lifesitenews--2020-10-21--New book gives insight into the heart and faith of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, shows us his tears

Editor ’ s note : LifeSite readers can receive 10 % off Dr. Robert Moynihan ’ s new book , Finding Viganò , by clicking this link and using the code LSN10 .
October 21 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Dr. Robert Moynihan is one of the few people who has been able to meet with Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò in person since the archbishop first published his Theodore McCarrick testimony in August 2018 and went into hiding .
With the help of his interviews with the prelate over the course of several days , the U.S. journalist , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vatican expert has been able to give us glimpses into the reasons why Viganò published his McCarrick testimony , his private and hidden life , his suffering , and his faith .
As he describes in his upcoming book , Finding Viganò : In Search of the Man Whose Testimony Shook the Church and the World ( TAN Books ) , Dr. Moynihan was able to visit Viganò in an undisclosed location for several days at the end of July 2019 — that is , nearly one year since the Italian prelate went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Viganò had then already changed his locations several times .
However , the prelate seems calm and supported by his intense life of prayer , which includes daily Mass , praying the full rosary every day , and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament .
He is also aided by his family members and friends , who stay in close touch with him .
As the archbishop told Moynihan , he went into hiding not to avoid being indicted by the Vatican — he said he was willing to be questioned about everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because “ some friends ” had advised him that it might be “ prudent ” to do so .
Viganò has followed the advice of his friends who might be more concerned about his physical safety , thus effectively living the life of a hermit .
Only once , on January 18 of this year , he appeared in public when praying in Munich together with the Acies ordinata group against the German bishops ’ synodal path of laxly liberalizing the Church .
As Moynihan writes , Archbishop Viganò “ is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world.
” But , as Viganò told the journalist during their interviews , he does not regret his decision to make public the names of those in the Vatican , to include Pope Francis , who knew of disgraced former cardinal McCarrick ’ s sexual abuse and did not take the steps necessary to stop him from harming many generations of young men and seminarians .
He said he does not regret having asked the Pope to resign .
“ Having clearly covered for McCarrick , ” he told Moynihan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first did what he asked the Chilean bishops to do.
” Then asked whether he regrets having published his report , Viganò answered , “ No .
It was something I had to do.
” He added , “ I think that I have been a witness to the truth.
” Viganò also explained that “ my conscience is telling me to protect the Church .
I see that the devil has been entering into the Church , on the top of it , and so that I have to stand up.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retired Italian prelate , who had then been relieved for two years from his last post as the papal nuncio to the United States in Washington , D.C. , published his now famous report accusing Pope Francis of ignoring Pope Benedict XVI ’ s earlier restrictions on then-cardinal McCarrick on account of McCarrick ’ s preying upon and abuse of seminarians .
Viganò revealed that he had informed Pope Francis about the misdeeds of McCarrick and about Benedict ’ s sanctions against him and said that , since Francis ignored these warnings and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCarrick , the Pope should resign .
He had then also revealed the many names of prelates — among them Cardinal Pietro Parolin , Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone , and Cardinal Angelo Sodano — who knew of the accusations but did not work for a just correction and healing of the situation .
Ever since that moment , Viganò has gained the trust of many Catholics in the world as one of the few prelates who put truth above any expedient and earthly considerations such as being able to be respected among members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his earthly comforts and honors for the defense of the young , who had to face sexual abuse from those who were called to be the representatives of Christ on Earth .
Viganò stands for a program of reform of the Church that is not based on empty words , but that aims at removing those aspects from the life of the Church that weaken the Church ’ s voice and witness .
Among these obstacles , he names some erroneous doctrines that crept into the Church at the Second Vatican Council and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward sin and moral depravity , and other forms of corruption in fields such as finances .
That is to say : to many , Archbishop Viganò appears to be a prophet of our modern times , in the midst of a grave and manifold Church crisis .
It is here that Moynihan ’ s book will help us appreciate this clergyman even more , since this U.S. journalist has set out to understand the archbishop ’ s life and work , his motives and his faith , his loves and his resistances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to break up a “ culture of cover-up ” and a “ brotherhood of silence , ” as he writes , “ that has for decades grown like a clinging vine around the heart of the Church , even in the Vatican , or perhaps better , especially in the Vatican.
” This “ culture of silence , ” he adds , which often is defended with a supposed concern not to scandalize “ the faith of the little ones , ” “ has become so harmful to our once-glorious and holy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... has become hidden.
” This healing light of truth pertains to the “ truth about the sexual sins of the hierarchy , ” as well as the “ deviations from the saving doctrines of our faith.
” As Viganò keeps on insisting , the doctrinal and the moral corruption in the Church go hand in hand .
For example , the prelate stated in September of this year : “ Moral corruption and doctrinal deviation are intrinsically linked and , to effectively heal these wounds in the body of the Church , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fronts .
If this dutiful intervention does not take place , the Bishops and the leaders of the Church will answer to God for betraying their duty as pastors.
” But how is Viganò to be considered as a man , as a human being ?
“ He was a man of simple tastes , ” Moynihan tells us about his visit with him , “ hospitable , a man who prayed the daily holy office ( the daily prayers prescribes by the Church to be said by the priests ) and nourished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of which he prays and celebrates all the Mysteries daily.
” He was a man closely following Church news .
In some ways he was an “ emotional man , a man of profound joys and sorrows , a man who was sometimes nostalgic , sometimes seemingly deeply wounded due to perceived injustices.
” The U.S. journalist continues by describing Viganò ’ s excellent memory ; his courageous attitude ; his generosity ; and most of all , his being a man completely devoted to the Catholic Church .
As a matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occasions during these interviews , Archbishop Viganò shed tears of sorrow , for example when describing how he confronted McCarrick with his sins when first meeting him in the nunciature in Washington , D.C. : “ I knew about him [ and his sins ] , ” Viganò told Moynihan , “ but I treated him with charity all the time.
” Here adds Moynihan : “ Viganò , recalling McCarrick , begins to choke up and break into tears.
” The archbishop continued : “ I confronted him the first time in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that post .
I said : ‘ You have done that !
’ And he , just speaking with very low voice , said , ‘ I may have made a mistake .
Sometimes I slept in the same bed as a seminarian , as a priest , etc.
, etc.
’ ” When Moynihan asked Viganò about his “ love of the Church , ” the archbishop once more wept : “ Well I mean it was all my life .
Well , I mean I was living for that.
” Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his whole life to the Church , and now he must suffer for her , and under her .
Love does such things , and love proves itself most ardently by suffering under the beloved , and for the beloved , just as Our Lord did .
Viganò makes us also understand where his love for his beloved Church comes from .
As Moynihan puts it , “ his boyhood was marked by a continuing contact with the Christian tradition of Milan , weaving his daily life into twenty centuries of tradition.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine children , Viganò ’ s childhood took place in pre-conciliar times .
Or , as Viganò himself said : “ Our whole life was imbued with the liturgical life of the Church and with the memory of the Church ’ s history in Milan going back to St. Ambrose.
” When he was a youth , he studied with the Jesuits in town .
His family practiced many acts of charity by visiting widows who had lost their husbands in World War II , and , as such , to bring them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time of his First Holy Communion , Viganò knew he had a vocation to the priesthood , just as did one of his older brothers .
He was greatly inspired by one young priest , Giulio Giacometti , who worked at Viganò ’ s elementary school , and then also by the Milanese cardinal , Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster , who has now been proclaimed blessed .
“ These two men , ” writes Moynihan , “ influenced the young Viganò from a very early age to decide that he should become a priest.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his life , too .
One of the archbishop ’ s first memories was “ on the breast of my mother , probably when I was around two years old , bringing me down into refuge during the bombardment [ of Milan ] , and there was a little image of Our Lady with the light.
” “ And so we were starting to pray the Rosary , ” Viganò continued .
“ I have this deep emotional memory of Mary .
This marks a presence in my life all along .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after dinner , all together.
” And he remembered his father keeping the sleepy children awake , “ reminding them that it was beautiful to be praying together to Our Lady , to our Mother.
” Of his own father , Viganò said that he was “ a very kind father.
” It was “ terrible for me , ” he explained , when he suddenly died at the age of sixty-three , possibly due to medical malpractice .
Viganò was twenty years old .
As Moynihan writes : “ Viganò seemed moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s death .
‘ My father , certainly , to say the truth , was central to my life , ’ he continued .
‘ We were raised to tell everything to our mother and father.
’ ” From 1973 on , Viganò was called into the diplomatic service of the Vatican , and he was to remain there for the rest of his life , thus giving him nearly fifty years of experience and insight into the life and the workings of the Vatican and of the Church as a whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and served them each with a full and open heart .
It seems that among the popes , the closest bond existed between him and Pope John Paul II , who once , after seeing him in his post in Nigeria , noted : “ Monsignor Viganò looks tired .
He should go back to Rome with me.
” The Pope soon called him back , in 1998 , and made him the delegate for pontifical representations , the personnel chief of the pope .
John Paul II had also personally consecrated Viganò @ @ @ @ @ @ @ twelve years , Viganò remained in this position of personnel chief for the entire Roman Curia , as well as for all of the Vatican diplomats .
Under Pope Benedict XVI , Viganò was first called to run the Vatican City State — and tried to clear out financial corruptions there — and was then sent to Washington , D.C. , with a providential mission that seems to continue until today .
In surveying the archbishop ’ s vast experience and varied exposure , Moynihan assesses that what this archbishop has to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone in the world may have to say on the subject.
” In a sense , Viganò 's role in helping to fight corruption in the Church intensified under the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI , and that is also when the rumors and anonymous emails about him started to circulate .
Starting in 2010 , these initiatives against him later led , in 2012 , to Vatileaks .
He was accused of creating an atmosphere of “ conflict ” among the staff and employees , while he himself wrote to Pope Benedict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he could continue his work of cleansing the Vatican finances .
“ The Vatileaks affair was about me , ” he told Moynihan .
Unfortunately , as in other cases , Pope Benedict decided to let Viganò go , sending him to Washington , D.C. , rather than keeping him in Rome and supporting him there in his work .
As to Pope Francis , Archbishop Viganò told Moynihan that he trusted him completely at the beginning , saying , “ I was very confidant and very straightforward .
I opened my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCarrick and the sanctions placed on him by Benedict .
He was only later to realize that Pope Francis ignored this information and even denied that Viganò had told of him these grave things .
( At least he claimed he did not remember it . )
Now the archbishop has no hesitation to say that Francis “ is lying ” and that Francis “ is destroying the Church , ” as he told Moynihan .
The archbishop believes that there are parallels between the time of Our Lord and His possibly impending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were so corrupt that they condemned Jesus Christ , so , too , the Holy See is corrupt today .
Viganò approvingly quoted to Moynihan a prominent convert from Judaism who once told him : “ Now the corruption of the Holy See is very great , as was the corruption at that time , now as then.
” “ So this is a sign for me as a former Jew that the time is very near for the second coming of Jesus , ” as the convert had concluded .
Let us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ words from Archbishop Viganò .
Speaking about his work , he told Moynihan that “ we must be clear in our minds , but we can not continue to hide the facts , ” and thus “ we must recognize that there is a project of the devil to destroy the Church .
The watchwords are a ‘ new Church ’ for a ‘ new humanism.
’ No more Jesus Christ , no more cross , no more confession and forgiveness of sins .
We must fight against this project .
Yes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With God ’ s help , with confidence , without pride.
” “ I am speaking what I see and telling the truth , ” he told the U.S. journalist at some point .
“ I can not any longer stay silent .
I am going too fast , yes , but the situation is moving very fast.
” But in the midst of this struggle , Viganò insisted , “ Pope Francis should be converted by the Holy Spirit .
And then he should turn , as Peter turned , and confirm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only one.
” Finally , Viganò turns his hopeful eyes to Our Lady .
He told Moynihan that “ I still understand more and more that our time is now the time of the Mother .
This is the time of the Mother of the Church.
” He added : “ My hope is with Our Lady , she will lead the Church in the battle against the devil .
A time will come very soon .
This is my feeling ... Our Lady will crush and defeat the devil .
”

Dr. Robert Moynihan was able to visit Archbishop Viganò in an undisclosed location for several days. From that visit came this thought-provoking new book.
Editor’s note: LifeSite readers can receive 10% off Dr. Robert Moynihan’s new book, Finding Viganò, by clicking this link and using the code LSN10.
October 21, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Dr. Robert Moynihan is one of the few people who has been able to meet with Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò in person since the archbishop first published his Theodore McCarrick testimony in August 2018 and went into hiding. With the help of his interviews with the prelate over the course of several days, the U.S. journalist, editor of Inside the Vatican, and Vatican expert has been able to give us glimpses into the reasons why Viganò published his McCarrick testimony, his private and hidden life, his suffering, and his faith.
As he describes in his upcoming book, Finding Viganò: In Search of the Man Whose Testimony Shook the Church and the World (TAN Books), Dr. Moynihan was able to visit Viganò in an undisclosed location for several days at the end of July 2019 — that is, nearly one year since the Italian prelate went into hiding. As it turns out, Viganò had then already changed his locations several times. However, the prelate seems calm and supported by his intense life of prayer, which includes daily Mass, praying the full rosary every day, and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. He is also aided by his family members and friends, who stay in close touch with him.
As the archbishop told Moynihan, he went into hiding not to avoid being indicted by the Vatican — he said he was willing to be questioned about everything he has written — but, rather, because “some friends” had advised him that it might be “prudent” to do so. Viganò has followed the advice of his friends who might be more concerned about his physical safety, thus effectively living the life of a hermit. Only once, on January 18 of this year, he appeared in public when praying in Munich together with the Acies ordinata group against the German bishops’ synodal path of laxly liberalizing the Church.
As Moynihan writes, Archbishop Viganò “is, arguably, one of the loneliest men in the world.” But, as Viganò told the journalist during their interviews, he does not regret his decision to make public the names of those in the Vatican, to include Pope Francis, who knew of disgraced former cardinal McCarrick’s sexual abuse and did not take the steps necessary to stop him from harming many generations of young men and seminarians. He said he does not regret having asked the Pope to resign. “Having clearly covered for McCarrick,” he told Moynihan, “it was only right that he first did what he asked the Chilean bishops to do.” Then asked whether he regrets having published his report, Viganò answered, “No. It was something I had to do.” He added, “I think that I have been a witness to the truth.” Viganò also explained that “my conscience is telling me to protect the Church. I see that the devil has been entering into the Church, on the top of it, and so that I have to stand up.”
On August 25, 2018, the retired Italian prelate, who had then been relieved for two years from his last post as the papal nuncio to the United States in Washington, D.C., published his now famous report accusing Pope Francis of ignoring Pope Benedict XVI’s earlier restrictions on then-cardinal McCarrick on account of McCarrick’s preying upon and abuse of seminarians. Viganò revealed that he had informed Pope Francis about the misdeeds of McCarrick and about Benedict’s sanctions against him and said that, since Francis ignored these warnings and even actively sought the official assistance of McCarrick, the Pope should resign. He had then also revealed the many names of prelates — among them Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and Cardinal Angelo Sodano — who knew of the accusations but did not work for a just correction and healing of the situation.
Ever since that moment, Viganò has gained the trust of many Catholics in the world as one of the few prelates who put truth above any expedient and earthly considerations such as being able to be respected among members of the Vatican. He sacrificed most of his earthly comforts and honors for the defense of the young, who had to face sexual abuse from those who were called to be the representatives of Christ on Earth. Viganò stands for a program of reform of the Church that is not based on empty words, but that aims at removing those aspects from the life of the Church that weaken the Church’s voice and witness. Among these obstacles, he names some erroneous doctrines that crept into the Church at the Second Vatican Council and its aftermath, an attitude of laxity toward sin and moral depravity, and other forms of corruption in fields such as finances.
That is to say: to many, Archbishop Viganò appears to be a prophet of our modern times, in the midst of a grave and manifold Church crisis. It is here that Moynihan’s book will help us appreciate this clergyman even more, since this U.S. journalist has set out to understand the archbishop’s life and work, his motives and his faith, his loves and his resistances.
Moynihan himself appreciates Viganò’s attempt to break up a “culture of cover-up” and a “brotherhood of silence,” as he writes, “that has for decades grown like a clinging vine around the heart of the Church, even in the Vatican, or perhaps better, especially in the Vatican.” This “culture of silence,” he adds, which often is defended with a supposed concern not to scandalize “the faith of the little ones,” “has become so harmful to our once-glorious and holy Church that the healing light of truth … has become hidden.” This healing light of truth pertains to the “truth about the sexual sins of the hierarchy,” as well as the “deviations from the saving doctrines of our faith.”
As Viganò keeps on insisting, the doctrinal and the moral corruption in the Church go hand in hand. For example, the prelate stated in September of this year: “Moral corruption and doctrinal deviation are intrinsically linked and, to effectively heal these wounds in the body of the Church, it is imperative to act on both fronts. If this dutiful intervention does not take place, the Bishops and the leaders of the Church will answer to God for betraying their duty as pastors.”
But how is Viganò to be considered as a man, as a human being? “He was a man of simple tastes,” Moynihan tells us about his visit with him, “hospitable, a man who prayed the daily holy office (the daily prayers prescribes by the Church to be said by the priests) and nourished a profound devotion for the Holy Rosary, of which he prays and celebrates all the Mysteries daily.” He was a man closely following Church news. In some ways he was an “emotional man, a man of profound joys and sorrows, a man who was sometimes nostalgic, sometimes seemingly deeply wounded due to perceived injustices.” The U.S. journalist continues by describing Viganò’s excellent memory; his courageous attitude; his generosity; and most of all, his being a man completely devoted to the Catholic Church.
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Stand with the priest who rebuked the Democratic Party and admonished the bishops Show Petition Text 96863 have signed the petition. Let's get to 100000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition PETITION UPDATE (7/9/2021) - Father James Altman was informed late last week that he has been removed as pastor of St. James the Less parish, and that his priestly faculties have been suspended indefinitely. Please Click Here to WATCH LifeSite's exclusive interview with Fr. Altman, and Click Here to READ more about this turn of events. As Bishop William J. Callahan’s decree explains, this means he is forbidden from celebrating “The Holy Eucharist” with any members of the faithful present, except for his elderly parents. He is also “no longer allowed to preach,” administer baptism, or assist at marriages. Altman said that he wasn’t issued restrictions from hearing Confessions or Anointing of the Sick. The decree also states that he is to continue to live within the Diocese of LaCrosse, where he has been instructed to meet with the Vicar for Clergy at least once a month, and has been “invited to begin” a month-long “spiritual retreat” to help him to “spiritually heal” and “address the issues that caused the issuance of this decree.” The order states it is in effect as long as “cause” is present, but it does not specify what the cause is. Callahan said he asked Altman to resign on May 23 for being “divisive and ineffective.” Altman first triggered backlash from his bishop when his video “You cannot be a Catholic and a Democrat. Period” went viral last year. Altman shared that in response to this, his office “got the most vile, despicable phone calls, letters” and “some terrible, really foul messages.” Callahan criticized Altman at the time for his “manner and tone,” to which Altman countered, “what about the manner and tone of the 10,000 babies that are chopped up last Saturday?” “What I would hope would always come through no matter what people think about my manner and tone, is that they would recognize that what’s coming through there is God’s love,” Altman told LifeSiteNews. “A love that I recognize because He’s loved me, and I didn’t deserve that.” “If I seem angry at times, it has nothing to do with me, it has to do with the people. And I asked the question recently, how can they love? If you love, how can you not feed your children?” In late April, Altman chided the U.S. bishops for needlessly shutting churches and denying the faithful sacraments during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the hierarchy showed “an abundance of cowardice.” In his interview with LifeSite, Altman alluded to the fact that some don’t like seeing him “upset.” “I’m thinking well, if you’re denying my child food, the Bread of Life – [Bishop Fulton J. Sheen] said, if you can’t get angry about stuff like that then you can’t love either. Because greater love has greater anger towards those things that are contrary to the salvation of eternal souls, which is the only thing that matters in the end,” said Altman. "I don’t care what they do to me, honestly, in the end… what troubles me is the interference with the feeding of God’s children, which is through word and through the sacrament. Both of which were denied to people over the past 15 months." Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this petition, and to continue to contact the Diocese of LaCrosse's Chancery Office, to politely voice your opposition to the removal of Fr. Altman from his parish. The Chancery's phone number is: 608-788-7700. _______________________________________________________________________ PETITION UPDATE (5/24/2021) - Father James Altman, the Wisconsin priest whose video message last fall "You can’t be a Catholic and a Democrat" went viral and who has fearlessly admonished the U.S. bishops for shutting churches and denying the faithful Sacraments during the COVID-19 crisis, announced on Pentecost Sunday that his bishop has asked him to resign for being "divisive and ineffective." Please CLICK HERE to READ LifeSiteNews' latest article related to Fr. Altman's ongoing persecution, just to continue shepherding his flock. Bishop William P. Callahan began threatening the outspoken priest with "canonical penalties" in September, even as public support for the priest surged among rank-and-file Catholics around the country and the world. And now, a group called 'Faithful America' is proudly boasting responsibility for taking down Fr. Altman, but Faithful America are not even a Catholic organization! Thankfully, Fr. Altman says he is working with a canon lawyer to resolve this matter. WATCH Fr. Altman's Sunday sermon in which he announces the bishop's decision to ask for his resignation. "In response my canon lawyer asked for clarification – asked for the justification and a chance to review what was in my file that suggested I was so divisive and ineffective,” explained Altman. “And I say all this only because, I'm no expert on canon law, but understand only that while we are contesting bishop's request — and we are — he could in theory appoint a parish administrator whilst I remain a pastor without duties until the appeal goes through Rome, which could take up to a year or more." Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, offered his support for Altman via Twitter. Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this petition with your like-minded family and friends. And, after signing and sharing, please take a minute to contact the LaCrosse Diocese to politely voice your support for Fr. Altman, and against leftist pressure groups like 'Faithful America.' Please ask Bishop Callahan to prayerfully reconsider his decision and allow Fr. Altman to remain as pastor of St. James the Less parish. The phone number for the diocese office is: 608.788.7700 Thank you! PETITION UPDATE (9/15/2020) - Just this past weekend a prayer vigil was held outside the Cathedral in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, on behalf of Fr. James Altman, the priest facing Church penalties for saying that you cannot be a Catholic and a Democrat in 2020. Hundreds of faithful Catholics turn out to pray for Fr. Altman. Though Fr. Altman did use strong language to warn his flock against spiritual perils, what he said about the Democratic Party's platform is true! Motivated by a deep sense of justice, supporters gathered at the Cathedral to pray for the priest, and for Bishop Callahan to stand by his priest rather than punish him. "Fr. Altman is a rare breed. He’s a modern-day St. John the Baptist," declared one woman who attended the prayer vigil. "He’s really changed my life and so many others he’s had that impact on. We need more priests who are true shepherds." Fr. Richard Heilman, who is the founder of the U.S. Grace Force and who was also present to help lead people in prayer during the vigil, had this to say about Fr. Altman: "Bottom line: he loves, loves, loves his flock. And so, like a good shepherd, if he sees the wolves invading, he sounds the warning alarm." Please consider SIGNING this petition if you have not already signed. And, please SHARE this petition and video with your family, friends and colleagues. Thank you! If after signing and sharing you wish to make an even greater impact, we encourage you to contact the Diocese of LaCrosse's Chancery Offices to politely let them know that you support Fr. Altman and want to see him continue in his essential ministry. Diocese of LaCrosse's Chancery Office phone number: 608-788-7700. ___________________________________________________________________________________ ORIGINAL PETITION TEXT: Father James Altman, pastor of St. James the Less parish in the Wisconsin Diocese of LaCrosse, has been threatened with canonical punishment by his Bishop, Most Rev. William Patrick Callahan. Fr. Altman's alleged "offense"? Stating what every faithful Catholic knows to be true in 2020: "You cannot be a Catholic and a Democrat." Please SIGN this petition which will go to Bishop Callahan and ask him to stop any canonical proceedings against Fr. Altman. In a strongly-worded YouTube video, designed to shepherd the faithful out of harm's way (supporting the Democratic Party's evil platform), Fr. Altman states the following: "Here's a memo to clueless, baptized Catholics out there: You cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat. Period. Their party platform absolutely is against everything the Catholic Church teaches. So, just quit pretending that you're Catholic and vote Democrat. Repent of your support of that party and its platform, or face the fires of Hell..." Strong stuff to be sure, but Fr. Altman was taking his cue from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (whom he quotes) – the Church has a "duty and obligation" to speak up when politicians act in an immoral way. In other words, a pastor must give strong warnings, at times, to guide souls away from grave danger, even when the dangers come from politicians or a political party. When your house is burning down...or, more appropriately, when someone is attempting to burn your house down, it's time to dispense with the niceties of politically correct language. And, as Fr. Altman suggests, the Democratic Party's evil platform which promotes the desecration of God's plan for humanity is, in effect, trying to burn down our house (i.e., the Church). Not only do the Democrats openly advocate for abortion (i.e., killing innocent human beings), but they also promote the destruction of the natural family and the desecration of human nature in support of the homosexual and transgender agendas. Remember the following: The Obama-Biden Administration attempted to force the Little Sisters of the Poor to participate in the provision of abortion-inducing drugs and contraception and threatened schools with the loss of federal funding if they wouldn’t let boys in girls’ bathrooms and vice versa.
Democratic Senators Kamala Harris and Mazie Hirono grilled a judge, who is a Knight of Columbus, on his membership in the Knights, absurdly suggesting that membership in the Catholic mens' fraternal organization should disqualify someone from sitting on the bench.
And, in 2017, the DNC Chairman said that pro-lifers were not welcome in the party. No faithful Catholic should even think about voting for such a platform. And, the bishops should be on the frontlines, speaking this truth to power. Thankfully, the Bishop of Tyler, Texas, Most Rev. Joseph Strickland, has come out in support of Fr. Altman's statement, tweeting: "As the Bishop of Tyler I endorse Fr. Altman’s statement in this video. My shame is that it has taken me so long. Thank you Fr Altman for your COURAGE. If you love Jesus & His Church & this nation...please HEED THIS MESSAGE.” With this petition, we now ask that Fr. Altman's own bishop, Most. Rev. Callahan, likewise support his priest and stop any canonical proceedings against him. Devoid of united leadership from the Hierarchy, individual priests must do their best to inform the laity of the mortal dangers on full view in the Democrats' platform. And, threatening to silence priests for strongly speaking the truth only plays into the hand of those who actually hate what the Church stands for...and who will, if elected, most likely seek to injure, or even eradicate, the Church. The bishops should know that the legacy of the Democratic Party being the party of the small man and of the Catholic immigrant is now over. The Democratic Party of today is the party of radical individualism, not the common good. And, rabid support for abortion and the homosexual agenda are practically obligatory. As such, the Democratic Party is not a friend of the Church and any priest or bishop who thinks otherwise is being deceived, or allowing himself to be deceived or bullied. This is not just an abstraction! This is a serious threat to Christianity and their party's platform needs to be met with strong opposition. Thank you for SIGNING this petition to the bishop of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Bishop Callahan, asking him to support Fr. Altman rather than bringing any canonical proceedings against him. FOR MORE INFORMATION: 'Bishop threatens ‘canonical penalties’ for priest whose viral video warned Catholics can’t be Democrats': https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bishop-threatens-canonical-penalties-for-fr-altman YouTube Video - 'Fr. James Altman: You cannot be Catholic & a Democrat. Period.': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-7eoTN2vNM Statement regarding Fr. James Altman from Bishop Callahan: https://diolc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Statement-Father-James-Altman-090920.pdf 'Bishop Strickland echoes priest: ‘You cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat’': https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bishop-strickland-echoes-priest-you-cannot-be-catholic-and-be-a-democrat **Photo Credit: Screen capture from Fr. James Altman's YouTube video on Alpha News MN Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
As a matter of poignant fact, on a few occasions during these interviews, Archbishop Viganò shed tears of sorrow, for example when describing how he confronted McCarrick with his sins when first meeting him in the nunciature in Washington, D.C.: “I knew about him [and his sins],” Viganò told Moynihan, “but I treated him with charity all the time.” Here adds Moynihan: “Viganò, recalling McCarrick, begins to choke up and break into tears.” The archbishop continued: “I confronted him the first time in the nunciature after I was named to that post. I said: ‘You have done that!’ And he, just speaking with very low voice, said, ‘I may have made a mistake. Sometimes I slept in the same bed as a seminarian, as a priest, etc., etc.’”
When Moynihan asked Viganò about his “love of the Church,” the archbishop once more wept: “Well I mean it was all my life. Well, I mean I was living for that.”
Here we see a prelate who has given his whole life to the Church, and now he must suffer for her, and under her. Love does such things, and love proves itself most ardently by suffering under the beloved, and for the beloved, just as Our Lord did.
Viganò makes us also understand where his love for his beloved Church comes from. As Moynihan puts it, “his boyhood was marked by a continuing contact with the Christian tradition of Milan, weaving his daily life into twenty centuries of tradition.” Born in 1941 and being one of nine children, Viganò’s childhood took place in pre-conciliar times. Or, as Viganò himself said: “Our whole life was imbued with the liturgical life of the Church and with the memory of the Church’s history in Milan going back to St. Ambrose.” When he was a youth, he studied with the Jesuits in town. His family practiced many acts of charity by visiting widows who had lost their husbands in World War II, and, as such, to bring them some money and food. By the time of his First Holy Communion, Viganò knew he had a vocation to the priesthood, just as did one of his older brothers. He was greatly inspired by one young priest, Giulio Giacometti, who worked at Viganò’s elementary school, and then also by the Milanese cardinal, Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster, who has now been proclaimed blessed. “These two men,” writes Moynihan, “influenced the young Viganò from a very early age to decide that he should become a priest.”
Our Lady was always present in his life, too. One of the archbishop’s first memories was “on the breast of my mother, probably when I was around two years old, bringing me down into refuge during the bombardment [of Milan], and there was a little image of Our Lady with the light.” “And so we were starting to pray the Rosary,” Viganò continued. “I have this deep emotional memory of Mary. This marks a presence in my life all along. I remember that we would pray every evening after dinner, all together.” And he remembered his father keeping the sleepy children awake, “reminding them that it was beautiful to be praying together to Our Lady, to our Mother.”
Of his own father, Viganò said that he was “a very kind father.” It was “terrible for me,” he explained, when he suddenly died at the age of sixty-three, possibly due to medical malpractice. Viganò was twenty years old. As Moynihan writes: “Viganò seemed moved emotionally by the memory of his father’s death. ‘My father, certainly, to say the truth, was central to my life,’ he continued. ‘We were raised to tell everything to our mother and father.’”
From 1973 on, Viganò was called into the diplomatic service of the Vatican, and he was to remain there for the rest of his life, thus giving him nearly fifty years of experience and insight into the life and the workings of the Vatican and of the Church as a whole. He was devoted to the popes and served them each with a full and open heart. It seems that among the popes, the closest bond existed between him and Pope John Paul II, who once, after seeing him in his post in Nigeria, noted: “Monsignor Viganò looks tired. He should go back to Rome with me.” The Pope soon called him back, in 1998, and made him the delegate for pontifical representations, the personnel chief of the pope. John Paul II had also personally consecrated Viganò as a bishop in 1992. For twelve years, Viganò remained in this position of personnel chief for the entire Roman Curia, as well as for all of the Vatican diplomats. Under Pope Benedict XVI, Viganò was first called to run the Vatican City State — and tried to clear out financial corruptions there — and was then sent to Washington, D.C., with a providential mission that seems to continue until today. In surveying the archbishop’s vast experience and varied exposure, Moynihan assesses that what this archbishop has to say “may be as informed as what anyone in the world may have to say on the subject.”
In a sense, Viganò's role in helping to fight corruption in the Church intensified under the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, and that is also when the rumors and anonymous emails about him started to circulate. Starting in 2010, these initiatives against him later led, in 2012, to Vatileaks. He was accused of creating an atmosphere of “conflict” among the staff and employees, while he himself wrote to Pope Benedict, asking him to protect him so that he could continue his work of cleansing the Vatican finances. “The Vatileaks affair was about me,” he told Moynihan. Unfortunately, as in other cases, Pope Benedict decided to let Viganò go, sending him to Washington, D.C., rather than keeping him in Rome and supporting him there in his work.
As to Pope Francis, Archbishop Viganò told Moynihan that he trusted him completely at the beginning, saying, “I was very confidant and very straightforward. I opened my heart” when speaking with him about McCarrick and the sanctions placed on him by Benedict. He was only later to realize that Pope Francis ignored this information and even denied that Viganò had told of him these grave things. (At least he claimed he did not remember it.) Now the archbishop has no hesitation to say that Francis “is lying” and that Francis “is destroying the Church,” as he told Moynihan.
The archbishop believes that there are parallels between the time of Our Lord and His possibly impending Second Coming. Just as the Sanhedrin were so corrupt that they condemned Jesus Christ, so, too, the Holy See is corrupt today. Viganò approvingly quoted to Moynihan a prominent convert from Judaism who once told him: “Now the corruption of the Holy See is very great, as was the corruption at that time, now as then.” “So this is a sign for me as a former Jew that the time is very near for the second coming of Jesus,” as the convert had concluded.
Let us end this book review with some hopeful words from Archbishop Viganò.
Speaking about his work, he told Moynihan that “we must be clear in our minds, but we cannot continue to hide the facts,” and thus “we must recognize that there is a project of the devil to destroy the Church. The watchwords are a ‘new Church’ for a ‘new humanism.’ No more Jesus Christ, no more cross, no more confession and forgiveness of sins. We must fight against this project. Yes, we must fight for the faith. With God’s help, with confidence, without pride.”
“I am speaking what I see and telling the truth,” he told the U.S. journalist at some point. “I cannot any longer stay silent. I am going too fast, yes, but the situation is moving very fast.” But in the midst of this struggle, Viganò insisted, “Pope Francis should be converted by the Holy Spirit. And then he should turn, as Peter turned, and confirm his brothers, of whom I am only one.”
Finally, Viganò turns his hopeful eyes to Our Lady. He told Moynihan that “I still understand more and more that our time is now the time of the Mother. This is the time of the Mother of the Church.” He added: “My hope is with Our Lady, she will lead the Church in the battle against the devil. A time will come very soon. This is my feeling … Our Lady will crush and defeat the devil.”
Follow Maike Dr. Maike Hickson was born and raised in Germany. She holds a PhD from the University of Hannover, Germany, after having written in Switzerland her doctoral dissertation on the history of Swiss intellectuals before and during World War II. She now lives in the U.S. and is married to Dr. Robert Hickson, and they have been blessed with two beautiful children. She is a happy housewife who likes to write articles when time permits. Dr. Hickson published in 2014 a Festschrift, a collection of some thirty essays written by thoughtful authors in honor of her husband upon his 70th birthday, which is entitled A Catholic Witness in Our Time. Hickson has closely followed the papacy of Pope Francis and the developments in the Catholic Church in Germany, and she has been writing articles on religion and politics for U.S. and European publications and websites such as LifeSiteNews, OnePeterFive, The Wanderer, Rorate Caeli, Catholicism.org, Catholic Family News, Christian Order, Notizie Pro-Vita, Corrispondenza Romana, Katholisches.info, Der Dreizehnte, Zeit-Fragen, and Westfalen-Blatt.
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lifesitenews--2020-10-22--What does Pope Francis mean when he talks about salvation?

ROME , Italy , October 22 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― Rome is both a dream and a nightmare .
I love the old city : the rich palette of shades on the crumbling walls , the cobblestones underfoot , the cheerful greetings in the cafes , the smell of sugar wafting from bakeries , the taste of my morning cappuccino .
My husband and I can walk to Mass ; we bump into friends in church or on the Borgo Pio ; we make lunch dates and bask in the October sun .
But now everyone wears masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Rome a horror film dimension : the Eternal City is now populated by zombies , the famously expressive faces hidden behind ―well , “ face diapers ” is not entirely an unjust term .
Cloth or plastic , they ’ re meant to catch noxious effluvia .
An innocent unmasked sneeze is now an obscenity , apparently .
Masks make it more difficult to understand and to be understood , which is no joke when you ’ re operating in a foreign language .
They add to my sense of confusion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compounded by the sudden disappearance of translation services as they were once laid on by the Sala Stampa , the press office of the Holy See .
For every newsworthy event , I now have a choice : go in person and rely on my language skills , or stay at home and watch it second-hand over EWTN .
How I miss those invisible Italian ladies speaking English through headphones into my so-willing ears !
Last October , everything seemed laid on for bright-eyed North American reporters : a pass good for weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , WiFi on tap , paper copies of documents marked “ Embargo ” , colleagues to greet or subtly insult online .
Now I have to apply for a pass for each event , find each socially distanced locale , strain to catch all the words , and count myself lucky if I see a familiar half-face among the journalists .
Some half-faces in Rome are easy to recognize , however .
Yesterday I covered the International Meeting for Prayers for Peace from the impressive Piazza del Campidoglio on top of the Capitoline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pope Francis appeared on screens shortly after 4 PM .
He was processing into the Ara Coeli Basilica with Bartholomew I , the Patriarch of Constantinople , whom I now revere for the clarity of his Italian , for the first part of the interfaith event .
The sight of the pontiff in a white cotton mask disturbed me , for he allegedly has only one lung , and he sounded more breathless than ever .
And the sight of so many Christians ―cardinals , nuns , priests , evangelicals , orthodox―wearing masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But then almost everyone around me was socially distancing and wearing masks , too .
The exceptions were the cameramen , who jostled for position on the steps of the museum behind us and took off their mascherine to smoke .
Non-Christian prayers for peace took place simultaneously in the museums : these were not streamed into the piazza , but we could see the distinctively dressed worshippers come and go .
When the services ended , a Sala Stampa cameraman kicked me off my piece of step and I glumly went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the piazza .
I pondered large signs with the name of the event in Italian and , weirdly translated , in English .
“ Salvarsi ” is a reflexive verb .
“ Nessuno si salva da solo : pace e fraternità ” means “ No-one saves himselfalone : peace and fraternity , ” but the official English translation is “ No-one is savedalone : peace and fraternity.
” You don ’ t need a theology degree to know there ’ s a big fat Pelagius-sized difference between saving yourself and being saved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ largely earth-bound document Fratelli tutti , we are talking about temporal matters , humans-saving-humans makes sense .
But I was covering a religious event , an interfaith religious event .
What kind of salvation was Pope Francis talking about ?
I ’ m a JPII kid who grew up wondering why Catholic life and worship before I was born had changed so much .
Nobody around me talked about the Assisi interfaith gathering of 1986 , and I didn ’ t think much about it until I saw a news clipping about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boston College professor who was a convert to Islam .
Then I was shocked .
I don ’ t remember why , but I was .
I sincerely hope for the eternal salvation of all men , but at the same time , I believe that Jesus Christ is “ the Way , the Truth and the Life ” and “ nobody comes to the Father except through ” Him ( John 14:6 ) .
I don ’ t understand how encouraging non-Christian prayer is supernaturally helpful to anyone .
I understand that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the elements of truth found in other religions , but I don ’ t understand the current flirtation with non-Christian symbols like Pachamama and the idea that God wills different religions .
In old books “ confusing the faithful ” is a clerical crime .
Well , I ’ m faithful , and I ’ m confused .
During the interfaith meeting in the Piazza , however I was not so much confused as despairing : after Bartholomew ’ s speech on the ecological crisis , the religious leaders ceased to speak Italian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of France , spoke French , so that was okay ( he mentioned poor murdered Samuel Paty , by the way ) , but Mohamed Abdelsalam Abdellatif Mohamed spoke in Arabic .
Zen monk Shoten Minegishi spoke Japanese .
Karmaljit Singh Dillon presumably spoke Punjabi .
At that point , I would have been better off at home with the EWTN livestream , I ’ m sorry to say .
October evenings in Italy are cold , and I was freezing .
But then it was Pope Francis ’ s turn to speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out what he means when he says nobody is saved ( or saves himself ) alone .
And he seemed to mean what he said in Fratelli tutti : we can ’ t continue to have a nice life here on earth unless everyone is able to have a nice life here on earth .
He also seemed to suggest that the temporal survival of humanity is at stake , for he said that it is possible to construct a world of peace and thus , brothers and sisters , salvarci insieme : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have loved it ; St Thomas Aquinas not so much .
After an “ Appeal for Peace ” was read out , a procession of masked children displayed , a candelabra lit , and the “ Appeal ” signed by people in colourful dress ― as sentimental music like Pachabel ’ s “ Canon in D ” poured from the speakers ― the event ended with a socially distanced “ sign of peace.
” Masked people nodded to each other in the 7 PM gloom .
Then I went home , walking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dark Roman streets past the ruins of the Theater of Marcellus , past Italian Jewish restaurants with tables still empty on the pavement , their waiters in kippahs and masks .
Somewhere on the other side of Giordano Bruno ’ s monument , I buzzed a buzzer and was relieved to hear my husband ’ s voice .
I hoped he had made a nice supper , for I had hours of writing ahead of me .
A large white bird flew over the Piazza di Campidoglio at least twice , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you will .

ROME, Italy, October 22, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― Rome is both a dream and a nightmare.
I love the old city: the rich palette of shades on the crumbling walls, the cobblestones underfoot, the cheerful greetings in the cafes, the smell of sugar wafting from bakeries, the taste of my morning cappuccino. My husband and I can walk to Mass; we bump into friends in church or on the Borgo Pio; we make lunch dates and bask in the October sun.
But now everyone wears masks indoors and out, which gives life in Rome a horror film dimension: the Eternal City is now populated by zombies, the famously expressive faces hidden behind ―well, “face diapers” is not entirely an unjust term. Cloth or plastic, they’re meant to catch noxious effluvia. An innocent unmasked sneeze is now an obscenity, apparently.
Masks make it more difficult to understand and to be understood, which is no joke when you’re operating in a foreign language. They add to my sense of confusion, especially when reporting. My confusion is compounded by the sudden disappearance of translation services as they were once laid on by the Sala Stampa, the press office of the Holy See. For every newsworthy event, I now have a choice: go in person and rely on my language skills, or stay at home and watch it second-hand over EWTN.
How I miss those invisible Italian ladies speaking English through headphones into my so-willing ears! Last October, everything seemed laid on for bright-eyed North American reporters: a pass good for weeks, the cozy auditorium, the headphones, WiFi on tap, paper copies of documents marked “Embargo”, colleagues to greet or subtly insult online. Now I have to apply for a pass for each event, find each socially distanced locale, strain to catch all the words, and count myself lucky if I see a familiar half-face among the journalists.
Some half-faces in Rome are easy to recognize, however. Yesterday I covered the International Meeting for Prayers for Peace from the impressive Piazza del Campidoglio on top of the Capitoline Hill, and the white-masked face of Pope Francis appeared on screens shortly after 4 PM. He was processing into the Ara Coeli Basilica with Bartholomew I, the Patriarch of Constantinople, whom I now revere for the clarity of his Italian, for the first part of the interfaith event.
The sight of the pontiff in a white cotton mask disturbed me, for he allegedly has only one lung, and he sounded more breathless than ever. And the sight of so many Christians ―cardinals, nuns, priests, evangelicals, orthodox―wearing masks and sitting a coffin-depth apart was depressing. But then almost everyone around me was socially distancing and wearing masks, too. The exceptions were the cameramen, who jostled for position on the steps of the museum behind us and took off their mascherine to smoke.
Non-Christian prayers for peace took place simultaneously in the museums: these were not streamed into the piazza, but we could see the distinctively dressed worshippers come and go. When the services ended, a Sala Stampa cameraman kicked me off my piece of step and I glumly went to sit in a socially distanced chair in the piazza. I pondered large signs with the name of the event in Italian and, weirdly translated, in English.
“Salvarsi” is a reflexive verb. “Nessuno si salva da solo: pace e fraternità” means “No-one saves himselfalone: peace and fraternity,” but the official English translation is “No-one is savedalone: peace and fraternity.” You don’t need a theology degree to know there’s a big fat Pelagius-sized difference between saving yourself and being saved. If, as in Pope Francis’ largely earth-bound document Fratelli tutti, we are talking about temporal matters, humans-saving-humans makes sense. But I was covering a religious event, an interfaith religious event. What kind of salvation was Pope Francis talking about?
I’m a JPII kid who grew up wondering why Catholic life and worship before I was born had changed so much. Nobody around me talked about the Assisi interfaith gathering of 1986, and I didn’t think much about it until I saw a news clipping about it on the office door of a Boston College professor who was a convert to Islam. Then I was shocked. I don’t remember why, but I was.
I sincerely hope for the eternal salvation of all men, but at the same time, I believe that Jesus Christ is “the Way, the Truth and the Life” and “nobody comes to the Father except through” Him (John 14:6). I don’t understand how encouraging non-Christian prayer is supernaturally helpful to anyone.
I understand that the Vatican II document Nostra Aetate honors the elements of truth found in other religions, but I don’t understand the current flirtation with non-Christian symbols like Pachamama and the idea that God wills different religions. In old books “confusing the faithful” is a clerical crime. Well, I’m faithful, and I’m confused.
— 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
During the interfaith meeting in the Piazza, however I was not so much confused as despairing: after Bartholomew’s speech on the ecological crisis, the religious leaders ceased to speak Italian. Haïm Korsia, the Chief Rabbi of France, spoke French, so that was okay (he mentioned poor murdered Samuel Paty, by the way), but Mohamed Abdelsalam Abdellatif Mohamed spoke in Arabic. Zen monk Shoten Minegishi spoke Japanese. Karmaljit Singh Dillon presumably spoke Punjabi. At that point, I would have been better off at home with the EWTN livestream, I’m sorry to say. October evenings in Italy are cold, and I was freezing.
But then it was Pope Francis’s turn to speak, and I listened hard to sort out what he means when he says nobody is saved (or saves himself) alone. And he seemed to mean what he said in Fratelli tutti: we can’t continue to have a nice life here on earth unless everyone is able to have a nice life here on earth. He also seemed to suggest that the temporal survival of humanity is at stake, for he said that it is possible to construct a world of peace and thus, brothers and sisters, salvarci insieme:to save ourselves together.
John Lennon would have loved it; St Thomas Aquinas not so much.
After an “Appeal for Peace” was read out, a procession of masked children displayed, a candelabra lit, and the “Appeal” signed by people in colourful dress ― as sentimental music like Pachabel’s “Canon in D” poured from the speakers ― the event ended with a socially distanced “sign of peace.” Masked people nodded to each other in the 7 PM gloom.
Then I went home, walking swiftly down the Capitoline Hill, through the dark Roman streets past the ruins of the Theater of Marcellus, past Italian Jewish restaurants with tables still empty on the pavement, their waiters in kippahs and masks. Somewhere on the other side of Giordano Bruno’ s monument, I buzzed a buzzer and was relieved to hear my husband’s voice. I hoped he had made a nice supper, for I had hours of writing ahead of me.
A large white bird flew over the Piazza di Campidoglio at least twice, by the way. Make of that what you will.
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.
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lifesitenews--2020-10-22--US and Brazil lead coalition affirming family, the right to life at inter-American summit

WASHINGTON , D.C. , October 21 , 2020 , ( LifeSiteNews ) – A joint statement from delegations of the U.S. , Brazil , Guatemala , Honduras , Paraguay , Colombia , Bolivia , Santa Lucia , and Venezuela ( representatives of Juan Guaido , not the Maduro regime ) told The Organization of American States ( OAS ) 2020 General Assembly today that “ every human being has the right to life , liberty and the security of his person ” and declared their commitment to defending “ the sovereign right of nations to make their own laws related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment of conception.
” The OAS is a regional international organization , similar to the United Nations , which was founded in 1889 and at which all 35 independent states of the Americas are represented .
This year its General Assembly was officially convened in Washington , D.C. , albeit with attendees participating via web conference due to COVID-19 .
Quoting from the Social Charter of the Americas , a 2012 OAS document , the delegations also emphasized that “ the family is the natural and fundamental unit of society and is entitled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and declared their commitment to working together to “ protect the family as foundational to society and as a source of health , support , and care throughout the Americas.
” The delegations are expected to present the same joint statement tomorrow at the United Nations Committee on Economic , Social and Cultural Rights , pre-sessional working group being convened in Geneva .
The Trump administration has consistently worked to defend life and oppose abortion at the United Nations , from resisting pro-abortion agenda items and resolution language to affirming that abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promoting abstinence education .
Earlier this year , Trump announced that the U.S. would cut ties with the pro-abortion World Health Organization ( WHO ) due to its handling of the coronavirus crisis .
Strengthening the Family and the Rights of Women of All Ages AWARE OF the importance the OAS has placed onfamily as foundational to a healthy society ; on gender equality for women and girls , and the full exercise of their human rights regardless of age , particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic , we REAFFIRM that “ every human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberty and the security of his person ; ” [ i ] and that “ all persons are equal before the law ; ” [ ii ] EMPHASIZE that “ the family is the natural and fundamental unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the state .
“ [ iii ] that “ all children have the right to special protection , care , and aid ” [ iv ] and that the family as an institution has functioned as a solid pillar on which to rely in confronting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ women and men enjoy the same status and have equal opportunities to realize their full human rights and their potential to contribute to political , economic , social , and cultural development and benefit from the results ; ” [ v ] [ vi ] the human rights of women are “ inalienable , integral , and indivisible part of universal human rights [ vii ] and that “ education ought to enable everyone to participate effectively in a democratic and pluralistic society and achieve a decent existence ; ” [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have different health-care needs , and an equal right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health .
DECLARES our commitment to work together during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond : • To ensure the full enjoyment of optimal health , human rights , and equal opportunity for women at all levels of political , economic , and public life .
• To protect the family as foundational to society and as a source of health , support , and care throughout the Americas .
• To defend the sovereign right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ related to the protection of life from the moment of conception .
To work in solidarity until these goals are fully accomplished .

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


lifesitenews--2020-10-22--This election could be America’s last chance to survive as a free nation

October 22 , 2020 ( Turning Point Project ) — On election day , you will have to make a choice between two political parties and two presidential candidates .
Several days later you will in all probability have to make another choice .
In the case of a closely contested election , whose side will you take ?
No matter who wins , the losing side will very likely charge that the election was stolen .
And if the losing side is the Republicans , that claim could very well be true .
If Republicans produce solid evidence that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stolen , what then ?
Should they , nevertheless , graciously step aside in favor of the illegitimate “ winners ” for the sake of peace , and in the hope that the American system will eventually right itself ?
After all , our constitutional system of checks and balances was designed to prevent one faction in government from acquiring excessive power .
But what if this is the last chance election ?
What if one side has no intention of respecting the Constitution or of upholding the system of checks and balances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pack the Supreme Court and give voting rights to Washington , D.C. ; Puerto Rico ; and any other U.S. territory likely to vote Democrat ?
What if future elections are no freer than the sham elections held in totalitarian societies ?
Our system of government assumes that all parties adhere to the same basic principles — life , liberty , equality under the law , freedom of speech , freedom of religion .
It ’ s understood , of course , that different people will apply those principles in different ways .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion .
But is it designed for widespread betrayal ?
What if one faction or party simply rejects those principles ?
What if , for example , a political party only gives lip service to freedom of speech while actively working to suppress it ?
What if government representatives no longer believe in the oath of office they took — ” to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic ” ?
Generation after generation of Americans have assumed that we would never come to that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that point now .
Some suggest that we ’ re on the brink of a coup .
That is quite likely .
But the big coup that will transform our government and our lives beyond recognition has been built on the foundation of numerous smaller coups .
Of course , “ smaller ” is not exactly the right word .
Some of these coups — such as the takeover of our educational system from kindergarten through graduate school — have been massive .
While most Americans were looking the other way , left-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loyalties of our children .
As President Trump put it in his July 4th Mount Rushmore speech : “ Against every law of society and nature , our children are taught in school to hate their own country and to believe that the men and women who built it were not heroes , but were villains.
” In recent years , we have also witnessed two other large-scale coups — the takeover of the mainstream media by people who reject the American heritage , and the takeover of social media by a collection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look upon freedom of speech as an outmoded relic of the past .
However , the biggest coup of all , thus far , is the takeover of the Democratic Party by the revolutionary left .
Should the Democrats win the election , the 245-year-old American experiment in liberty will come to an end — perhaps gradually at first , but then with increasing speed .
When the full force of the new revolutionary order is felt , people won ’ t know what hit them .
They won ’ t know because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ context to understand that the taking away of liberties is what revolutionary leftists always do .
Younger Americans will know everything about the danger of climate change and the virtue of wearing a mask , but they will have learned precious little about the Soviet gulags , the Chinese communist re-education camps , and the imprisonment and torture of dissidents in communist Cuba .
There is no guarantee that the American system of government and the American way of life will survive .
We can not , as columnist Tony Blankely observed 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benign trends of the recent past will continue.
” Instead , he cautioned , “ we need to think in terms of when current trends will stop — and what will follow them.
” Of course , we should not think of the American experiment with self-government as a trend .
Rather , it is one of history ’ s most splendid achievements — a priceless gift to succeeding generations .
We must be prepared , however , for the possibility that it can come to an end , or rather , be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must , as Blankely warned , think about what will follow .
We may have to start thinking about that future in as little as two weeks .
Published with permission from the Turning Point Project .

There is no guarantee that the American system of government and the American way of life will survive.
October 22, 2020 (Turning Point Project) — On election day, you will have to make a choice between two political parties and two presidential candidates. Several days later you will in all probability have to make another choice. In the case of a closely contested election, whose side will you take?
No matter who wins, the losing side will very likely charge that the election was stolen. And if the losing side is the Republicans, that claim could very well be true.
If Republicans produce solid evidence that the election was, in fact, stolen, what then? Should they, nevertheless, graciously step aside in favor of the illegitimate “winners” for the sake of peace, and in the hope that the American system will eventually right itself? After all, our constitutional system of checks and balances was designed to prevent one faction in government from acquiring excessive power.
But what if this is the last chance election? What if one side has no intention of respecting the Constitution or of upholding the system of checks and balances? What if one side wants to pack the Supreme Court and give voting rights to Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; and any other U.S. territory likely to vote Democrat? What if future elections are no freer than the sham elections held in totalitarian societies?
Our system of government assumes that all parties adhere to the same basic principles — life, liberty, equality under the law, freedom of speech, freedom of religion. It’s understood, of course, that different people will apply those principles in different ways. The system is designed for differences of opinion. But is it designed for widespread betrayal? What if one faction or party simply rejects those principles? What if, for example, a political party only gives lip service to freedom of speech while actively working to suppress it? What if government representatives no longer believe in the oath of office they took — ”to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic”?
Generation after generation of Americans have assumed that we would never come to that point. But we’re at that point now.
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Urge state legislatures to scrap universal mail-in ballots and help protect the vote Show Petition Text 19132 have signed the petition. Let's get to 20000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition Voter fraud is real, and threatens November's election outcome. Please SIGN this urgent petition which asks each state legislature to pass emergency legislation to stop or scrap plans for universal mail-in ballots. Universal mail-in ballots are ballots which would be automatically sent to every voter on the register, without voters having to apply for them. So far, 9 state have mandated universal mail-in ballots because of the COVID crisis, but more are considering the policy. Under normal circumstances, voters who intend to be away from home on polling day can request an absentee ballot from their state's election authority. The key difference between absentee ballots and universal mail-in ballots is that with absentee ballots voters undergo a vetting process which requires them to prove who they are and sign an application form. AND, crucially, absentee voters expect to receive their ballot in the mail. But, with universal mail-in voting, the intended recipient may not expect their ballot in the mail. Indeed, some people may be totally unaware of this initiative. And, moreover, no-one need prove their identity and sign an application. Obviously, this practice is ripe for abuse and voter fraud. From the state sending out ballots to people who no longer live in the voting district (especially when the state does not require people to update their voting status if they move out of the state) to ballot theft, there are several major threats to the integrity of the vote. In fact, judges around the country have already started to make known their displeasure with different aspects of mail-in ballots: In New Jersey - A judge just ordered an election redo over massive voter fraud using mail-in ballots.
In Iowa - A judge just voided the application for 50,000 mail-in ballots which had voters' information pre-filled on the forms. The purpose of this petition is to ensure the integrity of the vote. And, the petition appeals to each state legislature to stop or scrap plans for universal mail-in ballots because of the serious potential for voter fraud. Although this policy would require one additional step to complete the process of voting, the democratic process must be safeguarded as much as humanly possible for this election. Please SIGN this petition and SHARE with your like-minded friends, family and colleagues. Thank you! FOR MORE INFORMATION: 'New Jersey judge orders election redo over massive voter fraud using mail-in ballots' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/new-jersey-judge-orders-election-redo-over-massive-voter-fraud-using-mail-in-ballots 'Judge invalidates pre-filled absentee ballots in second Iowa county' - https://www.kcrg.com/2020/08/29/judge-invalidates-pre-filled-absentee-ballots-in-second-iowa-county/ 'Flashback: New York Democrat election official admitted ‘you’re gonna see a lot’ of voter fraud' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/flashback-new-york-democrat-election-official-admitted-youre-gonna-see-a-lot-of-vote-fraud 'Voter fraud is a huge problem in the Democratic Party' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/voter-fraud-is-a-huge-problem-in-the-democratic-party **Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
Some suggest that we’re on the brink of a coup. That is quite likely. But the big coup that will transform our government and our lives beyond recognition has been built on the foundation of numerous smaller coups. Of course, “smaller” is not exactly the right word. Some of these coups — such as the takeover of our educational system from kindergarten through graduate school — have been massive. While most Americans were looking the other way, left-wing educators managed to steal the affections and loyalties of our children. As President Trump put it in his July 4th Mount Rushmore speech: “Against every law of society and nature, our children are taught in school to hate their own country and to believe that the men and women who built it were not heroes, but were villains.”
In recent years, we have also witnessed two other large-scale coups — the takeover of the mainstream media by people who reject the American heritage, and the takeover of social media by a collection of “woke” billionaire technocrats who look upon freedom of speech as an outmoded relic of the past. However, the biggest coup of all, thus far, is the takeover of the Democratic Party by the revolutionary left. Should the Democrats win the election, the 245-year-old American experiment in liberty will come to an end — perhaps gradually at first, but then with increasing speed.
When the full force of the new revolutionary order is felt, people won’t know what hit them. They won’t know because they don’t have the historical context to understand that the taking away of liberties is what revolutionary leftists always do. Younger Americans will know everything about the danger of climate change and the virtue of wearing a mask, but they will have learned precious little about the Soviet gulags, the Chinese communist re-education camps, and the imprisonment and torture of dissidents in communist Cuba.
There is no guarantee that the American system of government and the American way of life will survive. We cannot, as columnist Tony Blankely observed 15 years ago, “assume that the benign trends of the recent past will continue.” Instead, he cautioned, “we need to think in terms of when current trends will stop — and what will follow them.”
Of course, we should not think of the American experiment with self-government as a trend. Rather, it is one of history’s most splendid achievements — a priceless gift to succeeding generations. We must be prepared, however, for the possibility that it can come to an end, or rather, be put to an end. And we must, as Blankely warned, think about what will follow. We may have to start thinking about that future in as little as two weeks.
Published with permission from the Turning Point Project.
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