lifesitenews--2020-10-26--Vatican press office orders silence about Pope’s same-sex union comments

VATICAN CITY , October 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In the wake of the confusion surrounding Pope Francis ’ s recent comments on same-sex unions , the Vatican Communications department has ordered its journalists not to mention anything about the documentary .
Il Fatto Quotidiano reported on Thursday , that they had received an email from the editorial directors of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication , signed by Massimiliano Menichetti , the head of Radio Vaticana - Vatican News .
The email reads : “ Good day everyone , in reference to the uproar stirred up by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director Evgeny Afineevsky , for now we are not coming out with ANY news , either on the radio or on the web .
Nothing also about the film or the award given today in the Vatican .
There is an active discussion about how to address the current media crisis .
A statement from the Press Office is not excluded .
Please report to me if you can , both in the middle of the day and at the end of the day , any reactions from listeners and followers .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actual comments , it ’ s enough to send me two lines summarizing it .
Thank you , Massimiliano Menichetti.
” The email would perhaps serve to explain the Vatican media blackout which has been in place since the news broke on Wednesday about the Pope ’ s comments in the documentary , Francesco .
America magazine noted that the Vatican Press Office has remained quiet “ only because it knows that this is what the pope wants.
” Despite this directive to the Vatican press , the Pope showed his approval by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s director Evgeny Afineevsky , in the Paul VI Hall before the normal Wednesday general audience .
Francesco was then shown at the Rome Film Fest , an event directed by Antonio Monda , the brother of L ’ Osservatore Romano editor , Andrea Monda .
The film even received the “ Kinéo Movie for Humanity Award , ” which is awarded to those who “ promote social and humanitarian themes.
” The ceremony was held in the Vatican gardens .
However , questions have arisen surrounding the actual context of the Pope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how Afineevsky , himself a homosexual , came across such footage .
In 2017 Afineevsky had asked then-head of Vatican Communications , Monsignor Dario Vigano , if he could make a documentary about the Pope .
When Vigano resigned after tampering with a letter from Pope Benedict XVI concerning Pope Francis , his replacement Paulo Ruffini allowed Afineevsky to continue with his project and have access to the Vatican television archives .
America magazine reported that Afineevsky wished to conduct a personal video interview with the Pope , but was denied .
Nevertheless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Afineevsky discovered unedited footage of a 2019 interview the Pope gave to Valentina Alexraki for Mexico television , Televisa .
That interview had been conducted using Vatican cameras and the resulting footage remained the property of the Vatican , who edited the content before releasing it back to Televisa .
America stated that “ the Vatican did not edit or remove any part of what Francis said in the interview without his prior agreement.
” However , Afineevsky was able to use the unedited version of the Televisa interview , and seemingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to use in his film .
Whilst Afineevsky originally claimed that the Pope ’ s comments on same-sex unions were from an interview he conducted , it later emerged that he had in fact used the footage from the Televisa interview .
In light of the news of the Pope ’ s support for same-sex unions , Father Antonio Spadaro , editor of Jesuit magazine La Civiltà Cattolica , referred back to the Televisa interview : “ Thus there is nothing new .
We are talking about an interview that was already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passed on by the reception of the press.
” These words of the Pope from the documentary are not found in the official transcript of the Televisa interview : “ Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family .
They ’ re children of God and have a right to a family .
Nobody should be thrown out , or be made miserable because of it .
What we have to create is a civil union law .
That way they are legally covered .
I stood up for that.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ edited the remarks about same-sex unions out of the Televisa interview , as was custom in accord with the Pope ’ s wishes , America sourced the unedited version .
Regarding the phrase of civil unions , the relevant passage is drawn from an answer to whether he had become more liberal on the subject of same-sex unions .
Pope Francis said , “ The grace of the Holy Spirit certainly exists .
I have always defended the doctrine .
And it is curious that in the law on homosexual marriage… .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marriage .
But what we have to have is a law of civil union ( ley de convivencia civil ) , so they have the right to be legally covered.
” This answer was not contained in the edited version of the interview .
Confusion about the comments in Francesco remains , yet neither the Vatican Press Office nor the Pope have responded to requests or demonstrations asking for clarity .
However , it seems that the Pope had already seen the film with Afineevsky in August , with the director showing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After having seen the film , Pope Francis still gave his approval to Afineevsky in the private meeting on October 21 .
Commenting on the event , Damian Thompson , Associate Editor of The Spectator , claimed that the Pope had outwitted the Vatican Press office : “ It was the Pope who backed gay civil unions , outmanoeuvring his own press office ( who had tried to kill the story ) and humiliating orthodox papalators .
There is no longer a single Catholic narrative on this topic – exactly what he intended @ @

An email from the Dicastery for Communication read 'for now we are not coming out with ANY news, either on the radio or on the web.'
VATICAN CITY, October 26, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – In the wake of the confusion surrounding Pope Francis’s recent comments on same-sex unions, the Vatican Communications department has ordered its journalists not to mention anything about the documentary.
Il Fatto Quotidiano reported on Thursday, that they had received an email from the editorial directors of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, signed by Massimiliano Menichetti, the head of Radio Vaticana – Vatican News.
The email reads:
Good day everyone, in reference to the uproar stirred up by the film ‘Francesco’ by the Russian director Evgeny Afineevsky, for now we are not coming out with ANY news, either on the radio or on the web. Nothing also about the film or the award given today in the Vatican. There is an active discussion about how to address the current media crisis. A statement from the Press Office is not excluded. Please report to me if you can, both in the middle of the day and at the end of the day, any reactions from listeners and followers. It is not necessary to send me the actual comments, it’s enough to send me two lines summarizing it. Thank you, Massimiliano Menichetti.
The email would perhaps serve to explain the Vatican media blackout which has been in place since the news broke on Wednesday about the Pope’s comments in the documentary, Francesco. America magazine noted that the Vatican Press Office has remained quiet “only because it knows that this is what the pope wants.”
Despite this directive to the Vatican press, the Pope showed his approval by giving an audience to the film’s director Evgeny Afineevsky, in the Paul VI Hall before the normal Wednesday general audience.
Francesco was then shown at the Rome Film Fest, an event directed by Antonio Monda, the brother of L’Osservatore Romano editor, Andrea Monda. The film even received the “Kinéo Movie for Humanity Award,” which is awarded to those who “promote social and humanitarian themes.” The ceremony was held in the Vatican gardens.
However, questions have arisen surrounding the actual context of the Pope’s statements in the documentary and how Afineevsky, himself a homosexual, came across such footage.
In 2017 Afineevsky had asked then-head of Vatican Communications, Monsignor Dario Vigano, if he could make a documentary about the Pope. When Vigano resigned after tampering with a letter from Pope Benedict XVI concerning Pope Francis, his replacement Paulo Ruffini allowed Afineevsky to continue with his project and have access to the Vatican television archives.
America magazine reported that Afineevsky wished to conduct a personal video interview with the Pope, but was denied. Nevertheless, with his access to the archives, Afineevsky discovered unedited footage of a 2019 interview the Pope gave to Valentina Alexraki for Mexico television, Televisa.
That interview had been conducted using Vatican cameras and the resulting footage remained the property of the Vatican, who edited the content before releasing it back to Televisa.
America stated that “the Vatican did not edit or remove any part of what Francis said in the interview without his prior agreement.”
However, Afineevsky was able to use the unedited version of the Televisa interview, and seemingly selectively compiled the answers to different questions, to use in his film. Whilst Afineevsky originally claimed that the Pope’s comments on same-sex unions were from an interview he conducted, it later emerged that he had in fact used the footage from the Televisa interview.
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Ask Pope Francis to clarify and rectify scandalous remarks on homosexual civil unions Show Petition Text 22787 have signed the petition. Let's get to 25000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition Remarks attributed to Pope Francis (and, not denied by the Vatican) in support of homosexual civil unions have caused grave scandal to the faithful. Please SIGN this urgent petition which asks Pope Francis to clarify and rectify these heterodox and scandalous remarks on homosexual civil unions, and which will be delivered both to the Vatican and to the Papal Nuncio of the United States (the Pope's official representative in the U.S.). As the last guarantor of the Faith, the Pope should clarify and rectify these remarks, which go against the perennial teaching of the Church, even including the teaching of his living predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. "What we have to create is a law of civil coexistence [meaning civil union law, for homosexuals]...," Pope Francis is reported to have remarked, in what is arguably his clearest statement of public support for a practice morally prohibited by official Catholic Church teaching. In fact, the Church has been crystal clear in Her opposition to homosexual unions. Just in 2003, Pope Saint John Paul II approved a document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, titled 'Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons' and written by Cardinal Ratzinger (now, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI), which concludes with the following: "The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behaviour or to legal recognition of homosexual unions. The common good requires that laws recognize, promote and protect marriage as the basis of the family, the primary unit of society. Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean not only the approval of deviant behaviour, with the consequence of making it a model in present-day society, but would also obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity. The Church cannot fail to defend these values, for the good of men and women and for the good of society itself." It could not be more clear: the Church is calling people to repentance, not to be left to indulge in grave sin. Since becoming public, several senior prelates as well as other notable Catholic figures have voiced their opposition to these remarks attributed to the Pontiff. Cardinal Raymond Burke stated: "It is a source of deepest sadness and pressing pastoral concern that the private opinions reported with so much emphasis by the press and attributed to Pope Francis do not correspond to the constant teaching of the Church, as it is expressed in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition." Cardinal Gerhard Müller commented: "Where there is tension between the plain and obvious Word of God and the infallible interpretation on the one hand, and private expressions of opinion even by the highest church authorities on the other, the principle always applies: in dubio pro DEO [When in doubt, be in favor of God]." And, Catholic theologian and apologist Scott Hahn, without directly quoting Pope Francis, shared on Facebook the 'Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons,' published by the CDF in 1986, with the statement: "Holy Father, respectfully and humbly, I beg to differ... if that is indeed what you said. In any case, please clarify and rectify your statement, especially in view of the official teaching of our Lord through the magisterium of His Church." But, the silence from the Vatican has been deafening, with no clarification forthcoming. We must, therefore, ask the Pope for clarification in this serious matter. Please SIGN and SHARE this petition which asks Pope Francis to clarify and rectify remarks attributed to him in support of homosexual civil unions. FOR MORE INFORMATION: 'Cdl. Burke: Pope’s homosexual civil union remarks ‘contrary’ to Scripture, Tradition' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/cardinal-burke-on-popes-homosexual-civil-union-remarks-contrary-to-the-teaching-of-sacred-scripture-and-sacred-tradition 'Cardinal says Catholics ‘can and should’ disagree with Pope’s ‘opinion’ on gay civil unions' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/cdl.mueller-popes-words-on-gay-civil-unions-purely-private-expression-of-opinion-which-every-catholic-can-and-should-freely-contradict 'Archbishop Vigano, Bishops Tobin and Strickland respond to Pope’s approval of homosexual civil unions' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/archbishop-vigano-and-bishops-tobin-strickland-respond-to-popes-approval-of-homosexual-civil-unions 'Pope’s comments on gay civil unions cause shockwaves around the world' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/deepest-sadness-cardinal-burke-condemns-pope-franciss-remarks-supporting-civil-unions Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
In light of the news of the Pope’s support for same-sex unions, Father Antonio Spadaro, editor of Jesuit magazine La Civiltà Cattolica, referred back to the Televisa interview: “Thus there is nothing new. We are talking about an interview that was already given some time ago that was already passed on by the reception of the press.”
These words of the Pope from the documentary are not found in the official transcript of the Televisa interview: “Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it. What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that.”
Whilst the Vatican Press department had edited the remarks about same-sex unions out of the Televisa interview, as was custom in accord with the Pope’s wishes, America sourced the unedited version.
Regarding the phrase of civil unions, the relevant passage is drawn from an answer to whether he had become more liberal on the subject of same-sex unions. Pope Francis said, “The grace of the Holy Spirit certainly exists. I have always defended the doctrine. And it is curious that in the law on homosexual marriage…. It is an incongruity to speak of homosexual marriage. But what we have to have is a law of civil union (ley de convivencia civil), so they have the right to be legally covered.” This answer was not contained in the edited version of the interview.
Confusion about the comments in Francesco remains, yet neither the Vatican Press Office nor the Pope have responded to requests or demonstrations asking for clarity.
However, it seems that the Pope had already seen the film with Afineevsky in August, with the director showing the Pope his work on his iPad. After having seen the film, Pope Francis still gave his approval to Afineevsky in the private meeting on October 21.
Commenting on the event, Damian Thompson, Associate Editor of The Spectator, claimed that the Pope had outwitted the Vatican Press office: “It was the Pope who backed gay civil unions, outmanoeuvring his own press office (who had tried to kill the story) and humiliating orthodox papalators. There is no longer a single Catholic narrative on this topic – exactly what he intended.”
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lifesitenews--2020-10-26--Watch the US Senate’s final vote on confirming Barrett to the Supreme Court HERE

WASHINGTON , D.C. , October 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The U.S. Senate will vote on confirming Judge @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Supreme Court tonight beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m. Eastern time .
Watch the vote @ @ @ @ @ all of LifeSite ’ s coverage of the Barrett confirmation process here .

WASHINGTON, D.C., October 26, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The U.S. Senate will vote on confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court tonight beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Watch the vote live here, and follow all of LifeSite’s coverage of the Barrett confirmation process here.
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lifesitenews--2020-10-26--UK police violently break up huge London anti-lockdown protest

Under the banner “ Stop the New Normal , ” the march made its way from Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace and then to Trafalgar Square .
The protestors also stopped at Scotland Yard , the headquarters of London Metropolitan Police , in order to say “ what we think of the policing and what we think of how the laws have been presented.
” The marchers chanted slogans , shouting “ we are the 99 percent , ” making reference to the percentage of those who survive having COVID-19 .
Others joined in singing “ I would rather be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Trafalgar Square , speakers gave talks to the crowd while police watched .
However , the Metropolitan Police soon moved in to disband the protest .
Commander Adelekan , leading the police force at the scene , stated that he “ became increasingly concerned that those in the crowd were not maintaining social distancing or adhering to the terms of their own risk assessment.
” Adelekan continued : “ ( Organizers ) did not take reasonable steps to keep protesters safe which then voided their risk assessment .
At this point , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the interests of public safety .
I am grateful that the vast majority of people listened to officers and quickly left the area.
” Graphic videos have appeared online , recording the steps that police took , with footage showing police shoving and forcefully throwing people to the ground .
One video shows the police en masse chasing a protestor and pinning him to the ground .
Save Our Rights posted on Facebook that a group of around 2,000 had become detached from the main protest and were “ kettled and subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The organization added that the police “ didn ’ t dare do this when we were all together even when we were right outside Scotland Yard.
” Adelekan briefly noted the occurrence differently : “ Frustratingly , a small minority became obstructive , deliberately ignoring officers ’ instructions and blocking Westminster Bridge.
” However , the Guardian newspaper reported that it was the police who actually blocked the bridge .
Eighteen people were arrested as a result , with the police charging them for violating coronavirus restrictions , “ assaulting an emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being wanted.
” The police violence comes on the heels of footage from an anti-lockdown protest last month , when riot police stormed the peaceful crowd , beating the protestors with batons and leaving many bloodied .
A Black Lives Matter protest was also organized on October 24 to protest police brutality in Nigeria .
In contrast , footage of the event showed the police were present , but did not attempt to disperse the crowds , despite them being in violation of the “ social distancing ” protocol .
Louise Creffield , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said of the protest on Saturday , “ We believe that the coronavirus regulations that are in place are not proportionate and appropriate , and are causing more harm than good .
We are very concerned with protecting people ’ s human rights : right to privacy , family life , bodily autonomy , medical freedoms , and so on.
” The anti-lockdown protest is merely the latest of many that have been taking place in the capital city and across the country .
It comes in the wake of new restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dividing the country into one of three levels of lockdowns .
Thank you for signing this petition !

Twitter just deplatformed President Trump premanently! And, other conservatives, including General Flynn and Sidney Powell, were also deplatformed.
Conservatives, Christians and freedom-loving Americans of all political persuasions must now take a decision to preserve their free speech AND their ability to peaceably assemble by dumping Twitter and Big Tech, and by finding other good alternatives to communicate with each other and share their opinions.
Please SIGN our petition-pledge to Dump Twitter and Big Tech, and take back your freedom of speech and privacy. [CLICK HERE for our "Goodbye Google" resources page to find good alternatives to Google!]
When you use Twitter or Facebook to communicate, or Google to search for something online, these companies can stifle your ability to share your thoughts and opinions and manipulate your search results, threatening your privacy, your freedom of speech, and even our democracy.
Evidence suggests that Twitter and Facebook's 'community guidelines' are selectively enforced against conservatives and Christians, while Google rigs their search algorithms to direct traffic away from conservative and Christian websites, effectively choking traffic to those sites.
Simply put, Twitter, Facebook and Google (who owns YouTube) appear to be actively suppressing access to pro-freedom, pro-family and pro-life news and opinion.
Don't contribute to this assault on democracy: Stop using Twitter, Facebook and Google as your default social media platforms and search engine! [CLICK HERE to find a good alternative to Google.]
To repeat: a few liberal and completely unaccountable computer programmers in Silicon Valley are dictating what we do and do not see in our Twitter and Facebook feeds, and in our Google searches.
We, here, at LifeSite, also recently had our Twitter account suspended by the company over "misgendering" a man who claims to be a woman.
LifeSite has also experienced a fall-off in Google search-related traffic since the company updated its search algorithms at the beginning of May.
And, since the November election, Twitter and Big Tech appear to have dramatically INCREASED their censorship of conservatives and Christians as the President Trump disputed the results of the election and when evidence of election fraud began to mount.
Now, it seems likely that they are trying to cut-off conservative leaders (like President Trump) from conservatives on the ground, and effectively exclude us from the national conversation.
But, this tactic will not work. Because Twitter, Facebook and Google are not the only game in town! There are a good number of excellent alternatives which we list in our 'Goodbye Google' Resources page.
The great irony is that, while Twitter, Facebook and Google executives talk a lot about maintaining freedom of speech and diversity, in fact, these hypocrites are ATTACKING free speech point-blank!
This kind of manipulation poses a lethal threat to our democracy, but as we see so clearly now, Twitter and Big Tech have shown no hesitation in excluding conservatives and Christians from the public square.
So, at this point, the only way to stop Twitter, Facebook and Google is to quit using their platform.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition to pledge to stop using Twitter and Big Tech. Then, please CLICK HERE to find alternative search engines and social media platforms. Thank you!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Ready to say "Goodbye Google"? Find alternatives for search engines, browsers, email, and more: https://lifesite.kartra.com/page/gbgresources
'BREAKING: Twitter permanently bans President Trump from platform' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-twitter-permanently-bans-president-trump-from-platform
WATCH LifeSite's exclusive series - 'Big Tech vs Free Speech' - of interviews with experts on how Big Tech censorship is killing free speech: https://www.lifesitenews.com/bigtech/
From YouTube to social media and beyond, online censorship is rampant. Read the latest articles covering this ongoing struggle: https://lifesite.kartra.com/page/censorship


lifesitenews--2020-10-26--Venezuela’s far-left leader uses Pope Francis’ backing of gay civil unions to push for same-sex ‘mar

Venezuela’s far-left leader uses Pope Francis’ backing of gay civil unions to push for same-sex ‘marriage’

VENEZUELA , October 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Citing Pope Francis ’ recent comments in favor of homosexual civil unions , Venezuela ’ s far-left president Nicolas Maduro asked his country ’ s National Assembly to discuss same-sex “ marriage ” during its next term .
“ I have friends and acquaintances who were very happy with what the Pope said yesterday…I will leave that task , the task of LGBT marriage , to the next National Assembly , ” Reuters reports Maduro saying .
Maduro delivered his comments to the leaders of his Socialist Party at an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the release of the documentary , Francesco , in which the Pope made his remarks on civil unions for homosexuals that contradict previous Church teaching .
Pope Francis ’ comments in the documentary included a statement on the need to enact civil union laws for the protection of same-sex couples .
“ What we have to create is a civil union law .
That way they are legally covered .
I stood up for that , ” the Pope said .
The Venezuelan National Assembly would have to change the country ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marriage.
” Article 44 of Venezuela ’ s civil code says that “ matrimony can only be contracted between a single man and a single woman.
” An election for a new National Assembly is scheduled for December 6 .
The election has been denounced by critics as a fraudulent attempt by the illegitimate Maduro regime to consolidate its power .
The legitimacy of the elections has been contested due to irregularities in its planning process and concern that the vote will be rigged .
Rather than being appointed by the National Assembly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitution , the National Electoral Council was appointed by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice , which is loyal to Maduro .
The opposition parties that make up the Democratic Unity Roundtable have agreed to boycott the election , and have received international support from the Lima Group , the International Contact Group , the European Union , and the United States .
While the Venezuelan bishops ’ conference has criticized the Maduro regime for its actions , it also criticized the opposition ’ s boycott .
Maduro has been on record supporting same-sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parliamentary discussions of the were postponed once his legitimacy as president was contested after the country ’ s 2018 presidential election .
Maduro is not the only politician to have used Pope Francis ’ remarks to advance the legal recognition of same-sex relationships .
In the Philippines , President Rodrigo Duterte ’ s spokesman , Harry Roque , indicated that the Pope ’ s words will be used to silence conservatives opposed to legalizing same-sex civil unions .
“ With no less than the Pope supporting it , I think even the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer have a basis for objecting , ” he said .
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin was nuncio to Venezuela during the dictatorship of Chavez until being recalled to Rome by Pope Francis .
He was credited with re-establishing diplomatic relations with the Latin American Marxist regime .
Pope ’ s comments on gay civil unions cause shockwaves around the world Pope Francis calls for homosexual civil unions , bashes Trump in new film

Remarks attributed to Pope Francis (and, not denied by the Vatican) in support of homosexual civil unions have caused grave scandal to the faithful.
Please SIGN this urgent petition which asks Pope Francis to clarify and rectify these heterodox and scandalous remarks on homosexual civil unions, and which will be delivered both to the Vatican and to the Papal Nuncio of the United States (the Pope's official representative in the U.S.).
As the last guarantor of the Faith, the Pope should clarify and rectify these remarks, which go against the perennial teaching of the Church, even including the teaching of his living predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
"What we have to create is a law of civil coexistence [meaning civil union law, for homosexuals]...," Pope Francis is reported to have remarked, in what is arguably his clearest statement of public support for a practice morally prohibited by official Catholic Church teaching.
In fact, the Church has been crystal clear in Her opposition to homosexual unions.
Just in 2003, Pope Saint John Paul II approved a document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, titled 'Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons' and written by Cardinal Ratzinger (now, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI), which concludes with the following:
"The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behaviour or to legal recognition of homosexual unions. The common good requires that laws recognize, promote and protect marriage as the basis of the family, the primary unit of society. Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean not only the approval of deviant behaviour, with the consequence of making it a model in present-day society, but would also obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity. The Church cannot fail to defend these values, for the good of men and women and for the good of society itself."
It could not be more clear: the Church is calling people to repentance, not to be left to indulge in grave sin.
Since becoming public, several senior prelates as well as other notable Catholic figures have voiced their opposition to these remarks attributed to the Pontiff.
Cardinal Raymond Burke stated: "It is a source of deepest sadness and pressing pastoral concern that the private opinions reported with so much emphasis by the press and attributed to Pope Francis do not correspond to the constant teaching of the Church, as it is expressed in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition."
Cardinal Gerhard Müller commented: "Where there is tension between the plain and obvious Word of God and the infallible interpretation on the one hand, and private expressions of opinion even by the highest church authorities on the other, the principle always applies: in dubio pro DEO [When in doubt, be in favor of God]."
And, Catholic theologian and apologist Scott Hahn, without directly quoting Pope Francis, shared on Facebook the 'Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons,' published by the CDF in 1986, with the statement: "Holy Father, respectfully and humbly, I beg to differ... if that is indeed what you said. In any case, please clarify and rectify your statement, especially in view of the official teaching of our Lord through the magisterium of His Church."
But, the silence from the Vatican has been deafening, with no clarification forthcoming.
We must, therefore, ask the Pope for clarification in this serious matter.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition which asks Pope Francis to clarify and rectify remarks attributed to him in support of homosexual civil unions.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'Cdl. Burke: Pope’s homosexual civil union remarks ‘contrary’ to Scripture, Tradition' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/cardinal-burke-on-popes-homosexual-civil-union-remarks-contrary-to-the-teaching-of-sacred-scripture-and-sacred-tradition
'Cardinal says Catholics ‘can and should’ disagree with Pope’s ‘opinion’ on gay civil unions' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/cdl.mueller-popes-words-on-gay-civil-unions-purely-private-expression-of-opinion-which-every-catholic-can-and-should-freely-contradict
'Archbishop Vigano, Bishops Tobin and Strickland respond to Pope’s approval of homosexual civil unions' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/archbishop-vigano-and-bishops-tobin-strickland-respond-to-popes-approval-of-homosexual-civil-unions
'Pope’s comments on gay civil unions cause shockwaves around the world' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/deepest-sadness-cardinal-burke-condemns-pope-franciss-remarks-supporting-civil-unions


lifesitenews--2020-10-26--The long list of anti-life, anti-family abuses by Abp. Wilton Gregory, named a cardinal by Pope Fran

The long list of anti-life, anti-family abuses by Abp. Wilton Gregory, named a cardinal by Pope Francis

October 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – On Sunday , Pope Francis announced he is elevating Washington , D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory , to the rank of cardinal .
The announcement came just ten days ahead of the U.S. presidential election and the day before the U.S. Senate vote to confirm President Donald Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett .
Pope Francis , who cited election proximity when denying a meeting to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in September , also took veiled shots at Trump in a new documentary in which he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was released on October 22 .
Gregory , arguably one of Trump ’ s most vocal critics in the American Catholic hierarchy , made headlines when he harshly condemned the president ’ s June visit to D.C. ’ s Saint John Paul II National Shrine .
The visit had been long-planned .
Gregory had been invited , although his statement condemning Trump and the shrine did not mention that .
“ I find it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which call us to defend the rights of all people even those with whom we might disagree , ” said Gregory in a statement released the very hour of Trump ’ s visit .
Gregory will be the first black U.S. cardinal , but one of the most deeply anti-family , anti-life cardinals in history .
Listed below are Gregory ’ s worst assaults on marriage , the sanctity of life , and the Church over his long , scandalous career as a prelate .
• None Bernardin as his “ mentor ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Chicago and served as his auxilia • – and it was revealed in 2018 that McCarrick himself was a serial sex abuser .
• None in 2004 for refusing to release records of an accused priest .
• He drove Catholics away from the state ’ s Right to Life chapter , • None eferred to birth as the “ first moment of a person ’ s human dignity ” • None As head of the , and in tandem with • Leon Panetta to the USCCB National Review Board , calling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for reporter Cokie Roberts , an ardent partial-birth abortion supporter , at athedral .
He allowed Nancy Pelosi to deliver the eulogy .
• None Roberts explicitly advocated for partial-birth abortion and mocked its critics .
• ” who “ believed in the word of God.
” • None retreats of a dissident pro-LGBT Catholic group at his chancery and celebrated mass for them in 2014 and 2015 .
• None which would have protected pastors from facing criminal penalties for not performing homosexual • None to speak in his archdiocese multiple times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was seen as a slap in the face to sex abuse survivors who suffered at the hands of predatory homosexual priests .
• None that same priest to march with his parish in yearly • None with a group blacklisted by the Vatican .
• “ challenges the church and its pastors to move beyond thinking everything is black and white • None “ enthused ” with the Pope ’ s apparent support for • None of the 2017 annual conference of the Association of United State Catholic priests , which advocates for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Wilton Gregory has a long history of heterodoxy, undermining pro-life efforts, and promoting homosexuality and homosexual activists.
ANALYSIS
October 26, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – On Sunday, Pope Francis announced he is elevating Washington, D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory, to the rank of cardinal.
The announcement came just ten days ahead of the U.S. presidential election and the day before the U.S. Senate vote to confirm President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Pope Francis, who cited election proximity when denying a meeting to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in September, also took veiled shots at Trump in a new documentary in which he was featured. That documentary, Francesco, was released on October 22.
Gregory, arguably one of Trump’s most vocal critics in the American Catholic hierarchy, made headlines when he harshly condemned the president’s June visit to D.C.’s Saint John Paul II National Shrine. The visit had been long-planned. Gregory had been invited, although his statement condemning Trump and the shrine did not mention that.
“I find it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles, which call us to defend the rights of all people even those with whom we might disagree,” said Gregory in a statement released the very hour of Trump’s visit.
Gregory will be the first black U.S. cardinal, but one of the most deeply anti-family, anti-life cardinals in history. Listed below are Gregory’s worst assaults on marriage, the sanctity of life, and the Church over his long, scandalous career as a prelate.
Clerical s ex ual a buse
Gregory still unabashedly refers to the abuser-protecting Cardinal Joseph Gregory was Bernardin as his “mentor” and “father.” first ordained bishop in 1983 by then- a rchbishop Bernardin of Chicago and served as his auxilia ry for years.
Bernardin , himself accused of abuse , covered up numerous homosexual abusers and rapists while head of the Chicago archdiocese , as revealed in 2014.
At his 2019 installation M ass, Gregory described disgraced Cardinal Donald Wue rl as his “cherished friend” and “a true Christian gentleman.”
Gregory a uthorized , and allowed then- Cardinal Theodore McCarrick to help craft , the original 2002 Dallas Charter . The charter featured an ambiguous “zero tolerance” policy on sex abuse and rejected sanctions for bishops – and it was revealed in 2018 that McCarrick himself was a serial sex abuser.
Gregory was h eld in contempt of court in 2004 for refusing to release records of an accused priest.
While archbishop of Atlanta, he w ithheld names of credibly-accused Georgia priests f or years .
Gregory lobbied successfully against Georgia’s failed “Hidden Predator Act” of 2018, which would have extended the statute of limitation s in order to prosecute sexual abuse c rimes.
Abortion
Gregory c hampioned a “pro-life” group that avowed abortion exceptions for rape and incest . He drove Catholics away from the state’s Right to Life chapter, splintering Georgia’s pro-life movement and facilitating abortions of the most vulnerable babies.
Gregory r eferred to birth as the “first moment of a person’s human dignity” in June 2020 .
Under Gregory’s leadership, the Georgia Catholic Bishops Conference denounced efforts to enshrine unborn personhood into Georgia’s state constitution. Gregory had done so earlier , as well.
As head of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) , and in tandem with Cardinal McCarrick, Gregory withheld a nd mischaracterized a 2003 Vatican memo mandating that pro-abortion politicians not receive C ommunion.
In 2002, he appointed partial-birth abortion supporter Leon Panetta to the USCCB National Review Board, calling him a “faithful Catholic.” A ppointed a nother defiantly pro-abortion Democrat to the National Review Board in 2004.
Gregory presided over a funeral M ass in September 2019 for reporter Cokie Roberts, an ardent partial-birth abortion supporter, at D . C . ’s c Roberts explicitly advocated for partial-birth abortion and mocked its critics. In his homily, Gregory called Roberts athedral. He allowed Nancy Pelosi to deliver the eulogy. a “wise woman of faith,” an “extraordinary, professional servant of the truth ” who “believed in the word of God.”
Homosexuality and t ransgenderism
In 2013, Gregory reinstated a homosexual Atlanta priest he had previously removed because a sexual relationship.
Also in Atlanta, Gregory h osted the retreats of a dissident pro-LGBT Catholic group at his chancery and celebrated mass for them in 2014 and 2015.
Denounced Georgia’s 2018 HB 757, which would have protected pastors from facing criminal penalties for not performing homosexual or transgender “ weddings. ”
Invited pro-homsosexualist Father James Martin to speak in his archdiocese multiple times in 2018.
Gregory a ppointed a homosexuality-affirming priest as spiritual advisor for Atlanta abuse victims i n 2018 , which was seen as a slap in the face to Allowed sex abuse survivors who suffered at the hands of predatory homosexual priests. that same priest to march with his parish in yearly “ PRIDE ” parades and go to homosexual clubs , and then defended the priest from criticism .
Has allowed the pro-LGBT “ ministry ” of a D . C . priest, including his dissident retreat with a group blacklisted by the Vatican.
Tacitly affirmed the transgenderism of a “transgender Catholic” at a public event in 2019 .
Marriage and f emale ‘ o rdination’
Signaled openness to giving adulterers Holy C ommunion with his support of Amoris Laetitia , saying that the encyclical “challenges the church and its pastors to move beyond thinking everything is black and white H .” e was “enthused” with the Pope’s apparent support for “the tremendous importance” of “the divers ity of family situations.”
Participated in far-left Cardinal Blase Cupich’s Amoris Laetitia symposium and seminars at Boston College in 20 Events featured 17 and 2018. supportive voices for female “ ordination, ” homosexuality, and gender ideology, among other things.
Gregory was the keynote speaker of the 2017 annual conference of the Association of United State Catholic priests, which advocates for female ordination and “priest-less parishes.”
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lifesitenews--2020-10-26--Judge rules Colorado discriminated against Christian churches with mask mandate

October 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A federal court has put a hold on two of Colorado ’ s controversial restrictions on in-person religious services , noting that the government was holding religious functions to a different standard than those applied to secular ones .
While the ruling by US District Judge Daniel Domenico dismissed several legal challenges against COVID-19 rules brought by Denver Bible Church in Wheat Ridge and Community Baptist Church in Brighton , Domenico did side with the churches on mandatory masking and on capacity limits on in-person gatherings that don ’ t also apply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports .
“ The Constitution does not allow the State to tell a congregation how large it can be when comparable secular gatherings are not so limited , or to tell a congregation that its reason for wishing to remove facial coverings is less important than a restaurant ’ s or spa ’ s , ” Domenico wrote .
Under the ruling , churches will still be required to practice social distancing and follow sanitizing rules , and will still be forbidden from shaking hands .
But congregants will be allowed to remove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice , such as singing .
Colorado health officials have said they plan to appeal the ruling , which they claim got the science wrong and erroneously attributed “ bigotry targeted at religion ” to the state ’ s motives .
But in the meantime , Colorado Christians are grateful for their regained freedoms .
“ We were so thankful that a federal court would recognize our God-given right to worship him , our creator , without the government interfering , ” said Pastor Bob Enyart of Denver Bible Church , ABC 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow these churches to exercise their religious beliefs and carry on the religious worship without having to have a capacity limit or mask mandate in the course of doing so , ” added Brad Bergford , an attorney representing the churches .

PETITION UPDATE (8/27/2020)
Thank you for continuing to SIGN and SHARE this petition, which asks policymakers at all levels of government to reverse mandatory mask orders within their borders.
Facebook has restored the share link for this petition, saying that the decision to block it was a 'mistake...'
Please share with your Facebook friends, but we should all take heed of this warning: when an organization or individuals have to beg, plead and cajole just to express objective truths, it may be time to start looking for other social networking platforms.
Facebook needs to treat its users with respect, no matter their political persuasion. Moreover, Facebook needs to treat objective reality and facts with more respect.
One-size-fits-all oppressive government mask mandates must stop!
Healthy adults and children should not be forced - by the state - to wear masks when the risk of infection is low and the benefit of wearing a mask is highly questionable.
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PETITION UPDATE (8/25/2020)
Facebook is actively censoring this petition, saying that some people find it 'abusive.'
How anyone could find alternate facts about oppressive mask mandates 'abusive' is incredible...that is, impossible to believe.
This is exactly the kind of censorship which Big Tech is getting a bad reputation for.
The fact that Facebook calls differing opinion and objective reality "abusive" says a lot about Facebook and their agenda to silence reason and logic, not just conservatives and Christians.
But, people are more intelligent than Facebook give them credit for.
And, the more this continues, the more reasonable people will look alternate platforms to share their thoughts and connect with their friends and family. The more that happens, the less revenue Facebook will generate.
All of us have a decision to make, and the time is coming where we might have to tell our Facebook friends that we are moving to another platform.
We are encouraging people to continue SIGNING this petition and SHARING it via other platforms such as Parler and Gab, and to share the link below with your family and friends on Whatsapp, Telegram, Threema and Signal.
Thank you!
________________________________________________________________________________________
One-size-fits-all oppressive government mask mandates must stop!
Healthy adults and children should not be forced - by the state - to wear masks when the risk of infection is low and the benefit of wearing a mask is highly questionable.
Please SIGN this petition which asks policymakers at all levels of government to reverse mandatory mask mandates within their borders.
Public health policies should be based on science and logic, not on the type of political posturing and virtue-signaling which led Joe Biden to recently call for a national mask mandate.
And, public health policies certainly shouldn't lead to a situation where more people could become sick.
But, that is exactly what these mandatory mask mandates are doing.
Here are four inconvenient facts about masks:
1) Masks** are largely ineffective at stopping the transmission of viruses.
The vast majority of masks worn by the public are made from material which cannot filter-out viruses because virus particles are too small to catch or obstruct. Wearing cloth masks to stop a virus is like putting a bee in a bird cage to keep it from flying away.
Wearing a mask for long periods of time ensures that the wearer has a warm and moist receptacle around his or her mouth, on which viruses and bacteria can land and accumulate.
Thus, masks are actually likely to have little effect in stopping the spread of COVID-19 acting as a barrier, but could actually make things worse acting as a receptacle.
2) Mandates which call for masks to be worn outdoors are both absurd and oppressive.
3) There are clearly documented hazards of wearing masks for long periods of time.
4) And, since school is on everyone's mind...
Notwithstanding the above information on the ineffectiveness of most masks against viruses, we don't know if asymptomatic children can even transmit the virus.
But, it was a reported in an article in the July 21, 2020 Uk Times that: "There has been no recorded case of a teacher catching the coronavirus from a pupil anywhere in the world, according to one of the UK government's leading scientific advisers."
And, we also know that children are extremely unlikely to get seriously ill or die from COVID infections. In any case, children cannot possibly be expected to wear a mask properly in a way that would cut transmission.
There are still a lot of unknowns about COVID-19, but we have grown in our understanding of this disease since the beginning of the crisis.
The knowledge we have gained should allow government and health authorities to make more nuanced policies than the current one-size-fits-all mask mandates.
Where are the legislative hearings in county commissions, and state, provincial or federal legislatures before these drastic actions are mandated? Where are the open and transparent debates among experts that provide our representatives with the necessary information to make good policy decisions?
The real pandemic is the panic and the resulting tyranny that is being caused by dictatorial governors, corporate media and the monopolistic Big Tech.
The truth is that COVID-19 is like a bad cold for most people; this is not ebola or the plague.
Of course, the very elderly and those with serious health conditions should take precautions or be quarantined, but the rest of society should begin the long process of returning to normality.
The frenzy to force everyone to wear a mask, at all times, has gone beyond all comprehension, and goes against science and logic.
Please SIGN this petition which asks policymakers at all levels of government to reverse any mandatory mask order within the borders of their county, state, province, or country.
Thank you!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'Explosion in mandatory masking isn’t driven by science, but fear', PART I - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/explosion-in-mandatory-masking-isnt-driven-by-science-but-fear
'Explosion in mandatory masking isn’t driven by science, but fear', PART II - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/explosion-in-mandatory-masking-isnt-driven-by-science-but-fear-part-ii
OSHA Document on Surgical Masks and Respirators stating that surgical masks do NOT prevent airborne particles (e.g. viruses) from being inhaled - https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3219.pdf
'PETER HITCHENS: Face masks turn us into voiceless submissives - and it’s not science forcing us to wear them, it’s politics' - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-8537489/PETER-HITCHENS-Face-masks-turn-voiceless-submissives.html
**Here, we are referring to the masks worn by the vast majority of the public, not to specialist masks or respirator-type masks.
***Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com


lifesitenews--2020-10-26--UK passes COVID law: fines up to £10,000 for not self-isolating

LONDON , U.K , October 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) –MPs in the U.K Houses of Parliament have approved a bill allowing police to issue heavy fines and to use force on those whom they believe are not self-isolating due to COVID-19 .
Matt Hancock , the Health Secretary , issued the Health Protection ( Coronavirus , Restrictions ) ( Self-Isolation ) ( England ) Regulations 2020 , which came into force on September 28 in the U.K. After growing anger amongst Parliament , Hancock promised MPs that they would be given permission to vote on the emergency powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 .
With the renewal of the Coronavirus Act at the end of September , October 22 marked the first time that MPs could have a say on the strict rules regarding self-isolation due to the virus .
In an incredible result , the bill was approved with 333 votes in favor and only 1 vote against coming from Sir Charles Walker , MP for Broxbourne .
The vast majority of votes in favor of the bill came from the governing Conservative party , including from well-known Catholic MPs Jacob Ress-Mogg and Iain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not vote .
The entire Labour party ( the U.K. ’ s major opposition party ) abstained .
The self-isolation bill states that if someone has either tested positive for COVID-19 , or come into close contact with someone else who has tested positive , or has a child who falls into either category , then they must self-isolate for up to 14 days .
Next the bill outlines how it will be enforced .
If an “ authorised person…has reasonable grounds to believe ” that an individual is not self-isolating , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remove ” the person back to their place for self-isolation .
The “ authorised person…may use reasonable force , if necessary , in exercise of the power ” in order to encourage or ensure compliance with the law .
The bill declares that an authorised person can be interpreted as widely as “ a constable , a police community support officer , a person designated by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this regulation ” or even “ an officer designated by the relevant local authority for the purposes of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source of concern for some in the House of Lords , with one member registering his distress : “ Is that any officer of a local authority ?
Could it be a director of finance , a refuse collector or a traffic warden ?
” He continued : “ the powers that the Government have given to a local authority…are far too wide…emergency regulation has to stop.
” In order “ to maintain public health ” and “ public order ” , these authorised persons can also issue heavy fines .
The first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at £1,000 ; by the time of the fourth and for any future fines , the amount is £10,000 .
The passing of the bill comes on the heels of the news of the Covert Human Intelligence Sources ( CHIS ) bill , which is likely to be approved soon .
The CHIS bill would permit a large number of public authorities to commit crimes , if it was deemed necessary in the interests of preventing crime and disorder , or in the interests of national security and economic well-being .
Human rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill does not expressly forbid murder , rape or torture , and could see the U.K. government ignore the Human Rights Act .
One of the many governmental departments to whom this provision is extended to , is the Department for Health and Social Care , for which Hancock is the government minister responsible .

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


lifesitenews--2020-10-26--Kanye West: Abortion has killed more black lives in 2020 than total US COVID death count

October 26 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – So , Kanye West — 2020 presidential candidate , rap artist , and ( recently ) self-described Christian — headed over to Texas for a conversation with Joe Rogan , and it was quite the ride .
West talked about how he plans to create stadium churches ; his brawls with the music industry executives ; his ( very American ) path from hip hop to church and sort of back again ; and his apparently very real political aspirations .
Despite accusations from the Left that Kanye West is running for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Jill Stein with an eye to screwing things up for Joe Biden , West dropped $ 3 million on his campaign last month alone .
West assured Rogan that he is running to win—although he was pretty vague on the particulars .
“ It was something that God put in my heart back in 2015 , ” West told a surprisingly straight-faced and very secular Rogan .
“ A few days before the MTV Awards it hit me in the shower .
When I first thought of it , I just started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came over my body , through my soul .
I felt that energy .
I felt that spirit.
” When Rogan suggested that he might want to take a shot at a governorship first like Ronald Reagan , West shrugged it off , clearly having none of it .
“ If it ’ s in God ’ s plan that part of my path is to be the governor then that ’ s fine , but my calling is to be the leader of the free world , ” he replied resolutely .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that West voters act as a spoiler for Biden , but West clearly has his own plans .
West also referenced the comments he made about his daughter North at a rally in South Carolina back in July , where he cried onstage and admitted that he and his wife Kim Kardashian had considered aborting her .
He had cried , he told Rogan , because he was “ gut wrenched.
” He noted that at the time they found out they were expecting North , he felt he was “ too busy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In July , he described the incident in raw terms , stating that he had suggested the abortion , but Kim refused : “ I almost killed my daughter…My girlfriend called me screaming , crying .
I ’ m a rapper .
And she said I ’ m pregnant .
She was crying.
” ) “ People saw this clip of me crying and some people didn ’ t know what I was crying about , ” he told Rogan .
“ But I was crying about that there was a possible chance…that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family that we have today .
That ’ s my most family-friendly way to word that .
The idea of [ abortion ] just tears me up inside , that I was part of a culture that promotes this kind of thing.
” One of the major statistics on the subject of life is that the greatest advocates for the A-word [ abortion ] are men from ages 31-37 .
That 's how old I was .
I felt like I was too busy .
My dad felt like he was too busy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that ...
In our culture , we 're doped up , and psyched out , and made to kill our children .
We have to decouple the conversation of Planned Parenthood and women 's choice .
I 'm Christian , so I 'm pro-life .
When I go into office , I 'm not changing laws because I realize we live in an imperfect world and an imperfect society .
What I will be presenting is a Plan A .
We 've already started working on a Plan A to change the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connotation of foster care .
There were 210,000 deaths due to COVID in America .
Everywhere you go , you see someone with a mask on .
With A , the A word , A culture -- I 'll say it one time , with abortion culture -- there are 1,000 Black children aborted a day .
Daily .
We are in genocide .
More Black children since February than people have died of COVID .
And everyone wears a mask .
So it 's a matter of where are we turning a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stream-of-consciousness style , he moved right onto a different topic , and so unfortunately , we didn ’ t get to hear Joe Rogan ’ s thoughts on Planned Parenthood ’ s eugenic origins and abortion as a main destroyer of black lives—Rogan himself is pro-abortion , although he generally opposes late-term abortions .
But once again , West indicated that he has been thinking deeply about abortion—not just because of his personal experience , but because he has realized that Planned Parenthood poses the greatest threat to his community .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before , I ’ m very concerned about celebrity figures like Kanye West becoming icons for Christian causes .
While West ’ s rambling interview does showcase the ADHD of a wildly successful creative mind , it also highlights something that strongly resembles a growing Messianic complex .
Charismatic men with celebrity and wealth adopting Messianic complexes have cropped up before in American history , and it never ends well .
But perhaps this isn ’ t that , and what we have is a musician using his celebrity to expose Planned Parenthood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urge his millions of fans to think harder and more clearly about the issue .
I certainly hope so .
Jonathon ’ s new podcast , The Van Maren Show , is dedicated to telling the stories of the pro-life and pro-family movement .
In his latest episode , he interviews pro-life activist Eric Scheidler who discusses the impact of the pro-life grassroots movements and how his father ’ s ( Joe Scheidler ) pro-life activism helped shaped his own passion for life .
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode @ @

October 26, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – So, Kanye West — 2020 presidential candidate, rap artist, and (recently) self-described Christian — headed over to Texas for a conversation with Joe Rogan, and it was quite the ride. West talked about how he plans to create stadium churches; his brawls with the music industry executives; his (very American) path from hip hop to church and sort of back again; and his apparently very real political aspirations.
Despite accusations from the Left that Kanye West is running for president as the 2020 election cycle’s Jill Stein with an eye to screwing things up for Joe Biden, West dropped $3 million on his campaign last month alone. West assured Rogan that he is running to win—although he was pretty vague on the particulars. “It was something that God put in my heart back in 2015,” West told a surprisingly straight-faced and very secular Rogan. “A few days before the MTV Awards it hit me in the shower. When I first thought of it, I just started laughing to myself and all this joy came over my body, through my soul. I felt that energy. I felt that spirit.”
When Rogan suggested that he might want to take a shot at a governorship first like Ronald Reagan, West shrugged it off, clearly having none of it. “If it’s in God’s plan that part of my path is to be the governor then that’s fine, but my calling is to be the leader of the free world,” he replied resolutely. Trump’s team might be hoping that West voters act as a spoiler for Biden, but West clearly has his own plans.
West also referenced the comments he made about his daughter North at a rally in South Carolina back in July, where he cried onstage and admitted that he and his wife Kim Kardashian had considered aborting her. He had cried, he told Rogan, because he was “gut wrenched.” He noted that at the time they found out they were expecting North, he felt he was “too busy” to become a dad. (In July, he described the incident in raw terms, stating that he had suggested the abortion, but Kim refused: “I almost killed my daughter…My girlfriend called me screaming, crying. I’m a rapper. And she said I’m pregnant. She was crying.”)
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“People saw this clip of me crying and some people didn’t know what I was crying about,” he told Rogan. “But I was crying about that there was a possible chance…that we—Kim and I—didn’t make the family that we have today. That’s my most family-friendly way to word that. The idea of [abortion] just tears me up inside, that I was part of a culture that promotes this kind of thing.”
He continued:
— Article continues below Petition — URGENT PETITION: Tell the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade Show Petition Text 61375 have signed the petition. Let's get to 70000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition PETITION UPDATE (9/26/2020): With President Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we are closer than we have been in decades to seeing Roe vs. Wade overturned. We now encourage the Senate to confirm Barrett as the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Judge Barrett has a fantastic track recond on sanctity of life issues, has seven children, and is a devout believer. She is the perfect remedy for Ruth Bader Ginsburg's radical pro-abortionism. Please READ the full story here: 'BREAKING: Trump nominates Catholic mom of 7 Judge Amy Coney Barrett to Supreme Court' And then, please SIGN this petition telling the High Court that it's now time to end the activist Roe vs. Wade judgment. Thank you! __________________________________________________________________ PETITION UPDATE (6/29/2020): In a decision which has imperiled more abortion-minded women, sentenced more preborn to death, and upset pro-lifers across the nation,the United States Supreme Court decided 5-4 to strike down a Louisiana law requiring basic medical precautions in the event of abortion complications, with Chief Justice John Roberts reversing his own past decision to uphold a similar Texas law. Liberal Justice Stephen Breyer wrote the majority opinion, which held that the Louisiana law was unconstitutional for the simple fact that it was “almost word-for-word identical” to the Texas one the court already struck down in 2016. In his concurring opinion, Chief Justice Roberts acknowledged that he had “joined the dissent in Whole Woman’s Health and continue to believe that the case was wrongly decided. The question today however is not whether Whole Woman’s Health was right or wrong, but whether to adhere to it in deciding the present case.” We call on the Supreme Court to stop supporting the culture of death and overturn Roe vs Wade, now. PETITION UPDATE (1/20/2020): Hundreds of thousands of people will gather in Washington, D.C., this coming Friday, January 24th, for the March for Life. They will be praying for an end to Roe vs Wade, as the Supreme Court will hear a crucial, abortion-related case later this year in March. United our voices can change the course of history. Sign this petition TODAY! (LEARN MORE BELOW) PETITION UPDATE (1/3/2020): In advance of the Supreme Court's hearing arguments in an important abortion case later this year in March, 207 U.S. Senators and Representatives have signed amicus briefs supporting a Louisiana law requiring abortionists to have admitting privileges at a hospital nearby an abortion center. Some of these supporting briefs also suggest that now is the time to reconsider Roe vs Wade as sound law. Please SIGN this petition, calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down Roe vs Wade. _____________________________________________________________________________ More than 60 million Americans have been slaughtered in their mother's wombs as a result of Roe v. Wade. This activist, unconstitutional ruling in 1973 has left countless women emotionally and psychologically scarred. It was believed by many that Roe would be overturned in 1992 with Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Despite having eight Republican-appointed judges at the time, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to uphold it. Since then, major gains have been made in the fight for life, and many lives have been saved. However, Roe v. Wade remains the law of the land, leaving millions of defenseless pre-born children vulnerable to murder. According to a 2016 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 35% of aborted babies are African American, despite black women only making up six percent of the U.S. population. 19% of aborted babies are Hispanic. We thus again call on the court to do everything they can to end Roe vs Wade. Now is the time for pro-lifers to join together and ensure that all of God's children have a right to life. Roe v. Wade must come to an end! FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/supreme-court-strikes-down-louisiana-abortion-regulations https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/over-200-congressmen-as-us-supreme-court-to-reconsider-roe-v-wade https://www.foxnews.com/politics/congress-members-file-competing-legal-briefs-in-key-scotus-abortion-case Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
One of the major statistics on the subject of life is that the greatest advocates for the A-word [abortion] are men from ages 31-37. That's how old I was. I felt like I was too busy. My dad felt like he was too busy for me. We have a culture of that … In our culture, we're doped up, and psyched out, and made to kill our children. We have to decouple the conversation of Planned Parenthood and women's choice. I'm Christian, so I'm pro-life. When I go into office, I'm not changing laws because I realize we live in an imperfect world and an imperfect society. What I will be presenting is a Plan A. We've already started working on a Plan A to change the connotation of orphanages, to change the connotation of foster care. There were 210,000 deaths due to COVID in America. Everywhere you go, you see someone with a mask on. With A, the A word, A culture — I'll say it one time, with abortion culture — there are 1,000 Black children aborted a day. Daily. We are in genocide. More Black children since February than people have died of COVID. And everyone wears a mask. So it's a matter of where are we turning a blind eye to?
In Kanye West stream-of-consciousness style, he moved right onto a different topic, and so unfortunately, we didn’t get to hear Joe Rogan’s thoughts on Planned Parenthood’s eugenic origins and abortion as a main destroyer of black lives—Rogan himself is pro-abortion, although he generally opposes late-term abortions. But once again, West indicated that he has been thinking deeply about abortion—not just because of his personal experience, but because he has realized that Planned Parenthood poses the greatest threat to his community.
I’ll admit that, as I noted before, I’m very concerned about celebrity figures like Kanye West becoming icons for Christian causes. While West’s rambling interview does showcase the ADHD of a wildly successful creative mind, it also highlights something that strongly resembles a growing Messianic complex. Charismatic men with celebrity and wealth adopting Messianic complexes have cropped up before in American history, and it never ends well. But perhaps this isn’t that, and what we have is a musician using his celebrity to expose Planned Parenthood, talk openly about abortion, and urge his millions of fans to think harder and more clearly about the issue. I certainly hope so.
Jonathon’s new podcast, The Van Maren Show, is dedicated to telling the stories of the pro-life and pro-family movement. In his latest episode, he interviews pro-life activist Eric Scheidler who discusses the impact of the pro-life grassroots movements and how his father’s (Joe Scheidler) pro-life activism helped shaped his own passion for life.
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below:
Follow Jonathon Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer, and pro-life activist. His commentary has been translated into more than eight languages and published widely online as well as print newspapers such as the Jewish Independent, the National Post, the Hamilton Spectator and others. He has received an award for combating anti-Semitism in print from the Jewish organization B’nai Brith. His commentary has been featured on CTV Primetime, Global News, EWTN, and the CBC as well as dozens of radio stations and news outlets in Canada and the United States. He speaks on a wide variety of cultural topics across North America at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions. Some of these topics include abortion, pornography, the Sexual Revolution, and euthanasia. Jonathon holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from Simon Fraser University, and is the communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform. Jonathon’s first book, The Culture War, was released in 2016.
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