lifesitenews--2020-05-13--What do you really know about the World Health Organization?

PETITION : Thank President Trump for halting U.S. funding to pro-abortion World Health Organization .
Sign the petition here .
May 13 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The World Health Organization has been all over the news recently thanks to the coronavirus pandemic , but how much do you actually know about the WHO ?
In today ’ s episode of The Van Maren Show , Rebecca Oas from the Center for Family and Human Rights joins Jonathon to talk about the background of the WHO , their current work , and why pro-lifers should be leery of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Family and Human Rights , C-FAM , focuses on how international institutions promote life and family and on how the debate around life and family is unfolding at the international level .
Rebecca Oas is the Associate Director of Research for C-FAM and focuses on the research side of their work .
Getting down to basics , the World Health Organization is the health arm of the United Nations .
Since infectious diseases don ’ t respect borders , the idea is the WHO would facilitate information sharing and collaboration on widespread diseases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with any international institution , the problem [ is ] when it becomes politicized , ” Oas tells Van Maren .
The WHO is funded by assessed contributions , required contributions from each country based on size and economic factors , and voluntary contributions .
Voluntary contributions are beginning to account for more and more of the WHO ’ s overall budget as countries make voluntary contributions to push their own health agendas .
Van Maren shares the great example of smaller countries being forced to accept and promote programs that go against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed health funding .
We don ’ t see this as much in the U.S. , Canada , and Europe because we have developed health systems , but many African countries rely on supplies and resources from the WHO for basic care .
There is currently no international consensus on the morality of abortion , only that in places where abortion is legal it must be “ safe.
” The WHO has begun to push the idea that not allowing abortion leads to “ unsafe ” abortions , and therefore , abortion should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Organization , you know , it has interpreted this guidance not only to ensure that there are ways of doing it ‘ safely , ’ but they 've also taken it upon themselves to issue policy guidance on , you know , basically the idea being that if you want to get rid of ‘ unsafe ’ abortion , the only alternative is to provide ‘ safe ’ abortion , ” Oas tells Van Maren .
The essential medicine list published by the WHO , which is meant to serve as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortion pills “ where nationally appropriate.
” Organizations then use this and other guidelines on abortion published by the WHO to get away with the distribution of abortion pills in countries where abortion is illegal .
Oas affirms the Trump administration ’ s decision to stop funding the WHO .
She points out the fact that many of the policies being promulgated by the WHO , including their partnership with the International Planned Parenthood Federation , are outside of their mandated scope and are against U.S. foreign policy .
Oas does point out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue to pay attention to the WHO and to engage in dialogue with them .
The UN and the WHO have a significant presence and impact on countries worldwide , so staying engaged with the WHO ’ s policies and working to change the pro-abortion policies is important for pro-lifers .
The Van Maren Show is hosted on numerous platforms , including Spotify , SoundCloud , YouTube , iTunes , and Google Play .
For a full listing of episodes , and to subscribe to various channels , visit our Acast webpage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new episode is uploaded , subscribe below :

Here's why pro-lifers should be leery of the programs they promote.
PETITION: Thank President Trump for halting U.S. funding to pro-abortion World Health Organization. Sign the petition here.
May 13, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The World Health Organization has been all over the news recently thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, but how much do you actually know about the WHO?
In today’s episode of The Van Maren Show, Rebecca Oas from the Center for Family and Human Rights joins Jonathon to talk about the background of the WHO, their current work, and why pro-lifers should be leery of the programs they promote.
The Center for Family and Human Rights, C-FAM, focuses on how international institutions promote life and family and on how the debate around life and family is unfolding at the international level. Rebecca Oas is the Associate Director of Research for C-FAM and focuses on the research side of their work.
Watch the full interview:
Getting down to basics, the World Health Organization is the health arm of the United Nations. Since infectious diseases don’t respect borders, the idea is the WHO would facilitate information sharing and collaboration on widespread diseases to help save lives.
“As with any international institution, the problem [is] when it becomes politicized,” Oas tells Van Maren.
The WHO is funded by assessed contributions, required contributions from each country based on size and economic factors, and voluntary contributions. Voluntary contributions are beginning to account for more and more of the WHO’s overall budget as countries make voluntary contributions to push their own health agendas.
Van Maren shares the great example of smaller countries being forced to accept and promote programs that go against their morals in order to receive desperately needed health funding. We don’t see this as much in the U.S., Canada, and Europe because we have developed health systems, but many African countries rely on supplies and resources from the WHO for basic care.
There is currently no international consensus on the morality of abortion, only that in places where abortion is legal it must be “safe.” The WHO has begun to push the idea that not allowing abortion leads to “unsafe” abortions, and therefore, abortion should be legal everywhere.
Listen to the full interview:
“The World Health Organization, you know, it has interpreted this guidance not only to ensure that there are ways of doing it ‘safely,’ but they've also taken it upon themselves to issue policy guidance on, you know, basically the idea being that if you want to get rid of ‘unsafe’ abortion, the only alternative is to provide ‘safe’ abortion,” Oas tells Van Maren.
The essential medicine list published by the WHO, which is meant to serve as a list of essential medications, now includes abortion pills “where nationally appropriate.” Organizations then use this and other guidelines on abortion published by the WHO to get away with the distribution of abortion pills in countries where abortion is illegal.
Oas affirms the Trump administration’s decision to stop funding the WHO. She points out the fact that many of the policies being promulgated by the WHO, including their partnership with the International Planned Parenthood Federation, are outside of their mandated scope and are against U.S. foreign policy.
Oas does point out that it is important for the U.S. to continue to pay attention to the WHO and to engage in dialogue with them. The UN and the WHO have a significant presence and impact on countries worldwide, so staying engaged with the WHO’s policies and working to change the pro-abortion policies is important for pro-lifers.
The Van Maren Show is hosted on numerous platforms, including Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube, iTunes, and Google Play.
For a full listing of episodes, and to subscribe to various channels, visit our Acast webpage here.
To receive weekly emails when a new episode is uploaded, subscribe below:
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lifesitenews--2020-05-13--New Zealand allows crowds to return to malls, restaurants, but not churches

Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world : Feed your flock !
Sign the petition here .
WELLINGTON , New Zealand , May 13 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – As part of a phased-in relaxing of the nationwide shutdown , the government of New Zealand has passed new legislation into law that allows only 10 people to attend a religious service while allowing 100 people to gather in other public places such as restaurants , shopping centers , and movie theatres .
The legislation has now made it through all three readings in Parliament and has been granted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , funerals were granted a small carve-out allowing a maximum of 50 people to gather for no longer than two hours .
More significantly , the revised measures that were supposed to be in full force for two years will now be up for review every 90 days .
The legislation , known as the COVID-19 Public Health Response Bill , was allowed to pass despite a public outcry , interventions by some members of Parliament — including the launch of a petition — and a joint effort of New Zealand Catholic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the limit on attendees at religious services .
“ This is the most anti-democratic bill we ’ ve ever seen put before Parliament , ” said MP Simon O'Connor in a video just before the bill became law .
“ The bill gives extraordinary powers — unheard of powers — to the Prime Minister , ” said O ’ Connor .
“ Basically , this bill allows one person in a democratic country the complete right to decide where you go , who you see , how you operate , when you open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to church , ( and ) what sport you can play.
” “ It allows the police , the New Zealand police , to enter your home without warrant ” based simply on “ the suspicion that there might be too many of you gathered in your home , ” said O'Connor , noting that law enforcement has not previously had that power .
O ’ Connor also explained that the new law will allow the government to grant special powers to ordinary citizens known as “ enforcement officers , ” designated to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and who have the power to shut down businesses or gatherings they deem to be too large .
The law shows “ contempt for the very basics of human life : grieving , celebration , and faith , ” he said .
The freedom of religion addressed in the nation ’ s Bill of Rights was “ completely ignored .
I would suggest to you that it was deliberate and it is contemptible.
” In a separate speech delivered from the floor of Parliament , O ’ Connor said the omission of considerations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religion and people of faith.
” “ The bill is morally wrong .
It is legally wrong .
It is democratically wrong , ” concluded O ’ Connor .
“ It is just not the Kiwi way.
” COVID-19 Public Health Response Bill - Second Reading - Video 13 from New Zealand Parliament on Vimeo .
Another MP , Simeon Brown , said from the floor of Parliament that these new rules “ go to the heart of what it means to be a Kiwi , and I find it abhorrent.
” Brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response .
“ This is not only an unfair change to the rules .
It ’ s not only a misuse of the rules , ” said Brown , “ it ’ s an inhumane use of the rules.
” New Zealand ’ s original Level 4 State of Emergency was one of the strictest lockdowns in the world .
The new law will lift the more draconian elements of the State of Emergency – which has been in place since March 25 – and the country will now enter Level 2 ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , May 13 .
“ People were not free to move at all , other than daily walks outside their homes , ” recounted one LifeSiteNews reader who lives in New Zealand .
“ If that was not possible , then a very short drive was permissible , ” she said .
“ One person per family at supermarkets .
No travel across town .
No ability to enter your business premises , even if alone .
Complete lockdown.
” There are some who persist in believing that Jacinda Ardern is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really has our best interests at heart , but so many more see the problems arising .
I have heard there has been an increase in suicide because of the measures and the loss of people 's livelihood .
There are a good number of people awake to the socialist/globalist agenda .
Unfortunately , many of them are not Catholic .
Catholics , on the whole , tend to think that everything is just fine .
Especially those who have brought the liberal social-justice agenda .
“ When human societies lose their freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tyrants have taken it away , ” noted O'Connor , quoting English Lord Jonathan Sumption , a former UK Supreme Court Justice .
“ It ’ s usually because people willingly surrender their freedom in return for protection against some external threat , ” he said .
“ That 's what I fear we are seeing now.
” “ Wake up , New Zealand , ” he added .

Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world: Feed your flock! Sign the petition here.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand, May 13, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – As part of a phased-in relaxing of the nationwide shutdown, the government of New Zealand has passed new legislation into law that allows only 10 people to attend a religious service while allowing 100 people to gather in other public places such as restaurants, shopping centers, and movie theatres.
The legislation has now made it through all three readings in Parliament and has been granted Royal Assent.
At the last minute, funerals were granted a small carve-out allowing a maximum of 50 people to gather for no longer than two hours. More significantly, the revised measures that were supposed to be in full force for two years will now be up for review every 90 days.
The legislation, known as the COVID-19 Public Health Response Bill, was allowed to pass despite a public outcry, interventions by some members of Parliament — including the launch of a petition — and a joint effort of New Zealand Catholic and Anglican bishops urging the government to increase the limit on attendees at religious services.
“This is the most anti-democratic bill we’ve ever seen put before Parliament,” said MP Simon O'Connor in a video just before the bill became law.
“The bill gives extraordinary powers — unheard of powers — to the Prime Minister,” said O’Connor. “Basically, this bill allows one person in a democratic country the complete right to decide where you go, who you see, how you operate, when you open your business, whether you can go to church, (and) what sport you can play.”
“It allows the police, the New Zealand police, to enter your home without warrant” based simply on “the suspicion that there might be too many of you gathered in your home,” said O'Connor, noting that law enforcement has not previously had that power.
O’Connor also explained that the new law will allow the government to grant special powers to ordinary citizens known as “enforcement officers,” designated to “spy” on fellow citizens, and who have the power to shut down businesses or gatherings they deem to be too large.
The law shows “contempt for the very basics of human life: grieving, celebration, and faith,” he said. The freedom of religion addressed in the nation’s Bill of Rights was “completely ignored. I would suggest to you that it was deliberate and it is contemptible.”
In a separate speech delivered from the floor of Parliament, O’Connor said the omission of considerations “reflects a left-wing government view of religion and people of faith.”
“The bill is morally wrong. It is legally wrong. It is democratically wrong,” concluded O’Connor. “It is just not the Kiwi way.”
COVID-19 Public Health Response Bill – Second Reading – Video 13 from New Zealand Parliament on Vimeo.
Another MP, Simeon Brown, said from the floor of Parliament that these new rules “go to the heart of what it means to be a Kiwi, and I find it abhorrent.”
Brown called for a more “proportionate” response. “This is not only an unfair change to the rules. It’s not only a misuse of the rules,” said Brown, “it’s an inhumane use of the rules.”
New Zealand’s original Level 4 State of Emergency was one of the strictest lockdowns in the world.
The new law will lift the more draconian elements of the State of Emergency – which has been in place since March 25 – and the country will now enter Level 2’s more relaxed restrictions at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, May 13.
“People were not free to move at all, other than daily walks outside their homes,” recounted one LifeSiteNews reader who lives in New Zealand.
“If that was not possible, then a very short drive was permissible,” she said. “One person per family at supermarkets. No travel across town. No ability to enter your business premises, even if alone. Complete lockdown.”
She continued:
There are some who persist in believing that Jacinda Ardern is the “Prime Minister of Kindness” and really has our best interests at heart, but so many more see the problems arising. I have heard there has been an increase in suicide because of the measures and the loss of people's livelihood. There are a good number of people awake to the socialist/globalist agenda. Unfortunately, many of them are not Catholic. Catholics, on the whole, tend to think that everything is just fine. Especially those who have brought the liberal social-justice agenda.
“When human societies lose their freedom, it’s not necessarily because tyrants have taken it away,” noted O'Connor, quoting English Lord Jonathan Sumption, a former UK Supreme Court Justice.
“It’s usually because people willingly surrender their freedom in return for protection against some external threat,” he said. “That's what I fear we are seeing now.”
“Wake up, New Zealand,” he added.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-05-13--How much do you really know about the WHO?

To help keep this and other programs on the air , please donate here .
The World Health Organization has @ @ @ @ @ recently thanks to the coronavirus pandemic , but how much do you actually know about @ @ @ @ @ ’ s episode of The Van Maren Show , Rebecca Oas from the Center for @ @ @ @ @ joins Jonathon to talk about the background of the WHO , their current work , @ @ @ @ @ leery of the programs they promote .
Oas and Van Maren discuss the how the @ @ @ @ @ more of a political organization than a health organization , especially with their promotion of @ @

To help keep this and other programs on the air, please donate to support the show.
The World Health Organization has been spotlighted in the news recently thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, but how much do you actually know about the WHO?
In today’s episode of The Van Maren Show, Rebecca Oas from the Center for Family and Human Rights, joins Jonathon to talk about the background of the WHO, their current work, and why pro-lifers should be leery of the programs they promote.
Oas and Van Maren discuss the how the WHO has come to be more of a political organization than a health organization, especially with their promotion of abortion.


lifesitenews--2020-05-13--Report: 95 celebs who declared Kavanaugh guilty give Joe Biden a pass

PETITION : No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus !
Sign the petition here .
May 13 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Nearly 100 entertainment figures who promoted unsubstantiated rape allegations against future Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh have not held former Vice President Joe Biden to the same standard , according to a new analysis by a conservative media watchdog group .
Former Senate staffer Tara Reade alleges that in 1993 , then-Senator Biden assaulted her in a “ semi-private ” stairwell on Capitol Hill .
“ He had me against the wall , ” she says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ my skirt and up my skirt .
And I was wearing – I wasn ’ t wearing anything underneath .
And then , with his hand , he went from there and entered me – with his hand – and as he was trying to kiss me , and saying things to me.
” Biden vociferously denies Reade ’ s claims , but has so far refused calls to unseal the University of Delaware ’ s records of his time in the Senate , which Reade says may still contain a copy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as notes corroborating that she brought it up to former staffers of his at the time .
On Monday , NewsBusters reported that it has reviewed the public statements of 95 celebrities , including Alyssa Milano , Lady Gaga , and Jimmy Kimmel , and found that while they were quick to champion 2018 allegations that Kavanaugh had raped and assaulted multiple women in college , they have either downplayed or ignored Reade ’ s story .
Milano , for instance , went so far as to lead a sit-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hopes of pressuring her to vote against Kavanaugh .
Last month , however , she wrote that while the Biden allegations “ concern me , deeply , ” she also “ can ’ t picture ( him ) doing any of the things of which he ’ s accused , ” and declared it “ OK to be confused by the complexities progressive women face at every choice.
” Actress Bette Middler responded to the Kavanaugh claims by complaining that women were treated like “ the n-word of the world , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ paying to # SWIFTBOAT Joe Biden ” ( “ swiftboat ” is a left-wing term for making supposedly-false claims against a politician , coined to de-legitimize a group of Vietnam veterans who spoke out against John Kerry in 2004 ) .
While the available evidence supporting Reade ’ s claims is far from conclusive , it is far stronger than that brought against Kavanaugh .
The details include the fact that she has filed a police report ( opening herself up to legal consequences if she ’ s found to be lying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of former Reade associates say she told them about the incident in the 1990s , the discovery of a 1993 clip of Reade ’ s mother calling Larry King ’ s CNN show to discuss her daughter ’ s “ problem ” with a “ prominent senator , ” and a 1996 court document in Reade ’ s divorce corroborating that she had “ related a problem that she was having at work regarding sexual harassment , in U.S .
Senator Joe Biden ’ s office.
” By contrast , none of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party where Kavanaugh allegedly tried to rape her could recall any such event , and critics identified numerous inconsistencies in her various accounts of the incident .
Julie Swetnick changed several details of her own story , and had been involved in multiple fraud lawsuits pertaining to false harassment claims .
Deborah Ramirez , meanwhile , had admitted to former classmates she wasn ’ t even sure of her alleged assaulter ’ s identity .
“ So much for privileged male predators being the threat to women , ” NewsBusters ’ Gabriel Hays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the rules don ’ t apply.
” The pro-abortion , pro-LGBT , anti-religious liberty Biden is the Democrat Party ’ s presumptive nominee to take on President Donald Trump in the November election .

Alyssa Milano, for one, says she 'can't picture' the former Vice President engaging in alleged sexual misconduct.
PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
May 13, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Nearly 100 entertainment figures who promoted unsubstantiated rape allegations against future Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh have not held former Vice President Joe Biden to the same standard, according to a new analysis by a conservative media watchdog group.
Former Senate staffer Tara Reade alleges that in 1993, then-Senator Biden assaulted her in a “semi-private” stairwell on Capitol Hill. “He had me against the wall,” she says. “And then his hands were down my skirt and up my skirt. And I was wearing – I wasn’t wearing anything underneath. And then, with his hand, he went from there and entered me – with his hand – and as he was trying to kiss me, and saying things to me.”
Biden vociferously denies Reade’s claims, but has so far refused calls to unseal the University of Delaware’s records of his time in the Senate, which Reade says may still contain a copy of the complaint she filed with his office, as well as notes corroborating that she brought it up to former staffers of his at the time.
On Monday, NewsBusters reported that it has reviewed the public statements of 95 celebrities, including Alyssa Milano, Lady Gaga, and Jimmy Kimmel, and found that while they were quick to champion 2018 allegations that Kavanaugh had raped and assaulted multiple women in college, they have either downplayed or ignored Reade’s story.
Milano, for instance, went so far as to lead a sit-in at Republican Sen. Susan Collins’ office in hopes of pressuring her to vote against Kavanaugh. Last month, however, she wrote that while the Biden allegations “concern me, deeply,” she also “can’t picture (him) doing any of the things of which he’s accused,” and declared it “OK to be confused by the complexities progressive women face at every choice.”
Actress Bette Middler responded to the Kavanaugh claims by complaining that women were treated like “the n-word of the world,” yet attacked Reade by claiming someone was “paying to #SWIFTBOAT Joe Biden” (“swiftboat” is a left-wing term for making supposedly-false claims against a politician, coined to de-legitimize a group of Vietnam veterans who spoke out against John Kerry in 2004).
While the available evidence supporting Reade’s claims is far from conclusive, it is far stronger than that brought against Kavanaugh. The details include the fact that she has filed a police report (opening herself up to legal consequences if she’s found to be lying), the fact that a handful of former Reade associates say she told them about the incident in the 1990s, the discovery of a 1993 clip of Reade’s mother calling Larry King’s CNN show to discuss her daughter’s “problem” with a “prominent senator,” and a 1996 court document in Reade’s divorce corroborating that she had “related a problem that she was having at work regarding sexual harassment, in U.S. Senator Joe Biden’s office.”
By contrast, none of the people Christine Blasey Ford claimed attended the party where Kavanaugh allegedly tried to rape her could recall any such event, and critics identified numerous inconsistencies in her various accounts of the incident. Julie Swetnick changed several details of her own story, and had been involved in multiple fraud lawsuits pertaining to false harassment claims. Deborah Ramirez, meanwhile, had admitted to former classmates she wasn’t even sure of her alleged assaulter’s identity.
“So much for privileged male predators being the threat to women,” NewsBusters’ Gabriel Hays wrote. “If they are liberal, the rules don’t apply.”
The pro-abortion, pro-LGBT, anti-religious liberty Biden is the Democrat Party’s presumptive nominee to take on President Donald Trump in the November election.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-13--Police arrest peaceful pro-lifers at Red Rose Rescue at Michigan abortion clinic

GRAND RAPIDS , Michigan , May 13 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Two arrests and three citations were issued this morning during a Red Rose Rescue performed at an abortion mill in Grand Rapids , Michigan .
The rescue , the fourth held in Michigan since September 2017 , was organized by Citizens for a Pro-Life Society , a Michigan-based anti-abortion group led by veteran activist Dr. Monica Miller .
Approximately 35 pro-life protestors appeared outside Heritage Women ’ s Center at 320 Fulton Avenue today beginning at 8:00 a.m. Dr. Thomas Gordan commits abortions inside the facility .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s prior civil and health code violations were distributed outside .
Protestors also held signs with pro-life messages .
Some protestors prayed silently while others shared Christian messages of hope and love to pregnant women as they entered the facility ’ s side door .
Miller was joined by Matthew Connolly , Ann Norton , Robert “ Doc ” Kolavy , Caroline Davis , and Heather Idoni , ranging in ages 21 to 70 .
Dozens of local pro-life activists , including Grand Rapids Right to Life President Laura Alexandria and veteran sidewalk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The six rescuers took turns walking into the parking lot behind the facility and offered to help the women in any way they could with their pregnancies .
Several men , presumably boyfriends and husbands , were also seen leaving the property .
One of them told Miller there was “ something wrong with the baby ” and that abortion was “ the only choice.
” A rosary could be seen hanging on the rear view mirror of his car as he sped away .
Dr. Gordan immediately began confronting the rescuers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his head outside the center ’ s door on multiple occasions to yell at them .
At one point he threatened to kill Ann Norton , an elderly woman .
“ ‘ If you don ’ t get off my property — and then he put his hands in the shape of a gun — then I ’ m going to shoot you !
, ” she said he told her .
It was around the time of that incident when two officers from the Grand Rapids Police department showed up to warn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The rescuers , however , were undeterred .
As more cars pulled in , they walked up to each of them and offered red roses as a symbol of life .
Attached to the roses was a card stating : “ You were made to love and to be loved ... your goodness is greater than the difficulties of your situation .
Circumstances in life change .
A new life , however tiny , brings the promise of unrepeatable joy.
” The cards also featured the phone numbers of local pregnancy help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parking lot this morning .
Leisa Snow told LifeSiteNews that that number was “ half ” of what normally occurs .
She said that the presence of the activists on the sidewalk likely deterred “ a good number ” of women scheduled for abortions today .
Most of them likely decided to just keep on driving by when they saw the large crowd , she remarked .
“ This was a total disruption to their daily operations.
” Police showed up again to warn the rescuers that they were trespassing .
Clearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voice , telling this journalist , who was photographing the rescuers as they pleaded with the pregnant women , that he needed to get off private property or else he would be detained .
I had been momentarily standing in a grassy area behind the center ’ s parking lot .
Police then placed Miller , Kolavy , and Connolly into the back of their vehicles , although they were never handcuffed .
Miller , who had entered the facility earlier in the morning , says she successfully talked the officer out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the officer was complaining to her about having to be at the center because there were “ homicides ” in the area he needed to focus on .
Miller agreed with him , but pointed out that there are “ homicides taking place right here inside this facility right now.
” She and Kolavy were eventually issued a ticket for trespassing .
Connolly did not receive a citation .
Neither Miller nor Kolavy stepped foot on the parking lot again the entire morning .
For the next half hour activity outside Heritage Women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Fewer cars were pulling in and police had not been around to check up on the rescuers ’ activity .
An egg , however , was thrown at the protestors standing on the sidewalk from a passing vehicle .
One witness claims it came from a car that had previously been parked behind the abortion facility .
Two counter-protestors eventually showed up as well .
Around 10:30 a.m. police were called back to the location , likely due to phone calls they received from a woman who was sitting in her car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her friend inside the center .
Caroline Davis , 21 , had been preaching the Gospel non-stop in a loud voice from the sidewalk in front of the facility .
The abortion center ’ s director also came outside and could be seen complaining to the officers , who were not the same ones from earlier in the morning .
The new police officers , one male and one female , informed the protestors that the driveway to the parking lot must remain clear and unobstructed .
The pro-lifers agreed and thanked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nearby elevated parking lot adjacent to a Masonic Temple less than a half block away where they could see the abortion center .
Soon after that warning was issued and the police left the premises , Heather Idoni approached a woman in the parking lot around 10:45 a.m .
The two police officers returned .
Without any warning they handcuffed and patted Idoni down .
She was then placed in the back of the police vehicle .
While Idoni was being arrested , Davis , who hails from the state ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to not arrest her and to listen “ to God ’ s law ” and not enforce laws that allow abortion to occur .
Davis , like all of the other protesters , was standing on the sidewalk witnessing Idoni ’ s arrest .
Despite that , the male police officer singled her out .
He came up to her and without any warning grabbed her arm , lead her to his vehicle , patted her down , and handcuffed her .
LifeSiteNews repeatedly asked the police officer what the charge against Davis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Idoni and Davis were taken away in the back of the police vehicles .
Miller and the other rescuers remained at the facilty until 12:00 p.m. Efforts are currently underway to free Idoni and Davis from police custody .
LifeSite will provide updates to this story as they become available .

UPDATE (May 15, 5:25pm): LifeSite reached out to the WOOD-TV 8 newsroom on Thursday, May 14 to inform them they had “inaccuracies” in their report. The man who answered said that the newsroom already spoke with witnesses and the police and that they are “good to go” with the story. LifeSite asked him what witnesses he spoke with and he said, “well, it doesn't really matter.” As LifeSite began informing the man we had video proof showing the women who were arrested did not enter the facility, the man hung up. Dr. Monica Miller called the newsroom earlier in the week requesting the story be updated as well but no change was made. However, on Friday, May 15, Heather Idoni, one of the women who was arrested, called the WOOD-TV 8 newsroom. Idoni told LifeSite the person who answered her call hung up on her when she began telling them they needed to correct their report. Idoni called again and said the woman who answered was more receptive and told her she would “look into it.” At 3:46pm on Friday, WOOD updated their report, noting that Idoni claimed she didn’t enter the building.
UPDATE (May 14, 10:45am): A Freedom of Information Act request has been submitted to the Grand Rapids Police Department in order to learn what the specific charges against Heather Idoni and Caroline Davis were. At present, their case is still considered “open,” which may delay the request. LifeSite has also reached out to the lead detective in the case, William Recor. All individuals who received trespassing citations will be pleading not guilty. This story has also updated what happened to Idoni and Davis after they were taken into police custody. The Grand Rapids police told local media that the pair entered the facility and shouted at women, which is what lead to their arrest. But Idoni and Davis did not enter the building. More updates will be provided as they become available.
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, May 13, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Two arrests and five trespassing citations were issued this week Wednesday during a Red Rose Rescue performed at an abortion mill in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The rescue, the fourth held in Michigan since September 2017, was organized by Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, a Michigan-based anti-abortion group led by veteran activist Dr. Monica Miller.
Approximately 35 pro-life protestors appeared outside Heritage Women’s Center at 320 Fulton Avenue today beginning at 8:00 a.m. Dr. Thomas Gordon commits abortions inside the facility. Pamphlets with a list of Gordon’s prior civil and health code violations were distributed outside. Some protestors held signs with pro-life messages on them while some prayed silently and others shared Christian messages of hope and love to pregnant women as they entered the facility’s side door.
Miller was joined in the rescue effort by Matthew Connolly, Ann Norton, Robert “Doc” Kolavy, Caroline Davis, and Heather Idoni, ranging in ages 21 to 70. Dozens of local pro-lifers, including Rebecca Cooper of Protect Life Michigan, Grand Rapids Right to Life President Laura Alexandria, and long-time sidewalk counselor Leisa Snow, were also present.
The six rescuers took turns walking into the parking lot behind the facility and offered to help women in any way they could with their pregnancies. Several men, presumably boyfriends and husbands, were also seen leaving the property. One of them told Miller there was “something wrong with the baby” and that abortion was “the only choice.” A rosary could be seen hanging on the rear view mirror of his car as he sped away.
Dr. Gordon immediately confronted the rescuers when they started their activism, sticking his head outside the center’s door on multiple occasions to yell at them. At one point he threatened to kill Ann Norton, an elderly woman. “‘If you don’t get off my property — and then he put his hands in the shape of a gun — then I’m going to shoot you!,” she said he told her.
It was around the time of that incident when two officers from the Grand Rapids Police department showed up to warn the rescuers that they were trespassing. The rescuers, however, were undeterred. As more cars pulled in, they walked up to them and offered women red roses as a symbol of life. Attached to the roses was a card stating: “You were made to love and to be loved… your goodness is greater than the difficulties of your situation. Circumstances in life change. A new life, however tiny, brings the promise of unrepeatable joy.” The cards also featured the phone numbers of local pregnancy help centers.
Approximately 12 vehicles pulled into the parking lot this morning. Leisa Snow told LifeSiteNews that that number was half of what normally occurs. She said that the presence of the protestors on the sidewalk likely deterred “a good number” of women scheduled for abortions today.
Most of them likely decided to just keep on driving by when they saw the large crowd, she remarked. “This was a total disruption to their daily operations.”
Police showed up again to warn the rescuers that they were trespassing. Clearly frustrated, one officer began raising his voice, telling this journalist, who was photographing the rescuers as they pleaded with the pregnant women, that he needed to get off private property or else he would be detained. I had been momentarily standing in a grassy area behind the center’s parking lot.
Police then placed Miller, Kolavy, and Connolly into the back of their vehicles, although they were never handcuffed. Miller, who had momentarily entered the facility’s stairwell earlier in the morning, says she successfully talked the officer out of arresting them. She told LifeSite that the officer was complaining to her about having to be at the abortion center because there were “homicides” in the area he needed to focus on. Miller agreed with him, but pointed out that there are “homicides taking place right here inside this facility right now.” She and Kolavy were eventually issued a ticket for trespassing. Connolly did not receive a citation. Neither Miller nor Kolavy stepped foot on the parking lot again the entire morning.
For the next half hour activity outside Heritage Women’s Center seemed to calm down. Fewer cars were pulling in and police had not been around to check up on the rescuers. An egg, however, was thrown at the protestors standing on the sidewalk from a passing vehicle. One witness claims it came from a car that had previously been parked behind the abortion facility. Two counter-protestors eventually showed up as well.
Around 10:30 a.m. police were called back to the location, likely due to phone calls they received from a woman who was sitting in her car in the parking lot and waiting for her friend inside the center. Caroline Davis, 21, had been preaching the Gospel non-stop in a loud voice from the sidewalk in front of the facility.
The abortion center’s counseling supervisor, Kelly Benzin-Brinks, also came outside and could be seen complaining to the officers, who were not the same ones from earlier in the morning. The new officers, Timothy Fischer and Jordyn Smith, informed the protestors that the driveway to the parking lot must remain clear and unobstructed. The pro-lifers agreed and thanked the police, who left but parked in a nearby elevated parking lot adjacent to a Masonic Temple a half block away where they could still see the abortion center.
Soon after that warning was issued and the police left the premises, Heather Idoni approached a woman in the parking lot around 10:45 a.m. The two police officers returned. Without any warning they handcuffed and patted Idoni down. She was then placed in the back of the police vehicle.
As Idoni was being arrested, Davis, who hails from the state’s east side, was begging the officers to not arrest her and to listen “to God’s law” and not enforce laws that allow abortion to occur. Davis, like all of the other protesters, was standing on the sidewalk witnessing Idoni’s arrest as she spoke. Despite that, the male police officer singled her out. He came up to her and without any warning grabbed her arm, lead her to his vehicle, patted her down, and handcuffed her. LifeSiteNews repeatedly asked the police officer what the charge against Davis was but received no answer. Both Idoni and Davis were taken away in the back of the police vehicles.
Miller and the other rescuers remained at the facilty until 12:00 p.m. Both Idoni and Davis were brought to the Kent County Jail, where they remained in the booking area. Idoni told LifeSite that they were released around 1:00pm. She said it felt like they were trying to get them released “very quickly.” They were let go on a $500 personal recognizance bond. They, as well as the other rescuers, will be appearing at the 61st District Court at 8:30am, Wednesday, May 20.
MLive.com, a local media outlet, reported the incident in this way:
“[Sgt. Dan] Adams said he believed officers ‘didn’t have much of a choice’ in making arrests after two of the protesters stepped inside the clinic despite repeated warnings.”
WOOD-TV 8, the Grand Rapids NBC affiliate, originally reported the story this way:
“Sgt. Dan Adams with GRPD said after officers repeatedly tried to instruct and warn protesters not to enter the facility if they weren’t welcomed, three people were ticketed for trespassing. Despite the warning, two more people went into the building and yelled at employees and others inside, police say. The two people were arrested and taken to the Kent County Jail.”
WOOD updated it’s original report on Friday, May 15 after Idoni called them to clarify she hadn’t entered the building. The updated report includes the following sentence: “However, an organizer with the protest says no one entered the building.”
No warning was ever given to Idoni or Davis individually by police and neither entered the facility. Idoni did tell LifeSite that she approached the center’s door at one point but did not enter it because the clinic director was standing on the other side. Davis herself stepped on the parking lot on mulitple occasions throughout the morning but was never given a warning by any police officer to not do so again. She was on the sidewalk outside the facility when she was arrested, having never entered the facility the entire time she was there.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-13--‘Price Is Right’ gives $100,000 to Planned Parenthood in matching donation with RuPaul

PETITION : No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus !
Sign the petition here .
May 13 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The long-running game show The Price Is Right took a hit to its reputation as unifying family entertainment Monday evening with its guest host , Emmy-winning drag queen RuPaul , donating nearly $ 100,000 to the notorious abortion chain Planned Parenthood .
The host of RuPaul ’ s Drag Race joined the show ’ s current regular host , comedian Drew Carey , for the CBS special The Price is Right At Night , during which RuPaul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matching the final total of prizes won by contestants .
The evening ’ s final sum turned out to be $ 97,266 , Fox News reported .
CBS ’ press release for the episode describes Planned Parenthood merely as a “ charity , ” with no hint that the organization killed 345,672 preborn children last year while receiving more than $ 616 million from the federal government , $ 430 million in private revenue , and $ 591 million in charitable contributions .
Many former fans of the show took to social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meanwhile , is involved in a range of LGBT activism and crossdressing-themed entertainment projects , including the promotion of children entering the drag world .

The TV game show called the abortion giant, which was responsible for the deaths of 345,672 preborn children last year, a 'charity.'
PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
May 13, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The long-running game show The Price Is Right took a hit to its reputation as unifying family entertainment Monday evening with its guest host, Emmy-winning drag queen RuPaul, donating nearly $100,000 to the notorious abortion chain Planned Parenthood.
The host of RuPaul’s Drag Race joined the show’s current regular host, comedian Drew Carey, for the CBS special The Price is Right At Night, during which RuPaul pledged to give Planned Parenthood a donation matching the final total of prizes won by contestants.
RuPaul “coming on down” to play for Planned Parenthood on @PriceIsRight is what we NEED right now! Thank you, @RuPaul �� Catch the episode on @CBS tonight at 8pmEST. pic.twitter.com/ukXQA1Oehp — Planned Parenthood (@PPFA) May 11, 2020
The evening’s final sum turned out to be $97,266, Fox News reported.
CBS’ press release for the episode describes Planned Parenthood merely as a “charity,” with no hint that the organization killed 345,672 preborn children last year while receiving more than $616 million from the federal government, $430 million in private revenue, and $591 million in charitable contributions.
Many former fans of the show took to social media to express their disgust:
With such an amazing opportunity to support a charitable organization, they chose to fund an abortion mill. So very sad. Hey Drew – if ratings=sacrificing the most vulnerable then The Price is Wrong. — Ed Lankeit (@HouseOfEJL) May 12, 2020
Nothing like having fun on a game show to promote poisoning, burning, dismembering, exsanguinating, & crushing the skull of babies for convenience and profit! — Kiki (@CauleyFlower8) May 12, 2020
What a disgrace #priceisrightatnight Long time fan but u lost me with support of PP. They don’t even let clients see the ultrasound while restrained during abortions. Shame. — vrl (@vrl007) May 12, 2020
Never thought would see the day The Price Is Right would support the murder of babies. — Beau (@beau3161) May 12, 2020
RuPaul, meanwhile, is involved in a range of LGBT activism and crossdressing-themed entertainment projects, including the promotion of children entering the drag world.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-13--Rand Paul grills Anthony Fauci for ‘wrong prediction after wrong prediction’ on COVID-19

WASHINGTON , D.C. , May 14 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky had some tough words Tuesday for the top infectious disease expert advising the Trump administration ’ s response to the coronavirus outbreak , questioning why so much decision-making has seemingly been delegated to Dr. Anthony Fauci .
Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , appeared via teleconference before a hearing of the Senate Health Committee .
“ The history of this will be wrong prediction after wrong prediction after wrong prediction , ” said Paul , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only senator confirmed to have had the coronavirus .
“ I think we ought to have a little bit of humility in our belief that we know what 's best for the economy , and as much as I respect you , Dr. Fauci , I do n't think you 're the end-all .
I do n't think you 're the one person that gets to make the decision , ” about when schools and businesses may reopen .
Paul expressed particular concern for the danger that , “ if we keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what 's going to happen is the poor and underprivileged kids who do n't have a parent that 's able to teach them at home are not going to learn for a full year.
” “ I have never made myself out to be the end all , ” Fauci responded .
“ I 'm a scientist , a physician , and a public health official ; I give advice , according to the best scientific evidence.
” “ I do n't give advice about economic things [ or ] anything other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He added that he didn ’ t want to be “ cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects ” of the coronavirus .
During Fauci ’ s tenure advising President Donald Trump , critics have raised concerns over several of his public comments , from suggesting the possibility of requiring Americans to carry “ certificates ” documenting their immunity to COVID-19 , to implying that the public might have to wait for a vaccine to be developed , tested , and released before regaining their freedoms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of handshaking to be abolished but says sex with strangers remains alright if “ you ’ re willing to take a risk.
” “ It depends on the level of the interaction that you want to have , ” Fauci said when asked about sex hookups via the dating apps Tinder , Bumble , and Grindr .
“ If you ’ re looking for a friend , sit in a room and put a mask on , and you know , chat a bit .
If you want to go a little bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s your choice regarding a risk.
” Acting on Fauci ’ s advice , Trump has been generally supportive of locking down , but in recent days has been leaning more strongly in the direction of reopening , last week rejecting proposed reopening guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control ( CDC ) on the grounds that they imposed too many conditions on states and individual liberty , and could do further damage to the economy .
As of May 13 , the United States is estimated to have seen 1,411,370 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths and 298,643 recoveries , although mounting evidence suggests far more of the public has contracted and recovered from the virus than the official count indicates .
At the same time , state bans on “ non-essential ” activity across the country have caused massive job losses , with more than 33 million Americans filing for unemployment and studies predicting that tens of thousands of small businesses that have closed down will never reopen .
Other medical experts argue that the evidence warrants a strategy more narrowly targeted toward protecting the elderly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go about their lives .
“ If we focus on the elderly , we will bring a death rate that is likely no more than 1 % down to fractions of a percent , ” says Dr. Donald Yealy , chair of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center .
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews ’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world .

'As much as I respect you, Dr. Fauci, I don't think you're the end-all,' said Sen. Rand Paul, who is an ophthalmologist as well as the only senator confirmed to have had the coronavirus.
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 14, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky had some tough words Tuesday for the top infectious disease expert advising the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, questioning why so much decision-making has seemingly been delegated to Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, appeared via teleconference before a hearing of the Senate Health Committee.
“The history of this will be wrong prediction after wrong prediction after wrong prediction,” said Paul, who is an ophthalmologist as well as the only senator confirmed to have had the coronavirus. “I think we ought to have a little bit of humility in our belief that we know what's best for the economy, and as much as I respect you, Dr. Fauci, I don't think you're the end-all. I don't think you're the one person that gets to make the decision,” about when schools and businesses may reopen.
Paul expressed particular concern for the danger that, “if we keep kids out of school for another year, what's going to happen is the poor and underprivileged kids who don't have a parent that's able to teach them at home are not going to learn for a full year.”
“I have never made myself out to be the end all,” Fauci responded. “I'm a scientist, a physician, and a public health official; I give advice, according to the best scientific evidence.”
“I don't give advice about economic things [or] anything other than public health,” he said. He added that he didn’t want to be “cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects” of the coronavirus.
During Fauci’s tenure advising President Donald Trump, critics have raised concerns over several of his public comments, from suggesting the possibility of requiring Americans to carry “certificates” documenting their immunity to COVID-19, to implying that the public might have to wait for a vaccine to be developed, tested, and released before regaining their freedoms.
Fauci has also called for the practice of handshaking to be abolished but says sex with strangers remains alright if “you’re willing to take a risk.”
“It depends on the level of the interaction that you want to have,” Fauci said when asked about sex hookups via the dating apps Tinder, Bumble, and Grindr. “If you’re looking for a friend, sit in a room and put a mask on, and you know, chat a bit. If you want to go a little bit more intimate, well, then that’s your choice regarding a risk.”
Acting on Fauci’s advice, Trump has been generally supportive of locking down, but in recent days has been leaning more strongly in the direction of reopening, last week rejecting proposed reopening guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on the grounds that they imposed too many conditions on states and individual liberty, and could do further damage to the economy.
As of May 13, the United States is estimated to have seen 1,411,370 cases of the coronavirus, with 83,567 deaths and 298,643 recoveries, although mounting evidence suggests far more of the public has contracted and recovered from the virus than the official count indicates. At the same time, state bans on “non-essential” activity across the country have caused massive job losses, with more than 33 million Americans filing for unemployment and studies predicting that tens of thousands of small businesses that have closed down will never reopen.
Other medical experts argue that the evidence warrants a strategy more narrowly targeted toward protecting the elderly and immunocompromised while allowing the younger and healthier to go about their lives. “If we focus on the elderly, we will bring a death rate that is likely no more than 1% down to fractions of a percent,” says Dr. Donald Yealy, chair of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-13--English bishops’ senior health advisor is a convicted thief and lifelong LGBT activist

HERTFORDSHIRE , England , May 13 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A man who helped lobby the UK government on behalf of the Catholic bishops to close their churches to private prayer is a convicted thief and lifelong LGBT activist who once left his Catholic faith and served as a Protestant minister .
A LifeSite investigation has uncovered that Jim G. McManus , 54 , the Vice-Chair for the Healthcare Reference Group for the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales ( CBCEW ) , is James Gough McManus , the former minister of an LGBT church who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theft against Northern Counties Trust , a HIV/AIDS charity he reportedly helped to found .
He also was named in a legal investigation into his role at the National Health Service ’ s Barking and Dagenham Primary Care Trust .
After LifeSiteNews contacted McManus about these and other aspects of his multifaceted career , he did not respond personally .
Instead we received an email from his solicitor Shubha Nath .
An article at the Barking and Dagenham Post about McManus ’ 2010 trial was also taken down .
It is still available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March the CBCEW explained that McManus played a key role in convincing the government to close churches after guidance from the Ministry of Housing , Communities , and Local Government directed that “ places of worship should remain open for solitary prayer ” during the current coronavirus lockdown .
In addition to serving as Vice-Chair of the CBCEW Healthcare Reference Group , McManus is the Director of Public Health for the Hertfordshire County Council .
“ Professor [ sic ] Jim McManus has spoken with a senior civil servant and it was quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issues of infection and security of churches and when he made these points clear , they were appalled and agreed they had made a mistake , ” the Archdiocese of Westminster stated .
In an April 1 article on the church closures , published in The Tablet , McManus explains that he had attended a briefing with U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson less than a week before the churches were closed .
But now Catholics are questioning the wisdom of the CBCEW in relying so heavily on the judgement of a man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the law .
LifeSite has confirmed with Teesside Crown Court that James Gough McManus was convicted by a jury of 11 counts of theft against Northern Counties Trust on March 9 , 1999 and sentenced on the same date to 21 months ’ imprisonment .
He was found not guilty on a charge of theft against his former employer Cleveland County Council .
The English LGBT magazine “ Gscene ” recalled the trial in its May 2019 edition .
In its “ Twenty Years Ago This Month ” retrospective , the magazine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attracted attention for an unusual reason : according to the BBC , it was the first time a witness was allowed to give testimony from home .
LifeSiteNews reached out to the witness , LGBT “ Pride Radio ” personality Jonathan Morrell , but did not receive a response .
McManus does not currently list his role with Cleveland County Council on his online CV but includes on his Hertfordshire University page references to publications in which he identified himself as a Cleveland County Council HIV worker .
Two of the articles are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and September 1994 .
A 1995 article , entitled “ Promoting sexual health : the local government contribution ” is not listed on his academic page .
Eleven years after his conviction , in April 2010 the Barking and Dagenham Post reported that McManus was due to stand trial in September that year for obtaining money from his then-employer , the NHS ’ s Barking and Dagenham Primary Care Trust , “ through deception ” and failing to inform them that he had “ awarded contracts worth over £8,000.
” It is unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The original link to the Barking and Dagenham Post article ( here ) is now dead , but the article is still available on Google cache here .
According to his LinkedIn profile , McManus worked for the Barking and Dagenham PCT from January 2005 until October 2008 .
McManus also mentions his fellowship in the Faculty of Public Health , using the post-nominal title FFPH .
In 2008 , he was cited by the FPH as a “ New Fellow ” in the name “ James Gough McManus , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1999 .
( See page 19 . )
LifeSiteNews has written to McManus to inquire about the eventual outcome of the scheduled trial reported by the Barking and Dagenham Post .
Last month LifeSiteNews reported that McManus , who displays both the Vatican flag and the rainbow “ pride ” flag on his Twitter profile , has a history of LGBT activism and support for LGBT education in UK schools .
However , LifeSiteNews can now reveal that McManus , the Secretary of the Scottish Homosexual Rights Group in 1985 , had by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and become a clergyman in the LGBT-centered Metropolitan Community Church ( MCC ) .
In 1995 the Newcastle Evening Chronicle interviewed young Reverend Jim McManus about a film featuring a sexually active gay Catholic priest .
The MCC pastor explained that when growing up as a Catholic , he “ had always been told that homosexuality was wrong.
” “ It was not until I was at university in Glasgow studying Theology that I decided I could not stay in the Catholic Church , ” McManus told the Evening Chronicle .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and there must be a reason why.
” He began to train as an Anglican minister but left his first assignment after Anglican parishioners “ did not accept the fact he is gay.
” McManus explains in that article : “ I spent years defending why I am gay and Christian .
Now I couldn ’ t care less what people think about my sexuality or my Christianity .
I ’ m living my life the way I think God wants me to.
” He condemned Catholic doctrine about homosexuality , stating : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gay so long as they remain celibate is like putting them in front of a sweet shop [ i.e .
candy store ] and saying , don ’ t go in .
It really is pathetic.
” LifeSiteNews has spoken to a clergyman at Edinburgh 's Augustine United Church , the Rev .
Max Reay , who confirmed that the former Rev .
James Gough McManus is Jim McManus , the current Director of Public Health for Hertfordshire County Council .
Reay confirmed that Rev .
McManus had come to Edinburgh in 1995 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Newcastle MCC .
According to an online history of the Edinburgh MCC , McManus took part in Edinburgh 's first gay Pride parade and encouraged the new congregation ’ s establishment .
The Edinburgh MCC community has now merged with Augustine United Church .
A 1995 issue of “ Pulse , ” a “ monthly magazine for Gay Men , ” reported that McManus performed extra-legal “ marriage ” ceremonies at Pride Scotia that year .
“ Some performances were being conducted well away from the main stage .
Such as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McManus , team pastor with the Metropolitan Community Church Newcastle .
Maybe next year someone will be lining up to do the divorces - honest only kidding folks , ” Pulse reported .
McManus , who still today describes himself as a theologian , attempted to make a name for himself in the discipline of queer theology .
In a 1996 article titled , ‘ The Messianic Reason of Theology in a Lesbian and Gay Context : A Statement of Faith ’ , McManus twice sympathetically quotes homosexual “ theologian ” Robert Goss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identifies with our erotic practice.
” McManus also quotes Goss saying “ [ a ] queer liberation theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified with the liberation goals of its community.
” In the same article McManus describes “ coming out ” as “ sacramental , ” arguing that “ God is the one who makes me ’ come out ’ .
” “ The process of coming out , coming into acceptance of self , and of coming into relationship , are all things which have a significance which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he writes .
“ In a lesbian and gay context , sanctification can be seen as a part of the process of coming fulfilment , of coming to be oneself , of coming out , ” McManus says in another part of the article .
“ It is not whether but how we can be lesbian or gay and Christian that is the question for the next century , ” McManus wrote .
An online edition of Scottish LGBT publication “ ScotsGay ” dated 1997 claimed that McManus was eventually suspended by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” LifeSiteNews has attempted to confirm this suspension with the Governing Board of the MCC , but has not received an answer .
During this part of McManus ’ career , he was working as an HIV/AIDS worker for Cleveland County Council and the Northern Counties Trust for People Living With AIDS .
LifeSiteNews has obtained photographs of the pornographic “ Safer Sex ” posters sponsored by McManus ’ Northern Counties Trust in the early 1990s .
They are available for viewing online at Wikimedia Commons and in the archives of the Wellcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chosen not to link directly to the pages due to the nature of their content .
They include full male nudity , exposed genitalia , and homosexual sexual acts .
The obvious intent of the posters is to arouse sexual excitement in homosexual male viewers .
LifeSiteNews has asked McManus if he advocated the use of the images in the Safer Sex campaign .
In 2002 , McManus published an article in which he identified himself as both a “ gay man ” and a Catholic .
In 2003 he became the Vice-Chair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Group to the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales ( CBCEW ) .
Nevertheless , McManus continued his LGBT activism and in 2006 publicly opposed Catholic doctrine concerning marriage , saying there were no “ grounds ” for restricting marriage to “ differently-sexed couples.
” In July 2006 , the Gay & Lesbian Psychiatric Review ( Vol .
7 , No .
2 ) published a statement by Jim McManus , together with Peter Hegarty and Meg Barker , on behalf of the Committee of the Lesbian & Gay Psychology Section of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Statement on the Recognition of Same-Sex Relationships , ” the article commended the British government for establishing Civil Partnerships but demanded legal recognition for same-sex “ marriage.
” “ In conclusion , ” they wrote , “ we welcome the recognition of same-sex civil partnerships in the UK , but do not recognise the restriction of marriage rights to differently-sexed couples as valid or defensible on psychological or other grounds.
” Strangely , an online version of this statement has been posted with McManus ’ name removed from the byline .
His @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original edition of the Gay & Lesbian Psychiatric Review , as does the information that McManus was a member of its editorial board , as well as of the “ Directorate of Public Health , Barking & Dagenham Primary Care Trust.
” Despite his continued roles in the Catholic Church , McManus is still an LGBT advocate .
Last year , he gave the following speech prior to the raising of the rainbow “ pride ” flag at Hertfordshire County Council .
A copy of his prepared notes was subsequently posted to Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in promoting a scheme encouraging workers to wear rainbow-coloured staff ID lanyards as part of a Hertfordshire County Council “ LGBT+ Allies Scheme.
” In an article in the The MJ , McManus wrote : “ Hertfordshire CC is working locally to put one building block of that in place through our LGBT+ Allies Scheme , which was developed by the county council ’ s LGBT+ Staff Group last August .
An ‘ ally ’ is a worker who pledges to be a visible supporter and advocate for LGBT+ co-workers by wearing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 530 supporters in just six months , we are fostering a more open and supportive working environment.
” McManus , who is also the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Catholic Anscombe Bioethics Centre in Oxford , is a high-ranking member of the pro-abortion Association of Directors of Public Health ( ADPH ) .
On March 30 the Westminster government authorized women in England to kill their preborn children at home by using both pills for a chemical early abortion .
A government spokesperson from the Department of Health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being made on a temporary basis only and is time-limited for two years , or until the coronavirus crisis is over .
It was the third time the abortion law had changed in the space of a week ; the government had first announced the change and then reversed the decision within 24 hours .
On April 8 the ADPH , of which McManus is Vice-President , stated in a policy document that it was “ essential ” that this policy was delivered .
The ADPH document also calls for such “ essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United Kingdom.
” The same ADPH document also links to another policy statement published on March 26 ( before the re-instatement of permission for home abortions ) which called for a “ [ t ] emporary transition to provide extensive range of sexual and reproductive care through remote ( online/telephone/postal ) ways of working.
” A celebrated , influential figure within the Catholic Church in England and Wales The source who first alerted LifeSiteNews to McManus ’ colorful internet footprint stated that McManus “ will need to resign from his position as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conference of England and Wales healthcare group and cease all formal and informal ties to the Bishops ’ Conference―immediately.
”  But Vice-Chair of the Healthcare Reference Group is not the only role McManus has recently played in the Catholic Church .
LifeSiteNews has ascertained that McManus was a Knight and then a Grand Knight of the Knights of St. Columba sodality in Birmingham between November 2008 and July 2012 .
Jim McManus stated on his LinkedIn CV that he was a Trustee of the Diocese of Birmingham from 2009 to 2014 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a Jim McManus was indeed a Trustee from October 2011 to February 2015 but would not confirm that it was the same man .
The spokesman had no further comment .
McManus has also stated on his LinkedIn CV that he has been a Companion of the Knights of Malta since 2008 .
However , Philippa Leslie , a spokeswoman for the Companions of the Knights of Malta would neither confirm nor deny that McManus belongs to the auxiliary group .
Most surprising of all , perhaps , is that McManus was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medal by Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski for his services to the “ sick and suffering ” in February 2011 .
The award was granted to McManus less than four years after the Good Samaritan Medal was given to Thomas Williams , the Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool and then-Chair of the CBCEW ’ s Healthcare Reference Group , by Cardinal Barragán .
According to Zenit , McManus gave a paper at the July 2007 event .
This may not have been the first time all three men were together .
According to Independent Catholic News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McManus were all scheduled to take part in the annual Catholics in Healthcare seminar on June 28 , 2003 .
Bishop Williams told LifeSiteNews Tuesday morning that he didn ’ t know that McManus had been convicted of theft , had served as a clergyman in the Metropolitan Community Church , had reportedly performed extra-legal “ marriage ” ceremonies in Edinburgh in 1995 , or made a statement in favour of same-sex “ marriage ” in 2006 .
“ This is dreamland , as far as I ’ m concerned , ” Williams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard any of that.
” The auxiliary bishop also said , “ As far as I know , Jim is extremely pro-life.
” The current Chair of the CBCEW ’ s Healthcare Reference group is the Rt .
Rev .
Paul Mason , Catholic Bishop of the Forces .
At least two of McManus ’ academic honours are in doubt .
Although he is styled “ Prof ” or “ Professor ” and in some news reports and academic websites “ Dr ” , LifeSiteNews has been unable to ascertain which academic institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lays claim to many diplomas , McManus does not cite any university degree more advanced than a Bachelor of Divinity from Glasgow University .
St. Mary ’ s University , Twickenham , London , lists a “ Professor Jim McManus , University of Hertfordshire ” as one of its trustees , but the University of Hertfordshire would not confirm to LifeSiteNews that he is their “ Professor ” .
The London School of Economics acknowledges him as a “ Visiting Professor in Practice with CPEC ( Care Policy and Evaluation Centre ) at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from what organization he was visiting .
A “ Dr .
Jim McManus ” claiming membership of the now-defunct “ Heythrop College , University of London ” is listed as a member of the Centre of Philosophy and Theology at the University of Nottingham .
McManus has elsewhere stated that he was a “ Visiting Research Fellow ” at Heythrop College .
A spokesman for the Centre of Philosophy and Theology could not confirm where Dr. Jim McManus received his title .
Attempts to contact the archives of Glasgow University to establish McManus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thanks to the coronavirus lockdown in Scotland .
And despite the pleas of Catholic laity in England , Wales , and Scotland , the churches across the UK also remain shut .
LifeSiteNews has reached out to the CBCEW , the Anscombe Bioethics Centre and Bishop Paul Mason for comment .
Jim McManus ’ solicitor has indicated that McManus will answer our questions within 7 to 10 days .

HERTFORDSHIRE, England, May 13, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A man who helped lobby the UK government on behalf of the Catholic bishops to close their churches to private prayer is a convicted thief and lifelong LGBT activist who once left his Catholic faith and served as a Protestant minister.
A LifeSite investigation has uncovered that Jim G. McManus, 54, the Vice-Chair for the Healthcare Reference Group for the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW), is James Gough McManus, the former minister of an LGBT church who was convicted in 1999 of 11 counts of theft against Northern Counties Trust, a HIV/AIDS charity he reportedly helped to found. He also was named in a legal investigation into his role at the National Health Service’s Barking and Dagenham Primary Care Trust.
After LifeSiteNews contacted McManus about these and other aspects of his multifaceted career, he did not respond personally. Instead we received an email from his solicitor Shubha Nath. An article at the Barking and Dagenham Post about McManus’ 2010 trial was also taken down. (At time of publishing this article, it was still available on Google cache here, but that has now been removed. LifeSite has saved a copy here.)
In late March the CBCEW explained that McManus played a key role in convincing the government to close churches after guidance from the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government directed that “places of worship should remain open for solitary prayer” during the current coronavirus lockdown. In addition to serving as Vice-Chair of the CBCEW Healthcare Reference Group, McManus is the Director of Public Health for the Hertfordshire County Council.
“Professor [sic] Jim McManus has spoken with a senior civil servant and it was quite clear they just had not thought through the issues of infection and security of churches and when he made these points clear, they were appalled and agreed they had made a mistake,” the Archdiocese of Westminster stated.
In an April 1 article on the church closures, published in The Tablet, McManus explains that he had attended a briefing with U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson less than a week before the churches were closed.
Convicted felon
But now Catholics are questioning the wisdom of the CBCEW in relying so heavily on the judgement of a man who has twice been in serious trouble with the law.
LifeSite has confirmed with Teesside Crown Court that James Gough McManus was convicted by a jury of 11 counts of theft against Northern Counties Trust on March 9, 1999 and sentenced on the same date to 21 months’ imprisonment. He was found not guilty on a charge of theft against his former employer Cleveland County Council.
The English LGBT magazine “Gscene” recalled the trial in its May 2019 edition. In its “Twenty Years Ago This Month” retrospective, the magazine wrote:
Big news in May [sic] 1999 was the jailing of the former Director of the Sussex AIDS Centre, Jim McManus, who received a 21 month prison sentence for stealing £15,000 from Northern Counties Trust, an AIDS Charity he helped set up in Cleveland [Middlesbrough, England]. The judge Michael Taylor told McManus that his defence had been a “tissue of lies,” and there were “no redeeming features” to his case.
McManus’ trial in 1998 attracted attention for an unusual reason: according to the BBC, it was the first time a witness was allowed to give testimony from home. LifeSiteNews reached out to the witness, LGBT “Pride Radio” personality Jonathan Morrell, but did not receive a response.
McManus does not currently list his role with Cleveland County Council on his online CV but includes on his Hertfordshire University page references to publications in which he identified himself as a Cleveland County Council HIV worker. Two of the articles are in Health Education Journal, June 1994 and September 1994. A 1995 article, entitled “Promoting sexual health: the local government contribution” is not listed on his academic page.
Eleven years after his conviction, in April 2010 the Barking and Dagenham Post reported that McManus was due to stand trial in September that year for obtaining money from his then-employer, the NHS’s Barking and Dagenham Primary Care Trust, “through deception” and failing to inform them that he had “awarded contracts worth over £8,000.” It is unclear whether the trial in fact took place. The original link to the Barking and Dagenham Post article (here) is now dead. At time of publishing this article, it was available on Google cache here, but that has now been removed. LifeSite has saved a copy here.
According to his LinkedIn profile, McManus worked for the Barking and Dagenham PCT from January 2005 until October 2008. McManus also mentions his fellowship in the Faculty of Public Health, using the post-nominal title FFPH. In 2008, he was cited by the FPH as a “New Fellow” in the name “James Gough McManus,” the name under which he was convicted in 1999. (See page 19.)
LifeSiteNews has written to McManus to inquire about the eventual outcome of the scheduled trial reported by the Barking and Dagenham Post.
LGBT activism included pastoral ministry in gay church
Last month LifeSiteNews reported that McManus, who displays both the Vatican flag and the rainbow “pride” flag on his Twitter profile, has a history of LGBT activism and support for LGBT education in UK schools.
However, LifeSiteNews can now reveal that McManus, the Secretary of the Scottish Homosexual Rights Group in 1985, had by 1995 given up his childhood Catholic faith and become a clergyman in the LGBT-centered Metropolitan Community Church (MCC).
In 1995 the Newcastle Evening Chronicle interviewed young Reverend Jim McManus about a film featuring a sexually active gay Catholic priest. The MCC pastor explained that when growing up as a Catholic, he “had always been told that homosexuality was wrong.”
“It was not until I was at university in Glasgow studying Theology that I decided I could not stay in the Catholic Church,” McManus told the Evening Chronicle.
“I thought God made me this way, and there must be a reason why.”
He began to train as an Anglican minister but left his first assignment after Anglican parishioners “did not accept the fact he is gay.”
McManus explains in that article: “I spent years defending why I am gay and Christian. Now I couldn’t care less what people think about my sexuality or my Christianity. I’m living my life the way I think God wants me to.”
He condemned Catholic doctrine about homosexuality, stating: “Telling people its alright to be gay so long as they remain celibate is like putting them in front of a sweet shop [i.e. candy store] and saying, don’t go in. It really is pathetic.”
LifeSiteNews has spoken to a clergyman at Edinburgh's Augustine United Church, the Rev. Max Reay, who confirmed that the former Rev. James Gough McManus is Jim McManus, the current Director of Public Health for Hertfordshire County Council.
Reay confirmed that Rev. McManus had come to Edinburgh in 1995 as part of a pastoral team from the Newcastle MCC. According to an online history of the Edinburgh MCC, McManus took part in Edinburgh's first gay Pride parade and encouraged the new congregation’s establishment. The Edinburgh MCC community has now merged with Augustine United Church.
A 1995 issue of “Pulse,” a “monthly magazine for Gay Men,” reported that McManus performed extra-legal “marriage” ceremonies at Pride Scotia that year.
“Some performances were being conducted well away from the main stage. Such as the marriages being conducted by the Rev James McManus, team pastor with the Metropolitan Community Church Newcastle. Maybe next year someone will be lining up to do the divorces – honest only kidding folks,” Pulse reported.
McManus, who still today describes himself as a theologian, attempted to make a name for himself in the discipline of queer theology. In a 1996 article titled, ‘The Messianic Reason of Theology in a Lesbian and Gay Context: A Statement of Faith’, McManus twice sympathetically quotes homosexual “theologian” Robert Goss, once with Goss saying “God identifies with our erotic practice.”
McManus also quotes Goss saying “[a] queer liberation theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified with the liberation goals of its community.”
In the same article McManus describes “coming out” as “sacramental,” arguing that “God is the one who makes me ’come out’.”
“The process of coming out, coming into acceptance of self, and of coming into relationship, are all things which have a significance which can truly be called sacramental,” he writes.
“In a lesbian and gay context, sanctification can be seen as a part of the process of coming fulfilment, of coming to be oneself, of coming out,” McManus says in another part of the article.
“It is not whether but how we can be lesbian or gay and Christian that is the question for the next century,” McManus wrote.
An online edition of Scottish LGBT publication “ScotsGay” dated 1997 claimed that McManus was eventually suspended by the MCC for “action unbecoming a minister.” LifeSiteNews has attempted to confirm this suspension with the Governing Board of the MCC, but has not received an answer.
Gay porn in ‘safer’ sex campaign
During this part of McManus’ career, he was working as an HIV/AIDS worker for Cleveland County Council and the Northern Counties Trust for People Living With AIDS. LifeSiteNews has obtained photographs of the pornographic “Safer Sex” posters sponsored by McManus’ Northern Counties Trust in the early 1990s. They are available for viewing online at Wikimedia Commons and in the archives of the Wellcome Collection museum and library.
LifeSiteNews has chosen not to link directly to the pages due to the nature of their content. They include full male nudity, exposed genitalia, and homosexual sexual acts. The obvious intent of the posters is to arouse sexual excitement in homosexual male viewers.
LifeSiteNews has asked McManus if he advocated the use of the images in the Safer Sex campaign.
Advocacy for same-sex ‘marriage’
In 2002, McManus published an article in which he identified himself as both a “gay man” and a Catholic. In 2003 he became the Vice-Chair of the Health and Social Care Advisory Group to the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW). Nevertheless, McManus continued his LGBT activism and in 2006 publicly opposed Catholic doctrine concerning marriage, saying there were no “grounds” for restricting marriage to “differently-sexed couples.”
In July 2006, the Gay & Lesbian Psychiatric Review (Vol. 7, No. 2) published a statement by Jim McManus, together with Peter Hegarty and Meg Barker, on behalf of the Committee of the Lesbian & Gay Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society. Titled “Public Statement on the Recognition of Same-Sex Relationships,” the article commended the British government for establishing Civil Partnerships but demanded legal recognition for same-sex “marriage.”
“In conclusion,” they wrote, “we welcome the recognition of same-sex civil partnerships in the UK, but do not recognise the restriction of marriage rights to differently-sexed couples as valid or defensible on psychological or other grounds.”
Strangely, an online version of this statement has been posted with McManus’ name removed from the byline. His name remains, however, in the original edition of the Gay & Lesbian Psychiatric Review, as does the information that McManus was a member of its editorial board, as well as of the “Directorate of Public Health, Barking & Dagenham Primary Care Trust.”
Despite his continued roles in the Catholic Church, McManus is still an LGBT advocate. Last year, he gave the following speech prior to the raising of the rainbow “pride” flag at Hertfordshire County Council.
A copy of his prepared notes was subsequently posted to Twitter.
We are celebrating our first official item in our new LGBTQ+ archive! This speech, complete with handwritten notes, was given by Jim McManus, Director of Public health @hertscc at the official raising of the rainbow flag above County Hall last August #LGBT #LGBTQ #Queer #archives pic.twitter.com/o3MyUI12Wc — Herts Archives (@HertsArchives) February 20, 2020
Earlier this year McManus was involved in promoting a scheme encouraging workers to wear rainbow-coloured staff ID lanyards as part of a Hertfordshire County Council “LGBT+ Allies Scheme.”
In an article in the The MJ, McManus wrote:
“Hertfordshire CC is working locally to put one building block of that in place through our LGBT+ Allies Scheme, which was developed by the county council’s LGBT+ Staff Group last August. An ‘ally’ is a worker who pledges to be a visible supporter and advocate for LGBT+ co-workers by wearing a noticeable rainbow-coloured staff ID lanyard. With over 530 supporters in just six months, we are fostering a more open and supportive working environment.”
Pro-life credentials in doubt
McManus, who is also the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Catholic Anscombe Bioethics Centre in Oxford, is a high-ranking member of the pro-abortion Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH).
On March 30 the Westminster government authorized women in England to kill their preborn children at home by using both pills for a chemical early abortion. A government spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said that the change was being made on a temporary basis only and is time-limited for two years, or until the coronavirus crisis is over. It was the third time the abortion law had changed in the space of a week; the government had first announced the change and then reversed the decision within 24 hours.
On April 8 the ADPH, of which McManus is Vice-President, stated in a policy document that it was “essential” that this policy was delivered.
The ADPH document also calls for such “essential services” to be “extended across the United Kingdom.”
The same ADPH document also links to another policy statement published on March 26 (before the re-instatement of permission for home abortions) which called for a “[t]emporary transition to provide extensive range of sexual and reproductive care through remote (online/telephone/postal) ways of working.”
A celebrated, influential figure within the Catholic Church in England and Wales
The source who first alerted LifeSiteNews to McManus’ colorful internet footprint stated that McManus “will need to resign from his position as the Vice-Chair of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales healthcare group and cease all formal and informal ties to the Bishops’ Conference―immediately.”
But Vice-Chair of the Healthcare Reference Group is not the only role McManus has recently played in the Catholic Church. LifeSiteNews has ascertained that McManus was a Knight and then a Grand Knight of the Knights of St. Columba sodality in Birmingham between November 2008 and July 2012.
Jim McManus stated on his LinkedIn CV that he was a Trustee of the Diocese of Birmingham from 2009 to 2014. A spokesman for the Diocese told LifeSiteNews that a Jim McManus was indeed a Trustee from October 2011 to February 2015 but would not confirm that it was the same man. The spokesman had no further comment.
McManus has also stated on his LinkedIn CV that he has been a Companion of the Knights of Malta since 2008. However, Philippa Leslie, a spokeswoman for the Companions of the Knights of Malta would neither confirm nor deny that McManus belongs to the auxiliary group.
Most surprising of all, perhaps, is that McManus was awarded the Vatican’s Good Samaritan Medal by Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski for his services to the “sick and suffering” in February 2011.
The award was granted to McManus less than four years after the Good Samaritan Medal was given to Thomas Williams, the Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool and then-Chair of the CBCEW’s Healthcare Reference Group, by Cardinal Barragán. According to Zenit, McManus gave a paper at the July 2007 event.
This may not have been the first time all three men were together. According to Independent Catholic News, Cardinal Barragán, Bishop Williams and McManus were all scheduled to take part in the annual Catholics in Healthcare seminar on June 28, 2003.
Bishop Williams told LifeSiteNews Tuesday morning that he didn’t know that McManus had been convicted of theft, had served as a clergyman in the Metropolitan Community Church, had reportedly performed extra-legal “marriage” ceremonies in Edinburgh in 1995, or made a statement in favour of same-sex “marriage” in 2006.
“This is dreamland, as far as I’m concerned,” Williams said. “I haven’t heard any of that.”
The auxiliary bishop also said, “As far as I know, Jim is extremely pro-life.”
The current Chair of the CBCEW’s Healthcare Reference group is the Rt. Rev. Paul Mason, Catholic Bishop of the Forces.
Academic honorifics lead to questions
At least two of McManus’ academic honours are in doubt. Although he is styled “Prof” or “Professor” and in some news reports and academic websites “Dr”, LifeSiteNews has been unable to ascertain which academic institutions granted him these honorifics. Although he lays claim to many diplomas, McManus does not cite any university degree more advanced than a Bachelor of Divinity from Glasgow University.
St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, London, lists a “Professor Jim McManus, University of Hertfordshire” as one of its trustees, but the University of Hertfordshire would not confirm to LifeSiteNews that he is their “Professor”. The London School of Economics acknowledges him as a “Visiting Professor in Practice with CPEC (Care Policy and Evaluation Centre) at LSE,” but did not specify from what organization he was visiting.
A “Dr. Jim McManus” claiming membership of the now-defunct “Heythrop College, University of London” is listed as a member of the Centre of Philosophy and Theology at the University of Nottingham. McManus has elsewhere stated that he was a “Visiting Research Fellow” at Heythrop College. A spokesman for the Centre of Philosophy and Theology could not confirm where Dr. Jim McManus received his title.
Attempts to contact the archives of Glasgow University to establish McManus’ earliest academic achievements were inconclusive, thanks to the coronavirus lockdown in Scotland. And despite the pleas of Catholic laity in England, Wales, and Scotland, the churches across the UK also remain shut.
LifeSiteNews has reached out to the CBCEW, the Anscombe Bioethics Centre and Bishop Paul Mason for comment. Jim McManus’ solicitor has indicated that McManus will answer our questions within 7 to 10 days.
Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski died in 2016.
To respectfully and charitably communicate your wishes to your bishops, please use this search engine to find contact details for Catholic bishops in England and Wales. Cardinal Nichols, the president of the CBCEW, can be contacted at [email protected], 020 7798 9033.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-13--Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

May 13 , 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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