lifesitenews--2020-07-16--Catholics gather for prayer vigil in front of Mary statue vandalized by arsonist

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BOSTON , Massachusetts , July 16 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Dozens of Catholics , including many members of religious orders , attended a prayer vigil in front of a statue of Our Lady that was set on fire in Boston , Massachusetts , last Saturday .
The perpetrator of the act of vandalism has not yet been caught by police .
Fr .
John Currie , the pastor of the local parish , said during the event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this person or persons : We love you .
We forgive you .
And we are here to serve and help you in any way you may need .
This is why we ’ re here primarily.
” Currie said the Catholics present were a “ shining light of peace , hope and love for our nation , our state , our city , and our neighborhoods during these very troubled , contentious , and challenging times.
” He mentioned several of the traditional titles of Our Lady “ fitting for tonight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Consoler of the Afflicted , Untier of Knots , Mother of Hope , and Mother of Life .
“ Let us be people of light and love , as our Blessed Mother wants , ” Currie concluded .
According to Louis L. Murray Jr. , who was present at the vigil , prayers were said “ in English , Spanish , Portuguese , and Latin.
” The group also prayed the rosary .
In the aftermath of the statue being vandalized on Saturday evening , police officers “ spoke with Boston firefighters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set fire to plastic flowers , which were in the hands of the statue , causing the face and upper body of the statue to be burned , ” local station WCVB reported .
Fr .
Currie told WCVB , “ I was shocked .
( There ’ s ) disappointment , sadness .
The image of Our Lady is so important for us and our faith .
It ’ s such a contradiction to her love .
Mary would never desecrate anyone , never hurt anyone , only offer them the peace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s where it really hits us in our hearts.
” According to a report by Boston.com on Wednesday , police are still investigating the incident , with the arson unit and the civil rights unit involved .
“ The civil rights unit is investigating if there are any bias indicators related to the incident , according to Sgt .
John Boyle , a spokesman for the department.
” In recent weeks and months , an increasing number of Christian churches have been attacked , vandalized , or set on fire .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our Lady , this one in New York , was spray-painted with the word “ IDOL.
” On Saturday in Ocala , Florida , a 24-year-old man was arrested and charged with attempted murder for setting fire to Queen of Peace Catholic Church .
He drove his car into the church and proceeded to light two gallons of gasoline on fire .
Parishioners were inside the church preparing for Mass but were able to flee without injury .
“ In an interview with sheriff ’ s Detective John Lightle , suspect Steven Anthony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schizophrenia and is not taking his medication , ” reported a local newspaper .
“ Shields said that what he did was ‘ awesome , ’ and he smiled and laughed while he was questioned at the Sheriff ’ s Office , ” the newspaper added .
“ Referring to himself as the ‘ king ’ and saying he was on a ‘ mission , ’ Shields told the detective he has problems with the Catholic Church and made reference to several Bible passages , including the Book of Revelation.
” After his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ knew what he was doing .
Shields added even though he knew it was wrong , he planned to do it anyway .
He purchased the gasoline ( to set the church on fire ) Saturday morning.
” In late June , 30-year-old Anthony Weimer pulled down a statue of the Ten Commandments outside Flathead County Courthouse in northeastern Montana .
“ The Kalispell Police Department said calls came in on Saturday that a male was on the Flathead County Courthouse grounds , and appeared to be wrapping a chain around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local NBC station .
“ Officials say those callers saw the man attach the chain to a pickup truck , and then pull the monument into the street .
Police say the man reportedly removed the chain , then got into the truck and left the scene.
” The officers were later able to find the truck used to tear down the statue , and then arrested the subject , who now faces a felony charge of criminal mischief .
Also in June , rioters affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement pulled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Serra in San Francisco and Los Angeles , after local authorities in Los Angeles approved the removal of another of his statues outside Ventura City Hall .
In St. Louis , Father Stephen Schumacher preached to hundreds of angry protestors while defending a statue of St. Louis in the city named after the sainted king on a day when Catholic laity praying at the statue were physically attacked by rioters .
The Archdiocese of St. Louis published a statement that insisted that St. Louis represented peace and respect for one ’ s neighbor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of St. Louis , the King is one founded in piety and reverence before God , and for non-believers , respect for one ’ s neighbor .
The reforms that St. Louis implemented in French government focused on impartial justice , protecting the rights of his subjects , steep penalties for royal officials abusing power , and a series of initiatives to help the poor , ” the archdiocese said .
“ King Louis IX ’ s renowned work in charity helped elevate him to sainthood .
His daily suppers were shared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the royal table .
On many evenings , he would not let them leave before he washed their feet .
He personally paid to feed more than 100 poor Parisians every day .
His care for the sick was equally moving ; St. Louis frequently ministered to lepers .
He also created a number of hospitals , including one for the blind and another for ex-prostitutes , ” the statement continued .
In Amarillo , Texas , two Protestant churches had rocks thrown through stained glass windows .
In North Carolina ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ was vandalized with a swastika , an anarchy symbol , anti-gay messages and one reference to Black Lives Matter , ” reported WRAL .
“ It certainly looks like a hate crime , ” the local sheriff said .
“ We do n't have any surveillance .
”

The parish priest prayed for the unknown perpetrator and added that those present provide a 'shining light of peace, hope and love ... during these very troubled, contentious, and challenging times.'
PETITION: Support priest who was suspended for calling out the Black Lives Matter organization! Sign the petition here.
BOSTON, Massachusetts, July 16, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Dozens of Catholics, including many members of religious orders, attended a prayer vigil in front of a statue of Our Lady that was set on fire in Boston, Massachusetts, last Saturday.
The perpetrator of the act of vandalism has not yet been caught by police. Fr. John Currie, the pastor of the local parish, said during the event, “We’re prayerfully saying to this person or persons: We love you. We forgive you. And we are here to serve and help you in any way you may need. This is why we’re here primarily.”
Currie said the Catholics present were a “shining light of peace, hope and love for our nation, our state, our city, and our neighborhoods during these very troubled, contentious, and challenging times.”
He mentioned several of the traditional titles of Our Lady “fitting for tonight,” including Queen of Peace, Consoler of the Afflicted, Untier of Knots, Mother of Hope, and Mother of Life. “Let us be people of light and love, as our Blessed Mother wants,” Currie concluded.
According to Louis L. Murray Jr., who was present at the vigil, prayers were said “in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin.” The group also prayed the rosary.
In the aftermath of the statue being vandalized on Saturday evening, police officers “spoke with Boston firefighters, who said that an unknown suspect had set fire to plastic flowers, which were in the hands of the statue, causing the face and upper body of the statue to be burned,” local station WCVB reported.
Fr. Currie told WCVB, “I was shocked. (There’s) disappointment, sadness. The image of Our Lady is so important for us and our faith. It’s such a contradiction to her love. Mary would never desecrate anyone, never hurt anyone, only offer them the peace and love of Jesus. I think that’s where it really hits us in our hearts.”
According to a report by Boston.com on Wednesday, police are still investigating the incident, with the arson unit and the civil rights unit involved. “The civil rights unit is investigating if there are any bias indicators related to the incident, according to Sgt. John Boyle, a spokesman for the department.”
In recent weeks and months, an increasing number of Christian churches have been attacked, vandalized, or set on fire. Just last Friday, another statue of Our Lady, this one in New York, was spray-painted with the word “IDOL.”
On Saturday in Ocala, Florida, a 24-year-old man was arrested and charged with attempted murder for setting fire to Queen of Peace Catholic Church. He drove his car into the church and proceeded to light two gallons of gasoline on fire. Parishioners were inside the church preparing for Mass but were able to flee without injury.
“In an interview with sheriff’s Detective John Lightle, suspect Steven Anthony Shields said he has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and is not taking his medication,” reported a local newspaper.
“Shields said that what he did was ‘awesome,’ and he smiled and laughed while he was questioned at the Sheriff’s Office,” the newspaper added. “Referring to himself as the ‘king’ and saying he was on a ‘mission,’ Shields told the detective he has problems with the Catholic Church and made reference to several Bible passages, including the Book of Revelation.”
After his arrest, he told police that he “knew what he was doing. Shields added even though he knew it was wrong, he planned to do it anyway. He purchased the gasoline (to set the church on fire) Saturday morning.”
In late June, 30-year-old Anthony Weimer pulled down a statue of the Ten Commandments outside Flathead County Courthouse in northeastern Montana.
“The Kalispell Police Department said calls came in on Saturday that a male was on the Flathead County Courthouse grounds, and appeared to be wrapping a chain around the Ten Commandments monument,” reported the local NBC station. “Officials say those callers saw the man attach the chain to a pickup truck, and then pull the monument into the street. Police say the man reportedly removed the chain, then got into the truck and left the scene.”
The officers were later able to find the truck used to tear down the statue, and then arrested the subject, who now faces a felony charge of criminal mischief.
Also in June, rioters affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement pulled down and desecrated statues of St. Junipero Serra in San Francisco and Los Angeles, after local authorities in Los Angeles approved the removal of another of his statues outside Ventura City Hall.
In St. Louis, Father Stephen Schumacher preached to hundreds of angry protestors while defending a statue of St. Louis in the city named after the sainted king on a day when Catholic laity praying at the statue were physically attacked by rioters.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis published a statement that insisted that St. Louis represented peace and respect for one’s neighbor.
“The history of the statue of St. Louis, the King is one founded in piety and reverence before God, and for non-believers, respect for one’s neighbor. The reforms that St. Louis implemented in French government focused on impartial justice, protecting the rights of his subjects, steep penalties for royal officials abusing power, and a series of initiatives to help the poor,” the archdiocese said.
“King Louis IX’s renowned work in charity helped elevate him to sainthood. His daily suppers were shared with numerous beggars, whom he invited to the royal table. On many evenings, he would not let them leave before he washed their feet. He personally paid to feed more than 100 poor Parisians every day. His care for the sick was equally moving; St. Louis frequently ministered to lepers. He also created a number of hospitals, including one for the blind and another for ex-prostitutes,” the statement continued.
In Amarillo, Texas, two Protestant churches had rocks thrown through stained glass windows.
In North Carolina’s Harnett County, a small-town Protestant church “was vandalized with a swastika, an anarchy symbol, anti-gay messages and one reference to Black Lives Matter,” reported WRAL. “It certainly looks like a hate crime,” the local sheriff said. “We don't have any surveillance.”
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lifesitenews--2020-07-16--Trump redirects coronavirus data away from CDC amid questions over inflated numbers

PETITION : Urge President Trump to overrule Navy order prohibiting sailors from going to church !
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July 16 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In a move that may signal an attempt to ensure greater accuracy of COVID-19 statistics , the Trump administration issued a new guidance this week asking hospitals to report data on the virus to the federal Department of Health & Human Services ( HHS ) rather than the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention ( CDC ) .
Effective Wednesday , hospitals are to submit data to either their state government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in turn submit it to the federal government , or to HHS via the department ’ s TeleTracking website .
Previously , they submitted data to the CDC ’ s National Healthcare Safety Network , The Hill noted .
As of July 16 , the United States has seen more than 3.6 million cases of COVID-19 , with more than 140,000 deaths and 1.6 million recoveries .
But since the coronavirus outbreak hit earlier this year , substantial questions have lingered as to both the accuracy and the significance of the numbers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the media emphasizing rising case counts ( often a byproduct of expanded testing ) without similarly noting level or declining deaths .
In May , The Washington Post reported that Dr. Deborah Birx , response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force , privately admitted “ there is nothing from the CDC that I can trust.
” Birx reportedly suspected that deaths might be inflated by as much as 25 percent , given the problem of hospitals and health agencies classifying “ COVID-19 deaths ” as anyone who died after testing positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus was not their actual cause of death .
That problem has been confirmed to have occurred in states such as Colorado , and recent investigations have uncovered further evidence of egregious data “ errors ” at the state level .
After a Fox 35 investigation of “ countless ” Florida testing labs reporting wildly-implausible positivity rates of 100 percent , as well as various other labs reporting other suspiciously high rates , the Florida Department of Health admitted that some private labs did not report any of their negative findings to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outright errors , such as Orlando Health reporting a 98 percent positivity rate when the true rate was 9.4 percent , and Orlando Veterans Medical Center reporting a positivity rate of 76 percent when the actual rate was just 6 percent .
Additionally , Texas officials removed 3,484 cases from its positivity count this week upon learning that the San Antonio Health Department was classifying “ probable cases ” as “ confirmed ” positives despite never having tested them , KTSA reported .
Nevertheless , coverage of the rise in case counts has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Republican Govs .
Greg Abbott of Texas , Mike DeWine of Ohio , and Kay Ivey of Alabama to re-impose several lockdown measures , such as mandatory mask-wearing in public spaces .

All reports will now go to the Department of Health & Human Services in an attempt to improve accuracy.
PETITION: Urge President Trump to overrule Navy order prohibiting sailors from going to church! Sign the petition here.
July 16, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – In a move that may signal an attempt to ensure greater accuracy of COVID-19 statistics, the Trump administration issued a new guidance this week asking hospitals to report data on the virus to the federal Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) rather than the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).
Effective Wednesday, hospitals are to submit data to either their state government’s health department, which will in turn submit it to the federal government, or to HHS via the department’s TeleTracking website. Previously, they submitted data to the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network, The Hill noted.
As of July 16, the United States has seen more than 3.6 million cases of COVID-19, with more than 140,000 deaths and 1.6 million recoveries. But since the coronavirus outbreak hit earlier this year, substantial questions have lingered as to both the accuracy and the significance of the numbers, with a common point of contention being the media emphasizing rising case counts (often a byproduct of expanded testing) without similarly noting level or declining deaths.
In May, The Washington Post reported that Dr. Deborah Birx, response coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, privately admitted “there is nothing from the CDC that I can trust.” Birx reportedly suspected that deaths might be inflated by as much as 25 percent, given the problem of hospitals and health agencies classifying “COVID-19 deaths” as anyone who died after testing positive for the virus, even if the virus was not their actual cause of death.
That problem has been confirmed to have occurred in states such as Colorado, and recent investigations have uncovered further evidence of egregious data “errors” at the state level.
After a Fox 35 investigation of “countless” Florida testing labs reporting wildly-implausible positivity rates of 100 percent, as well as various other labs reporting other suspiciously high rates, the Florida Department of Health admitted that some private labs did not report any of their negative findings to the state.
The investigation also found several outright errors, such as Orlando Health reporting a 98 percent positivity rate when the true rate was 9.4 percent, and Orlando Veterans Medical Center reporting a positivity rate of 76 percent when the actual rate was just 6 percent.
Additionally, Texas officials removed 3,484 cases from its positivity count this week upon learning that the San Antonio Health Department was classifying “probable cases” as “confirmed” positives despite never having tested them, KTSA reported.
Only ~60% of deaths are reported w/in 10 days, so ultimately there's a significant shift backwards in time from “dashboard date” (blue bars) to “true date” of death (orange bars). Table below reformats CDC data to clarify counts. https://t.co/hkF33vTQXo pic.twitter.com/0jKlqhQIHH — Todd Lowdon (@tlowdon) May 2, 2020
This is why CDC's dated & coded deaths = 37K, but the dashboard reports = 48K for the same period (thru Apr 25). Thru today, May 2, dashboard cumulative figures are ~60K. The difference between 60K & the CDC report's 37K is the time lag & the extra week between Apr 25 and May 2. — Todd Lowdon (@tlowdon) May 2, 2020
Nevertheless, coverage of the rise in case counts has been enough to get several leaders such as Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas, Mike DeWine of Ohio, and Kay Ivey of Alabama to re-impose several lockdown measures, such as mandatory mask-wearing in public spaces.
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lifesitenews--2020-07-16--Vatican archbishop retweets image of naked adults surrounded by naked children

ITALY , July 16 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A prominent Vatican archbishop , infamous for commissioning a homoerotic mural to be painted in his Cathedral , retweeted today an image of a naked man and woman lying on the ground surrounded by naked children .
Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia , chancellor of the new John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences in Rome and the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life , retweeted a post that originated from the John Paul II Institute .
The original post was part of a promotion of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The film director was behind the 2002 film Casomai , which according to the John Paul II Institute ’ s web page promoting the broadcast , is “ used today in all premarital courses.
” “ Today at ‘ Now airing Gp2 ' we will talk about cinema and family with Alessandro D'Alatri , winner of four awards at the festival @ PopoliReligioni , ” wrote Paglia ’ s in a retweet [ WARNING : Link goes to image of naked adults , children ] as translated from its original Italian to English @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the film Casomai , Fabio Volo , and Stefania Rocca , lying down naked with one arm holding up their heads .
They are surrounded by four naked children , who appear to be male and of a similar age .
The actors are posed in such a way to mostly cover intimate parts of the body .
Casomai is a film revolving around two lovers who marry in a rural church where the priest questions the couple about the “ lasting power of relationships.
” It is told in flashback sequences that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marriage .
This is not the first time Paglia has been involved in a controversy involving images of naked people .
The archbishop was featured in a homoerotic painting he commissioned in his Cathedral .
The massive mural covers the opposite side of the facade of the cathedral church of the Diocese of Terni-Narni-Amelia .
It depicts Jesus carrying nets to heaven filled with naked and semi-nude homosexuals , transsexuals , prostitutes , and drug dealers , jumbled together in erotic interactions .
As reported by LifeSite ’ s Matthew Hoffman in 2017 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nets is Paglia , the then diocesan bishop .
The image of the Savior is painted with the face of a local male hairdresser , and his private parts can be seen through his translucent garb.
” The Archbishop defended the homoerotic mural which shows him reaching out in affection to a semi-naked man , saying it serves as an “ evangelizing ” tool .
Catholic critics were quick to blast the mural as `` disgusting ” and as “ blasphemous.
” Paglia also oversaw the release of a controversial sex-ed program during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that includes sexually explicit images .
The course was criticized as being “ thoroughly immoral.
” The archbishop has defended giving Holy Communion to adulterers , has been instrumental in gutting and remaking the John Paul II Institute according to the pulse of the Francis pontificate , has asserted that priests may legitimately remain at the bedside of someone undergoing assisted suicide in order to “ hold their hand ” and “ accompany ” them , and has claimed that anyone who says Judas Iscariot is in hell is a heretic .
U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ center director who has been a consultant to the Congregation for the Clergy at the Vatican and has served as adjunct professor at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at the Catholic University of America , stated in 2016 in the wake of the Vatican sex-ed program that Archbishop Paglia should be evaluated by sex abuse review board .
Paglia “ should be required in justice to go through an evaluation by a review board as described in the Dallas Charter norms for placing youth at risk , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review is particularly important as he is now been put in charge of further teaching regarding sexuality and marriage at the John Paul II Institute for Family Studies.
” Fitzgibbons at the time strongly condemned the Vatican ’ s sex education program as abusive , saying it was “ the most dangerous threat to Catholic youth ” he had seen in the past 40 years .

The image from a film about marriage shows a naked man and woman lying on the ground surrounded by naked children
ITALY, July 16, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A prominent Vatican archbishop, infamous for commissioning a homoerotic mural to be painted in his Cathedral, retweeted today an image of a naked man and woman lying on the ground surrounded by naked children.
Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, chancellor of the new John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences in Rome and the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, retweeted a post that originated from the John Paul II Institute. The original post was part of a promotion of a broadcast featuring film director Alessandro D'Alatri. The film director was behind the 2002 film Casomai, which according to the John Paul II Institute’s web page promoting the broadcast, is “used today in all premarital courses.”
“Today at ‘Now airing Gp2' we will talk about cinema and family with Alessandro D'Alatri, winner of four awards at the festival @PopoliReligioni,” wrote Paglia’s in a retweet [WARNING: Link goes to image of naked adults, children] as translated from its original Italian to English.
The image shows two actors of the film Casomai, Fabio Volo, and Stefania Rocca, lying down naked with one arm holding up their heads. They are surrounded by four naked children, who appear to be male and of a similar age. The actors are posed in such a way to mostly cover intimate parts of the body.
Casomai is a film revolving around two lovers who marry in a rural church where the priest questions the couple about the “lasting power of relationships.” It is told in flashback sequences that portray the ups and downs of their marriage.
This is not the first time Paglia has been involved in a controversy involving images of naked people.
The archbishop was featured in a homoerotic painting he commissioned in his Cathedral.
The massive mural covers the opposite side of the facade of the cathedral church of the Diocese of Terni-Narni-Amelia. It depicts Jesus carrying nets to heaven filled with naked and semi-nude homosexuals, transsexuals, prostitutes, and drug dealers, jumbled together in erotic interactions.
As reported by LifeSite’s Matthew Hoffman in 2017, “included in one of the nets is Paglia, the then diocesan bishop. The image of the Savior is painted with the face of a local male hairdresser, and his private parts can be seen through his translucent garb.”
The Archbishop defended the homoerotic mural which shows him reaching out in affection to a semi-naked man, saying it serves as an “evangelizing” tool.
Catholic critics were quick to blast the mural as “disgusting” and as “blasphemous.”
Paglia also oversaw the release of a controversial sex-ed program during the 2016 World Youth Day in Poland that includes sexually explicit images. The course was criticized as being “thoroughly immoral.”
The archbishop has defended giving Holy Communion to adulterers, has been instrumental in gutting and remaking the John Paul II Institute according to the pulse of the Francis pontificate, has asserted that priests may legitimately remain at the bedside of someone undergoing assisted suicide in order to “hold their hand” and “accompany” them, and has claimed that anyone who says Judas Iscariot is in hell is a heretic.
U.S. psychiatrist Dr. Rick Fitzgibbons, a counseling center director who has been a consultant to the Congregation for the Clergy at the Vatican and has served as adjunct professor at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at the Catholic University of America, stated in 2016 in the wake of the Vatican sex-ed program that Archbishop Paglia should be evaluated by sex abuse review board.
Paglia “should be required in justice to go through an evaluation by a review board as described in the Dallas Charter norms for placing youth at risk,” Fitzgibbons wrote. “Such a review is particularly important as he is now been put in charge of further teaching regarding sexuality and marriage at the John Paul II Institute for Family Studies.”
Fitzgibbons at the time strongly condemned the Vatican’s sex education program as abusive, saying it was “the most dangerous threat to Catholic youth” he had seen in the past 40 years.
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lifesitenews--2020-07-16--Two Female Deacon Commission members propose separation of priesthood, Church governance

July 16 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The discussion about the possibility of establishing a female “ diaconate ” in the Catholic Church has received new attention in recent weeks , due to the interventions by two members of the Papal Commission on the Female Diaconate .
That commission was established in April 2020 by Pope Francis in the wake of the October 2019 Pan-Amazon Synod in Rome .
Both Professor Anne-Marie Pelletier ( France ) and Father Santiago del Cura Elena ( Spain ) have now said that the first goal could be to give women prominent roles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ field of governance , without “ ordaining ” them .
They recognize that the discussion of a sacramental “ ordination ” for women is closed for now and thus propose new offices for women where they could exercise many tasks that priests usually exercise .
Pelletier , however , still hopes for more .
Professor Phyllis Zagano , a member of the earlier 2016 Female Deacon Commission ( which already produced its final document ) also joined this discussion , but rejects a sort of “ let-them-dress-up suggestion ” that makes women look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without sacramental ordination .
Professor Pelletier is a biblical scholar ; she won the Ratzinger Prize for theology in 2014 , is a proponent for a permissive view on “ irregular ” relationships , and was asked by Pope Francis in 2017 to author the meditations used at the papal-led Via Crucis on Good Friday at Rome ’ s Colosseum .
Father Santiago is a Spanish diocesan priest with a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University who has previously served as a member of the International Theological Commission .
Let us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a June 25 interview with the French website La Croix , this female deacon commission member made it clear that she would be open to female clerics .
“ That women could be clerics like others , is it really so outlandish ?
” she asked .
Later she explained that this new papal commission is a follow-up to the Amazon Synod that aims at honoring the work of the women in the local communities and parishes .
She clearly affirmed the idea of “ ordaining ” women when she said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these communities will receive institutional and sacramental empowerment , and that others may be called for such a ministry confirmed by ordination.
” Further expounding about the role of women , Professor Pelletier argued that even if they one day would be “ ordained , ” they would need a different form of the priesthood .
“ If one day they were to accede to the ministerial priesthood – a hypothesis that ’ s currently excluded – it would have to be in order to live and practice it a little differently , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sacramental “ ordination ” of women is still “ currently excluded , ” this scholar proposed a female “ diaconate ” that actually could allow women to do much more than the female deacons ( or better , deaconesses ) of the Early Church , for example to hear Confessions without absolution .
She stated : “ The diaconate should allow women to baptize and to celebrate marriages , just as it should allow them to preach .
In the same way , actions that confer grace could be enhanced .
For example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ male who is not a priest – hears a confession , even without being able to give absolution.
” In light of the current limitations , Pelletier wishes to give women as much “ empowerment ” as possible .
It is “ not certain that the best way to renew the institution of the Church is to contend for taking over existing roles , ” she explained , adding that “ women must occupy institutional places , certainly , but not necessarily by conquering existing forms of power.
” “ There are many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today in exercising authority and inspiring new governance , such as parish authorities , episcopal councils and the pope 's council , ” she continued , asking , “ Why not ?
” Here she insists upon separating governance roles in the Church from the sacramental priesthood .
“ The truth that needs to be heard , ” she claimed in this June 25 interview , “ is that ministerial priesthood can not be the sole authority to decide on the life and governance of the Church.
” So far , the Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governance in the Church is always linked to the priesthood .
Canon 274 states that only ( “ soli ” ) clergymen may take offices of governance in the Church .
The canon states in §1 : “ Only clerics can obtain offices for whose exercise the power of orders or the power of ecclesiastical governance is required.
” Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes and Cardinal Gerhard Müller both have stressed this link between governance and the Sacrament of Holy Orders , as well .
To return to the French theologian : in defining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelletier proposed that the new female deacon commission has to start questioning the very concept of Tradition .
“ Its work [ the commission ’ s work ] , it seems to me , will have to begin with the question of fidelity to tradition , ” according to Pelletier .
“ Is it a static reality , as such a normative one , that we can only repeat ?
Or are we not being asked for a work of creativity , of aggiornamento ( updating ) , as Father Congar taught ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ lived realities ” of Christian communities .
To sum up Pelletier 's position , one could say that she proposes to empower women as much as possible , giving women many tasks usually given to the priest , and also governance and leadership roles .
This , however , is for her , as it seems , merely a first step , since she is in favor of female sacramental “ ordination.
” Father Santiago seems more moderate here , since he does not explicitly endorse female sacramental “ ordination ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favor of giving women as female “ deacons ” as many priestly tasks as possible , as it has been already done in the recent past .
Speaking with the Spanish website Vida Nueva , he argued that the new female “ diaconate ” could not be the same as the one from the Early Church , since their earlier tasks were much more limited .
These earlier deaconesses were “ helping in the baptism of adult women , for reasons of decorum and respect , especially in the anointing of the body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women and taking special care of the poor ; they had tasks in the area of catechetical and pastoral formation ; in some cases they are placed very close to the order of widows , which was important in the first centuries of the church ; other times they end up practically assimilated to what we would call today abbesses of monasteries ... ” Thus , Santiago stated , “ the possible re-establishment of a women 's diaconate in the Church could never be a re-establishment of antiquity .
Any woman today can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Christian communities more functions than the deaconesses in the first centuries , without needing any ordination.
” He therefore proposed to “ recreate women 's ministries suited to the needs and challenges in the life of the Church and in the mission of Evangelization .
The possibilities in this regard are many and should be even greater in the future.
” But sacramental “ ordination ” would be difficult , according to this priest and theologian , since Pope John Paul II had ruled it out in 1994 .
“ If this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what Pope John Paul II established in ‘ Ordinatio Sacerdotalis ’ regarding the access of women to the ministerial priesthood , then the difficulties would be very great , ” Fr .
Santiago argued .
“ Pope Francis himself has said on several occasions that this door is closed.
” As an important side remark , Fr .
Santiago also referred back to the Second Vatican Council when he said that “ the re-establishment of the permanent diaconate , in any case , is one of the great novelties of Vatican II , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persons.
” Thus , Santiago seems to argue in favor of a female “ diaconate ” with many priestly functions that are not directly linked with sacramental ordination .
It seems he would be open to the establishment of a new female non-ordained ministry in the Catholic Church .
In the meantime , Phyllis Zagano , a member of the earlier 2016 Papal Commission on Female Deacons , rejects the idea of a female “ diaconate ” without ordination ( which is essentially a Cardinal Walter Kasper proposal ) .
She stated in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ considerations are in line with the current pontificate and the new decisions made in Rome with regard to the Amazon region can be seen in the fact that , with the Pope 's approval , a new Amazon Ecclesial Conference has been established that is revolutionary inasmuch as it has among its members laypeople , and importantly women .

Professor Anne-Marie Pelletier and Father Santiago del Cura Elena are part of a commission established in April 2020 by Pope Francis in the wake of the October 2019 Pan-Amazon Synod in Rome.
July 16, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The discussion about the possibility of establishing a female “diaconate” in the Catholic Church has received new attention in recent weeks, due to the interventions by two members of the Papal Commission on the Female Diaconate. That commission was established in April 2020 by Pope Francis in the wake of the October 2019 Pan-Amazon Synod in Rome.
Both Professor Anne-Marie Pelletier (France) and Father Santiago del Cura Elena (Spain) have now said that the first goal could be to give women prominent roles in the Church, also in the field of governance, without “ordaining” them. They recognize that the discussion of a sacramental “ordination” for women is closed for now and thus propose new offices for women where they could exercise many tasks that priests usually exercise. Pelletier, however, still hopes for more.
Professor Phyllis Zagano, a member of the earlier 2016 Female Deacon Commission (which already produced its final document) also joined this discussion, but rejects a sort of “let-them-dress-up suggestion” that makes women look like and act like deacons, but without sacramental ordination.
Professor Pelletier is a biblical scholar; she won the Ratzinger Prize for theology in 2014, is a proponent for a permissive view on “irregular” relationships, and was asked by Pope Francis in 2017 to author the meditations used at the papal-led Via Crucis on Good Friday at Rome’s Colosseum.
Father Santiago is a Spanish diocesan priest with a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University who has previously served as a member of the International Theological Commission.
Let us first consider Professor Pelletier's position. In a June 25 interview with the French website La Croix, this female deacon commission member made it clear that she would be open to female clerics. “That women could be clerics like others, is it really so outlandish?” she asked. Later she explained that this new papal commission is a follow-up to the Amazon Synod that aims at honoring the work of the women in the local communities and parishes. She clearly affirmed the idea of “ordaining” women when she said: “It is to be hoped that these communities will receive institutional and sacramental empowerment, and that others may be called for such a ministry confirmed by ordination.”
Further expounding about the role of women, Professor Pelletier argued that even if they one day would be “ordained,” they would need a different form of the priesthood. “If one day they were to accede to the ministerial priesthood – a hypothesis that’s currently excluded – it would have to be in order to live and practice it a little differently,” she argued.
And since this sacramental “ordination” of women is still “currently excluded,” this scholar proposed a female “diaconate” that actually could allow women to do much more than the female deacons (or better, deaconesses) of the Early Church, for example to hear Confessions without absolution.
She stated: “The diaconate should allow women to baptize and to celebrate marriages, just as it should allow them to preach. In the same way, actions that confer grace could be enhanced. For example, when a woman – or a male who is not a priest – hears a confession, even without being able to give absolution.”
In light of the current limitations, Pelletier wishes to give women as much “empowerment” as possible. It is “not certain that the best way to renew the institution of the Church is to contend for taking over existing roles,” she explained, adding that “women must occupy institutional places, certainly, but not necessarily by conquering existing forms of power.”
“There are many places where women need to be active today in exercising authority and inspiring new governance, such as parish authorities, episcopal councils and the pope's council,” she continued, asking, “Why not?”
Here she insists upon separating governance roles in the Church from the sacramental priesthood. “The truth that needs to be heard,” she claimed in this June 25 interview, “is that ministerial priesthood cannot be the sole authority to decide on the life and governance of the Church.”
So far, the Church's Code of Canon Law rules that governance in the Church is always linked to the priesthood. Canon 274 states that only (“soli”) clergymen may take offices of governance in the Church. The canon states in §1: “Only clerics can obtain offices for whose exercise the power of orders or the power of ecclesiastical governance is required.” Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes and Cardinal Gerhard Müller both have stressed this link between governance and the Sacrament of Holy Orders, as well.
Give women tasks usually reserved for priests?
To return to the French theologian: in defining new roles in the Church, Professor Pelletier proposed that the new female deacon commission has to start questioning the very concept of Tradition.
“Its work [the commission’s work], it seems to me, will have to begin with the question of fidelity to tradition,” according to Pelletier. “Is it a static reality, as such a normative one, that we can only repeat? Or are we not being asked for a work of creativity, of aggiornamento (updating), as Father Congar taught?”
Here, she also pointed to the “lived realities” of Christian communities.
To sum up Pelletier's position, one could say that she proposes to empower women as much as possible, giving women many tasks usually given to the priest, and also governance and leadership roles. This, however, is for her, as it seems, merely a first step, since she is in favor of female sacramental “ordination.”
Father Santiago seems more moderate here, since he does not explicitly endorse female sacramental “ordination” at all. He rather argues in favor of giving women as female “deacons” as many priestly tasks as possible, as it has been already done in the recent past. Speaking with the Spanish website Vida Nueva, he argued that the new female “diaconate” could not be the same as the one from the Early Church, since their earlier tasks were much more limited.
These earlier deaconesses were “helping in the baptism of adult women, for reasons of decorum and respect, especially in the anointing of the body with consecrated oil; caring for sick women and taking special care of the poor; they had tasks in the area of catechetical and pastoral formation; in some cases they are placed very close to the order of widows, which was important in the first centuries of the church; other times they end up practically assimilated to what we would call today abbesses of monasteries…”
Thus, Santiago stated, “the possible re-establishment of a women's diaconate in the Church could never be a re-establishment of antiquity. Any woman today can carry out in the different areas of the Christian communities more functions than the deaconesses in the first centuries, without needing any ordination.” He therefore proposed to “recreate women's ministries suited to the needs and challenges in the life of the Church and in the mission of Evangelization. The possibilities in this regard are many and should be even greater in the future.”
But sacramental “ordination” would be difficult, according to this priest and theologian, since Pope John Paul II had ruled it out in 1994. “If this were to lead to the retraction of what Pope John Paul II established in ‘Ordinatio Sacerdotalis’ regarding the access of women to the ministerial priesthood, then the difficulties would be very great,” Fr. Santiago argued. “Pope Francis himself has said on several occasions that this door is closed.”
As an important side remark, Fr. Santiago also referred back to the Second Vatican Council when he said that “the re-establishment of the permanent diaconate, in any case, is one of the great novelties of Vatican II, with the possibility of access for married persons.”
Thus, Santiago seems to argue in favor of a female “diaconate” with many priestly functions that are not directly linked with sacramental ordination. It seems he would be open to the establishment of a new female non-ordained ministry in the Catholic Church.
In the meantime, Phyllis Zagano, a member of the earlier 2016 Papal Commission on Female Deacons, rejects the idea of a female “diaconate” without ordination (which is essentially a Cardinal Walter Kasper proposal). She stated in a July 7 post:
The arguments raised today against women deacons include the most insidious of all: women can do all these things without ordination. So, the dark claim continues, call them deacons, let them dress up and stand on the altar. Give them special permissions to preach, baptize, and witness marriages. But don’t ordain them. Pelletier answers: “A lesser version of the male diaconate would only confirm the inequality between men and women.” She is correct. The let-them-dress-up suggestion is rooted in two assumptions: first, women are not made in the image and likeness of God, and therefore cannot receive the sacrament of Order; second, because women are barred from priesthood, so, too, are they barred from the diaconate.
That these considerations are in line with the current pontificate and the new decisions made in Rome with regard to the Amazon region can be seen in the fact that, with the Pope's approval, a new Amazon Ecclesial Conference has been established that is revolutionary inasmuch as it has among its members laypeople, and importantly women.
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--2020-07-16--Abby Johnson and other Catholic pro-life leaders call for Communion only on tongue in powerful video

July 16 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Catholic veteran pro-life activists from across the world have joined together in unison to declare that they will only receive Holy Communion on the tongue while kneeling out of reverence to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ .
Their joint declaration , which can be watched below , first aired as part of the “ Love and reverence to Our Lord : Let ’ s always receive Holy Communion on the tongue ” conference .
The conference was organized by Voice of the Family and broadcast on LifeSite ’ s YouTube channel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video features well known Catholic pro-life leaders .
LifeSite ’ s Steve Jalsevac , pro-life warrior Abby Johnson , Alexander Tschugguel , Michal Matt from The Remnant newspaper , and Virginia Coda Nunziante , the head of the March for Life in Italy , all appear in the video .
Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla , daughter of St. Gianna Beretta Molla , Joseph Shaw , Chairman of the Latin Mass Society in the UK , and many other Catholic pro-life activists are seen as well .
Thursday ’ s conference featured a talk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the theological reasons for receiving Holy Communion on the tongue .
LifeSite co-founder and editor in chief John-Henry also interviewed Dr. Peter Kwasniewksi , Alexander Tschugguel , and Theresa Habsburg .
Watch the conference below and read about John Smeaton ’ s introductory remarks by clicking here .
While the conference was free for all to view , it is no small expense to coordinate all the aspects needed to put on such an important event .
Please prayerfully consider donating through this secure link : https : //give.lifesitenews.com/ Sign up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the latest pro-life and Catholic news updates .
Add your email here : https : //lifesite.kartra.com/page/subscribe Subscribe to the John-Henry Westen Show newsletter .
You ’ ll get all of John-Henry ’ s podcasts sent right to your inbox every week : https : //lifesitenews.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe .
Lastly , be sure to “ like ” the John-Henry Westen Show on Facebook as well .

'I never receive Holy Communion in my hand, out of love and reverence due to Our Lord'
July 16, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Catholic veteran pro-life activists from across the world have joined together in unison to declare that they will only receive Holy Communion on the tongue while kneeling out of reverence to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Their joint declaration first aired as part of the “Love and reverence to Our Lord: Let’s always receive Holy Communion on the tongue” conference. The conference was organized by Voice of the Family and broadcast on LifeSite’s YouTube channel on Thursday, July 16.
The video features well known Catholic pro-life leaders. LifeSite’s Steve Jalsevac, pro-life warrior Abby Johnson, Alexander Tschugguel, Michal Matt from The Remnant newspaper, and Virginia Coda Nunziante, the head of the March for Life in Italy, all appear in the video. Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla, daughter of St. Gianna Beretta Molla, Joseph Shaw, Chairman of the Latin Mass Society in the UK, and many other Catholic pro-life activists are seen as well.
Thursday’s conference featured a talk by U.K.-based priest Fr. Serafino Lanzetta on the theological reasons for receiving Holy Communion on the tongue. LifeSite co-founder and editor in chief John-Henry also interviewed Dr. Peter Kwasniewksi, Alexander Tschugguel, and Theresa Habsburg. Watch the conference below and read about John Smeaton’s introductory remarks by clicking here.
While the conference was free for all to view, it is no small expense to coordinate all the aspects needed to put on such an important event. Please prayerfully consider donating through this secure link: https://give.lifesitenews.com/
Sign up for LifeSite’s email list to receive all the latest pro-life and Catholic news updates. Add your email here: https://lifesite.kartra.com/page/subscribe
Subscribe to the John-Henry Westen Show newsletter. You’ll get all of John-Henry’s podcasts sent right to your inbox every week: https://lifesitenews.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe. Lastly, be sure to “like” the John-Henry Westen Show on Facebook as well.
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lifesitenews--2020-07-16--Universities to mandate vaccination, ‘distancing’ contracts for students to return

PETITION : No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus !
Sign the petition here .
July 16 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – As educational institutions grapple with the decision whether to reopen in the fall in light of fears about COVID-19 , several universities have announced plans to require students to be vaccinated and/or commit to “ social distancing ” as a condition of returning to campus .
Harvard University and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville have both announced they will require students to receive a seasonal flu vaccine , the College Fix reported , with the latter also saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , once one is developed and “ proven to be safe and effective.
” “ While we have received a small amount of mixed feedback , we believe this action is in the best interest of our students and campus communities , ” said UT-Knoxville communications director Melissa Tindell .
In addition , Harvard will require students to “ participate in routine COVID-19 testing ” and wear masks in public spaces , among other restrictions .
Access to campus buildings will also be limited , and students are encouraged to settle for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first option for social contact.
” Meanwhile , a recent survey of 69 educational institutions from the consulting firm EAB recently found that 40 percent “ would ask students to sign agreements to follow university and public health guidelines , ” that one in six plan to add punishment for violating “ social distancing ” guidelines as part of their student codes of conduct ( with another 37 percent still considering that step ) .
Cornell , Princeton , and the University of Colorado-Boulder have all announced that they are imposing numerous new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ All medical interventions , including vaccines , must be a choice , ” Danielle Goodrich of the Tennessee Coalition for Vaccine Choice said in response to the above developments .
“ Our schools and public health should uphold our inalienable , God-given rights.
” While many frame a COVID-19 vaccine as a prerequisite for fully reopening society , the prospect of making it mandatory remains controversial for a number of reasons , chief among them individual and parental choice .
Further , while the mainstream media often fixates on parents who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side effects , they tend to overlook another group that supports vaccines in general while having an ethical conflict with vaccines derived from aborted babies ’ cells .
“ Fear of a disease -- which we know very little about , relative to other similar diseases -- must not lead to knee-jerk reactions regarding public health , nor can it justify supporting the hidden agenda of governmental as well as non-governmental bodies that have apparent conflicts of interest in plans to restrict personal freedoms , ” says LifeSiteNews ’ ongoing petition against mandatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 640,000 signatures .
As of July 16 , the United States has seen more than 3.6 million cases of COVID-19 , with 140,000 deaths and 1.6 million recoveries .

Harvard University and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville will mandate a seasonal flu vaccine for all students.
PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
July 16, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – As educational institutions grapple with the decision whether to reopen in the fall in light of fears about COVID-19, several universities have announced plans to require students to be vaccinated and/or commit to “social distancing” as a condition of returning to campus.
Harvard University and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville have both announced they will require students to receive a seasonal flu vaccine, the College Fix reported, with the latter also saying it may require a COVID-19 vaccine as well, once one is developed and “proven to be safe and effective.”
“While we have received a small amount of mixed feedback, we believe this action is in the best interest of our students and campus communities,” said UT-Knoxville communications director Melissa Tindell.
In addition, Harvard will require students to “participate in routine COVID-19 testing” and wear masks in public spaces, among other restrictions. Access to campus buildings will also be limited, and students are encouraged to settle for “virtual socializing” as the “first option for social contact.”
Meanwhile, a recent survey of 69 educational institutions from the consulting firm EAB recently found that 40 percent “would ask students to sign agreements to follow university and public health guidelines,” that one in six plan to add punishment for violating “social distancing” guidelines as part of their student codes of conduct (with another 37 percent still considering that step).
Cornell, Princeton, and the University of Colorado-Boulder have all announced that they are imposing numerous new rules on students living or gathering on-campus.
“All medical interventions, including vaccines, must be a choice,” Danielle Goodrich of the Tennessee Coalition for Vaccine Choice said in response to the above developments. “Our schools and public health should uphold our inalienable, God-given rights.”
While many frame a COVID-19 vaccine as a prerequisite for fully reopening society, the prospect of making it mandatory remains controversial for a number of reasons, chief among them individual and parental choice.
Further, while the mainstream media often fixates on parents who oppose vaccines based on hotly-debated fears over side effects, they tend to overlook another group that supports vaccines in general while having an ethical conflict with vaccines derived from aborted babies’ cells.
“Fear of a disease — which we know very little about, relative to other similar diseases — must not lead to knee-jerk reactions regarding public health, nor can it justify supporting the hidden agenda of governmental as well as non-governmental bodies that have apparent conflicts of interest in plans to restrict personal freedoms,” says LifeSiteNews’ ongoing petition against mandatory COVID-19 vaccination, which has gathered more than 640,000 signatures.
As of July 16, the United States has seen more than 3.6 million cases of COVID-19, with 140,000 deaths and 1.6 million recoveries.
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lifesitenews--2020-07-17--Rising political star Sloan urges Canadians forced to wear masks to be ‘vigilant,’ guard civil liber

Rising political star Sloan urges Canadians forced to wear masks to be ‘vigilant,’ guard civil liberties

OTTAWA , Canada , July 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Conservative Party of Canada ( CPC ) leadership contender Derek Sloan questioned the reliability of changing government decisions on wearing face coverings , calling for Dr. Theresa Tam to be fired as Canada ’ s chief public health officer .
Sloan demanded that political leaders base their public health decisions “ on science , not on politics , as this one appears to be.
” In a campaign email on July 14 , Sloan pointed out that “ after months of telling us that masks aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 virus , municipalities all across Canada are telling us we ’ ll have to wear a mask in any public , enclosed space.
” “ If this mask rule is about safety , and about science , why wasn ’ t it brought in back in March or April , when both cases and hospitalizations were peaking in Canada ?
” asked Sloan .
Instead , he said Tam had claimed , “ Putting a mask on an asymptomatic person is not beneficial , obviously , if you ’ re not infected.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tam and by other government medical officials that wearing a mask would actually make us less safe , ” Sloan lamented , “ both by giving us a false sense of security against the virus and by leading us to touch our faces more than usual , potentially spreading the virus.
” He said all government officials “ could have advised in favour of masking up when daily infections and hospitalizations were at their highest in March and April , but they chose not to .
Only now have politicians and the media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are making them mandatory.
” “ We ’ re all interested in stomping out the spread of COVID-19 , ” he emphasized .
“ We ’ ve all been asked to make — and have made — extraordinary sacrifices toward that end.
” At the same time , he called on Canadians to “ be vigilant in guarding our civil liberties at all times — and especially in times of crisis — because rights we take for granted , once surrendered ‘ temporarily ’ to those in government , may turn out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sloan argued for personal freedom and against government overreach .
The current mainstream opinion on wearing masks was summarized by the University of California San Francisco , which explained that both “ the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) and the World Health Organization now recommend cloth masks for the general public , but earlier in the pandemic , both organizations recommended just the opposite.
” While admitting that “ shifting guidelines may have sowed confusion among the public about the utility of masks , ” health experts now claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and that the more people wearing masks , the better.
” Meanwhile , other observers are still critical of a mandate to wear masks .
John Paul Meenan , assistant professor of theology and natural science at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College in Canada , wrote in a LifeSiteNews exclusive that there can never be absolute safety .
PETITION : No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus !
Sign the petition here .
“ Should we not then forbid the driving of cars — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , walking down the street , kissing someone , having a child , mountain climbing , jumping off cliffs into water , going for a brisk hike , getting out of bed in the morning , or even staying in bed ?
” he asked .
“ Everything we do has some potential for harm , or even death .
‘ Staying safe ’ is not a motto which should govern our life .
Life , rather , is something we engage in , as the saying goes , at our own risk.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ diseases like the yearly flu , which also causes significant numbers of deaths , he asked , “ Why should we ever again be permitted to go mask-free , with faces unveiled ?
Do we want the world turned into some giant , inescapable ICU ward ?
” Meenan also pointed out the hypocrisy “ of the most zealous enforcers of ‘ safe ’ distancing , lockdown and mask policies , ” who are often “ the most vehement supporters of the real plagues upon our society , abortion and euthanasia — Trudeau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but a few .
Yet , here they are , quite literally smothering us with ever new strictures , ‘ if it saves one life ’ , while they aid and abet the murder of thousands of the most innocent and defenseless.
” Governments and public health authorities often argue that face coverings are intended to protect other people , not the person wearing the mask , from contracting the virus .
Opponents of wearing masks emphasize side effects like potential bacterial growth on a mask used for a certain amount of time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face coverings more dangerous than being exposed to COVID-19 directly .
Derek Sloan , in his email on the requirement to wear a face covering , also stressed once again that he is “ 100 % opposed to making any eventual COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for Canadians.
” In May , Vaccine Choice Canada president Ted Kuntz told LifeSiteNews that any type of forced vaccination , including a COVID-19 vaccine , is “ morally repugnant ” and unconstitutional .
Health Canada had previously approved human trial testing of a coronavirus vaccine derived from an @ @ @ @ @

Derek Sloan demanded that political leaders base their public health decisions 'on science, not on politics, as this one appears to be.'
OTTAWA, Canada, July 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) leadership contender Derek Sloan questioned the reliability of changing government decisions on wearing face coverings, calling for Dr. Theresa Tam to be fired as Canada’s chief public health officer.
Sloan demanded that political leaders base their public health decisions “on science, not on politics, as this one appears to be.”
In a campaign email on July 14, Sloan pointed out that “after months of telling us that masks aren’t effective in halting the spread of the COVID-19 virus, municipalities all across Canada are telling us we’ll have to wear a mask in any public, enclosed space.”
“If this mask rule is about safety, and about science, why wasn’t it brought in back in March or April, when both cases and hospitalizations were peaking in Canada?” asked Sloan. Instead, he said Tam had claimed, “Putting a mask on an asymptomatic person is not beneficial, obviously, if you’re not infected.”
“We were told by Dr. Tam and by other government medical officials that wearing a mask would actually make us less safe,” Sloan lamented, “both by giving us a false sense of security against the virus and by leading us to touch our faces more than usual, potentially spreading the virus.”
He said all government officials “could have advised in favour of masking up when daily infections and hospitalizations were at their highest in March and April, but they chose not to. Only now have politicians and the media decided that masks are necessary, and they are making them mandatory.”
“We’re all interested in stomping out the spread of COVID-19,” he emphasized. “We’ve all been asked to make — and have made — extraordinary sacrifices toward that end.”
At the same time, he called on Canadians to “be vigilant in guarding our civil liberties at all times — and especially in times of crisis — because rights we take for granted, once surrendered ‘temporarily’ to those in government, may turn out not to be so easily regained.” Sloan argued for personal freedom and against government overreach.
The current mainstream opinion on wearing masks was summarized by the University of California San Francisco, which explained that both “the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization now recommend cloth masks for the general public, but earlier in the pandemic, both organizations recommended just the opposite.”
While admitting that “shifting guidelines may have sowed confusion among the public about the utility of masks,” health experts now claim that “the evidence is clear that masks can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and that the more people wearing masks, the better.”
Meanwhile, other observers are still critical of a mandate to wear masks. John Paul Meenan, assistant professor of theology and natural science at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College in Canada, wrote in a LifeSiteNews exclusive that there can never be absolute safety.
PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
“Should we not then forbid the driving of cars — or, gasp, motorcycles — cycling, walking down the street, kissing someone, having a child, mountain climbing, jumping off cliffs into water, going for a brisk hike, getting out of bed in the morning, or even staying in bed?” he asked. “Everything we do has some potential for harm, or even death. ‘Staying safe’ is not a motto which should govern our life. Life, rather, is something we engage in, as the saying goes, at our own risk.”
Given the danger of other common diseases like the yearly flu, which also causes significant numbers of deaths, he asked, “Why should we ever again be permitted to go mask-free, with faces unveiled? Do we want the world turned into some giant, inescapable ICU ward?”
Meenan also pointed out the hypocrisy “of the most zealous enforcers of ‘safe’ distancing, lockdown and mask policies,” who are often “the most vehement supporters of the real plagues upon our society, abortion and euthanasia — Trudeau, Cuomo, Northam, to name but a few. Yet, here they are, quite literally smothering us with ever new strictures, ‘if it saves one life’, while they aid and abet the murder of thousands of the most innocent and defenseless.”
Governments and public health authorities often argue that face coverings are intended to protect other people, not the person wearing the mask, from contracting the virus. Opponents of wearing masks emphasize side effects like potential bacterial growth on a mask used for a certain amount of time, which could make the wearing of face coverings more dangerous than being exposed to COVID-19 directly.
Derek Sloan, in his email on the requirement to wear a face covering, also stressed once again that he is “100% opposed to making any eventual COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for Canadians.”
In May, Vaccine Choice Canada president Ted Kuntz told LifeSiteNews that any type of forced vaccination, including a COVID-19 vaccine, is “morally repugnant” and unconstitutional. Health Canada had previously approved human trial testing of a coronavirus vaccine derived from an aborted fetal cell line.
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lifesitenews--2020-07-17--Drunk women deface Jesus statue in western Canadian city

PETITION : Urge U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference to defend Catholic heritage and statues !
Sign the petition here .
CALGARY , Alberta , July 16 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Vandals defaced a bronze statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus outside of one of the oldest churches in the western Canadian city of Calgary earlier this week , violating the face of the statue with paint and the body with markings .
Vandals took aim at the face of the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue , covering the eyes with what appears to be white spray paint .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the forehead of the statue , along with lettering on the body .
The incident happened early Tuesday morning at Sacred Heart parish , which is one of Calgary ’ s oldest Catholic churches .
LifeSiteNews reached out to the pastor of Sacred Heart , Fr .
John Gannon , to inquire about the incident .
He replied by saying that the crime does not appear to be linked to similar attacks on churches taking place across North America .
Fr .
Gannon told LifeSiteNews that they speculate the incident appears to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which they determined from security camera footage .
“ We ’ ve checked our security footage and sent a report to police for their information , but we ’ ve concluded that it was an incident of inebriation and not tied to vandalism and protests in the U.S. , ” Fr .
Gannon told LifeSiteNews .
“ We are sorry to see that church property was not respected.
” Fr .
Gannon told LifeSiteNews that the statue was quickly cleaned .
LifeSiteNews also reached out to the Catholic Diocese of Calgary for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Wilbert Chin Jon , Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Calgary , responded to LifeSiteNews with a statement from the diocese regarding the act of vandalism , which backed what Gannon told LifeSiteNews .
“ An act of vandalism against the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by the front doors of Sacred Heart Church in Calgary was caught on surveillance camera .
This took place on Tuesday , July 14 at 1:29 a.m .
This was committed by two young people using spray paint and possibly a marker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The incident has been reported to the police.
” The act of vandalism to the Sacred Heart statue in Calgary caught the attention of U.S. Catholic author and academic Dr. Taylor Marshall , who took to Twitter yesterday to decry the incident .
“ More attacks on Christ !
!
!
Where is the outcry ?
” wrote Marshall on Twitter .
Acts of vandalism to Catholic churches and public and private property have been increasing in recent weeks , especially in the United States .
Riots and violent protests began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer .
Over the weekend , several churches and statues in the United States were vandalized and torched , including a 250-year-old mission church founded by Saint Junípero Serra .
In late June , protesters tore down two Serra statues in San Francisco and Los Angeles .
In May , vandals used power saws and grinders to behead Catholic bronze religious statues in broad daylight in a grotto in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sault Ste .
Marie in Ontario .
Stations of the Cross in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days before protests began in the United States .

A statue of the Sacred Heart was vandalized with spray paint in Calgary, Alberta.
PETITION: Urge U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference to defend Catholic heritage and statues! Sign the petition here.
CALGARY, Alberta, July 16, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Vandals defaced a bronze statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus outside of one of the oldest churches in the western Canadian city of Calgary earlier this week, violating the face of the statue with paint and the body with markings.
Vandals took aim at the face of the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue, covering the eyes with what appears to be white spray paint. Additionally, a green triangle was painted on the forehead of the statue, along with lettering on the body.
The incident happened early Tuesday morning at Sacred Heart parish, which is one of Calgary’s oldest Catholic churches.
LifeSiteNews reached out to the pastor of Sacred Heart, Fr. John Gannon, to inquire about the incident.
He replied by saying that the crime does not appear to be linked to similar attacks on churches taking place across North America.
Fr. Gannon told LifeSiteNews that they speculate the incident appears to have been done by two inebriated females, which they determined from security camera footage.
“We’ve checked our security footage and sent a report to police for their information, but we’ve concluded that it was an incident of inebriation and not tied to vandalism and protests in the U.S.,” Fr. Gannon told LifeSiteNews.
“We are sorry to see that church property was not respected.”
Fr. Gannon told LifeSiteNews that the statue was quickly cleaned.
LifeSiteNews also reached out to the Catholic Diocese of Calgary for more information on the incident.
Fr. Wilbert Chin Jon, Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Calgary, responded to LifeSiteNews with a statement from the diocese regarding the act of vandalism, which backed what Gannon told LifeSiteNews.
“An act of vandalism against the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by the front doors of Sacred Heart Church in Calgary was caught on surveillance camera. This took place on Tuesday, July 14 at 1:29 a.m. This was committed by two young people using spray paint and possibly a marker or chalk,” said the statement.
“The incident has been reported to the police.”
The act of vandalism to the Sacred Heart statue in Calgary caught the attention of U.S. Catholic author and academic Dr. Taylor Marshall, who took to Twitter yesterday to decry the incident.
“More attacks on Christ!!! Where is the outcry?” wrote Marshall on Twitter.
Acts of vandalism to Catholic churches and public and private property have been increasing in recent weeks, especially in the United States.
Riots and violent protests began May 25 after George Floyd was killed at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.
Over the weekend, several churches and statues in the United States were vandalized and torched, including a 250-year-old mission church founded by Saint Junípero Serra.
In late June, protesters tore down two Serra statues in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
In May, vandals used power saws and grinders to behead Catholic bronze religious statues in broad daylight in a grotto in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario.
Stations of the Cross in Sudbury, Ontario, were vandalized just days before protests began in the United States.
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lifesitenews--2020-07-18--Evangelical leader Franklin Graham warns of biased media swaying election

PETITION : Ask bishop to remove 'Catholic ' from the University of Notre Dame if they refuse to rescind Pete Buttigieg 's fellowship !
Sign the petition here .
July 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Popular Christian preacher Franklin Graham stressed the importance of the November presidential election , arguing that “ media powers are putting forth every effort to spin the story and sway the thinking of the American people.
” Graham commented on the resignation this week of The New York Times op-ed staff editor and writer Bari Weiss .
Her resignation , he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known — The New York Times is biased to the left , socialist , radical agenda of the Democratic party.
” “ In her resignation letter , she said that it was very difficult to get anything published that did not ‘ explicitly promote progressive causes ’ and if something was published , it could happen only ‘ after every line is carefully massaged , negotiated and caveated , ’ ” the preacher explained .
“ That ’ s very telling , ” he added .
“ The founder of the Media Research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point that journalism is dead at The New York Times and it ’ s been replaced by censorship that is controlled by radicals.
” Weiss had sent her resignation letter to Times publisher A. G. Sulzberger on Tuesday .
“ Why edit something challenging to our readers , or write something bold only to go through the numbing process of making it ideologically kosher , when we can assure ourselves of job security ( and clicks ) by publishing our 4,000th op-ed arguing that Donald Trump is a unique danger to the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rhetorically .
“ And so self-censorship has become the norm.
” She also mentioned that the newspaper essentially used Twitter as “ its ultimate editor .
As the ethics and mores of that platform have become those of the paper , the paper itself has increasingly become a kind of performance space .
Stories are chosen and told in a way to satisfy the narrowest of audiences , rather than to allow a curious public to read about the world and then draw their own conclusions.
” Her own experience of the corporate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own forays into Wrongthink have made me the subject of constant bullying by colleagues who disagree with my views , ” Weiss revealed .
“ They have called me a Nazi and a racist ; I have learned to brush off comments about how I ’ m ‘ writing about the Jews again.
’ Several colleagues perceived to be friendly with me were badgered by co-workers.
” According to a Rasmussen Reports poll , “ most voters are eager to find fair and balanced media coverage but think the majority of news organizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 63 percent of Americans “ believe most major news organizations in this country have their own political agenda .
Only 27 percent feel these news organizations generally remain impartial.
” Graham summarized the state of the media in this country by saying , “ In years past , Americans were able to trust media ; they were journalists reporting facts .
But today many media organizations are biased , slanted , and extremely agenda driven .
They are no longer trustworthy.
” Accordingly , he said to his predominantly Christian audience on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ careful about what information we believe .
We have a very important election coming up , and media powers are putting forth every effort to spin the story and sway the thinking of the American people.
” Graham ’ s remarks came on the heels of another prominent evangelical leader , Jerry Falwell Jr. , president of Liberty University , saying he believes support for President Donald Trump among evangelicals is even stronger now than it was in 2016 .
Falwell had told Breitbart News Tonight host Matt Boyle that he suspects support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be even higher than indicated by a recent Democracy Institute/Sunday Express poll that found that 90 percent of Evangelicals supported Trump ’ s re-election .
“ Every Evangelical I ’ ve run into at every major event has ( told me ) , ‘ We were hesitant .
We thought you were a little nuts for supporting ( Trump ) in 2016 , but we are 100 percent behind him now , ’ ” Falwell said .
“ It doesn ’ t surprise me a bit .
It wouldn ’ t surprise me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Falwell , who was one of Trump ’ s most prominent Evangelical supporters during the 2016 presidential campaign , also said he believes that large support from the African-American community for Trump at the election is “ going to shock everybody.
” Falwell and Boyle discussed the possibility of there being several Supreme Court openings during the next four-year presidential term , which Trump would be able to fill with his nominees .
Only days ago , far-left Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , who supports even partial-birth abortions , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 87 years old , Ginsburg is the oldest of the nine justices .
Falwell highlighted the significance of future judicial nominations for evangelicals , saying they are the “ one place the president can make a difference on social issues.
” He emphasized the urgency and critical importance of the upcoming election , referring to Republican President Ronald Reagan , who had said that “ we ’ re always only one generation away from losing our freedoms.
” Falwell , however , thinks “ we ’ re only one presidential election away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Falwell are members of the second generation of high profile , politically involved evangelical leaders .
Graham ’ s father was Billy Graham , the most well-known among Christian preachers .
Falwell ’ s father , also named Jerry , founded the Moral Majority , a political movement that played a key role in electing Republicans to the presidency in the 1980s .
Falwell also launched Liberty University .

The Christian preacher used as a case in point the resignation of a New York Times staff editor who went against the newspaper's liberal narrative.
PETITION: Ask bishop to remove 'Catholic' from the University of Notre Dame if they refuse to rescind Pete Buttigieg's fellowship! Sign the petition here.
July 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Popular Christian preacher Franklin Graham stressed the importance of the November presidential election, arguing that “media powers are putting forth every effort to spin the story and sway the thinking of the American people.”
Graham commented on the resignation this week of The New York Times op-ed staff editor and writer Bari Weiss. Her resignation, he said, “confirms what many people already have known — The New York Times is biased to the left, socialist, radical agenda of the Democratic party.”
“In her resignation letter, she said that it was very difficult to get anything published that did not ‘explicitly promote progressive causes’ and if something was published, it could happen only ‘after every line is carefully massaged, negotiated and caveated,’” the preacher explained.
“That’s very telling,” he added. “The founder of the Media Research Center said that her resignation makes the point that journalism is dead at The New York Times and it’s been replaced by censorship that is controlled by radicals.”
Weiss had sent her resignation letter to Times publisher A. G. Sulzberger on Tuesday.
“Why edit something challenging to our readers, or write something bold only to go through the numbing process of making it ideologically kosher, when we can assure ourselves of job security (and clicks) by publishing our 4,000th op-ed arguing that Donald Trump is a unique danger to the country and the world?” she asked rhetorically. “And so self-censorship has become the norm.”
She also mentioned that the newspaper essentially used Twitter as “its ultimate editor. As the ethics and mores of that platform have become those of the paper, the paper itself has increasingly become a kind of performance space. Stories are chosen and told in a way to satisfy the narrowest of audiences, rather than to allow a curious public to read about the world and then draw their own conclusions.”
Her own experience of the corporate culture was thoroughly negative. “My own forays into Wrongthink have made me the subject of constant bullying by colleagues who disagree with my views,” Weiss revealed. “They have called me a Nazi and a racist; I have learned to brush off comments about how I’m ‘writing about the Jews again.’ Several colleagues perceived to be friendly with me were badgered by co-workers.”
According to a Rasmussen Reports poll, “most voters are eager to find fair and balanced media coverage but think the majority of news organizations these days are politically biased.”
Overall, 63 percent of Americans “believe most major news organizations in this country have their own political agenda. Only 27 percent feel these news organizations generally remain impartial.”
Graham summarized the state of the media in this country by saying, “In years past, Americans were able to trust media; they were journalists reporting facts. But today many media organizations are biased, slanted, and extremely agenda driven. They are no longer trustworthy.”
Accordingly, he said to his predominantly Christian audience on Facebook, “we must be very careful about what information we believe. We have a very important election coming up, and media powers are putting forth every effort to spin the story and sway the thinking of the American people.”
Graham’s remarks came on the heels of another prominent evangelical leader, Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University, saying he believes support for President Donald Trump among evangelicals is even stronger now than it was in 2016.
Falwell had told Breitbart News Tonight host Matt Boyle that he suspects support for Trump within the evangelical community could be even higher than indicated by a recent Democracy Institute/Sunday Express poll that found that 90 percent of Evangelicals supported Trump’s re-election.
“Every Evangelical I’ve run into at every major event has (told me), ‘We were hesitant. We thought you were a little nuts for supporting (Trump) in 2016, but we are 100 percent behind him now,’” Falwell said. “It doesn’t surprise me a bit. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was higher than 90 percent.”
Falwell, who was one of Trump’s most prominent Evangelical supporters during the 2016 presidential campaign, also said he believes that large support from the African-American community for Trump at the election is “going to shock everybody.”
Falwell and Boyle discussed the possibility of there being several Supreme Court openings during the next four-year presidential term, which Trump would be able to fill with his nominees.
Only days ago, far-left Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who supports even partial-birth abortions, was hospitalized for a short time. At 87 years old, Ginsburg is the oldest of the nine justices.
Falwell highlighted the significance of future judicial nominations for evangelicals, saying they are the “one place the president can make a difference on social issues.”
He emphasized the urgency and critical importance of the upcoming election, referring to Republican President Ronald Reagan, who had said that “we’re always only one generation away from losing our freedoms.” Falwell, however, thinks “we’re only one presidential election away from losing our freedoms.”
Both Graham and Falwell are members of the second generation of high profile, politically involved evangelical leaders. Graham’s father was Billy Graham, the most well-known among Christian preachers. Falwell’s father, also named Jerry, founded the Moral Majority, a political movement that played a key role in electing Republicans to the presidency in the 1980s. Falwell also launched Liberty University.
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