lifesitenews--2020-03-18--How would you handle the coronavirus if you were president of the USA?

March 18 , 2020 ( American Thinker ) — Let me offer a little perspective on COVID-19 from a physician 's viewpoint .
Allow me to first state that the perfect governmental balance in handling a pandemic is virtually impossible to achieve .
To illustrate that , let 's make you the president for the sake of this discussion .
Because of the exponential growth of a pandemic , to flatten the epidemiological curve , you have to take action before it 's apparent that action is needed .
If you wait until it 's apparent , the curve will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it 's too late .
But if you act significantly early , you 'll always be perceived by the populace as overreacting and inciting panic .
The economy does n't like panic , so it will tank .
If that 's not bad enough , if your early actions ultimately work , and the pandemic curve is flattened such that things do n't turn out so badly , well , then the , populace will be all the more convinced you acted needlessly .
No one will stop to think the measures you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On the other hand , if you act just a bit too late , the pandemic curve will not flatten , and many more lives will be lost .
Then you will be crucified for not doing enough quickly enough !
No matter what you do , it will be a no-win proposition .
And your opposition party will gleefully use this reality against you , no matter the outcome of the pandemic .
Unfortunately , there is no scientific formula in existence that answers the question : when is precisely the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and socially disruptive action in dealing with a pandemic ?
It 's a judgment call .
Are n't we all glad we do n't have to achieve that impossibly delicate balance in making a judgment call that will impact the entire nation , if not the world ?
In such scenarios , critics always base their criticism on 20/20 hindsight .
Shame on them .
I 've read all sorts of recent criticism about Trump waiting too long to take decisive action — or waiting too long to get tested himself .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just as critical of him had he taken earlier action , well before it seemed necessary .
Those people should admit to themselves that whatever Trump does , they 'll dislike — simply because they dislike Trump .
As a reminder , how long did President Obama wait before taking action during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic ?
The answer is , not until a little over 1,000 Americans had died .
Did Obama ever get tested himself for H1N1 ?
Ever ?
The answer is no , he did not — at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But I will give him credit for exercising his judgment to the best of his ability at the time .
I do n't think he delayed because he was stupid , or callous , or because he simply did n't care about American lives .
Trump should be given the same consideration .
Could Trump have acted a little earlier ?
Yes .
But perhaps only by a matter of a few days .
Any earlier than that , and he would have been crucified for massively overreacting and destroying the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social interactions .
The outcry would have been furious .
As it is , he has taken measures that are unprecedented in my 72-year lifetime .
His declaration of a national emergency happened much sooner in the progression of this pandemic than Obama 's .
Never before have I experienced a total shutdown of travel from Asia and Europe .
I ca n't remember a time when sporting events of all kinds were canceled nationwide .
I ca n't remember a time in my 41-year medical career ( 49 years counting med school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been so quickly suspended in order to bring testing and treatments to the market more quickly .
And those who are firmly in the globalist camp should stop and think about our vulnerability due to a large majority of medical equipment and supplies being manufactured in China .
How good does that idea seem now ?
So I suggest that we all take a deep breath , recognize that all governmental leaders are human , they 're never going to perform perfectly , and acknowledge that our current president has taken much more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president has ever taken in the face of a viral pandemic .
And remember , it is impossible to 100 % completely avoid a global pandemic — where zero people in a given country become infected and zero people in that country die .
The best that can be hoped for is a modest flattening of the pandemic curve .
At this point in time , it is my opinion that we 'll achieve that in the U.S .
This article originally appeared at the American Thinker .
It is published with the @ @ @ @

March 18, 2020 (American Thinker) — Let me offer a little perspective on COVID-19 from a physician's viewpoint. Allow me to first state that the perfect governmental balance in handling a pandemic is virtually impossible to achieve. To illustrate that, let's make you the president for the sake of this discussion.
Because of the exponential growth of a pandemic, to flatten the epidemiological curve, you have to take action before it's apparent that action is needed. If you wait until it's apparent, the curve will have taken its skyward turn, and it's too late. But if you act significantly early, you'll always be perceived by the populace as overreacting and inciting panic. The economy doesn't like panic, so it will tank.
If that's not bad enough, if your early actions ultimately work, and the pandemic curve is flattened such that things don't turn out so badly, well, then the, populace will be all the more convinced you acted needlessly. No one will stop to think the measures you took were precisely what mitigated the pandemic.
On the other hand, if you act just a bit too late, the pandemic curve will not flatten, and many more lives will be lost. Then you will be crucified for not doing enough quickly enough! No matter what you do, it will be a no-win proposition. And your opposition party will gleefully use this reality against you, no matter the outcome of the pandemic.
Unfortunately, there is no scientific formula in existence that answers the question: when is precisely the exact right time to take massive economically and socially disruptive action in dealing with a pandemic? It's a judgment call. Aren't we all glad we don't have to achieve that impossibly delicate balance in making a judgment call that will impact the entire nation, if not the world?
In such scenarios, critics always base their criticism on 20/20 hindsight. Shame on them. I've read all sorts of recent criticism about Trump waiting too long to take decisive action — or waiting too long to get tested himself. People who are critical of Trump would be just as critical of him had he taken earlier action, well before it seemed necessary. Those people should admit to themselves that whatever Trump does, they'll dislike — simply because they dislike Trump.
As a reminder, how long did President Obama wait before taking action during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic? The answer is, not until a little over 1,000 Americans had died. Did Obama ever get tested himself for H1N1? Ever? The answer is no, he did not — at least not that he publicized to the nation. But I will give him credit for exercising his judgment to the best of his ability at the time. I don't think he delayed because he was stupid, or callous, or because he simply didn't care about American lives. Trump should be given the same consideration.
Could Trump have acted a little earlier? Yes. But perhaps only by a matter of a few days. Any earlier than that, and he would have been crucified for massively overreacting and destroying the economy, our educational system, and our social interactions. The outcry would have been furious.
As it is, he has taken measures that are unprecedented in my 72-year lifetime. His declaration of a national emergency happened much sooner in the progression of this pandemic than Obama's. Never before have I experienced a total shutdown of travel from Asia and Europe. I can't remember a time when sporting events of all kinds were canceled nationwide. I can't remember a time in my 41-year medical career (49 years counting med school and residency) that FDA regulations have been so quickly suspended in order to bring testing and treatments to the market more quickly.
And those who are firmly in the globalist camp should stop and think about our vulnerability due to a large majority of medical equipment and supplies being manufactured in China. How good does that idea seem now?
So I suggest that we all take a deep breath, recognize that all governmental leaders are human, they're never going to perform perfectly, and acknowledge that our current president has taken much more decisive action more quickly than any prior president has ever taken in the face of a viral pandemic.
And remember, it is impossible to 100% completely avoid a global pandemic — where zero people in a given country become infected and zero people in that country die. The best that can be hoped for is a modest flattening of the pandemic curve. At this point in time, it is my opinion that we'll achieve that in the U.S.
This article originally appeared at the American Thinker. It is published with the author's permission.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-03-18--Joe Biden’s advocacy for Communist China spans decades

March 18 , 2020 ( American Thinker ) — Desperation has set in among the Politburo in China as their deliberate mishandling and obfuscation of the Chinese Coronavirus outbreak has threatened , and in all likelihood derailed , their grandiose plans for global hegemony .
In what can be described only as one of the most ham-handed propaganda efforts in recent memory , China is now trying to deflect blame onto the United States for the coronavirus outbreak that has been recently categorized as a global pandemic .
Further , the Chinese are unabashedly claiming that any criticism of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the virus or using the nomenclature of “ Wuhan Virus ” or “ Chinese Coronavirus ” is racist and xenophobic .
While their attempt to implicate the United States may appear absurd on the surface , the reality is that much of it will fall on fertile ground previously tilled and seeded over the past 25 years with vast amounts of money and investments .
An end product of China ’ s infiltration of the American media and education establishment is the almost immediate regurgitation of China ’ s “ racist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainstream media and the predominantly left-wing professional class .
Hollywood and the entertainment cabal , already awash in Chinese capital and desperate for access to the Chinese market , have refused to criticize China ’ s handling of the coronavirus , focusing instead on President Trump .
It is almost a certainty that when the pandemic recedes , there will be nothing produced that is even remotely critical of China .
The European Union is now China ’ s largest trading partner and investor .
China is beginning to exert increasing influence in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continent .
This is why the European Union refused to initiate a travel ban from China during the entirety of the coronavirus outbreak , leading to Europe now being the global epicenter of the pandemic as well as the source of the bulk of the infections in the United States .
With this overall backdrop , the Chinese leadership are confident that their near clownish propaganda efforts will succeed .
Their only obstacle is the re-election of President Trump , who is the only world leader in the past 25 years to understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to their intimidation tactics .
The establishment of the Democrat Party believe they have a solution to that obstacle in what appears to be the inevitable nomination of Joe Biden .
Joe Biden , in his days in the Senate , was very partial to China , as he voted against all legislation aimed at curtailing China ’ s ambitions .
In 2007 , he opposed the idea of applying any tariffs on China despite the nation ’ s obvious unfair trade practices and theft of proprietary technology that was causing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
America ’ s dependence on a communist regime for materials and goods , such as pharmaceuticals , continued to grow unabated .
However , it was as vice president that Biden became wholly enamored of the country and its leadership .
For example , while in China , Biden , in August of 2011 , approved of and defended China ’ s grotesque one-child policy , which brutally used forced abortions to implement the law .
( In that same year , Biden was given the assignment , by Barack Obama , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due his close personal relationship with Xi Jinping , currently president and general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party .
Joe Biden never missed an opportunity to downplay China ’ s threat to the United States .
In May of 2013 , in a commencement speech , he assured those concerned that the Chinese are “ going to eat our lunch ” that they had nothing to be concerned about , as China had immense problems and an inability to think differently .
In May of 2014 Biden , described China as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideas .
Two weeks after declaring his 2020 candidacy , Biden , in Iowa , said : In December 2013 , Biden flew to Beijing on Air Force Two with his son Hunter on an official trip , ostensibly to discuss tensions over disputed territories in the East China Sea .
Joe and Hunter were ushered into a red-carpet meeting with a delegation of various Chinese officials .
Hunter remained with the delegation while his father met with President Xi Jinping .
During these meetings , Joe Biden struck an extremely conciliatory and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much to the dismay of America ’ s allies in the region .
Ten day later , Hunter ’ s two-year-old company , Rosemont Seneca , signed an exclusive $ 1-billion ( later expanded to $ 1.5-billion ) deal with the state-owned Bank of China , creating an investment fund called Bohai Harvest , with money guaranteed by the Chinese government .
As Peter Schweizer , who was the first to unveil these conflicts of interest , wrote in his book Secret Empires , “ the Chinese Government was literally funding a business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of one of America ’ s most powerful decision makers.
” That is what it looks like to be “ compromised by a foreign power.
” Anyone who has dealt with the Chinese government or an entity controlled by the government can attest that any foreign business transaction with China always has a requisite or implied quid pro quo that oftentimes does not involve monetary considerations .
Once entangled in this web , it is nearly impossible to escape — as many businesses and nations , throughout Africa and Europe , much to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be naïve to believe that Joe Biden is not embroiled in this labyrinth of expectations and demands .
Nonetheless , Joe Biden is perhaps the ideal candidate for a party whose propaganda arms , the mainstream media and Hollywood , openly shill for the Chinese communist leadership and whose primary financial backers , high-tech and Wall Street billionaires such as Michael Bloomberg , have major financial and manufacturing ties to China and whose most dedicated foot soldiers are true believers in authoritarian socialism — and whose common enemy is Donald Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Biden raises a toast in honor of Chinese president Xi at a state luncheon at the State Department , September 25 , 2015 .
U.S. State Department photo .
To further amplify that the Democrat Party is a surrogate of the Chinese leadership and is abiding by the maxim that the enemy of my enemy is my friend , criticism of China ’ s handling of the coronavirus epidemic by anyone in Democrat party leadership , or their donor and left-leaning professional class , has been virtually nonexistent .
On the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disparagement of President Trump is part of a calculated strategy to frame the coronavirus epidemic in a way that leads to his defeat in November .
Even China ’ s not so veiled threat to withhold shipping vital drugs to the United States in retaliation for any criticism of their handling of the coronavirus outbreak was met with a deafening silence .
China is an existential threat to the United States .
Joe Biden and the Democrat Party would abet the Chinese in their quest for global hegemony and in essence surrender American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get rid of Donald Trump .
Thus , any unseemly tactics , outrageous fabrications , and personal smears will be directed at him and his voters over the next seven and a half months to achieve that goal .
This article originally appeared at the American Thinker .
It is published with the author 's permission .

March 18, 2020 (American Thinker) — Desperation has set in among the Politburo in China as their deliberate mishandling and obfuscation of the Chinese Coronavirus outbreak has threatened, and in all likelihood derailed, their grandiose plans for global hegemony. In what can be described only as one of the most ham-handed propaganda efforts in recent memory, China is now trying to deflect blame onto the United States for the coronavirus outbreak that has been recently categorized as a global pandemic. Further, the Chinese are unabashedly claiming that any criticism of their “valiant” efforts to stem the spread of the virus or using the nomenclature of “Wuhan Virus” or “Chinese Coronavirus” is racist and xenophobic.
While their attempt to implicate the United States may appear absurd on the surface, the reality is that much of it will fall on fertile ground previously tilled and seeded over the past 25 years with vast amounts of money and investments.
An end product of China’s infiltration of the American media and education establishment is the almost immediate regurgitation of China’s “racist and xenophobic” argument by the American mainstream media and the predominantly left-wing professional class. Hollywood and the entertainment cabal, already awash in Chinese capital and desperate for access to the Chinese market, have refused to criticize China’s handling of the coronavirus, focusing instead on President Trump. It is almost a certainty that when the pandemic recedes, there will be nothing produced that is even remotely critical of China.
The European Union is now China’s largest trading partner and investor. China is beginning to exert increasing influence in nations such as Italy and throughout the continent. This is why the European Union refused to initiate a travel ban from China during the entirety of the coronavirus outbreak, leading to Europe now being the global epicenter of the pandemic as well as the source of the bulk of the infections in the United States.
With this overall backdrop, the Chinese leadership are confident that their near clownish propaganda efforts will succeed. Their only obstacle is the re-election of President Trump, who is the only world leader in the past 25 years to understand what animates the Chinese and to stand up to their intimidation tactics.
The establishment of the Democrat Party believe they have a solution to that obstacle in what appears to be the inevitable nomination of Joe Biden.
Joe Biden, in his days in the Senate, was very partial to China, as he voted against all legislation aimed at curtailing China’s ambitions. In 2007, he opposed the idea of applying any tariffs on China despite the nation’s obvious unfair trade practices and theft of proprietary technology that was causing the loss of millions of American manufacturing jobs. America’s dependence on a communist regime for materials and goods, such as pharmaceuticals, continued to grow unabated. However, it was as vice president that Biden became wholly enamored of the country and its leadership.
For example, while in China, Biden, in August of 2011, approved of and defended China’s grotesque one-child policy, which brutally used forced abortions to implement the law. (In that same year, Biden was given the assignment, by Barack Obama, to be the point man on China due his close personal relationship with Xi Jinping, currently president and general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.
Joe Biden never missed an opportunity to downplay China’s threat to the United States. In May of 2013, in a commencement speech, he assured those concerned that the Chinese are “going to eat our lunch” that they had nothing to be concerned about, as China had immense problems and an inability to think differently. In May of 2014 Biden, described China as a nation incapable of producing innovative products and ideas. Two weeks after declaring his 2020 candidacy, Biden, in Iowa, said:
China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man…they can’t even figure out how to deal with the corruption that exists within the system. I mean, you know, they’re not bad folks, folks. But guess what, they’re not competition for us.
In December 2013, Biden flew to Beijing on Air Force Two with his son Hunter on an official trip, ostensibly to discuss tensions over disputed territories in the East China Sea. Joe and Hunter were ushered into a red-carpet meeting with a delegation of various Chinese officials. Hunter remained with the delegation while his father met with President Xi Jinping. During these meetings, Joe Biden struck an extremely conciliatory and friendly tone with the Chinese leadership — much to the dismay of America’s allies in the region.
Ten day later, Hunter’s two-year-old company, Rosemont Seneca, signed an exclusive $1-billion (later expanded to $1.5-billion) deal with the state-owned Bank of China, creating an investment fund called Bohai Harvest, with money guaranteed by the Chinese government. As Peter Schweizer, who was the first to unveil these conflicts of interest, wrote in his book Secret Empires, “the Chinese Government was literally funding a business that it co-owned along with the son of one of America’s most powerful decision makers.” That is what it looks like to be “compromised by a foreign power.”
Anyone who has dealt with the Chinese government or an entity controlled by the government can attest that any foreign business transaction with China always has a requisite or implied quid pro quo that oftentimes does not involve monetary considerations. Once entangled in this web, it is nearly impossible to escape — as many businesses and nations, throughout Africa and Europe, much to their chagrin, have experienced. It would be naïve to believe that Joe Biden is not embroiled in this labyrinth of expectations and demands.
Nonetheless, Joe Biden is perhaps the ideal candidate for a party whose propaganda arms, the mainstream media and Hollywood, openly shill for the Chinese communist leadership and whose primary financial backers, high-tech and Wall Street billionaires such as Michael Bloomberg, have major financial and manufacturing ties to China and whose most dedicated foot soldiers are true believers in authoritarian socialism — and whose common enemy is Donald Trump and his America First populist movement.
Vice President Biden raises a toast in honor of Chinese president Xi at a state luncheon at the State Department, September 25, 2015.
U.S. State Department photo.
To further amplify that the Democrat Party is a surrogate of the Chinese leadership and is abiding by the maxim that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, criticism of China’s handling of the coronavirus epidemic by anyone in Democrat party leadership, or their donor and left-leaning professional class, has been virtually nonexistent. On the other hand, the unceasing and often fabricated disparagement of President Trump is part of a calculated strategy to frame the coronavirus epidemic in a way that leads to his defeat in November. Even China’s not so veiled threat to withhold shipping vital drugs to the United States in retaliation for any criticism of their handling of the coronavirus outbreak was met with a deafening silence.
China is an existential threat to the United States. Joe Biden and the Democrat Party would abet the Chinese in their quest for global hegemony and in essence surrender American sovereignty. But first these collaborators must get rid of Donald Trump. Thus, any unseemly tactics, outrageous fabrications, and personal smears will be directed at him and his voters over the next seven and a half months to achieve that goal.
This article originally appeared at the American Thinker. It is published with the author's permission.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-03-18--Cdl Zen is right: Vatican history with Communist China shows conflict with Benedict, too

March 18 , 2020 ( Settimo Cielo ) — In the letter that the dean of the sacred college , Giovanni Battista Re , wrote on February 26 to all the cardinals , in contradiction with the previous letter addressed to them in September by Cardinal Joseph Zen Zekiun , there is one point on which the split between the two cardinal is absolute .
In his letter Zen had written , regarding the provisional and secret agreement of September 22 2018 between the Holy See and China on the appointment of bishops : “ I have cause to believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to demonstrate with archival documents ) that the signed agreement is the same one that Pope Benedict had , in his day , refused to sign.
” “ This assertion does not correspond to the truth .
After having personally taken stock of the documents kept in the current archive of the secretariat of state , I can attest that Pope Benedict XVI had approved the draft agreement on the appointment of bishops in China , which could be signed only in 2018.
” Zen ’ s rejoinder came on March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in which the Chinese cardinal writes : “ If you want to prove to me that the recently signed agreement was already approved by Benedict XVI , you just have to show me the text of the agreement , which I am barred from seeing till now , and the archival evidence which you say you could verify .
Then there remains to be explained why it was not signed at that time.
” In the absence of public documentation it is difficult to say which of the two cardinals is more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can get at the truth by retracing the whole history of the relations between the Holy See and China during the pontificate of Benedict XVI , from 2005 to 2013 .
This is what one of the leading experts on the Chinese Catholic Church , Gianni Criveller , recently did in the chapter `` An Overview of the Catholic Church in Post-Mao China '' , which appeared in the volume “ People , Communities , and the Catholic Church in China , ” edited by Cindy Yik-yi Chu and Paul P. Mariani , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 59 , of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions , teaches at the Chinese University and the Holy Spirit College of Theology and Philosophy in Hong Kong .
His essay has been translated in full and published in “ Il Regno , ” the most authoritative magazine of the progressive Italian Catholic camp .
Criveller 's essay is of extraordinary interest , especially where he deals with the differences between the two Catholic communities in China , the one with official recognition from the regime , severely subjugated , and the highly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he explains the reasons and the effects of the “ Chinafication ” of the religions and of the return to Confucianism , advocated by Chinese President Xi Jinping .
But limiting ourselves to what Criveller writes about the years of Benedict XVI 's pontificate , he does not hesitate to assign “ historic ” importance to the Letter to Chinese Catholics written by that pope in 2007 .
And about the fate of the bishops in that country he writes : “ Benedict XVI asked the civil authorities to recognize the underground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ almost always ’ the official bishops are obliged to ‘ adopt attitudes , perform gestures and make commitments that are contrary to the dictates of their conscience.
’ Strangely , the phrase ‘ almost always ’ was omitted in the first Chinese translation issued by the Vatican , provoking the protest of Cardinal Zen .
The pope left it up to the individual bishops to determine the best course of action to be taken in their specific situations , that is , whether or not to seek recognition from the civil authorities.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ government made every effort to downplay the significance of this letter.
” And proof of this was the regime ’ s persistence in installing illegitimate bishops , that is , not approved by Rome .
In 2006 , the year before the letter was published , there had been three illegitimate ordinations .
After that , from 2007 to the summer of 2010 , the new bishops were ordained with the consent of both sides , `` although the approval , ” Criveller points out , “ was always given independently , without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2010 the situation deteriorated again .
The illegitimate consecration of Guo Jincai as bishop of Chengde , writes Criveller , “ caused a deterioration in relations between the Vatican and China.
” And at the beginning of the following summer two other bishops were consecrated without the pope 's approval : Lei Shiyin in Leshan and Huang Bingzhang in Shantou .
The affront was received in Rome with such alarm that for the first time the Holy See reacted by publicly declaring the excommunication of those bishops installed by the regime .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ no less disturbing episode occurred , as described by Criveller : “ The government held in Beijing , with great fanfare , the eighth national assembly of Catholic representatives .
The agenda of the meeting included the election of the new leaders of the Patriotic Association and of the Conference of Bishops [ that is , the two bodies with which the regime exercises ironbound control over the official Catholic Church —ed. ]
.
Joseph Xing Wenzhi , auxiliary bishop of Shanghai , went grudgingly to that controversial assembly .
Once there , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attitude .
He returned to Shanghai depressed , apologizing to his clergy for not being strong enough purely and simply to boycott the assembly .
Right away the bishop ’ s personal life took a sad turn .
Bishop Xing was accused by the secret police of having an affair with a woman .
It was an alarming retaliation against a bishop who had shown the courage to resist the government ’ s policies.
” In April of 2012 there were two more ordinations approved by both sides , in Nanchong and Changsha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forced to accept illegitimate bishops as consecrators.
” Then again , on July 6 of that same year , there was another illegitimate ordination .
Yue Fusheng was ordained bishop of Harbin “ despite the request made by the Holy See to refuse the election.
” The priests of that diocese who had opposed it were forced to write a letter of submission and to concelebrate with the illicit bishop .
Again , the Holy See publicly announced the excommunication of the new bishop .
Which , Criveller writes , “ can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities are capable , at times , of bringing onto their side people who previously had been explicitly loyal to the pope.
” Years earlier , in fact , while still an ordinary priest Yue had been part of a delegation of Chinese priests authorized to participate in the Mass celebrated in Manila on January 15 , 1995 , by John Paul II , visiting the Philippines for World Youth Day .
And when at the beginning of the Mass the flags of the various national delegations were raised , including the flag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political leaders of the Chinese delegation ordered them to abandon the ceremony , none other than Yue was one of the very few who had the courage to disobey and to stay .
While today he “ is known for his weakness and his adherence to the government.
” But even more revealing of the deterioration of relations between the Holy See and China , in that 2012 which is the last glimpse of the pontificate of Benedict XVI , is what happened in Shanghai on July 7 , with the ordination of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new auxiliary bishop .
Criveller writes : “ He was ordained with the approval of both sides .
But the Chinese authorities imposed the presence of an illegitimate bishop , provoking the dismay of many priests , religious , and lay people who decided not to participate in the ceremony .
Thaddeus Ma , in a shrewd maneuver , prevented the illegitimate bishop from laying his hands on him during the consecration rite .
Towards the end of the Mass the new bishop declared that he wanted to be the pastor of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being a member of the Patriotic Association .
An amateur video of Bishop Ma ’ s brief speech , publicly applauded by the people present in the cathedral , appeared for several days on various websites , until it was removed .
“ Many thought the bishop ’ s gesture was courageous and prophetic .
But the government officials present at the Mass went into a state of great agitation and took him away by force that evening .
Officials put the diocese under investigation , interrogating priests and nuns .
After eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ house arrest ’ in the Sheshan seminary .
His 2016 ‘ confessions ’ were written in captivity and we do not know if they were sincere and if he did or did not regret what he had done.
” If this is the known , public fabric of the relations between the Holy See and China regarding the appointment of bishops between 2005 and 2013 , it is not clear how to fit into this fabric the alleged “ approval ” during those same years , by Benedict XVI , of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement whose contents are still kept secret and which has so far produced no new episcopal appointment , eighteen months after its signing , and on the contrary has been accompanied by a further “ crackdown ” — as Criveller writes at the beginning of his essay — in the regime ’ s control over the Catholic Church .
It should also be borne in mind that with regard to China , Benedict XVI availed himself not only of the secretariat of state , but also of an “ ad hoc ” commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — a commission never convened again during the pontificate of Francis .
It is therefore not to be ruled out that Pope Benedict was presented with draft agreements on the appointment of bishops .
Just as it can not be ruled out that the Chinese side turned down , during those same years , potential proposals from the Vatican .
But that the agreement that Cardinal Re says was “ approved ” by Benedict XVI was identical to the one signed in 2018 remains entirely to be proven .
And given the narrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently by Criveller , this seems implausible .
All the more so if one compares it with the “ historic ” letter written by Pope Benedict to the Chinese Catholics .
It should be added that Cardinal Re ’ s letter falls under a phase of intensification of the Holy See ’ s policy of the “ hand extended ” to the Chinese regime .
The letter bears the date of February 26 .
And on the 14th of the same month , on the sidelines of an international conference in Munich , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the breaking of diplomatic ties in 1951 a meeting between the two foreign ministers of the Holy See and of China , Paul Richard Gallagher and Wang Yi ( pictured ) .
The Vatican secretariat of state — headed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin , whom Zen holds to be the main culprit of the surrender — issued on the occasion a press release with very optimistic tones .
And on March 5 , in a video message broadcast in nine languages , Pope Francis himself expressed the hope that “ Chinese Christians may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens.
” With a recommendation that also included a rebuke to the resistance : “ They should promote the Gospel , but without engaging in proselytism , and they need achieve the unity of the divided Catholic community.
” All this , so far , without any reciprocation from the Chinese , which has only benefited from the Vatican ’ s openness without paying the slightest price .
Exactly as with the 2018 agreement , which Criveller correctly calls “ asymmetrical .
”

We can get at the truth by retracing the whole history of the relations between the Holy See and China during the pontificate of Benedict XVI, from 2005 to 2013.
March 18, 2020 (Settimo Cielo) — In the letter that the dean of the sacred college, Giovanni Battista Re, wrote on February 26 to all the cardinals, in contradiction with the previous letter addressed to them in September by Cardinal Joseph Zen Zekiun, there is one point on which the split between the two cardinal is absolute.
In his letter Zen had written, regarding the provisional and secret agreement of September 22 2018 between the Holy See and China on the appointment of bishops:
“I have cause to believe (and I hope one day to be able to demonstrate with archival documents) that the signed agreement is the same one that Pope Benedict had, in his day, refused to sign.”
To which Re rebutted:
“This assertion does not correspond to the truth. After having personally taken stock of the documents kept in the current archive of the secretariat of state, I can attest that Pope Benedict XVI had approved the draft agreement on the appointment of bishops in China, which could be signed only in 2018.”
Zen’s rejoinder came on March 1 in an open letter to Re, in which the Chinese cardinal writes:
“If you want to prove to me that the recently signed agreement was already approved by Benedict XVI, you just have to show me the text of the agreement, which I am barred from seeing till now, and the archival evidence which you say you could verify. Then there remains to be explained why it was not signed at that time.”
In the absence of public documentation it is difficult to say which of the two cardinals is more in the right.
However, we can get at the truth by retracing the whole history of the relations between the Holy See and China during the pontificate of Benedict XVI, from 2005 to 2013.
* * *
This is what one of the leading experts on the Chinese Catholic Church, Gianni Criveller, recently did in the chapter “An Overview of the Catholic Church in Post-Mao China”, which appeared in the volume “People, Communities, and the Catholic Church in China,” edited by Cindy Yik-yi Chu and Paul P. Mariani, published in Singapore in 2020.
Criveller, 59, of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, teaches at the Chinese University and the Holy Spirit College of Theology and Philosophy in Hong Kong. His essay has been translated in full and published in “Il Regno,” the most authoritative magazine of the progressive Italian Catholic camp.
Criveller's essay is of extraordinary interest, especially where he deals with the differences between the two Catholic communities in China, the one with official recognition from the regime, severely subjugated, and the highly endangered “underground” one, or where he explains the reasons and the effects of the “Chinafication” of the religions and of the return to Confucianism, advocated by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
But limiting ourselves to what Criveller writes about the years of Benedict XVI's pontificate, he does not hesitate to assign “historic” importance to the Letter to Chinese Catholics written by that pope in 2007. And about the fate of the bishops in that country he writes :
“Benedict XVI asked the civil authorities to recognize the underground bishops. However, he admitted that ‘almost always’ the official bishops are obliged to ‘adopt attitudes, perform gestures and make commitments that are contrary to the dictates of their conscience.’ Strangely, the phrase ‘almost always’ was omitted in the first Chinese translation issued by the Vatican, provoking the protest of Cardinal Zen. The pope left it up to the individual bishops to determine the best course of action to be taken in their specific situations, that is, whether or not to seek recognition from the civil authorities.”
Criveller notes that “the Chinese government made every effort to downplay the significance of this letter.” And proof of this was the regime’s persistence in installing illegitimate bishops, that is, not approved by Rome.
In 2006, the year before the letter was published, there had been three illegitimate ordinations. After that, from 2007 to the summer of 2010, the new bishops were ordained with the consent of both sides, “although the approval,” Criveller points out, “was always given independently, without direct negotiations.”
But in the fall of 2010 the situation deteriorated again. The illegitimate consecration of Guo Jincai as bishop of Chengde, writes Criveller, “caused a deterioration in relations between the Vatican and China.” And at the beginning of the following summer two other bishops were consecrated without the pope's approval: Lei Shiyin in Leshan and Huang Bingzhang in Shantou. The affront was received in Rome with such alarm that for the first time the Holy See reacted by publicly declaring the excommunication of those bishops installed by the regime.
Meanwhile, in December 2010, a no less disturbing episode occurred, as described by Criveller:
“The government held in Beijing, with great fanfare, the eighth national assembly of Catholic representatives. The agenda of the meeting included the election of the new leaders of the Patriotic Association and of the Conference of Bishops [that is, the two bodies with which the regime exercises ironbound control over the official Catholic Church —ed.]. Joseph Xing Wenzhi, auxiliary bishop of Shanghai, went grudgingly to that controversial assembly. Once there, he participated in it with a passive attitude. He returned to Shanghai depressed, apologizing to his clergy for not being strong enough purely and simply to boycott the assembly. Right away the bishop’s personal life took a sad turn. Bishop Xing was accused by the secret police of having an affair with a woman. It was an alarming retaliation against a bishop who had shown the courage to resist the government’s policies.”
In April of 2012 there were two more ordinations approved by both sides, in Nanchong and Changsha, but the newly ordained “were forced to accept illegitimate bishops as consecrators.”
Then again, on July 6 of that same year, there was another illegitimate ordination. Yue Fusheng was ordained bishop of Harbin “despite the request made by the Holy See to refuse the election.” The priests of that diocese who had opposed it were forced to write a letter of submission and to concelebrate with the illicit bishop. Again, the Holy See publicly announced the excommunication of the new bishop. Which, Criveller writes, “can be a significant example of how the Chinese authorities are capable, at times, of bringing onto their side people who previously had been explicitly loyal to the pope.”
Years earlier, in fact, while still an ordinary priest Yue had been part of a delegation of Chinese priests authorized to participate in the Mass celebrated in Manila on January 15, 1995, by John Paul II, visiting the Philippines for World Youth Day. And when at the beginning of the Mass the flags of the various national delegations were raised, including the flag of Taiwan, and in retaliation the political leaders of the Chinese delegation ordered them to abandon the ceremony, none other than Yue was one of the very few who had the courage to disobey and to stay. While today he “is known for his weakness and his adherence to the government.”
But even more revealing of the deterioration of relations between the Holy See and China, in that 2012 which is the last glimpse of the pontificate of Benedict XVI, is what happened in Shanghai on July 7, with the ordination of Thaddeus Ma Daqin in the cathedral as new auxiliary bishop. Criveller writes:
“He was ordained with the approval of both sides. But the Chinese authorities imposed the presence of an illegitimate bishop, provoking the dismay of many priests, religious, and lay people who decided not to participate in the ceremony. Thaddeus Ma, in a shrewd maneuver, prevented the illegitimate bishop from laying his hands on him during the consecration rite. Towards the end of the Mass the new bishop declared that he wanted to be the pastor of all the faithful, so he would stop being a member of the Patriotic Association. An amateur video of Bishop Ma’s brief speech, publicly applauded by the people present in the cathedral, appeared for several days on various websites, until it was removed.
“Many thought the bishop’s gesture was courageous and prophetic. But the government officials present at the Mass went into a state of great agitation and took him away by force that evening. Officials put the diocese under investigation, interrogating priests and nuns. After eight years, Thaddeus Ma is still under ‘house arrest’ in the Sheshan seminary. His 2016 ‘confessions’ were written in captivity and we do not know if they were sincere and if he did or did not regret what he had done.”
* * *
If this is the known, public fabric of the relations between the Holy See and China regarding the appointment of bishops between 2005 and 2013, it is not clear how to fit into this fabric the alleged “approval” during those same years, by Benedict XVI, of the agreement signed five years later. An agreement whose contents are still kept secret and which has so far produced no new episcopal appointment, eighteen months after its signing, and on the contrary has been accompanied by a further “crackdown” — as Criveller writes at the beginning of his essay — in the regime’s control over the Catholic Church.
It should also be borne in mind that with regard to China, Benedict XVI availed himself not only of the secretariat of state, but also of an “ad hoc” commission in which Cardinal Zen had significant influence — a commission never convened again during the pontificate of Francis.
It is therefore not to be ruled out that Pope Benedict was presented with draft agreements on the appointment of bishops. Just as it cannot be ruled out that the Chinese side turned down, during those same years, potential proposals from the Vatican.
But that the agreement that Cardinal Re says was “approved” by Benedict XVI was identical to the one signed in 2018 remains entirely to be proven.
And given the narrative of those years, as reported most recently by Criveller, this seems implausible. All the more so if one compares it with the “historic” letter written by Pope Benedict to the Chinese Catholics.
* * *
It should be added that Cardinal Re’s letter falls under a phase of intensification of the Holy See’s policy of the “hand extended” to the Chinese regime.
The letter bears the date of February 26. And on the 14th of the same month, on the sidelines of an international conference in Munich, there was for the first time since the breaking of diplomatic ties in 1951 a meeting between the two foreign ministers of the Holy See and of China, Paul Richard Gallagher and Wang Yi (pictured).
The Vatican secretariat of state — headed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, whom Zen holds to be the main culprit of the surrender — issued on the occasion a press release with very optimistic tones.
And on March 5, in a video message broadcast in nine languages, Pope Francis himself expressed the hope that “Chinese Christians may be truly Christians, and be good citizens.” With a recommendation that also included a rebuke to the resistance: “They should promote the Gospel, but without engaging in proselytism, and they need achieve the unity of the divided Catholic community.”
All this, so far, without any reciprocation from the Chinese, which has only benefited from the Vatican’s openness without paying the slightest price. Exactly as with the 2018 agreement, which Criveller correctly calls “asymmetrical.”
Published with permission from Settimo Cielo.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-03-18--Canadian psychiatrists: It’s ‘discrimination’ not to let mentally ill kill themsel

Canadian psychiatrists: It’s ‘discrimination’ not to let mentally ill kill themselves

March 18 , 2020 ( National Review ) — Dedicated psychiatrists are often the only defense between patients with serious mental illness and suicide .
But legalizing euthanasia shifts thinking 180 degrees because suicide has been redefined as health care and a right .
Hence , protections — such as barring administered death to the mentally ill — soon come to be seen as obstacles .
That has happened in Canada , where the government is erasing its weak provision that death must be a “ reasonably foreseeable ” requirement to qualify for killing .
Once that provision is repealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” could qualify for death .
This is the context in which the Canadian Psychiatric Association has warned the government not to “ discriminate ” against the mentally ill by barring them from lethal jabs when the law is changed .
From the Association ’ s Position Statement ( my emphasis ) : 2 .
Patients with a psychiatric illness should not be discriminated against solely on the basis of their disability , and should have available the same options regarding MAiD [ medical assistance in dying , i.e.
, euthanasia ] as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Psychiatrists will be mindful of the medical ethical principles as they relate to MAiD .
They should not allow personal opinion or bias to sway patients who wish to consider MAiD as an option for addressing irremediable conditions .
4 .
While psychiatrists may choose not to be involved with the provision of MAiD , patients requesting MAiD must be provided with information regarding available MAiD resources and the referral process ...
The CPA will continue to protect the rights and interests of patients with psychiatric conditions at all times , and with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity , informed consent and irremediable conditions in the legislation and evolving landscape of MAiD .
The CPA will advocate for the inclusion of appropriate safeguards in processes , protocols , procedures and legislation pertaining to provision of MAiD .
So the last line of defense protecting the mentally ill against suicide will be required by their Association ’ s ethics rules to cooperate in the very act they were once duty-bound to prevent , and indeed , participate in the euthanasia of eligible psychiatric patients by providing information about the process , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a doctor who will .
And they are not allowed to try to talk patients out of dying because that would be “ bias.
” Published with permission from the National Review .

The Canadian Psychiatric Association has warned the government not to 'discriminate' against the mentally ill by barring them from lethal jabs.
March 18, 2020 (National Review) — Dedicated psychiatrists are often the only defense between patients with serious mental illness and suicide. But legalizing euthanasia shifts thinking 180 degrees because suicide has been redefined as health care and a right. Hence, protections — such as barring administered death to the mentally ill — soon come to be seen as obstacles.
That has happened in Canada, where the government is erasing its weak provision that death must be a “reasonably foreseeable” requirement to qualify for killing. Once that provision is repealed, psychiatric conditions diagnosed as “irremediable” could qualify for death.
This is the context in which the Canadian Psychiatric Association has warned the government not to “discriminate” against the mentally ill by barring them from lethal jabs when the law is changed. From the Association’s Position Statement (my emphasis):
2. Patients with a psychiatric illness should not be discriminated against solely on the basis of their disability, and should have available the same options regarding MAiD [medical assistance in dying, i.e., euthanasia] as available to all patients. 3. Psychiatrists will be mindful of the medical ethical principles as they relate to MAiD. They should not allow personal opinion or bias to sway patients who wish to consider MAiD as an option for addressing irremediable conditions. 4. While psychiatrists may choose not to be involved with the provision of MAiD, patients requesting MAiD must be provided with information regarding available MAiD resources and the referral process… The CPA will continue to protect the rights and interests of patients with psychiatric conditions at all times, and with particular attention to the issues of decisional capacity, informed consent and irremediable conditions in the legislation and evolving landscape of MAiD. The CPA will advocate for the inclusion of appropriate safeguards in processes, protocols, procedures and legislation pertaining to provision of MAiD.
So the last line of defense protecting the mentally ill against suicide will be required by their Association’s ethics rules to cooperate in the very act they were once duty-bound to prevent, and indeed, participate in the euthanasia of eligible psychiatric patients by providing information about the process, and either killing them or referring them to a doctor who will. And they are not allowed to try to talk patients out of dying because that would be “bias.”
Published with permission from the National Review.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-03-19--Priest flies with monstrance in plane to bless coronavirus-stricken land

March 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Catholic priests are doing their part to heroically battle against the coronavirus , finding creative means to not only deliver the sacraments to the faithful but also to beg God for mercy and deliverance .
With the help of a pilot parishioner , Fr .
Anthony Manuppella , pastor of St. Gianna Beretta Molla Parish in Northfield , New Jersey , took the Blessed Sacrament and a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the skies above the Diocese of Camden and prayed for God ’ s protection , for the sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of this “ modern day plague , the coronavirus.
” “ While we ’ re up in the plane , with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist , the Blessed Sacrament , and a statue of our Blessed Mother , I ’ ll be chanting the litany of the saints because traditionally that is the prayer that we ’ ve said in the past when countries , especially in Europe , have been hit by the various plagues , ” said Fr .
Manuppella in PressofAtlanticCity.com video interview .
“ After the litany @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many intercessory prayers to combat the virus , to combat a pandemic , or plague if you will , ” continued Fr .
Manuppella .
“ And so I ’ ll be praying those and other prayers as well as we go over the whole diocese of Camden .
And I ’ ll bless them with Jesus and pray for their protection , pray for those that are sick to be healed , and pray also for the end , the cessation , of this modern day plague , the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and so only the powers of heaven will be able to combat it , and with of course the help of doctors etc.
, but God is always Number One .
We always turn to Him.
” “ I would hope that this virus would compel people to speak and think more about returning back to God , returning back to church , ” he added .
“ Seeing how fragile we are , and how much we need God , we could die any minute … we could be afflicted with this.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Blessed Sacrament to their parishioners Undeterred after Masses have been canceled throughout North America and Europe , priests are bringing the Blessed Sacrament to their parishioners ’ homes .
Fr .
Michael Hirmer , a priest in the diocese of Regensburg , Germany , processes through his town wearing a surgical mask and gloves , delivering the Eucharist to those who come out to receive communion .
“ My old buddy Michael Hirmer , priest in the diocese of Regensburg , brings the holy Eucharist in procession through the village , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The faithful are asked to come to the windows to get blessed or receive at the garden door , ” noted Lehner .
Fr .
Anthony Huong Van Le , pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Martinez , California , has set up a web page where people can sign up to receive communion at home after watching the parish ’ s Sunday live-streamed Mass .
Parishioners are advised , “ Please leave your name , address , telephone number and you will be contacted prior to one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gloves and masks ) to distribute the sacrament.
” “ Carmelite priest Fr .
Justin Cinnante blesses New Rochelle , New York , with the help of some friends , earlier this week , ” noted Kathryn Jean Lopez in a tweet , with a video of Fr .
Cinnante standing on the back of pickup truck cruising neighborhood streets .
“ New Rochelle has been hit hard by coronavirus , ” added Lopez .
Readers have told LifeSiteNews that priests in Massachusetts and elsewhere are leading the Stations of the Cross by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drive-thru parking lot confessions seems to be spreading like wildfire around the country .

The Diocese of Camden, New Jersey received a special blessing from the sky from Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.
PRAYER PLEDGE: Rally around the daily Rosary to stop the coronavirus Sign the petition here.
March 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Catholic priests are doing their part to heroically battle against the coronavirus, finding creative means to not only deliver the sacraments to the faithful but also to beg God for mercy and deliverance.
With the help of a pilot parishioner, Fr. Anthony Manuppella, pastor of St. Gianna Beretta Molla Parish in Northfield, New Jersey, took the Blessed Sacrament and a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary into the skies above the Diocese of Camden and prayed for God’s protection, for the sick to be healed, and for the end of this “modern day plague, the coronavirus.”
“While we’re up in the plane, with Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, the Blessed Sacrament, and a statue of our Blessed Mother, I’ll be chanting the litany of the saints because traditionally that is the prayer that we’ve said in the past when countries, especially in Europe, have been hit by the various plagues,” said Fr. Manuppella in PressofAtlanticCity.com video interview.
“After the litany of the saints, there are many, many intercessory prayers to combat the virus, to combat a pandemic, or plague if you will,” continued Fr. Manuppella. “And so I’ll be praying those and other prayers as well as we go over the whole diocese of Camden. And I’ll bless them with Jesus and pray for their protection, pray for those that are sick to be healed, and pray also for the end, the cessation, of this modern day plague, the coronavirus, because this is an invisible enemy, and so only the powers of heaven will be able to combat it, and with of course the help of doctors etc., but God is always Number One. We always turn to Him.”
“I would hope that this virus would compel people to speak and think more about returning back to God, returning back to church,” he added. “Seeing how fragile we are, and how much we need God, we could die any minute … we could be afflicted with this.”
With Masses canceled, clergy bring the Blessed Sacrament to their parishioners
Undeterred after Masses have been canceled throughout North America and Europe, priests are bringing the Blessed Sacrament to their parishioners’ homes.
Fr. Michael Hirmer, a priest in the diocese of Regensburg, Germany, processes through his town wearing a surgical mask and gloves, delivering the Eucharist to those who come out to receive communion.
“My old buddy Michael Hirmer, priest in the diocese of Regensburg, brings the holy Eucharist in procession through the village,” wrote Ulrich Lehner in a Tweet.
“The faithful are asked to come to the windows to get blessed or receive at the garden door,” noted Lehner.
My old buddy Michael Hirmer, priest in the diocese of Regensburg, brings the holy Eucharist in procession through the village. The faithful are asked to come to the windows to get blessed or receiving at the garden door. #theologie #kirche @katholisch_de https://t.co/sI0d3lZXXA pic.twitter.com/thedPWCgyD — Ulrich Lehner (@ulrichlehner) March 18, 2020
Fr. Anthony Huong Van Le, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Martinez, California, has set up a web page where people can sign up to receive communion at home after watching the parish’s Sunday live-streamed Mass.
Parishioners are advised, “Please leave your name, address, telephone number and you will be contacted prior to one of the clergy arriving at your home (wearing gloves and masks) to distribute the sacrament.”
“Carmelite priest Fr. Justin Cinnante blesses New Rochelle, New York, with the help of some friends, earlier this week,” noted Kathryn Jean Lopez in a tweet, with a video of Fr. Cinnante standing on the back of pickup truck cruising neighborhood streets.
“New Rochelle has been hit hard by coronavirus,” added Lopez.
(Last photo is people participating in Mass from a home, via livestream.) pic.twitter.com/pKevXRj5Og — Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) March 19, 2020
Readers have told LifeSiteNews that priests in Massachusetts and elsewhere are leading the Stations of the Cross by conference call, and the practice of drive-thru parking lot confessions seems to be spreading like wildfire around the country.
https://twitter.com/Timothy_Meads/status/1240258197081989126
Drive thru confessions in Gainesville, VA at Holy Trinity. pic.twitter.com/qkCxVbNGc4 — Timmy Meads (@Timothy_Meads) March 18, 2020
Share


lifesitenews--2020-03-19--The world has a lot to learn from Taiwan’s hugely successful response to Chinese coronavirus

March 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In northern Italy , hundreds of elderly , denied ICU beds and ventilators , are dying .
In Iran , the mullahs are digging mass graves the length of football fields .
From all appearances , they will soon need more .
You might say that this was inevitable , since both countries have close relations with China , the original epicenter of the epidemic .
And it is true that both have chosen to be key waystations in China ’ s New Silk Road , which Beijing touts as a highway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is looking more like a one-way ticket to an early death .
But there is another country , far closer to China , whose economy is even more closely intertwined with the Communist giant ’ s .
From that country ’ s capital , you can fly direct to every major Chinese city , including Wuhan .
Until recently , thousands did every day .
Yet , despite this huge cross-border traffic with neighboring China , the 25 million people of this island nation are virtually free of the Wuhan Flu .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as of March 16 is reporting only 67 cases and one death .
Most of those earlier infected have since recovered , and there have been few new cases .
In other words , the deadly invader has been stopped in its tracks .
How is that even possible ?
One reason is that the democratically elected government of Taiwan reacted to the widening epidemic in real time .
China first admitted to the World Health Organization that it had “ several ” cases of a new pneumonia on December 31 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Centers for Disease Control began monitoring passengers arriving from Wuhan .
With China withholding information about the nature of the new pneumonia , Taiwan erred on the side of caution , screening passengers for no fewer than 36 known viruses .
When China shocked the world by quarantining one of its major cities , Taiwan reacted immediately , banning flights from Wuhan on January 26 .
It was the first country in the world to do so .
As the disease reached epidemic proportions in China and began to spread around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 124 safety protocols for the virus .
To prevent community spreading , the government distributed 6.5 million masks to primary and secondary schools , along with 84,000 liters of hand sanitizer and 25,000 forehead thermometers .
It required office buildings and residential complexes to screen entrants for signs of fever , and to put hand sanitizers next to elevators .
It took these actions even though it was not allowed — because of China ’ s opposition — to attend the World Health Organization ’ s emergency meetings on the Chinese Coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good thing , since the WHO has been covering up for China from the get-go . )
As everyone now knows , speed is everything when it comes to controlling epidemics .
Even a week ’ s dalliance can lead to uncontained community spreading of the virus .
A month ’ s delay can be fatal to many .
Taiwan is today largely free of the Chinese coronavirus not only because it did everything right , but because it did everything early .
Why ?
Taiwan ’ s leaders , led by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience that the Beijing regime is run by pathological liars who will always put their own political survival ahead of all other considerations , including the lives of those they rule .
They saw in the Wuhan Virus a replay of the SARS epidemic of 2003 , which China ’ s leaders lied about as well until the mounting death toll made it impossible to do so .
That experience caused the island nation to create strategic stockpiles of items that would be useful when — not if — a future epidemic emerged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they did not hesitate .
They acted .
Taiwan ’ s wariness where China is concerned is based on much , much more than Beijing ’ s irresponsible behavior during past epidemics .
The Chinese Communist Party remains , as it has always been , an existential threat to Taiwan ’ s continued existence as a separate nation .
Communist leaders , including President-for-Life Xi Jinping , regularly threaten to use military force to annex the island .
In fact , just a couple of days ago , he once more sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pathetic effort to intimidate the population there .
This is why Taiwan ’ s west coast is dotted with watchtowers .
The Mainland is a mere hundred or so miles away and the watchers are always alert for the possibility of an invading Chinese army .
In this case , the invasion took the form of a tiny virus carried in the bodies of incoming passengers .
But it was an invasion nonetheless and President Tsai acted immediately and successfully to repel it .
The rest of the world can learn an important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its response .
The lesson is this : China is a threat to its own people and to the world .
The threat takes many different forms , from China ’ s theft of intellectual property to its cheating on trade , from its rampant cyberattacks to its reckless spread of epidemics .
But whatever form it takes on any given day , it is always inimical to liberty , and it is often deadly .
Taiwan understands this .
And , understanding this , has repelled the latest threat to its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to understand it too .
Steven W. Mosher is the President of the Population Research Institute and the author of Bully of Asia : Why China ’ s Dream is the New Threat to World Order .

In the midst of the worldwide panic, this one nation stands out.
March 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – In northern Italy, hundreds of elderly, denied ICU beds and ventilators, are dying. In Iran, the mullahs are digging mass graves the length of football fields. From all appearances, they will soon need more.
You might say that this was inevitable, since both countries have close relations with China, the original epicenter of the epidemic. And it is true that both have chosen to be key waystations in China’s New Silk Road, which Beijing touts as a highway to riches.
Right now, it is looking more like a one-way ticket to an early death.
But there is another country, far closer to China, whose economy is even more closely intertwined with the Communist giant’s. From that country’s capital, you can fly direct to every major Chinese city, including Wuhan. Until recently, thousands did every day.
Yet, despite this huge cross-border traffic with neighboring China, the 25 million people of this island nation are virtually free of the Wuhan Flu.
The country in question is Taiwan, which as of March 16 is reporting only 67 cases and one death. Most of those earlier infected have since recovered, and there have been few new cases. In other words, the deadly invader has been stopped in its tracks.
How is that even possible?
One reason is that the democratically elected government of Taiwan reacted to the widening epidemic in real time.
China first admitted to the World Health Organization that it had “several” cases of a new pneumonia on December 31. The very same day, Taiwan’s Centers for Disease Control began monitoring passengers arriving from Wuhan.
With China withholding information about the nature of the new pneumonia, Taiwan erred on the side of caution, screening passengers for no fewer than 36 known viruses.
When China shocked the world by quarantining one of its major cities, Taiwan reacted immediately, banning flights from Wuhan on January 26. It was the first country in the world to do so.
As the disease reached epidemic proportions in China and began to spread around the world, Taiwan put in place no fewer than 124 safety protocols for the virus.
To prevent community spreading, the government distributed 6.5 million masks to primary and secondary schools, along with 84,000 liters of hand sanitizer and 25,000 forehead thermometers. It required office buildings and residential complexes to screen entrants for signs of fever, and to put hand sanitizers next to elevators.
It took these actions even though it was not allowed — because of China’s opposition — to attend the World Health Organization’s emergency meetings on the Chinese Coronavirus. (This actually may have been a good thing, since the WHO has been covering up for China from the get-go.)
As everyone now knows, speed is everything when it comes to controlling epidemics. Even a week’s dalliance can lead to uncontained community spreading of the virus. A month’s delay can be fatal to many.
Taiwan is today largely free of the Chinese coronavirus not only because it did everything right, but because it did everything early. Why?
Taiwan’s leaders, led by President Tsai Ing-wen, know from long experience that the Beijing regime is run by pathological liars who will always put their own political survival ahead of all other considerations, including the lives of those they rule. They saw in the Wuhan Virus a replay of the SARS epidemic of 2003, which China’s leaders lied about as well until the mounting death toll made it impossible to do so.
That experience caused the island nation to create strategic stockpiles of items that would be useful when — not if — a future epidemic emerged from China. And when it did, they did not hesitate. They acted.
Taiwan’s wariness where China is concerned is based on much, much more than Beijing’s irresponsible behavior during past epidemics. The Chinese Communist Party remains, as it has always been, an existential threat to Taiwan’s continued existence as a separate nation.
Communist leaders, including President-for-Life Xi Jinping, regularly threaten to use military force to annex the island. In fact, just a couple of days ago, he once more sent bombers to circle the island in a pathetic effort to intimidate the population there.
This is why Taiwan’s west coast is dotted with watchtowers. The Mainland is a mere hundred or so miles away and the watchers are always alert for the possibility of an invading Chinese army.
In this case, the invasion took the form of a tiny virus carried in the bodies of incoming passengers. But it was an invasion nonetheless and President Tsai acted immediately and successfully to repel it.
The rest of the world can learn an important lesson both from Taiwan’s wariness and its response.
The lesson is this: China is a threat to its own people and to the world. The threat takes many different forms, from China’s theft of intellectual property to its cheating on trade, from its rampant cyberattacks to its reckless spread of epidemics. But whatever form it takes on any given day, it is always inimical to liberty, and it is often deadly.
Taiwan understands this. And, understanding this, has repelled the latest threat to its nation and its people.
America needs to understand it too.
Steven W. Mosher is the President of the Population Research Institute and the author of Bully of Asia: Why China’s Dream is the New Threat to World Order.
Follow Steven Steven Mosher is an internationally recognised authority on China and population issues as well as an acclaimed author and speaker and founder and head of the Population Research Institute. He was the first American social scientist to visit mainland China in 1979 where he witnessed women being forced to have abortion under the new “one-child-policy” which he then exposed to the world. Mr. Mosher was a pro-choice atheist at the time, but witnessing these traumatic abortions led him to reconsider his convictions and to eventually become a practicing, pro-life Roman Catholic. Mosher has appeared numerous times before the US Congress as an expert in world population, China and human Rights abuses. He has also made TV appearances on Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, The Today Show, 20/20, FOX and CNN news, as well as being a regular guest on talk radio shows across the nation. He is the author of the best-selling A Mother’s Ordeal: One woman’s Fight Against China’s One-Child-Policy. His latest book is Bully of Asia, exposing the threat of China to the entire world at this time. Articles by Steve have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, The New Republic, The Washington Post, National Review, Reason, The Asian Wall Street Journal, Freedom Review, Linacre Quarterly, Catholic World Report, Human Life Review, First Things, and numerous other publications. Steven Mosher lives in Virginia with his wife, Vera, and their nine children.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-03-19--Bill banning transgender changes to birth certificates passes Idaho Legislature

BOISE , Idaho , March 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Birth certificates in Idaho will continue to accurately record the actual sex of residents born there , according to a bill that just cleared the state legislature and now awaits a signature from Republican Gov .
Brad Little .
House Bill 509 forbids altering the sex listed on state birth certificates in the name of “ gender identity.
” Changes would only be allowed in order to correct errors in “ material fact at the time of birth , ” or to correct a “ clerical or data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documenting factual information on vital records is to help the government fulfill one of its most basic duties : protecting the health and safety of its citizens , ” the bill declares .
“ Allowing individuals to alter their vital records , including birth certificates , based upon subjective feelings or experiences undermines the government 's interest in having accurate vital records.
” The bill passed the state Senate on Tuesday after passing the state House last month , CNN reported .
LGBT activists have demanded that Little veto the bill ; the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Critics objected that the bill flies in the face of a 2018 court order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale forcing Idaho to grant requests for sex changes on birth certificates .
Idaho Senate Democrat Minority Leader Michelle Stennett complained that HB509 is “ unconstitutional and will cost the state a lot of money in court because it could go to the U.S. Supreme Court.
” In fact , the Constitution contains no language that could be construed as dictating the record-keeping policies of state governments .
But that won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court to reinterpret the 1964 Civil Rights Act ’ s ban on sex discrimination ( which was meant strictly as a biological concept by the law ’ s drafters ) as extending to subjective “ gender identity .
”

Gov. Brad Little has yet to announce whether he'll sign it into law.
BOISE, Idaho, March 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Birth certificates in Idaho will continue to accurately record the actual sex of residents born there, according to a bill that just cleared the state legislature and now awaits a signature from Republican Gov. Brad Little.
House Bill 509 forbids altering the sex listed on state birth certificates in the name of “gender identity.” Changes would only be allowed in order to correct errors in “material fact at the time of birth,” or to correct a “clerical or data entry error.”
“The purpose of documenting factual information on vital records is to help the government fulfill one of its most basic duties: protecting the health and safety of its citizens,” the bill declares. “Allowing individuals to alter their vital records, including birth certificates, based upon subjective feelings or experiences undermines the government's interest in having accurate vital records.”
The bill passed the state Senate on Tuesday after passing the state House last month, CNN reported. LGBT activists have demanded that Little veto the bill; the governor has yet to announce his intentions.
Critics objected that the bill flies in the face of a 2018 court order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Dale forcing Idaho to grant requests for sex changes on birth certificates. Idaho Senate Democrat Minority Leader Michelle Stennett complained that HB509 is “unconstitutional and will cost the state a lot of money in court because it could go to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
In fact, the Constitution contains no language that could be construed as dictating the record-keeping policies of state governments. But that won’t matter if the LGBT lobby convinces the Supreme Court to reinterpret the 1964 Civil Rights Act’s ban on sex discrimination (which was meant strictly as a biological concept by the law’s drafters) as extending to subjective “gender identity.”
Share


lifesitenews--2020-03-19--Prudence, not panic, is the way forward in this crisis

EDINBURGH , Scotland , March 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― I learned how to prepare for war from one of my favorite novels .
Nancy Mitford ’ s The Pursuit of Love , highly praised by her mentor Evelyn Waugh , follows the fortunes of the upper-class Radlett family during the 1920s and 30s and into the Second World War .
As Britain awaits the almost inevitable German invasion , the now-adult daughters gather with their children and other relations at the family ’ s draughty country house .
Their husbands , brothers , and lovers join the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to safety in America .
The Radlett family , sincerely patriotic , put their best face forward .
The daughters freely admit to each other that their children adore the disruption .
Lord Alconleigh , the patriarch , trains up the local Home Guard and plans for a last-stand fight against the Germans .
The narrator ’ s black sheep mother turns up with her Spanish boyfriend , who turns out to be a chef and a genius at keeping the pantry stocked with delicious edibles .
The beauty of the family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turns up covered in furs , for her wealthy boyfriend knows that people will be very cold during the war .
Lord Alconleigh is convinced that he and most of the men will die in battle in the event of a German invasion , and yet nobody in the family panics .
They calmly make their preparations , and they do their best to live together in harmony .
When tragedy strikes , the family rallies around to protect the weakest member .
Although this comic novel would not pass as moral reading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two about resilience and self-sacrifice in the face of adversity .
Fortunately we are not at war against human invaders but a nasty little virus and the panic it is causing .
Of course , some people are not concerned at all .
There are British holidaymakers in Spain who are refusing police instructors to stay indoors and instead drink , dance , and behave in the inimitable way of British holidaymakers in Spain , assuming that they ’ re going to get COVID-19 anyway , but not considering how crammed the local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As I have written before , this is the real concern of the young and healthy : the ability of our medical systems to cope with hundreds , if not thousands , of people becoming very ill , all at once .
If 80 % of Edinburgh contracts coronavirus , but only 20 % of them need hospital care , that will be 80,000 people needing hospital care within a three month period .
This is not factoring in people who routinely need hospital care , like mothers in labor .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; imagine having a baby in a hospital crammed to overflowing with acute care patients .
There were , by the way , 13,426 acute care beds for the whole of Scotland in 2018 .
It is , therefore , our duty not to pass on the virus to elderly or other people with weak immune systems and also our duty to do the best not to get sick .
This involves refusing to panic .
Panic weakens our immune systems , and it also keeps us from thinking rationally at a time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prudence , on the other hand , counsels us to pay attention to local medical advice , to carefully assess how many supplies we need at home and where we can get more if needed , and to make contingency plans .
Very few of us are British tourists drunk on the beaches of Benidorm , and very few of us wish we were , even now as public events are cancelled in our communities .
As responsible adults , it is our job to keep ourselves , our spouses , our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our most vulnerable neighbors safe and as content as possible under any condition .
If the children must be home from school for the next two months , how will you work together as a family to help them thrive ?
If your livelihood is threatened , what can you do to soften the financial blow ?
If church services are suspended in your town , what can you do to preserve your spiritual health ?
It is true that most of us do not live in Italy , and so the terrible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may not be repeated where any of the rest of us are .
With proper precautions , it shouldn ’ t be .
There really is no need to panic , but prudence is still a virtue .
I remember walking to my parents ’ home from downtown Toronto up Bathurst Street during the Northeast blackout of 2003 .
I was terrified that once night fell , heedless young men in cars would endanger the lives of anyone still outside .
Fortunately , this never happened , but I still think I did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once .
I am proud to work for LifeSite , especially now as I watch the world react to the threat of the coronavirus .
Though most of our staff have had their parishes close their doors , one by one , to the sacraments , we are still praying daily , as an organization , for all of those affected , particularly our supporters and readers .
Our team of reporters across the globe are working around the clock to ensure you continue to receive accurate updates on the coronavirus that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter what , our reporting at LifeSite remains critical to restoring the culture .
This is why we need prayers and financial support from our readers more than ever before .
The coronavirus threat is very real , but our mission must continue .
In a world that is so desperate for hope , I urge you to consider sustaining our efforts to change the culture year-round – 24 hours a day , 365 days a year .
Right now , we are in need of 100 of our most committed readers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and 50 readers to pledge a monthly gift of $ 25 , to sustain our efforts to change the culture through news media .
If you are able to generously support our mission with a financial gift today , please follow this link to donate : https : //give.lifesitenews.com .

Panic weakens our immune systems, and it also keeps us from thinking rationally at a time when thinking is required more than ever.
EDINBURGH, Scotland, March 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― I learned how to prepare for war from one of my favorite novels.
Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love, highly praised by her mentor Evelyn Waugh, follows the fortunes of the upper-class Radlett family during the 1920s and 30s and into the Second World War. As Britain awaits the almost inevitable German invasion, the now-adult daughters gather with their children and other relations at the family’s draughty country house. Their husbands, brothers, and lovers join the army. Only unsympathetic characters run away to safety in America.
The Radlett family, sincerely patriotic, put their best face forward. The daughters freely admit to each other that their children adore the disruption. Lord Alconleigh, the patriarch, trains up the local Home Guard and plans for a last-stand fight against the Germans. The narrator’s black sheep mother turns up with her Spanish boyfriend, who turns out to be a chef and a genius at keeping the pantry stocked with delicious edibles. The beauty of the family, bombed out of her London house, turns up covered in furs, for her wealthy boyfriend knows that people will be very cold during the war.
Lord Alconleigh is convinced that he and most of the men will die in battle in the event of a German invasion, and yet nobody in the family panics. They calmly make their preparations, and they do their best to live together in harmony. When tragedy strikes, the family rallies around to protect the weakest member. Although this comic novel would not pass as moral reading, it does have a lesson or two about resilience and self-sacrifice in the face of adversity.
Fortunately we are not at war against human invaders but a nasty little virus and the panic it is causing. Of course, some people are not concerned at all. There are British holidaymakers in Spain who are refusing police instructors to stay indoors and instead drink, dance, and behave in the inimitable way of British holidaymakers in Spain, assuming that they’re going to get COVID-19 anyway, but not considering how crammed the local ICU will be when they get it.
As I have written before, this is the real concern of the young and healthy: the ability of our medical systems to cope with hundreds, if not thousands, of people becoming very ill, all at once. If 80% of Edinburgh contracts coronavirus, but only 20% of them need hospital care, that will be 80,000 people needing hospital care within a three month period. This is not factoring in people who routinely need hospital care, like mothers in labor. There were 4,899 births in Edinburgh in 2018; imagine having a baby in a hospital crammed to overflowing with acute care patients. There were, by the way, 13,426 acute care beds for the whole of Scotland in 2018.
It is, therefore, our duty not to pass on the virus to elderly or other people with weak immune systems and also our duty to do the best not to get sick. This involves refusing to panic. Panic weakens our immune systems, and it also keeps us from thinking rationally at a time when thinking is required more than ever. Prudence, on the other hand, counsels us to pay attention to local medical advice, to carefully assess how many supplies we need at home and where we can get more if needed, and to make contingency plans.
Very few of us are British tourists drunk on the beaches of Benidorm, and very few of us wish we were, even now as public events are cancelled in our communities. As responsible adults, it is our job to keep ourselves, our spouses, our children, our elderly relations, and our most vulnerable neighbors safe and as content as possible under any condition. If the children must be home from school for the next two months, how will you work together as a family to help them thrive? If your livelihood is threatened, what can you do to soften the financial blow? If church services are suspended in your town, what can you do to preserve your spiritual health?
It is true that most of us do not live in Italy, and so the terrible toll the virus has taken in Italy may not be repeated where any of the rest of us are. With proper precautions, it shouldn’t be. There really is no need to panic, but prudence is still a virtue.
I remember walking to my parents’ home from downtown Toronto up Bathurst Street during the Northeast blackout of 2003. I was terrified that once night fell, heedless young men in cars would endanger the lives of anyone still outside. Fortunately, this never happened, but I still think I did the right thing in going home at once.
I am proud to work for LifeSite, especially now as I watch the world react to the threat of the coronavirus. Though most of our staff have had their parishes close their doors, one by one, to the sacraments, we are still praying daily, as an organization, for all of those affected, particularly our supporters and readers.
Our team of reporters across the globe are working around the clock to ensure you continue to receive accurate updates on the coronavirus that you aren't hearing anywhere else.
No matter what, our reporting at LifeSite remains critical to restoring the culture. This is why we need prayers and financial support from our readers more than ever before.
The coronavirus threat is very real, but our mission must continue. In a world that is so desperate for hope, I urge you to consider sustaining our efforts to change the culture year-round – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Right now, we are in need of 100 of our most committed readers to pledge a monthly gift of $10, and 50 readers to pledge a monthly gift of $25, to sustain our efforts to change the culture through news media.
If you are able to generously support our mission with a financial gift today, please follow this link to donate: https://give.lifesitenews.com.
Follow Dorothy Dorothy Cummings McLean is a Canadian journalist, essayist, and novelist. She earned an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Toronto and an M.Div./S.T.B. from Toronto’s Regis College. She was a columnist for the Toronto Catholic Register for nine years and has contributed to Catholic World Report. Her first book, Seraphic Singles, was published by Novalis (2010) in Canada, Liguori in the USA, and Homo Dei in Poland. Her second, Ceremony of Innocence, was published by Ignatius Press (2013). Dorothy lives near Edinburgh, Scotland with her husband.
Share