lifesitenews--2020-05-06--Top UK shepherds have turned a blind eye to evils of contraception – and now abortion

May 6 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In my last post I quoted in full the 1996 correspondence between Bishop Vincent Nichols – auxiliary bishop of Westminster for north London , now Cardinal Nichols , Archbishop of Westminster – and Phyllis Bowman , my predecessor as CEO of SPUC .
The subject of the correspondence was the Catholic Church ’ s position on contraception .
In their correspondence , Bishop Nichols staunchly defended a publication from the Redemptorists which , according to Phyllis Bowman , claimed that the contraceptive pill was allowed by the Catholic Church .
She also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contraceptives may act as abortifacients ” .
The bishop ’ s reply assured Phyllis Bowman “ that the text contains nothing harmful to faith or morals ” .
The publication in question was “ How to survive being married to a Catholic ” [ revised edition March 1994 ] .
On page 43 , under the headline “ Catholics and the Pill ” it states : “ Someone told me recently that you can ’ t be a Catholic if you are on the pill .
Is that true ?
“ No , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like your informant , think that because the Church teaches that contraception is wrong , Catholics who use artificial methods of birth control put themselves outside the Church .
This is to misunderstand the nature of the Church .
We have pointed out several times in this book that the Church is not a sort of club for virtuous or religious people .
It is made up of ordinary people who are trying to be friends and followers of Jesus Christ but who often fail in all sorts of ways to live up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church they know the forgiveness of Christ is always available to them and that , whatever their sins , they can always make a fresh start .
The church , like Christ himself is extremely tolerant of sinners .
“ The Church also understands the pressures people may have to contend with in their lives , and therefore takes into account not only what people do but also the circumstances which surround what they do .
In other words , the Church recognises that it is possible for someone to do something which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – because of the circumstances – the individual who performs the wrong action may not be personally culpable .
“ This principle can be applied in the case of contraception .
While no Catholic may reject any part of the Church ’ s teaching , or say that it does not apply in his or her case , there may well be circumstances in which a Catholic couple may conscientiously decide for unselfish reasons that they can not further increase their family that the only option open to them is to practise contraception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be defensible .
[ My emphasis ] … ” Bishop Vincent Nichols , in his reply to Phyllis Bowman , makes no effort to explain the contradictory propositions in the last paragraph above .
Instead , Bishop Nichols , like the authors of “ How to survive being married to a Catholic ” , turns a blind eye to the intrinsic evil of contraception , an evil clearly spelled out for the world in number 14 of Humanae Vitae , the Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Paul VI on the regulation of birth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is it valid to argue , as a justification for sexual intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive , that a lesser evil is to be preferred to a greater one , or that such intercourse would merge with procreative acts of past and future to form a single entity , and so be qualified by exactly the same moral goodness as these .
Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gravest reasons , to do evil that good may come of it —in other words , to intend directly something which of its very nature contradicts the moral order , and which must therefore be judged unworthy of man , even though the intention is to protect or promote the welfare of an individual , of a family or of society in general .
Consequently , it is a serious error to think that a whole married life of otherwise normal relations can justify sexual intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive and so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a blind eye to Phyllis Bowman ’ s observation that “ present-day oral contraceptives may act as abortifacients ” – a point to which he makes no reference at all .
Bishop Nichols became chairman of the Catholic Education Service ( CES ) , in 1998 , an agency of the Catholic Bishops ’ Conference of England and Wales ( CBCEW ) , and held that position until 2009 .
In 2000 he was appointed Archbishop of Birmingham , Archbishop of Westminster in 2009 , when he also became president of the CBCEW @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The simple method of approach adopted by Bishop Nichols in his letter to Phyllis Bowman – turning a blind eye to the evils endangering the faithful – characterises the approach which Bishop Nichols and his successors at the Catholic Education Service , on behalf of the Catholic Bishops ’ Conference of England and Wales ( CBCEW ) , have taken with regard to the provision of contraception and abortion to children in Catholic schools over the past two decades .
They have taken this method of approach so consistently , it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the CBCEW – as distinct from the doctrinal position of the Church – is , effectively , to lend support to access to contraception and abortion , including without parental knowledge or consent , to children in Catholic schools .
The result of the Catholic bishops ’ policy is well illustrated in a press release issued by the British government on 18th February 2010 , which cited a Catholic school in Bedford as a good example of how faith schools should implement the government 's plans for sex education .
The media release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : St Thomas More is a mixed secondary school in Bedford .
60 % of students are from a Catholic/Christian background with 40 % from a range of ethnic minority groups , including Muslim .
It has achieved Healthy Schools Status and has an Outstanding Award for cultural diversity .
St Thomas More delivers SRE [ sex and relationships education ] through the pastoral programme in conjunction with the RE syllabus .
It is led by pastoral tutors , all of whom are well prepared and confident to lead discussion with students across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The school has developed a very successful balance of providing students with accurate information within the faith ethos of the school .
For example , sex within marriage is promoted as the ideal of the Catholic faith , but the school explicitly recognises the reality that some young people may choose to be sexually active and , if that is the case , they need the knowledge and confidence to make an informed choice to protect themselves from pregnancy and STIs .
The school nurse provides students with clear accurate information about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ details of local services .
Chlamydia screening is also offered to students in Years 11 to 13 .
Pregnancy options , including abortion , are also discussed in a non-judgemental way with the RE syllabus requiring students to understand the spectrum of pro- and anti-choice views on abortion .
By combining the pastoral and RE teaching , the essential knowledge component of SRE is provided to students but within the context of relationships and the school 's values .
I will explain further how this came about in my next post .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic Bishops ’ Conference of England and Wales , through their agency of the Catholic Education Service – positions which might be said to be based on the gospel according to Cardinal Vincent Nichols and his justification of what is said about contraception in the publication “ How to survive being married to a Catholic ” .

May 6, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – In my last post I quoted in full the 1996 correspondence between Bishop Vincent Nichols – auxiliary bishop of Westminster for north London, now Cardinal Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster – and Phyllis Bowman, my predecessor as CEO of SPUC. The subject of the correspondence was the Catholic Church’s position on contraception.
In their correspondence, Bishop Nichols staunchly defended a publication from the Redemptorists which, according to Phyllis Bowman, claimed that the contraceptive pill was allowed by the Catholic Church. She also pointed out that “present day oral contraceptives may act as abortifacients”.
The bishop’s reply assured Phyllis Bowman “that the text contains nothing harmful to faith or morals”.
The publication in question was “How to survive being married to a Catholic” [revised edition March 1994]. On page 43, under the headline “Catholics and the Pill” it states:
“Someone told me recently that you can’t be a Catholic if you are on the pill. Is that true? “No, it is not. Some people, like your informant, think that because the Church teaches that contraception is wrong, Catholics who use artificial methods of birth control put themselves outside the Church. This is to misunderstand the nature of the Church. We have pointed out several times in this book that the Church is not a sort of club for virtuous or religious people. It is made up of ordinary people who are trying to be friends and followers of Jesus Christ but who often fail in all sorts of ways to live up to the Christian ideals. Within the Church they know the forgiveness of Christ is always available to them and that, whatever their sins, they can always make a fresh start. The church, like Christ himself is extremely tolerant of sinners. “The Church also understands the pressures people may have to contend with in their lives, and therefore takes into account not only what people do but also the circumstances which surround what they do. In other words, the Church recognises that it is possible for someone to do something which, objectively speaking, is wrong but – because of the circumstances – the individual who performs the wrong action may not be personally culpable. “This principle can be applied in the case of contraception. While no Catholic may reject any part of the Church’s teaching, or say that it does not apply in his or her case, there may well be circumstances in which a Catholic couple may conscientiously decide for unselfish reasons that they cannot further increase their family that the only option open to them is to practise contraception. In their circumstances this decision could be defensible. [My emphasis] …”
Bishop Vincent Nichols, in his reply to Phyllis Bowman, makes no effort to explain the contradictory propositions in the last paragraph above.
Instead, Bishop Nichols, like the authors of “How to survive being married to a Catholic”, turns a blind eye to the intrinsic evil of contraception, an evil clearly spelled out for the world in number 14 of Humanae Vitae, the Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Paul VI on the regulation of birth, 25 July 1968:
“Neither is it valid to argue, as a justification for sexual intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive, that a lesser evil is to be preferred to a greater one, or that such intercourse would merge with procreative acts of past and future to form a single entity, and so be qualified by exactly the same moral goodness as these. Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good, it is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it —in other words, to intend directly something which of its very nature contradicts the moral order, and which must therefore be judged unworthy of man, even though the intention is to protect or promote the welfare of an individual, of a family or of society in general. Consequently, it is a serious error to think that a whole married life of otherwise normal relations can justify sexual intercourse which is deliberately contraceptive and so intrinsically wrong.”
Bishop Nichols also turned a blind eye to Phyllis Bowman’s observation that “present-day oral contraceptives may act as abortifacients” – a point to which he makes no reference at all.
Bishop Nichols became chairman of the Catholic Education Service (CES), in 1998, an agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW), and held that position until 2009. In 2000 he was appointed Archbishop of Birmingham, Archbishop of Westminster in 2009, when he also became president of the CBCEW. He became a cardinal in 2014.
The simple method of approach adopted by Bishop Nichols in his letter to Phyllis Bowman – turning a blind eye to the evils endangering the faithful – characterises the approach which Bishop Nichols and his successors at the Catholic Education Service, on behalf of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW), have taken with regard to the provision of contraception and abortion to children in Catholic schools over the past two decades. They have taken this method of approach so consistently, it’s become clear that the policy of the CBCEW – as distinct from the doctrinal position of the Church – is, effectively, to lend support to access to contraception and abortion, including without parental knowledge or consent, to children in Catholic schools.
The result of the Catholic bishops’ policy is well illustrated in a press release issued by the British government on 18th February 2010, which cited a Catholic school in Bedford as a good example of how faith schools should implement the government's plans for sex education. The media release says (my emphases in bold):
St Thomas More is a mixed secondary school in Bedford. 60% of students are from a Catholic/Christian background with 40% from a range of ethnic minority groups, including Muslim. It has achieved Healthy Schools Status and has an Outstanding Award for cultural diversity. St Thomas More delivers SRE [sex and relationships education] through the pastoral programme in conjunction with the RE syllabus. It is led by pastoral tutors, all of whom are well prepared and confident to lead discussion with students across a wide range of SRE issues. The school has developed a very successful balance of providing students with accurate information within the faith ethos of the school. For example, sex within marriage is promoted as the ideal of the Catholic faith, but the school explicitly recognises the reality that some young people may choose to be sexually active and, if that is the case, they need the knowledge and confidence to make an informed choice to protect themselves from pregnancy and STIs. The school nurse provides students with clear accurate information about the full range of contraception and STIs and details of local services. Chlamydia screening is also offered to students in Years 11 to 13. Pregnancy options, including abortion, are also discussed in a non-judgemental way with the RE syllabus requiring students to understand the spectrum of pro- and anti-choice views on abortion. By combining the pastoral and RE teaching, the essential knowledge component of SRE is provided to students but within the context of relationships and the school's values.
I will explain further how this came about in my next post. I will outline the positions adopted by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, through their agency of the Catholic Education Service – positions which might be said to be based on the gospel according to Cardinal Vincent Nichols and his justification of what is said about contraception in the publication “How to survive being married to a Catholic”.
John Smeaton is the Chief executive officer of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC). He has worked fulltime in the pro-life movement for more than four decades. He was educated at Salesian College, London, before going to Oxford where he graduated in English Language and Literature. He qualified as a teacher, becoming head of English at a secondary school. He is married to Josephine. He has a grown-up family and lives in north London.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-06--19 ways corona crisis has unmasked the left’s subversive agenda

May 6 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The coronavirus crisis has turned the world upside down .
Nowhere is this more evident than in the political battles now raging around how to deal with the crisis .
Not only has the Culture War not ended , but it intensified .
Things are rapidly degenerating into the realm of the unimaginable .
The most dramatic changes are those taking place on the left .
Liberal premises long considered sacred are being toppled .
The world is left puzzled by the contradiction of those who once proclaimed one position but now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left has always portrayed itself inside the liberal model of promoting absolute freedom and equality .
That no longer holds .
The crisis has unleashed a new offensive against all who oppose the left ’ s subversive agenda .
Thus , a list of liberal contradictions can be compiled that shows the real face of the left .
Here is a first list : • Many who loudly gloat about bridges and hatred of walls and everything associated with them are now screaming that everyone must be walled-in-place , stay at home , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand free love with no personal restraints are now fanatically in favor of social distancing to the point of denouncing neighbors and others ; • Many who insist all lockdown procedures are needed and worth the economic destruction “ if only to save one life , ” nevertheless demand all abortion facilities be left open , calling them essential and life-sustaining businesses ; • Many who called for complete transparency now insist that everyone out and about cover their faces with a mask ; • Many who once favored absolute freedom in daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifestyle ; • Many who insist that science is a god to be worshipped in this crisis are strangely silent when “ expert ” models like the London Imperial College ’ s COVID-19 study , are proven to have grossly overestimated the scourge ’ s lethality ; • Many who unashamedly defended euthanasia claiming that quality of life should determine when the government should put an end to the right to life of the elderly , now hold that every elderly life is precious regardless of its quality ( while still excoriating anti-euthanasia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth ! )
; • Many who protested against the police ’ s use of force to stop crime and illegality now applaud brutal police action against law-abiding citizens protesting outside abortion mills who were falsely accused of violating stay-at-home orders or maintaining social distancing ; • Many who imposed evolution and natural selection in schools , treating them as dogma that can never be questioned , now believe they must be suspended in regards to coronavirus victims ; • Many who proclaim that the virus could never be a punishment from God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mother Earth ” for so-called sins against the environment ; • Many who once denounced all censorship as a violation of absolute freedom now praise social media sites that censor content that is critical of Chinese communist handling of the crisis ; • Many who claim that the Trump administration chose money over lives , now loudly complain that their stimulus checks are late ; • Many who protested to support the cause of workers are now fierce critics of workers who are protesting in the streets and at state capitols because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many who urged the release of prisoners to avoid contagion by the virus , now demand severe punishment , including fines and imprisonment , for law-abiding Americans opposed to the lockdown ; • Many who used to insist that change be ushered in by democratic means by “ we the people , ” now see the crisis as a golden opportunity for dictatorial governors running amok to impose on society the radical change engineered by “ experts ” whom , they claim , know better than the American people what is good for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globalism of multinational companies now urge global solutions and governing mechanisms and the imposition of a new world order ; • Many who claimed to favor religious freedom now demand the closure of churches in the name of safety and public health ; • Many who have protested against the Establishment now favor denying lockdown protesters that same right ; • Many who decried attempts made against privacy are now willing to surrender all kinds of personal information to fight the virus—and demand that everyone else should be compelled to do the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only an apparent clash of opinions .
The left is driven by a subversive ideology .
Having failed to persuade the general public by strength of argument , they now see the crisis as a means to impose radical changes implemented by globalists , “ experts ” and technocrats who claim to act in the name of public safety .
Thus , it uses any means , even when contradictory , to effect this change .
Sometimes , the left clamors for unrestrained freedom so that the destructive power of disordered human passions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order and morality .
At other times , like the present , the left extols totalitarian brutality and advocates its implementation to impose equality , reducing everyone to serfdom , the victims of a single and leveling rule .
The left ’ s Jacobin and brutal side is now easy to see .
They no longer hide behind their old masks and structures , pretending to uphold democracy .
America ’ s coronavirus-face-masked Jacobin left is fully unmasked .
John Horvat II is a scholar , researcher , educator , international speaker , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Order , as well as the author of hundreds of published articles .
He lives in Spring Grove , Pennsylvania where he is the vice president of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition , Family and Property .

PETITION: Urge your governor to reject mandatory government surveillance post COVID-19 Sign the petition here.
May 6, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The coronavirus crisis has turned the world upside down. Nowhere is this more evident than in the political battles now raging around how to deal with the crisis. Not only has the Culture War not ended, but it intensified. Things are rapidly degenerating into the realm of the unimaginable.
The most dramatic changes are those taking place on the left. Liberal premises long considered sacred are being toppled. The world is left puzzled by the contradiction of those who once proclaimed one position but now rabidly take a contrary stand.
The left has always portrayed itself inside the liberal model of promoting absolute freedom and equality. That no longer holds. The crisis has unleashed a new offensive against all who oppose the left’s subversive agenda.
Thus, a list of liberal contradictions can be compiled that shows the real face of the left.
Here is a first list:
Many who loudly gloat about bridges and hatred of walls and everything associated with them are now screaming that everyone must be walled-in-place, stay at home, until further notice; Many who demand free love with no personal restraints are now fanatically in favor of social distancing to the point of denouncing neighbors and others; Many who insist all lockdown procedures are needed and worth the economic destruction “if only to save one life,” nevertheless demand all abortion facilities be left open, calling them essential and life-sustaining businesses; Many who called for complete transparency now insist that everyone out and about cover their faces with a mask; Many who once favored absolute freedom in daily life now insist on an almost militarized lifestyle; Many who insist that science is a god to be worshipped in this crisis are strangely silent when “expert” models like the London Imperial College’s COVID-19 study, are proven to have grossly overestimated the scourge’s lethality; Many who unashamedly defended euthanasia claiming that quality of life should determine when the government should put an end to the right to life of the elderly, now hold that every elderly life is precious regardless of its quality (while still excoriating anti-euthanasia conservatives, who have always stated this truth!); Many who protested against the police’s use of force to stop crime and illegality now applaud brutal police action against law-abiding citizens protesting outside abortion mills who were falsely accused of violating stay-at-home orders or maintaining social distancing; Many who imposed evolution and natural selection in schools, treating them as dogma that can never be questioned, now believe they must be suspended in regards to coronavirus victims; Many who proclaim that the virus could never be a punishment from God affirm it is the revenge of “Mother Earth” for so-called sins against the environment; Many who once denounced all censorship as a violation of absolute freedom now praise social media sites that censor content that is critical of Chinese communist handling of the crisis; Many who claim that the Trump administration chose money over lives, now loudly complain that their stimulus checks are late; Many who protested to support the cause of workers are now fierce critics of workers who are protesting in the streets and at state capitols because they want to return to work; Many who urged the release of prisoners to avoid contagion by the virus, now demand severe punishment, including fines and imprisonment, for law-abiding Americans opposed to the lockdown; Many who used to insist that change be ushered in by democratic means by “we the people,” now see the crisis as a golden opportunity for dictatorial governors running amok to impose on society the radical change engineered by “experts” whom, they claim, know better than the American people what is good for them; Many who protested the globalism of multinational companies now urge global solutions and governing mechanisms and the imposition of a new world order; Many who claimed to favor religious freedom now demand the closure of churches in the name of safety and public health; Many who have protested against the Establishment now favor denying lockdown protesters that same right; Many who decried attempts made against privacy are now willing to surrender all kinds of personal information to fight the virus—and demand that everyone else should be compelled to do the same.
This partial list of contradictions is only an apparent clash of opinions.
The left is driven by a subversive ideology. Having failed to persuade the general public by strength of argument, they now see the crisis as a means to impose radical changes implemented by globalists, “experts” and technocrats who claim to act in the name of public safety. Thus, it uses any means, even when contradictory, to effect this change. Sometimes, the left clamors for unrestrained freedom so that the destructive power of disordered human passions can be used to tear down traditional order and morality. At other times, like the present, the left extols totalitarian brutality and advocates its implementation to impose equality, reducing everyone to serfdom, the victims of a single and leveling rule.
The left’s Jacobin and brutal side is now easy to see. They no longer hide behind their old masks and structures, pretending to uphold democracy. America’s coronavirus-face-masked Jacobin left is fully unmasked.
John Horvat II is a scholar, researcher, educator, international speaker, and author of the book Return to Order, as well as the author of hundreds of published articles. He lives in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania where he is the vice president of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-06--Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

May 6 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In response to the coronavirus crisis , LifeSite is offering Catholics throughout the world a chance to be united in praying the rosary together , at the same time , every day at 12:00 noon EST .
The rosary is led by Father Anthony Pillari , an American priest currently in Italy .
To date , Catholics from Israel , Uganda , Italy , France , Germany , Ireland , the United Kingdom , the U.S. , Canada , Mexico , Chile , Brazil , Australia , New Zealand , the Philippines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as other countries , have been joining in .
The whole world – including the Church – has been thrown into chaos because of the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) .
Thousands of people have passed away as a result of the viral outbreak , while thousands more have been sickened .
And , across the world , business has come to a grinding halt , resulting in sudden job loss and threatening economic recession .
If there ever was a time for prayer , this is it .
Catholics around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sacraments , but in many places are unable to access them because of bishops ’ orders or government restrictions .
We know that community with other believers is vital all the time , but especially during this time of global calls for “ sheltering-in-place ” and quarantine .
“ The rosary is the weapon for these times , ” St. Padre Pio said .
Through prayer , we can shape history , change the world , and bring this painful crisis to an end .
Join us today !
Send photos or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rosary with Father Pillari to [ email protected ]

(LifeSiteNews) — In response to the crisis unfolding in our world and in the Church, LifeSite is happy to promote Regina Angelorum Press’s Daily Rosary, which is offering Catholics throughout the world the chance to be united daily in prayer, in the Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Crusade.
Catholics from all over the world — from Israel, Uganda, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Pakistan, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and other countries — are gathering daily to pray the Rosary, led by Father Pillari, JCL, MCL, STL, an American priest currently studying in Italy.
The Daily Rosary is being offered each day at 12noon EST through Regina Angelorum Press’ YouTube Channel to which you can subscribe HERE.
The goal is, by means of this Daily Rosary and by embracing and living out the message given by the Virgin Mary at Fatima, the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.
To help obtain that goal, Bishop Athanasius Schneider graciously composed the following prayer for this worldwide Rosary crusade:
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, you are the holy Mother of God and our tender Mother. Look upon the distress in which the Church and the whole of humanity are living because of the spread of materialism and the persecution of the Church. In Fatima you warned against these errors, as you spoke about the errors of Russia. You are the Mediatrix of all graces. Implore your Divine Son to grant this special grace for the Pope: that he might consecrate Russia to your Immaculate Heart, so that Russia will be converted, a period of peace will be granted to the world, and your Immaculate Heart will triumph, through an authentic renewal of the Church in the splendor of the purity of the Catholic Faith, of the sacredness of Divine worship and of the holiness of the Christian life. O Queen of the holy Rosary and our sweet Mother, turn your merciful eyes to us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer. Amen. + Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana
To learn more about the urgency of responding to Our Lady’s message at Fatima, and about what you can do, please read Cardinal Burke’s 2017 address at the Rome Life Forum.
As St. Padre Pio once said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times.” Through prayer, God can shape history, change the world, and bring about a great time of renewal and peace for the Church and for the world, through the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. Join us today!
If you would like to follow along with the prayers said during this Rosary, you can access them HERE. The document also includes a brief F.A.Q. pertaining to the daily Rosary.
You can send your prayer requests to https://reginangelorumpress.com/prayer-intentions/
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lifesitenews--2020-05-06--Supreme Court once again hears why Little Sisters of the Poor don’t want to fund contraceptives

WASHINGTON , D.C. , May 6 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Today , the Little Sisters of the Poor , pro-life nuns who care for the elderly , are once again part of a case before the U.S. Supreme Court .
Their goal is to stop the government from forcing the Catholic community to participate in the provision of contraceptives and life-ending drugs to their employees .
The Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments at 10:00 a.m. EST .
Given the coronavirus restrictions on public gatherings , everything is set to take place remotely by phone .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the arguments to FOX News ( the network pool chair ) , the Associated Press , and C-SPAN , and they will in turn provide a simultaneous feed for the oral arguments to livestream on various media platforms , ” the Supreme Court announced .
Preceding the oral arguments , there was a “ virtual ” rally to support the Little Sisters of the Poor .
“ Leaders from around the country will offer messages of support for the Little Sisters of the Poor as they head ( virtually ) to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The rally closed with a rosary prayed by different religious communities .
The Obama administration had first mandated employers to participate in or help facilitate the provision of contraceptives , as well as abortifacient drugs , to their employees .
The Little Sisters of the Poor refused to go along with the new policy , as did Hobby Lobby and other religious entities .
If the Little Sisters of the Poor – pro-life Catholic nuns – were forced to provide contraceptive and life-ending drugs and devices , they would explicitly contradict their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human life .
On October 6 , 2017 , the Department of Health and Human Services came out with an updated , broad religious exemption protecting communities like the Little Sisters of the Poor from having to provide goods and services that would violate their conscience .
Thus , the Trump administration admitted that the federal government broke the law by trying to force the Little Sisters and others to provide services like the week-after-pill in their health plans that violated their religious beliefs .
Nevertheless , the state of Pennsylvania went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the religious exemption should be removed .
“ Pennsylvania admits that it already has and already uses many government programs to provide contraceptives to women who need them , ” wrote Becket Law , the religious liberty law firm representing the Little Sisters of the Poor .
“ Pennsylvania never challenged the Obama Administration for creating much larger exceptions for secular corporations – exceptions that covered tens of millions more people than the religious exemption , ” Becket pointed out .
“ Pennsylvania does not even have its own contraceptive mandate at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not identify a single real person who previously had contraceptive coverage but will lose it because of the new Rule.
” If Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro , a Democrat , prevails before the Supreme Court , and the sisters refuse to comply , they would be forced to pay millions of dollars in fines .
Beginning in November 2017 , Becket intervened on behalf of the Little Sisters of the Poor in California and Pennsylvania , working its way through the court system .
Countless groups , including the United States Conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Columbus , as well as many legislators , have filed amicus curiae briefs , supporting the Catholic nuns in their fight .
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg phoned into oral arguments from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore , Maryland , where the 87-year-old underwent “ non-surgical treatment for acute cholecystitis , a benign gallbladder condition ” on May 5 , according to the Court .

The Catholic community is once again threatened with having to provide contraceptives and abortifacient drugs to its employees.
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 6, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Today, the Little Sisters of the Poor, pro-life nuns who care for the elderly, are once again part of a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. Their goal is to stop the government from forcing the Catholic community to participate in the provision of contraceptives and life-ending drugs to their employees.
The Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments at 10:00 a.m. EST. Given the coronavirus restrictions on public gatherings, everything is set to take place remotely by phone.
“The Court will provide a live audio feed of the arguments to FOX News (the network pool chair), the Associated Press, and C-SPAN, and they will in turn provide a simultaneous feed for the oral arguments to livestream on various media platforms,” the Supreme Court announced.
Preceding the oral arguments, there was a “virtual” rally to support the Little Sisters of the Poor. “Leaders from around the country will offer messages of support for the Little Sisters of the Poor as they head (virtually) to the Supreme Court,” the organizers stated.
The rally closed with a rosary prayed by different religious communities.
The Obama administration had first mandated employers to participate in or help facilitate the provision of contraceptives, as well as abortifacient drugs, to their employees. The Little Sisters of the Poor refused to go along with the new policy, as did Hobby Lobby and other religious entities.
If the Little Sisters of the Poor – pro-life Catholic nuns – were forced to provide contraceptive and life-ending drugs and devices, they would explicitly contradict their mission of respecting the dignity of every human life.
On October 6, 2017, the Department of Health and Human Services came out with an updated, broad religious exemption protecting communities like the Little Sisters of the Poor from having to provide goods and services that would violate their conscience.
Thus, the Trump administration admitted that the federal government broke the law by trying to force the Little Sisters and others to provide services like the week-after-pill in their health plans that violated their religious beliefs.
Nevertheless, the state of Pennsylvania went on to sue the federal government, arguing the religious exemption should be removed.
“Pennsylvania admits that it already has and already uses many government programs to provide contraceptives to women who need them,” wrote Becket Law, the religious liberty law firm representing the Little Sisters of the Poor.
“Pennsylvania never challenged the Obama Administration for creating much larger exceptions for secular corporations – exceptions that covered tens of millions more people than the religious exemption,” Becket pointed out. “Pennsylvania does not even have its own contraceptive mandate at all. And Pennsylvania’s lawsuit does not identify a single real person who previously had contraceptive coverage but will lose it because of the new Rule.”
If Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, prevails before the Supreme Court, and the sisters refuse to comply, they would be forced to pay millions of dollars in fines.
Beginning in November 2017, Becket intervened on behalf of the Little Sisters of the Poor in California and Pennsylvania, working its way through the court system.
Countless groups, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Knights of Columbus, as well as many legislators, have filed amicus curiae briefs, supporting the Catholic nuns in their fight.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg phoned into oral arguments from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, where the 87-year-old underwent “non-surgical treatment for acute cholecystitis, a benign gallbladder condition” on May 5, according to the Court.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-06--Huge victory as Calif. parents torpedo depraved sex ed curriculum in their town

DOWNEY , California , May 6 , 2020 ( MassResistance ) — Downey , California is largely a minority , working-class suburb of Los Angeles .
Last year the School Board overwhelmingly voted to bring in a “ comprehensive sex ed ” curriculum for the middle school and high school grades .
This decision was largely to comply with the so-called “ California Healthy Youth Act ” passed by the Legislature in 2015 .
It requires comprehensive sex ed in schools .
However , the text of the law allows for a fairly broad implementation ( and mostly requires that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and “ age appropriate ” ) .
But the Downey school officials selected one of the most extreme and offensive courses available .
They chose to use “ Teen Talk , ” a slick , pre-packaged Planned Parenthood-linked program .
Like similar programs created by Planned Parenthood and LGBT organizations , it pushes the normalization of homosexuality , transgenderism , pre-marital sex , various deviant sex practices , abortion , and other social pathologies .
It was all very devious .
After the school officials selected “ Teen Talk , ” parents were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” process that revealed little about the curriculum — and the school refused to make the content details public .
So the parents asked MassResistance to help them .
On Sept. 9 , 2019 , the Downey School Board voted 6-1 to implement “ Teen Talk , ” despite the pleas of parents who came to the Board meeting to try to dissuade them .
Parents were particularly upset that they hadn ’ t had a chance to actually see the curriculum , only a sanitized version that the school officials had presented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September 19 , Arthur Schaper of MassResistance scheduled a meeting at the Downey School District main office .
He insisted that someone from the public should be allowed to view the curriculum and also photograph any part of it to show others .
After some strong initial pushback , the Downey administrators agreed to allow it .
( NOTE : Many people would have just given up and not insisted ! )
What Arthur uncovered was even more bizarre , graphic , and offensive than we had expected .
It was some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve encountered .
MassResistance published numerous photos and text and also distributed a report on it to local Downey parents .
( See more detail on “ Teen Talk ” here and here . )
When parents saw this , they were more outraged than ever .
As upset as they were , the parents felt helpless as to what to do about it .
The Downey School Board members are as entrenched in their positions — and disconnected from parents — as one could imagine .
Most of them have been in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there since 1979 — 40 years !
Plus , they rarely have had opposition in their elections .
They are used to doing things their way and not being questioned by their largely Hispanic constituents .
We formed a Downey MassResistance chapter , which quickly began to grow !
Led by Sandi , a local mother , the new chapter got right to work alerting , educating , and organizing people across the city .
They were thorough and relentless : – They leafletted outside of public schools .
The flyers described the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
– They held meetings to educate and mobilize parents .
The meetings were in churches and other venues .
They also included pastors , local businessmen , and community leaders .
– They staged sidewalk demonstrations .
Parents demonstrated and held signs outside the offices of a local state legislator ( who had voted for the California Healthy Youth Act ) .
– They canvassed door-to-door and at public venues .
The flyers , in both English and Spanish , identified the local School Board members who voted for the “ Teen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-election in 2020 .
Residents across the city were very receptive to our message .
People were shocked that their school district would implement a sex-ed curriculum that was so explicit , vulgar , and inappropriate .
Many eagerly signed up to get involved .
Several immediately began contacting their School Board members by phone and email .
In addition , starting in September , large numbers of local MassResistance parents began coming to School Board meetings to demand that this toxic curriculum be stopped .
They held signs inside the chambers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , impassioned testimony directed at the Board members and school administrators .
Here ’ s what the parents demanded : Repeal the decision to use “ Teen Talk ” and instead create a course in-house that satisfies the bare minimum state requirements ( e.g.
, be medically accurate and age-appropriate , etc . )
and is not offensive to parents .
It definitely must not include medically false LGBT propaganda on “ sexual orientation ” and “ gender identity.
” It seemed like a reasonable thing to ask for .
But the School @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Like School Board members across America , they came off as a group of arrogant liberals who are convinced they know better than parents about children , sex , and homosexuality .
The “ Heart Curriculum.
” Parents were also suggesting that Downey consider a sex-ed curriculum called “ The Heart Curriculum , ” written by an Orange County–area pro-family man along with a committee of conservative health professionals .
The Heart Curriculum was written to be compliant with the Healthy Youth Act .
We had some concerns that the Heart Curriculum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as moral judgments , abortion , same-sex attraction and so-called gender identity .
But it ’ s a big step in the right direction .
An attorney from the pro-family legal group Pacific Justice Institute also came to a Downey School Board meeting to testify that the Heart Curriculum satisfied the CA Healthy Youth Act .
He also sent the Board an official letter attesting to that .
A prolonged battle .
For months , the Board members refused to address the subject .
Several parents requested individual or group meetings with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But none of the Board members would even agree to meet with parents and talk about it .
So as the months went by , the parents kept up the pressure .
By all accounts , the Downey School Board has never experienced this level of outrage from the community .
Finally , the School Board decided they ’ d had enough .
It may be that they had heard that MassResistance parents were considering protesting outside of their houses in order to persuade them to meet with constituents on this .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided that the fight was no longer worth it , even though many of them probably receive political support from Planned Parenthood and other liberal groups .
In March 2020 ( although there was no formal Board vote ) the administration notified parents that the Downey school district was not going to use the “ Teen Talk ” curriculum .
As the MassResistance parents had demanded , a new curriculum will be written by a committee of school staff .
Although the committee will not adopt the Heart Curriculum , we were told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ author of the Heart Curriculum as a committee member , which MassResistance had requested .
In a subsequent email to Sandi , the Superintendent admitted that the parents ’ appearances at the School Board meetings had an impact .
He wrote , “ we ultimately are revising the curriculum as a result of your input.
” It ’ s a BIG victory !
This is the first time we have seen a School Board — especially an entrenched liberal one whose members likely get political support from Planned Parenthood — capitulate to parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to resolve There ’ s one problem that still needs to be resolved .
And we ’ re confident we can fix this one , too !
In early March , Sandi and the other MassResistance parents were told by an Assistant Superintendent that no actual Downey parents would be allowed to be on the new sex-ed curriculum committee .
It would only consist of sex-ed teachers , members of the school administration , and the author of the Heart Curriculum .
We were shocked to hear that !
He said that Downey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see the curriculum at all until it ’ s finished .
Parents could then “ review ” the curriculum and “ give feedback on it.
” That ’ s the same phony process that the school used for the “ Teen Talk ” curriculum .
It ’ s basically designed not to give parents the information they need or any ability to affect it .
He also told us that the new curriculum will be including information “ that parents will not be happy with ” because “ it ’ s the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ districts across the country that write their own sex ed curriculum routinely include at least a few parents .
Even a neighboring district to Downey recently did .
When Sandi asked the Superintendent why Downey couldn ’ t also let parents be part of this process , she got an absurd response : That is simply a ridiculous answer .
We suspect that the real reason is that other school districts purposely pick only left-leaning parents for those committees — and the Downey administrators know they won ’ t be able to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents are confident they will break through this barrier , also !
We strongly believe that with a tough strategy and by not giving up , parents can win virtually any “ culture war ” battle with school officials .
But in the larger sense , it ’ s a sad and frightening situation when local parents can ’ t trust their own School Board or the teachers and administrators in their schools to present a course to their children that does not include disgusting sexual perversion .
As repulsive as “ Teen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approved by all the people who are counted on to protect children .
They are simply bad people .
They should be repulsed by it and refuse to have anything to do with it .
That is the battle across America ( and beyond ) that parents are fighting .
The people doing these things to children aren ’ t just “ misguided.
” We are up against evil .
Unfortunately , it often seems that MassResistance is the only pro-family group that understands this .

This is the first time we have seen a School Board – especially an entrenched liberal one whose members likely get political support from Planned Parenthood – capitulate to parents on this issue!
DOWNEY, California, May 6, 2020 (MassResistance) — Downey, California is largely a minority, working-class suburb of Los Angeles. Last year the School Board overwhelmingly voted to bring in a “comprehensive sex ed” curriculum for the middle school and high school grades.
This decision was largely to comply with the so-called “California Healthy Youth Act” passed by the Legislature in 2015. It requires comprehensive sex ed in schools. However, the text of the law allows for a fairly broad implementation (and mostly requires that anything taught be “medically accurate” and “age appropriate”).
But the Downey school officials selected one of the most extreme and offensive courses available. They chose to use “Teen Talk,” a slick, pre-packaged Planned Parenthood-linked program. Like similar programs created by Planned Parenthood and LGBT organizations, it pushes the normalization of homosexuality, transgenderism, pre-marital sex, various deviant sex practices, abortion, and other social pathologies.
It was all very devious. After the school officials selected “Teen Talk,” parents were upset with the phony “public vetting” process that revealed little about the curriculum — and the school refused to make the content details public. So the parents asked MassResistance to help them.
On Sept. 9, 2019, the Downey School Board voted 6-1 to implement “Teen Talk,” despite the pleas of parents who came to the Board meeting to try to dissuade them.
MassResistance exposes the truth about “Teen Talk”
Parents were particularly upset that they hadn’t had a chance to actually see the curriculum, only a sanitized version that the school officials had presented.
That needed to change. On September 19, Arthur Schaper of MassResistance scheduled a meeting at the Downey School District main office. He insisted that someone from the public should be allowed to view the curriculum and also photograph any part of it to show others. After some strong initial pushback, the Downey administrators agreed to allow it. (NOTE: Many people would have just given up and not insisted!)
What Arthur uncovered was even more bizarre, graphic, and offensive than we had expected. It was some of the worst LGBT sex-propaganda that we’ve encountered. MassResistance published numerous photos and text and also distributed a report on it to local Downey parents. (See more detail on “Teen Talk” here and here.)
When parents saw this, they were more outraged than ever.
As upset as they were, the parents felt helpless as to what to do about it. The Downey School Board members are as entrenched in their positions — and disconnected from parents — as one could imagine. Most of them have been in office for decades. One has been there since 1979 — 40 years! Plus, they rarely have had opposition in their elections. They are used to doing things their way and not being questioned by their largely Hispanic constituents.
MassResistance educates and organizes local parents
We formed a Downey MassResistance chapter, which quickly began to grow! Led by Sandi, a local mother, the new chapter got right to work alerting, educating, and organizing people across the city. They were thorough and relentless:
– They leafletted outside of public schools. The flyers described the curriculum and invited parents to get involved.
– They held meetings to educate and mobilize parents. The meetings were in churches and other venues. They also included pastors, local businessmen, and community leaders.
– They staged sidewalk demonstrations. Parents demonstrated and held signs outside the offices of a local state legislator (who had voted for the California Healthy Youth Act).
– They canvassed door-to-door and at public venues. The flyers, in both English and Spanish, identified the local School Board members who voted for the “Teen Talk” curriculum and were up for re-election in 2020.
Residents across the city were very receptive to our message. People were shocked that their school district would implement a sex-ed curriculum that was so explicit, vulgar, and inappropriate. Many eagerly signed up to get involved. Several immediately began contacting their School Board members by phone and email.
Parents storm the School Board meetings
In addition, starting in September, large numbers of local MassResistance parents began coming to School Board meetings to demand that this toxic curriculum be stopped. They held signs inside the chambers, and also outside, and gave strong, impassioned testimony directed at the Board members and school administrators.
Here’s what the parents demanded: Repeal the decision to use “Teen Talk” and instead create a course in-house that satisfies the bare minimum state requirements (e.g., be medically accurate and age-appropriate, etc.) and is not offensive to parents. It definitely must not include medically false LGBT propaganda on “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.”
It seemed like a reasonable thing to ask for. But the School Board members were resolute in their decision. Like School Board members across America, they came off as a group of arrogant liberals who are convinced they know better than parents about children, sex, and homosexuality.
The “Heart Curriculum.” Parents were also suggesting that Downey consider a sex-ed curriculum called “The Heart Curriculum,” written by an Orange County–area pro-family man along with a committee of conservative health professionals. The Heart Curriculum was written to be compliant with the Healthy Youth Act. We had some concerns that the Heart Curriculum seemed a bit compromised on issues such as moral judgments, abortion, same-sex attraction and so-called gender identity. But it’s a big step in the right direction.
An attorney from the pro-family legal group Pacific Justice Institute also came to a Downey School Board meeting to testify that the Heart Curriculum satisfied the CA Healthy Youth Act. He also sent the Board an official letter attesting to that.
A prolonged battle. For months, the Board members refused to address the subject. Several parents requested individual or group meetings with their Board members, which is quite common. But none of the Board members would even agree to meet with parents and talk about it. So as the months went by, the parents kept up the pressure.
Victory: The Board finally caves in!
By all accounts, the Downey School Board has never experienced this level of outrage from the community.
Finally, the School Board decided they’d had enough. It may be that they had heard that MassResistance parents were considering protesting outside of their houses in order to persuade them to meet with constituents on this. But it’s likely that they decided that the fight was no longer worth it, even though many of them probably receive political support from Planned Parenthood and other liberal groups.
In March 2020 (although there was no formal Board vote) the administration notified parents that the Downey school district was not going to use the “Teen Talk” curriculum. As the MassResistance parents had demanded, a new curriculum will be written by a committee of school staff. Although the committee will not adopt the Heart Curriculum, we were told, it will at least include the author of the Heart Curriculum as a committee member, which MassResistance had requested.
In a subsequent email to Sandi, the Superintendent admitted that the parents’ appearances at the School Board meetings had an impact. He wrote, “we ultimately are revising the curriculum as a result of your input.”
It’s a BIG victory! This is the first time we have seen a School Board — especially an entrenched liberal one whose members likely get political support from Planned Parenthood — capitulate to parents on this issue!
One problem still to resolve
There’s one problem that still needs to be resolved. And we’re confident we can fix this one, too!
In early March, Sandi and the other MassResistance parents were told by an Assistant Superintendent that no actual Downey parents would be allowed to be on the new sex-ed curriculum committee. It would only consist of sex-ed teachers, members of the school administration, and the author of the Heart Curriculum. We were shocked to hear that!
He said that Downey parents will not even be allowed to see the curriculum at all until it’s finished. Parents could then “review” the curriculum and “give feedback on it.” That’s the same phony process that the school used for the “Teen Talk” curriculum. It’s basically designed not to give parents the information they need or any ability to affect it.
He also told us that the new curriculum will be including information “that parents will not be happy with” because “it’s the law and it must be included.”
School districts across the country that write their own sex ed curriculum routinely include at least a few parents. Even a neighboring district to Downey recently did. When Sandi asked the Superintendent why Downey couldn’t also let parents be part of this process, she got an absurd response:
What about the large amount of parents who don’t get to write the curriculum? They would then have a complaint that they were not involved and would question why only a select group of parents was involved. … If we choose a select group of parents then we will have other parents asking us why only that small group got to write a curriculum for all of our students for now and years to come.
That is simply a ridiculous answer. We suspect that the real reason is that other school districts purposely pick only left-leaning parents for those committees — and the Downey administrators know they won’t be able to get away with that this time.
MassResistance parents are confident they will break through this barrier, also!
Final thoughts
We strongly believe that with a tough strategy and by not giving up, parents can win virtually any “culture war” battle with school officials.
But in the larger sense, it’s a sad and frightening situation when local parents can’t trust their own School Board or the teachers and administrators in their schools to present a course to their children that does not include disgusting sexual perversion. As repulsive as “Teen Talk” is, it was enthusiastically approved by all the people who are counted on to protect children. They are simply bad people. They should be repulsed by it and refuse to have anything to do with it.
That is the battle across America (and beyond) that parents are fighting. The people doing these things to children aren’t just “misguided.” We are up against evil. Unfortunately, it often seems that MassResistance is the only pro-family group that understands this.
Published with permission from MassResistance.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-06--Vatican releases bafflingly vague statement about financial discipline ‘measures’

May 6 , 2020 ( CatholicCulture.org ) — The Vatican , which is struggling to regain public confidence in its financial dealings , announced late last week that “ individual measures had been arranged for some employees of the Holy See.
” In case you need a translation , that deliberately opaque statement means that some Vatican workers had been disciplined .
The disciplinary measures were imposed , the Vatican explained , to follow up on “ those adopted at the beginning of the investigation of financial and real-estate investments of the Secretariat of State.
” How many Vatican employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What had they done to provoke disciplinary measures ?
What were those measures ?
None of those obvious questions was addressed in what the Vatican ’ s spokesman , Matteo Bruni , described as a response to journalists ’ inquiries .
So we know that something has been done to some employees , because of something those employees had done .
And that ’ s all we know — or rather , all we would know , if we relied on official Vatican sources for our information .
If you ’ re trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transparency , this isn ’ t the way to go about it .
Actually , since the Vatican rumor mill conveys information much more efficiently than the Vatican press office , we do know more about this story .
We know that the Vatican employees in question have been dismissed from their posts .
We know that they were involved — somehow , perhaps only tangentially — in the financial transactions that led up to a police raid last October 1 on the offices of the Secretariat of State and the Financial Information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know why that raid took place .
Immediately after the October raid , five Vatican employees were suspended .
The Vatican did not announce the suspensions , and in fact took harsh disciplinary action against the people who were responsible for letting the suspensions become public knowledge , including the chief of the Vatican police force that conducted the raid .
Some of those who were suspended have subsequently been replaced .
( In April , for instance , the Vatican announced that Tommaso Di Ruzza , the director of the Financial Information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his term of office and was not re-appointed . )
Others found out last Friday — which was May 1 , Labor Day in Italy — that they were losing their jobs .
The case of Di Ruzza is particularly interesting , because he headed the office that is responsible for ensuring the integrity of Vatican financial transactions .
If he had been involved in some misconduct , that would be a serious blow to the Vatican ’ s campaign for public confidence .
But the board of the AIF gave him their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , AIF president Rene Bruelhart , resigned in protest .
( The Vatican claimed that Bruelhart , too , had completed his term and was not re-appointed . )
Some Vatican-watchers concluded that the AIF had been investigating questionable dealings by the Secretariat of State , and the raid was conducted not to expose those dealings but to prevent their exposure .
That is speculation , of course , but speculation is all we have , in the absence of clear information .
As John Allen observed for Crux : Nothing about this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s financial integrity .
Nothing matches the oft-repeated commitment to reform , transparency , and accountability .
A related matter : As of tomorrow , nineteen months will have passed since Pope Francis promised a full investigation of the McCarrick affair .
Three months will have passed since Cardinal Pietro Parolin , the Secretary of State , disclosed that the investigation was complete .
“ The work has been done , ” he said , “ but the Pope has the last word.
” We ’ re still waiting .
Published with permission @ @ @ @

If you’re trying to develop a reputation for candor and transparency, this isn’t the way to go about it.
May 6, 2020 (CatholicCulture.org) — The Vatican, which is struggling to regain public confidence in its financial dealings, announced late last week that “individual measures had been arranged for some employees of the Holy See.”
In case you need a translation, that deliberately opaque statement means that some Vatican workers had been disciplined. The disciplinary measures were imposed, the Vatican explained, to follow up on “those adopted at the beginning of the investigation of financial and real-estate investments of the Secretariat of State.”
How many Vatican employees were disciplined? Who were they? What had they done to provoke disciplinary measures? What were those measures? None of those obvious questions was addressed in what the Vatican’s spokesman, Matteo Bruni, described as a response to journalists’ inquiries.
So we know that something has been done to some employees, because of something those employees had done. And that’s all we know — or rather, all we would know, if we relied on official Vatican sources for our information. If you’re trying to develop a reputation for candor and transparency, this isn’t the way to go about it.
Actually, since the Vatican rumor mill conveys information much more efficiently than the Vatican press office, we do know more about this story. We know that the Vatican employees in question have been dismissed from their posts. We know that they were involved — somehow, perhaps only tangentially — in the financial transactions that led up to a police raid last October 1 on the offices of the Secretariat of State and the Financial Information Authority. But we don’t know why that raid took place.
Immediately after the October raid, five Vatican employees were suspended. The Vatican did not announce the suspensions, and in fact took harsh disciplinary action against the people who were responsible for letting the suspensions become public knowledge, including the chief of the Vatican police force that conducted the raid. Some of those who were suspended have subsequently been replaced. (In April, for instance, the Vatican announced that Tommaso Di Ruzza, the director of the Financial Information Authority [AIF], had completed his term of office and was not re-appointed.) Others found out last Friday — which was May 1, Labor Day in Italy — that they were losing their jobs.
The case of Di Ruzza is particularly interesting, because he headed the office that is responsible for ensuring the integrity of Vatican financial transactions. If he had been involved in some misconduct, that would be a serious blow to the Vatican’s campaign for public confidence. But the board of the AIF gave him their unqualified support, and his immediate superior, AIF president Rene Bruelhart, resigned in protest. (The Vatican claimed that Bruelhart, too, had completed his term and was not re-appointed.) Some Vatican-watchers concluded that the AIF had been investigating questionable dealings by the Secretariat of State, and the raid was conducted not to expose those dealings but to prevent their exposure. That is speculation, of course, but speculation is all we have, in the absence of clear information. As John Allen observed for Crux:
To date, no evidence has been produced to suggest that di Ruzza or the other four employees were guilty of wrongdoing. In any event, the deal for which they were being investigated had been approved by superiors in the Secretariat of State and, eventually, the pope himself.
Nothing about this story inspires confidence in the Vatican’s financial integrity. Nothing matches the oft-repeated commitment to reform, transparency, and accountability.
A related matter: As of tomorrow, nineteen months will have passed since Pope Francis promised a full investigation of the McCarrick affair. Three months will have passed since Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State, disclosed that the investigation was complete. “The work has been done,” he said, “but the Pope has the last word.” We’re still waiting.
Published with permission from the CatholicCulture.org.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-06--The priests I admire the most are probably not those you would expect

“ No one is ever holy without suffering.
” ―Evelyn Waugh , “ Brideshead Revisited ” May 6 , 2020 ( Sons of St. Joseph ) — I have been around the world of traditional ( trad ) Catholicism for over 20 years ; strangely I shipwrecked onto the shores of this strange land almost immediately after I was cast adrift from a place that seemed a universe away .
For all of my adult life , I lived in and around the gay male environs of the Castro District in San Francisco — with occasional excursions to West Hollywood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How and why I ended-up here , I didn ’ t know ; part of it was my own doing .
Although I was slightly adrift — I kept floating back to the same place — the gay world .
Momentarily , I thought I was back in the Catholic Church .
There were colorful statues and a marble altar that was reminiscent of the parish I attended when I was a boy ; most of the churches in San Francisco were historic and beautiful ; unlike the ugly concrete bunker that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed as a teenager after my family moved .
But these architectural masterpieces were a standing ruin ; nothing that resembled Catholicism remained inside — instead , Christ ’ s “ garment sprinkled with blood ” had been replaced by the rainbow flag .
( Rev .
19:13 ) The priest told me to go back .
I wondered : To what ?
As a result — I returned to my empty lifeboat and prayed for rescue .
I constantly scanned the horizon for a passing ship , but I saw nothing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bright star in the distance .
I tried to follow it — feverishly paddling through the water with my hands ; going against the tide , I gradually neared a location where the star seemed directly overhead .
Then , I crawled onto the beach and kissed the sand .
In the morning , I found myself in a mysterious land .
In the churches , I heard only Latin ; the priest had his back to me ; and young men ( many with their large families ) actually attended Mass .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ purposefully isolated .
I liked this — they didn ’ t exhibit a desperate and almost neurotic need to be liked ; therefore , for the first time in my life — I heard the truth .
Yet , their words , as difficult as they might have been for me to hear , did not elicit a flight response inside me ; I didn ’ t want to throw myself upon the churning waves once again .
I wanted to remain nearby .
After being lost for so long , and nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could help me survive .
Anyway , I had nowhere else to go — like the ancient mariners , beyond the Pillars of Hercules , I knew there was nothing except an almost endless sea .
Slowly , I passably learned the language and came to understand the meaning in every gesture performed at Mass — I watched with keen interest as the priest made the sign of the cross over the chalice — with his arm and hand in a certain precise position ; there were no extraneous gestures like the flurry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that took place at the most raucous versions of the Novus Ordo .
But as a child during the disco-era , I had come to oddly revolt against the experimentation and freedom extolled by the “ human potential ” movement of the 1970s ; I longed for disciple and purpose ; in traditional Catholicism , I found it .
Yet , I never felt as if I were being unduly repressed or that some sort of “ change ” was a requirement ; instead , they gave me the freedom to make an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actual teachings of the Catholic Church ( not their own interpretations of them/or what they thought those teachings might look like in 20 or 100 years ) or to reject them .
I chose to stay .
In secular society , this is why so many generations of miseducated and wayward men are instinctively attracted to the clear and straightforward directives of pseudo-priest Jordan Peterson and his message of “ clean up your room ” and “ stand up straight with your shoulders back.
” Reminds me of what a traditional priest once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the midst of a somewhat overwrought spiritual battle inside my head ; he simply stated : “ Keep it simple.
” “ Courageous and truthful words will render your reality simple , pristine , well-defined and habitable.
” —Jordan Peterson Over the next couple of years , I further explored traditional Catholicism .
In this world , I was quickly dumbfounded by the obvious reassertion of what I previously dismissed as outdated gender-norms .
I remembered how masculinity and femininity are idolized and turned into caricatures within male homosexuality through the images of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissing gender as a social construct , the LGBT community simultaneously embraced the extremes ; on a cultural basis , this phenomenon is witnessed in the popularity of male Marvel superheroes and Kim Kardashian .
But the reality and the unique quality inherent in the sexes is only fully realized through the complementarity of male and female within the family .
I started to appreciate this fact due to my observations of the Catholic families who attended the traditional Mass .
Unlike the rather bizarre and false dichotomy in gay partnerships , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such duel categorizations as top/bottom , butch/fem , passive/aggressive , the profound harmony between a man and woman is completely lacking in same-sex couples ; for years I tried to deny this reality , until I could no longer pretend that gay male sex wasn ’ t permanently damaging my body or that of my partners .
Seated in the last pew of the church , instead of focusing on the Mass , oftentimes I would watch the various young families in attendance .
Years earlier , when I was openly gay and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for hours in a San Francisco park and watch the parents play with their children .
Even in the middle of the most liberal city in the US — I could not help noticing the sometimes-stark physical differences in the sexes ; it became most apparent when the fathers carried blankets , baskets , and a small boy from the car to a shady spot on the grass , while the mother walked behind with a single plastic water bottle .
Yet , no one appeared to be chauvinistic or demeaned — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the kid ’ s toys and the family ’ s lunch ; while the kids exhausted themselves with dad playing frisbee , the mom organized everything under the sheltering coolness of a large tree .
In the church , the mom and dad anchored each end of a pew with the kids placed between them .
Remarkably well-behaved , their children did not look to be bored or oppressed ; neither was I .
When male/female and family is in sync , so is society — and this was reflected in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encountered in San Francisco , who alternately wavered from effete to transgender , these men were similar to the fathers seated in the pews : they were decisive and focused ; but they were also present .
The dad in front of me didn ’ t simply bookend his kids at the end of the pew — he wasn ’ t merely a body that alternately went to work , sat in front of the TV , or immediately plugged into the computer — he was actively engaged .
The priests I met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men , but they were not bruisers .
Fidelity and a commitment to the truth lends a certain gravitas .
For instance , besides the bookish and thin Jordan Peterson , a cadre of lost young men have similarly coalesced around the diminutive Ben Shapiro .
After a while , I realized that the traditional Catholic world was not an island , but like San Francisco , it was situated on a peninsula .
Somewhat removed from the rest of the country , hence San Francisco ’ s longtime reputation as a radical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And , after growing-up in parochial schools during the 1970s and 80s , there was nothing more radical than Catholic liturgical and moral conservatism .
Many of us who crashed onto this world came from different backgrounds ; but our common denominator was a personal search for truth and stability in a relativistic and chaotic society ; we were an odd group , but like the castaways on “ Gilligan ’ s Island ” — we were a family .
Generally , many of the priests were very much the same as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They too had become disillusioned by the status-quo ; with scandalous liturgical abuses and the propensity for priests and prelates to avoid the tougher social issues such as contraception and homosexuality .
But they seemed to inhabit two rather distinct areas on this traditional Catholic peninsula .
Those most distant from the mainland world of Novus Ordo Catholicism were the priests who came from traditional orders that only offered the traditional Latin Mass ( TLM ) ; some of the younger priests had been raised in the world of traditional Catholicism .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , closer to where this peninsula joined the mainland , were priests incardinated in their particular dioceses , who , despite a large amount of resistance in the 1980s and 90s , were somehow able to learn the rubrics of the Mass ( often on their own ) and occasionally offer the TLM to the public ; this all took place before the 2007 “ Motu Proprio ” issued by Benedict XVI .
Many of these priests had endured corrupt seminaries in the 1970s and 80s .
A number of these men kept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — arranging clandestine group-discussions with other like-minded seminarians .
If they survived the always lingering threat of harassment or expulsion from rectors and professors , they again had to withstand intimidation and oppression from their local ordinaries .
Once assigned to a parish , I watched in saddened disbelief as “ good ” priests were frequently regarded as suspect and even openly ridiculed by more progressive lay-Catholics who were usually ensconced in various liturgical and pastoral councils .
I knew a few priests who collapsed under this constant pressure ; I haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I still believe they are courageous .
The Catholic priests who have been able to persevere , outside of a traditional religious order , are a tremendous inspiration to me .
They have suffered ; and that suffering has made them holy .
This does not mean that seminarians and priests from the traditional orders have not had to undergo their own trials , but they have been somewhat sequestered from the confusion and turmoil in the Catholic Church — I fully recognized this when I first began to regularly attend Mass at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order that solely offered the TLM , I thought I had stepped back in time to a pre–Vatican II era .
I will never forget speaking to a bishop with a rather liberal reputation about my experiences at the traditional Benedictine Abbey of Fontgombault in France ; with noticeable disdain , he dismissed my obvious enthusiasm with this statement : “ That is not the Church…it ’ s not real .
It ’ s a phantasm…it never existed.
” I thought to myself : That is what you have tried to make us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have kept tradition alive — despite the likes of you .
During the canonization process of St. Bernadette , the advocates for her sainthood repeatedly stated that the apparitions at Lourdes alone were not sufficient to guarantee that her cause would move forward ; according to “ Butler ’ s Lives of the Saints ” : A biographer once described Bernadette ’ s life after the end of the apparitions as “ humdrum in the extreme.
” The hagiographies of Bernadette also consistently recount the often-unkind treatment she endured at the convent in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her short life as a nun who was often relegated to the most menial tasks ; the persecution she underwent while under the supervision of the intractable Sister Marie Therese Vauzou was forever immortalized in the movie version of “ The Song of Bernadette.
” As has become incredibly evident during the COVID-19 crisis , and the closing of the churches , priests who have “ humdrum ” lives have become heroic ; like St. Bernadette nothing about them is “ humdrum.
” Through the creative utilization of social media , priests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the traditional liturgy and a steadfast adherence to Catholic doctrines and teachings ) have emerged as inspirational figures representing bravery and solidity in a world dominated by weak and reactionary Church leaders .
Good priests have suffered — and continue to do so .
Like in myself , the outside world — through its continued slide into perversity and indifference — causes a certain amount of pain ; for it is difficult to watch mankind , and in particular those we know and love , fall deeper into disorder and damnation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church , create an even more intense agony that is extremely acute .
It makes us want to run away ; but we don ’ t .
Instead , gallant priests have remained and selflessly offered solace to the rest of us who suffer along with them .
“ And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
” ( 2 Tim .
3:12 ) Published with permission from the Sons of St. Joseph .

“No one is ever holy without suffering.”
―Evelyn Waugh, “Brideshead Revisited”
May 6, 2020 (Sons of St. Joseph) — I have been around the world of traditional (trad) Catholicism for over 20 years; strangely I shipwrecked onto the shores of this strange land almost immediately after I was cast adrift from a place that seemed a universe away. For all of my adult life, I lived in and around the gay male environs of the Castro District in San Francisco — with occasional excursions to West Hollywood and Chelsea/Greenwich Village in New York City. How and why I ended-up here, I didn’t know; part of it was my own doing. Although I was slightly adrift — I kept floating back to the same place — the gay world. Momentarily, I thought I was back in the Catholic Church. There were colorful statues and a marble altar that was reminiscent of the parish I attended when I was a boy; most of the churches in San Francisco were historic and beautiful; unlike the ugly concrete bunker that doubled as a theater-in-the-round where I was confirmed as a teenager after my family moved. But these architectural masterpieces were a standing ruin; nothing that resembled Catholicism remained inside — instead, Christ’s “garment sprinkled with blood” had been replaced by the rainbow flag. (Rev. 19:13)
The priest told me to go back. I wondered: To what?
As a result — I returned to my empty lifeboat and prayed for rescue. I constantly scanned the horizon for a passing ship, but I saw nothing. Then, I thought I spotted a bright star in the distance. I tried to follow it — feverishly paddling through the water with my hands; going against the tide, I gradually neared a location where the star seemed directly overhead. Then, I crawled onto the beach and kissed the sand.
In the morning, I found myself in a mysterious land. In the churches, I heard only Latin; the priest had his back to me; and young men (many with their large families) actually attended Mass. These priests were composed and compassionate yet purposefully isolated. I liked this — they didn’t exhibit a desperate and almost neurotic need to be liked; therefore, for the first time in my life — I heard the truth. Yet, their words, as difficult as they might have been for me to hear, did not elicit a flight response inside me; I didn’t want to throw myself upon the churning waves once again. I wanted to remain nearby. After being lost for so long, and nearly dead, I knew that these men could help me survive. Anyway, I had nowhere else to go — like the ancient mariners, beyond the Pillars of Hercules, I knew there was nothing except an almost endless sea.
Slowly, I passably learned the language and came to understand the meaning in every gesture performed at Mass — I watched with keen interest as the priest made the sign of the cross over the chalice — with his arm and hand in a certain precise position; there were no extraneous gestures like the flurry of fluttering, waving, and high-fives that took place at the most raucous versions of the Novus Ordo. But as a child during the disco-era, I had come to oddly revolt against the experimentation and freedom extolled by the “human potential” movement of the 1970s; I longed for disciple and purpose; in traditional Catholicism, I found it. Yet, I never felt as if I were being unduly repressed or that some sort of “change” was a requirement; instead, they gave me the freedom to make an informed decision; whether to follow the actual teachings of the Catholic Church (not their own interpretations of them/or what they thought those teachings might look like in 20 or 100 years) or to reject them. I chose to stay.
In secular society, this is why so many generations of miseducated and wayward men are instinctively attracted to the clear and straightforward directives of pseudo-priest Jordan Peterson and his message of “clean up your room” and “stand up straight with your shoulders back.” Reminds me of what a traditional priest once said to me while I was in the midst of a somewhat overwrought spiritual battle inside my head; he simply stated: “Keep it simple.”
“Courageous and truthful words will render your reality simple, pristine, well-defined and habitable.” —Jordan Peterson
Over the next couple of years, I further explored traditional Catholicism. In this world, I was quickly dumbfounded by the obvious reassertion of what I previously dismissed as outdated gender-norms. I remembered how masculinity and femininity are idolized and turned into caricatures within male homosexuality through the images of the macho-man and the drag-queen. While dismissing gender as a social construct, the LGBT community simultaneously embraced the extremes; on a cultural basis, this phenomenon is witnessed in the popularity of male Marvel superheroes and Kim Kardashian. But the reality and the unique quality inherent in the sexes is only fully realized through the complementarity of male and female within the family. I started to appreciate this fact due to my observations of the Catholic families who attended the traditional Mass. Unlike the rather bizarre and false dichotomy in gay partnerships, though often based on physiological differences that include such duel categorizations as top/bottom, butch/fem, passive/aggressive, the profound harmony between a man and woman is completely lacking in same-sex couples; for years I tried to deny this reality, until I could no longer pretend that gay male sex wasn’t permanently damaging my body or that of my partners.
Seated in the last pew of the church, instead of focusing on the Mass, oftentimes I would watch the various young families in attendance. Years earlier, when I was openly gay and nearly suicidal, I’d sit for hours in a San Francisco park and watch the parents play with their children. Even in the middle of the most liberal city in the US — I could not help noticing the sometimes-stark physical differences in the sexes; it became most apparent when the fathers carried blankets, baskets, and a small boy from the car to a shady spot on the grass, while the mother walked behind with a single plastic water bottle. Yet, no one appeared to be chauvinistic or demeaned — the man was happy that he could hulk around the kid’s toys and the family’s lunch; while the kids exhausted themselves with dad playing frisbee, the mom organized everything under the sheltering coolness of a large tree. In the church, the mom and dad anchored each end of a pew with the kids placed between them. Remarkably well-behaved, their children did not look to be bored or oppressed; neither was I. When male/female and family is in sync, so is society — and this was reflected in the Mass.
Unlike the priests I occasionally encountered in San Francisco, who alternately wavered from effete to transgender, these men were similar to the fathers seated in the pews: they were decisive and focused; but they were also present. The dad in front of me didn’t simply bookend his kids at the end of the pew — he wasn’t merely a body that alternately went to work, sat in front of the TV, or immediately plugged into the computer — he was actively engaged.
The priests I met in the traditional Catholic world were strong men, but they were not bruisers. Fidelity and a commitment to the truth lends a certain gravitas. For instance, besides the bookish and thin Jordan Peterson, a cadre of lost young men have similarly coalesced around the diminutive Ben Shapiro.
After a while, I realized that the traditional Catholic world was not an island, but like San Francisco, it was situated on a peninsula. Somewhat removed from the rest of the country, hence San Francisco’s longtime reputation as a radical last bastion for the disfranchised the disillusioned. And, after growing-up in parochial schools during the 1970s and 80s, there was nothing more radical than Catholic liturgical and moral conservatism. Many of us who crashed onto this world came from different backgrounds; but our common denominator was a personal search for truth and stability in a relativistic and chaotic society; we were an odd group, but like the castaways on “Gilligan’s Island” — we were a family.
Generally, many of the priests were very much the same as those early refugees to San Francisco. They too had become disillusioned by the status-quo; with scandalous liturgical abuses and the propensity for priests and prelates to avoid the tougher social issues such as contraception and homosexuality. But they seemed to inhabit two rather distinct areas on this traditional Catholic peninsula. Those most distant from the mainland world of Novus Ordo Catholicism were the priests who came from traditional orders that only offered the traditional Latin Mass (TLM); some of the younger priests had been raised in the world of traditional Catholicism. The others, occupying a sort of isthmus, closer to where this peninsula joined the mainland, were priests incardinated in their particular dioceses, who, despite a large amount of resistance in the 1980s and 90s, were somehow able to learn the rubrics of the Mass (often on their own) and occasionally offer the TLM to the public; this all took place before the 2007 “Motu Proprio” issued by Benedict XVI. Many of these priests had endured corrupt seminaries in the 1970s and 80s. A number of these men kept their orthodoxy as a carefully guarded secret — arranging clandestine group-discussions with other like-minded seminarians. If they survived the always lingering threat of harassment or expulsion from rectors and professors, they again had to withstand intimidation and oppression from their local ordinaries. Once assigned to a parish, I watched in saddened disbelief as “good” priests were frequently regarded as suspect and even openly ridiculed by more progressive lay-Catholics who were usually ensconced in various liturgical and pastoral councils. I knew a few priests who collapsed under this constant pressure; I haven’t blamed them, in fact — I still believe they are courageous.
The Catholic priests who have been able to persevere, outside of a traditional religious order, are a tremendous inspiration to me. They have suffered; and that suffering has made them holy. This does not mean that seminarians and priests from the traditional orders have not had to undergo their own trials, but they have been somewhat sequestered from the confusion and turmoil in the Catholic Church — I fully recognized this when I first began to regularly attend Mass at a traditional parish overseen by a religious order that solely offered the TLM, I thought I had stepped back in time to a pre–Vatican II era. I will never forget speaking to a bishop with a rather liberal reputation about my experiences at the traditional Benedictine Abbey of Fontgombault in France; with noticeable disdain, he dismissed my obvious enthusiasm with this statement: “That is not the Church…it’s not real. It’s a phantasm…it never existed.” I thought to myself: That is what you have tried to make us believe. But a few stalwart priests have kept tradition alive — despite the likes of you.
During the canonization process of St. Bernadette, the advocates for her sainthood repeatedly stated that the apparitions at Lourdes alone were not sufficient to guarantee that her cause would move forward; according to “Butler’s Lives of the Saints”:
[Bernadette] was canonized in 1933…not for her visions but for her life of prayer, simple devotion, and straightforward obedience both to the Rule and to whatever God required her to undergo.
A biographer once described Bernadette’s life after the end of the apparitions as “humdrum in the extreme.” The hagiographies of Bernadette also consistently recount the often-unkind treatment she endured at the convent in Nevers where she spent the final years of her short life as a nun who was often relegated to the most menial tasks; the persecution she underwent while under the supervision of the intractable Sister Marie Therese Vauzou was forever immortalized in the movie version of “The Song of Bernadette.”
As has become incredibly evident during the COVID-19 crisis, and the closing of the churches, priests who have “humdrum” lives have become heroic; like St. Bernadette nothing about them is “humdrum.” Through the creative utilization of social media, priests (particularly those known for their devotion to the traditional liturgy and a steadfast adherence to Catholic doctrines and teachings) have emerged as inspirational figures representing bravery and solidity in a world dominated by weak and reactionary Church leaders. Good priests have suffered — and continue to do so. Like in myself, the outside world — through its continued slide into perversity and indifference — causes a certain amount of pain; for it is difficult to watch mankind, and in particular those we know and love, fall deeper into disorder and damnation. But much darker forces, within the Church, create an even more intense agony that is extremely acute. It makes us want to run away; but we don’t. Instead, gallant priests have remained and selflessly offered solace to the rest of us who suffer along with them.
“And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Tim. 3:12)
Published with permission from the Sons of St. Joseph.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-06--New Trump press secretary brings infant daughter to first briefing

May 6 , 2020 ( Live Action News ) — New White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany held her first White House briefing on Friday , after which , she celebrated her achievement with her infant daughter .
Baby girl Blake Gilmartin is five months old and is McEnany ’ s first child with husband Sean Gilmartin , a professional baseball pitcher .
In April , McEnany announced her new role as press secretary saying , “ The Trump campaign & family has consistently empowered me & my family through my pregnancy and as a new mom !
” That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her daughter for photographs in the briefing room .
“ So special to share this day with my daughter , Blake , ” McEnany wrote on Facebook .
“ From the podium to Marine One , it is an honor to serve the American people and share the great work of President Trump !
” Motherhood is not an obstacle that stands in the way of women achieving their goals , and McEnany and her daughter are an example of that .
Rapper Cardi B is also a woman who knows that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the same time .
In 2018 , she said she “ didn ’ t want to deal ” with abortion regret and the notion that a woman would be told to choose between her child and her career “ disgusts ” her .
When she first announced her pregnancy people told her , “ Oh , your career is over.
” But she thought , “ [ W ] hy can ’ t I have both ?
Like , as a woman , why can ’ t I have both ?
Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a career or a baby ?
” And recently , Vogue even reported on several well-known women who are raising children while pursuing their careers .
Women don ’ t have to choose between their career or their child , although the abortion industry tries to convince them they do and many women fear losing their jobs if they tell their bosses they are pregnant .
Discrimination still exists against pregnant and parenting mothers in the workplace , but women , including McEnany , are proving they are strong and capable of handling @ @ @ @ @

'From the podium to Marine One, it is an honor to serve the American people and share the great work of President Trump!'
May 6, 2020 (Live Action News) — New White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany held her first White House briefing on Friday, after which, she celebrated her achievement with her infant daughter.
Baby girl Blake Gilmartin is five months old and is McEnany’s first child with husband Sean Gilmartin, a professional baseball pitcher. In April, McEnany announced her new role as press secretary saying, “The Trump campaign & family has consistently empowered me & my family through my pregnancy and as a new mom!”
That support continued on Friday as McEnany held her daughter for photographs in the briefing room. “So special to share this day with my daughter, Blake,” McEnany wrote on Facebook. “From the podium to Marine One, it is an honor to serve the American people and share the great work of President Trump!”
Motherhood is not an obstacle that stands in the way of women achieving their goals, and McEnany and her daughter are an example of that. Rapper Cardi B is also a woman who knows that she can have her career and a baby at the same time. In 2018, she said she “didn’t want to deal” with abortion regret and the notion that a woman would be told to choose between her child and her career “disgusts” her. When she first announced her pregnancy people told her, “Oh, your career is over.” But she thought, “[W]hy can’t I have both? Like, as a woman, why can’t I have both? Like, why do I gotta choose a career or a baby?”
And recently, Vogue even reported on several well-known women who are raising children while pursuing their careers.
Women don’t have to choose between their career or their child, although the abortion industry tries to convince them they do and many women fear losing their jobs if they tell their bosses they are pregnant. Discrimination still exists against pregnant and parenting mothers in the workplace, but women, including McEnany, are proving they are strong and capable of handling both career and family.
Published with permission from Live Action News.
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