lifesitenews--2020-03-10--Catholic charity founded by US bishops caught promoting abortion on website it manages

BALTIMORE , Maryland , March 10 , 2020 ( Lepanto Institute ) — This is our second report in a series of reports following a year-long investigation of Catholic Relief Services .
In our first report , we established that Catholic Relief Services , as recently as December 2019 , published its own documents , containing its own copyright , promoting condom use to teens .
You can view that report here .
Due to the length and complexity of the issue , we are releasing this report in segments in order to make the information more understandable and easier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the full and more detailed report at the end of this series .
In this new report is undeniable proof that CRS is the administrator of a digital library that contains documents promoting abortion , contraception and condoms as the lead agency for the USAID-funded 4Children project .
Here is the video of our report , and for those who wish to browse through the information , rather than sit through a video , we ’ ve provided the transcript with links and images below that .
In our last video , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Services was producing documents that promote condom use in a project called 4Children .
In this report , we ’ re going to show you how , as the lead agency in the 4Children project , CRS is the custodian of a web-based clearinghouse for documents that promote contraception , condoms , and even abortion .
Since 2014 , Catholic Relief Services has been the lead implementing partner for a 5-year , $ 72 million USAID-funded project called Coordinating Comprehensive Care for Children ( 4Children ) .
Under CRS ’ s leadership , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries with the help of five partners , three of which are deeply involved in the promotion of contraception and condoms .
The purpose of the project , loosely stated , is to work with local government and civic entities to ensure a more uniform and integrated approach to helping Orphans and Vulnerable Children who are victims of HIV .
Through the case management aspect of the project , a social worker assesses individual children regarding their needs , and works with local health and educational facilities to manage their care .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worthy project , but it wasn ’ t long before we discovered serious problems .
CRS has five partners in the 4Children project , which are IntraHealth International , Maestral International , PACT International , Plan International , and Westat .
Three of these five partners of CRS are heavily involved in the promotion of contraception and condoms .
Here ’ s a brief look at what we know about these groups .
IntraHealth International is very open about its promotion of contraception .
In this 2-page brochure on IntraHealth ’ s efforts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its key approaches include “ Increasing the range of available FP methods , including long-acting reversible contraceptives ( LARCs ) and permanent methods , at all levels of the health system , from hospitals to communities.
” Under highlights of its recent work , IntraHealth said : PACT International promotes and distributes both condoms and contraception .
Here ’ s an image from PACT ’ s website of a PACT employee handing out condoms in Malawi : In Swaziland , PACT ’ s Prevention Manager , Mphikeleli uses models of male and female @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condoms to teens and young adults .
One participant in such sessions told PACT , “ Now I ’ m beginning to understand more about life .
How to use condoms , how to tell kids to use contraceptives , how to be a voice of the adolescents.
” In 2017 , PLAN decried the Mexico City Policy , which forbids federal funding from going toward the practice or promotion of abortion through AID funding , claiming that it puts girl ’ s health at risk .
In 2018 , Plan International published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a Human Right.
” The article opens by saying : “ Plan International supports all girls and young women to make their own sexual and reproductive health choices .
Because they have rich and complex lives .
They have hopes and ambitions .
And because it ’ s a human right.
” On Plan International ’ s page regarding access to sexual and reproductive health , Plan very matter-of-factly states that young people need access to services such as contraception , emergency contraception , and even abortion .
Westat and Maestral International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything they mention about contraception is always in the context of reporting what various organizations are doing .
But the other three sub-partners – who believe that the best way to fight poverty is to eliminate children – are being introduced to vulnerable and trusting people by CRS .
But the part of the 4 children project I want to explain right now is CRS ’ s custody and management of an internet-based resource library called OVCSupport.org .
OVC stands for Orphans and Vulnerable Children .
As the lead on the 4Children project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This website is basically a clearinghouse of OVC project documents from various agencies .
The website itself was developed in 2004 by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance with funding from USAID .
In April of 2015 , management of the OVCSupport website was transferred to 4Children under the leadership of CRS .
Included on this website are hundreds of documents that promote all manner of contraception and abortion , which means that , as the organization responsible for the overall project , CRS is effectively facilitating the indiscriminate dissemination of information on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condom use in OVC projects to all community members .
In addition to this , as we pointed out in the last video , CRS had even uploaded its own condom-promoting documents to this website .
So , let ’ s take a look at the kinds of documents we found .
This one was published by an organization called AIDSTAR .
It ’ s a program guide for integrating gender based violence prevention and response in PEPFAR programs .
On page 42 , it bears the heading , “ Integrating Gender Based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Counseling services in Antenatal and Maternity Settings.
” In other words , they want to merge the two sets of services into one general service provision .
Under Pregnancy Options it says : And under “ Safe Abortion and Post Abortion care ” , it says : Is this the kind of information CRS should be the custodian of ?
This document was produced by an organization called Mothers 2 Mothers and makes 10 positive references to contraception and 117 positive references to condom use .
Here are a few quotes : Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a Participant ’ s manual from an organization called African Network for Children Orphaned and at Risk titled , “ Basic Skills for Counselling Children.
” This manual instructs counselors not only to advise abortion , but how to do it , even if the individual is hesitant .
On page 17 of the manual , a counselor is presented with a series of scenarios and possible solutions .
One scenario given states , “ A teenage girl is pregnant and is not sure what to do.
” The bottom solution given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Africa and there is a clinic nearby that can safely perform it so she could have a safe abortion.
” Under the section titled , “ Step 4 : Helping the Child Choose the Best Solution for Them , ” one of the given options presented is , “ Have an abortion.
” On page 20 , the manual instructs a pro-life counselor that they must provide abortion as an option .
This one document provides a stark example for several others which explicitly promote abortion , or advocate for so-called “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we initially discovered over 50 documents which directly promoted the use or distribution of contraception , and around 150 that promoted condoms .
Wanting to understand more about CRS ’ s involvement with the OVCSupport website , we read the “ Terms and Conditions ” page for the user conduct policy , and at the very top was a disclaimer that said : That this disclaimer even exists shows that CRS personnel knew full well that this website contained material completely contrary to Catholic teaching .
But CRS even undermined its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Terms and Conditions specified that users will not post any content that is “ deemed inappropriate by 4Children in its sole discretion.
” So , Catholic Relief Services , as the prime agency and manager of the website , could very well remove any and all content that is immoral .
But then , the Terms and Conditions got even more specific , saying that materials which promote “ racism , bigotry , hatred or physical harm of any kind against any group or individual ; contains nudity , violence , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sexual or violent manner ” were absolutely prohibited .
Catholic teaching on sexual morality has always maintained that committing abortion and using contraception ( including condoms ) are intrinsically evil acts .
And because of this , the promotion of condoms is at least as immoral and unacceptable as racism and could very well have been identified as “ offensive subject matter.
” Furthermore , the promotion of condoms and contraception are “ sexually exploitative ” in nature , while abortion is hateful , harmful , and violent .
Under ANY of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on this website which promote the use of condoms contraception and abortion could and should be removed .
Instead , here ’ s what ’ s happening : CRS knew when it took over the website that many of these documents contained grossly immoral material , so it put up a disclaimer .
However , CRS also recognized that it is working with a diverse group and needed to put boundaries up , so it created a ‘ terms of use , ’ granting itself the power to remove offensive material at its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ material contains racism , bigotry , or violence , CRS could remove it under the ‘ terms of use.
’ But if it contains abortion , contraception , or condoms , CRS could hide behind the disclaimer .
When the Lepanto Institute first discovered that CRS was effectively the custodian for a contraception , abortion and condom-promoting library , it was immediately reported to key leadership at CRS , asking for an explanation .
Not only was no explanation for these documents ever provided , but very shortly after , measures were taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – the Terms and Conditions disappeared .
It no longer exists .
All that remains now is CRS ’ s disclaimer that the contents of the website should not be interpreted as endorsement of these activities by CRS .
If your store sells pornography , a disclaimer that the porn sold in your shop should not be interpreted as an endorsement of porn by the shop owners is both worthless and meaningless .
But that ’ s essentially what CRS is saying with their own disclaimer .
And as I said , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fully aware of the offensive materials on the website in the first place .
They were hoping that a disclaimer would exonerate them from any responsibility to remove morally offensive material .
And you know what else disappeared ?
Some of the CRS documents that promote condom use that we originally sent to CRS .
In fact , for a while , the entire site was put under password protection , and when it came back up , several of the condom , abortion , and contraception promoting documentation was gone .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few months , many of those documents that disappeared were reinstated .
Regardless of the games CRS played with the website , at the end of the day , CRS is still the custodian of a website that encourages grave moral evils .
In our next report , we ’ re going to prove to you that CRS actually partnered with abortion and contraception peddlers and included them in a health care referral network .
Editor ’ s note : This article first appeared on Lepanto Institute here .
It is republished @ @ @ @ @ @ @

BALTIMORE, Maryland, March 10, 2020 (Lepanto Institute) — This is our second report in a series of reports following a year-long investigation of Catholic Relief Services. In our first report, we established that Catholic Relief Services, as recently as December 2019, published its own documents, containing its own copyright, promoting condom use to teens. You can view that report here.
Due to the length and complexity of the issue, we are releasing this report in segments in order to make the information more understandable and easier to digest. We’ll publish the full and more detailed report at the end of this series.
In this new report is undeniable proof that CRS is the administrator of a digital library that contains documents promoting abortion, contraception and condoms as the lead agency for the USAID-funded 4Children project. Here is the video of our report, and for those who wish to browse through the information, rather than sit through a video, we’ve provided the transcript with links and images below that.
Catholic Relief Services manages website promoting abortion, contraception, condoms
In our last video, we gave you undeniable proof that Catholic Relief Services was producing documents that promote condom use in a project called 4Children. In this report, we’re going to show you how, as the lead agency in the 4Children project, CRS is the custodian of a web-based clearinghouse for documents that promote contraception, condoms, and even abortion.
Since 2014, Catholic Relief Services has been the lead implementing partner for a 5-year, $72 million USAID-funded project called Coordinating Comprehensive Care for Children (4Children). Under CRS’s leadership, this project is being implemented in 12 countries with the help of five partners, three of which are deeply involved in the promotion of contraception and condoms.
The purpose of the project, loosely stated, is to work with local government and civic entities to ensure a more uniform and integrated approach to helping Orphans and Vulnerable Children who are victims of HIV. Through the case management aspect of the project, a social worker assesses individual children regarding their needs, and works with local health and educational facilities to manage their care.
On the surface, it seems like a worthy project, but it wasn’t long before we discovered serious problems.
CRS has five partners in the 4Children project, which are IntraHealth International, Maestral International, PACT International, Plan International, and Westat.
Three of these five partners of CRS are heavily involved in the promotion of contraception and condoms.
Here’s a brief look at what we know about these groups.
IntraHealth International is very open about its promotion of contraception. In this 2-page brochure on IntraHealth’s efforts regarding family planning, it says that its key approaches include “Increasing the range of available FP methods, including long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) and permanent methods, at all levels of the health system, from hospitals to communities.”
Under highlights of its recent work, IntraHealth said:
In Kenya, we helped develop a national FP training plan, establish an FP center of excellence, and roll out a contraceptive supply chain management eLearning course that has cut the cost and improved the efficiency of health worker training. In Senegal by scaling up a new model for contraceptive security—our Informed Push Model—we helped reduce stockouts to under 2% and increased contraceptive acceptance by 38%. In South Sudan, they reached 4,000 clients with modern contraception In Tanzania, their advocacy work led to a massive increase in facilities offering IUD insertion and removal services.
PACT International promotes and distributes both condoms and contraception.
Here’s an image from PACT’s website of a PACT employee handing out condoms in Malawi:
In Swaziland, PACT’s Prevention Manager, Mphikeleli uses models of male and female sex organs to demonstrate the use of condoms to teens and young adults.
One participant in such sessions told PACT, “Now I’m beginning to understand more about life. How to use condoms, how to tell kids to use contraceptives, how to be a voice of the adolescents.”
Plan International is a stridently pro-abortion, contraception and condom spreading organization.
In 2017, PLAN decried the Mexico City Policy, which forbids federal funding from going toward the practice or promotion of abortion through AID funding, claiming that it puts girl’s health at risk.
In 2018, Plan International published an article titled, “Family Planning is a Human Right.” The article opens by saying: “Plan International supports all girls and young women to make their own sexual and reproductive health choices. Because they have rich and complex lives. They have hopes and ambitions. And because it’s a human right.”
On Plan International’s page regarding access to sexual and reproductive health, Plan very matter-of-factly states that young people need access to services such as contraception, emergency contraception, and even abortion.
Westat and Maestral International are research and analysis agencies, so everything they mention about contraception is always in the context of reporting what various organizations are doing.
But the other three sub-partners – who believe that the best way to fight poverty is to eliminate children – are being introduced to vulnerable and trusting people by CRS.
But the part of the 4 children project I want to explain right now is CRS’s custody and management of an internet-based resource library called OVCSupport.org. OVC stands for Orphans and Vulnerable Children.
As the lead on the 4Children project, CRS is the custodian of OVCSupport.org. This website is basically a clearinghouse of OVC project documents from various agencies. The website itself was developed in 2004 by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance with funding from USAID. In April of 2015, management of the OVCSupport website was transferred to 4Children under the leadership of CRS.
Included on this website are hundreds of documents that promote all manner of contraception and abortion, which means that, as the organization responsible for the overall project, CRS is effectively facilitating the indiscriminate dissemination of information on the inclusion of abortion, contraception, and condom use in OVC projects to all community members.
In addition to this, as we pointed out in the last video, CRS had even uploaded its own condom-promoting documents to this website.
So, let’s take a look at the kinds of documents we found.
This one was published by an organization called AIDSTAR. It’s a program guide for integrating gender based violence prevention and response in PEPFAR programs.
On page 42, it bears the heading, “Integrating Gender Based Violence Services within Rapid HIV Testing and Counseling services in Antenatal and Maternity Settings.” In other words, they want to merge the two sets of services into one general service provision.
Under Pregnancy Options it says:
“Sensitize providers to respect and support pregnancy intentions of women living with HIV, provide support and linkages to safe pregnancy and motherhood services, and provide information on access to safe abortion services where legal.”
And under “Safe Abortion and Post Abortion care”, it says:
“Access should include accurate information on the legal status of abortion and health exceptions for seeking abortion.”
Is this the kind of information CRS should be the custodian of?
Here’s another one, called Start Free, Stay Free, AIDS Free.
This document was produced by an organization called Mothers 2 Mothers and makes 10 positive references to contraception and 117 positive references to condom use. Here are a few quotes:
Page 7 says:
“Overcoming the social and structural barriers to deliver universal access to integrated sexual and reproductive health and rights and combination HIV prevention services that empower adolescent girls and young women to make informed choices about contraception and HIV prevention is essential.”
Page 34 says:
Preventing unintended pregnancies among women living with HIV offers major individual and public health benefits and is essential for elimination of mother-to-child transmission. Voluntary family planning to enable women and couples to determine the timing and spacing of their pregnancies is a basic human right. In 2017 an estimated 885 million women in low- and middle-income countries wanted to prevent a pregnancy, of whom about a quarter (214 million women) had an unmet need for contraception. Integrating HIV services with family planning and maternal health care can also increase the uptake of HIV testing and treatment, safe and effective contraceptive options, and other reproductive health services.
Here’s one more … This one is a Participant’s manual from an organization called African Network for Children Orphaned and at Risk titled, “Basic Skills for Counselling Children.” This manual instructs counselors not only to advise abortion, but how to do it, even if the individual is hesitant.
On page 17 of the manual, a counselor is presented with a series of scenarios and possible solutions. One scenario given states, “A teenage girl is pregnant and is not sure what to do.” The bottom solution given is, “Abortion is legal in South Africa and there is a clinic nearby that can safely perform it so she could have a safe abortion.”
Under the section titled, “Step 4: Helping the Child Choose the Best Solution for Them,” one of the given options presented is, “Have an abortion.”
On page 20, the manual instructs a pro-life counselor that they must provide abortion as an option.
This one document provides a stark example for several others which explicitly promote abortion, or advocate for so-called “safe abortions.” In addition to this, we initially discovered over 50 documents which directly promoted the use or distribution of contraception, and around 150 that promoted condoms.
Wanting to understand more about CRS’s involvement with the OVCSupport website, we read the “Terms and Conditions” page for the user conduct policy, and at the very top was a disclaimer that said:
“CRS, as the prime agency of 4Children, only promotes programming that is in line with Catholic Social Teaching. Any materials included on this site that promote activities not aligned with Catholic Social Teaching should not be interpreted as endorsement of these activities by CRS.”
That this disclaimer even exists shows that CRS personnel knew full well that this website contained material completely contrary to Catholic teaching. But CRS even undermined its own disclaimer on the very same page.
The Terms and Conditions specified that users will not post any content that is “deemed inappropriate by 4Children in its sole discretion.”
So, Catholic Relief Services, as the prime agency and manager of the website, could very well remove any and all content that is immoral. But then, the Terms and Conditions got even more specific, saying that materials which promote “racism, bigotry, hatred or physical harm of any kind against any group or individual; contains nudity, violence, or offensive subject matter; exploits people in a sexual or violent manner” were absolutely prohibited.
Catholic teaching on sexual morality has always maintained that committing abortion and using contraception (including condoms) are intrinsically evil acts.
And because of this, the promotion of condoms is at least as immoral and unacceptable as racism and could very well have been identified as “offensive subject matter.” Furthermore, the promotion of condoms and contraception are “sexually exploitative” in nature, while abortion is hateful, harmful, and violent. Under ANY of those stated prohibited items, the documents on this website which promote the use of condoms contraception and abortion could and should be removed.
Instead, here’s what’s happening: CRS knew when it took over the website that many of these documents contained grossly immoral material, so it put up a disclaimer. However, CRS also recognized that it is working with a diverse group and needed to put boundaries up, so it created a ‘terms of use,’ granting itself the power to remove offensive material at its own discretion. So … if the material contains racism, bigotry, or violence, CRS could remove it under the ‘terms of use.’ But if it contains abortion, contraception, or condoms, CRS could hide behind the disclaimer.
When the Lepanto Institute first discovered that CRS was effectively the custodian for a contraception, abortion and condom-promoting library, it was immediately reported to key leadership at CRS, asking for an explanation. Not only was no explanation for these documents ever provided, but very shortly after, measures were taken to hide everything we found.
First – the Terms and Conditions disappeared. It no longer exists. All that remains now is CRS’s disclaimer that the contents of the website should not be interpreted as endorsement of these activities by CRS.
Here’s how ridiculous CRS’s disclaimer is.
If your store sells pornography, a disclaimer that the porn sold in your shop should not be interpreted as an endorsement of porn by the shop owners is both worthless and meaningless. But that’s essentially what CRS is saying with their own disclaimer.
And as I said, this is further proof that CRS personnel were fully aware of the offensive materials on the website in the first place. They were hoping that a disclaimer would exonerate them from any responsibility to remove morally offensive material.
And you know what else disappeared? Some of the CRS documents that promote condom use that we originally sent to CRS. In fact, for a while, the entire site was put under password protection, and when it came back up, several of the condom, abortion, and contraception promoting documentation was gone. But not all of it. And after a few months, many of those documents that disappeared were reinstated.
Regardless of the games CRS played with the website, at the end of the day, CRS is still the custodian of a website that encourages grave moral evils.
In our next report, we’re going to prove to you that CRS actually partnered with abortion and contraception peddlers and included them in a health care referral network.
Editor’s note: This article first appeared on Lepanto Institute here. It is republished here by permission of the author.
PETITION: Urge US bishops to stop Catholic Relief Services' condom promotion Sign the petition here.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-10--Atheists can object to proof of God’s existence, but they can’t escape it

March 10 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Last week I presented the “ teleological argument ” that demonstrates God ’ s existence from the way non-rational things act consistently to achieve certain goods just as rational beings do , even though they lack the intelligence to understand the end for which they are acting and therefore could not be in themselves responsible for that behavior .
Such reasoning is often called an “ argument from the divine government , ” meaning that there must be a sovereign ruler who places in things the “ law ” of their nature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not merely the good of individual species , but also the perfection of the universe as a whole .
In like manner , starting from the evident existence of laws of nature — patterns of action and reaction that enable physical things to move , grow , combine , and dissolve so as to attain order , symmetry , functionality , balance — one can argue to the necessity of a law-giver who has structured the physical universe in an orderly way .
A related argument can be made about the structures of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or the brain or even a single cell , which display a purposefulness and irreducible complexity impossible to attribute to a random sequence of meandering material causes .
Objections raised against such teleological arguments are numerous .
One objection claims that speaking of “ the good ” is a mere abstraction or a projection of human consciousness onto non-human things .
Another objection would claim that one can not jump from artificial examples ( e.g.
, the fact that a chair requires an intelligent artist , the carpenter ) to nature itself .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of chance events and material necessity is , after all , sufficient to account for diversity , order , and beauty .
These objections fail to address the very facts that the teleological argument seeks to account for .
We can say there are at least three .
First , the good is a fundamental and irreducible aspect of reality , since each thing is seen to preserve itself in existence as long as possible and to resist its own demise .
For a wasp , it is good to exist ; it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good to promote the species .
It is therefore good for the wasp to behave in a certain way or to have certain wisely structured organs , because it is good to attain the end of promoting the species .
This would be true whether human beings were observing it or not .
Only one who denies that anything whatsoever is good can evade this argument , yet the denial of the concept of good is contrary both to reason and to experience .
Moreover , anyone who tries to argue against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be able to explain why he thinks he should be arguing for the truth .
Second , nature , far more than art , demands an explanation in terms of design ( that is , a directing intelligence ) .
Natural entities wholly lacking in rational intelligence — that is , the ability to cognize the relationship between means and ends and dispose of their affairs with free choices based on that cognition — display behavior astonishing for its intelligibility , its perfect proportion between means and end , which can never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same may be said of natural organs or systems that reveal a stunning intricacy far exceeding the greatest works of human hands .
Truly now , how many monkeys , typewriters , and billions of years would be necessary to produce even a single respectable sentence , much less an entire Shakespeare play ?
Third , matter is not capable of designing itself but always presupposes form , the source of matter ’ s order and functionality .
Does rubber turn itself into a ball , an eraser , or a pair of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presupposes purpose , as even the most elementary observation of plants and animals demonstrates .
Not for nothing , then , does Sacred Scripture testify that God ’ s existence may be known from the world He has made — or to speak more precisely , that His existence is evident and can be missed only by one ’ s own fault : Especially in these passages but also in many others , we see that divine revelation and natural reason concur in the evidentness and cogency of the teleological argument .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reason work together for the salvation of human intelligence and the greater glory of Almighty God .
The atheists make a show of sophistication , but they , it turns out , are the irrational ones — and their views imperil the progress of genuine understanding and wisdom .
St. Thomas Aquinas offers us a more compelling and comprehensive approach to the study of God and His relationship with the world .

The atheists make a show of sophistication, but they, it turns out, are the irrational ones — and their views imperil the progress of genuine understanding and wisdom.
March 10, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Last week I presented the “teleological argument” that demonstrates God’s existence from the way non-rational things act consistently to achieve certain goods just as rational beings do, even though they lack the intelligence to understand the end for which they are acting and therefore could not be in themselves responsible for that behavior. Such reasoning is often called an “argument from the divine government,” meaning that there must be a sovereign ruler who places in things the “law” of their nature and activities so as to bring about not merely the good of individual species, but also the perfection of the universe as a whole.
In like manner, starting from the evident existence of laws of nature — patterns of action and reaction that enable physical things to move, grow, combine, and dissolve so as to attain order, symmetry, functionality, balance — one can argue to the necessity of a law-giver who has structured the physical universe in an orderly way.
A related argument can be made about the structures of natural things — e.g., the eye or the brain or even a single cell, which display a purposefulness and irreducible complexity impossible to attribute to a random sequence of meandering material causes.
Objections raised against such teleological arguments are numerous. One objection claims that speaking of “the good” is a mere abstraction or a projection of human consciousness onto non-human things. Another objection would claim that one cannot jump from artificial examples (e.g., the fact that a chair requires an intelligent artist, the carpenter) to nature itself. It is commonly asserted that a combination of chance events and material necessity is, after all, sufficient to account for diversity, order, and beauty.
These objections fail to address the very facts that the teleological argument seeks to account for. We can say there are at least three.
First, the good is a fundamental and irreducible aspect of reality, since each thing is seen to preserve itself in existence as long as possible and to resist its own demise. For a wasp, it is good to exist; it is good to reproduce; it is good to promote the species. It is therefore good for the wasp to behave in a certain way or to have certain wisely structured organs, because it is good to attain the end of promoting the species. This would be true whether human beings were observing it or not. Only one who denies that anything whatsoever is good can evade this argument, yet the denial of the concept of good is contrary both to reason and to experience. Moreover, anyone who tries to argue against the good refutes himself, because he would not be able to explain why he thinks he should be arguing for the truth.
Second, nature, far more than art, demands an explanation in terms of design (that is, a directing intelligence). Natural entities wholly lacking in rational intelligence — that is, the ability to cognize the relationship between means and ends and dispose of their affairs with free choices based on that cognition — display behavior astonishing for its intelligibility, its perfect proportion between means and end, which can never be the result of chance. The same may be said of natural organs or systems that reveal a stunning intricacy far exceeding the greatest works of human hands. Truly now, how many monkeys, typewriters, and billions of years would be necessary to produce even a single respectable sentence, much less an entire Shakespeare play?
Third, matter is not capable of designing itself but always presupposes form, the source of matter’s order and functionality. Does rubber turn itself into a ball, an eraser, or a pair of galoshes? Form, in turn, presupposes purpose, as even the most elementary observation of plants and animals demonstrates.
Not for nothing, then, does Sacred Scripture testify that God’s existence may be known from the world He has made — or to speak more precisely, that His existence is evident and can be missed only by one’s own fault:
For all men who were ignorant of God were foolish by nature; and they were unable from the good things that are seen to know him who exists, nor did they recognize the craftsman while paying heed to his works[.] … For from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator. (Wisdom 13:1,5)
Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. (Romans 1:20–21)
But ask now the beasts and they will teach you, the birds of the air and they will tell you[.] … Who does not know that the hand of the Lord has wrought all these things? (Job 12:7, 9)
The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. (Psalm 19:1)
Especially in these passages but also in many others, we see that divine revelation and natural reason concur in the evidentness and cogency of the teleological argument. It is one more example of how faith and reason work together for the salvation of human intelligence and the greater glory of Almighty God.
The atheists make a show of sophistication, but they, it turns out, are the irrational ones — and their views imperil the progress of genuine understanding and wisdom. St. Thomas Aquinas offers us a more compelling and comprehensive approach to the study of God and His relationship with the world.
Peter Kwasniewski, Thomistic theologian, liturgical scholar, and choral composer, is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College in California (B.A. Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy). He taught at the International Theological Institute in Austria and the Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Austria Program, then helped establish Wyoming Catholic College in 2006. There he taught theology, philosophy, music, and art history and directed the choirs until leaving in 2018 to devote himself full-time to writing and lecturing. Today he contributes regularly to many websites and publications, including New Liturgical Movement, OnePeterFive, LifeSiteNews, Rorate Caeli, The Remnant, and Catholic Family News, and has published thirteen books, including four on traditional Catholicism: Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis (Angelico, 2014, also available in Czech, Polish, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Belarusian), Noble Beauty, Transcendent Holiness (Angelico, 2017), Tradition and Sanity (Angelico, 2018), and Reclaiming Our Roman Catholic Birthright: The Genius and Timeliness of the Traditional Latin Mass (Angelico, 2020). His work has been translated into at least eighteen languages. Kwasniewski is a scholar of The Aquinas Institute in Green Bay, which is publishing the Opera Omnia of the Angelic Doctor, a Fellow of the Albertus Magnus Center for Scholastic Studies, and a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center. He has published over a thousand articles on Thomistic thought, sacramental and liturgical theology, the history and aesthetics of music, and the social doctrine of the Church. For news, information, article links, sacred music, and the home of Os Justi Press, visit his personal website, www.peterkwasniewski.com.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-12--Animated Disney kids’ film ‘Onward’ with openly gay character bombs on opening weekend

March 12 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Last weekend ’ s box office receipts indicate that Onward , Disney ’ s first animated movie with an openly homosexual character , bombed .
Industry insiders , who are not usually associated with conservative causes , are citing Disney ’ s promotion of homosexuality , and the petitions and boycotts related to it , as a significant reason for the movie ’ s failure to attract crowds .
Crucially , these industry insiders are not blaming the coronavirus for Onward ’ s low turnout .
Other movies , which had already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually gained in viewership , indicating that , at that point , the coronavirus was not a major factor in peoples ’ decision to go to the movies .
The total take for Onward last weekend was $ 39 million , domestically , and $ 28 million from around the world .
This is the lowest opening take for a Disney-Pixar movie , after accounting for inflation , and also , not coincidentally , the lowest sale of tickets .
“ This is great news , ” said Scott Schittl , one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We believe that our petition and boycott have had a real and substantial effect .
It shows that parents and grandparents are not on board with Hollywood ’ s LGBT indoctrination agenda , and that we will no longer pay to have our values disrespected.
” Onward cost Disney somewhere between $ 175 million- $ 200 million , which is average for a Pixar film .
And the opening weekend is where a movie can generate enough revenue and momentum to attract new viewers for subsequent weeks in the hopes of making a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on average , to fall by roughly 50 percent from opening weekend to the second weekend , and exponentially from there on , Onward appears to be on its way to a serious flop – which also translates to a big financial loss for the company .
“ Unfortunately , these days , it seems that companies like Disney only think about morality and kids ’ innocence , when they are connected to the pocketbook , ” Schittl said .
“ So if Disney loses a lot of money because of the sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they will learn a lesson and stop doing it.
” Glamorizing risky sexual behavior was never part of Disney ’ s role in the past .
“ The studio should stick to good , wholesome storytelling that is fit for the entire family , ” said Schittl .
Since Onward is still at the cinemas , in spite of its dismal opening , LifeSite ’ s petition calling for a boycott of the movie is still active .
“ Disney should hear from as many people as possible , expressing their dismay about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HERE to sign petition to boycott Disney ’ s Onward .

Movie insiders attribute the flop to petitions and boycotts against the homosexual content.
March 12, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Last weekend’s box office receipts indicate that Onward, Disney’s first animated movie with an openly homosexual character, bombed.
Industry insiders, who are not usually associated with conservative causes, are citing Disney’s promotion of homosexuality, and the petitions and boycotts related to it, as a significant reason for the movie’s failure to attract crowds.
Crucially, these industry insiders are not blaming the coronavirus for Onward’s low turnout. Other movies, which had already been out a week or more, actually gained in viewership, indicating that, at that point, the coronavirus was not a major factor in peoples’ decision to go to the movies.
The total take for Onward last weekend was $39 million, domestically, and $28 million from around the world. This is the lowest opening take for a Disney-Pixar movie, after accounting for inflation, and also, not coincidentally, the lowest sale of tickets.
“This is great news,” said Scott Schittl, one of LifeSite’s campaign coordinators. “We believe that our petition and boycott have had a real and substantial effect. It shows that parents and grandparents are not on board with Hollywood’s LGBT indoctrination agenda, and that we will no longer pay to have our values disrespected.”
Onward cost Disney somewhere between $175 million-$200 million, which is average for a Pixar film. And the opening weekend is where a movie can generate enough revenue and momentum to attract new viewers for subsequent weeks in the hopes of making a profit.
But as revenues tend, on average, to fall by roughly 50 percent from opening weekend to the second weekend, and exponentially from there on, Onward appears to be on its way to a serious flop – which also translates to a big financial loss for the company.
“Unfortunately, these days, it seems that companies like Disney only think about morality and kids’ innocence, when they are connected to the pocketbook,” Schittl said. “So if Disney loses a lot of money because of the sexual ideas promoted in their films, hopefully they will learn a lesson and stop doing it.”
Glamorizing risky sexual behavior was never part of Disney’s role in the past.
“The studio should stick to good, wholesome storytelling that is fit for the entire family,” said Schittl.
Since Onward is still at the cinemas, in spite of its dismal opening, LifeSite’s petition calling for a boycott of the movie is still active.
“Disney should hear from as many people as possible, expressing their dismay about Onward,” Schittl said.
CLICK HERE to sign petition to boycott Disney’s Onward.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-12--‘Good day’ in High Court for Cdl. Pell as possibility of acquittal looms

CANBERRA , Australia , March 12 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Australian media are reporting that it has been a “ good day ” for Cardinal George Pell before the country ’ s High Court , which is hearing his appeal against his convictions for historic child sex offenses .
One legal expert present at the hearing said he believes it is a possibility that Pell will be acquitted by the High Court .
Pell was found guilty of two counts of child sex assault by a jury on December 11 , 2018 .
He has always denied the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testimony of one person .
Last year , the Victorian Court of Appeal upheld the guilty verdict .
According to reports , Pell ’ s prosecutors , led by Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions Kerry Judd QC , shifted their position on key evidence relating to Pell ’ s alleged sexual assault of two choirboys after Sunday Mass at St. Patrick ’ s Cathedral in Melbourne .
The prosecution has previously argued that there was a five- to six-minute window of opportunity during private prayer time immediately after Mass for Pell to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including church officials , have testified that Pell – who had recently been appointed the Archbishop of Melbourne at the time of the alleged offense – would never have been alone in the cathedral .
Moreover , they say it was his invariable practice to greet churchgoers at the front doors of the building immediately after Mass ended .
Pell ’ s defense has also pointed out that he would have been fully vested immediately after Mass , making the logistics of the alleged offenses highly improbable .
Monsignor Charles Portelli , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the offenses are alleged to have taken place , has said that it was Pell ’ s habit to spend 10 to 20 minutes on the steps of the cathedral after Mass .
During the first day of the appeal hearing yesterday , Pell ’ s lawyer , Brett Walker SC , said that there was “ simply not the available time for it to occur.
’ ’ But Judd changed her position at the appeal hearing today .
Rather than saying that there had been a five- to six-minute window of opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it could not be stated for certain how long the private prayer time had lasted .
Judd also accepted that the prosecution may not have sufficiently negated the evidence of Monsignor Portelli , so as to exclude reasonable doubt about the alleged crimes .
When challenged by one of the High Court judges that Portelli ’ s evidence would necessitate an acquittal , because it would cast reasonable doubt over the convictions , Judd replied : “ I do accept that when you look at Monsignor Portelli on his own , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the standard we need to.
” “ But in my submission , when you look at the whole of the evidence , it does , ” she added .
Another crucial point in the case is whether the Victorian Court of Appeal , which last year upheld Pell ’ s original conviction by jury , should have viewed the video testimony of Pell ’ s sole accuser , which was presented at the original trial .
Ordinarily appeal courts only view the transcripts of such recordings .
Chief Justice Susan Kiefel said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s very difficult to say how [ the video ] affected an intermediate appellate court judge in terms of how they read the transcript.
” “ That ’ s why you really shouldn ’ t do it [ watch the video ] … unless there is a forensic reason to do it .
To what extent is this court to determine the extent to which the court of appeal was influenced by the video ?
” John Macauley , a former altar server at St. Patrick ’ s Cathedral in Melbourne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the appeal hearing , commented earlier today that “ the crown ’ s case had collapsed under the weight of its own malicious absurdity.
” ‘ Justices are demolishing the Victorian government 's malicious and vexatious witch hunt against Cardinal Pell ’ During the trial proceedings , Macauley posted to Facebook : “ justices are demolishing the Victorian government 's malicious and vexatious witch hunt against Cardinal Pell .
If they keep up their probing questions then they 'll leave themselves no choice but to order +Pell 's immediate release.
” Macauley told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today ’ s proceedings have jeopardized the case against Pell .
“ At one point Judd claimed that ‘ just because some evidence pointed to innocence does n't mean the jury was n't entitled to convict.
’ In her own words Judd has conceded an egregious reversal of the onus of proof , ” Macauley said .
“ On another occasion Judd conceded that ‘ if the timing means that the offending simply couldn ’ t have occurred , then they [ the judges ] are rejecting the complainant ’ s evidence.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be accepted , then the ‘ fear of not believing victims ’ will have been allowed to cripple the rule of law.
” Jeremy Gans , a professor of law at Melbourne Law School , also attended the hearings .
Gans told the media that based on today ’ s proceedings , he believes that an acquittal of Pell is a possibility .
Gans tweeted earlier today : “ It ’ s far from clear that all of the judges are on the same page ... but it ’ s worth noting that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ win ’ ... and each judge asked apparently ( ! )
pro-acquittal questions.
” Pell has not been permitted to attend this week ’ s proceedings and remains in a maximum-security prison in Victoria .
The High Court has now granted the prosecution team two working days for any supplementary submissions .
It is not clear at this stage when the judges will make a further announcement on the case .

‘The crown’s case had collapsed under the weight of its own malicious absurdity.'
CANBERRA, Australia, March 12, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Australian media are reporting that it has been a “good day” for Cardinal George Pell before the country’s High Court, which is hearing his appeal against his convictions for historic child sex offenses.
One legal expert present at the hearing said he believes it is a possibility that Pell will be acquitted by the High Court.
Pell was found guilty of two counts of child sex assault by a jury on December 11, 2018. He has always denied the charges, which hinge on the uncorroborated testimony of one person. Last year, the Victorian Court of Appeal upheld the guilty verdict.
According to reports, Pell’s prosecutors, led by Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions Kerry Judd QC, shifted their position on key evidence relating to Pell’s alleged sexual assault of two choirboys after Sunday Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne.
The prosecution has previously argued that there was a five- to six-minute window of opportunity during private prayer time immediately after Mass for Pell to have committed the offenses.
Several witnesses, including church officials, have testified that Pell – who had recently been appointed the Archbishop of Melbourne at the time of the alleged offense – would never have been alone in the cathedral. Moreover, they say it was his invariable practice to greet churchgoers at the front doors of the building immediately after Mass ended. Pell’s defense has also pointed out that he would have been fully vested immediately after Mass, making the logistics of the alleged offenses highly improbable.
Monsignor Charles Portelli, an aide to Pell in 1996, when the offenses are alleged to have taken place, has said that it was Pell’s habit to spend 10 to 20 minutes on the steps of the cathedral after Mass.
Prosecution changes position
During the first day of the appeal hearing yesterday, Pell’s lawyer, Brett Walker SC, said that there was “simply not the available time for it to occur.’’
But Judd changed her position at the appeal hearing today. Rather than saying that there had been a five- to six-minute window of opportunity for the offense, Judd instead said that it could not be stated for certain how long the private prayer time had lasted.
Judd also accepted that the prosecution may not have sufficiently negated the evidence of Monsignor Portelli, so as to exclude reasonable doubt about the alleged crimes.
When challenged by one of the High Court judges that Portelli’s evidence would necessitate an acquittal, because it would cast reasonable doubt over the convictions, Judd replied: “I do accept that when you look at Monsignor Portelli on his own, we may not be able to negate this to the standard we need to.”
“But in my submission, when you look at the whole of the evidence, it does,” she added.
Another crucial point in the case is whether the Victorian Court of Appeal, which last year upheld Pell’s original conviction by jury, should have viewed the video testimony of Pell’s sole accuser, which was presented at the original trial. Ordinarily appeal courts only view the transcripts of such recordings.
Chief Justice Susan Kiefel said at today’s hearing: “It’s very difficult to say how [the video] affected an intermediate appellate court judge in terms of how they read the transcript.”
“That’s why you really shouldn’t do it [watch the video] … unless there is a forensic reason to do it. To what extent is this court to determine the extent to which the court of appeal was influenced by the video?”
John Macauley, a former altar server at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne who has been present in court throughout the appeal hearing, commented earlier today that “the crown’s case had collapsed under the weight of its own malicious absurdity.”
‘Justices are demolishing the Victorian government's malicious and vexatious witch hunt against Cardinal Pell’
During the trial proceedings, Macauley posted to Facebook: “justices are demolishing the Victorian government's malicious and vexatious witch hunt against Cardinal Pell. If they keep up their probing questions then they'll leave themselves no choice but to order +Pell's immediate release.”
Macauley told LifeSiteNews that bizarre concessions from Judd during today’s proceedings have jeopardized the case against Pell.
“At one point Judd claimed that ‘just because some evidence pointed to innocence doesn't mean the jury wasn't entitled to convict.’ In her own words Judd has conceded an egregious reversal of the onus of proof,” Macauley said.
“On another occasion Judd conceded that ‘if the timing means that the offending simply couldn’t have occurred, then they [the judges] are rejecting the complainant’s evidence.’ If this line of reasoning is to be accepted, then the ‘fear of not believing victims’ will have been allowed to cripple the rule of law.”
Jeremy Gans, a professor of law at Melbourne Law School, also attended the hearings. Gans told the media that based on today’s proceedings, he believes that an acquittal of Pell is a possibility. Gans tweeted earlier today: “It’s far from clear that all of the judges are on the same page…but it’s worth noting that there are several ways Pell can ‘win’… and each judge asked apparently (!) pro-acquittal questions.”
Pell has not been permitted to attend this week’s proceedings and remains in a maximum-security prison in Victoria.
The High Court has now granted the prosecution team two working days for any supplementary submissions. It is not clear at this stage when the judges will make a further announcement on the case.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-12--Swiss bishop expresses faith in ‘power and protection of God’ during coronavirus outbreak

CHUR , Switzerland , March 12 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Bishop Marian Eleganti , an auxiliary bishop in the Swiss Diocese of Chur , has said he expects “ miracles ” in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic .
“ I count on the power and protection of God , ” Eleganti said in a video .
“ How can we capitulate in the face of this supernatural reality ?
” he asked .
Given the power of God , Eleganti said he was unable to expect contamination from receiving the Eucharist .
Trust in God is nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ concrete.
” In Scripture , he explained , there was a power going out from Jesus Christ , which is still there today .
The Gospel of Mark relates the story of a woman “ who had had a flow of blood for twelve years.
” She tried to touch the garment of Christ , convinced that it would be enough to heal her .
“ And Jesus , perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him , immediately turned about in the crowd , and said , ‘ Who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sees that same power in the Eucharist .
“ I believe in this supernatural power of the presence of God in the Holy Host , which is the Body of Christ , ” the bishop said .
In his short video , the Swiss bishop and former Benedictine abbot pointed out that in the Old Testament , there was a clear connection between the “ spiritual state ” of the people of Israel , including its faithfulness to God , on the one hand , and the “ historical events ” it had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The prophets in the Old Testament frequently accused the kings of trusting not in God , but in their own means , according to Eleganti .
Similarly , he continued , the message of Our Lady to the seers in Fatima showed that prayer , dedication to God , and faith are connected to the “ troubles and fates ” of all peoples .
Great saints called for “ prayer , penance , repentance , as well as trust in God , ” Eleganti said .
He explicitly mentioned St. Gregory the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent essay , Italian historian Roberto de Mattei described how Gregory faced the plague in the 6th century .
The Pope exhorted everyone “ to raise their eyes to God , who permits such tremendous punishments in order to correct His children .
To placate the divine wrath , the Pope ordered a ‘ seven-form litany , ’ that is , a procession of the entire Roman population , divided into seven corteges , according to sex , age and condition .
The procession moved from the various Roman churches towards the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way.
” “ The seven corteges moved through the buildings of ancient Rome , barefoot , at a slow pace , heads covered in ashes .
While the multitude traversed the city , in sepulchral silence , the pestilence reached such a point of fury , that in the brief space of an hour , eighty people fell dead to the ground , ” de Mattei continued .
Pope Gregory was not dismayed .
He “ didn ’ t cease for a second in exhorting the people to continue praying and insisted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St. Luke and kept in Santa Maria Maggiore be brought to the front of the procession.
” After the procession , Gregory saw “ at the top of the castle an angel , who , after drying his sword dripping with blood , put it back in its sheath , as a sign that the punishment was over.
” Most of Italy is on lockdown to control the spread of the virus .
Italy is the country hit the hardest by the virus other than China , where it originated .
The Diocese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ churches in the city will be closed to the faithful until April 3 .
Public Masses had already been cancelled , but the faithful had still been able to privately pray in churches at certain times .

'How can we capitulate in the face of supernatural reality?' asked Bishop Marian Eleganti.
CHUR, Switzerland, March 12, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Bishop Marian Eleganti, an auxiliary bishop in the Swiss Diocese of Chur, has said he expects “miracles” in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic.
“I count on the power and protection of God,” Eleganti said in a video.
“How can we capitulate in the face of this supernatural reality?” he asked.
Given the power of God, Eleganti said he was unable to expect contamination from receiving the Eucharist. Trust in God is nothing abstract, but “existential” and “concrete.”
In Scripture, he explained, there was a power going out from Jesus Christ, which is still there today.
The Gospel of Mark relates the story of a woman “who had had a flow of blood for twelve years.” She tried to touch the garment of Christ, convinced that it would be enough to heal her. “And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone forth from him, immediately turned about in the crowd, and said, ‘Who touched my garments?’”
Eleganti sees that same power in the Eucharist. “I believe in this supernatural power of the presence of God in the Holy Host, which is the Body of Christ,” the bishop said.
In his short video, the Swiss bishop and former Benedictine abbot pointed out that in the Old Testament, there was a clear connection between the “spiritual state” of the people of Israel, including its faithfulness to God, on the one hand, and the “historical events” it had to experience, including plagues and illnesses.
The prophets in the Old Testament frequently accused the kings of trusting not in God, but in their own means, according to Eleganti.
Similarly, he continued, the message of Our Lady to the seers in Fatima showed that prayer, dedication to God, and faith are connected to the “troubles and fates” of all peoples.
Great saints called for “prayer, penance, repentance, as well as trust in God,” Eleganti said. He explicitly mentioned St. Gregory the Great and St. Charles Borromeo.
In a recent essay, Italian historian Roberto de Mattei described how Gregory faced the plague in the 6th century.
The Pope exhorted everyone “to raise their eyes to God, who permits such tremendous punishments in order to correct His children. To placate the divine wrath, the Pope ordered a ‘seven-form litany,’ that is, a procession of the entire Roman population, divided into seven corteges, according to sex, age and condition. The procession moved from the various Roman churches towards the Vatican Basilica, singing litanies along the way.”
“The seven corteges moved through the buildings of ancient Rome, barefoot, at a slow pace, heads covered in ashes. While the multitude traversed the city, in sepulchral silence, the pestilence reached such a point of fury, that in the brief space of an hour, eighty people fell dead to the ground,” de Mattei continued.
Pope Gregory was not dismayed. He “didn’t cease for a second in exhorting the people to continue praying and insisted that the picture of the Virgin painted by St. Luke and kept in Santa Maria Maggiore be brought to the front of the procession.”
After the procession, Gregory saw “at the top of the castle an angel, who, after drying his sword dripping with blood, put it back in its sheath, as a sign that the punishment was over.”
Most of Italy is on lockdown to control the spread of the virus. Italy is the country hit the hardest by the virus other than China, where it originated.
The Diocese of Rome announced today that all Catholic churches in the city will be closed to the faithful until April 3. Public Masses had already been cancelled, but the faithful had still been able to privately pray in churches at certain times.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-12--Canadian dad trying to stop daughter’s ‘transition’ to male faces charges for speaking to media

VANCOUVER , British Columbia , March 12 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The Canadian father who went to court last year to try and stop doctors from “ transitioning ” his troubled 14-year-old daughter from female to “ male ” may be charged with criminal contempt of court for breaching an order forbidding him to speak to the media .
Vancouver-based Christian broadcaster Laura Lynn Tyler Thompson may also be charged with criminal contempt of court in connection with a video she posted of her interview with the father last month .
A court ban forbids the publication of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the parties in the case , including the father , who is referred to in court documents as “ CD.
” But even as B.C .
Supreme Court justice Michael Tammen referred the matter Tuesday to the province ’ s attorney general to consider prosecuting the two , another journalist jumped into the fray .
Vancouver-based Dan Dicks of Press for Truth posted an interview with the father on March 10 .
Indeed , the tragic case that is receiving international attention has pivoted away from the fate of the daughter — who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months — to her lawyers ’ attempts to enforce orders prohibiting her dad speaking out publicly .
“ This story is about what happens when the public loses confidence in the rule of law , ” pointed out Kari Simpson of Culture Guard , who until recently was involved in the case .
“ Is the real issue here the conduct of the court or the conduct of the father ?
Look what they did to him , ” she added .
“ It ’ s the court that has brought itself into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the father is doing.
” Thompson and the father received a warning from the judge last month .
Thompson has since removed her interview , but it is still accessible on sites within Canada and has been widely disseminated outside the country on such sites as Mass Resistance , as well as proliferating on social media .
The father has also been interviewed by The Federalist .
The fate of Dicks of Press for Truth , and his interview with the father , which was still online at press time , remains to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the March 9 and 10 court proceedings is that the daughter ’ s lawyers — who include “ queer ” activist Barbara Findlay — admitted they were not acting under the direction of their client , who is now 15 years old and presumably does not want to pursue charges against her father , Thompson told LifeSiteNews .
The lawyers then requested that the judge refer the matter to the attorney general to consider pursuing criminal contempt of court charges against Thompson and the father .
Simpson predicts the decision will come soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she told LifeSiteNews .
“ The B.C .
NDP is hostile to parental rights and will punish those who try to protect children with judicial vengeance.
” The father went to court last year to argue that his child , who has suffered emotional distress and depression since her parents separated in 2013 , lacked the maturity to understand the radical and long-term consequences of the hormones , and that she had fallen under the sway of transgender activists .
This includes the psychologist who advised her at age 13 to “ transition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the pediatric endocrinologist at the BC Children ’ s Hospital who recommended in his first meeting with the girl and her mother that she start testosterone shots .
The doctor subsequently informed the father that his consent was not needed .
Neither of these individuals can be named under the publication ban .
Last February , Judge Gregory Bowden ruled that CD ’ s refusal to refer to his daughter as a boy and his efforts to oppose her “ transition ” constituted “ family violence.
” In April , Judge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the behest of the daughter ’ s lawyers forbidding CD from speaking to the media , and from referring to his daughter as a girl or using female pronouns when referring to her , under penalty of immediate arrest and jail .
This January , the B.C .
appeal court ruled that the father had not committed family violence and mitigated the previous rulings by supplanting them with conduct orders , which also directed the father to refer to his daughter by her preferred male name and with male pronouns , and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders are set to expire April 15 , 2020 .
However , the publication ban will remain in force .
Thompson admitted it was a “ shock ” that the judge referred the case to the attorney general , but said she ’ s ready for whatever happens .
“ I feel that there is a call from the Lord on my life , to sound the trumpet and sound the alarm on what they are doing , ” she told LifeSiteNews .
“ If I ever had to go to jail , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more perfect reason than this .
Are we going to be silent in the face of our nation sterilizing and mutilating teenagers ?
I will not be silent .
We will not bow.
” Vancouver trans activist Jenn Smith , who initially broke the story on CD , was also in court this week with Thompson and the father .
Smith argued against the publication ban .
Tammen allowed him some concessions , but the other side applied for a stay on these , which the judge then granted .
Simpson also brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the father last year .
But even though she did not publish his name or show his face , the daughter ’ s lawyers went to court , and the father was slapped with a gag order .
“ It ’ s judicial activism , weaponizing the court to achieve a political agenda , ” Simpson told LifeSiteNews .
“ The public has lost confidence not only in the rule of law but the administration of justice.
” Moreover , “ the court has abdicated its responsibility to the child , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any case where a child should be able to sue a judge , or three or four , this is it .
”

The dad may be charged with criminal contempt of court for breaching an order forbidding him to speak to the media.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 12, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The Canadian father who went to court last year to try and stop doctors from “transitioning” his troubled 14-year-old daughter from female to “male” may be charged with criminal contempt of court for breaching an order forbidding him to speak to the media.
Vancouver-based Christian broadcaster Laura Lynn Tyler Thompson may also be charged with criminal contempt of court in connection with a video she posted of her interview with the father last month.
A court ban forbids the publication of any information that could identify any of the parties in the case, including the father, who is referred to in court documents as “CD.”
But even as B.C. Supreme Court justice Michael Tammen referred the matter Tuesday to the province’s attorney general to consider prosecuting the two, another journalist jumped into the fray.
Vancouver-based Dan Dicks of Press for Truth posted an interview with the father on March 10.
Indeed, the tragic case that is receiving international attention has pivoted away from the fate of the daughter — who has been receiving testosterone shots for several months — to her lawyers’ attempts to enforce orders prohibiting her dad speaking out publicly.
“This story is about what happens when the public loses confidence in the rule of law,” pointed out Kari Simpson of Culture Guard, who until recently was involved in the case.
“Is the real issue here the conduct of the court or the conduct of the father? Look what they did to him,” she added.
“It’s the court that has brought itself into disrepute, not what Laura Lynn or the father is doing.”
Thompson and the father received a warning from the judge last month.
Thompson has since removed her interview, but it is still accessible on sites within Canada and has been widely disseminated outside the country on such sites as Mass Resistance, as well as proliferating on social media. The father has also been interviewed by The Federalist.
The fate of Dicks of Press for Truth, and his interview with the father, which was still online at press time, remains to be seen.
What was notable about the March 9 and 10 court proceedings is that the daughter’s lawyers — who include “queer” activist Barbara Findlay — admitted they were not acting under the direction of their client, who is now 15 years old and presumably does not want to pursue charges against her father, Thompson told LifeSiteNews.
The lawyers then requested that the judge refer the matter to the attorney general to consider pursuing criminal contempt of court charges against Thompson and the father.
Simpson predicts the decision will come soon.
“They will prosecute,” she told LifeSiteNews. “The B.C. NDP is hostile to parental rights and will punish those who try to protect children with judicial vengeance.”
The father went to court last year to argue that his child, who has suffered emotional distress and depression since her parents separated in 2013, lacked the maturity to understand the radical and long-term consequences of the hormones, and that she had fallen under the sway of transgender activists.
This includes the psychologist who advised her at age 13 to “transition” from a girl to a boy, and the pediatric endocrinologist at the BC Children’s Hospital who recommended in his first meeting with the girl and her mother that she start testosterone shots. The doctor subsequently informed the father that his consent was not needed.
Neither of these individuals can be named under the publication ban.
Last February, Judge Gregory Bowden ruled that CD’s refusal to refer to his daughter as a boy and his efforts to oppose her “transition” constituted “family violence.”
In April, Judge Francesca Marzari issued a protection order at the behest of the daughter’s lawyers forbidding CD from speaking to the media, and from referring to his daughter as a girl or using female pronouns when referring to her, under penalty of immediate arrest and jail.
This January, the B.C. appeal court ruled that the father had not committed family violence and mitigated the previous rulings by supplanting them with conduct orders, which also directed the father to refer to his daughter by her preferred male name and with male pronouns, and not to speak to any media.
These orders are set to expire April 15, 2020. However, the publication ban will remain in force.
Thompson admitted it was a “shock” that the judge referred the case to the attorney general, but said she’s ready for whatever happens.
“I feel that there is a call from the Lord on my life, to sound the trumpet and sound the alarm on what they are doing,” she told LifeSiteNews.
“If I ever had to go to jail, I can’t think of a more perfect reason than this. Are we going to be silent in the face of our nation sterilizing and mutilating teenagers? I will not be silent. We will not bow.”
Vancouver trans activist Jenn Smith, who initially broke the story on CD, was also in court this week with Thompson and the father. Smith argued against the publication ban. Tammen allowed him some concessions, but the other side applied for a stay on these, which the judge then granted.
Simpson also brought attention to the case when she interviewed the father last year. But even though she did not publish his name or show his face, the daughter’s lawyers went to court, and the father was slapped with a gag order.
“It’s judicial activism, weaponizing the court to achieve a political agenda,” Simpson told LifeSiteNews. “The public has lost confidence not only in the rule of law but the administration of justice.”
Moreover, “the court has abdicated its responsibility to the child,” she added.
“If there’s any case where a child should be able to sue a judge, or three or four, this is it.”
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lifesitenews--2020-03-12--BREAKING: Diocese of Rome shuts down all churches amid coronavirus fears

ROME , Italy , March 12 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― All the Catholic churches in Rome have been closed to the faithful because of the coronavirus outbreak .
In a move that is without historical precedent , Cardinal Angelo de Donatis , the Pope ’ s vicar for the diocese of Rome , announced today that all the Catholic churches in Rome will be closed until April 3 , 2020 .
Earlier this week , the Italian Bishops ’ Conference suspended all public celebrations of Mass , but they allowed the churches to be open at certain times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , that comfort has been lost to the faithful in Rome .
According to ACI Stampa , the decision came from Cardinal Angelo de Donatis , who updated the March 8 decree that originally suspended Masses to include the closing the churches .
The decree now states that “ until April 3 , 2020 , access to parish churches and other churches in the diocese of Rome open to the public , and more generally any religious building of any kind open to the public , is off-limits to all the faithful.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ permitted only to religious orders attached to them , i.e .
monks and nuns living in community .
Various provinces and dioceses in northern Italy have suspended public religious services , although some shops , bars , restaurants , gymnasiums , and other businesses remain open .
Earlier this week an elderly priest was reported to civil authorities for offering Sunday Mass .
The octogenarian apparently does not use the Internet and thus had not received a notice from the diocese about the suspension of public Masses .
The reaction of the Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus is in great contrast to that of St. Charles Borromeo , who was the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan when a plague broke out in that city on August 11 , 1576 .
According to a recent essay by Italian Catholic journalist and historian Robert de Mattei , Cardinal Borromeo not only assisted those who fell sick , but also ordered public and private prayers .
( Notably , he did not , like many in authority , flee the city . )
He visited hospitals and led penitential processions , believing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent by Heaven ” as a punishment for sins .
When the magistrates who governed Milan objected to the public ceremonies , arguing that they would spread contagion , Borromeo convinced them that spiritual remedies , like those prescribed by St. Gregory the Great in 590 , had stopped plagues in the past .
Borromeo led three general processions that October “ to placate the wrath of God ” and afterwards preached about how sins provoke God ’ s punishment .
When survivors became too afraid to leave their homes , their archbishop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outdoor altars all over the city so that people could participate from the windows of their homes .
Mattei believes , as Borromeo believed , that the Milan plague of 1576 was “ a chastisement , but also an opportunity for purification and conversion.
” “ Charles Borromeo gathered his meditations in a Memorial , wherein , he writes among other things : ‘ City of Milan , your greatness reached the heavens ; your wealth extended to the confines of the universe world ( … ) Then , all of sudden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Hand of God , and , all of a sudden , your pride was crushed ’ , ” Mattei wrote .
“ The Saint was convinced that everything was due to the great mercy of God , ” he continued and quoted Borromeo , who wrote “ [ God ] wounded and healed ; He scourged and cured ; He placed his hand on the rod of chastisement and offered the staff of support.
” Six thousand people died in the first two months of what has been called “ St .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death toll in Italy from the 2020 coronavirus is currently just over 1000 .

Until April 3, the faithful will not be able to enter churches in Rome.
ROME, Italy, March 12, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― All the Catholic churches in Rome have been closed to the faithful because of the coronavirus outbreak.
In a move that is without historical precedent, Cardinal Angelo de Donatis, the Pope’s vicar for the diocese of Rome, announced today that all the Catholic churches in Rome will be closed until April 3, 2020. Earlier this week, the Italian Bishops’ Conference suspended all public celebrations of Mass, but they allowed the churches to be open at certain times for personal prayer and Eucharistic adoration. However, that comfort has been lost to the faithful in Rome.
According to ACI Stampa, the decision came from Cardinal Angelo de Donatis, who updated the March 8 decree that originally suspended Masses to include the closing the churches.
The decree now states that “until April 3, 2020, access to parish churches and other churches in the diocese of Rome open to the public, and more generally any religious building of any kind open to the public, is off-limits to all the faithful.”
Use of the churches will be permitted only to religious orders attached to them, i.e. monks and nuns living in community.
Various provinces and dioceses in northern Italy have suspended public religious services, although some shops, bars, restaurants, gymnasiums, and other businesses remain open. Earlier this week an elderly priest was reported to civil authorities for offering Sunday Mass. The octogenarian apparently does not use the Internet and thus had not received a notice from the diocese about the suspension of public Masses.
The reaction of the Catholic Church in Italy to the outbreak of the coronavirus is in great contrast to that of St. Charles Borromeo, who was the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan when a plague broke out in that city on August 11, 1576.
According to a recent essay by Italian Catholic journalist and historian Robert de Mattei, Cardinal Borromeo not only assisted those who fell sick, but also ordered public and private prayers. (Notably, he did not, like many in authority, flee the city.) He visited hospitals and led penitential processions, believing that the plague was a “scourge sent by Heaven” as a punishment for sins. When the magistrates who governed Milan objected to the public ceremonies, arguing that they would spread contagion, Borromeo convinced them that spiritual remedies, like those prescribed by St. Gregory the Great in 590, had stopped plagues in the past.
Borromeo led three general processions that October “to placate the wrath of God” and afterwards preached about how sins provoke God’s punishment. When survivors became too afraid to leave their homes, their archbishop had Masses and public prayers said at outdoor altars all over the city so that people could participate from the windows of their homes.
Mattei believes, as Borromeo believed, that the Milan plague of 1576 was “a chastisement, but also an opportunity for purification and conversion.”
“Charles Borromeo gathered his meditations in a Memorial, wherein, he writes among other things: ‘City of Milan, your greatness reached the heavens; your wealth extended to the confines of the universe world (…) Then, all of sudden, from Heaven comes the pestilence which is the Hand of God, and, all of a sudden, your pride was crushed’,” Mattei wrote.
“The Saint was convinced that everything was due to the great mercy of God,” he continued and quoted Borromeo, who wrote “[God] wounded and healed; He scourged and cured; He placed his hand on the rod of chastisement and offered the staff of support.”
Six thousand people died in the first two months of what has been called “St. Charles’ Plague”in 1576; the death toll in Italy from the 2020 coronavirus is currently just over 1000.
Developing….
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lifesitenews--2020-03-12--Viganò: I ‘disagree’ with shutting down Masses due to coronavirus

March 12 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò said he disagrees with the church in Italy responding to the coronavirus by shutting down all public Masses .
When asked by LifeSiteNews to comment on the matter of the coronavirus and the European church ’ s response — which has mostly been to halt public masses , ban communion on the tongue , and even close the baths at Lourdes — Archbishop Viganò responded : “ I totally disagree with the measures taken by the Church in Italy.
” The Archbishop is known for having published in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignoring Pope Benedict XVI 's earlier restrictions on then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick on account of McCarrick ’ s preying upon and abuse of seminarians .
Viganò said at that time that Francis should resign .
Viganò told LifeSiteNews that he “ fully agrees ” with what Italian authors Antonio Socci , Aldo Maria Valli and a blogger writing under the pseudonym of “ Cesare Baronio ” have “ written on this subject ” of the coronavirus and the Catholic faith .
Vaticanist Antonio Socci has strongly criticized Pope Francis for peddling high-sounding slogans in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when faced with a real crisis .
“ This pontificate started with the slogan ‘ outgoing church ’ and now the pope and cardinals have literally barricaded themselves in the Vatican ( even the Angelus was live-streamed ) because of the coronavirus .
[ ... ] There are no more bridges , but walls , very high and impassable , behind which the pope , cardinals , and monsignors hide , ” he wrote in a March 9 piece .
Socci said that the virus has revealed the “ great hypocrisy of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while Pope Francis said that the “ shepherd must take the smell of the sheep , ” he and other shepherds have holed themselves up and have decided to stay “ well clear of the sheep and their breath.
” “ The other slogan from Bergoglio was ‘ the church is a field hospital.
’ And here , as soon as the epidemic broke out , traces of this field hospital are totally lost , ” he wrote .
Socci said that the situation was “ completely confusing for Catholics , who feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who should be their pastors.
” Socci also said in another piece that closing down all public Masses “ teaches that in misfortune it is better to leave God behind , ‘ because He is of no use.
’ ” Italian journalist Aldo Maria Valli has been using his blog to post encouraging pieces to help Catholics deal with the crisis from especially a spiritual perspective .
He ’ s reported on an Italian priest who , being forbidden to say Mass publicly , decided to process the streets with a statue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open-bed truck , preaching with a microphone and blessing with Holy Water .
He has also republished a blog by American Mariologist Professor Mark Miravalle about how Mary can help Christians defeat the coronavirus .
In a blog post titled “ A meditation on the present calamity ” , the blogger writing under the pseudonym of “ Cesare Baronio ” laments the decision of the Italian bishops to cancel all Masses in Italy .
“ The press release of the Italian Episcopal Conference on the occasion of the epidemic of Covid-19 ( here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conventicle of heretics and apostates , which in the face of the plague closes churches and forbids Masses , disconcerting even the most lukewarm faithful , ” the blogger asserts .
“ And it does so with that cold aseptic language that betrays the belief that they are salaried officials , bureaucrats at the service of civil power.
” Archbishop Viganò recently added his name to a petition calling for the reopening of the miraculous pools at the shrine of Lourdes , France , after the pools were closed on March 1 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been countless healings associated with the waters at Lourdes which were revealed to Saint Bernadette in February of 1858 by Our Lady , with the Church officially declaring seventy as supernatural .
The petitioners say that the decision to close all the pools has disconcerted and aggrieved the Catholic faithful all over the world , and are calling upon Bishop Antoine Hérouard the Apostolic Delegate for the Sanctuary of Lourdes and Abp .
Olivier Ribadeau Dumas , Rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes to reopen the pools immediately so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 160 years an incalculable number of faithful , affected by the most diverse diseases , have immersed themselves in these pools without any infection having ever occurred , ” the petition states .
“ When an epidemic is rampant in Europe , if there is a place that people should resort to , in order to ensure of not being infected but as to receive benefits for the soul and body , it is precisely the sanctuary of Lourdes .
Whoever in Lourdes bathes in the same pool as a Coronavirus patient , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because the pools of Lourdes are not places of sin , but places of faith , and it is faith not medicine that allows miracles.
” The message of the petition is consistent with the actions of a number of church leaders , such as US bishop Joseph Strickland who has called for Eucharistic processions to fight the coronavirus and the Polish bishops who have called for more Masses in response to the coronavirus , saying that it would be “ unimaginable ” to close churches .
Other Catholic dioceses , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receive Communion in the hand , with others canceling all public Masses or dispensing the laity from their Sunday obligation .
Catholic historian Professor Roberto de Mattei told Church Militant that the miraculous waters at Lourdes were more likely to help , rather than harm coronavirus patients .
`` If I knew a coronavirus patient , I would advise him to go to Lourdes , ” Professor de Mattei said .
“ And if I were in Lourdes and had a coronavirus patient next to me , I would be sure I would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than any mask or disinfectant .
Closing the healing pools of Lourdes means giving up believing in the miraculous character of Lourdes.
” Readers who wish to sign the petition can find it here : Keep Lourdes Open .

The church in Italy responded to the coronavirus by shutting down all public Masses.
March 12, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò said he disagrees with the church in Italy responding to the coronavirus by shutting down all public Masses.
When asked by LifeSiteNews to comment on the matter of the coronavirus and the European church’s response — which has mostly been to halt public masses, ban communion on the tongue, and even close the baths at Lourdes — Archbishop Viganò responded: “I totally disagree with the measures taken by the Church in Italy.”
The Archbishop is known for having published in 2018 a report accusing Pope Francis of ignoring Pope Benedict XVI's earlier restrictions on then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick on account of McCarrick’s preying upon and abuse of seminarians. Viganò said at that time that Francis should resign.
Viganò told LifeSiteNews that he “fully agrees” with what Italian authors Antonio Socci, Aldo Maria Valli and a blogger writing under the pseudonym of “Cesare Baronio” have “written on this subject” of the coronavirus and the Catholic faith.
Vaticanist Antonio Socci has strongly criticized Pope Francis for peddling high-sounding slogans in his pontificate that have amounted to nothing when faced with a real crisis.
“This pontificate started with the slogan ‘outgoing church’ and now the pope and cardinals have literally barricaded themselves in the Vatican (even the Angelus was live-streamed) because of the coronavirus. […] There are no more bridges, but walls, very high and impassable, behind which the pope, cardinals, and monsignors hide,” he wrote in a March 9 piece.
Socci said that the virus has revealed the “great hypocrisy of the ‘progressive Church’” in that while Pope Francis said that the “shepherd must take the smell of the sheep,” he and other shepherds have holed themselves up and have decided to stay “well clear of the sheep and their breath.”
“The other slogan from Bergoglio was ‘the church is a field hospital.’ And here, as soon as the epidemic broke out, traces of this field hospital are totally lost,” he wrote.
Socci said that the situation was “completely confusing for Catholics, who feel as if they have been abandoned by those who should be their pastors.”
Socci also said in another piece that closing down all public Masses “teaches that in misfortune it is better to leave God behind, ‘because He is of no use.’”
Italian journalist Aldo Maria Valli has been using his blog to post encouraging pieces to help Catholics deal with the crisis from especially a spiritual perspective. He’s reported on an Italian priest who, being forbidden to say Mass publicly, decided to process the streets with a statue of Mary on the back of an open-bed truck, preaching with a microphone and blessing with Holy Water. He has also republished a blog by American Mariologist Professor Mark Miravalle about how Mary can help Christians defeat the coronavirus.
In a blog post titled “A meditation on the present calamity”, the blogger writing under the pseudonym of “Cesare Baronio” laments the decision of the Italian bishops to cancel all Masses in Italy.
“The press release of the Italian Episcopal Conference on the occasion of the epidemic of Covid-19 (here) confirms the sad reality of a conventicle of heretics and apostates, which in the face of the plague closes churches and forbids Masses, disconcerting even the most lukewarm faithful,” the blogger asserts.
“And it does so with that cold aseptic language that betrays the belief that they are salaried officials, bureaucrats at the service of civil power.”
Archbishop Viganò recently added his name to a petition calling for the reopening of the miraculous pools at the shrine of Lourdes, France, after the pools were closed on March 1 in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
There have been countless healings associated with the waters at Lourdes which were revealed to Saint Bernadette in February of 1858 by Our Lady, with the Church officially declaring seventy as supernatural.
The petitioners say that the decision to close all the pools has disconcerted and aggrieved the Catholic faithful all over the world, and are calling upon Bishop Antoine Hérouard the Apostolic Delegate for the Sanctuary of Lourdes and Abp. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, Rector of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes to reopen the pools immediately so that pilgrims may return.
“In 160 years an incalculable number of faithful, affected by the most diverse diseases, have immersed themselves in these pools without any infection having ever occurred,” the petition states.
“When an epidemic is rampant in Europe, if there is a place that people should resort to, in order to ensure of not being infected but as to receive benefits for the soul and body, it is precisely the sanctuary of Lourdes. Whoever in Lourdes bathes in the same pool as a Coronavirus patient, would be certain to not be infected, because the pools of Lourdes are not places of sin, but places of faith, and it is faith not medicine that allows miracles.”
The message of the petition is consistent with the actions of a number of church leaders, such as US bishop Joseph Strickland who has called for Eucharistic processions to fight the coronavirus and the Polish bishops who have called for more Masses in response to the coronavirus, saying that it would be“unimaginable” to close churches.
Other Catholic dioceses, however, are instructing the faithful only to receive Communion in the hand, with others canceling all public Masses or dispensing the laity from their Sunday obligation.
Catholic historian Professor Roberto de Mattei told Church Militant that the miraculous waters at Lourdes were more likely to help, rather than harm coronavirus patients.
“If I knew a coronavirus patient, I would advise him to go to Lourdes,” Professor de Mattei said. “And if I were in Lourdes and had a coronavirus patient next to me, I would be sure I would not catch the infection. Lourdes protects more than any mask or disinfectant. Closing the healing pools of Lourdes means giving up believing in the miraculous character of Lourdes.”
Readers who wish to sign the petition can find it here: Keep Lourdes Open.
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