lifesitenews--2020-10-12--Catholic doctors ask whether COVID policies outweigh ‘collateral damage’

October 12 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Catholic doctors gathered at the Catholic Medical Association ’ s 89th annual educational conference last month and tried to provide a thorough foundation of information for COVID-19 policy best practices before filtering it through the framework of Catholic social teaching .
According to Catholic social teaching , the good effects of a policy must , at minimum , “ outweigh the rationally foreseeable bad effects , ” said Dr. Anthony Flood , a professor of philosophy at North Dakota State University , at the conference .
To determine whether “ the treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the doctors had to bring both the reality of the coronavirus and the unintended damage of the COVID-19 interventions into sharp focus .
Dr. Paul Carson , an infectious disease specialist , began by discussing the Wuhan coronavirus itself .
He said COVID-19 is significantly more dangerous than the seasonal flu , and has even been shown to cause persistent cardiac inflammation in asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 .
“ We need to take this seriously , ” he concluded .
Dr. Paul Cieslak , also an infectious disease specialist , presented a study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ various COVID-19 interventions , which Dr. Cieslak noted “ is almost impossible to do.
” According to this model , mandatory mask wearing had almost no effect on the rate of transmission .
Dr. Thomas McGovern , who researched vaccines and biological warfare at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease , then laid out the statistics on the “ collateral damage ” of COVID-19 interventions .
Dr. McGovern referenced the increase in physical isolation during COVID-19 , both legally imposed and self imposed , and pointed out that isolation is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most severe punishment .
Isolation is generally understood to take a mental toll , but the role it plays in physical disease is little-mentioned in the COVID-19 discussion .
Dr. McGovern said isolation and loneliness result , on average , in a 32 percent increase in stroke , a 50 percent increase in dementia , and a 40 percent increase in diabetes .
Loneliness and physical isolation each lead to increased mortality , independent of each other .
Physical isolation alone results in a 26 percent increased risk of mortality , and loneliness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mortality , which , Dr. McGovern noted , is the same risk that comes from morbid obesity .
Dr. McGovern cited a morbidity and mortality weekly report from the CDC that showed in comparison to the same month in 2019 there was double the amount of suicidal ideation , triple the amount of anxiety , and quadruple the amount of depression in 2020 .
Statistics suggest that the mental health decline stems in part from the baggage of pandemic-induced unemployment .
Dr. McGovern noted that for every one percent increase in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a one to 1.3 percent increase in the suicide rate , a 25 percent increase in child neglect , and a 12 percent increase in child abuse .
During the great recession of 2008 , pediatricians reported a 63 percent increase in infant head trauma due to abuse .
Dr. McGovern shared that domestic violence calls also increased in major cities after the lockdowns , as much as by 30 percent in New York .
Aggravated domestic assault calls increased by 27 percent in Boston .
Dr. McGovern went on to share a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collateral damage of physical isolation .
He showed a picture of his mother-in-law ’ s funeral .
“ She lived in a nursing home , in assisted living .
She was the social butterfly of the place .
In June , she just gave up eating and drinking .
She didn ’ t understand why she couldn ’ t see her family .
She died not of COVID but because of COVID , ” Dr. McGovern said .
“ Is it really worth it , some of these measures ?
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr .
Flood refrained from giving specific , practical advice on how to approach COVID-19 interventions based on these facts , but discussed essential principles upon which to base policy .
“ Catholic social teaching ’ s fundamental principle from which the rest flow is the inviolable dignity of the individual.
” He went on to note , “ Policies can not violate basic human dignity , even if the ends of public health might be served.
” Dr .
Flood explained a practical principle that stems from this first principle of human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contains a procedural principle for navigating cases where actions and policies have good intended effects , but also involve foreseeable unintended harms , risks , or simply what we ’ re calling collateral damage , ” he said .
This is the principle of double effect .
Referring to weighing the proportion of good effects to bad effects , he said , “ Proportionality is the most data-driven element of double-effect reasoning , as the data gives grounding for predictions concerning both the good and bad effects.
” “ If the assessment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more people will die from isolation-based considerations , then the better option is not a full lockdown .
On the other hand , proportionality may very well tip the scale in favor of any given ( intervention ) if enough lives are indeed protected , ” he continued .
“ And here ’ s the kicker .
Catholic social teaching does not maintain that we must do everything possible to keep people from being infected , even those with a higher risk of death , ” said Dr .
Flood .
He mentioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enact a lockdown in order to better promote the whole spectrum of human goods.
” Dr .
Flood concluded , “ All of this speaks to the need for good data and decision makers not becoming myopically focused on just one good .
Physiological health is a good of all human beings , and must be promoted as a basic individual and societal good , but it also must be promoted in keeping with individual dignity , and with a recognition of the need for community and love and a properly flourishing life @ @

‘Is it really worth it, some of these measures? That’s a question we need to ask,’ the Catholic Medical Association discussed in light of Catholic social teaching.
October 12, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Catholic doctors gathered at the Catholic Medical Association’s 89th annual educational conference last month and tried to provide a thorough foundation of information for COVID-19 policy best practices before filtering it through the framework of Catholic social teaching.
According to Catholic social teaching, the good effects of a policy must, at minimum, “outweigh the rationally foreseeable bad effects,” said Dr. Anthony Flood, a professor of philosophy at North Dakota State University, at the conference.
To determine whether “the treatment is worse than the disease,” the doctors had to bring both the reality of the coronavirus and the unintended damage of the COVID-19 interventions into sharp focus.
Dr. Paul Carson, an infectious disease specialist, began by discussing the Wuhan coronavirus itself. He said COVID-19 is significantly more dangerous than the seasonal flu, and has even been shown to cause persistent cardiac inflammation in asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19. “We need to take this seriously,” he concluded.
Dr. Paul Cieslak, also an infectious disease specialist, presented a study that aimed to show the effectiveness of various COVID-19 interventions, which Dr. Cieslak noted “is almost impossible to do.” According to this model, mandatory mask wearing had almost no effect on the rate of transmission.
Dr. Thomas McGovern, who researched vaccines and biological warfare at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease, then laid out the statistics on the “collateral damage” of COVID-19 interventions.
Dr. McGovern referenced the increase in physical isolation during COVID-19, both legally imposed and self imposed, and pointed out that isolation is used in prisons as part of their most severe punishment.
Isolation is generally understood to take a mental toll, but the role it plays in physical disease is little-mentioned in the COVID-19 discussion. Dr. McGovern said isolation and loneliness result, on average, in a 32 percent increase in stroke, a 50 percent increase in dementia, and a 40 percent increase in diabetes.
Loneliness and physical isolation each lead to increased mortality, independent of each other. Physical isolation alone results in a 26 percent increased risk of mortality, and loneliness leads to a 32 percent increased risk of mortality, which, Dr. McGovern noted, is the same risk that comes from morbid obesity.
Dr. McGovern cited a morbidity and mortality weekly report from the CDC that showed in comparison to the same month in 2019 there was double the amount of suicidal ideation, triple the amount of anxiety, and quadruple the amount of depression in 2020.
Statistics suggest that the mental health decline stems in part from the baggage of pandemic-induced unemployment. Dr. McGovern noted that for every one percent increase in the national unemployment rate, there’s a one to 1.3 percent increase in the suicide rate, a 25 percent increase in child neglect, and a 12 percent increase in child abuse. During the great recession of 2008, pediatricians reported a 63 percent increase in infant head trauma due to abuse.
Dr. McGovern shared that domestic violence calls also increased in major cities after the lockdowns, as much as by 30 percent in New York. Aggravated domestic assault calls increased by 27 percent in Boston.
Dr. McGovern went on to share a personal story that testified to the ultimate collateral damage of physical isolation. He showed a picture of his mother-in-law’s funeral.
“She lived in a nursing home, in assisted living. She was the social butterfly of the place.
In June, she just gave up eating and drinking. She didn’t understand why she couldn’t see her family. She died not of COVID but because of COVID,” Dr. McGovern said.
“Is it really worth it, some of these measures? That’s a question we need to ask.”
Dr. Flood refrained from giving specific, practical advice on how to approach COVID-19 interventions based on these facts, but discussed essential principles upon which to base policy.
“Catholic social teaching’s fundamental principle from which the rest flow is the inviolable dignity of the individual.” He went on to note, “Policies cannot violate basic human dignity, even if the ends of public health might be served.”
Dr. Flood explained a practical principle that stems from this first principle of human dignity: “The Catholic moral tradition contains a procedural principle for navigating cases where actions and policies have good intended effects, but also involve foreseeable unintended harms, risks, or simply what we’re calling collateral damage,” he said. This is the principle of double effect.
Referring to weighing the proportion of good effects to bad effects, he said, “Proportionality is the most data-driven element of double-effect reasoning, as the data gives grounding for predictions concerning both the good and bad effects.”
“If the assessment of proportionality indicates, for instance, that more people will die from isolation-based considerations, then the better option is not a full lockdown. On the other hand, proportionality may very well tip the scale in favor of any given (intervention) if enough lives are indeed protected,” he continued.
“And here’s the kicker. Catholic social teaching does not maintain that we must do everything possible to keep people from being infected, even those with a higher risk of death,” said Dr. Flood.
He mentioned the possibility of choosing “not to enact a lockdown in order to better promote the whole spectrum of human goods.”
Dr. Flood concluded, “All of this speaks to the need for good data and decision makers not becoming myopically focused on just one good. Physiological health is a good of all human beings, and must be promoted as a basic individual and societal good, but it also must be promoted in keeping with individual dignity, and with a recognition of the need for community and love and a properly flourishing life.”
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus Show Petition Text 1082415 have signed the petition. Let's get to 1100000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition People of goodwill can disagree about the safety, efficacy and religious implications of a new vaccine for the coronavirus. But, everyone should agree on this point: No government can force anyone who has reached legal adulthood to be vaccinated for the coronavirus. Equally, no government can vaccinate minors for the coronavirus against the will of their parents or guardians. Please SIGN this urgent petition which urges policymakers at every level of government to reject calls for mandatory coronavirus vaccination. Fear of a disease - which we know very little about, relative to other similar diseases - must not lead to knee-jerk reactions regarding public health, nor can it justify supporting the hidden agenda of governmental as well as non-governmental bodies that have apparent conflicts of interest in plans to restrict personal freedoms. The so-called "public health experts" have gotten it wrong many times during the current crisis. We should not, therefore, allow their opinions to rush decision-makers into policies regarding vaccination. And, while some people, like Bill Gates, may have a lot of money, his opinion and that of his NGO (the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) - namely, that life will not return to normal till people are widely vaccinated - should not be permitted to influence policy decisions on a coronavirus vaccination program. Finally, we must also not allow the rush by pharmaceutical companies to produce a new coronavirus vaccine to, itself, become an imperative for vaccination. Unwitting citizens must not be used as guinea pigs for New World Order ideologues, or Big Pharma, in pursuit of a vaccine (and, profits) which may not even protect against future mutated strains of the coronavirus. And it goes without saying that the production of vaccines using aborted babies for cell replication is a total non-starter, as the technique is gravely immoral. However, if after sufficient study of the issue, a person who has reached the age of majority wishes to be vaccinated with a morally produced vaccine, along with his children, that is his business. But we cannot and will not permit the government to make that decision for us. Thank you for SIGNING and SHARING this petition, urging policymakers at all levels of government to reject mandatory coronavirus vaccination. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Bill Gates: Life won’t go back to ‘normal’ until population 'widely vaccinated' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bill-gates-life-wont-go-back-to-normal-until-population-widely-vaccinated COVID-19 scare leads to more digital surveillance, talk of mandatory vaccine 'tattoos' for kids' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/covid-19-scare-leads-to-more-digital-surveillance-talk-of-mandatory-vaccine-tattoos-for-kids Trudeau says no return to ‘normal’ without vaccine: 'Could take 12 to 18 months' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/trudeau-says-no-return-to-normal-without-vaccine-could-take-12-to-18-months Trudeau mulls making coronavirus vaccine mandatory for Canadians - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/trudeau-mulls-making-coronavirus-vaccine-mandatory-for-canadians US bishop vows to ‘refuse’ COVID-19 vaccine if made from ‘aborted fetal tissue' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/us-bishop-vows-to-refuse-covid-19-vaccine-if-made-from-aborted-fetal-tissue ** While LifeSite opposes immorally-produced vaccines using aborted fetal cell lines, we do not have a position on any particular coronavirus vaccines produced without such moral problems. We realize many have general concerns about vaccines, but also recognize that millions of lives have been saved due to vaccines. *** Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
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lifesitenews--2020-10-12--LifeSite is back on Twitter after being locked out of account for nearly a year

October 12 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – LifeSiteNews has been locked out of our main Twitter account ( @ LifeSite ) since December 9 , 2019 due to an “ offensive ” tweet regarding Jonathan Yaniv , who is famous for taking 15 beauticians to the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal for their refusal to wax his genitals .
The tweet was a link to a LifeSite article titled , “ Trans activist Jonathan ‘ Jessica ’ Yaniv ‘ shocked…confused ’ gynecologist won ’ t see him , ” which Twitter deemed was a “ violation ” of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter gave us the option to delete the tweet and reactivate our account right away .
LifeSite remained steadfast that our tweet did not violate any rules , and we sought several appeals with Twitter , while looking into legal action against the company .
After close to a year of multiple appeals and many attempted communications with Twitter , we have decided to temporarily remove the tweet in order to gain access to our account .
We determined that we must use every outlet to push out the truth , especially during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amy Coney Barrett and the upcoming presidential election .
We restored our account , with nearly 60,000 followers , this morning .
However , we ensured that by agreeing to remove the tweet , we did not admit to any wrongdoing .
We simply stated that we would remove the tweet in order to gain access to our account .
We plan to continue to share all the truth exactly as our Christian conscience dictates , especially on matters that much of the world seems to hold offensive right now such as on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us in “ Twitter jail ” again , we will bear it as a badge of honor knowing He was persecuted before we were .
If you ’ re on Twitter , we encourage you to find and follow us on these four different accounts : • @ LSNCatholic – Our Twitter account with a focus on Catholic content .
This has served as our back-up account for the past year .
• @ WCEA_LSN – The Twitter version of our very popular We Can End Abortion Facebook page , focusing on pro-life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter version of our We Can Defend Marriage Facebook page , focusing on pro-family content .
LifeSiteNews has launched a new series called Uncensored : Big Tech vs. Free Speech , which explores ongoing censorship of conservatives and what ordinary people can do about it .

PETITION UPDATE (12/11/2020)
Right before Thanksgiving, YouTube deleted a LifeSite video of a distinguished Canadian physician protesting the "unfounded public hysteria" over COVID-19 and accused us of spreading "medical misinformation."
Our account was suspended, and we were prohibited from posting videos on our YouTube channel for one week. And, while that may not seem like a big deal, it's a huge deal for a news organization like LifeSite.
Then, earlier this week, YouTube again suspended our account – this time for two weeks – over an episode of The Bishop Strickland Show wherein Bishop Strickland said he would not take an unethical COVID-19 vaccine.
We were able to appeal the suspension, and our request was granted.
This means that in YouTube's three-strikes-and-you're-out content-policing, idea-cleansing scheme, we are back down to one strike. But, we still face the threat of losing our account permanently.
And, we're not the only ones.
In a recent turn of events, YouTube just announced that it will remove videos alleging widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
But, what is YouTube afraid of? The truth???
Thankfully, however, there is a one, big bright spot on the horizon: 48 states filed suit against Facebook just this week.
And, although this seems like a step in the right direction, the draconian measures which YouTube just rolled out, which are already wielded by Twitter, are an assault against free speech.
So, the fight for freedom of speech against Big Tech goes on. And, we must do everything we can to protect it!
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition today!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-youtube-reverses-ban-on-lifesitenews?
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/youtube-bans-lifesite-over-video-of-bp-strickland-refusing-to-take-corona-vaccine
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/lifesites-channel-was-suspended-by-youtube-heres-how-you-can-still-watch-our-videos
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/youtube-starts-removing-videos-that-contain-allegations-of-mass-voter-fraud
https://tennesseestar.com/2020/12/10/facebook-sued-by-48-states-federal-trade-commission-over-allegations-of-monopolistic-practices/
________________________________________________________________________
PETITION UPDATE (11/18/2020)
Everyone thought the censorship by Big Tech corporations would decrease after the 2020 election, but the truth is that censorship is being felt just as much as it was before the election.
And, given the election outcome, perhaps Big Tech censorship now is even more consequential than it was before the election!
The two biggest social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter, and other Big Tech companies, are still censoring and suppressing stories and posts favorable to conservatives, and especially anything that has to do with election fraud.
Here are a few recent examples:
Women for America First organized the March for Trump on November 14, which was shut down by Facebook, MailChimp and Eventbrite. Despite Big Tech’s best efforts to cancel the event, the march went on and gathered a huge crowd.
Twitter has been suppressing a large number of President Trump’s Tweets. Most of his Tweets have been flagged arbitrarily with a warning stating: “This claim about election fraud is disputed."
Please READ this recent article about Big Tech's attempt to choke information conerning the recent Million MAGA March in Washington, DC: '5 things mainstream media won’t tell you about massive DC ‘Stop the Steal’ rally'
Then, please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition, which calls on the Congress, the president, and governors to defend freedom of speech as Big Tech continues their rampant censorship.
PETITION UPDATE (10/15/2020)
In a remarkable development, Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham have announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee will be issuing subpoenas to Twitter's Jack Dorsey and Facebook's Mark Zuckerburg for their company's suppression of two critical expose news stories about how Hunter Biden and the Biden Family allegedly profited from business deals made because of Joe Biden's position as Vice President.
Please WATCH LifeSite's exclusive video of the announcement by Senator Ted Cruz below.
According to the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Lindsey Graham, the subpoenas will be issued next Tuesday, for hearings to be held on Friday of next week.
This is a MASSIVE development, and should be welcomed by those who champion freedom of speech.
Again, this is all happening because Twitter and Facebook refuse to allow their members to share stories which would be favorable to conservatives.
Here's the timeline:
Yesterday, Twitter and Facebook suppressed a NY Post story about how Hunter Biden allegedly profited from introducing a Ukrainian businessman to his then-Vice President father, Joe Biden. The story also alleges that Vice President Biden then subsequently pressured Ukrainian authorities to fire a prosecutor who was investigating the businessman's company.
And, just this morning, Twitter suppressed another expose by the NY Post alleging that the Biden Family improperly profitted from deals made with one of the largest Chinese energy companies because of Vice President Biden's position in government.
But, right after the story broke, Senator Cruz tried to share the latest story on Twitter and was blocked. Twitter says that they are blocking the stories because they claim that the information was obtained illegally. However, Twitter showed no problem allowing illegally obtained information about President Trump's tax returns to be shared.
Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition, which calls on the Congress, the president, and governors to defend freedom of speech as Big Tech continues their rampant censorship.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'GOP senators decry Big Tech censorship of NY Post story exposing Biden corruption' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/gop-senators-decry-big-tech-censorship-of-ny-post-story-exposing-biden-corruption
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PETITION UPDATE (9/17/2020)
Big Tech is out to kill free speech. LifeSite is out to protect it!
LifeSite has been digging deep into the many claims of liberal bias and selective censorship of pro-life, pro-family, and conservative voices on social media.
And, we are now launching our new series 'Uncensored: Big Tech vs. Free Speech', which will unpack how the actions of Big Tech censors actually affect conservative and Christian organization and individuals.
Please WATCH the first video in our series featuring Brigitte Gabriel, the Founder of ACT For America, one of the nation's premier national security grassroots organizations.
Ms. Gabriel's organization, ACT For America, has been targeted by Big Tech especially in the manipulation of search results.
Big Tech “think[s] they are God and they are exercising their godly power over everybody else,” Gabriel explained. "Because in today's world, anytime you want to find out any information about somebody, what do you do? Google. You go to the internet to find out some information about them. When you research anything about somebody, the first thing that comes up [in the search results] is the Southern Poverty Law Center’s labeling of ‘hate groups.’”
“And who are the ‘hate groups’? Family Research Council is a hate group because they are pro-family. American Family Radio is a hate group…LifeSiteNews is a hate group. My organization is a hate group because we sound the alarm about terrorism and protecting our constitutional freedom. And so they try to character assassinate you. And they control the language.”
LifeSite's research shows that Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter, and others have become far too dangerous for democracy.
They can and do sway elections and public opinion in whatever direction they want, primarily by manipulating search results, tracking our online behavior, and by blocking truthful content from their platforms.
Today, LifeSite is starting to fight back, with facts and with stories of conservatives and Christians who are being negatively impacted by Big Tech's liberal bias.
Please continue to follow our 'Big Tech vs. Free Speech' series which aims to launch a new video each week for the next eight weeks.
And, please sign our petition demanding that Big Tech monopolies are broken up. Thank you!
__________________________________________________________________________
ORIGINAL PETITION BACKGROUND TEXT:
The outrageous erasing of the White Coat Summit from the internet is only the latest in a long series of brazen acts of censorship against conservatives and all those who support legitimate free speech.
You may agree or disagree with the efficacy of Hydroxychloroquine against the coronavirus, but everyone should agree on this point:
No Big Tech company should have the power to erase from the internet the medical opinions of licensed practicing doctors simply because they do not like what they have to say about the coronavirus or their experience treating it. Americans and other free peoples do not need leftist computer programmers deciding what the best course of medical treatment is for them.
Google/Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Apple and their Big Tech friends want to control what you see, what you read, what you think, and ultimately, how you vote. Not only do they spend hundreds of millions of dollars on lobbying congress and buttering up big Washington DC think tanks, but now they brazenly and directly censor any content they don't want you to see.
Big Tech, like other interest groups, aggressively lobby to help their businesses thrive, but increasingly, Big Tech is using blatant internet censorship to impose its radical world view over those they consider to be "deplorables."
This must stop, but it won't unless we demand it as forcefully as legally possible. We believe that we have reached the point were Big Tech must be broken up if legitimate free speech is going to survive and continue to thrive on the internet.
Please sign our petition to demand real consequences for Big Tech's suppression of legitimate free speech.
In 2016, emails revealed by Fox News' Tucker Carlson proved that Google tried to influence the election by affecting voter turnout. Thankfully they failed. But they didn't give up. Instead, they have been preparing and testing how to manipulate information to continue to abuse their monopolistic power.
In 2018, Google/Youtube et. al. succeeded in manipulating the Irish abortion referendum by blacklisting pro-life videos, manipulating pro-life search terms and results and intentionally withholding pro-life information. Again, this is not an opinion or a conspiracy theory, Project Veritas obtained first hand information proving the intentional censorship by Big Tech.
And the Coronavirus has just made things worse. You see, scared people are more easily manipulated into giving up their freedom of speech. Children are being kept from going to school, tens of millions of Americans are out of work, and rioting has broken out in most major American cities.
Now, more than ever, freedom of speech is necessary to secure all of our freedoms. Freedom of speech is crucial to truly exercise the freedom to vote for the person that best represents one's own views, or the freedom to decide what course of medical treatment to accept - especially the decision to control what vaccines are administered to our children.
Some experts, like Dr. Robert Epstein, a behavioral psychologist who has testified before congress against Big Tech believes that we may already be too late to control Big Tech's tyrannical control over information.
President Trump took a step in the right direction with his Executive Order calling for increased regulation of Big Tech. But much more can be done and needs to be done right now.
In an era where almost everything is polarized, there is an overwhelming support for breaking up the Big Tech monopolies. A recent Pew poll found that 75% of Americans believe that Big Tech companies have too much influence.
It is time to bring serious accountability to Big Tech for their attempts to use their monopolies to kill free speech.
It is time to break up Big Tech.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Google, Facebook, Twitter shut down ‘frontline’ US doctors who promote ‘cure for COVID’ - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/google-facebook-twitter-shut-down-frontline-us-doctors-who-promote-cure-for-covid?utm_source=featured&utm_campaign=standard
Americans overwhelmingly agree Big Tech has too much power: Pew poll - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/americans-overwhelmingly-agree-big-tech-has-too-much-power-pew-poll
Leaked Google employee's email reveals effort to boost Latino vote, surprise that some voted for Trump - https://www.foxnews.com/tech/leaked-google-employees-email-reveals-effort-to-boost-latino-vote-surprise-that-some-voted-for-trump
Undercover video proves Google interfered in Irish abortion referendum - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/americans-overwhelmingly-agree-big-tech-has-too-much-power-pew-poll


lifesitenews--2020-10-12--Was the chief architect behind the New Mass a Freemason? New evidence emerges

October 12 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Last week , a major exposé appeared as two Moynihan Letters ( # 26 and # 28 ) at Inside the Vatican and was then republished at the traditionalist blog Rorate Caeli .
It takes the form of a lengthy interview conducted by Kevin Symonds with Fr .
Charles Theodore Murr ( b .
1950 ) , author of The Godmother : Mother Pascalina : A Feminine Tour de Force ( 2017 ) , and a former secretary to Edouard Cardinal Gagnon who worked at the Vatican in the 1970s .
During @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Mother Pascalina Lehnert ( 1894–1983 ) , Eugenio Pacelli ’ s housekeeper for 41 years , from his time as papal nuncio in Germany in the 1920s through his papal reign as Pius XII until his death in 1958 .
In the interview , Murr discusses a large number of personalities , including Pius XII , John XXIII , Paul VI , John Paul II , and particularly Annibale Bugnini ( 1912–1982 ) , as well as Vatican II , the liturgical reform , the infiltration of Freemasonry into the Vatican , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he saw or heard from the very people involved , including cardinals who discovered the Masonic connections of high-ranking prelates .
For decades , Annibale Bugnini , the secretary of the Consilium for liturgical reform and the key figure in its execution , has been suspected or accused of being a Freemason .
The matter remained doubtful to such an extent that the eminent French historian Yves Chiron , in his judicious biography of Bugnini , judged that the rumor was inadequately supported by facts .
The situation began to change last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details , courtesy of Fr .
Brian Harrison , naming Cardinal Dino Staffa as the one who brought Paul VI the “ smoking gun ” information on Bugnini ’ s Masonry , which precipitated the latter ’ s sudden fall from grace .
It is therefore of major significance that Fr .
Murr offers more and better evidence that independently confirms the same sequence of events .
Fr .
Murr met Cardinal Gagnon in 1974 .
Soon , the cardinal would be assigned by Paul VI to do a Papal Visitation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gagnon with documents and other practical matters .
Asked what the Visitation concerned , Murr replies : Murr goes on to reveal who the cardinals were who made these accusations : The mention of Cardinal Staffa dovetails with the personal experiences of both Eric de Saventhem and Michael Davies ( consecutive presidents of the International Federation Una Voce ) .
When Symonds reminds Murr that , as reported in The Godmother , Mother Pascalina Lehnert believed Archbishop Annibale Bugnini to have been a Freemason , Murr furnishes further details : Symonds then asks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved with Freemasonry , what can we say , then , about Bugnini and the Conciliar liturgical reforms ?
” To which Murr replies : Symonds recounts the story told in the Memoirs of the eminent theologian and sometime member of the Consilium , Louis Bouyer ( 1913–2004 ) , who learned directly from his friend Paul VI that Bugnini was “ running interference ” between the pope and the Consilium by lying to both sides about what the other wanted , and asks Murr point blank : “ Once Bugnini ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t Paul VI ‘ reverse course ’ on the liturgical reforms ?
” To your question , I can only offer an educated guess .
Freemasonic influences were hard at work in the Vatican during those critical post-conciliar years ( and continue to be ) .
This explanation , however , is insufficient to describe the present malaise within the Church because it is not balanced with the reality of sin and human frailty .
The latter have real consequences for the Church when it comes to hierarchs [ . ]
... Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as the Frenchman Jean Cardinal Villot as his Secretary of State with Archbishop Benelli as the sostituto .
I suspect it was because Paul hoped that the path of virtue or a via media would emerge from the subsequent conflicts .
...
He tried to speak to everyone and to pacify different factions within the Church , most notably the so-called “ progressives ” and “ conservatives.
” How successful he was in this endeavor will be debated by historians and theologians .
The fact remains , however , that the character @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will and this goes to the heart of your question .
Archbishop Benelli finally convinced the Holy Father to “ deal with ” the Bugnini affair .
Benelli had the idea to combine two Vatican Congregations — Divine Worship and Rites — into one : The Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments [ actually , in July 1975 , The Congregation for Sacraments and Divine Worship , with its present name dating from 1988 — PAK ] .
Villot arranged for Bugnini to be named Nuncio to Iran as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of combining the two liturgical dicasteries .
Villot , however , continued to defend Bugnini ’ s “ reforms.
” Instead , then , of dealing with the obvious shadows cast upon Bugnini ’ s work , Paul VI simply retreated further into himself , not wanting to be involved any further in the conflict .
To the obvious question of why Bugnini was not more severely punished once his Freemasonic membership was discovered and revealed to Paul VI , Murr explains : Instead , explains Murr , Paul VI followed the classic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be promoted so that he may be removed from the situation .
Symonds continues : “ Archbishop Bugnini denied to his dying breath that he was a Freemason .
If he was a Freemason , why do you think that he would directly lie about it ?
” Whereupon Murr says : “ If that ’ s the question the answer is simple : because he was a Freemason !
” When asked if he has anything more to add about Bugnini , Murr discloses hitherto unknown details : Clearly , this interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For example , Murr notes that Sebastiano Cardinal Baggio was certainly a Freemason — and Baggio played an important role in the selection of bishops for the worldwide Church from 1973 to 1984 .
According to Murr , Cardinals Staffa and Oddi possessed a dossier of corroborating evidence on Baggio which they shared with Paul VI ; Gagnon , Mario Marini , and Benelli also knew of it .
At the end of the interview , Murr mentions that he is currently writing a book on Baggio , “ based upon conversations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Marini and Benelli.
” If that book turns out to be nearly as interesting as The Godmother , it will be worth the wait .
Some people have already objected to the Murr interview as giving us “ nothing better than rumors ” and have said that unless we have direct documentary evidence , we can not make historical assertions .
This , however , is a rule that no professional historian actually operates by .
Historical certitude is achieved not only by means of primary documents , which are the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consistent mosaic of reports from figures involved in the events .
Reasonable assumptions often need to be made to make sense out of a situation .
For example , all history books include statements of this form : “ Madame so-and-so was the mistress of King so-and-so.
” But were they ever observed in flagrante delicto ?
No ; it ’ s just that “ everyone knew it.
” Perhaps they only ever read novels to each other , or played chess , or recited Matins .
Nevertheless , there are reasonable assumptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of human nature and the signs we know how to interpret .
Similarly , when it comes to these new claims about Bugnini and the figures that surrounded him and Paul VI , we are capable of putting two and two together .
The quality of the sources is sufficient to engender confidence and the internal coherence of the information with what is already known is undeniable .
It is thus fair to say there is no longer reasonable doubt that the single most dominant figure in the liturgical reform was , indeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explain , at least in part , why Bugnini ’ s private papers are kept under lock and key , inaccessible to any scholars , although perhaps it is too much to believe that incriminating materials have not already been destroyed by now .
Some Catholics may find themselves asking : why , in 2020 , is this topic even important anymore ?
They year 1962 , when the Council opened , or 1975 , when Bugnini fell from grace — that ’ s a long time ago , and so much water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revised liturgical rites were approved by Paul VI and are used almost everywhere .
Shouldn ’ t we just focus our energy today on how we can celebrate them better , and let the dead bury the dead ?
Such a way of thinking greatly underestimates the gravity of what Fr .
Murr ’ s interview reveals .
Let us step back and consider the magnitude of the revelation .
Annibale Bugnini was one of the few constant “ players ” in liturgical reform at the Vatican over a very long period of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He held successively more important positions until he was appointed principal secretary of the preconciliar committee that drafted the constitution on the sacred liturgy ( Sacrosanctum Concilium ) for Vatican II , in which capacity he craftily advised his associates to take refuge in vagueness and procedural mechanisms so that the Council Fathers would not block their daring plans ( see Chiron , p. 82 ) .
Paul VI , who shared his liturgical vision almost entirely , appointed him the principal secretary of the body entrusted with implementing this constitution .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ architect , or , perhaps better , the general contractor , of the liturgical reform in all its dimensions ( the Mass , the sacraments , the papal rites , the Divine Office , the calendar , etc. )
.
He largely controlled the committee membership that worked on the various tasks ; he scheduled and ran the Consilium ’ s meetings , distributed the minutes , put the “ right ” people in contact with each other , offered private counsel and guidance , and , most influentially , regulated the flow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Consilium : what the Pope knew about the Consilium ’ s intentions , he heard largely from Bugnini ; what the Consilium heard about the Pope ’ s wishes , they heard largely from Bugnini .
Practically nothing that happened in the liturgical reform did not first pass through his mind and his mouth , to be imprinted with his attitudes and agendas .
During his exile in Iran , he wrote a nearly 1,000-page book , The Reform of the Liturgy 1948–1975 , in which he explains , step by step , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic worship and expresses his agreement with these changes .
It appears ever more certain that this man was a Freemason , and that what pleased him about the reform is analogous to what pleases the Freemasons today about almost everything Pope Francis says and does .
It is , or should be , no news that Freemasonry and Catholicism are implacable enemies , with diametrically opposed creeds and cults .
If this is not reason enough , then , to be skeptical about the liturgical reform as it played out , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible , and to return wholeheartedly to the enduring tradition that was scorned and suppressed by the revolutionaries , I am not sure what could ever make a difference .
Would we need to find out that Bugnini was a child-molester ?
A Satanist ?
For certain ultramontanist conservatives , nothing , it seems , can displace the blinders they have chosen to fasten to their heads .
But for Catholics who , prompted by the Holy Spirit , seek out reverent , authentic worship in keeping with our centuries-old inheritance of faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ present and always will be present in medio Ecclesiae , in the midst of the Church , where Our Lord will sustain its integrity until His coming in glory .

October 12, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Last week, a major exposé appeared as two Moynihan Letters (#26 and #28) at Inside the Vatican and was then republished at the traditionalist blog Rorate Caeli. It takes the form of a lengthy interview conducted by Kevin Symonds with Fr. Charles Theodore Murr (b. 1950), author of The Godmother: Mother Pascalina: A Feminine Tour de Force (2017), and a former secretary to Edouard Cardinal Gagnon who worked at the Vatican in the 1970s. During this period, Murr became close friends with Mother Pascalina Lehnert (1894–1983), Eugenio Pacelli’s housekeeper for 41 years, from his time as papal nuncio in Germany in the 1920s through his papal reign as Pius XII until his death in 1958. In the interview, Murr discusses a large number of personalities, including Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, and particularly Annibale Bugnini (1912–1982), as well as Vatican II, the liturgical reform, the infiltration of Freemasonry into the Vatican, and Fatima. Fr. Murr divulges what he saw or heard from the very people involved, including cardinals who discovered the Masonic connections of high-ranking prelates.
For decades, Annibale Bugnini, the secretary of the Consilium for liturgical reform and the key figure in its execution, has been suspected or accused of being a Freemason. The matter remained doubtful to such an extent that the eminent French historian Yves Chiron, in his judicious biography of Bugnini, judged that the rumor was inadequately supported by facts. The situation began to change last May, when Kevin Symonds presented credible details, courtesy of Fr. Brian Harrison, naming Cardinal Dino Staffa as the one who brought Paul VI the “smoking gun” information on Bugnini’s Masonry, which precipitated the latter’s sudden fall from grace. It is therefore of major significance that Fr. Murr offers more and better evidence that independently confirms the same sequence of events.
Fr. Murr met Cardinal Gagnon in 1974. Soon, the cardinal would be assigned by Paul VI to do a Papal Visitation of the Roman Curia, during which Murr assisted Gagnon with documents and other practical matters. Asked what the Visitation concerned, Murr replies:
In 1975, toward the end of his pontificate, Pope Paul VI seemed convinced, finally and thoroughly, of what he himself declared in 1972, that “the smoke of Satan had entered the Church.” Some of the most high ranking members of the College of Cardinals — the Pope’s closest advisors — had gone to him personally and leveled some very damning accusations against key members of his own central government, that is, the Roman Curia. Very damning accusations — the consequences of which are still with us today. The Pope was so shaken by these accusations that he ordered an in-depth investigation, top to bottom, of the entire Roman Curia. He chose Gagnon for this assignment and it lasted three full years.
Murr goes on to reveal who the cardinals were who made these accusations:
Cardinals Dino Staffa, Silvio Oddi and Archbishop Giovanni Benelli. Staffa was a very powerful Curia official. At the time, he was Prefect of the Apostolica Signatura — more or less, the “Chief Justice” of Catholicism’s Supreme Court. Silvio Cardinal Oddi was another powerhouse. He later became the Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy in 1979.
The mention of Cardinal Staffa dovetails with the personal experiences of both Eric de Saventhem and Michael Davies (consecutive presidents of the International Federation Una Voce).
When Symonds reminds Murr that, as reported in The Godmother, Mother Pascalina Lehnert believed Archbishop Annibale Bugnini to have been a Freemason, Murr furnishes further details:
Bugnini stood seriously accused by Staffa, Oddi and Benelli of being a Freemason and carrying out Freemasonic designs against the Church. Bishop Gagnon and Don Mario Marini also knew about the matter. For her part, Mother Pascalina — as with most of the “older and wiser” personages I knew — was on the Vatican’s inside track. She was close to [Cardinals] Ottaviani, Siri, Spellman and to Archbishop Fulton Sheen, etc., as well as to many others around the world and in the Roman Curia[.] … Not until sometime after the Second Vatican Council did people start waking up to what Bugnini was doing and then to what Bugnini was. Nothing of any consequence was mentioned about Monsignor Bugnini until the mid-1960s. Only after Pius XII’s death (and John XXIII’s) did Bugnini show his true colors. When Paul VI made him a bishop in 1972, people knew — or thought they knew — that he was in the Curia to stay.
Symonds then asks, “If Archbishop Bugnini was somehow involved with Freemasonry, what can we say, then, about Bugnini and the Conciliar liturgical reforms?” To which Murr replies:
I think it is better to ask whether “Freemasonic designs” had something to do with the liturgical reforms that Bugnini decided the Second Vatican Council desired. Were Bugnini’s reforms concerned with a more perfect adoration and worship of God, or with celebrating the Freemasonic concept of the brotherhood of man? When certain Council Fathers insisted that not one word of the 1,600-year-old Roman Canon be touched, by any stretch of the imagination, could that be taken to mean they wanted to concoct entirely new canons?
Symonds recounts the story told in the Memoirs of the eminent theologian and sometime member of the Consilium, Louis Bouyer (1913–2004), who learned directly from his friend Paul VI that Bugnini was “running interference” between the pope and the Consilium by lying to both sides about what the other wanted, and asks Murr point blank: “Once Bugnini’s shenanigans were discovered, why wouldn’t Paul VI ‘reverse course’ on the liturgical reforms?”
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Stand with the priest who rebuked the Democratic Party and admonished the bishops Show Petition Text 96863 have signed the petition. Let's get to 100000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition PETITION UPDATE (7/9/2021) - Father James Altman was informed late last week that he has been removed as pastor of St. James the Less parish, and that his priestly faculties have been suspended indefinitely. Please Click Here to WATCH LifeSite's exclusive interview with Fr. Altman, and Click Here to READ more about this turn of events. As Bishop William J. Callahan’s decree explains, this means he is forbidden from celebrating “The Holy Eucharist” with any members of the faithful present, except for his elderly parents. He is also “no longer allowed to preach,” administer baptism, or assist at marriages. Altman said that he wasn’t issued restrictions from hearing Confessions or Anointing of the Sick. The decree also states that he is to continue to live within the Diocese of LaCrosse, where he has been instructed to meet with the Vicar for Clergy at least once a month, and has been “invited to begin” a month-long “spiritual retreat” to help him to “spiritually heal” and “address the issues that caused the issuance of this decree.” The order states it is in effect as long as “cause” is present, but it does not specify what the cause is. Callahan said he asked Altman to resign on May 23 for being “divisive and ineffective.” Altman first triggered backlash from his bishop when his video “You cannot be a Catholic and a Democrat. Period” went viral last year. Altman shared that in response to this, his office “got the most vile, despicable phone calls, letters” and “some terrible, really foul messages.” Callahan criticized Altman at the time for his “manner and tone,” to which Altman countered, “what about the manner and tone of the 10,000 babies that are chopped up last Saturday?” “What I would hope would always come through no matter what people think about my manner and tone, is that they would recognize that what’s coming through there is God’s love,” Altman told LifeSiteNews. “A love that I recognize because He’s loved me, and I didn’t deserve that.” “If I seem angry at times, it has nothing to do with me, it has to do with the people. And I asked the question recently, how can they love? If you love, how can you not feed your children?” In late April, Altman chided the U.S. bishops for needlessly shutting churches and denying the faithful sacraments during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the hierarchy showed “an abundance of cowardice.” In his interview with LifeSite, Altman alluded to the fact that some don’t like seeing him “upset.” “I’m thinking well, if you’re denying my child food, the Bread of Life – [Bishop Fulton J. Sheen] said, if you can’t get angry about stuff like that then you can’t love either. Because greater love has greater anger towards those things that are contrary to the salvation of eternal souls, which is the only thing that matters in the end,” said Altman. "I don’t care what they do to me, honestly, in the end… what troubles me is the interference with the feeding of God’s children, which is through word and through the sacrament. Both of which were denied to people over the past 15 months." Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this petition, and to continue to contact the Diocese of LaCrosse's Chancery Office, to politely voice your opposition to the removal of Fr. Altman from his parish. The Chancery's phone number is: 608-788-7700. _______________________________________________________________________ PETITION UPDATE (5/24/2021) - Father James Altman, the Wisconsin priest whose video message last fall "You can’t be a Catholic and a Democrat" went viral and who has fearlessly admonished the U.S. bishops for shutting churches and denying the faithful Sacraments during the COVID-19 crisis, announced on Pentecost Sunday that his bishop has asked him to resign for being "divisive and ineffective." Please CLICK HERE to READ LifeSiteNews' latest article related to Fr. Altman's ongoing persecution, just to continue shepherding his flock. Bishop William P. Callahan began threatening the outspoken priest with "canonical penalties" in September, even as public support for the priest surged among rank-and-file Catholics around the country and the world. And now, a group called 'Faithful America' is proudly boasting responsibility for taking down Fr. Altman, but Faithful America are not even a Catholic organization! Thankfully, Fr. Altman says he is working with a canon lawyer to resolve this matter. WATCH Fr. Altman's Sunday sermon in which he announces the bishop's decision to ask for his resignation. "In response my canon lawyer asked for clarification – asked for the justification and a chance to review what was in my file that suggested I was so divisive and ineffective,” explained Altman. “And I say all this only because, I'm no expert on canon law, but understand only that while we are contesting bishop's request — and we are — he could in theory appoint a parish administrator whilst I remain a pastor without duties until the appeal goes through Rome, which could take up to a year or more." Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, offered his support for Altman via Twitter. Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this petition with your like-minded family and friends. And, after signing and sharing, please take a minute to contact the LaCrosse Diocese to politely voice your support for Fr. Altman, and against leftist pressure groups like 'Faithful America.' Please ask Bishop Callahan to prayerfully reconsider his decision and allow Fr. Altman to remain as pastor of St. James the Less parish. The phone number for the diocese office is: 608.788.7700 Thank you! PETITION UPDATE (9/15/2020) - Just this past weekend a prayer vigil was held outside the Cathedral in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, on behalf of Fr. James Altman, the priest facing Church penalties for saying that you cannot be a Catholic and a Democrat in 2020. Hundreds of faithful Catholics turn out to pray for Fr. Altman. Though Fr. Altman did use strong language to warn his flock against spiritual perils, what he said about the Democratic Party's platform is true! Motivated by a deep sense of justice, supporters gathered at the Cathedral to pray for the priest, and for Bishop Callahan to stand by his priest rather than punish him. "Fr. Altman is a rare breed. He’s a modern-day St. John the Baptist," declared one woman who attended the prayer vigil. "He’s really changed my life and so many others he’s had that impact on. We need more priests who are true shepherds." Fr. Richard Heilman, who is the founder of the U.S. Grace Force and who was also present to help lead people in prayer during the vigil, had this to say about Fr. Altman: "Bottom line: he loves, loves, loves his flock. And so, like a good shepherd, if he sees the wolves invading, he sounds the warning alarm." Please consider SIGNING this petition if you have not already signed. And, please SHARE this petition and video with your family, friends and colleagues. Thank you! If after signing and sharing you wish to make an even greater impact, we encourage you to contact the Diocese of LaCrosse's Chancery Offices to politely let them know that you support Fr. Altman and want to see him continue in his essential ministry. Diocese of LaCrosse's Chancery Office phone number: 608-788-7700. ___________________________________________________________________________________ ORIGINAL PETITION TEXT: Father James Altman, pastor of St. James the Less parish in the Wisconsin Diocese of LaCrosse, has been threatened with canonical punishment by his Bishop, Most Rev. William Patrick Callahan. Fr. Altman's alleged "offense"? Stating what every faithful Catholic knows to be true in 2020: "You cannot be a Catholic and a Democrat." Please SIGN this petition which will go to Bishop Callahan and ask him to stop any canonical proceedings against Fr. Altman. In a strongly-worded YouTube video, designed to shepherd the faithful out of harm's way (supporting the Democratic Party's evil platform), Fr. Altman states the following: "Here's a memo to clueless, baptized Catholics out there: You cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat. Period. Their party platform absolutely is against everything the Catholic Church teaches. So, just quit pretending that you're Catholic and vote Democrat. Repent of your support of that party and its platform, or face the fires of Hell..." Strong stuff to be sure, but Fr. Altman was taking his cue from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (whom he quotes) – the Church has a "duty and obligation" to speak up when politicians act in an immoral way. In other words, a pastor must give strong warnings, at times, to guide souls away from grave danger, even when the dangers come from politicians or a political party. When your house is burning down...or, more appropriately, when someone is attempting to burn your house down, it's time to dispense with the niceties of politically correct language. And, as Fr. Altman suggests, the Democratic Party's evil platform which promotes the desecration of God's plan for humanity is, in effect, trying to burn down our house (i.e., the Church). Not only do the Democrats openly advocate for abortion (i.e., killing innocent human beings), but they also promote the destruction of the natural family and the desecration of human nature in support of the homosexual and transgender agendas. Remember the following: The Obama-Biden Administration attempted to force the Little Sisters of the Poor to participate in the provision of abortion-inducing drugs and contraception and threatened schools with the loss of federal funding if they wouldn’t let boys in girls’ bathrooms and vice versa.
Democratic Senators Kamala Harris and Mazie Hirono grilled a judge, who is a Knight of Columbus, on his membership in the Knights, absurdly suggesting that membership in the Catholic mens' fraternal organization should disqualify someone from sitting on the bench.
And, in 2017, the DNC Chairman said that pro-lifers were not welcome in the party. No faithful Catholic should even think about voting for such a platform. And, the bishops should be on the frontlines, speaking this truth to power. Thankfully, the Bishop of Tyler, Texas, Most Rev. Joseph Strickland, has come out in support of Fr. Altman's statement, tweeting: "As the Bishop of Tyler I endorse Fr. Altman’s statement in this video. My shame is that it has taken me so long. Thank you Fr Altman for your COURAGE. If you love Jesus & His Church & this nation...please HEED THIS MESSAGE.” With this petition, we now ask that Fr. Altman's own bishop, Most. Rev. Callahan, likewise support his priest and stop any canonical proceedings against him. Devoid of united leadership from the Hierarchy, individual priests must do their best to inform the laity of the mortal dangers on full view in the Democrats' platform. And, threatening to silence priests for strongly speaking the truth only plays into the hand of those who actually hate what the Church stands for...and who will, if elected, most likely seek to injure, or even eradicate, the Church. The bishops should know that the legacy of the Democratic Party being the party of the small man and of the Catholic immigrant is now over. The Democratic Party of today is the party of radical individualism, not the common good. And, rabid support for abortion and the homosexual agenda are practically obligatory. As such, the Democratic Party is not a friend of the Church and any priest or bishop who thinks otherwise is being deceived, or allowing himself to be deceived or bullied. This is not just an abstraction! This is a serious threat to Christianity and their party's platform needs to be met with strong opposition. Thank you for SIGNING this petition to the bishop of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Bishop Callahan, asking him to support Fr. Altman rather than bringing any canonical proceedings against him. FOR MORE INFORMATION: 'Bishop threatens ‘canonical penalties’ for priest whose viral video warned Catholics can’t be Democrats': https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bishop-threatens-canonical-penalties-for-fr-altman YouTube Video - 'Fr. James Altman: You cannot be Catholic & a Democrat. Period.': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-7eoTN2vNM Statement regarding Fr. James Altman from Bishop Callahan: https://diolc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Statement-Father-James-Altman-090920.pdf 'Bishop Strickland echoes priest: ‘You cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat’': https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bishop-strickland-echoes-priest-you-cannot-be-catholic-and-be-a-democrat **Photo Credit: Screen capture from Fr. James Altman's YouTube video on Alpha News MN Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
Murr responds:
To your question, I can only offer an educated guess. Freemasonic influences were hard at work in the Vatican during those critical post-conciliar years (and continue to be). This explanation, however, is insufficient to describe the present malaise within the Church because it is not balanced with the reality of sin and human frailty. The latter have real consequences for the Church when it comes to hierarchs[.] … Paul VI liked to put opposite personalities together such as the Frenchman Jean Cardinal Villot as his Secretary of State with Archbishop Benelli as the sostituto. I suspect it was because Paul hoped that the path of virtue or a via media would emerge from the subsequent conflicts. … He tried to speak to everyone and to pacify different factions within the Church, most notably the so-called “progressives” and “conservatives.” How successful he was in this endeavor will be debated by historians and theologians. The fact remains, however, that the character of Paul VI demonstrated a weakness of will and this goes to the heart of your question. Archbishop Benelli finally convinced the Holy Father to “deal with” the Bugnini affair. Benelli had the idea to combine two Vatican Congregations — Divine Worship and Rites — into one: The Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments [actually, in July 1975, The Congregation for Sacraments and Divine Worship, with its present name dating from 1988 — PAK]. Villot arranged for Bugnini to be named Nuncio to Iran as well as acted upon Benelli’s idea of combining the two liturgical dicasteries. Villot, however, continued to defend Bugnini’s “reforms.” Instead, then, of dealing with the obvious shadows cast upon Bugnini’s work, Paul VI simply retreated further into himself, not wanting to be involved any further in the conflict.
To the obvious question of why Bugnini was not more severely punished once his Freemasonic membership was discovered and revealed to Paul VI, Murr explains:
Paul VI was a lifelong career diplomat. In the Vatican, where international diplomacy was created (along with all the rules), a bishop and member of the Roman Curia is never “fired” — evidently, even when that bishop is a Freemason. Bishops are off-limits. Prior to the defrocking of Theodore McCarrick, this was a fundamental rule of Vatican diplomacy. Moreover, if the Holy Father had excommunicated or even “fired” Bugnini, that would raise questions with Bugnini’s work. Paul VI was unwilling to do this.
Instead, explains Murr, Paul VI followed the classic adage promoveatur ut amoveatur, let him be promoted so that he may be removed from the situation.
The merger of those two congregations was the answer. It was announced in 1975 along with Bugnini’s “promotion” as Vatican Nuncio to Iran. Iran: a Muslim theocracy with 18,000 tolerated Roman Catholics. I guess Paul VI concluded that Bugnini could do the least amount of harm under those rather stringent conditions.
(It should be noted that at first Bugnini was assigned to the post of nuncio to Uruguay; when he protested that he knew no Spanish, Iran was decided on instead, where the diplomatic language was French, which he knew. See Chiron’s biography, pp. 167–77.)
Symonds continues: “Archbishop Bugnini denied to his dying breath that he was a Freemason. If he was a Freemason, why do you think that he would directly lie about it?” Whereupon Murr says: “If that’s the question the answer is simple: because he was a Freemason!”
When asked if he has anything more to add about Bugnini, Murr discloses hitherto unknown details:
Yes, it was Benelli and Marini, not Gagnon, who played a major role in Bugnini’s “promotion” to Apostolic Nuncio to Tehran. Too many prelates and Church officials — very much including Virgilio Noè (who had the Pope’s ear daily and who stood next in line for Bugnini’s position, “should ever there be an opening”) — complained unashamedly about Bugnini to Paul VI. The Pope was pressured into taking action, and sending Bugnini into exile took much of the blame for many liturgical anomalies off himself. Also, there was some sort of a “last straw” when thousands of newly-printed Roman Missals had to be recalled (and destroyed) due to Bugnini’s “additions,” some unauthorized. This happened during Christmas vacation (while his supporters were away on vacation), 1975–76.
Clearly, this interview opens up many new lines for research. For example, Murr notes that Sebastiano Cardinal Baggio was certainly a Freemason — and Baggio played an important role in the selection of bishops for the worldwide Church from 1973 to 1984. According to Murr, Cardinals Staffa and Oddi possessed a dossier of corroborating evidence on Baggio which they shared with Paul VI; Gagnon, Mario Marini, and Benelli also knew of it. At the end of the interview, Murr mentions that he is currently writing a book on Baggio, “based upon conversations to which I was privy with Gagnon, Marini and Benelli.” If that book turns out to be nearly as interesting as The Godmother, it will be worth the wait.
Some people have already objected to the Murr interview as giving us “nothing better than rumors” and have said that unless we have direct documentary evidence, we cannot make historical assertions. This, however, is a rule that no professional historian actually operates by.
Historical certitude is achieved not only by means of primary documents, which are the most valuable sources, but also by a consistent mosaic of reports from figures involved in the events. Reasonable assumptions often need to be made to make sense out of a situation. For example, all history books include statements of this form: “Madame so-and-so was the mistress of King so-and-so.” But were they ever observed in flagrante delicto? No; it’s just that “everyone knew it.” Perhaps they only ever read novels to each other, or played chess, or recited Matins. Nevertheless, there are reasonable assumptions that can be made on the basis of human nature and the signs we know how to interpret. Similarly, when it comes to these new claims about Bugnini and the figures that surrounded him and Paul VI, we are capable of putting two and two together. The quality of the sources is sufficient to engender confidence and the internal coherence of the information with what is already known is undeniable.
It is thus fair to say there is no longer reasonable doubt that the single most dominant figure in the liturgical reform was, indeed, a Freemason. This may also explain, at least in part, why Bugnini’s private papers are kept under lock and key, inaccessible to any scholars, although perhaps it is too much to believe that incriminating materials have not already been destroyed by now.
Some Catholics may find themselves asking: why, in 2020, is this topic even important anymore? The year 1962, when the Council opened, or 1975, when Bugnini fell from grace — that’s a long time ago, and so much water has flowed under the bridge. The revised liturgical rites were approved by Paul VI and are used almost everywhere. Shouldn’t we just focus our energy today on how we can celebrate them better, and let the dead bury the dead?
Such a way of thinking greatly underestimates the gravity of what Fr. Murr’s interview reveals. Let us step back and consider the magnitude of the revelation.
Annibale Bugnini was one of the few constant “players” in liturgical reform at the Vatican over a very long period of time, from 1948 to 1975. He held successively more important positions until he was appointed principal secretary of the preconciliar committee that drafted the constitution on the sacred liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium) for Vatican II, in which capacity he craftily advised his associates to take refuge in vagueness and procedural mechanisms so that the Council Fathers would not block their daring plans (see Chiron, p. 82). Paul VI, who shared his liturgical vision almost entirely, appointed him the principal secretary of the body entrusted with implementing this constitution. In that capacity, he was unquestionably the architect, or, perhaps better, the general contractor, of the liturgical reform in all its dimensions (the Mass, the sacraments, the papal rites, the Divine Office, the calendar, etc.). He largely controlled the committee membership that worked on the various tasks; he scheduled and ran the Consilium’s meetings, distributed the minutes, put the “right” people in contact with each other, offered private counsel and guidance, and, most influentially, regulated the flow of information between the Pope and the Consilium: what the Pope knew about the Consilium’s intentions, he heard largely from Bugnini; what the Consilium heard about the Pope’s wishes, they heard largely from Bugnini. Practically nothing that happened in the liturgical reform did not first pass through his mind and his mouth, to be imprinted with his attitudes and agendas. During his exile in Iran, he wrote a nearly 1,000-page book, The Reform of the Liturgy 1948–1975, in which he explains, step by step, how thousands of changes were made to Catholic worship and expresses his agreement with these changes.
It appears ever more certain that this man was a Freemason, and that what pleased him about the reform is analogous to what pleases the Freemasons today about almost everything Pope Francis says and does. It is, or should be, no news that Freemasonry and Catholicism are implacable enemies, with diametrically opposed creeds and cults. If this is not reason enough, then, to be skeptical about the liturgical reform as it played out, to distance oneself from it as much as possible, and to return wholeheartedly to the enduring tradition that was scorned and suppressed by the revolutionaries, I am not sure what could ever make a difference. Would we need to find out that Bugnini was a child-molester? A Satanist? For certain ultramontanist conservatives, nothing, it seems, can displace the blinders they have chosen to fasten to their heads. But for Catholics who, prompted by the Holy Spirit, seek out reverent, authentic worship in keeping with our centuries-old inheritance of faith, the traditional Roman liturgy is still present and always will be present in medio Ecclesiae, in the midst of the Church, where Our Lord will sustain its integrity until His coming in glory.
Peter Kwasniewski, Thomistic theologian, liturgical scholar, and choral composer, is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College in California (B.A. Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy). He taught at the International Theological Institute in Austria and the Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Austria Program, then helped establish Wyoming Catholic College in 2006. There he taught theology, philosophy, music, and art history and directed the choirs until leaving in 2018 to devote himself full-time to writing and lecturing. Today he contributes regularly to many websites and publications, including New Liturgical Movement, OnePeterFive, LifeSiteNews, Rorate Caeli, The Remnant, and Catholic Family News, and has published thirteen books, including four on traditional Catholicism: Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis (Angelico, 2014, also available in Czech, Polish, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Belarusian), Noble Beauty, Transcendent Holiness (Angelico, 2017), Tradition and Sanity (Angelico, 2018), and Reclaiming Our Roman Catholic Birthright: The Genius and Timeliness of the Traditional Latin Mass (Angelico, 2020). His work has been translated into at least eighteen languages. Kwasniewski is a scholar of The Aquinas Institute in Green Bay, which is publishing the Opera Omnia of the Angelic Doctor, a Fellow of the Albertus Magnus Center for Scholastic Studies, and a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center. He has published over a thousand articles on Thomistic thought, sacramental and liturgical theology, the history and aesthetics of music, and the social doctrine of the Church. For news, information, article links, sacred music, and the home of Os Justi Press, visit his personal website, www.peterkwasniewski.com.
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lifesitenews--2020-10-12--Sen. Cory Booker claims pro-life laws ‘criminalize women’ in tirade against Barrett

WASHINGTON , D.C. , October 12 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Sen. Cory Booker ( D-NJ ) used misleading and deceitful language to stoke leftist fears about the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade in his opening statement during Judge Amy Coney Barrett ’ s confirmation hearing earlier today .
Booker suggested a future without Roe v. Wade , the Supreme Court decision that along with Doe v. Bolton imposed abortion on demand across the U.S. , would be some kind of authoritarian nightmare : “ It looks like state laws proliferating throughout our country that seek to control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-life laws seek to “ criminalize women ” is disingenuous , as even in states with the strongest pro-life laws , women are not held criminally or civilly liable for aborting their children .
Furthermore , laws criminalize actions – not people .
Booker used every opportunity possible to mischaracterize the possible repeal of Roe v. Wade .
He said women would be “ denied the ability to make decisions about their own bodies ” and “ stripped of the right to plan for their futures.
” Booker made no mention of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unborn , nor did he discuss whether they have a right to a future , let alone the right to plan for one .

Judge Amy Coney Barrett Graeme Jennings-Pool/Getty Images
PETITION UPDATE (10/26//2020)
In a resounding victory for supporters of life, family and freedom, the U.S. Senate has just confirmed Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States!
Justice Barrett was sworn-in by Justice Clarence Thomas and will swiftly fill the vacant seat and immediately begin participating in Supreme Court hearings.
The petitions signed by many of you - there are now over 40,000 signatures - supporting Judge Amy Coney Barrett were sent to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, as well as to the Officers of the USCCB.
Thank you for signing these petitions. As you can see, your signature really does make a difference!
We also know that many of you also made calls to your U.S. senators to encourage them to vote for Judge Barrett. Thank you!
__________________________________________________________________
PETITION UPDATE (10/22/2020)
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee just voted to advance Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate, leaving only one hurdle to go next week.
Every Republican on the committee voted for Barrett, President Donald Trump’s selection to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, while every committee Democrat boycotted the vote, CNBC reports.
Please READ the latest LifeSite article about the Senate Committee's vote here.
As you read above, Judge Barrett has one more hurdle next Monday. Of course, it's the BIGGEST hurdle.
So, if you haven't already, could we ask you to please call your U.S. senators to politely voice your support for Judge Barrett?
After SIGNING this petition, please scroll down the page, where you will find the list of all U.S. senators' contact details.
Let's keep working and praying so that we can see a pro-life judge sit on the Supreme Court.
____________________________________________________
PETITION UPDATE (10/15/20)
The fourth day of Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Senate confirmation hearing for the open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court is going on now.
Please CLICK HERE to go to the livestream of the hearings.
Please watch and read EXCLUSIVE LifeSite videos and articles about Judge Amy Coney Barrett's hearings:
YouTube Videos:
'We are people of faith, the true body of Christ': Christians pray for SCOTUS confirmation hearings'
'"That's your job": Judge Barrett responds to relevance of Obamacare to SCOTUS confirmation'
Articles:
'Senator who badgered Barrett about Catholicism in 2017 presses her on abortion at confirmation hearing'
'Hawley, Barrett dismantle religious tests for office at Supreme Court hearing'
'Ted Cruz at Barrett hearing warns Democrats want to ‘erase’ religious liberty'
______________________________________________________________
Conservatives and Christians asked President Trump to deliver a proven constitutional originalist with a solid pro-life background, and he did.
Now, let's not be outdone by Leftist organizations which will be mobilizing their forces to write, call and visit their senators' constituency offices.
Please SIGN this urgent petition - to Senate Leadership - asking them to quickly confirm Barrett as the next Supreme Court justice.
Then, please take a couple of minutes to CALL YOUR U.S. SENATORS using their numbers below, and politely urge them to confirm Barrett.
When Amy Coney Barrett's senate confirmation hearing begins on Monday, October 12th, the mother of seven and devout Catholic is expected to face fierce opposition.
Of course, the anticipated attacks have nothing to do with Barrett's legal credentials, which are uniformly top-notch.
Instead, they have to do with her faith in Jesus and with her belief that life begins at conception.
This is nothing short of anti-Christian bigotry which cannot be tolerated.
The fact is, Amy Coney Barrett is the best candidate for the job, and she urgently needs our support.
By signing the petition, we can unite to powerfully speak with one voice. But, by calling your senators, you can ensure that they know their local constituents are concerned and interested enough to telephone their offices.
This is our time to get active! We must voice our support for Amy Coney Barrett at this crucial moment in our nation's history.
Please SIGN this petition, and then please use the contact details below to CALL YOUR U.S. SENATORS right-away! Thank you!
U.S. SENATORS' CONTACT DETAILS:
SENATORS AND PHONE NUMBERS - https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact
ALABAMA SENATORS
Doug Jones – (202) 224-4124
Richard C. Shelby – (202) 224-5744
ALASKA SENATORS
Lisa Murkowski – (202) 224-6665
Dan Sullivan – (202) 224-3004
ARIZONA SENATORS
Martha McSally – (202) 224-2235
Kyrsten Sinema – (202) 224-4521
ARKANSAS SENATORS
John Boozman – (202) 224-4843
Tom Cotton – (202) 224-2353
CALIFORNIA SENATORS
Dianne Feinstein – (202) 224-3841
Kamala D. Harris – (202) 224-3553
COLORADO SENATORS
Michael F. Bennett – (202) 224-5852
Cory Gardner – (202) 224-5941
CONNECTICUT SENATORS
Richard Blumenthal – (202) 224-2823
Christopher Murphy – (202) 224-4041
DELAWARE SENATORS
Thomas R. Carper – (202) 224-2441
Christopher A. Coons – (202) 224-5042
FLORIDA SENATORS
Marco Rubio – (202) 224-3041
Rick Scott – (202) 224-5274
GEORGIA SENATORS
Kelly Loeffler – (202) 224-3643
David Perdue – (202) 224-3521
HAWAII SENATORS
Mazie K. Hirono – (202) 224-6361
Brian Schatz – (202) 224-3934
IDAHO SENATORS
Mike Crapo – (202) 224-6142
James E. Risch – (202) 224-2752
ILLINOIS SENATORS
Dick Durbin – (202) 224-2152
Tammy Duckworth – (202) 224-2854
INDIANA SENATORS
Mike Braun – (202) 224-4814
Todd Young – (202) 224-5623
IOWA SENATORS
Joni Ernst – (202) 224-3254
Chuck Grassley – (202) 224-3774
KANSAS SENATORS
Jerry Moran – (202) 224-6521
Pat Roberts – (202) 224-4744
KENTUCKY SENATORS
Mitch McConnell – (202) 224-2541
Rand Paul – (202) 224-4343
LOUISIANA SENATORS
Bill Cassidy – (202) 224-5824
John Kennedy – (202) 224-4623
MAINE SENATORS
Susan M. Collins – (202) 224-2523
Angus S. King – (202) 224-5344
MARYLAND SENATORS
Benjamin L. Cardin – (202) 224-4524
Chris Van Hollen – (202) 224-4654
MASSACHUSETS SENATORS
Edward J. Markey – (202) 224-2742
Elizabeth Warren – (202) 224-4543
MICHIGAN
Gary C. Peters – (202) 224-6221
Debbie Stabenow – (202) 224-4822
MINNESOTA
Amy Klobuchar – (202) 224-3244
Tina Smith – (202) 224-5641
MISSISSIPPI
Cindy Hyde-Smith – (202) 224-5054
Roger F. Wicker – (202) 224-6253
MISSOURI
Roy Blunt – (202) 224-5721
Josh Hawley – (202) 224-6154
MONTANA
Steve Daines – (202) 224-2651
Jon Tester – (202) 224-2644
NEBRASKA
Deb Fischer – (202) 224-6551
Ben Sasse – (202) 224-4224
NEVADA
Catherine Cortez Masto – (202) 224-3542
Jacky Rosen – (202) 224-6244
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Margaret Wood Hassan – (202) 224-3324
Jeanne Shaheen – (202) 224-2841
NEW JERSEY
Cory A. Booker – (202) 224-3224
Robert Menendez – (202) 224-4744
NEW MEXICO
Martin Heinrich – (202) 224-5521
Tom Udall – (202) 224-6621
NEW YORK
Kirsten E. Gillibrand – (202) 224-4451
Charles E. Schumer – (202) 224-6542
NORTH CAROLINA
Richard Burr – (202) 224-3154
Thom Tillis – (202) 224-6342
NORTH DAKOTA
Kevin Cramer – (202) 224-2043
John Hoeven – (202) 224-2551
OHIO
Sherrod Brown – (202) 224-2315
Rob Portman – (202) 224-3353
OKLAHOMA
James M. Inhofe – (202) 224-4721
James Lankford – (202) 224-5754
OREGON
Jeff Merkley – (202) 224-3753
Ron Wyden – (202) 224-5244
PENNSYLVANIA
Robert P. Casey, Jr. – (202) 224-6324
Patrick J. Toomey, Jr. – (202) 224-4254
RHODE ISLAND
Jack Reed – (202) 224-4642
Sheldon Whitehouse – (202) 224-2921
SOUTH CAROLINA
Lindsey Graham – (202) 224-5972
Tim Scott – (202) 224-6121
SOUTH DAKOTA
Mike Rounds – (202) 224-5842
John Thune – (202) 224-2321
TENNESSEE
Lamar Alexander – (202) 224-4944
Marsha Blackburn – (202) 224-3344
TEXAS
John Cornyn – (202) 224-2934
Ted Cruz – (202) 224-5922
UTAH
Mike Lee – (202) 224-5444
Mitt Romney – (202) 224-5251
VERMONT
Patrick J. Leahy – (202) 224-4242
Bernard Sanders – (202) 224-5141
VIRGINIA
Tim Kaine – (202) 224-4024
Mark R. Warner – (202) 224-2023
WASHINGTON
Maria Cantwell – (202) 224-3441
Patty Murray – (202) 224-2621
WEST VIRGINIA
Shelley Moore Capito – (202) 224-6472
Joe Manchin III – (202) 224-3954
WISCONSIN
Tammy Baldwin – (202) 224-5653
Ron Johnson – (202) 224-5323
WYOMING
John Barrasso – (202) 224-6441
Michael B. Enzi – (202) 224-3424


lifesitenews--2020-10-12--No Catholic school should take a penny from the government

Formerly Heart to Heart with Mother Miriam , Mother Miriam Live brings you inspiration and solutions for life ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Miriam is a Catholic nun on a mission to bring hope to a world that @ @ @ @ @ let her share that hope and joy with you !
To tune into Mother Miriam @ @ @ @ @ Facebook page here every Monday to Friday at 10am .

To help keep this and other programs on the air, please donate here. In today’s episode, Mother Miriam talks about the grave importance for parents to teach their children the truth about the Catholic faith. You can tune in daily at 10 am EST/7 am PST on our Facebook Page. Never miss a show! Subscribe to Mother Miriam Live email updates here.
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