lifesitenews--2020-02-28--White House getting gayer? Trump should exercise caution regarding gay affirmation

WASHINGTON , D.C. , February 28 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Heads exploded on both ends of the political spectrum this week as President Trump and his administration showed two signs of affirming homosexuality during his trip to India .
And while these actions might be the result of political calculations or nothing more than an expression of well-intended human kindness , the president and his staff need to be aware of the deeper implications of their messaging .
While the realignment and redefining of the Republican Party under Donald J. Trump has brought significant pro-life and religious liberty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protected when facing off against LGBT demands for universal tolerance , in an odd juxtaposition , homosexuality is simultaneously being promoted by the president in arenas outside the courts but very much within social media and popular culture .
As he headed to India last weekend , President Trump retweeted a posting by gay activist Peter Tatchell praising Bollywood ( India ’ s version of Hollywood ) for releasing a film featuring a gay romance not long after homosexuality had been decriminalized in that country .
Some social conservatives were angered and disappointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while pro-LGBT organizations seized the opportunity to condemn the president for what they see as his anti-LGBT record while in the White House .
“ What is the message to the world when the president of the United States — a self-proclaimed Christian — applauds a morally conservative nation for abandoning its principles to celebrate homosexuality ?
” wondered Scott Lively , in a commentary at WND .
“ What kind of mentality justifies the normalization of homosexuality to an entire nation ’ s children as a political tactic ?
” he asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about it.
” Others took to Twitter to express their reservations about the president ’ s message : GLAAD , the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation , was unhappy with the President ’ s tweet for wholly different reasons , saying , “ There have been 136 attacks on LGBTQ people through policy and rhetoric since the Trump Administration took office , ” while providing a link to its “ Trump Accountability Project , ” which catalogues his so-called “ anti-LGBTQ statements and actions.
” It should be noted that GLAAD has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hollywood , having rewarded the production of LGBT-friendly movies and TV programming for the last 30 years with its “ GLAAD Media Awards.
” GLAAD also has a vested interest in maintaining Donald Trump as its Boogeyman-in-Chief in order to fundraise and maintain some semblance of ongoing relevance in a world that , for the most part , now considers all things LGBT as sacred cows .
Bollywood may well go the way of Hollywood and begin introducing sympathetic LGBT characters and storylines in order to normalize homosexual and transgender behaviors .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Great !
” Decriminalizing homosexuality in order to save gays and lesbians from death or cruel and inhuman punishment is laudable , but contributing to the world ’ s strange perception that homosexuality is a good thing — a “ Great !
” thing — is counterproductive to human health and happiness for the citizens of any nation .
In the 1989 gay manifesto , After the Ball : How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the ’ 90s , the authors informed gays and lesbians , “ You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to persuade folks that homosexuality is a good thing.
” And yet now , thirty years later , we have a Christian man ’ s man occupying the White House saying “ gay ” is not only “ OK , ” but “ Great !
” Earlier this week , as President Trump entered the world ’ s largest cricket stadium — packed to capacity for what turned out to be perhaps the largest pro-Trump rally ever — the Village People ’ s “ Macho Man ” blared over the sound system .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fun , upbeat sampling of dance music from the 1970s , much like the Village People ’ s “ YMCA , ” a song that over the years has been played at baseball stadiums , school events , and wedding receptions because all ages enjoy it .
But for those engaged on either side of the culture wars , the Village People ’ s songs are recognized as gay anthems that have played a prominent role in the rising acceptance of gay culture .
While “ YMCA ” and “ Macho Man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , their origins are not remotely wholesome .
The Village People formed in New York City ’ s Greenwich Village during the disco era , a time when the Manhattan neighborhood was a haven for the city ’ s same-sex attracted population .
But the late 1970s disco era that spawned both songs immediately preceded the early 1980s onslaught of the AIDS epidemic , a plague that decimated the world ’ s homosexual population , which had recently decided that sexual contact should be guiltless , free , and frequent .
Both “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were released by the group in 1978 .
For most , the only words from the song they remember are “ Macho , macho man , I got ta be a macho man , ” but there ’ s much more to the song than that : Body , body wan na feel my body Body , baby , such a thrill , my body Body , wan na touch my body Body , baby , it ’ s too much , my body Body , check it out , my body , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , my body Body , talking about my body , body Baby , checking out my body Every man wants to be a macho , macho man To have the kind of body always in demand Joggin ’ in the mornings , go man go Workouts in the health spa , muscles grow You can best believe that He ’ s a macho man Glad he took you down with anyone you can Hey , hey , hey , hey , hey You can tell a macho , he has a funky walk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look so boss Funky with his body , he ’ s a king Call him Mister Ego , dig his chains You can best believe that , he 's a macho man Likes to be the leader , he never dresses grand Every man ought to be a macho , macho man To live a life of freedom , machos make a stand Have your own lifestyles and ideals Possess the strength of confidence , that ’ s the skill You can best believe that he 's a macho man He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land Hey , hey , hey , hey , hey In 1980 , on the precipice of the AIDS disaster , the Village People starred in a movie alongside Bruce Jenner — now known in some circles as “ Caitlyn ” Jenner , Valerie Perrine , and Steve Guttenberg , titled Can ’ t Stop the Music .
The song “ YMCA ” plays in the background in a homoerotic scene ( warning : there is a lot of nudity in this video ) which takes place in the gyms , swimming pool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The unvarnished homoeroticism employed in the sequence vividly displays the real meaning and intent of the scene .
The song is anything but benign , wholesome fun for the whole family as it has come to be regarded .
Interestingly , at the very end of the video , all fifty or so male performers collapse onto each other as if dead .
One has to wonder how many “ young men ” were led to horrendous early deaths from AIDS after having watched the highly sanitized version of gay life portrayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president , may have happily forgotten the tragic early history of AIDS .
I haven ’ t and never will , having volunteered in the early 1990s to feed , bathe , and change diapers for indigent men dying of AIDS at Mother Teresa ’ s Gift of Peace in Washington , D.C .
I watched many men wither away and die after suffering gruesome illnesses .
Recently , President Trump has , more than once , indicated through Twitter that he could vote for a gay “ married ” man like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m not sure he has thought through all the ramifications of that — of what the constant barrage of official White House photos of two men kissing , embracing , and holding hands would do to our nation ’ s young people .
We may never know exactly what President Trump meant by this tweet , but long after the election is over , it will stand not as an endorsement of an opposition candidate , but of Buttigieg ’ s sexuality and his genderless , non-conjugal “ marriage.
” President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only ones who need to be far more cautious about promoting the acceptance and celebration of homosexuality , even if that promotion is subtle and unspoken .
At the 2020 March for Life , the “ YMCA ” song was played over the loudspeakers as people gathered at the rally site .
Watch as hundreds of pro-lifers immediately launch into the YMCA dance moves , likely not aware of the homoerotic intent of that song and its choreography .
To contact the President via The White House , click here

Contributing to the world’s strange perception that homosexuality is a good thing is counterproductive to human health and happiness.
WASHINGTON, D.C., February 28, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Heads exploded on both ends of the political spectrum this week as President Trump and his administration showed two signs of affirming homosexuality during his trip to India.
And while these actions might be the result of political calculations or nothing more than an expression of well-intended human kindness, the president and his staff need to be aware of the deeper implications of their messaging.
While the realignment and redefining of the Republican Party under Donald J. Trump has brought significant pro-life and religious liberty victories, with Christians having their rights protected when facing off against LGBT demands for universal tolerance, in an odd juxtaposition, homosexuality is simultaneously being promoted by the president in arenas outside the courts but very much within social media and popular culture.
Infelicitous in India #1
As he headed to India last weekend, President Trump retweeted a posting by gay activist Peter Tatchell praising Bollywood (India’s version of Hollywood) for releasing a film featuring a gay romance not long after homosexuality had been decriminalized in that country.
The president tweeted a single word: “Great!”
Some social conservatives were angered and disappointed at the seeming endorsement of homosexuality, while pro-LGBT organizations seized the opportunity to condemn the president for what they see as his anti-LGBT record while in the White House.
“What is the message to the world when the president of the United States — a self-proclaimed Christian — applauds a morally conservative nation for abandoning its principles to celebrate homosexuality?” wondered Scott Lively, in a commentary at WND.
“What kind of mentality justifies the normalization of homosexuality to an entire nation’s children as a political tactic?” he asked. “I feel nauseous just thinking about it.”
Others took to Twitter to express their reservations about the president’s message:
Decriminalization is one thing. Promoting a behavior is another and WRONG. — Denise Snively (@denise_snively) February 21, 2020
I’m sorry, but Mr President, you shouldn’t be retweeting this. — T Gilbert, JD (@tponews) February 21, 2020
GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, was unhappy with the President’s tweet for wholly different reasons, saying, “There have been 136 attacks on LGBTQ people through policy and rhetoric since the Trump Administration took office,” while providing a link to its “Trump Accountability Project,” which catalogues his so-called “anti-LGBTQ statements and actions.”
There have been 136 attacks on LGBTQ people through policy and rhetoric since the Trump Administration took office.https://t.co/mggKkPC4yO — GLAAD (@glaad) February 21, 2020
It should be noted that GLAAD has had a long and deep interest in Hollywood, having rewarded the production of LGBT-friendly movies and TV programming for the last 30 years with its “GLAAD Media Awards.”
GLAAD also has a vested interest in maintaining Donald Trump as its Boogeyman-in-Chief in order to fundraise and maintain some semblance of ongoing relevance in a world that, for the most part, now considers all things LGBT as sacred cows.
Bollywood may well go the way of Hollywood and begin introducing sympathetic LGBT characters and storylines in order to normalize homosexual and transgender behaviors. The president should not have tweeted, “Great!”
Decriminalizing homosexuality in order to save gays and lesbians from death or cruel and inhuman punishment is laudable, but contributing to the world’s strange perception that homosexuality is a good thing — a “Great!” thing — is counterproductive to human health and happiness for the citizens of any nation.
In the 1989 gay manifesto, After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the ’90s, the authors informed gays and lesbians, “You can forget about trying right up front to persuade folks that homosexuality is a good thing.” And yet now, thirty years later, we have a Christian man’s man occupying the White House saying “gay” is not only “OK,” but “Great!”
Infelicitous in India #2
Earlier this week, as President Trump entered the world’s largest cricket stadium — packed to capacity for what turned out to be perhaps the largest pro-Trump rally ever — the Village People’s “Macho Man” blared over the sound system.
For most people, the song is a fun, upbeat sampling of dance music from the 1970s, much like the Village People’s “YMCA,” a song that over the years has been played at baseball stadiums, school events, and wedding receptions because all ages enjoy it.
But for those engaged on either side of the culture wars, the Village People’s songs are recognized as gay anthems that have played a prominent role in the rising acceptance of gay culture.
While “YMCA” and “Macho Man” are associated with good clean fun, their origins are not remotely wholesome.
The Village People formed in New York City’s Greenwich Village during the disco era, a time when the Manhattan neighborhood was a haven for the city’s same-sex attracted population.
But the late 1970s disco era that spawned both songs immediately preceded the early 1980s onslaught of the AIDS epidemic, a plague that decimated the world’s homosexual population, which had recently decided that sexual contact should be guiltless, free, and frequent.
Both “Macho Man” and “YMCA” were released by the group in 1978.
For most, the only words from the song they remember are “Macho, macho man, I gotta be a macho man,” but there’s much more to the song than that:
Body, body wanna feel my body
Body, baby, such a thrill, my body
Body, wanna touch my body
Body, baby, it’s too much, my body
Body, check it out, my body, body
Baby, don't you doubt, my body
Body, talking about my body, body
Baby, checking out my body
Listen here
Every man wants to be a macho, macho man
To have the kind of body always in demand
Joggin’ in the mornings, go man go
Workouts in the health spa, muscles grow
You can best believe that
He’s a macho man
Glad he took you down with anyone you can
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
…
You can tell a macho, he has a funky walk
His western shirts and leather, always look so boss
Funky with his body, he’s a king
Call him Mister Ego, dig his chains
You can best believe that, he's a macho man
Likes to be the leader, he never dresses grand
…
Every man ought to be a macho, macho man
To live a life of freedom, machos make a stand
Have your own lifestyles and ideals
Possess the strength of confidence, that’s the skill
You can best believe that he's a macho man
He’s the special god son in anybody's land
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
In 1980, on the precipice of the AIDS disaster, the Village People starred in a movie alongside Bruce Jenner — now known in some circles as “Caitlyn” Jenner, Valerie Perrine, and Steve Guttenberg, titled Can’t Stop the Music.
The song “YMCA” plays in the background in a homoerotic scene (warning: there is a lot of nudity in this video) which takes place in the gyms, swimming pool, and locker room of a YMCA.
The unvarnished homoeroticism employed in the sequence vividly displays the real meaning and intent of the scene.
The song is anything but benign, wholesome fun for the whole family as it has come to be regarded.
Interestingly, at the very end of the video, all fifty or so male performers collapse onto each other as if dead. One has to wonder how many “young men” were led to horrendous early deaths from AIDS after having watched the highly sanitized version of gay life portrayed in this movie.
Many, including the president, may have happily forgotten the tragic early history of AIDS.
I haven’t and never will, having volunteered in the early 1990s to feed, bathe, and change diapers for indigent men dying of AIDS at Mother Teresa’s Gift of Peace in Washington, D.C. I watched many men wither away and die after suffering gruesome illnesses.
Recently, President Trump has, more than once, indicated through Twitter that he could vote for a gay “married” man like Pete Buttigieg for president, but I’m not sure he has thought through all the ramifications of that — of what the constant barrage of official White House photos of two men kissing, embracing, and holding hands would do to our nation’s young people.
Eric, I can live with that! https://t.co/TtNdK9pg06 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2020
We may never know exactly what President Trump meant by this tweet, but long after the election is over, it will stand not as an endorsement of an opposition candidate, but of Buttigieg’s sexuality and his genderless, non-conjugal “marriage.”
President Trump and official Washington aren’t the only ones who need to be far more cautious about promoting the acceptance and celebration of homosexuality, even if that promotion is subtle and unspoken.
At the 2020 March for Life, the “YMCA” song was played over the loudspeakers as people gathered at the rally site. Watch as hundreds of pro-lifers immediately launch into the YMCA dance moves, likely not aware of the homoerotic intent of that song and its choreography.
To contact the President via The White House, click here
Follow Doug Doug Mainwaring is a journalist for LifeSiteNews, an author, and a marriage, family and children's rights activist. He has testified before the United States Congress and state legislative bodies, originated and co-authored amicus briefs for the United States Supreme Court, and has been a guest on numerous TV and radio programs. Doug and his family live in the Washington, DC suburbs.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-28--One Million Moms boycotts Disney’s ‘Onward’ for forcing LGBT agenda on kids

February 28 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The pro-family and pro-decency organization One Million Moms has launched a protest petition against the new Disney kids ’ movie , Onward , as the studio ’ s first animated movie with an openly homosexual character .
“ I do not agree with the LGBTQ agenda you are pushing on families in the upcoming movie Onward .
My family and I will not watch this film .
Disney has left conservative and Christian families no other choice but to avoid Onward since it goes against our beliefs and values , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pro-family advocates were dismayed to learn that Onward , which will be released on March 6 , will feature a purple cyclops police officer , Officer Specter , voiced by lesbian actress Lena Waithe , who talks about her “ girlfriend.
” Although Disney has pushed the LGBT agenda before with suggestive matter in other releases , this is the first inclusion of open homosexuality in an animated film .
In one scene , the character , Officer Specter , pulls over a motorist who claims to have been distracted by his girlfriend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s character replies : “ My girlfriend ’ s daughter got me pulling my hair out ” Though the moment apparently passes without comment , and without being showcased , pro-family advocates and Christians are upset and annoyed by the studio ’ s decision to push sexual notions beyond the comprehension of many of the movie ’ s young viewers .
The One Million Moms boycott petition diagnoses what Disney is attempting to do by including this seemingly inconsequential remark by one of the movie ’ s minor characters .
These scenes are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But now Disney has traded its subtlety for intentionality .
Disney has decided to be politically correct instead of providing family friendly programming .
Disney should stick to entertaining , not pushing an agenda .
... As moms , we all want to know when Disney is attempting to desensitize our children by normalizing the LGBTQ lifestyle .
The parents ’ organization wants all parents to be alerted to the dangers posed to their children by Onward and , more generally , by the sexually confusing agenda being pushed by LGBT activists .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ your children to Onward only to be “ blindsided ” by what Disney is pushing .
PETITION : Boycott Disney 's new kids film 'Onward ' for pushing LGBT agenda '' Sign the petition here .

‘Disney has left conservative and Christian families no other choice but to avoid Onward since it goes against our beliefs and values.’
February 28, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The pro-family and pro-decency organization One Million Moms has launched a protest petition against the new Disney kids’ movie, Onward, as the studio’s first animated movie with an openly homosexual character.
“I do not agree with the LGBTQ agenda you are pushing on families in the upcoming movie Onward. My family and I will not watch this film. Disney has left conservative and Christian families no other choice but to avoid Onward since it goes against our beliefs and values,” the group stated in a press release.
Pro-family advocates were dismayed to learn that Onward, which will be released on March 6, will feature a purple cyclops police officer, Officer Specter, voiced by lesbian actress Lena Waithe, who talks about her “girlfriend.”
Although Disney has pushed the LGBT agenda before with suggestive matter in other releases, this is the first inclusion of open homosexuality in an animated film.
In one scene, the character, Officer Specter, pulls over a motorist who claims to have been distracted by his girlfriend’s kids, and Waithe’s character replies: “My girlfriend’s daughter got me pulling my hair out”
Though the moment apparently passes without comment, and without being showcased, pro-family advocates and Christians are upset and annoyed by the studio’s decision to push sexual notions beyond the comprehension of many of the movie’s young viewers.
The One Million Moms boycott petition diagnoses what Disney is attempting to do by including this seemingly inconsequential remark by one of the movie’s minor characters.
The boycott petition states:
These scenes are subtle in order to desensitize children. But now Disney has traded its subtlety for intentionality. Disney has decided to be politically correct instead of providing family friendly programming. Disney should stick to entertaining, not pushing an agenda. … As moms, we all want to know when Disney is attempting to desensitize our children by normalizing the LGBTQ lifestyle.
The parents’ organization wants all parents to be alerted to the dangers posed to their children by Onward and, more generally, by the sexually confusing agenda being pushed by LGBT activists.
Their advice: Don’t take your children to Onward only to be “blindsided” by what Disney is pushing.
PETITION: Boycott Disney's new kids film 'Onward' for pushing LGBT agenda” Sign the petition here.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-28--Provincial govt to withhold $1.5M from Canadian hospice for refusing to kill sick patients

LADNER , British Columbia , February 28 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — British Columbia ’ s NDP government is pulling $ 1.5 million in public funding from a palliative care hospice and threatening to seize the facility because it refuses to allow doctors to kill sick patients by lethal injection onsite through “ medically-assisted death , ” or euthanasia .
Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a press conference Tuesday he ’ s instructed Fraser Health Authority to stop funding the Delta Hospice Society by February 2021 .
That allows for the required 365-days notice to end the service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society without cause , and thus avoid the dispute ending up in court , he said , as reported in the Vancouver Sun .
Dix also said that at the end of the year the government may seize the 10-bed Irene Thomas Hospice in Ladner that is now run by the Delta Hospice Society .
“ We may take over the existing site , ” which is on Fraser Health Authority land and rented for $ 1 a year to the society , said Dix , according to the Sun .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not move out of Delta.
” But the government seizing the hospice building would be a “ scandalous appropriation of private assets , ” fired back Delta Hospice Society board chair Angelina Ireland .
The society “ built the Irene Thomas Hospice without taxpayer funds , at the cost of approximately $ 9,000,000 , ” she said in a press release .
Moreover , it has operated the hospice “ for 10 years , providing more than 700,000 hours of volunteer labour and $ 30 million to the public health care system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know , we haven ’ t been a bad partner .
But for some reason , we ’ re being treated with absolute disdain , ” Ireland told LifeSiteNews .
Dix ’ s decision is the latest blow to the society in a bitter long-running battle over its refusal to allow patients to be lethally injected onsite in the wake of Canada ’ s legalization of euthanasia , or “ Medical assistance in dying , ” ( MAiD ) , in June 2016 .
The hospice society is arguing that allowing euthanasia violates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hasten a patient ’ s death , and that palliative care and euthanasia are not compatible .
Both the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association ( CHPCA ) and the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians ( CSPCP ) are backing the society .
But Dix claimed Tuesday that the hospice is violating federal law and B.C .
government policy that non-denominational health care institutions that receive more than half their funding from the province must provide euthanasia , the Vancouver Sun reported .
However , the minister and the health authority have completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to forego $ 750,000 in public funding in order to fall below the benchmark of 50 percent of public funding for its beds , which are now funded 94 percent by the government , Ireland said .
Indeed , Dix was dismissive when the Delta Optimist asked him if he ’ d considered Ireland ’ s proposal .
“ It ’ s not her deal to cut , ” he said .
Ireland said she only heard Dix ’ s decision when the media started calling her .
She responded in a press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is “ shocked and outraged this week by the Fraser Health Authority ’ s blatant move to cut off all discussions.
” The hospice is willing to transfer patients out for euthanasia , which is readily available in the lower mainland , while palliative care beds are “ becoming scarce , ” she told Canadian Press .
Three people at the hospice in the last three years requested euthanasia , Ireland said .
`` All I can say is they were transferred out to their preferred location — two went home and one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , one minute away , '' she said .
All this makes Dix ’ s decision not only “ baffling , ” but clearly “ agenda-driven , ” Ireland said .
He is imposing his view by “ fiat ” on B.C .
taxpayers , 90 percent of whom “ want access to palliative care , ” and only two percent of whom want access to euthanasia , she told LifeSiteNews .
Euthanasia “ is a separate public health care stream , distinct and apart from palliative care , ” she stressed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ MAiD facilities that ’ s their option , but they must not be allowed to download it onto the backs of private palliative care facilities , ” added Ireland .
“ And it ’ s all about dollars .
It is easier and cheaper for the government to provide euthanasia rather than continue with palliative care .
Basically , they are saying that no palliative care facility in B.C .
has a right to exist unless it also provides euthanasia.
” The hospice received support from Delta South Liberal MLA Ian Paton , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , reported the CBC .
“ What I see is government literally stealing assets of the people of Delta that worked so hard for so many years to raise $ 8.5 million for this facility , ” said Paton , who did not say where he stood on euthanasia .
Ireland , who was elected chair in a turbulent meeting in December during which the new board reversed the former board ’ s week-old decision to allow euthanasia at the hospice , told LifeSite she is looking at legal and other options .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be essentially closing down the society , because that ’ s not the kind of budget you could possibly fundraise , ” she said .
However , the battle is far from over , added Ireland , who began volunteering with the society after using its programs when diagnosed with cancer several years ago .
“ And I ’ m not afraid of Minister Dix because I ’ ve already been against the biggest threat that I could have faced in my lifetime… I will be there to challenge him every step of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 4 at the Victoria legislature to support the hospice will feature Margaret Cottle , Dr. Will Johnston , MP Tamara Jansen and Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition as speakers .
Sign the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition petition to Minister Dix and Fraser Health Authority CEO Dr. Victoria Lee here .

British Columbia’s NDP government will pull $1.5 million from the palliative care hospice for refusing to allow euthanasia onsite
LADNER, British Columbia, February 28, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — British Columbia’s NDP government is pulling $1.5 million in public funding from a palliative care hospice and threatening to seize the facility because it refuses to allow doctors to kill sick patients by lethal injection onsite through “medically-assisted death,” or euthanasia.
Health Minister Adrian Dix said in a press conference Tuesday he’s instructed Fraser Health Authority to stop funding the Delta Hospice Society by February 2021.
That allows for the required 365-days notice to end the service agreement between Fraser Health and the non-profit society without cause, and thus avoid the dispute ending up in court, he said, as reported in the Vancouver Sun.
Dix also said that at the end of the year the government may seize the 10-bed Irene Thomas Hospice in Ladner that is now run by the Delta Hospice Society.
“We may take over the existing site,” which is on Fraser Health Authority land and rented for $1 a year to the society, said Dix, according to the Sun.
“We may find another site. These beds will not move out of Delta.”
But the government seizing the hospice building would be a “scandalous appropriation of private assets,” fired back Delta Hospice Society board chair Angelina Ireland.
The society “built the Irene Thomas Hospice without taxpayer funds, at the cost of approximately $9,000,000,” she said in a press release.
Moreover, it has operated the hospice “for 10 years, providing more than 700,000 hours of volunteer labour and $30 million to the public health care system,” she added.
“You know, we haven’t been a bad partner. But for some reason, we’re being treated with absolute disdain,” Ireland told LifeSiteNews.
Dix’s decision is the latest blow to the society in a bitter long-running battle over its refusal to allow patients to be lethally injected onsite in the wake of Canada’s legalization of euthanasia, or “Medical assistance in dying,” (MAiD), in June 2016.
The hospice society is arguing that allowing euthanasia violates its constitution, which promises not to hasten a patient’s death, and that palliative care and euthanasia are not compatible.
Both the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) and the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians (CSPCP) are backing the society.
But Dix claimed Tuesday that the hospice is violating federal law and B.C. government policy that non-denominational health care institutions that receive more than half their funding from the province must provide euthanasia, the Vancouver Sun reported.
However, the minister and the health authority have completely ignored the society’s January offer to forego $750,000 in public funding in order to fall below the benchmark of 50 percent of public funding for its beds, which are now funded 94 percent by the government, Ireland said.
Indeed, Dix was dismissive when the Delta Optimist asked him if he’d considered Ireland’s proposal.
“It’s not her deal to cut,” he said.
Ireland said she only heard Dix’s decision when the media started calling her.
She responded in a press release the next day that the society is “shocked and outraged this week by the Fraser Health Authority’s blatant move to cut off all discussions.”
The hospice is willing to transfer patients out for euthanasia, which is readily available in the lower mainland, while palliative care beds are “becoming scarce,” she told Canadian Press.
Three people at the hospice in the last three years requested euthanasia, Ireland said.
“All I can say is they were transferred out to their preferred location — two went home and one went next door to the Delta Hospital, one minute away,” she said.
All this makes Dix’s decision not only “baffling,” but clearly “agenda-driven,” Ireland said.
He is imposing his view by “fiat” on B.C. taxpayers, 90 percent of whom “want access to palliative care,” and only two percent of whom want access to euthanasia, she told LifeSiteNews.
Euthanasia “is a separate public health care stream, distinct and apart from palliative care,” she stressed.
“If the government wants to open MAiD facilities that’s their option, but they must not be allowed to download it onto the backs of private palliative care facilities,” added Ireland.
“And it’s all about dollars. It is easier and cheaper for the government to provide euthanasia rather than continue with palliative care. Basically, they are saying that no palliative care facility in B.C. has a right to exist unless it also provides euthanasia.”
The hospice received support from Delta South Liberal MLA Ian Paton, who criticized the NDP for being heavy-handed, reported the CBC.
“What I see is government literally stealing assets of the people of Delta that worked so hard for so many years to raise $8.5 million for this facility,” said Paton, who did not say where he stood on euthanasia.
Ireland, who was elected chair in a turbulent meeting in December during which the new board reversed the former board’s week-old decision to allow euthanasia at the hospice, told LifeSite she is looking at legal and other options.
Dix pulling $1.5 million “would be essentially closing down the society, because that’s not the kind of budget you could possibly fundraise,” she said.
However, the battle is far from over, added Ireland, who began volunteering with the society after using its programs when diagnosed with cancer several years ago.
“I'm a cancer survivor. I’ve fought the war,” she told LifeSiteNews.
“And I’m not afraid of Minister Dix because I’ve already been against the biggest threat that I could have faced in my lifetime… I will be there to challenge him every step of the way.”
A noon rally on April 4 at the Victoria legislature to support the hospice will feature Margaret Cottle, Dr. Will Johnston, MP Tamara Jansen and Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition as speakers.
Contact information:
Adrian Dix, BC Minister of Health
Room 337 Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (250) 953-3547
Ian Paton, MLA
[email protected]
Phone: (604) 940-7930
Contact BC MLAs here.
Sign the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition petition to Minister Dix and Fraser Health Authority CEO Dr. Victoria Lee here.
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lifesitenews--2020-02-28--Cardinal: Pope’s Amazon exhortation defectively quotes canon law, undermining the priesthood

February 28 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes , a retired curial cardinal living in Rome , has written an analysis of the new concept of the priesthood as discussed by Pope Francis in his February 12 post-synodal exhortation on the Amazon region , Querida Amazonia .
Cordes detects in the document a footnote which quotes canon law in a defective way and rejects the idea of separating the priesthood from its governing mission .
Querida Amazonia was published in response to the final document of the October 6 - 27 , 2019 Amazon Synod in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the final document 's idea of ordaining married men to the priesthood , nor encouraged discussion of a female “ diaconate.
” However , there have now been several statements from prelates close to the Pope that indicate that these topics are not yet off the table and that , instead , it would now be good for Amazon bishops to send to Rome concrete proposals and requests for a possible papal approval .
Writing for the German website CNA Deutsch , 85-year-old Cordes , who is from Germany , begins by discussing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ German bishops ’ news website Katholisch.de .
That article insists that in his new document , Pope Francis “ cracked a clerical monopoly.
” ( LifeSite reported on this essay here . )
The author , Professor Michael Böhnke , noticed that Pope Francis had proposed to allow laymen to become the leaders of parishes .
In this context , the Pope had referred , in footnote 136 , to canon 517§2 , which gives a bishop the possibility of tasking laymen with the participation in putative leadership roles in the field of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ If , because of a lack of priests , the diocesan bishop has decided that participation in the exercise of the pastoral care of a parish is to be entrusted to a deacon , to another person who is not a priest , or to a community of persons , he is to appoint some priest who , provided with the powers and faculties of a pastor , is to direct the pastoral care.
” However , as Cardinal Cordes then shows , Pope Francis omitted to quote the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he omitted that part of the paragraph which insists that the bishop also must “ appoint a priest who , endowed with the authorities and rights of a pastor , leads the pastoral care.
” Comments Cordes : “ That is to say , in the reference of QA [ Querida Amazonia ] the key statement of the CIC – leadership of the parochial pastoral care by an ordained priest – is simply being omitted.
” The prelate adds that Professor Böhnke , with his claim that the Pope had “ cracked ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ unfortunately overlooked the theological foundation for the leadership responsibility in the Church.
” In the following , Cardinal Cordes reminds us of the intrinsic nature of the Sacrament of Holy Orders and of what it bestows upon a priest .
The authority of leadership , he explains , “ is sacramentally and grace-wise laid down in the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
” With its reception , even Querida Amazonia states , the candidate is being made unto Christ and endowed with spiritual power .
Here , Cardinal Cordes speaks of the concept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our Lord when speaking to the Eleven ( Mt 28:18 ) , which is the point of departure for the mandate “ which the Lord gives to each Apostle and which they pass on to their successors.
” Exousia refers to the actions of a priest that are linked with the Sacrament of Holy Orders , with his ordination , while there exist other actions within the Church that the Church can and may transfer to others with the help of a missio , such as a missio canonica .
The latter can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ordained priest .
Cardinal Cordes shows us that there are “ two totally different foundations and qualities of ecclesial ‘ power , ’ ” which are neither “ stressed , ” nor “ denied , ” by Querida Amazonia .
He speaks here from “ imprecision ” when the two spheres of power in the Church – sacramental and administrative – are casually being “ mixed in an unfitting manner , ” thus rejecting the approach of the line of argumentation from the German professor of theology , Michael Böhnke .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ also the proposal of QA is to be examined .
The distorted footnote 136 calls us to caution .
It induces us to follow the arguments in favor of non-ordained parochial leaders.
” Here we might add that this discussion – as can be seen in the above-mentioned German professor 's essay – will be used in Germany by the progressivist wing to push ahead with the wished-for further laicization of the Catholic Church to purportedly will help solve the problem of clerical sex abuse .
Cardinal Cordes sees that Querida Amazonia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not make clear enough what specifically the conformity ( Gleichgestaltung ) of the priest with Christ – as established by the Sacrament of Holy Orders – really entails .
“ An explanation of the ‘ conformity ’ is missing ; it serves the affirmation that alone the priest is capable to ‘ preside over the Eucharist.
’ Later is added to this competence also the one of administering the Sacrament of Penance , ” the prelate writes .
As the cardinal observes , the papal document then “ quickly ” changes its perspective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ontological conformity of the ordained , but moves over to his palpable action , the administration of the sacraments.
” Herewith , says Cordes , the text “ chooses an empirical perspective , but thereby neglects the spiritual and grace-related implications of the ministry of salvation .
He who eclipses them , can without questions quickly move over to make proposals for a new-ordering of pastoral activities.
” Cardinal Cordes places here his finger into a serious wound of the papal text : if one reduces the essence of the priesthood and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Eucharist and of Penance , one truncates the essence of the priesthood which is so much more than that .
In the context of the discussion of the Amazon Synod 's working document which had already proposed to separate the priestly powers , Cardinal Gerhard Müller had made a strong defense of the three-fold mission of the priest – to preach , to sanctify , and to govern .
He also pointed out to the abuse of the times of the Middle Ages , where there existed so-called “ altarists.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were only permitted to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass , while they were barred from preaching and governing .
This institution at the time became a cause of harsh criticism on the part of Protestant critics of the Church .
The Synod ’ s working document ( number 127 ) had proposed to “ reconsider the notion that the exercise of jurisdiction ( power of government ) must be linked in all areas ( sacramental , judicial , administrative ) and in a permanent way to the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gerhard Müller at the time explained , “ there are not being transferred individual particular competences without any inner order and interconnection .
It is the one service in the Word , through which the Church is being assembled as a community of the Faith , in which the Sacraments of the Faith are being celebrated and through which God 's flock is being governed by its appointed shepherds , in Christ 's Name and Authority .
That is why the priestly offices in doctrine , worship , and governance are united at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their theological aspects , under which we look at them ( Presbyterorum Ordinis 4-6 ) .
” Returning to Cardinal Cordes ’ defense of the priesthood , he raises the question which is to arise at some point in light of Querida Amazonia : “ Why are the Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Penance left solely to the priest ?
” That is to say : was it merely a legal act , the Sacrament of Holy Orders , with the help of which the priest received the “ right ” to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prelate reminds us that the Sacrament of Holy Orders – at the moment the bishop lays his hands upon the candidate – bestows the Holy Ghost upon the candidate which “ binds the ordained in a specific way to Christ .
This gesture of the bishop , according to Cordes , can be traced back to the oldest ritual of ordination ( Hippolytus of Rome , +235 ) .
The cardinal wishes to stress here ‘ the special gift of the Holy Ghost for the priestly service.
’ ” Referring to the Second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 ) , Cardinal Cordes shows that the priest is to act “ in the person of Christ , ” in persona Christi .
The Sacrament of Holy Orders accordingly marks the soul of the priest in a special way so that he can “ act in the person of the head , Christ.
” The “ true root ” of all actions of a priest is the fact that “ Christ is the real priest , ” explains Cordes .
Not the “ bearer of the office himself , but Christ Himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He is definitively the true Auctor ministerii.
” “ This fact may not be forgotten in all the speculations about structures , ” he states , “ otherwise the truth is overshadowed in the Church that alone Christ Himself gives all her actions fruitfulness.
” He also speaks here of a “ relationship with Christ as established by the Holy Ghost.
” The priest thus has a special relationship with Christ which is different from the one of every baptized person .
Thus , a good definition of the priesthood does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” of a priest , says Cardinal Cordes .
It is not limited to “ presiding over the Eucharist , ” but consists of “ manifold ” tasks .
For Cordes it is clear that the best definition of a priest is to say that he acts “ in the person of Christ.
” His “ being , ” not his individual tasks , characterizes a priest .
This marks the “ uniqueness of the priestly service , ” concludes the cardinal .
“ God 's salvific work is not accessible to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writes , and he warns against a “ troubling profanation of the Church 's office ” when speaking about the “ idea to call upon laymen to lead parishes.
” Here , he points out that the three spheres of the ecclesial office and duties – the munera docendi ( teaching ) , sanctificendi ( sanctifying ) , regendi ( governing ) – have a “ spiritual interdependency.
” They are “ theologically inseparable ” and they lose their “ efficacy ” when separated .
Cardinal Cordes stresses that the three-fold character of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time of Justin the Martyr ( +165 ) , who spoke of the “ munus triplex Christi.
” In teaching and sanctifying the faithful , a priest “ builds up the parish , ” the prelate explains , after showing the close link between the proclamation and the sacraments .
“ Sacraments and proclamation are thus the pillars of the munus regendi , ” the government .
Cordes also points out that St. Paul refers to the authority that has been given to him by the Lord ( 2 Cor 10:8seq and 13:10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cardinal Cordes ends his analysis of a key passage of Querida Amazonia with the words : “ The Church 's structure and order [ ‘ Ordnungsgefüge ’ ] can not , by virtue of its own authority , give away one of its three crucial activities – the leadership .
It would need a formal reference to God – not inclusively , but expressis verbis .
Otherwise , the Church would continue to secularize herself and thus would contribute herself to the notorious and bemoaned modern ‘ forgetfulness of God ’ ( Pope @ @ @ @ @

February 28, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, a retired curial cardinal living in Rome, has written an analysis of the new concept of the priesthood as discussed by Pope Francis in his February 12 post-synodal exhortation on the Amazon region, Querida Amazonia. Cordes detects in the document a footnote which quotes canon law in a defective way and rejects the idea of separating the priesthood from its governing mission.
Querida Amazonia was published in response to the final document of the October 6 – 27, 2019 Amazon Synod in Rome. He did not explicitly endorse the final document's idea of ordaining married men to the priesthood, nor encouraged discussion of a female “diaconate.” However, there have now been several statements from prelates close to the Pope that indicate that these topics are not yet off the table and that, instead, it would now be good for Amazon bishops to send to Rome concrete proposals and requests for a possible papal approval.
Writing for the German website CNA Deutsch, 85-year-old Cordes, who is from Germany, begins by discussing an essay that was published by the German bishops’ news website Katholisch.de. That article insists that in his new document, Pope Francis “cracked a clerical monopoly.” (LifeSite reported on this essay here.) The author, Professor Michael Böhnke, noticed that Pope Francis had proposed to allow laymen to become the leaders of parishes. In this context, the Pope had referred, in footnote 136, to canon 517§2, which gives a bishop the possibility of tasking laymen with the participation in putative leadership roles in the field of pastoral care.
The canon states: “If, because of a lack of priests, the diocesan bishop has decided that participation in the exercise of the pastoral care of a parish is to be entrusted to a deacon, to another person who is not a priest, or to a community of persons, he is to appoint some priest who, provided with the powers and faculties of a pastor, is to direct the pastoral care.”
However, as Cardinal Cordes then shows, Pope Francis omitted to quote the end of the paragraph. That is to say, he omitted that part of the paragraph which insists that the bishop also must “appoint a priest who, endowed with the authorities and rights of a pastor, leads the pastoral care.”
Comments Cordes: “That is to say, in the reference of QA [Querida Amazonia] the key statement of the CIC – leadership of the parochial pastoral care by an ordained priest – is simply being omitted.”
The prelate adds that Professor Böhnke, with his claim that the Pope had “cracked” a “clerical monopoly,” has “unfortunately overlooked the theological foundation for the leadership responsibility in the Church.”
In the following, Cardinal Cordes reminds us of the intrinsic nature of the Sacrament of Holy Orders and of what it bestows upon a priest. The authority of leadership, he explains, “is sacramentally and grace-wise laid down in the Sacrament of Holy Orders.” With its reception, even Querida Amazonia states, the candidate is being made unto Christ and endowed with spiritual power. Here, Cardinal Cordes speaks of the concept of Exousia, a word used by Our Lord when speaking to the Eleven (Mt 28:18), which is the point of departure for the mandate “which the Lord gives to each Apostle and which they pass on to their successors.”
Exousia refers to the actions of a priest that are linked with the Sacrament of Holy Orders, with his ordination, while there exist other actions within the Church that the Church can and may transfer to others with the help of a missio, such as a missio canonica. The latter can be received by someone who is not an ordained priest.
Cardinal Cordes shows us that there are “two totally different foundations and qualities of ecclesial ‘power,’” which are neither “stressed,” nor “denied,” by Querida Amazonia.
He speaks here from “imprecision” when the two spheres of power in the Church – sacramental and administrative – are casually being “mixed in an unfitting manner,” thus rejecting the approach of the line of argumentation from the German professor of theology, Michael Böhnke. “However,” Cardinal Cordes adds, “also the proposal of QA is to be examined. The distorted footnote 136 calls us to caution. It induces us to follow the arguments in favor of non-ordained parochial leaders.”
Here we might add that this discussion – as can be seen in the above-mentioned German professor's essay – will be used in Germany by the progressivist wing to push ahead with the wished-for further laicization of the Catholic Church to purportedly will help solve the problem of clerical sex abuse.
Cardinal Cordes sees that Querida Amazonia (in no. 87) does not make clear enough what specifically the conformity (Gleichgestaltung) of the priest with Christ – as established by the Sacrament of Holy Orders – really entails.
“An explanation of the ‘conformity’ is missing; it serves the affirmation that alone the priest is capable to ‘preside over the Eucharist.’ Later is added to this competence also the one of administering the Sacrament of Penance,” the prelate writes.
As the cardinal observes, the papal document then “quickly” changes its perspective, not dealing anymore with the “ontological conformity of the ordained, but moves over to his palpable action, the administration of the sacraments.” Herewith, says Cordes, the text “chooses an empirical perspective, but thereby neglects the spiritual and grace-related implications of the ministry of salvation. He who eclipses them, can without questions quickly move over to make proposals for a new-ordering of pastoral activities.”
Cardinal Cordes places here his finger into a serious wound of the papal text: if one reduces the essence of the priesthood and its mission to the administration of the Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Penance, one truncates the essence of the priesthood which is so much more than that.
In the context of the discussion of the Amazon Synod's working document which had already proposed to separate the priestly powers, Cardinal Gerhard Müller had made a strong defense of the three-fold mission of the priest – to preach, to sanctify, and to govern. He also pointed out to the abuse of the times of the Middle Ages, where there existed so-called “altarists.” These “altarists” were priests who were only permitted to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, while they were barred from preaching and governing. This institution at the time became a cause of harsh criticism on the part of Protestant critics of the Church.
The Synod’s working document (number 127) had proposed to “reconsider the notion that the exercise of jurisdiction (power of government) must be linked in all areas (sacramental, judicial, administrative) and in a permanent way to the Sacrament of Holy Orders.”
“At ordination,” Cardinal Gerhard Müller at the time explained, “there are not being transferred individual particular competences without any inner order and interconnection. It is the one service in the Word, through which the Church is being assembled as a community of the Faith, in which the Sacraments of the Faith are being celebrated and through which God's flock is being governed by its appointed shepherds, in Christ's Name and Authority. That is why the priestly offices in doctrine, worship, and governance are united at the root and are merely different in their theological aspects, under which we look at them (Presbyterorum Ordinis 4-6).”
Returning to Cardinal Cordes’ defense of the priesthood, he raises the question which is to arise at some point in light of Querida Amazonia: “Why are the Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Penance left solely to the priest?” That is to say: was it merely a legal act, the Sacrament of Holy Orders, with the help of which the priest received the “right” to administer these specific sacraments?
But the prelate reminds us that the Sacrament of Holy Orders – at the moment the bishop lays his hands upon the candidate – bestows the Holy Ghost upon the candidate which “binds the ordained in a specific way to Christ.” This gesture of the bishop, according to Cordes, can be traced back to the oldest ritual of ordination (Hippolytus of Rome, +235). The cardinal wishes to stress here “the special gift of the Holy Ghost for the priestly service.”
Referring to the Second Vatican Council's decree Presyterorum ordinis (2), Cardinal Cordes shows that the priest is to act “in the person of Christ,” in persona Christi. The Sacrament of Holy Orders accordingly marks the soul of the priest in a special way so that he can “act in the person of the head, Christ.”
The “true root” of all actions of a priest is the fact that “Christ is the real priest,” explains Cordes. Not the “bearer of the office himself, but Christ Himself is the actor of the salvific actions. He is definitively the true Auctor ministerii.”
“This fact may not be forgotten in all the speculations about structures,” he states, “otherwise the truth is overshadowed in the Church that alone Christ Himself gives all her actions fruitfulness.” He also speaks here of a “relationship with Christ as established by the Holy Ghost.”
The priest thus has a special relationship with Christ which is different from the one of every baptized person. Thus, a good definition of the priesthood does not “start with the different individual tasks” of a priest, says Cardinal Cordes. It is not limited to “presiding over the Eucharist,” but consists of “manifold” tasks. For Cordes it is clear that the best definition of a priest is to say that he acts “in the person of Christ.” His “being,” not his individual tasks, characterizes a priest. This marks the “uniqueness of the priestly service,” concludes the cardinal.
“God's salvific work is not accessible to the categories of society,” the prelate writes, and he warns against a “troubling profanation of the Church's office” when speaking about the “idea to call upon laymen to lead parishes.”
Here, he points out that the three spheres of the ecclesial office and duties – the munera docendi (teaching), sanctificendi (sanctifying), regendi (governing) – have a “spiritual interdependency.” They are “theologically inseparable” and they lose their “efficacy” when separated.
Cardinal Cordes stresses that the three-fold character of the priestly tasks goes back to the time of Justin the Martyr (+165), who spoke of the “munus triplex Christi.” In teaching and sanctifying the faithful, a priest “builds up the parish,” the prelate explains, after showing the close link between the proclamation and the sacraments. “Sacraments and proclamation are thus the pillars of the munus regendi,” the government. Cordes also points out that St. Paul refers to the authority that has been given to him by the Lord (2 Cor 10:8seq and 13:10).
In a forceful manner, Cardinal Cordes ends his analysis of a key passage of Querida Amazonia with the words: “The Church's structure and order [‘Ordnungsgefüge’] cannot, by virtue of its own authority, give away one of its three crucial activities – the leadership. It would need a formal reference to God – not inclusively, but expressis verbis. Otherwise, the Church would continue to secularize herself and thus would contribute herself to the notorious and bemoaned modern ‘forgetfulness of God’ (Pope Benedict XVI).”
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--2020-02-27--VP Pence: Trump admin is ‘defunding Planned Parenthood’

February 27 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The Trump administration is “ defunding ” Planned Parenthood ahead of a 2020 presidential election that shapes up as a fight between freedom and socialism , Vice President Mike Pence told the nation 's largest gathering of conservatives today .
Pence told the Conservative Political Action Conference ( CPAC ) that he was proud to serve under “ a president who stands without apology for the sanctity of human life ” ( see minute 21:15 of video below for remarks ) .
After noting that President Donald Trump “ made history by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March for Life last month on the National Mall , ” Pence then explained some of the ways in which Trump has reduced funding to abortion businesses .
“ He signed legislation to make it possible for every state to deny Title X funding to abortion providers , ” he said “ And just this week the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld President Trump ’ s executive order denying taxpayer funding to family planning clinics that make referrals for abortion .
We are defunding Planned Parenthood.
” Pence also said that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Trump has kept his word to conservatives by appointing “ more than 190 conservatives to our federal courts at our every level , including Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
” Speaking of those appointments , Pence said , “ I ’ ve gotten to know a lot of these incredible men and women and I can assure you that they are all principled jurists who will uphold the God-given liberties enshrined in our constitution , like the freedom of religion , the freedom of speech , and the Second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Pence took aim at the position of Democrat politicians on life issues , referencing the failure of the Senate to pass the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act .
This was “ a week when Democrats in the United States Senate actually voted down a bill that would have extended legal protections to babies that survive abortions.
” Pence then told pro-life Democrats that they “ have a home in today ’ s Republican Party.
” “ Life is winning in America , ” he said , “ and that ’ s what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat running for president has actually said that there ’ s no room in today ’ s Democratic party for pro-life voters.
” “ So let me say to every pro-life American , Republican , Independent , or Democrat – you have a home in today ’ s Republican party .
President Donald Trump is the most pro-life president in American history.
” In the second half of his speech , Pence mocked the current Democrat presidential hopefuls , describing the most recent Democratic primary debate as a “ demolition derby.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said , “ now you ’ ve got these Democrats with the crummiest ideas in politics .
They ’ re all smashing into each other and eventually there ’ ll be one left driving .
But I think we all know how this is going to end .
There ’ s going to be a monster truck with a big ‘ T ’ on the hood that ’ s going to drive into the infield and roll right over it !
It ’ s going to happen.
” Becoming serious again , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today ’ s Democratic Party has been taken over by radical leftists , who want higher taxes , open borders , and late-terms abortions.
” “ It ’ s really astonishing to think that the party of Harry Truman and JFK is actually on the verge of nominating an avowed socialist as their party ’ s standard bearer , ” he continued .
“ The Democratic party is on the verge of nominating a candidate who honeymooned in the Soviet Union , wants to take away the health insurance of 160 million Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Cuba and Venezuela.
” “ And let ’ s just be clear , ” he said , “ this isn ’ t just about Bernie ( Sanders ) .
Despite what the media loves to tell you , there are no moderates in this Democratic field.
” The 2020 Democrats are all virtually in lockstep on social issues : They support taxpayer-funded abortion on demand and the homosexual/LGBT cause .
At least two candidates – Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg – list their gender pronouns in their Twitter bios .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Warren says she will let a gender-confused child vet her nominee for Secretary of Education if she wins .
Former Vice President Joe Biden has said he would direct the Department of Justice to “ do everything in its power ” to block state laws that place any restriction on abortion , including parental notification requirements , ultrasound laws , and waiting periods .
Meanwhile , Sanders has threatened that he would “ use the Department of Justice to go after those states ” that restrict abortion “ in every way that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also pledged to nominate pro-abortion judges to the Supreme Court and federal bench .
Earlier this week , Sanders unveiled his plans to fund universal child care and pre-kindergarten programs that would mean all children in the United States from infancy would have access to taxpayer funded , full-day , full-week child care and would enter pre-kindergarten beginning at three years old .
Pro-family and education experts slammed the proposal as “ bad for kids , bad for women , ( and ) bad for families.
” Meanwhile , Pence highlighted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parental choice in education , saying , “ And with four more years we ’ ll give every parent in America the right to choose where their children go to school : public , private , parochial or homeschool .
It ’ s time.
” The vice president said “ Democrats have been overtaken by a leftist ideology that history tells us has literally impoverished millions of people around the world and robbed the liberties of generations .
And that system is socialism.
” Pence lamented that “ far too many young people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it won ’ t be enough to just win the next election .
Conservatives must win the next generation , he said .
Pence described the upcoming presidential election as a battle between “ socialism ” and “ freedom.
” “ Socialism has failed everywhere it has been tried , in every era , on every continent and among every class of people .
Freedom works , socialism doesn ’ t , ” he said .
“ It was freedom , not socialism , that gave us the strongest , most prosperous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he continued .
“ It was freedom , not socialism , that ended slavery , won two world wars , and has made America a beacon of hope for all mankind .
It was freedom .
And so as the Democratic party seeks to nominate and embrace the failed policies of socialism , we must renew our resolve in this year 2020 , as the president said one year ago , ‘ America will never be a socialist country.
’ ” Calling on those in attendance to go out and take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pence told the crowd : “ Four more years means more jobs .
Four more years means more judges .
Four more years means more support for our troops .
And it ’ s going to take at least four more years to drain that swamp .
”

'You’ve got these Democrats with the crummiest ideas in politics. They’re all smashing into each other ... But I think we all know how this is going to end.'
February 27, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The Trump administration is “defunding” Planned Parenthood ahead of a 2020 presidential election that shapes up as a fight between freedom and socialism, Vice President Mike Pence told the nation's largest gathering of conservatives today.
Pence told the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that he was proud to serve under “a president who stands without apology for the sanctity of human life” (see minute 21:15 of video below for remarks).
After noting that President Donald Trump “made history by becoming the first president to attend the March for Life last month on the National Mall,” Pence then explained some of the ways in which Trump has reduced funding to abortion businesses.
“He signed legislation to make it possible for every state to deny Title X funding to abortion providers,” he said “And just this week the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld President Trump’s executive order denying taxpayer funding to family planning clinics that make referrals for abortion. We are defunding Planned Parenthood.”
Pence also said that “in support of the rule of law,” Trump has kept his word to conservatives by appointing “more than 190 conservatives to our federal courts at our every level, including Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh.”
Speaking of those appointments, Pence said, “I’ve gotten to know a lot of these incredible men and women and I can assure you that they are all principled jurists who will uphold the God-given liberties enshrined in our constitution, like the freedom of religion, the freedom of speech, and the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.”
Pence took aim at the position of Democrat politicians on life issues, referencing the failure of the Senate to pass the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
This was “a week when Democrats in the United States Senate actually voted down a bill that would have extended legal protections to babies that survive abortions.”
Pence then told pro-life Democrats that they “have a home in today’s Republican Party.”
“Life is winning in America,” he said, “and that’s what makes it so remarkable that every leading Democrat running for president has actually said that there’s no room in today’s Democratic party for pro-life voters.”
“So let me say to every pro-life American, Republican, Independent, or Democrat – you have a home in today’s Republican party. President Donald Trump is the most pro-life president in American history.”
In the second half of his speech, Pence mocked the current Democrat presidential hopefuls, describing the most recent Democratic primary debate as a “demolition derby.”
“I mean think about it,” he said, “now you’ve got these Democrats with the crummiest ideas in politics. They’re all smashing into each other and eventually there’ll be one left driving. But I think we all know how this is going to end. There’s going to be a monster truck with a big ‘T’ on the hood that’s going to drive into the infield and roll right over it! It’s going to happen.”
Becoming serious again, Pence said that “the truth is today’s Democratic Party has been taken over by radical leftists, who want higher taxes, open borders, and late-terms abortions.”
“It’s really astonishing to think that the party of Harry Truman and JFK is actually on the verge of nominating an avowed socialist as their party’s standard bearer,” he continued. “The Democratic party is on the verge of nominating a candidate who honeymooned in the Soviet Union, wants to take away the health insurance of 160 million Americans, and speaks glowingly of socialist dictatorships in Cuba and Venezuela.”
“And let’s just be clear,” he said, “this isn’t just about Bernie (Sanders). Despite what the media loves to tell you, there are no moderates in this Democratic field.”
The 2020 Democrats are all virtually in lockstep on social issues: They support taxpayer-funded abortion on demand and the homosexual/LGBT cause. At least two candidates – Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg – list their gender pronouns in their Twitter bios. The latter is in a same-sex “marriage.” Warren says she will let a gender-confused child vet her nominee for Secretary of Education if she wins.
Former Vice President Joe Biden has said he would direct the Department of Justice to “do everything in its power” to block state laws that place any restriction on abortion, including parental notification requirements, ultrasound laws, and waiting periods. Meanwhile, Sanders has threatened that he would “use the Department of Justice to go after those states” that restrict abortion “in every way that I legally can.” Every Democrat candidate has also pledged to nominate pro-abortion judges to the Supreme Court and federal bench.
Earlier this week, Sanders unveiled his plans to fund universal child care and pre-kindergarten programs that would mean all children in the United States from infancy would have access to taxpayer funded, full-day, full-week child care and would enter pre-kindergarten beginning at three years old. Pro-family and education experts slammed the proposal as “bad for kids, bad for women, (and) bad for families.”
Meanwhile, Pence highlighted the work of the Trump administration to expand parental choice in education, saying, “And with four more years we’ll give every parent in America the right to choose where their children go to school: public, private, parochial or homeschool. It’s time.”
The vice president said “Democrats have been overtaken by a leftist ideology that history tells us has literally impoverished millions of people around the world and robbed the liberties of generations. And that system is socialism.”
Pence lamented that “far too many young people” have rallied around this cause and that it won’t be enough to just win the next election. Conservatives must win the next generation, he said.
Pence described the upcoming presidential election as a battle between “socialism” and “freedom.”
“Socialism has failed everywhere it has been tried, in every era, on every continent and among every class of people. Freedom works, socialism doesn’t,” he said.
“It was freedom, not socialism, that gave us the strongest, most prosperous nation in the history of the world,” he continued.
“It was freedom, not socialism, that ended slavery, won two world wars, and has made America a beacon of hope for all mankind. It was freedom. And so as the Democratic party seeks to nominate and embrace the failed policies of socialism, we must renew our resolve in this year 2020, as the president said one year ago, ‘America will never be a socialist country.’”
Calling on those in attendance to go out and take action to ensure that Trump is re-elected, Pence told the crowd: “Four more years means more jobs. Four more years means more judges. Four more years means more support for our troops. And it’s going to take at least four more years to drain that swamp.”
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lifesitenews--2020-02-29--Archbishop Viganò responds to criticism of Cardinal Zen: Vatican has delivered the Chinese Church to

Archbishop Viganò responds to criticism of Cardinal Zen: Vatican has delivered the Chinese Church to the enemy

This is Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò , former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America .
I have followed deeply — sharing in prayer your suffering — your many heartfelt appeals to Pope Bergoglio concerning the tragic situation of the Martyr Church in China , which he himself has culpably aggravated through the treacherous and wicked secret Agreement signed by Holy See with the Chinese Communist Government .
Your heartfelt appeals , dear Brother in Christ , have systematically been unheeded and even mocked in a hypocritical and perverse way .
As for Cardinal Parolin , he has acted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evil order from above .
I read this morning the ignominious and shameful letter that Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re has addressed to all the cardinals against you .
I am deeply saddened and indignant , and I wish to express to you all my affection , prayer and fraternal solidarity in the episcopate .
You are a courageous Confessor of the Faith and you have all my esteem and veneration !
Unfortunately , in the Vatican lying has been set into the system , truth has been totally overturned , and the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most unsuspected figures , who have now given themselves over to acting as accomplices of the Adversary .
They have even gone so far as to say that “ Pope Benedict XVI had approved the draft Agreement ” signed in 2018 , when instead we all know of his strenuous resistance and repeated disapproval of the conditions imposed by a persecutory and bloody regime .
The Vatican has done everything and more to deliver the Chinese Martyr Church into the hands of the Enemy : it did so by signing the Secret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excommunicated “ bishops ” who are agents of the regime ; it did so by the deposition of legitimate bishops ; it did so by forcing faithful priests to register with a church that has succumbed to the Communist dictatorship ; it does so on a daily basis by keeping silent about the persecutory fury that has gained unprecedented strength , precisely since the signing of that unfortunate Agreement .
It is now doing so with this ignoble letter to all the cardinals , which is aimed at accusing you , denigrating you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assures us that nothing and no one will ever be able to snatch from His hands those who resist the infernal enemy and his acolytes , conquering them “ by the Blood of the Lamb ” and by the testimony of their martyrdom ( cf .
Rev .
12:11 ) .
Your example , dear Cardinal , and the very high price you are paying to defend the Cause of God and His Church , gives us a salutary jolt , it rips us from the inertia and habituation with which we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church , at its highest levels and in its hierarchy , to heresy and apostasy , by following the Prince of this world , who is a liar and murderer from the beginning ( cf .
Jn 8:44 ) .

Dearest Eminence,
This is Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America.
I have followed deeply — sharing in prayer your suffering — your many heartfelt appeals to Pope Bergoglio concerning the tragic situation of the Martyr Church in China, which he himself has culpably aggravated through the treacherous and wicked secret Agreement signed by Holy See with the Chinese Communist Government.
Your heartfelt appeals, dear Brother in Christ, have systematically been unheeded and even mocked in a hypocritical and perverse way. As for Cardinal Parolin, he has acted as a mere reckless executor of an evil order from above.
I read this morning the ignominious and shameful letter that Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re has addressed to all the cardinals against you. I am deeply saddened and indignant, and I wish to express to you all my affection, prayer and fraternal solidarity in the episcopate.
You are a courageous Confessor of the Faith and you have all my esteem and veneration!
Unfortunately, in the Vatican lying has been set into the system, truth has been totally overturned, and the most perverse deception is shamelessly practiced even by the most unsuspected figures, who have now given themselves over to acting as accomplices of the Adversary. They have even gone so far as to say that “Pope Benedict XVI had approved the draft Agreement” signed in 2018, when instead we all know of his strenuous resistance and repeated disapproval of the conditions imposed by a persecutory and bloody regime.
The Vatican has done everything and more to deliver the Chinese Martyr Church into the hands of the Enemy: it did so by signing the Secret Pact; it did so by legitimizing excommunicated “bishops” who are agents of the regime; it did so by the deposition of legitimate bishops; it did so by forcing faithful priests to register with a church that has succumbed to the Communist dictatorship; it does so on a daily basis by keeping silent about the persecutory fury that has gained unprecedented strength, precisely since the signing of that unfortunate Agreement. It is now doing so with this ignoble letter to all the cardinals, which is aimed at accusing you, denigrating you, and isolating you.
Our Lord assures us that nothing and no one will ever be able to snatch from His hands those who resist the infernal enemy and his acolytes, conquering them “by the Blood of the Lamb” and by the testimony of their martyrdom (cf. Rev. 12:11).
Your example, dear Cardinal, and the very high price you are paying to defend the Cause of God and His Church, gives us a salutary jolt, it rips us from the inertia and habituation with which we are passively witnessing the surrender of the Catholic Church, at its highest levels and in its hierarchy, to heresy and apostasy, by following the Prince of this world, who is a liar and murderer from the beginning (cf. Jn 8:44).
Parce, Domine, parce populo tuo, quem redemisti, Christe, sanguine tuo, ne in aeternum irascaris nobis.


lifesitenews--2020-02-29--Vatican letter criticizes Cardinal Zen, says Chinese ‘patriotic’ church is no longer &#8

Vatican letter criticizes Cardinal Zen, says Chinese ‘patriotic’ church is no longer ‘independent’

February 29 , 2020 ( The Daily Compass ) – The Daily Compass has been shown an explosive letter signed by the Dean of the College of Cardinals , Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re , that fiercely attacks Cardinal Joseph Zen , the Archbishop Emeritus of Hong Kong , who has been critical of the secret agreement between China and the Holy See that has resulted in the increased persecution of Catholics .
The letter contains misleading statements , affirming that there is a continuity between the approach of this pontificate with that of previous pontificates , when in fact no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes very grave misrepresentations , attributing the authorship of the present secret agreement to Benedict XVI and declaring a change in doctrine regarding the possibility of independent Churches .
Cardinal Joseph Zen is an obstacle for the Church in China , and from now on the Catholic Church can be formed by independent churches .
This is the essence of an explosive and incredible letter sent on February 26 to all the cardinals by the Dean of the Sacred College , Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re , that The Daily Compass has been shown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unheard of frontal attack on the 88-year-old archbishop emeritus of Hong Kong , the intrepid opponent of the secret agreement between China and the Holy See signed in Beijing on September 22 , 2018 .
It is an unprecedented gesture , made even more significant by the fact that is the first official act ( protocol number 1/2020 ) of the new Dean of the Sacred College .
Re was appointed as Dean on January 18 as a result of the Motu Proprio by which Pope Francis surprisingly made the deanship a position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , thereby retiring Cardinal Angelo Sodano .
The letter is intended to be a response to the letter that Cardinal Zen addressed to his brother cardinals last September 27 , but Cardinal Re also makes explicit reference to various other interventions by Zen .
The cardinal is well-known for speaking out boldly on behalf of so-called “ clandestine ” Chinese Catholics who are being humiliated and condemned by the 2018 agreement that still remains secret .
The first point of the letter declares the alleged continuity between Pope Francis and his predecessors regarding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their approach to the situation of the Catholic Church in China , there is a profound symphony of the thought and action of the last three pontificates , which out of respect for the truth have favored dialogue between the two parties , not opposition.
” Thus it attributes to Saint John Paul II “ the idea of reaching a formal agreement with the governmental authorities on the appointment of bishops , ” recalling that he “ favored the return to full communion of bishops consecrated illicitly over the years , beginning in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a direct attack on Cardinal Zen , whose crime is that he has said many times that “ it would be better to have no agreement rather than a ‘ bad agreement.
’ ” According to Re , “ the last three popes did not share this position and supported and accompanied the drafting of the agreement that , at the present time , seemed to be the only one possible.
” These affirmations made by Cardinal Re constitute a grave distortion of reality , because it is obvious that Saint John Paul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is markedly different from that of the present pontificate .
If it is true that they had a great desire for dialogue with China and dedicated many efforts to it , it is equally true that this dialogue was exclusively a function of their goal of helping the Chinese Church – divided between the “ patriotic ” church and the “ clandestine ” church – to be reconciled .
At the same time , they consistently reaffirmed the non-negotiable points for an agreement , which had to respect religious freedom and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom to appoint bishops .
The harsh responses of Saint John Paul II to Chinese provocations over the appointment of bishops bears witness to this , as does his decision to proceed with the canonizations of the Chinese martyrs on October 1 , 2000 , despite the harsh objections of Beijing , and also Benedict XVI ’ s May 27 , 2007 Letter to Chinese Catholics , to cite only a few of the most egregious examples .
Cardinal Re then goes on to deny a statement by Cardinal Zen that the agreement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same one that Pope Benedict had at the time refused to sign.
” The Dean assures his fellow cardinals that he has verified this in the Archive of the Secretariat of State and makes an astounding declaration : “ Pope Benedict XVI had approved the draft of the Agreement on the appointment of Bishops in China , which it was only possible to sign in 2018.
” And so , according to Cardinal Re , the secret Agreement also bears the signature of Benedict XVI , a sensational revelation that at this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Secretariat of State cited by Cardinal Re and the secret agreement of 2018 need to be made public so as to verify such affirmations .
If this were shown to be true , one could only deduce that Pope Benedict XVI had reneged on everything he had publicly written , such as for example in his famous already-mentioned May 2007 Letter to Chinese Catholics , whose radical difference to the approach laid out by Re we show in another article .
Moreover , Re does not explain why , if Benedict XVI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was not already signed ten years ago .
Immediately after this , there is the passage that is most pregnant with consequences for the universal Church : “ The Agreement provides for the intervention of the authority of the Pope in the process of the appointment of Bishops in China .
Even starting from this certain fact , the expression independent Church can no longer be interpreted in an absolute manner as “ separation ” from the Pope , as was the case in the past.
” These affirmations leave one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be simultaneously in communion with the Pope , a declaration that has implications far beyond the Chinese Church and proposes a new ecclesiology .
But this is exactly what Pope Benedict XVI denied in the Letter to Chinese Catholics , declaring the statutes of the Patriotic Association to be “ irreconcilable with Catholic doctrine.
” And yet , as far as we can tell , the secret Agreement has legitimized them .
Cardinal Re is clearly aware of the implications of these statements , so much so that immediately afterwards he explains that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epochal change ” which gives rise to consequences “ both on the doctrinal and practical level.
” Thus he explicitly says that doctrinal changes have been enacted in order to arrive at the Agreement with the Chinese government .
This is a very serious affirmation , as one can easily guess : it is the exact opposite approach to the one expressed publicly by Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI .
The rest of the letter goes on to cite the harshest criticisms of the Agreement made by Cardinal Zen , declaring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ pastoral guidance of the Holy Father toward “ clandestine ” Catholics , ” making a reference to the fact that the Pope has repeatedly listened to Cardinal Zen ’ s reasoning and read “ his many missives.
” Cardinal Zen thus becomes the easy scapegoat for the prolongation of “ tensions and painful situations ” that divide the Chinese Church despite the efforts of the pope and his collaborators .
In other words , the letter of Cardinal Re – who obviously did not write on his own initiative – is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to isolate Cardinal Zen , even to the point of making one think that the elimination of the Archbishop emeritus of Hong Kong is part of the secret agreement .
But Cardinal Re should explain to us why it is that persecution against Catholics in China has intensified since the agreement was signed while the Holy See has remained completely silent .
And he should also explain why the Patriotic Association , now recognized by the Holy See , has never expressed so much as a desire for communion with Rome .

PETITION: Support Cardinal Zen's plea to stop the “murder of the Church in China” Sign the petition here.
February 29, 2020 (The Daily Compass) – The Daily Compass has been shown an explosive letter signed by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, that fiercely attacks Cardinal Joseph Zen, the Archbishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, who has been critical of the secret agreement between China and the Holy See that has resulted in the increased persecution of Catholics. The letter contains misleading statements, affirming that there is a continuity between the approach of this pontificate with that of previous pontificates, when in fact no such continuity exists. Furthermore, it makes very grave misrepresentations, attributing the authorship of the present secret agreement to Benedict XVI and declaring a change in doctrine regarding the possibility of independent Churches.
Cardinal Joseph Zen is an obstacle for the Church in China, and from now on the Catholic Church can be formed by independent churches. This is the essence of an explosive and incredible letter sent on February 26 to all the cardinals by the Dean of the Sacred College, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, that The Daily Compass has been shown exclusively. It marks a fierce and unheard of frontal attack on the 88-year-old archbishop emeritus of Hong Kong, the intrepid opponent of the secret agreement between China and the Holy See signed in Beijing on September 22, 2018.
It is an unprecedented gesture, made even more significant by the fact that is the first official act (protocol number 1/2020) of the new Dean of the Sacred College. Re was appointed as Dean on January 18 as a result of the Motu Proprio by which Pope Francis surprisingly made the deanship a position that now has a 5-year term limit, thereby retiring Cardinal Angelo Sodano.
The letter is intended to be a response to the letter that Cardinal Zen addressed to his brother cardinals last September 27, but Cardinal Re also makes explicit reference to various other interventions by Zen. The cardinal is well-known for speaking out boldly on behalf of so-called “clandestine” Chinese Catholics who are being humiliated and condemned by the 2018 agreement that still remains secret.
The first point of the letter declares the alleged continuity between Pope Francis and his predecessors regarding possible agreements with China: “In their approach to the situation of the Catholic Church in China, there is a profound symphony of the thought and action of the last three pontificates, which out of respect for the truth have favored dialogue between the two parties, not opposition.” Thus it attributes to Saint John Paul II “the idea of reaching a formal agreement with the governmental authorities on the appointment of bishops,” recalling that he “favored the return to full communion of bishops consecrated illicitly over the years, beginning in 1958.”
Cardinal Re then launches into a direct attack on Cardinal Zen, whose crime is that he has said many times that “it would be better to have no agreement rather than a ‘bad agreement.’” According to Re, “the last three popes did not share this position and supported and accompanied the drafting of the agreement that, at the present time, seemed to be the only one possible.”
These affirmations made by Cardinal Re constitute a grave distortion of reality, because it is obvious that Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI took an approach that is markedly different from that of the present pontificate. If it is true that they had a great desire for dialogue with China and dedicated many efforts to it, it is equally true that this dialogue was exclusively a function of their goal of helping the Chinese Church – divided between the “patriotic” church and the “clandestine” church – to be reconciled.
At the same time, they consistently reaffirmed the non-negotiable points for an agreement, which had to respect religious freedom and the identity of the Church, including the freedom to appoint bishops. The harsh responses of Saint John Paul II to Chinese provocations over the appointment of bishops bears witness to this, as does his decision to proceed with the canonizations of the Chinese martyrs on October 1, 2000, despite the harsh objections of Beijing, and also Benedict XVI’s May 27, 2007 Letter to Chinese Catholics, to cite only a few of the most egregious examples.
Cardinal Re then goes on to deny a statement by Cardinal Zen that the agreement signed in September 2018 could be “the same one that Pope Benedict had at the time refused to sign.” The Dean assures his fellow cardinals that he has verified this in the Archive of the Secretariat of State and makes an astounding declaration: “Pope Benedict XVI had approved the draft of the Agreement on the appointment of Bishops in China, which it was only possible to sign in 2018.”
And so, according to Cardinal Re, the secret Agreement also bears the signature of Benedict XVI, a sensational revelation that at this point requires proof: the documents of the Secretariat of State cited by Cardinal Re and the secret agreement of 2018 need to be made public so as to verify such affirmations. If this were shown to be true, one could only deduce that Pope Benedict XVI had reneged on everything he had publicly written, such as for example in his famous already-mentioned May 2007 Letter to Chinese Catholics, whose radical difference to the approach laid out by Re we show in another article. Moreover, Re does not explain why, if Benedict XVI had given his placet to the Agreement, it was not already signed ten years ago.
Immediately after this, there is the passage that is most pregnant with consequences for the universal Church: “The Agreement provides for the intervention of the authority of the Pope in the process of the appointment of Bishops in China. Even starting from this certain fact, the expression independent Church can no longer be interpreted in an absolute manner as “separation” from the Pope, as was the case in the past.” These affirmations leave one speechless: “independent Churches” can be simultaneously in communion with the Pope, a declaration that has implications far beyond the Chinese Church and proposes a new ecclesiology. But this is exactly what Pope Benedict XVI denied in the Letter to Chinese Catholics, declaring the statutes of the Patriotic Association to be “irreconcilable with Catholic doctrine.” And yet, as far as we can tell, the secret Agreement has legitimized them.
Cardinal Re is clearly aware of the implications of these statements, so much so that immediately afterwards he explains that we are at a moment of “epochal change” which gives rise to consequences “both on the doctrinal and practical level.” Thus he explicitly says that doctrinal changes have been enacted in order to arrive at the Agreement with the Chinese government. This is a very serious affirmation, as one can easily guess: it is the exact opposite approach to the one expressed publicly by Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
The rest of the letter goes on to cite the harshest criticisms of the Agreement made by Cardinal Zen, declaring them to be “objections” to the “pastoral guidance of the Holy Father toward “clandestine” Catholics,” making a reference to the fact that the Pope has repeatedly listened to Cardinal Zen’s reasoning and read “his many missives.” Cardinal Zen thus becomes the easy scapegoat for the prolongation of “tensions and painful situations” that divide the Chinese Church despite the efforts of the pope and his collaborators.
In other words, the letter of Cardinal Re – who obviously did not write on his own initiative – is truly a call to his brother cardinals to isolate Cardinal Zen, even to the point of making one think that the elimination of the Archbishop emeritus of Hong Kong is part of the secret agreement. But Cardinal Re should explain to us why it is that persecution against Catholics in China has intensified since the agreement was signed while the Holy See has remained completely silent. And he should also explain why the Patriotic Association, now recognized by the Holy See, has never expressed so much as a desire for communion with Rome.
Reprinted with permission.
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