lifesitenews--2020-09-03--Almost 100 Republicans call on FDA to ban ‘dangerous’ abortion pill from market

URGENT PETITION : Tell the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade !
Sign the petition here .
WASHINGTON , D.C. , September 3 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Ninety-two members of Congress have written the U.S. Food & Drug Administration ( FDA ) demanding that the abortion pill be pulled from the market as an “ imminent hazard to the public health.
” Twenty Republican senators led by Texas ’ s Ted Cruz signed one letter , and 72 GOP House members led by Georgia ’ s Jody Hice signed another .
“ Given the devastating impact this drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we must now urge the FDA to exercise its authority ( … ) and classify the abortion pill as an ‘ imminent hazard to the public health ’ that poses a ‘ significant threat of danger ’ and remove this pill from the U.S. market , ” they argued .
The lawmakers take aim at a federal judge ’ s recent decision to block the Trump administration from limiting abortion pills to in-person dispensation by physicians during the COVID-19 outbreak , as opposed to letting women take the pills at home without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this rogue judicial activism is a gross breach of the separation of powers , undermining the FDA ’ s statutory authority to ensure drug safety , while recklessly endangering American women and children , ” the letter declared .
“ It is by now nakedly obvious that the abortion industry and its allies in the media , billionaire philanthropic circles , and special interest groups , have wanted an unregulated and demedicalized abortion pill since the moment the FDA first approved it in 2000 , ” the lawmakers argued .
“ We believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approved , yet the abortion industry was politically rewarded with an accelerated approval process normally reserved for high-risk drugs that address life-threatening illnesses like AIDS .
As you are surely aware , pregnancy is not a life-threatening illness , and the abortion pill does not cure or prevent any disease.
” After the letter was released , several media outlets attacked the signatories for supposedly claiming pregnancy was never “ life-threatening.
” Cruz responded by noting that the letter actually said pregnancy was “ not a life-threatening illness ” : The letter follows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Live Action , Samaritan 's Purse , the Susan B. Anthony List , Heritage Action , The American College of Pediatricians , AAPLOG , and more sending their own letter to the FDA calling for the same thing .
“ This lethal drug that the FDA permits for killing innocent preborn children during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy is also highly dangerous for women , ” that letter explained .
“ According to the FDA ’ s adverse event reporting system , the abortion pill has resulted in over 4,000 reported adverse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths .
Adverse events are notoriously underreported to the FDA , and as of 2016 , the FDA only requires abortion pill manufacturers to report maternal deaths .
”

The legislators requested the drug be classified as an ‘imminent hazard to the public health’ that poses a ‘significant threat of danger.’
URGENT PETITION: Tell the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade! Sign the petition here.
WASHINGTON, D.C., September 3 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Ninety-two members of Congress have written the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) demanding that the abortion pill be pulled from the market as an “imminent hazard to the public health.”
Twenty Republican senators led by Texas’s Ted Cruz signed one letter, and 72 GOP House members led by Georgia’s Jody Hice signed another. “Given the devastating impact this drug has had on American women and children, we must now urge the FDA to exercise its authority (…) and classify the abortion pill as an ‘imminent hazard to the public health’ that poses a ‘significant threat of danger’ and remove this pill from the U.S. market,” they argued.
The lawmakers take aim at a federal judge’s recent decision to block the Trump administration from limiting abortion pills to in-person dispensation by physicians during the COVID-19 outbreak, as opposed to letting women take the pills at home without medical supervision. “We believe that this rogue judicial activism is a gross breach of the separation of powers, undermining the FDA’s statutory authority to ensure drug safety, while recklessly endangering American women and children,” the letter declared.
“It is by now nakedly obvious that the abortion industry and its allies in the media, billionaire philanthropic circles, and special interest groups, have wanted an unregulated and demedicalized abortion pill since the moment the FDA first approved it in 2000,” the lawmakers argued. “We believe this deadly pill should never have been approved, yet the abortion industry was politically rewarded with an accelerated approval process normally reserved for high-risk drugs that address life-threatening illnesses like AIDS. As you are surely aware, pregnancy is not a life-threatening illness, and the abortion pill does not cure or prevent any disease.”
After the letter was released, several media outlets attacked the signatories for supposedly claiming pregnancy was never “life-threatening.” Cruz responded by noting that the letter actually said pregnancy was “not a life-threatening illness”:
The pro-abortion media loves to distort pro-lifers’ words. We didn’t say pregnancy was “not life threatening.” We said “pregnancy is not a life-threatening illness” that justifies the use of a pill that is known to kill women in addition to unborn babies https://t.co/lrEk9oZnzG pic.twitter.com/2z5VtW4g8p — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 3, 2020
2/x USA Today recycled the same quotes for their own fake news. Now I “came under fire…” FROM THEM, liberal activists posing as journalists. Oddly, for these “reporters” Lefty tweets are news, but nobody on Twitter is pro-life w/ a different view.https://t.co/vupWeFsYjZ — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 3, 2020
The letter follows a coalition of pro-life groups, including Live Action, Samaritan's Purse, the Susan B. Anthony List, Heritage Action, The American College of Pediatricians, AAPLOG, and more sending their own letter to the FDA calling for the same thing.
“This lethal drug that the FDA permits for killing innocent preborn children during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy is also highly dangerous for women,” that letter explained. “According to the FDA’s adverse event reporting system, the abortion pill has resulted in over 4,000 reported adverse events since 2000, including 24 maternal deaths. Adverse events are notoriously underreported to the FDA, and as of 2016, the FDA only requires abortion pill manufacturers to report maternal deaths.”
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lifesitenews--2020-09-03--Polish bishops call for ‘counseling centers’ for LGBT people wanting to regain ‘natural sexual orien

Polish bishops call for ‘counseling centers’ for LGBT people wanting to regain ‘natural sexual orientation’

LUBLIN , Poland , September 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The Conference of Polish Bishops has written a pastoral paper encouraging respect for people who identify as LGBT while pointing out the problems with LGBT ideology .
The long , often technical , document appeared on August 28 .
“ The obligation to respect people belonging to the LGBT+ movement does not mean uncritically accepting their views , ” the bishops wrote .
“ On the contrary , it means their careful analysis and verification in the light of objective truth about human sexuality and the principles of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The ideology of these movements and their demands are burdened with numerous errors harmful to the life of society : for example , the accusation of lacking tolerance , behind which an ideology negating the difference and natural complementarity of men and women frequently hides .
The appeal to nature mainly hides human biology , a cultural option , gender impulse or psychosexual emotionalism.
” In “ Stance of the Conference of the Polish Bishops on the LGBT+ Question ” , the bishops also call for counseling for people who wish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural sexual orientation.
” “ In view of the challenges created by gender ideology and LGBT+ movements , and especially keeping in mind the difficulties , suffering and spiritual ruptures experienced by these people , it is necessary to create counseling centers ( also with the help of the Church or also through her structures ) offering help to people who want to regain their sexual health and natural sexual orientation , ” the bishops wrote .
According to the Conference of Polish Bishops ’ website , the bishops stress that the Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person of good will seeking the truth.
” The bishops hold up as their model Pope Francis , who they say “ meets with people identifying themselves with LGBT+ , kindly extends a hand to them , expresses understanding of their tendencies , but at the same time does not avoid a clear presentation of the teachings of the Church about gender ideology or practices against nature and the dignity of man.
” Pope Francis , has , however , bowed to LGBT ideology on a few occasions , describing people who identify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” sex , not according to their biological sex .
In 2016 , the pontiff referred to a woman who had undergone a “ sex-change ” operation as a “ man , ” saying that she had “ married ” another woman .
HE mentioned receiving the pair in the Vatican and clarified that the post-operative female was “ He that was her but is he.
” More recently the Pope praised a woman religious for opening a “ trans home ” for men who present as female and referred to the men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began their 27-page , 105 paragraph document with a reaffirmation of the Church ’ s mission in the world and a declaration of their reluctance to abandon people with same-sex desires .
“ At the core of the Church ’ s mission is the duty to witness to the truth flowing from the Gospel and the law of God , ” they wrote .
“ For whenever the Church would confirm a man in his error or turn her eyes from his loss , she would betray her Master , she would betray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ herself because ‘ this man is the primary route that the Church must travel in fulfilling her mission : he is the primary and fundamental way for the Church , the way traced out by Christ himself , ’ they continued .
“ ‘ From that also ‘ every threat to human dignity ... must necessarily be felt in the Church 's very heart [ ... ] and engage her in fulfilling her mission.
’ [ saying of John Paul II .
Redemptor hominis .
Rome 1979 nr 14 ; Evangelium vitae .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
” They added that this teaching is also inspired by Christ ’ s invitation to open hearts wide to him and that only Christ can “ soothe the personal grief and moral ruptures of people identifying themselves as LGBT+.
” “ Only He can bring peace and inner harmony to their lives .
Lord Jesus directs to them in a special way the words ‘ Come to Me all who labor and are heavy laden , and I will give you rest ’ ( Mat 11 : .28 ) , ” they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four sections : “ The Sexuality of Men and Women in the Christian Vision of the Person ” ; “ LGBT+ Movements in a Democratic Society ” ; “ LGBT+ people in the Catholic Church ” ; and “ The Church regarding the LGBT+ position in matters of the sexual development of children and young adults.
” The bishops recognize that the Church and human society have been presented with many new challenges , thanks to the “ so-called sexual revolution ” and the “ cultural and moral changes ” that came along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditional morality has led to deep changes in the understanding of human sexuality , ” they wrote .
“ Gender ideology as well as the attitudes characteristic of LGBT+ are a particular expression of these changes.
” Reception of the document has been mixed .
Krystian Kratiuk of Polonia Christiana magazine told LifeSiteNews via email that “ atheists and Church progressives ” have criticized the document harshly , particularly because it supports therapy for people with same-sex attractions .
“ Left-wingers accuse [ the bishops ] of wanting to forcibly convert people from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bishops wrote only that therapeutic programs should not be abandoned for people who feel the need to combat disorderly sexual tendencies , ” the journalist wrote .
Kratiuk believes that “ from a conservative point of view ” the document is “ generally good ” but has a “ flaw.
” “ Namely , it introduces the phrase ‘ LGBT+ ’ into official Church documents in Poland , which the Church has not used at all so far , ” he said .
“ Moreover there is talk of ‘ LGBT+ people ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ artificially created by gay activists , ” Kratiuk added , noting that a year ago the bishops had condemned the phrase when Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski signed a “ LGBT Charter of Rights ” .
Traskowski lost in the recent presidential election to Andrzej Duda , which inflamed Poland ’ s ongoing culture war .
At press time there was no official translation of the Polish bishops ’ document into English .

‘At the core of the Church’s mission is the duty to witness to the truth flowing from the Gospel and the law of God,’ the bishops wrote
LUBLIN, Poland, September 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The Conference of Polish Bishops has written a pastoral paper encouraging respect for people who identify as LGBT while pointing out the problems with LGBT ideology. The long, often technical, document appeared on August 28.
“The obligation to respect people belonging to the LGBT+ movement does not mean uncritically accepting their views,” the bishops wrote.
“On the contrary, it means their careful analysis and verification in the light of objective truth about human sexuality and the principles of the common good,” they continued.
“The ideology of these movements and their demands are burdened with numerous errors harmful to the life of society: for example, the accusation of lacking tolerance, behind which an ideology negating the difference and natural complementarity of men and women frequently hides. The appeal to nature mainly hides human biology, a cultural option, gender impulse or psychosexual emotionalism.”
In “Stance of the Conference of the Polish Bishops on the LGBT+ Question”, the bishops also call for counseling for people who wish to “regain their sexual health and natural sexual orientation.”
“In view of the challenges created by gender ideology and LGBT+ movements, and especially keeping in mind the difficulties, suffering and spiritual ruptures experienced by these people, it is necessary to create counseling centers (also with the help of the Church or also through her structures) offering help to people who want to regain their sexual health and natural sexual orientation,” the bishops wrote.
According to the Conference of Polish Bishops’ website, the bishops stress that the Church is open to dialogue with “every person of good will seeking the truth.” The bishops hold up as their model Pope Francis, who they say “meets with people identifying themselves with LGBT+, kindly extends a hand to them, expresses understanding of their tendencies, but at the same time does not avoid a clear presentation of the teachings of the Church about gender ideology or practices against nature and the dignity of man.”
Pope Francis, has, however, bowed to LGBT ideology on a few occasions, describing people who identify as transgender according to their “preferred” sex, not according to their biological sex.
In 2016, the pontiff referred to a woman who had undergone a “sex-change” operation as a “man,” saying that she had “married” another woman. HE mentioned receiving the pair in the Vatican and clarified that the post-operative female was “He that was her but is he.” More recently the Pope praised a woman religious for opening a “trans home” for men who present as female and referred to the men as “girls.”
The Polish bishops began their 27-page, 105 paragraph document with a reaffirmation of the Church’s mission in the world and a declaration of their reluctance to abandon people with same-sex desires.
“At the core of the Church’s mission is the duty to witness to the truth flowing from the Gospel and the law of God,” they wrote.
“For whenever the Church would confirm a man in his error or turn her eyes from his loss, she would betray her Master, she would betray that man, and she would betray herself because ‘this man is the primary route that the Church must travel in fulfilling her mission: he is the primary and fundamental way for the Church, the way traced out by Christ himself,’ they continued.
“‘From that also ‘every threat to human dignity … must necessarily be felt in the Church's very heart […] and engage her in fulfilling her mission.’ [saying of John Paul II. Redemptor hominis. Rome 1979 nr 14; Evangelium vitae. Rome 1995 nr 2, 3).”
They added that this teaching is also inspired by Christ’s invitation to open hearts wide to him and that only Christ can “soothe the personal grief and moral ruptures of people identifying themselves as LGBT+.”
“Only He can bring peace and inner harmony to their lives. Lord Jesus directs to them in a special way the words ‘Come to Me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ (Mat 11:.28),” they wrote.
The paper is divided into four sections: “The Sexuality of Men and Women in the Christian Vision of the Person”; “LGBT+ Movements in a Democratic Society”; “LGBT+ people in the Catholic Church”; and “The Church regarding the LGBT+ position in matters of the sexual development of children and young adults.”
The bishops recognize that the Church and human society have been presented with many new challenges, thanks to the “so-called sexual revolution” and the “cultural and moral changes” that came along with it.
“The rejection of traditional morality has led to deep changes in the understanding of human sexuality,” they wrote.
“Gender ideology as well as the attitudes characteristic of LGBT+ are a particular expression of these changes.”
Reception of the document has been mixed.
Krystian Kratiuk of Polonia Christiana magazine told LifeSiteNews via email that “atheists and Church progressives” have criticized the document harshly, particularly because it supports therapy for people with same-sex attractions.
“Left-wingers accuse [the bishops] of wanting to forcibly convert people from homosexuality, which is nonsense since the bishops wrote only that therapeutic programs should not be abandoned for people who feel the need to combat disorderly sexual tendencies,” the journalist wrote.
Kratiuk believes that “from a conservative point of view” the document is “generally good” but has a “flaw.”
“Namely, it introduces the phrase ‘LGBT+’ into official Church documents in Poland, which the Church has not used at all so far,” he said.
“Moreover there is talk of ‘LGBT+ people’, which we know is a word artificially created by gay activists,” Kratiuk added, noting that a year ago the bishops had condemned the phrase when Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski signed a “LGBT Charter of Rights”.
Traskowski lost in the recent presidential election to Andrzej Duda, which inflamed Poland’s ongoing culture war.
At press time there was no official translation of the Polish bishops’ document into English.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-03--Trump waives ‘requirements’ so as to deliver COVID vaccine by November 1

WASHINGTON , D.C. , September 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – President Donald Trump wants a COVID-19 vaccine ready to go by November 1 , a letter from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) to all governors shows .
The letter , dated August 27 , was obtained by McClatchy and reported on yesterday by the publishing company ’ s newspapers .
CDC Director Robert R. Redfield , a Trump-appointee , wrote that the normal time needed to obtain the necessary permits and licenses in vaccine development is “ a significant barrier to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ CDC urgently requests your assistance in expediting applications for these distribution facilities , and , if necessary , asks that you consider waiving requirements that would prevent these facilities from becoming fully operational by November 1 , 2020 , ” Redfield continued .
“ The requirements you may be asked to waive in order to expedite vaccine distribution will not compromise the safety or integrity of the products being distributed , ” he assured the governors .
It remains to be seen if the public will also be convinced of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The CDC ’ s letter to governors comes on the heels of the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) , Commissioner Stephen Hahn , indicating that his agency is willing to skip critical Phase III testing for potential COVID-19 vaccines , raising concerns about the safety of the final product .
In an interview with the Financial Times last Sunday , FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn said , “ It is up to the sponsor [ vaccine developer ] to apply for authorisation or approval , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If they do that before the end of Phase Three , we may find that appropriate .
We may find that inappropriate , we will make a determination.
” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) , vaccine trials involve three phases , with a fourth sometimes added after the vaccine has already been approved .
“ During Phase I , small groups of people receive the trial vaccine , ” the government agency explains on its website .
“ In Phase II , the clinical study is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have characteristics ( such as age and physical health ) similar to those for whom the new vaccine is intended .
In Phase III , the vaccine is given to thousands of people and tested for efficacy and safety.
” Hahn clarified that his agency would not technically approve any vaccine that has not undergone Phase III testing , but only issue what is called an emergency authorization .
“ Our emergency use authorisation is not the same as a full approval , ” he explained .
“ The legal , medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the benefit outweighs the risk in a public health emergency.
” President Trump had launched what he called “ Operation Warp Speed ” in May , in order to fast-track the development and distribution of a coronavirus vaccine and make it available to the general public as soon as possible .
At the same time , he said the new vaccine would be for those “ who want to get it , ” adding , “ Not everyone is going to want to get it.
” Meanwhile , leaders in various states have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine mandatory .
Concerned citizens across the country have mobilized , organizing petitions and protests , in order to keep the COVID-19 vaccine a voluntary measure instead of one mandated by the government .
Yesterday , hundreds of freedom lovers came together in Virginia ’ s capital of Richmond to protest the mandates imposed by the government in the wake of the coronavirus crisis , specifically regarding vaccination .
One of the speakers at the “ March Against Mandates , Dr. Leland Stillman , a general physician , told LifeSiteNews that “ it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the COVID-19 “ is not nearly as virulent or deadly as it was made out to be originally.
” He added that the people dying from the virus “ are clearly people who are sick previously , ” often “ by their own choices : they ate poorly , they smoked , they didn ’ t exercise , they made choices.
” On the other hand , “ the public at large who may work very hard and spend a lot of money keeping up their health , is being told that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vaccinate with a vaccine that , again , we don ’ t know the efficacy of , and we don ’ t know the side effects.
” He said an attitude like this “ certainly violates the principle … that I was taught as a physician , which is primum non nocere , which means , ‘ first , do no harm.
’ So it ’ s just , this is all political theater , and it ’ s an agenda to get people vaccinated because it serves certain special interests.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special interests , ” Stillman encouraged people to “ look at the National Vaccine Injury Compensation [ Program ] .
I mean , it ’ s $ 4.4 billion , at least , of taxpayer dollars that have been paid out … to people who ’ ve suffered from privately held products .
And the vaccine industry doesn ’ t have liability.
” “ That ’ s unprecedented , ” the young doctor continued .
“ Your builder ’ s liable if your house collapses on you .
Your gun manufacturer is liable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is liable if they make a mistake and there ’ s a massive leak in your house , and your house floods , and you have to do hundreds of thousands of dollars in remediation.
” “ But if your child is injured by a vaccine , ” Stillman explained , “ the vaccine manufacturers have no liability .
That ’ s a recipe for corporate malfeasance .
And , of course , the vaccine manufacturers , the pharmaceutical industry has been convicted many , many times of criminal activity .
Are they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They get fined .
They get fined , and they get slapped on the wrist .
And then they go back to business.
” Stillman said Americans “ need to wake up to the fact that the mainstream media is not telling them the truth about their health .
Because the reality is that the mainstream media works for the people who pay their salaries .
And that ’ s the top advertisers.
” “ And you can go through the list of the top advertisers on any mainstream media network , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things that either make you sick , or treat the sicknesses that you have .
Why would anyone who ’ s got that agenda tell you how to be healthy ?
” he asked .

CDC Director Robert Redfield said that the order to ‘expedite vaccine distribution will not compromise the safety or integrity of the products being distributed’
PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
WASHINGTON, D.C., September 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – President Donald Trump wants a COVID-19 vaccine ready to go by November 1, a letter from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to all governors shows.
The letter, dated August 27, was obtained by McClatchy and reported on yesterday by the publishing company’s newspapers.
CDC Director Robert R. Redfield, a Trump-appointee, wrote that the normal time needed to obtain the necessary permits and licenses in vaccine development is “a significant barrier to the success of this urgent public health program.”
“CDC urgently requests your assistance in expediting applications for these distribution facilities, and, if necessary, asks that you consider waiving requirements that would prevent these facilities from becoming fully operational by November 1, 2020,” Redfield continued.
“The requirements you may be asked to waive in order to expedite vaccine distribution will not compromise the safety or integrity of the products being distributed,” he assured the governors.
It remains to be seen if the public will also be convinced of the safety and integrity of a rushed vaccine.
The CDC’s letter to governors comes on the heels of the head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Commissioner Stephen Hahn, indicating that his agency is willing to skip critical Phase III testing for potential COVID-19 vaccines, raising concerns about the safety of the final product.
In an interview with the Financial Times last Sunday, FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn said, “It is up to the sponsor [vaccine developer] to apply for authorisation or approval, and we make an adjudication of their application. If they do that before the end of Phase Three, we may find that appropriate. We may find that inappropriate, we will make a determination.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccine trials involve three phases, with a fourth sometimes added after the vaccine has already been approved.
“During Phase I, small groups of people receive the trial vaccine,” the government agency explains on its website. “In Phase II, the clinical study is expanded and vaccine is given to people who have characteristics (such as age and physical health) similar to those for whom the new vaccine is intended. In Phase III, the vaccine is given to thousands of people and tested for efficacy and safety.”
Hahn clarified that his agency would not technically approve any vaccine that has not undergone Phase III testing, but only issue what is called an emergency authorization.
“Our emergency use authorisation is not the same as a full approval,” he explained. “The legal, medical and scientific standard for that is that the benefit outweighs the risk in a public health emergency.”
President Trump had launched what he called “Operation Warp Speed” in May, in order to fast-track the development and distribution of a coronavirus vaccine and make it available to the general public as soon as possible.
At the same time, he said the new vaccine would be for those “who want to get it,” adding, “Not everyone is going to want to get it.”
Meanwhile, leaders in various states have indicated they would like to make the vaccine mandatory.
Concerned citizens across the country have mobilized, organizing petitions and protests, in order to keep the COVID-19 vaccine a voluntary measure instead of one mandated by the government.
Yesterday, hundreds of freedom lovers came together in Virginia’s capital of Richmond to protest the mandates imposed by the government in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, specifically regarding vaccination.
One of the speakers at the “March Against Mandates, Dr. Leland Stillman, a general physician, told LifeSiteNews that “it’s quite clear from the data” the COVID-19 “is not nearly as virulent or deadly as it was made out to be originally.”
He added that the people dying from the virus “are clearly people who are sick previously,” often “by their own choices: they ate poorly, they smoked, they didn’t exercise, they made choices.”
On the other hand, “the public at large who may work very hard and spend a lot of money keeping up their health, is being told that they’re going to be forced to vaccinate with a vaccine that, again, we don’t know the efficacy of, and we don’t know the side effects.”
He said an attitude like this “certainly violates the principle … that I was taught as a physician, which is primum non nocere, which means, ‘first, do no harm.’ So it’s just, this is all political theater, and it’s an agenda to get people vaccinated because it serves certain special interests.”
In the context of talking about “special interests,” Stillman encouraged people to “look at the National Vaccine Injury Compensation [Program]. I mean, it’s $4.4 billion, at least, of taxpayer dollars that have been paid out … to people who’ve suffered from privately held products. And the vaccine industry doesn’t have liability.”
“That’s unprecedented,” the young doctor continued. “Your builder’s liable if your house collapses on you. Your gun manufacturer is liable if your gun misfires. Your plumber is liable if they make a mistake and there’s a massive leak in your house, and your house floods, and you have to do hundreds of thousands of dollars in remediation.”
“But if your child is injured by a vaccine,” Stillman explained, “the vaccine manufacturers have no liability. That’s a recipe for corporate malfeasance. And, of course, the vaccine manufacturers, the pharmaceutical industry has been convicted many, many times of criminal activity. Are they ever sent to jail? No. They get fined. They get fined, and they get slapped on the wrist. And then they go back to business.”
Stillman said Americans “need to wake up to the fact that the mainstream media is not telling them the truth about their health. Because the reality is that the mainstream media works for the people who pay their salaries. And that’s the top advertisers.”
“And you can go through the list of the top advertisers on any mainstream media network, and you will see that they are producing things that either make you sick, or treat the sicknesses that you have. Why would anyone who’s got that agenda tell you how to be healthy?” he asked.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-03--Voting for GOP presidential ticket ‘is a vote for the life of children in their mother’s womb’

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 this episode, Mother Miriam talks about voting for pro-life politicians in order to protect the unborn. You can tune in daily at 10 am EST/7 am PST on our Facebook Page. Subscribe to Mother Miriam Live email updates here.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-03--Dissident Catholics launch ‘Catholics for Biden’ in attempt to secure Catholic vote

September 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A group calling itself “ Catholics for Biden , ” created to generate grassroots Catholic support for the Democrat Presidential candidate , is set to launch today .
The national group , which appears to be the brainchild of Kennedy family members Mark Shriver and Tim Shriver , Jr. , will kick-off with a Zoom meeting Thursday evening , featuring Senator Dick Durbin and Sister Simone Campbell among others .
“ Catholics for Biden ” wants to convince Catholics to vote for the former VP and his running mate , Kamala Harris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a legal right to abortion in the United States .
Numerous priests , however , have come out saying that no faithful Catholic can vote for Joe Biden .
Fr .
James Altman , a priest in the diocese of La Crosse , Wisconsin , recently went as far as saying “ You can not be Catholic and be a Democrat.
” Democrats have good reason to try to secure the Catholic vote .
In 2016 , Catholics pulled the lever for Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton , 52 % to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Center .
“ Time to end the story of single-issue Catholic voting , ” tweeted Tim Shriver , Jr. , grandson of Eunice Kennedy Shriver , President John F. Kennedy ’ s sister .
“ Time for young Catholics voices to tell the story of what our faith truly demands , ” continued Shriver .
“ Join us tomorrow night for the launch of Young Catholics for Biden w/ Sr. Simone.
” “ Join us for the Catholics for Biden launch on Thurs , 9/3 , 7-8pm ET !
, ” urged Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by US Senator Dick Durbin , Sister Simone Campbell , Dr. Stephen Schneck , Dr. Polly Baca , Felice Gorordo , my nephew Tim Shriver Jr. !
!
& more.
” Sister Simone , who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August , recently skirted the issue of her support for abortion , telling Catholic News Agency ( CNA ) , “ It is above my paygrade.
” Simone , who is the executive director of the Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice , is known for her support for legal abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Bishops ’ expressed concern over Obamacare ’ s abortion component when the controversial health care takeover was being debated before its passage .
U.S .
Senator Dick Durbin , ( D-Illinois ) , was barred by Bishop Thomas Paprocki from receiving communion in his diocese because of Durbin ’ s support for abortion .
Earlier this year , Paprocki announced via Twitter , “ I am offering my prayers and fasting during this penitential season of Lent for the conversion of Senator Dick Durbin , that he will return to the pro-life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first elected to public office by the people of central Illinois.
” Dr. Stephen Schneck , retired Director of the Institute for Policy and Research & Catholic Studies at The Catholic University of America and a former Obama White House appointee , has said that despite their pro-abortion policies , “ it make much more sense to support Democrats , ” because of the other social issues they promote .
Schneck is also a board member of the USCCB ’ s Catholic Climate Covenant , an organization which asserts , “ Catholics do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stika of the Diocese of Knoxville , Tennessee , recently questioned the faithfulness of Joe Biden as well as U.S. House of Representatives Speaker , Nancy Pelosi , to the teachings of the Catholic faith .
“ It really confuses me that both Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi time and time again state that they are faithful Catholics and yet promote unlimited abortion as well as deny so many of the teachings of our faith .
Nancy stated that she will no longer support the Hyde Amendment , ” wrote Bishop Stika on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is ok to say they are faithful but yet support the ultimate child abuse and human rights violation of the death of the unborn , ” continued Bishop Stika .
“ I hope someday , her portrait will be removed from the Capital as she did of those who supported slavery .
No difference.
” Bishop Thomas Tobin of the Diocese of Providence , Rhode Island , delivered a searing succinct message to the Democrat presidential contender : “ Biden-Harris .
First time in a while that the Democratic ticket hasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” declared Tobin .

Numerous priests, however, have come out saying that no faithful Catholic can vote for Joe Biden.
PETITION: Urge Catholic bishops to refuse Holy Communion to pro-abortion Biden! Sign the petition here.
September 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A group calling itself “Catholics for Biden,” created to generate grassroots Catholic support for the Democrat Presidential candidate, is set to launch today.
The national group, which appears to be the brainchild of Kennedy family members Mark Shriver and Tim Shriver, Jr., will kick-off with a Zoom meeting Thursday evening, featuring Senator Dick Durbin and Sister Simone Campbell among others.
“Catholics for Biden” wants to convince Catholics to vote for the former VP and his running mate, Kamala Harris, despite their unwavering support for maintaining a legal right to abortion in the United States.
Numerous priests, however, have come out saying that no faithful Catholic can vote for Joe Biden. Fr. James Altman, a priest in the diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin, recently went as far as saying “You can not be Catholic and be a Democrat.”
Democrats have good reason to try to secure the Catholic vote. In 2016, Catholics pulled the lever for Republican Donald Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton, 52% to 45% according to the Pew Research Center.
“Time to end the story of single-issue Catholic voting,” tweeted Tim Shriver, Jr., grandson of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, President John F. Kennedy’s sister.
“Time for young Catholics voices to tell the story of what our faith truly demands,” continued Shriver. “Join us tomorrow night for the launch of Young Catholics for Biden w/ Sr. Simone.”
Time to end the story of single-issue Catholic voting. Time for young Catholics voices to tell the story of what our faith truly demands. Join us tomorrow night for the launch of Young Catholics for Biden w/ @sr_simone https://t.co/w5QEoDZmM1 #Catholics4Biden #BidenHarris2020 — Tim Shriver (@timshriverjr) September 3, 2020
“Join us for the Catholics for Biden launch on Thurs, 9/3, 7-8pm ET!,” urged Mark Shriver. “We'll be joined by US Senator Dick Durbin, Sister Simone Campbell, Dr. Stephen Schneck, Dr. Polly Baca, Felice Gorordo, my nephew Tim Shriver Jr.!! & more.”
Sister Simone, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August, recently skirted the issue of her support for abortion, telling Catholic News Agency (CNA), “It is above my paygrade.”
Join us for the Catholics for Biden launch on Thurs, 9/3, 7-8pm ET! We'll be joined by US Senator Dick Durbin, Sister Simone Campbell, Dr. Stephen Schneck, Dr. Polly Baca, Felice Gorordo, my nephew Tim Shriver Jr.!! & more. @timothyshriver
RSVP here: https://t.co/W1Awtjqu9c — Mark Shriver (@Mark_Shriver) September 2, 2020
Simone, who is the executive director of the Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, is known for her support for legal abortion and is regarded as having undermined the U.S. Bishops’ expressed concern over Obamacare’s abortion component when the controversial health care takeover was being debated before its passage.
U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, (D-Illinois), was barred by Bishop Thomas Paprocki from receiving communion in his diocese because of Durbin’s support for abortion. Earlier this year, Paprocki announced via Twitter, “I am offering my prayers and fasting during this penitential season of Lent for the conversion of Senator Dick Durbin, that he will return to the pro-life position he once held when he was first elected to public office by the people of central Illinois.”
Dr. Stephen Schneck, retired Director of the Institute for Policy and Research & Catholic Studies at The Catholic University of America and a former Obama White House appointee, has said that despite their pro-abortion policies, “it make much more sense to support Democrats,” because of the other social issues they promote.
Schneck is also a board member of the USCCB’s Catholic Climate Covenant, an organization which asserts, “Catholics do care about climate change.”
Bishop Richard Stika of the Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee, recently questioned the faithfulness of Joe Biden as well as U.S. House of Representatives Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, to the teachings of the Catholic faith.
“It really confuses me that both Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi time and time again state that they are faithful Catholics and yet promote unlimited abortion as well as deny so many of the teachings of our faith. Nancy stated that she will no longer support the Hyde Amendment,” wrote Bishop Stika on Twitter.
“I guess they think it is ok to say they are faithful but yet support the ultimate child abuse and human rights violation of the death of the unborn,” continued Bishop Stika. “I hope someday, her portrait will be removed from the Capital as she did of those who supported slavery. No difference.”
Considerable difference. It is a valid approach to fight abortion, along with all other human rights abuses, bit by bit. It’s one way of actually getting something done.
Polarising views, vilifying peopleand voting on single issue, is a shameful, ultimately unsuccessful approach. — Anne McGachey (@annemcgachey) September 1, 2020
Bishop Thomas Tobin of the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, delivered a searing succinct message to the Democrat presidential contender:
“Biden-Harris. First time in a while that the Democratic ticket hasn’t had a Catholic on it,” declared Tobin.
“Sad,” he added.
Biden-Harris. First time in awhile that the Democratic ticket hasn’t had a Catholic on it. Sad. — Bishop Thomas Tobin (@ThomasJTobin1) August 11, 2020
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lifesitenews--2020-09-03--Kanye West: Planned Parenthood guilty of ‘black genocide’ by abortion

September 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Rapper and declared presidential candidate Kanye West called out the racial ramifications of abortion yet again this week , accusing Planned Parenthood of perpetrating a “ black genocide ” in an interview with TV host Nick Cannon .
“ Abortion is the number one killer of black lives in the United States , ” West said .
“ According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , abortion kills more black people than HIV , homicide , diabetes , accidents , cancer , and heart disease — watch this one — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year , 700 murders , you ’ ve got to put that with heart disease , you ’ ve got to put that with HIV , you ’ ve got to put that with diabetes , you ’ ve got to put that with just accidents , and put that with cancer , and it doesn ’ t add up to specifically abortions .
If you think about that number , 1,000 black babies are aborted each day.
” “ It ’ s happening every day , and right now God has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ain ’ t gave me no other information other than this information , and we have this right now , so that means he wants me to say this now , ” West declared .
“ In 50 years , there ’ s been 22 million — over 22,500,000 — black people aborted strategically and on purpose .
Planned Parenthood was set up and placed in minority communities to kill black people.
” West also discussed his emotional July campaign stop in North Carolina , where he confessed to almost having his first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to tear me down for crying , you realize that because of South Carolina , there are people who have decided to have a child ?
” he said .
“ Because they connected .
And if they were on the fence about it , they never saw anyone in my position take that position and say , ‘ Look at this .
This is a 7-year-old right here .
And she might have never made it here.
’ ” “ We are inside a genocide as we speak , ” West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even want to have to say that information out loud , but God said , ‘ Ye , I need to use you.
’ I ’ m one of the bullhorns.
” The comments are the latest manifestation of the rapper ’ s spiritual transformation in recent years , starting with his praise of President Donald Trump in 2018 and conversion to Christianity the following year .
West has repeatedly spoken out against abortion in the past , and criticized the idea that blacks and Democrats should be natural allies .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-life testimony .
Though his abortion story captured many headlines , far less attention was paid to the fact that in the same speech , he also said that abortion “ should always be legal ” because the “ law is not by God anyway , ” and abortion should instead be discouraged by paying women to choose life .
In July , West announced his presidential ambitions under the “ Birthday Party ” banner , telling Forbes he soured on Trump ever since “ I caught wind that he hid in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riots in Washington , D.C. , though he also panned Biden as “ not special.
” He was also candid about his lack of expertise , promising that his “ answer for anything that I haven ’ t researched ” will be to consult with “ the strongest experts that serve God and come back with the best solution.
” It ’ s still unclear how serious West is about actually running for president .
He has made the ballots of eight states as of late August , his campaign has missed filing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an August 20 deadline for reporting his campaign fundraising and spending to the Federal Election Commission .

PETITION: Urge the U.S. Attorney General to investigate the Black Lives Matter organization! Sign the petition here.
September 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Rapper and declared presidential candidate Kanye West called out the racial ramifications of abortion yet again this week, accusing Planned Parenthood of perpetrating a “black genocide” in an interview with TV host Nick Cannon.
“Abortion is the number one killer of black lives in the United States,” West said. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, abortion kills more black people than HIV, homicide, diabetes, accidents, cancer, and heart disease — watch this one — combined. Three thousand shootings in Chicago a year, 700 murders, you’ve got to put that with heart disease, you’ve got to put that with HIV, you’ve got to put that with diabetes, you’ve got to put that with just accidents, and put that with cancer, and it doesn’t add up to specifically abortions. If you think about that number, 1,000 black babies are aborted each day.”
“It’s happening every day, and right now God has given me the information, and he ain’t gave me no other information other than this information, and we have this right now, so that means he wants me to say this now,” West declared. “In 50 years, there’s been 22 million — over 22,500,000 — black people aborted strategically and on purpose. Planned Parenthood was set up and placed in minority communities to kill black people.”
West also discussed his emotional July campaign stop in North Carolina, where he confessed to almost having his first child aborted. “For anyone who wants to tear me down for crying, you realize that because of South Carolina, there are people who have decided to have a child?” he said. “Because they connected. And if they were on the fence about it, they never saw anyone in my position take that position and say, ‘Look at this. This is a 7-year-old right here. And she might have never made it here.’”
“We are inside a genocide as we speak,” West stressed. “I didn’t even want to have to say that information out loud, but God said, ‘Ye, I need to use you.’ I’m one of the bullhorns.”
The comments are the latest manifestation of the rapper’s spiritual transformation in recent years, starting with his praise of President Donald Trump in 2018 and conversion to Christianity the following year. West has repeatedly spoken out against abortion in the past, and criticized the idea that blacks and Democrats should be natural allies.
However, there remain contradictions in West’s pro-life testimony. Though his abortion story captured many headlines, far less attention was paid to the fact that in the same speech, he also said that abortion “should always be legal” because the “law is not by God anyway,” and abortion should instead be discouraged by paying women to choose life.
In July, West announced his presidential ambitions under the “Birthday Party” banner, telling Forbes he soured on Trump ever since “I caught wind that he hid in the bunker” during the Black Lives Matter riots in Washington, D.C., though he also panned Biden as “not special.” He was also candid about his lack of expertise, promising that his “answer for anything that I haven’t researched” will be to consult with “the strongest experts that serve God and come back with the best solution.”
It’s still unclear how serious West is about actually running for president. He has made the ballots of eight states as of late August, his campaign has missed filing deadlines in several others, as well as an August 20 deadline for reporting his campaign fundraising and spending to the Federal Election Commission.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-03--Revealed: Ghostwriter Fr. Rosica plagiarized in homilies for top Canadian archbishop

VATICAN CITY , September 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — A priest who plagiarized under his own name for decades also plagiarized homilies he prepared for a leading cardinal .
Fr .
Thomas Rosica , 61 , has admitted to preparing three texts containing plagiarized material for Cardinal Marc Ouellet .
Formerly the archbishop of Quebec City and the Catholic primate of Canada , Ouellet is now the prefect of the Congregation of Bishops .
The appearance of plagiarized material in Ouellet ’ s published homilies was discovered by Ohio Dominican University philosophy professor Michael V. Dougherty .
Dougherty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the homilies in his recent book Disguised Academic Plagiarism and suggested that the cardinal ’ s homilies were ghostwritten by a priest he called “ R. ” After first denying he was Ouellet ’ s ghostwriter , Rosica admitted to a Canadian newspaper that he was responsible for the controversial material .
“ I did assist him with these texts back in 2006–2007 .
After that when he moved to Rome I had not assisted him with any texts .
He is the author of his own work .
I have not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different occasions back in 2006–2007 as he prepared for the Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City ( 2008 ) , ” Rosica told the National Post .
Rosica was clear that it was he , not Ouellet , who was responsible for the deception , not that he called it that .
“ The texts were not properly cited for their sources , ” he told the Post .
“ The Cardinal is not responsible for my errors in proper citation of sources in the original drafts of the text I prepared .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to drawing upon the material in the Ouellet homilies for subsequent works .
The principal source used by Rosica to create the homily Ouellet gave at Windsor ’ s Assumption University in April 2007 was a speech given by Cardinal William Levada five weeks earlier at the University of Louvain .
But the material Rosica lifted was not actually by Levada , but by the Benedictine theologian Fr .
Jeremy Driscoll .
Both Levada ’ s Louvain homily and Ouellet ’ s Assumption homily were subsequently published in Origins magazine .
Dougherty assumed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plagiarizing ghostwriter ” and that this was a curious case of “ double plagiarism.
” Other uncredited sources in the 2007 homily Rosica prepared for Ouellet include the theologians Edward Schillenbeeckx and Igor Kowalewski .
Two other works written for Ouellet by Rosica , published in 2008 , contain a similar “ patchwork ” of unattributed lines or passages taken from the writings of Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI , St. John Paul II , Fr .
Raniero Cantalamessa , the Lutheran theologian Mary W. Anderson , and an unknown writer from the Vatican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cardinals carry a certain magisterial weight , Dougherty is troubled that the thoughts of private theologians ( including a non-Catholic ) have been imputed to a cardinal , thus granting them a higher status among Catholics , especially Catholic scholars , than they should have .
He is also concerned by the concealment of texts ’ magisterial weight by minor clergy or laypeople who pass them off as their own .
He calls both phenomena incidences of “ magisterial plagiarism.
” A further complication has arisen thanks to the strong probability that Cardinal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employ a ghostwriter for the Louvain homily examined by Dougherty .
Fr .
Driscoll , today the abbot of Mount Angel Monastery , told LifeSiteNews that he had collaborated with the cardinal .
“ Concerning the homily at Louvain ... [ Levada ] wanted to bring to them a perspective he appreciated from discussions with me and probably other faculty members of Mount Angel , ” Driscoll shared via email .
“ We spoke about this , and then I authored part of the homily , or rather shared with him what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a homily I did not expect ‘ credit ’ for my thought , for a homily is not an academic setting.
” the abbot continued .
“ ...
I was more than happy if Cardinal Levada wanted to use thoughts I had formulated for his work as Cardinal Prefect .
... For my part , I do not feel plagiarized.
” Driscoll added that he did not know how his words got into a homily by Cardinal Ouellet and also that he had not been contacted by Professor Dougherty .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case because in my academic studies of plagiarism , I focus on published texts , not the motivations of those involved in their manufacture , ” Dougherty told LifeSiteNews via email this morning .
“ To publish means to make public , and public texts deserve careful scrutiny when they are inauthentic .
I hope the publisher , Origins , will issue the necessary corrections.
” The professor stated also that “ authorship violations ” are not good for the discipline of theology .
“ The same passages are part of the published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Cardinal Ouellet , and Fr .
Rosica , ” he said .
“ This creates confusion for assessing the authoritative weight of the texts.
” Dougherty has no issue with cardinals employing ghostwriters as long as the ghostwriters don ’ t plagiarize — or insert their own previously published ideas too blatantly in magisterial texts , as Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández did as the ghostwriter for Pope Francis ’ s apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia .
However , David Mulroney , a former president of the Catholic University of St. Michael ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is concerned about the practice .
“ What 's troubling is that the latest revelations force us to confront the fact that the problem is larger than a single plagiarist priest , ” Mulroney said via social media .
“ The idea that senior prelates need ‘ ghostwriters ’ to interpret and communicate the word of God is unsettling and , as we are discovering , dangerous , ” he continued .
“ It suggests a clerical bureaucracy that functions much as other bureaucracies do , instead of resolutely focused on the mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to a clubby clericalism that is too ready to overlook or ignore warning signs of problematic behavior by high-profile colleagues.
” Fr .
Rosica has become a byword for plagiarism in English-language media since February 2019 , when LifeSiteNews reported that he had presented the words of several sources as his own in an address he had recently given at England ’ s Cambridge University .
Further revelations of Rosica ’ s career as a plagiarist soon followed .
His fraudulent habit reached back over thirty years and involved newspapers , magazines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in missals , and academic journals .
Unfortunately , to this day , work believed to be Rosica ’ s , but taken partly from others , is still publicly available online and in print .
Professor Dougherty told LifeSiteNews that academic plagiarism in humanities disciplines has been one of his research interests for the past decade .
So far he has produced two books and several articles on the topic .
“ When Fr .
Rosica ’ s plagiarism appeared in the news last year , a colleague in theology suggested that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s academic writings , ” Dougherty said by email .
“ After I requested a retraction for a plagiarized article in the journal Worship , I learned that philosophy professor Joshua Hochschild was also examining Fr .
Rosica ’ s works , so we worked together to identify plagiarism in many books and articles by Fr .
Rosica and to request retractions for them , ” he continued .
“ Many publishers and editors have issued retractions by now.
” In early 2019 , Rosica was still an influential figure in the Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesperson to the media , an adviser to the Vatican about the media , and the executive director of Canada ’ s Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation .
A priest of the Congregation of St .
Basil , Rosica also wielded significant influence at such Basilian colleges as the University of Saint Michael ’ s College at the University of Toronto .
This high-profile career , launched when Rosica served as the national director of World Youth Day 2002 , stalled and then crashed to earth after revelations of his plagiarism became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rosica resigned from the governing council of the USMC .
In March , the École Biblique et Archéologique Française de Jérusalem ( EBAF ) revealed that Rosica did not hold an “ advanced degree ” from the school , as he had led others to believe .
In June , the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops formally withdrew works it had published with the Basilian priest .
That same month , Rosica resigned from Salt and Light .
As the stories proliferated , some Catholics wondered why it was plagiarism , not Rosica @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heterodox theologians and ideas , that was his downfall .
“ I suspect that interest in this plagiarism case is high because Catholic readers rightly expect published religious and theological texts to be trustworthy , ” Dougherty told LifeSiteNews .
“ Those who produce fraudulent religious and theological texts have a duty to correct them , ” he added .
“ The prolonged failure to correct or retract fraudulent texts is an ongoing injustice to readers.
” According to a publication of the Archdiocese of Toronto , Rosica is now a chaplain to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home in Toronto .
LifeSiteNews has reached out to Fr .
Rosica and to Cardinal Ouellet via the Congregation for Bishops .
Fr .
Rosica told LifeSiteNews that he has never written for Cardinal Levada .

Fr. Thomas Rosica, now a byword for plagiarism in the English-speaking world, has admitted to preparing three texts containing plagiarized material for Cardinal Marc Ouellet.
VATICAN CITY, September 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A priest who plagiarized under his own name for decades also plagiarized homilies he prepared for a leading cardinal.
Fr. Thomas Rosica, 61, has admitted to preparing three texts containing plagiarized material for Cardinal Marc Ouellet. Formerly the archbishop of Quebec City and the Catholic primate of Canada, Ouellet is now the prefect of the Congregation of Bishops.
The appearance of plagiarized material in Ouellet’s published homilies was discovered by Ohio Dominican University philosophy professor Michael V. Dougherty. Dougherty, an authority on plagiarism, examined the homilies in his recent book Disguised Academic Plagiarism and suggested that the cardinal’s homilies were ghostwritten by a priest he called “R.”
After first denying he was Ouellet’s ghostwriter, Rosica admitted to a Canadian newspaper that he was responsible for the controversial material.
“I did assist him with these texts back in 2006–2007. After that when he moved to Rome I had not assisted him with any texts. He is the author of his own work. I have not been his ghostwriter since assisting him on three different occasions back in 2006–2007 as he prepared for the Eucharistic Congress in Quebec City (2008),” Rosica told the National Post.
Rosica was clear that it was he, not Ouellet, who was responsible for the deception, not that he called it that.
“The texts were not properly cited for their sources,” he told the Post.
“The Cardinal is not responsible for my errors in proper citation of sources in the original drafts of the text I prepared. They are my errors.”
Rosica also admitted to drawing upon the material in the Ouellet homilies for subsequent works.
The principal source used by Rosica to create the homily Ouellet gave at Windsor’s Assumption University in April 2007 was a speech given by Cardinal William Levada five weeks earlier at the University of Louvain. But the material Rosica lifted was not actually by Levada, but by the Benedictine theologian Fr. Jeremy Driscoll. Both Levada’s Louvain homily and Ouellet’s Assumption homily were subsequently published in Origins magazine. Dougherty assumed that Levada had also employed a “plagiarizing ghostwriter” and that this was a curious case of “double plagiarism.”
Other uncredited sources in the 2007 homily Rosica prepared for Ouellet include the theologians Edward Schillenbeeckx and Igor Kowalewski.
Two other works written for Ouellet by Rosica, published in 2008, contain a similar “patchwork” of unattributed lines or passages taken from the writings of Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI, St. John Paul II, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, the Lutheran theologian Mary W. Anderson, and an unknown writer from the Vatican Information Service.
As the writings of cardinals carry a certain magisterial weight, Dougherty is troubled that the thoughts of private theologians (including a non-Catholic) have been imputed to a cardinal, thus granting them a higher status among Catholics, especially Catholic scholars, than they should have. He is also concerned by the concealment of texts’ magisterial weight by minor clergy or laypeople who pass them off as their own. He calls both phenomena incidences of “magisterial plagiarism.”
Doubts that Cardinal Levada employed a ghostwriter
A further complication has arisen thanks to the strong probability that Cardinal Levada did not, in fact, employ a ghostwriter for the Louvain homily examined by Dougherty. Fr. Driscoll, today the abbot of Mount Angel Monastery, told LifeSiteNews that he had collaborated with the cardinal.
“Concerning the homily at Louvain … [Levada] wanted to bring to them a perspective he appreciated from discussions with me and probably other faculty members of Mount Angel,” Driscoll shared via email.
“We spoke about this, and then I authored part of the homily, or rather shared with him what I had written earlier. In the context of a homily I did not expect ‘credit’ for my thought, for a homily is not an academic setting.” the abbot continued.
“… I was more than happy if Cardinal Levada wanted to use thoughts I had formulated for his work as Cardinal Prefect. … For my part, I do not feel plagiarized.”
Driscoll added that he did not know how his words got into a homily by Cardinal Ouellet and also that he had not been contacted by Professor Dougherty.
“I refrained from contacting the parties in this case because in my academic studies of plagiarism, I focus on published texts, not the motivations of those involved in their manufacture,” Dougherty told LifeSiteNews via email this morning.
“To publish means to make public, and public texts deserve careful scrutiny when they are inauthentic. I hope the publisher, Origins, will issue the necessary corrections.”
The professor stated also that “authorship violations” are not good for the discipline of theology.
“The same passages are part of the published works of Abbot Driscoll, Cardinal Levada, Cardinal Ouellet, and Fr. Rosica,” he said.
“This creates confusion for assessing the authoritative weight of the texts.”
Dougherty has no issue with cardinals employing ghostwriters as long as the ghostwriters don’t plagiarize — or insert their own previously published ideas too blatantly in magisterial texts, as Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández did as the ghostwriter for Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia.
However, David Mulroney, a former president of the Catholic University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto, told LifeSiteNews he is concerned about the practice.
“What's troubling is that the latest revelations force us to confront the fact that the problem is larger than a single plagiarist priest,” Mulroney said via social media.
“The idea that senior prelates need ‘ghostwriters’ to interpret and communicate the word of God is unsettling and, as we are discovering, dangerous,” he continued.
“It suggests a clerical bureaucracy that functions much as other bureaucracies do, instead of resolutely focused on the mission of saving souls, and it alerts us to a clubby clericalism that is too ready to overlook or ignore warning signs of problematic behavior by high-profile colleagues.”
Fr. Rosica has become a byword for plagiarism in English-language media since February 2019, when LifeSiteNews reported that he had presented the words of several sources as his own in an address he had recently given at England’s Cambridge University. Further revelations of Rosica’s career as a plagiarist soon followed. His fraudulent habit reached back over thirty years and involved newspapers, magazines, websites, books, scriptural reflections in missals, and academic journals. Unfortunately, to this day, work believed to be Rosica’s, but taken partly from others, is still publicly available online and in print.
Professor Dougherty told LifeSiteNews that academic plagiarism in humanities disciplines has been one of his research interests for the past decade. So far he has produced two books and several articles on the topic.
“When Fr. Rosica’s plagiarism appeared in the news last year, a colleague in theology suggested that I look at Fr. Rosica’s academic writings,” Dougherty said by email.
“After I requested a retraction for a plagiarized article in the journal Worship, I learned that philosophy professor Joshua Hochschild was also examining Fr. Rosica’s works, so we worked together to identify plagiarism in many books and articles by Fr. Rosica and to request retractions for them,” he continued.
“Many publishers and editors have issued retractions by now.”
In early 2019, Rosica was still an influential figure in the Catholic Church, known internationally as a Church spokesperson to the media, an adviser to the Vatican about the media, and the executive director of Canada’s Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation. A priest of the Congregation of St. Basil, Rosica also wielded significant influence at such Basilian colleges as the University of Saint Michael’s College at the University of Toronto.
This high-profile career, launched when Rosica served as the national director of World Youth Day 2002, stalled and then crashed to earth after revelations of his plagiarism became international news. In February 2019, Rosica resigned from the governing council of the USMC. In March, the École Biblique et Archéologique Française de Jérusalem (EBAF) revealed that Rosica did not hold an “advanced degree” from the school, as he had led others to believe. In June, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops formally withdrew works it had published with the Basilian priest. That same month, Rosica resigned from Salt and Light.
As the stories proliferated, some Catholics wondered why it was plagiarism, not Rosica’s combative style or endorsement of heterodox theologians and ideas, that was his downfall.
“I suspect that interest in this plagiarism case is high because Catholic readers rightly expect published religious and theological texts to be trustworthy,” Dougherty told LifeSiteNews.
“Those who produce fraudulent religious and theological texts have a duty to correct them,” he added. “The prolonged failure to correct or retract fraudulent texts is an ongoing injustice to readers.”
According to a publication of the Archdiocese of Toronto, Rosica is now a chaplain to the Basilian Fathers in a seniors’ home in Toronto.
LifeSiteNews has reached out to Fr. Rosica and to Cardinal Ouellet via the Congregation for Bishops.
Fr. Rosica told LifeSiteNews that he has never written for Cardinal Levada.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-03--Ex-abortion facility director reveals how her father helped her become pro-life warrior she is today

The following story is written by Abby Johnson , founder and CEO of And Then There Were None , and is an excerpt from Because of Our Fathers by Tyler Rowley , a new book that tells the stories of 23 Catholics whose fathers led them to Christ .
September 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – I remember standing at the top of the stairs , looking down at the water below me .
The pastor had told me it would be warm , but I was still nervous to get in .
Even as an eight-year-old child , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant something special .
I had prayed the Sinner ’ s Prayer and had given my heart to Jesus .
I wasn ’ t exactly sure what that meant , but I knew I didn ’ t want to go to Hell , and I knew that I really did love Jesus .
The pastor had told me that if I really wanted Jesus to be in my heart , then the next step after the prayer was Baptism .
I really did want Jesus to live in my heart .
I stepped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very warm .
It felt as if I were stepping into a bathtub .
My pastor was already in , helping me get situated in the water .
It felt weird to be in the water with all those clothes on .
The pastor asked me if I had accepted Jesus into my heart .
I said that I had .
He asked me if I was ready to be baptized and make it public that I was a Christian .
I said yes to that too .
“ Then I baptize you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Father , Son , and Holy Spirit.
” I held my nose and fell backward into the water .
As I came up , I wiped my eyes and saw my dad standing at the top of the stairs .
He was beaming , smiling from ear to ear .
Everyone in the congregation clapped , and I climbed up the stairs .
I gave my dad a hug and realized that now it was his turn .
I watched him go into the water and come up , and I felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dad and I will be in Heaven together , ” I thought .
I didn ’ t really understand that my dad was already a Christian .
He had simply never been baptized by full submersion , and that is required in the Baptist faith .
A sprinkle as a baby won ’ t cut it for the Baptist church .
My dad had been raised Methodist , and by joining the Baptist church , he had to be fully submerged .
So we decided to do it together , Easter 1989 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ He has always been beside me at the important times of my life—his faith was an example of the faith that I would one day strive to have .
That ’ s the example my father has always been for me and my mom .
He has been the epitome of provider , protector , father , and husband .
He showed me how a husband should love his wife .
He showed me how a father should love his children .
My dad has spent his career as a mechanical engineer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ also very intelligent .
I grew up believing that I could do anything I put my mind to .
Education was vitally important in our home .
My dad wanted me to research on my own , make decisions on my own , and find my own path .
I ’ m sure he and my mom never guessed that path would lead me to the doors of Planned Parenthood .
Looking back , I can ’ t even imagine how hard my eight years there must have been for my parents .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ : always being proud of me and , at the same time , hating my work .
This strong work ethic that I received from my father must have felt like a double-edged sword at times for him .
Yes , he wanted me to believe I could be anything , but never , ever thought I would want to be an abortion facility director .
My dad has always had a very strong faith but is pretty reserved .
My mom is the one who wears everything on her sleeve .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for eight years , my mom had become exasperated .
One night , after a phone call with me , she let her frustration out .
She said to my dad , “ She is just never going to get out of there .
I don ’ t understand how she doesn ’ t see what she ’ s doing.
” I wasn ’ t there for the conversation , but I imagine that , after hearing my mom ’ s outburst , my dad slowly looked up from the paper , took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them on the table beside him before replying , “ God has promised us that she will return to Him .
Scripture tells us that as long as we raise our children knowing the Lord , then they will always return .
We may not be here to see it , but we have to trust that it will happen.
” Just one month later , I called my parents to tell them that I had just left the clinic for the last time .
They were on vacation , but I didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
I called and asked what they were doing .
“ Driving around Estes Park , ” my mom said .
I asked her to put the speaker on so that Dad could hear me while I gave the big news .
“ I quit my job at Planned Parenthood , ” I said .
It was quiet for just a few seconds before I heard my mom exclaim , “ Are you serious ?
You quit !
” Then all I could hear was laughing and crying and what could only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car .
It suddenly got quiet again , and my dad spoke up .
“ Abby , do you need us to send you money ?
” That was my dad , the perpetual provider .
Even through all the excitement , it was as if my dad sensed what could be coming .
Leaving my job , my friends , my steady income—it would come with a cost .
And while I knew he had to be beaming with pride that his prayers had been answered , he never stopped worrying .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m proud that my dad has been able to see me grow into the woman he wanted me to be .
I ’ m proud that he can see that the strong work ethic he instilled in me is now being used to proclaim life .
No matter where I have been in life—being baptized as a child , graduating from high school and then college , working at Planned Parenthood , having my children , sitting at the premiere of my film—he has always been there to support me .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life , and I pray that the faith that I have watched him live out will be abundantly evident in the faith that I share with my children .

Abby Johnson said that she’s ‘proud’ that her dad can see that the ‘strong work ethic he instilled in me is now being used to proclaim life’
The following story is written by Abby Johnson, founder and CEO of And Then There Were None, and is an excerpt from Because of Our Fathers by Tyler Rowley, a new book that tells the stories of 23 Catholics whose fathers led them to Christ.
September 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – I remember standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at the water below me. The pastor had told me it would be warm, but I was still nervous to get in. Even as an eight-year-old child, I knew that walking into that water meant something special. I had prayed the Sinner’s Prayer and had given my heart to Jesus. I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but I knew I didn’t want to go to Hell, and I knew that I really did love Jesus. The pastor had told me that if I really wanted Jesus to be in my heart, then the next step after the prayer was Baptism. I really did want Jesus to live in my heart.
I stepped in and surprisingly, the water was very warm. It felt as if I were stepping into a bathtub. My pastor was already in, helping me get situated in the water. It felt weird to be in the water with all those clothes on. The pastor asked me if I had accepted Jesus into my heart. I said that I had. He asked me if I was ready to be baptized and make it public that I was a Christian. I said yes to that too. “Then I baptize you, Abby, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” I held my nose and fell backward into the water. As I came up, I wiped my eyes and saw my dad standing at the top of the stairs. He was beaming, smiling from ear to ear. Everyone in the congregation clapped, and I climbed up the stairs. I gave my dad a hug and realized that now it was his turn.
I watched him go into the water and come up, and I felt such relief. “Whew, now Dad and I will be in Heaven together,” I thought. I didn’t really understand that my dad was already a Christian. He had simply never been baptized by full submersion, and that is required in the Baptist faith. A sprinkle as a baby won’t cut it for the Baptist church. My dad had been raised Methodist, and by joining the Baptist church, he had to be fully submerged. So we decided to do it together, Easter 1989. And that’s my dad. He has always been beside me at the important times of my life—his faith was an example of the faith that I would one day strive to have.
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That’s the example my father has always been for me and my mom. He has been the epitome of provider, protector, father, and husband. He showed me how a husband should love his wife. He showed me how a father should love his children.
My dad has spent his career as a mechanical engineer. He’s not only wise but also very intelligent. I grew up believing that I could do anything I put my mind to. Education was vitally important in our home. My dad wanted me to research on my own, make decisions on my own, and find my own path. I’m sure he and my mom never guessed that path would lead me to the doors of Planned Parenthood.
Looking back, I can’t even imagine how hard my eight years there must have been for my parents. They had to strike a delicate balance: always being proud of me and, at the same time, hating my work. This strong work ethic that I received from my father must have felt like a double-edged sword at times for him. Yes, he wanted me to believe I could be anything, but never, ever thought I would want to be an abortion facility director.
My dad has always had a very strong faith but is pretty reserved. My mom is the one who wears everything on her sleeve. After I had worked in the abortion facility for eight years, my mom had become exasperated. One night, after a phone call with me, she let her frustration out. She said to my dad, “She is just never going to get out of there. I don’t understand how she doesn’t see what she’s doing.” I wasn’t there for the conversation, but I imagine that, after hearing my mom’s outburst, my dad slowly looked up from the paper, took his reading glasses off, and set them on the table beside him before replying, “God has promised us that she will return to Him. Scripture tells us that as long as we raise our children knowing the Lord, then they will always return. We may not be here to see it, but we have to trust that it will happen.”
Just one month later, I called my parents to tell them that I had just left the clinic for the last time. They were on vacation, but I didn’t want to wait to tell them. I called and asked what they were doing. “Driving around Estes Park,” my mom said. I asked her to put the speaker on so that Dad could hear me while I gave the big news.
“I quit my job at Planned Parenthood,” I said. It was quiet for just a few seconds before I heard my mom exclaim, “Are you serious? You quit!”
Then all I could hear was laughing and crying and what could only be described as joyful noises in their car. It suddenly got quiet again, and my dad spoke up. “Abby, do you need us to send you money?” That was my dad, the perpetual provider. Even through all the excitement, it was as if my dad sensed what could be coming. Leaving my job, my friends, my steady income—it would come with a cost. And while I knew he had to be beaming with pride that his prayers had been answered, he never stopped worrying. He never stopped being Dad.
I’m proud that my dad has been able to see me grow into the woman he wanted me to be. I’m proud that he can see that the strong work ethic he instilled in me is now being used to proclaim life. No matter where I have been in life—being baptized as a child, graduating from high school and then college, working at Planned Parenthood, having my children, sitting at the premiere of my film—he has always been there to support me. He has loved me so well throughout my life, and I pray that the faith that I have watched him live out will be abundantly evident in the faith that I share with my children.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-03--Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

September 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In response to the crisis unfolding in our world and in the Church , LifeSite is offering Catholics throughout the world a 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony Pillari , J.C.L.
, an American priest currently studying in Italy .
Our 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ https : //voiceofthefamily.com/full-text-cardinal-burkes-historic-call-for-consecration-of-russia/ ) .
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 via this PDF .
This document also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the daily rosary on LifeSite led by Fr .
Pillari .
Send photos or videos of you and your family praying 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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