of radio stations and news outlets in Canada and the United States. He speaks on a wide variety of cultural topics across North America at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions. Some of these topics include abortion, pornography, the Sexual Revolution, and euthanasia. Jonathon holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from Simon Fraser University, and is the communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform. Jonathon’s first book, The Culture War, was released in 2016.
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