lifesitenews--2020-05-01--New Vatican survey on traditional Mass no reason for nerves, says Vatican official

April 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Markus Graulich , a canon law expert and under-secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts , told the German Catholic newspaper Die Tagespost that he sees no danger coming from the new Vatican inquiry about the situation in the dioceses worldwide with regard to Summorum Pontificum , Pope Benedict XVI ’ s motu proprio enjoining bishops not to forbid the traditional Latin Mass .
Graulich now proposes that those groups who cherish the traditional Mass should help their bishops in answering the questions as sent out by the Vatican .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Luis Ladaria Ferrer , the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ( CDF ) , had written on March 7 a letter to the presidents of the bishops ’ conferences worldwide , asking them to answer a set of questions concerning the implementation of the Summorum Pontificum , which Benedict at the time called the “ extraordinary form ” of the Roman Rite .
According to Summorum , any diocese with sufficient demand from the faithful must offer traditional Mass .
Cardinal Ladaria attached to his March 7 letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say how the situation is with regard to the traditional Latin Mass in their dioceses and whether the practice of it “ corresponds to a true pastoral need ” or whether “ it is promoted by a single priest.
” The questionnaire also asks whether there are “ positive or negative aspects ” of the traditional Latin Mass .
The CDF also wants to know whether other sacraments are being administered in the traditional forms , whether the seminarians are being influenced by it , and whether the Roman Missal of the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rite .
The ninth question reads : “ Thirteen years after the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum , what is your advice about the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite ?
” Many Catholics are concerned that this new initiative on the part of the Vatican could lead to a suppression of the traditional Mass , or that the answers of the bishops worldwide could lead to a reduction of these Masses in the world .
However , Dr. Markus Graulich , a canon lawyer and Vatican official , reassured Catholics that this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion , ” he tells the Tagespost , “ it is about an assessment of the situation , a survey , not more and not less.
” He also denies some reports that the section of the CDF responsible for the traditional Mass communities had been excluded from the formulation of the questionnaire and request .
He now proposes that those groups who cherish the traditional Mass help their bishops in answering the questionnaire concerning Summorum Pontificum .
They should provide information that the bishops need .
It was Pope Francis himself who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a survey .
As the Tagespost reports , already in 2010 , there had taken place such an assessment of the situation after the re-admission of the pre-conciliar traditional Mass .
At the time , the survey was conducted by the responsible Ecclesia Dei commission .
In response to this new CDF inquiry , Dr. Peter Kwasniewski told LifeSite he is concerned about it but that at the same time , whatever the intentions of this CDF letter , there is no reason to be “ nervous.
” “ If Summorum were negated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would not change one bit the logic of Benedict XVI ’ s argument , which is based on natural and divine law , not on ecclesiastical law : ‘ What earlier generations held as sacred , remains sacred and great for us too , and it can not be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.
’ Nota bene : not ‘ SHOULD not be forbidden , ’ but ‘ CAN NOT be forbidden.
’ ” Dr. Joseph Shaw , chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Assuming the CDF receives reasonably complete responses , comparing reports written in 2010 and in 2020 will show not only a steady growth in the number of celebrations , but an increasing and serene integration of the EF [ extraordinary form ] into the life of the Church , something attributable in large part to the attitude of the bishops themselves.
” It will show that people did not lose “ interest ” in this form of the Roman Rite , as some bishops had hoped , and new bishops seem actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One can thus see that “ the ancient Latin liturgical tradition continues to have value for new generations , ” as “ Benedict XVI noted.
” It is to be hoped that many traditional Catholic groups will make use of this opportunity to express to their bishops their gratitude for the traditional Latin Mass and to give witness to the many fruits of the traditional prayers at the traditional Mass and its reverence and deep spirituality .

April 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Markus Graulich, a canon law expert and under-secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, told the German Catholic newspaper Die Tagespost that he sees no danger coming from the new Vatican inquiry about the situation in the dioceses worldwide with regard to Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio enjoining bishops not to forbid the traditional Latin Mass. Graulich now proposes that those groups who cherish the traditional Mass should help their bishops in answering the questions as sent out by the Vatican.
As LifeSite reported on March 24, Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer, the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), had written on March 7 a letter to the presidents of the bishops’ conferences worldwide, asking them to answer a set of questions concerning the implementation of the Summorum Pontificum, which Benedict at the time called the “extraordinary form” of the Roman Rite. According to Summorum, any diocese with sufficient demand from the faithful must offer traditional Mass.
Cardinal Ladaria attached to his March 7 letter nine questions, asking the bishops to say how the situation is with regard to the traditional Latin Mass in their dioceses and whether the practice of it “corresponds to a true pastoral need” or whether “it is promoted by a single priest.”
The questionnaire also asks whether there are “positive or negative aspects” of the traditional Latin Mass. The CDF also wants to know whether other sacraments are being administered in the traditional forms, whether the seminarians are being influenced by it, and whether the Roman Missal of the year 1962 has been in use in this rite. The ninth question reads: “Thirteen years after the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, what is your advice about the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite?”
Many Catholics are concerned that this new initiative on the part of the Vatican could lead to a suppression of the traditional Mass, or that the answers of the bishops worldwide could lead to a reduction of these Masses in the world.
However, Dr. Markus Graulich, a canon lawyer and Vatican official, reassured Catholics that this is not the case. “In my opinion,” he tells the Tagespost, “it is about an assessment of the situation, a survey, not more and not less.”
He also denies some reports that the section of the CDF responsible for the traditional Mass communities had been excluded from the formulation of the questionnaire and request.
He now proposes that those groups who cherish the traditional Mass help their bishops in answering the questionnaire concerning Summorum Pontificum. They should provide information that the bishops need.
It was Pope Francis himself who has asked the CDF to undertake such a survey. As the Tagespost reports, already in 2010, there had taken place such an assessment of the situation after the re-admission of the pre-conciliar traditional Mass. At the time, the survey was conducted by the responsible Ecclesia Dei commission.
In response to this new CDF inquiry, Dr. Peter Kwasniewski told LifeSite he is concerned about it but that at the same time, whatever the intentions of this CDF letter, there is no reason to be “nervous.” “If Summorum were negated,” he writes, “it would not change one bit the logic of Benedict XVI’s argument, which is based on natural and divine law, not on ecclesiastical law: ‘What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful.’ Nota bene: not ‘SHOULD not be forbidden,’ but ‘CANNOT be forbidden.’”
Dr. Joseph Shaw, chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales, told the Catholic News Agency: “Assuming the CDF receives reasonably complete responses, comparing reports written in 2010 and in 2020 will show not only a steady growth in the number of celebrations, but an increasing and serene integration of the EF [extraordinary form] into the life of the Church, something attributable in large part to the attitude of the bishops themselves.” It will show that people did not lose “interest” in this form of the Roman Rite, as some bishops had hoped, and new bishops seem actually now more “open-minded” about it. One can thus see that “the ancient Latin liturgical tradition continues to have value for new generations,” as “Benedict XVI noted.”
It is to be hoped that many traditional Catholic groups will make use of this opportunity to express to their bishops their gratitude for the traditional Latin Mass and to give witness to the many fruits of the traditional prayers at the traditional Mass and its reverence and deep spirituality.
Follow Maike Dr. Maike Hickson was born and raised in Germany. She holds a PhD from the University of Hannover, Germany, after having written in Switzerland her doctoral dissertation on the history of Swiss intellectuals before and during World War II. She now lives in the U.S. and is married to Dr. Robert Hickson, and they have been blessed with two beautiful children. She is a happy housewife who likes to write articles when time permits. Dr. Hickson published in 2014 a Festschrift, a collection of some thirty essays written by thoughtful authors in honor of her husband upon his 70th birthday, which is entitled A Catholic Witness in Our Time. Hickson has closely followed the papacy of Pope Francis and the developments in the Catholic Church in Germany, and she has been writing articles on religion and politics for U.S. and European publications and websites such as LifeSiteNews, OnePeterFive, The Wanderer, Rorate Caeli, Catholicism.org, Catholic Family News, Christian Order, Notizie Pro-Vita, Corrispondenza Romana, Katholisches.info, Der Dreizehnte, Zeit-Fragen, and Westfalen-Blatt.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-30--How France helped build Chinese biolab linked to COVID-19 – and then got burned by the communists

April 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The French government has been notably restrained in their criticism of the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) for unleashing a pandemic upon the world .
One possible reason for their reticence is a single , highly embarrassing fact : They essentially built the Wuhan Institute of Virology ’ s P4 lab in which the coronavirus now sweeping the world was being researched , and from which it escaped .
That the French delivered the turn-key , high-containment biolab to China has long been public knowledge , but now a German newspaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added riveting details to the story .
The insider information comes from interviews with French scientists directly involved with the effort .
The picture they paint of the lab ’ s origins and operations is , to say the least , disturbing .
It tells us a lot about why we are currently in the midst of a pandemic .
The French government agreed to construct the state-of-the-art lab on condition that scientists from the two countries would collaborate on joint research projects there .
The French were to have a significant presence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement , no fewer than 50 French researchers were to have taken up residence in the apartment building attached to the lab , where they would work on a daily basis .
The construction of the Wuhan lab was completed by February 2017 .
This was such an important moment in the history of Sino-French relations that the French premier , Bernard Cazeneuve , personally traveled to Wuhan for the ribbon-cutting ceremony .
To the surprise and consternation of the French , that ceremony marked the effective end of the “ research partnership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was supposed to inaugurate .
Now that China had the P4 lab and technology it wanted , it promptly stiffed its foreign “ partner ” and tore up the agreement it had signed .
Not a single French researcher was allowed to take up residence in the compound and do research at the lab .
The Chinese betrayal went largely unremarked by the embarrassed French government .
When asked about it on French radio , the former French Health Minister , Marisol Touraine , said only , “ This is really unfortunate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” To which one might respond : “ You already have shared your knowledge , to the world ’ s great detriment .
Another notable who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony was Dr. Shi Zhengli , who is known as China ’ s “ batwoman ” for her work with bat coronaviruses .
Dr. Shi has long had a French connection , having received her PhD at the University of Montpellier in France in 2000 .
In the run up to the opening of the Wuhan P4 lab , she received many months of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ P4-lab , the Jean-Mérieux-Lab located in Lyon .
She was the one who—after the French were sent packing -- was supposed to ensure that the staff was properly trained in the strict safety protocols of P4 labs and see that these were always carefully followed .
Shi Zhengli admitted to Scientific American that she initially wondered whether the coronavirus could have come from her lab .
She was greatly relieved , she says , after a careful examination of her research records revealed that “ none of the sequences [ of the CCP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her team had sampled from bat caves.
” But there is another group of coronaviruses that are not found in “ bat caves.
” These are the novel coronaviruses that are only found in Dr. Shi ’ s P4 lab because she herself is creating them .
For years , she has been using recombinant technology to create “ enhanced ” coronaviruses that are more infectious and more deadly than their natural analogs .
The goal of this “ Gain-of-Function ” research is , quite simply , to create “ superbugs ” for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be one of these .
Since no foreign researchers , French or otherwise , have been allowed to conduct research at Dr. Shi ’ s lab , or to independently examine her research records , we currently have no way to directly verify that this is so .
And with the Communist Party “ disappearing ” those who deviate from the Party line , no Chinese witnesses to this fact are likely to come forward .
It might well cost them their lives .
As for Dr. Shi herself , China ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become known as China ’ s plague-woman .
More details about the French lab fiasco come from a book called France – Chine : Les Liasons dangereuses by the French expert on China , Antoine Izambard .
He states that the Chinese systematically sidelined the French from the very beginning of the construction of the lab .
Once the French engineers had turned over the blueprints , Chinese equipment suppliers suddenly moved in , undercutting the prices offered by French suppliers by cutting corners and using materials of low quality .
Red flags @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French company Technip , that was supposed to certify that the Wuhan lab was constructed according to the standards of the P4-lab of Lyon , refused to give approval .
Hervé Raoul , the director of the French P4-lab in Lyon that served as a model for the Wuhan lab , visited the facility many times when it was under construction , but professes ignorance about its current operations .
This in itself is extremely concerning , since Herve is listed on the Wuhan institute of Virology ’ s website as the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Advisory Committee of the Center for Emerging Infectious Disease.
” Yet he says now , simply : “ There is no French researcher working in Wuhan , and I have no idea how the lab is functioning.
” The only Frenchman to have actually had access to the Wuhan lab since its opening is the microbiologist René Courcol of Lille´s University Hospital .
His job was to have overseen the proper implementation of safety standards in the lab and to certify that they complied with international guidelines .
The WIV ’ s website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in May , 2018 , to “ evaluate the progress of quality control construction work in Wuhan P4 Laboratory ” .
He was reported as saying that “ He will try assisting WIV in creating a high-level national biosafety laboratory that combines biosafety management and quality control in the future.
” Since at that point the lab had already been researching dangerous coronaviruses for 15 months , this is hardly reassuring .
Even today , more than three years after its opening , the lab has still not been accredited by the WHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why this might be so and , perhaps not surprisingly under the circumstances , is refusing requests for interviews .
In other words , from the beginning the Wuhan P4 lab failed to meet international standards .
What this means , according to Izambard , is that “ the Wuhan lab ’ s handling of highly-contagious material was never adequately ensured.
” Given what a disaster for the French the P4 lab in Wuhan has become , it is worth asking why they embarked upon it in the first place .
Like so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China , it was an effort to increase trade with the Communist giant .
Add to this the fact that France already had close commercial ties with Wuhan , as more than 100 French companies were doing business there .
The stage was set for the P4 lab fiasco back in 2003 during the SARS-epidemic , when Chinese leader Jiang Zemin approached Jacque Chirac for help in building high-containment biolabs .
In response , the French president authorized the export of four medium-containment mobile biolabs , or P3-labs .
He did this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ministry , which argued that all existing P3-labs in China were under the direct command and control of the People ’ s Liberation Army and were being used for military purposes .
The French President ’ s authorization of the construction of a P4 biolab in Wuhan met even fiercer opposition , this time not only from his own Defense Ministry and the French intelligence service , the DGSE , but also from other member states of the European Union and from the United States .
The U.S. had consistently opposed helping China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sensitive technology required to operate it , because of the risk that the facility could be used for military purposes .
I will close with this .
Six months before the official opening of the P4 lab the French Ambassador to China visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology and bestowed a medal on Dr. Shi Zhengli .
Dr. Shi got a medal .
The rest of us got the CCP Virus .
Steven W. Mosher @ StevenWMosher is the President of the Population Research Institute and the author of Bully of Asia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the New Threat to World Order .

The origin of Wuhan's P4 biolab tells us a lot about why we're currently in the midst of a pandemic.
April 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The French government has been notably restrained in their criticism of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for unleashing a pandemic upon the world. One possible reason for their reticence is a single, highly embarrassing fact: They essentially built the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s P4 lab in which the coronavirus now sweeping the world was being researched, and from which it escaped.
That the French delivered the turn-key, high-containment biolab to China has long been public knowledge, but now a German newspaper, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, has added riveting details to the story. The insider information comes from interviews with French scientists directly involved with the effort.
The picture they paint of the lab’s origins and operations is, to say the least, disturbing. It tells us a lot about why we are currently in the midst of a pandemic.
The French government agreed to construct the state-of-the-art lab on condition that scientists from the two countries would collaborate on joint research projects there. The French were to have a significant presence. According to the terms of the agreement, no fewer than 50 French researchers were to have taken up residence in the apartment building attached to the lab, where they would work on a daily basis.
The construction of the Wuhan lab was completed by February 2017. This was such an important moment in the history of Sino-French relations that the French premier, Bernard Cazeneuve, personally traveled to Wuhan for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
To the surprise and consternation of the French, that ceremony marked the effective end of the “research partnership” that the opening of the lab was supposed to inaugurate. Now that China had the P4 lab and technology it wanted, it promptly stiffed its foreign “partner” and tore up the agreement it had signed.
Not a single French researcher was allowed to take up residence in the compound and do research at the lab.
The Chinese betrayal went largely unremarked by the embarrassed French government. When asked about it on French radio, the former French Health Minister, Marisol Touraine, said only, “This is really unfortunate, since we wanted to share our knowledge.”
To which one might respond: “You already have shared your knowledge, to the world’s great detriment.
Another notable who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony was Dr. Shi Zhengli, who is known as China’s “batwoman” for her work with bat coronaviruses. Dr. Shi has long had a French connection, having received her PhD at the University of Montpellier in France in 2000. In the run up to the opening of the Wuhan P4 lab, she received many months of intensive training at France’s only P4-lab, the Jean-Mérieux-Lab located in Lyon. She was the one who—after the French were sent packing–was supposed to ensure that the staff was properly trained in the strict safety protocols of P4 labs and see that these were always carefully followed.
Shi Zhengli admitted to Scientific American that she initially wondered whether the coronavirus could have come from her lab. She was greatly relieved, she says, after a careful examination of her research records revealed that “none of the sequences [of the CCP Virus] matched those of the viruses her team had sampled from bat caves.”
But there is another group of coronaviruses that are not found in “bat caves.” These are the novel coronaviruses that are only found in Dr. Shi’s P4 lab because she herself is creating them. For years, she has been using recombinant technology to create “enhanced” coronaviruses that are more infectious and more deadly than their natural analogs. The goal of this “Gain-of-Function” research is, quite simply, to create “superbugs” for research purposes. The CCP Virus seems to be one of these.
Since no foreign researchers, French or otherwise, have been allowed to conduct research at Dr. Shi’s lab, or to independently examine her research records, we currently have no way to directly verify that this is so. And with the Communist Party “disappearing” those who deviate from the Party line, no Chinese witnesses to this fact are likely to come forward. It might well cost them their lives. As for Dr. Shi herself, China’s batwoman probably does not want to become known as China’s plague-woman.
More details about the French lab fiasco come from a book called France – Chine: Les Liasons dangereuses by the French expert on China, Antoine Izambard. He states that the Chinese systematically sidelined the French from the very beginning of the construction of the lab. Once the French engineers had turned over the blueprints, Chinese equipment suppliers suddenly moved in, undercutting the prices offered by French suppliers by cutting corners and using materials of low quality.
Red flags immediately began to be raised. The French company Technip, that was supposed to certify that the Wuhan lab was constructed according to the standards of the P4-lab of Lyon, refused to give approval.
Hervé Raoul, the director of the French P4-lab in Lyon that served as a model for the Wuhan lab, visited the facility many times when it was under construction, but professes ignorance about its current operations. This in itself is extremely concerning, since Herve is listed on the Wuhan institute of Virology’s website as the “Deputy Director” of the “Scientific Advisory Committee of the Center for Emerging Infectious Disease.” Yet he says now, simply: “There is no French researcher working in Wuhan, and I have no idea how the lab is functioning.”
The only Frenchman to have actually had access to the Wuhan lab since its opening is the microbiologist René Courcol of Lille´s University Hospital. His job was to have overseen the proper implementation of safety standards in the lab and to certify that they complied with international guidelines. The WIV’s website notes that Courcol visited the P4 lab in May, 2018, to “evaluate the progress of quality control construction work in Wuhan P4 Laboratory”. He was reported as saying that “He will try assisting WIV in creating a high-level national biosafety laboratory that combines biosafety management and quality control in the future.”
Since at that point the lab had already been researching dangerous coronaviruses for 15 months, this is hardly reassuring. Even today, more than three years after its opening, the lab has still not been accredited by the WHO. Dr. Courcol has offered no explanation why this might be so and, perhaps not surprisingly under the circumstances, is refusing requests for interviews.
In other words, from the beginning the Wuhan P4 lab failed to meet international standards. What this means, according to Izambard, is that “the Wuhan lab’s handling of highly-contagious material was never adequately ensured.”
Given what a disaster for the French the P4 lab in Wuhan has become, it is worth asking why they embarked upon it in the first place. Like so many other failed public and private ventures in China, it was an effort to increase trade with the Communist giant. Add to this the fact that France already had close commercial ties with Wuhan, as more than 100 French companies were doing business there.
The stage was set for the P4 lab fiasco back in 2003 during the SARS-epidemic, when Chinese leader Jiang Zemin approached Jacque Chirac for help in building high-containment biolabs. In response, the French president authorized the export of four medium-containment mobile biolabs, or P3-labs. He did this against the advice of his own Defense Ministry, which argued that all existing P3-labs in China were under the direct command and control of the People’s Liberation Army and were being used for military purposes.
The French President’s authorization of the construction of a P4 biolab in Wuhan met even fiercer opposition, this time not only from his own Defense Ministry and the French intelligence service, the DGSE, but also from other member states of the European Union and from the United States. The U.S. had consistently opposed helping China create a P4 lab, and transferring the sensitive technology required to operate it, because of the risk that the facility could be used for military purposes.
I will close with this. Six months before the official opening of the P4 lab the French Ambassador to China visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology and bestowed a medal on Dr. Shi Zhengli.
Dr. Shi got a medal. The rest of us got the CCP Virus.
Steven W. Mosher @StevenWMosher is the President of the Population Research Institute and the author of Bully of Asia: Why China’s Dream is the New Threat to World Order.
Follow Steven Steven Mosher is an internationally recognised authority on China and population issues as well as an acclaimed author and speaker and founder and head of the Population Research Institute. He was the first American social scientist to visit mainland China in 1979 where he witnessed women being forced to have abortion under the new “one-child-policy” which he then exposed to the world. Mr. Mosher was a pro-choice atheist at the time, but witnessing these traumatic abortions led him to reconsider his convictions and to eventually become a practicing, pro-life Roman Catholic. Mosher has appeared numerous times before the US Congress as an expert in world population, China and human Rights abuses. He has also made TV appearances on Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, The Today Show, 20/20, FOX and CNN news, as well as being a regular guest on talk radio shows across the nation. He is the author of the best-selling A Mother’s Ordeal: One woman’s Fight Against China’s One-Child-Policy. His latest book is Bully of Asia, exposing the threat of China to the entire world at this time. Articles by Steve have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, The New Republic, The Washington Post, National Review, Reason, The Asian Wall Street Journal, Freedom Review, Linacre Quarterly, Catholic World Report, Human Life Review, First Things, and numerous other publications. Steven Mosher lives in Virginia with his wife, Vera, and their nine children.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-30--Catholic bishops’ spineless response to UK abortion laws puts blood of unborn on their hands

April 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The pandemic created by the coronavirus is giving many of us more time to think .
The various threats it poses mean that “ normal ” life has been largely suspended .
The daily activities that consume our waking hours are replaced with seriously hard thinking about what to do next , as we seek to rearrange our affairs in the light of sudden restrictions of movement and contact with others , detailed government guidance on personal and general hygiene , and a host of sometimes bewildering developments in our family and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern behind all this hard thinking is the death threat from the virus , an issue on which we constantly need to sort facts from fiction and well-founded forecasts from media hype .
A major – probably historic – news story on the BBC website some weeks ago – it seems an age away !
– was headlined : “ Coronavirus : UK changes course amid death toll fears ” – and the opening lines read : “ Change course or a quarter of a million people will die in a ‘ catastrophic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not come much starker than that.
” That figure , “ a quarter of a million , ” struck me .
In 2018 , the UK abortion figures – i.e .
England , Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland ( where there were eight recorded abortions that year ) – stood at 218,589 .
Add to that the approximately 172,000 human embryos discarded in the same year in vitro fertilisation procedures ( IVF ) , that makes over 380,000 babies deliberately killed under UK laws in the most recent 12 months for which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the death toll from the abortion and IVF pandemic in the UK in one year far surpasses the worst case scenario for the projected coronavirus death toll , reported by the BBC , which prompted the UK government a month ago dramatically to change course in tackling the disease .
All this got me thinking even more .
It was absolutely right that the Catholic bishops in Britain should show some leadership in responding to the coronavirus pandemic .
Whatever our opinions may be about the decisions they made on behalf of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disquiet on the part of many Catholics at the nature of some of these decisions – it was clearly necessary that leadership be given .
But what about the abortion and human embryo destruction pandemic – which is far bigger in scale and goes on destroying babies ’ lives year in and year out and , in another sense , destroying girls ’ and women ’ s lives and families ?
What kind of leadership is being given by Britain ’ s Catholic bishops in this historic crisis which , looking at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aside the social consequences and the spiritual welfare of our fellow citizens , surpasses on a vast scale the expected deaths from the coronavirus ?
The most recent figure for the total number of abortions throughout the UK since 1967/1968 ( when abortion was legalised ) is approximately 9.5 million .
Add to that , at the very least , 3 million embryos destroyed through IVF procedures over the past three decades , it makes 12 1/2 million babies destroyed in total .
London ’ s population is 8.7 million .
The number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years by abortion in the UK is greater than the population of London and , including embryos destroyed in IVF procedures , it comes to 1 1/2 times the size of the population of London .
And the number of babies killed in the UK by abortion and by human embryo destruction during that period is exactly 50 times greater than the worst case scenario of feared deaths in the UK as a result of the Coronavirus .
I ’ m certain that comparable figures could be easily worked out for other countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus is concerned , we have been urgently reminded by government leaders ; church leaders , including Catholic Church leaders ; health experts , and many others that we need to mobilise the entire population in order to defeat this enemy of humankind .
The country is being put on a war footing with potentially 60+ million soldiers , led by the most powerful people in the country who have the full support of thousands of professional and voluntary organisations , businesses etc .
etc .
… and the broadcast , print @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as Catholic leaders are overwhelmingly getting behind the war effort .
The pro-life movement has a tiny fraction of that active support – and powerful figures and bodies in the UK are ranged against us : in government , in parliament , in professional and voluntary organizations plus the vast bulk of the leaders of the broadcast , print and social media .
As one tiny example of that , Facebook is now frequently censoring pro-life content that appears on its pages .
On another occasion , I will write a blogpost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saved by the political movement against abortion – not to mention the countless lives saved by the work of pro-life groups that care for women and their babies .
For today , I simply make the point that the active pro-life movement is small in comparison with the UK ’ s population – and the same kind of point could be made in relation to the pro-life movement in other countries .
But the pro-life movement in Britain also has another major problem : namely , the policy of the Catholic Bishops of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kind of leadership they are giving in Britain ’ s historic abortion crisis .
The evidence clearly indicates that the policy of the CBCEW – as distinct from the doctrinal position of the Church – is , effectively , to lend support to access to abortion .
I will enlarge on the evidence for this in my forthcoming blogposts .
It ’ s an issue that the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children has sought to raise again and again at the highest levels of the Church , but things are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy will surely cost far more human lives than the coronavirus threatens to claim in the UK .
This shocking situation can be traced back nearly 20 years and its roots go back even further as I will begin to explain in my next post .

The hierarchy has reacted with urgency during the pandemic, but more unborn children will die in a year than the projected death toll from coronavirus.
Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world: Feed your flock Sign the petition here.
April 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The pandemic created by the coronavirus is giving many of us more time to think. The various threats it poses mean that “normal” life has been largely suspended. The daily activities that consume our waking hours are replaced with seriously hard thinking about what to do next, as we seek to rearrange our affairs in the light of sudden restrictions of movement and contact with others, detailed government guidance on personal and general hygiene, and a host of sometimes bewildering developments in our family and in our working lives.
The fundamental concern behind all this hard thinking is the death threat from the virus, an issue on which we constantly need to sort facts from fiction and well-founded forecasts from media hype.
A major – probably historic – news story on the BBC website some weeks ago – it seems an age away! – was headlined: “Coronavirus: UK changes course amid death toll fears” – and the opening lines read: “Change course or a quarter of a million people will die in a ‘catastrophic epidemic’ of coronavirus – warnings do not come much starker than that.”
That figure, “a quarter of a million,” struck me.
In 2018, the UK abortion figures – i.e. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (where there were eight recorded abortions that year) – stood at 218,589. Add to that the approximately 172,000 human embryos discarded in the same year in vitro fertilisation procedures (IVF), that makes over 380,000 babies deliberately killed under UK laws in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available.
In other words, the death toll from the abortion and IVF pandemic in the UK in one year far surpasses the worst case scenario for the projected coronavirus death toll, reported by the BBC, which prompted the UK government a month ago dramatically to change course in tackling the disease.
All this got me thinking even more.
It was absolutely right that the Catholic bishops in Britain should show some leadership in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. Whatever our opinions may be about the decisions they made on behalf of Catholics here — and there is understandable disquiet on the part of many Catholics at the nature of some of these decisions – it was clearly necessary that leadership be given.
But what about the abortion and human embryo destruction pandemic – which is far bigger in scale and goes on destroying babies’ lives year in and year out and, in another sense, destroying girls’ and women’s lives and families? What kind of leadership is being given by Britain’s Catholic bishops in this historic crisis which, looking at the number of deaths alone, and leaving aside the social consequences and the spiritual welfare of our fellow citizens, surpasses on a vast scale the expected deaths from the coronavirus?
The most recent figure for the total number of abortions throughout the UK since 1967/1968 (when abortion was legalised) is approximately 9.5 million. Add to that, at the very least, 3 million embryos destroyed through IVF procedures over the past three decades, it makes 12 1/2 million babies destroyed in total.
London’s population is 8.7 million. The number of babies killed in the past 52 years by abortion in the UK is greater than the population of London and, including embryos destroyed in IVF procedures, it comes to 1 1/2 times the size of the population of London.
And the number of babies killed in the UK by abortion and by human embryo destruction during that period is exactly 50 times greater than the worst case scenario of feared deaths in the UK as a result of the Coronavirus.
I’m certain that comparable figures could be easily worked out for other countries around the world.
As far as the coronavirus is concerned, we have been urgently reminded by government leaders; church leaders, including Catholic Church leaders; health experts, and many others that we need to mobilise the entire population in order to defeat this enemy of humankind.
The country is being put on a war footing with potentially 60+ million soldiers, led by the most powerful people in the country who have the full support of thousands of professional and voluntary organisations, businesses etc. etc. … and the broadcast, print and lions of social media, as well as Catholic leaders are overwhelmingly getting behind the war effort.
The pro-life movement has a tiny fraction of that active support – and powerful figures and bodies in the UK are ranged against us: in government, in parliament, in professional and voluntary organizations plus the vast bulk of the leaders of the broadcast, print and social media. As one tiny example of that, Facebook is now frequently censoring pro-life content that appears on its pages.
On another occasion, I will write a blogpost about the hundreds of thousands of lives saved by the political movement against abortion – not to mention the countless lives saved by the work of pro-life groups that care for women and their babies.
For today, I simply make the point that the active pro-life movement is small in comparison with the UK’s population – and the same kind of point could be made in relation to the pro-life movement in other countries.
But the pro-life movement in Britain also has another major problem: namely, the policy of the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales (CBCEW) and the kind of leadership they are giving in Britain’s historic abortion crisis. The evidence clearly indicates that the policy of the CBCEW – as distinct from the doctrinal position of the Church – is, effectively, to lend support to access to abortion. I will enlarge on the evidence for this in my forthcoming blogposts. It’s an issue that the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children has sought to raise again and again at the highest levels of the Church, but things are getting worse, not better. Their policy will surely cost far more human lives than the coronavirus threatens to claim in the UK. This shocking situation can be traced back nearly 20 years and its roots go back even further as I will begin to explain in my next post.
John Smeaton is the Chief executive officer of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC). He has worked fulltime in the pro-life movement for more than four decades. He was educated at Salesian College, London, before going to Oxford where he graduated in English Language and Literature. He qualified as a teacher, becoming head of English at a secondary school. He is married to Josephine. He has a grown-up family and lives in north London.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-30--Chicago Catholics launch initiative to re-open churches after Cupich refuses to meet with them

CHICAGO , Illinois , April 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Catholics in the city of Chicago have formed an organziation called the St. Charles Borromeo Society for the purpose of getting churches in their archdiocese to re-open their doors .
They have also launched a website called OpenOurChurches.org .
Today ’ s announcement is the culmination of several weeks of prayerful , peaceful activism by lay Catholics in the Chicagoland area .
On Good Friday three weeks ago , Lisa Bergman , owner of St. Augustine Academy Press , organized Stations of the Cross outside Holy Name Cathedral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that churches be considerd “ essential ” during the COVID-19 outbreak .
Last week on Friday , April 24 , Bergman , with help from Joe and Ann Scheidler of Pro-Life Action League , was joined by more than 30 Catholics in praying the rosary at the same locaton .
One woman brought a sign that read , “ Cardinal Cupich : Please Restore the Sacraments.
” Ann Scheidler forwarded LifeSite the letter she , her husband , and Bergman sent to Chicago archbishop Blase Cupich asking him to intervene with Governor Pritzker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The letter reads , in part , “ We Catholics need to get back to a real , present Mass and to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament ... many of our churches are large enough that we could easily follow the social distancing protocols.
” However , the trio was recently informed by Cupich ’ s office that he is not able to meet with them to discuss their ideas .
“ After careful review and consideration , the Cardinal regrets that this is not an opportune time for such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zepeda reads .
The St. Charles Borromeo Society plans to pray at Holy Name Cathedral every Friday at 12 noon until churches are once again open .
They urge other Catholics to launch similar efforts in their own dioceses .
A Catholic group in the Diocese of Joliet has scheduled a candlelight vigil at 7:00 P.M. on May 1 at St. Raymond Cathedral .
More information is available at OpenOurChurches.org .
Read the press release in full below .
Chicago Catholics to Gather at Holy Name Cathedral to Pray for Churches to Open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Refusal to Meet with Them on Reopening Plan CHICAGO , April 30 , 2020 – Chicago Catholic laity under the banner of the newly-formed St. Charles Borromeo Society will gather in front of Holy Name Cathedral at State and Superior Streets at noon , Friday , May 1 , to pray for a reopening of the churches in the Archdiocese of Chicago .
All social distancing mandates will be followed .
The group contacted Blase Cardinal Cupich to ask him to intervene with Governor J.B. Pritzker to ease restrictions so that churches could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a meeting with the Cardinal to come up with a plan to make Mass and the sacraments available to the faithful .
The Cardinal ’ s reply to the request was that “ after careful review and consideration , the Cardinal regrets that this is not an opportune time for such a meeting.
” “ When would be an opportune time ?
” asks Joseph Scheidler , one of the organizers of the prayer gathering at the Cathedral .
“ We are desperately in need of spiritual leadership during this pandemic and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chicago , ” said Scheidler .
“ In some dioceses across the country bishops have authorized parking lot Masses with attendees staying in their cars , ” said Scheidler .
“ Those who have been locked out of their churches for over six weeks are anxious for a plan — to know when and how their churches will come back to life.
” The St. Charles Borromeo Society plans to pray at Holy Name every Friday at noon until the churches are once again open .
They also urge other Catholics to launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For information on the project , visit OpenOurChurches.org .
A similar group in the Diocese of Joliet will hold a candlelight vigil at 7:00 pm on May 1 , at St. Raymond Cathedral .

There will be prayer vigils outside Holy Name Cathedral every Friday at noon until churches are once again open, the group says.
CHICAGO, Illinois, April 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Catholics in the city of Chicago have formed an organziation called the St. Charles Borromeo Society for the purpose of getting churches in their archdiocese to re-open their doors. They have also launched a website called OpenOurChurches.org.
Today’s announcement is the culmination of several weeks of prayerful, peaceful activism by lay Catholics in the Chicagoland area.
On Good Friday three weeks ago, Lisa Bergman, owner of St. Augustine Academy Press, organized Stations of the Cross outside Holy Name Cathedral as a way of expressing their desire that churches be considerd “essential” during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Last week on Friday, April 24, Bergman, with help from Joe and Ann Scheidler of Pro-Life Action League, was joined by more than 30 Catholics in praying the rosary at the same locaton. One woman brought a sign that read, “Cardinal Cupich: Please Restore the Sacraments.”
Ann Scheidler forwarded LifeSite the letter she, her husband, and Bergman sent to Chicago archbishop Blase Cupich asking him to intervene with Governor Pritzker so restrictions on churches could be lessened.
The letter reads, in part, “We Catholics need to get back to a real, present Mass and to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament…many of our churches are large enough that we could easily follow the social distancing protocols.”
However, the trio was recently informed by Cupich’s office that he is not able to meet with them to discuss their ideas.
“After careful review and consideration, the Cardinal regrets that this is not an opportune time for such a meeting,” an email from Gabriela Zepeda reads.
The St. Charles Borromeo Society plans to pray at Holy Name Cathedral every Friday at 12 noon until churches are once again open. They urge other Catholics to launch similar efforts in their own dioceses.
A Catholic group in the Diocese of Joliet has scheduled a candlelight vigil at 7:00 P.M. on May 1 at St. Raymond Cathedral.
More information is available at OpenOurChurches.org.
Read the press release in full below.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chicago Catholics to Gather at Holy Name Cathedral to Pray for Churches to Open Lay Group Expresses Disappointment at Cardinal's Refusal to Meet with Them on Reopening Plan Contact: Joe Scheidler, (773) 724-1166; Lisa Bergman, [email protected] CHICAGO, April 30, 2020 – Chicago Catholic laity under the banner of the newly-formed St. Charles Borromeo Society will gather in front of Holy Name Cathedral at State and Superior Streets at noon, Friday, May 1, to pray for a reopening of the churches in the Archdiocese of Chicago. All social distancing mandates will be followed. The group contacted Blase Cardinal Cupich to ask him to intervene with Governor J.B. Pritzker to ease restrictions so that churches could begin to open. They also requested a meeting with the Cardinal to come up with a plan to make Mass and the sacraments available to the faithful. The Cardinal’s reply to the request was that “after careful review and consideration, the Cardinal regrets that this is not an opportune time for such a meeting.” “When would be an opportune time?” asks Joseph Scheidler, one of the organizers of the prayer gathering at the Cathedral. “We are desperately in need of spiritual leadership during this pandemic and that is sorely lacking in the Archdiocese of Chicago,” said Scheidler. “In some dioceses across the country bishops have authorized parking lot Masses with attendees staying in their cars,” said Scheidler. “Those who have been locked out of their churches for over six weeks are anxious for a plan — to know when and how their churches will come back to life.” The St. Charles Borromeo Society plans to pray at Holy Name every Friday at noon until the churches are once again open. They also urge other Catholics to launch similar efforts in their own dioceses. For information on the project, visit OpenOurChurches.org. A similar group in the Diocese of Joliet will hold a candlelight vigil at 7:00 pm on May 1, at St. Raymond Cathedral.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-30--Trudeau mulls making coronavirus vaccine mandatory for Canadians

Tell Trudeau Liberals : Do n't discriminate against Christians on COVID-19 relief funding Sign the petition here .
April 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he needs time to “ reflect ” about the possibility of making a coronavirus vaccine mandatory in Canada , if and when it becomes available .
In speaking with reporters at his daily press conference on Tuesday , Trudeau was asked whether a coronavirus vaccine would be made mandatory .
He replied that there is still time to “ reflect ” on this topic in order to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still , unfortunately , a long way from having a vaccine .
Just finding the vaccine is the first step , the next step will be producing the vaccines in sufficient numbers to inoculate everyone , or almost everyone , that is something that we are preparing already , ” Trudeau said .
`` As to what sort of vaccination protocols will be in place , we still have a fair bit of time to reflect on that in order to get it right.
” Ted Kuntz , president of Vaccine Choice Canada @ @ @ @ @ @ @ founded by families who have suffered from vaccine reactions or injuries , told LifeSiteNews that any type of forced vaccination is “ morally repugnant ” and unconstitutional .
“ When asked if a CV 19 vaccine might become mandatory for Canadians , Trudeau has repeatedly failed to take such an egregious violation of our constitutional rights and freedoms ‘ off the table.
’ This is unacceptable , ” Kuntz said to LifeSiteNews .
“ Any consideration of imposing a medical product by force or coercion which carries the risk of permanent injury and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nor the vaccine manufacturer is legally liable is ethically and morally repugnant.
” In his Tuesday press conference , Trudeau said high vaccination rates for coronavirus will be essential when one becomes available .
He added that vaccines are “ extremely important to getting back to normal ” post coronavirus .
In Canada , vaccines are not mandatory at the federal level as each province is responsible for their healthcare delivery .
At the provincial level , some provinces such as Ontario and New Brunswick have made certain vaccines mandatory via legislation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attend public schools .
In British Columbia , parents now must provide their child ’ s immunization records for their kids to be enrolled in public and private schools .
Adrian Dix , the Minister of Health for the province of British Columbia , recently said that a coronavirus vaccine will not be made mandatory in his province .
He did , however , say that students at schools in the province who have not been immunized will have to disclose that they refused a vaccine .
In early April , Trudeau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to return to “ normal ” until a coronavirus vaccine is found .
“ We will not be coming back to our former normal situation ; we can ’ t do that until we have developed a vaccine and that could take 12 to 18 months , ” Trudeau said to reporters .
“ We don ’ t exactly know how long — we hope it ’ s earlier rather than later.
” A recent poll conducted by Leger Marketing and the Association for Canadian Studies shows that 60 percent of Canadians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent saying it should be voluntary .
The survey interviewed 1,515 Canadians and 1,016 Americans .
It found that the province with the highest support for a mandatory vaccine were those in Atlantic Canada at 63 percent , with Ontario being at 62 percent in favour .
The province showing lowest support for a mandated coronavirus vaccine was Manitoba and Saskatchewan at 52 percent support .
The same question was asked to American respondents with results showing an even 50-50 split of those in favour and against a mandatory coronavirus vaccine .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inquiring when one would feel “ comfortable with the government lifting the restrictions on workplace and leisure activity ” and letting people get back to work .
The results show that only 15 percent of Canadians feel people should not return to work until there is a vaccine .
This compares with a total of 25 percent of Americans for the same question .
A total of 28 percent overall of Canadians say that returning to work should happen when there are only sporadic cases with no pressure on the healthcare system .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ who were asked the same questions .
The same survey also found that the majority of Canadians ( 48 percent ) would not agree with “ governments using location data from people ’ s mobile devices to monitor social distancing/self-isolation.
” This compares to 45 percent saying they would be OK with cell phone tracking .
For the same question about government tracking for American respondents , 43 percent would not agree to phone tracking with 44 percent saying they would be OK with it .
The issue of vaccinations , either forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has seen prominent business leaders state their opinion on the subject .
Bill Gates , the founder of Microsoft , said in a CBS This Morning interview in early April that post coronavirus “ life ” will not be the same , or at least until everyone is “ widely vaccinated.
” While many drug companies are working to provide a vaccine for coronavirus , some companies such as Moderna are known to use aborted fetal cell lines in their development .
In early April , Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler , Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that uses any type of tissue from “ aborted children.
” Last week , Strickland sent out a letter that asked Catholics to come together with him to stop the development of any coronavirus vaccine which comes from aborted babies .
“ The crime of abortion is considered legal in our nation does not mean it is morally permissible to use the dead bodies of these children to cure a global pandemic .
Emphatically , this practice is evil , ” Strickland said in the letter .
In late April , a group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prominent pro-life leaders sent an open letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asking them to make sure that any coronavirus vaccines produced would be “ free from any connection to abortion.
” In his 1995 encyclical titled Evangelium Vitae , Pope St. John Paul II stated that “ killing of innocent human creatures , even if carried out to help others , constitutes an absolutely unacceptable act , ” adding , “ The child in the womb is more than a creature .
The child in the womb is a human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persons .
”

' ... the next step will be producing the vaccines in sufficient numbers to inoculate everyone, or almost everyone,' the prime minister said.
Tell Trudeau Liberals: Don't discriminate against Christians on COVID-19 relief funding Sign the petition here.
April 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he needs time to “reflect” about the possibility of making a coronavirus vaccine mandatory in Canada, if and when it becomes available.
In speaking with reporters at his daily press conference on Tuesday, Trudeau was asked whether a coronavirus vaccine would be made mandatory. He replied that there is still time to “reflect” on this topic in order to get it “right.”
“We are still, unfortunately, a long way from having a vaccine. Just finding the vaccine is the first step, the next step will be producing the vaccines in sufficient numbers to inoculate everyone, or almost everyone, that is something that we are preparing already,” Trudeau said.
“As to what sort of vaccination protocols will be in place, we still have a fair bit of time to reflect on that in order to get it right.”
Ted Kuntz, president of Vaccine Choice Canada (VCC), a not-for-profit society founded by families who have suffered from vaccine reactions or injuries, told LifeSiteNews that any type of forced vaccination is “morally repugnant” and unconstitutional.
“When asked if a CV 19 vaccine might become mandatory for Canadians, Trudeau has repeatedly failed to take such an egregious violation of our constitutional rights and freedoms ‘off the table.’ This is unacceptable,” Kuntz said to LifeSiteNews.
“Any consideration of imposing a medical product by force or coercion which carries the risk of permanent injury and death and for which neither the government nor the vaccine manufacturer is legally liable is ethically and morally repugnant.”
In his Tuesday press conference, Trudeau said high vaccination rates for coronavirus will be essential when one becomes available. He added that vaccines are “extremely important to getting back to normal” post coronavirus.
In Canada, vaccines are not mandatory at the federal level as each province is responsible for their healthcare delivery. At the provincial level, some provinces such as Ontario and New Brunswick have made certain vaccines mandatory via legislation, with a few exceptions, for children to attend public schools.
In British Columbia, parents now must provide their child’s immunization records for their kids to be enrolled in public and private schools.
Adrian Dix, the Minister of Health for the province of British Columbia, recently said that a coronavirus vaccine will not be made mandatory in his province. He did, however, say that students at schools in the province who have not been immunized will have to disclose that they refused a vaccine.
In early April, Trudeau said life in Canada would not be able to return to “normal” until a coronavirus vaccine is found.
“We will not be coming back to our former normal situation; we can’t do that until we have developed a vaccine and that could take 12 to 18 months,” Trudeau said to reporters.
“We don’t exactly know how long — we hope it’s earlier rather than later.”
A recent poll conducted by Leger Marketing and the Association for Canadian Studies shows that 60 percent of Canadians back a mandatory coronavirus vaccine with 40 percent saying it should be voluntary.
The survey interviewed 1,515 Canadians and 1,016 Americans. It found that the province with the highest support for a mandatory vaccine were those in Atlantic Canada at 63 percent, with Ontario being at 62 percent in favour.
The province showing lowest support for a mandated coronavirus vaccine was Manitoba and Saskatchewan at 52 percent support.
The same question was asked to American respondents with results showing an even 50-50 split of those in favour and against a mandatory coronavirus vaccine.
The survey also asked another vaccine-related question, inquiring when one would feel “comfortable with the government lifting the restrictions on workplace and leisure activity” and letting people get back to work.
The results show that only 15 percent of Canadians feel people should not return to work until there is a vaccine. This compares with a total of 25 percent of Americans for the same question.
A total of 28 percent overall of Canadians say that returning to work should happen when there are only sporadic cases with no pressure on the healthcare system. This compares to 25 percent of Americans who were asked the same questions.
The same survey also found that the majority of Canadians (48 percent) would not agree with “governments using location data from people’s mobile devices to monitor social distancing/self-isolation.” This compares to 45 percent saying they would be OK with cell phone tracking.
For the same question about government tracking for American respondents, 43 percent would not agree to phone tracking with 44 percent saying they would be OK with it.
The issue of vaccinations, either forced or voluntary, considering the coronavirus, has seen prominent business leaders state their opinion on the subject.
Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, said in a CBS This Morning interview in early April that post coronavirus “life” will not be the same, or at least until everyone is “widely vaccinated.”
While many drug companies are working to provide a vaccine for coronavirus, some companies such as Moderna are known to use aborted fetal cell lines in their development.
In early April, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas said he would reject any coronavirus vaccine that uses any type of tissue from “aborted children.”
Last week, Strickland sent out a letter that asked Catholics to come together with him to stop the development of any coronavirus vaccine which comes from aborted babies.
“The crime of abortion is considered legal in our nation does not mean it is morally permissible to use the dead bodies of these children to cure a global pandemic. Emphatically, this practice is evil,” Strickland said in the letter.
In late April, a group consisting of several Catholic bishops along with prominent pro-life leaders sent an open letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asking them to make sure that any coronavirus vaccines produced would be “free from any connection to abortion.”
In his 1995 encyclical titled Evangelium Vitae, Pope St. John Paul II stated that “killing of innocent human creatures, even if carried out to help others, constitutes an absolutely unacceptable act,” adding, “The child in the womb is more than a creature. The child in the womb is a human person. Just as we are human persons.”
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lifesitenews--2020-04-30--Far-left SPLC reports $162 million in offshore investment accounts

April 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The so-called “ hate watchdog ” Southern Poverty Law Center ( SPLC ) may be best known for its campaign to stigmatize mainstream conservative and Christian organizations , but it also has its share of more old-fashioned controversies , such as questions surrounding the revelation that it has $ 162 million in offshore investment accounts .
The revelation comes courtesy of the Washington Free Beacon , which reported that the SPLC listed $ 570 million in total assets on its most recent tax forms , $ 52 million more than the previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a drop in annual contributions from $ 132 million to $ 97 million .
The offshore accounts are part of SPLC ’ s impressive investment portfolio , which has allowed it to grow despite declining donations and ongoing scandals .
“ Critics of the SPLC in recent years have characterized the group as a money racket that labels conservative organizations as ‘ hate groups ’ to fundraise , ” the Free Beacon ’ s Joe Schoffstall wrote , “ and its most recent financial forms may fuel that criticism.
” SPLC has long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mainstream Christian and/or conservative organizations – such as Alliance Defending Freedom ( ADF ) , the David Horowitz Freedom Center , and Jihad Watch – “ hate groups ” to be distrusted by the public and blacklisted from various online platforms and services .
Over the past few years , it was forced to make a public apology and pay $ 3.4 million in defamation damages to Maajid Nawaz ’ s Quilliam Foundation , ousted co-founder Morris Dees for alleged “ inappropriate conduct , ” and has endured testimony from insiders that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and that Dees saw “ civil-rights work mainly as a marketing tool for bilking gullible Northern liberals.
” Even so , the latest forms show that Dees received $ 373,000 from SPLC in 2019 .
Former SPLC president Richard Cohen and legal director Rhonda Brownstein , who were also terminated for their role in SPLC ’ s workplace culture , also received six-figure severance packages .
In 2012 , would-be mass shooter Floyd Lee Corkins II entered the lobby of the socially-conservative Family Research Council ( FRC ) , armed with SPLC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and planning to , in his own words , “ kill as many as possible and smear the Chick-fil-A sandwiches in victims ' faces , and kill the guard.
” Nobody was killed thanks to the intervention of security guard Leo Johnson , who was wounded .
`` For decades , the organization has used its direct-mail expertise and overt hostility to orthodox religious principles as the basis for bilking wealthy , gullible donors out of their donation dollars , '' said Lt. Gen .
( Ret . )
Jerry Boykin , executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discredited , partisan hate machine has been given carte-blanche credibility by partisan Silicon Valley social media giants . ''

The 'hate watchdog' saw its total assets increase $52 million in a year to $570 million even though contributions fell by $35 million.
April 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The so-called “hate watchdog” Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) may be best known for its campaign to stigmatize mainstream conservative and Christian organizations, but it also has its share of more old-fashioned controversies, such as questions surrounding the revelation that it has $162 million in offshore investment accounts.
The revelation comes courtesy of the Washington Free Beacon, which reported that the SPLC listed $570 million in total assets on its most recent tax forms, $52 million more than the previous year. This increase came despite reporting a drop in annual contributions from $132 million to $97 million.
The offshore accounts are part of SPLC’s impressive investment portfolio, which has allowed it to grow despite declining donations and ongoing scandals. “Critics of the SPLC in recent years have characterized the group as a money racket that labels conservative organizations as ‘hate groups’ to fundraise,” the Free Beacon’s Joe Schoffstall wrote, “and its most recent financial forms may fuel that criticism.”
SPLC has long been controversial for its history of labeling mainstream Christian and/or conservative organizations – such as Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), the David Horowitz Freedom Center, and Jihad Watch – “hate groups” to be distrusted by the public and blacklisted from various online platforms and services.
Over the past few years, it was forced to make a public apology and pay $3.4 million in defamation damages to Maajid Nawaz’s Quilliam Foundation, ousted co-founder Morris Dees for alleged “inappropriate conduct,” and has endured testimony from insiders that the organization is a “highly profitable scam” and that Dees saw “civil-rights work mainly as a marketing tool for bilking gullible Northern liberals.”
Even so, the latest forms show that Dees received $373,000 from SPLC in 2019. Former SPLC president Richard Cohen and legal director Rhonda Brownstein, who were also terminated for their role in SPLC’s workplace culture, also received six-figure severance packages.
In 2012, would-be mass shooter Floyd Lee Corkins II entered the lobby of the socially-conservative Family Research Council (FRC), armed with SPLC’s “hate group” list and planning to, in his own words, “kill as many as possible and smear the Chick-fil-A sandwiches in victims' faces, and kill the guard.” Nobody was killed thanks to the intervention of security guard Leo Johnson, who was wounded.
“For decades, the organization has used its direct-mail expertise and overt hostility to orthodox religious principles as the basis for bilking wealthy, gullible donors out of their donation dollars,” said Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin, executive vice president of FRC. “This discredited, partisan hate machine has been given carte-blanche credibility by partisan Silicon Valley social media giants.”
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lifesitenews--2020-04-30--Left-wing Washington Post calls for opening of sealed records in Biden sex assault claim

April 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The left-wing Washington Post took the unexpected step Wednesday of calling for the release of sealed records that could shed light on sexual assault allegations against former Vice President and current Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden .
Former US Senate staffer Tara Reade alleges that in 1993 , then-Senator Biden assaulted her in a “ semi-private ” stairwell on Capitol Hill .
“ He had me against the wall , ” she says .
“ And then his hands were down my skirt and up my skirt .
And I was wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underneath .
And then , with his hand , he went from there and entered me – with his hand – and as he was trying to kiss me , and saying things to me.
” Reade , who has a history of criticizing Biden and championing socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders on social media , added that she “ was in a very difficult position because he was my boss and he was like my dad ’ s age at the time , ” and that beforehand she admired Biden as “ this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my eyes and I couldn ’ t believe it was happening .
It didn ’ t seem – it seemed surreal .
I just – I knew – I just felt sick.
” The Biden campaign has responded by declaring the claim is “ untrue ” and “ absolutely did not happen.
” Reade has called on Biden to unseal the University of Delaware ’ s records of his time in the Senate , which she says may still contain a copy of the complaint she filed with his office .
Biden has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Reade ’ s call received the backing of the Washington Post editorial board this week , in an op-ed arguing that while there may never be “ clear conclusions , ” there is “ no excuse for not searching.
” “ There are 1,875 boxes and 415 gigabytes of electronic content , largely uncatalogued , ” the Post notes .
“ Searching won ’ t be as easy as some might assume .
But an inventory conducted with an eye toward releasing only relevant material could at least ascertain whether personnel records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ ... ] The narrower question is whether the public ought to have as much information as possible about an assault accusation against a presidential contender , and the answer is yes.
” Though what little evidence exists in the case is far from conclusive , details supporting Reade ’ s include the fact that she has filed a police report ( opening herself up to legal consequences if she ’ s found to be lying ) , the fact that a handful of former Reade associates say she told them about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discovery of a 1993 clip of Reade ’ s mother calling Larry King ’ s CNN show to discuss her daughter ’ s “ problem ” with a “ prominent senator.
” Regardless , much of the media has shown far less interest , as have the same abortion lobbying groups that aggressively promoted unsubstantiated rape claims against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and sexual harassment claims against President Donald Trump .
The Daily Beast reports that it “ contacted 10 top national pro-women organizations for this story , including Emily ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NARAL Pro-Choice America , and the National Organization for Women .
Most organizations did not respond to a detailed request for comment , ” while “ others replied and did not provide a statement .
One unspecified “ prominent ” group among the list cited scheduling conflicts on two consecutive days , while asking to be kept “ in mind for other opportunities.
” The ardently pro-abortion Biden is the presumptive Democrat presidential nominee , though lingering concerns about the 77-year-old candidate ’ s mental sharpness have prompted speculation that Democrats may attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a younger candidate , such as New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo .

Sealed University of Delaware records of Biden's time in the Senate are alleged to contain a copy of the complaint the victim filed with Biden's office.
WARNING: This report contains a graphic sexual description
April 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The left-wing Washington Post took the unexpected step Wednesday of calling for the release of sealed records that could shed light on sexual assault allegations against former Vice President and current Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Former US Senate staffer Tara Reade alleges that in 1993, then-Senator Biden assaulted her in a “semi-private” stairwell on Capitol Hill. “He had me against the wall,” she says. “And then his hands were down my skirt and up my skirt. And I was wearing – I wasn’t wearing anything underneath. And then, with his hand, he went from there and entered me – with his hand – and as he was trying to kiss me, and saying things to me.”
Reade, who has a history of criticizing Biden and championing socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders on social media, added that she “was in a very difficult position because he was my boss and he was like my dad’s age at the time,” and that beforehand she admired Biden as “this champion of women’s rights in my eyes and I couldn’t believe it was happening. It didn’t seem – it seemed surreal. I just – I knew – I just felt sick.”
The Biden campaign has responded by declaring the claim is “untrue” and “absolutely did not happen.” Reade has called on Biden to unseal the University of Delaware’s records of his time in the Senate, which she says may still contain a copy of the complaint she filed with his office.
Biden has so far refused to do so, but Reade’s call received the backing of the Washington Post editorial board this week, in an op-ed arguing that while there may never be “clear conclusions,” there is “no excuse for not searching.”
“There are 1,875 boxes and 415 gigabytes of electronic content, largely uncatalogued,” the Post notes. “Searching won’t be as easy as some might assume. But an inventory conducted with an eye toward releasing only relevant material could at least ascertain whether personnel records are part of this archive at all […] The narrower question is whether the public ought to have as much information as possible about an assault accusation against a presidential contender, and the answer is yes.”
Though what little evidence exists in the case is far from conclusive, details supporting Reade’s include the fact that she has filed a police report (opening herself up to legal consequences if she’s found to be lying), the fact that a handful of former Reade associates say she told them about the incident in the 1990s, and the discovery of a 1993 clip of Reade’s mother calling Larry King’s CNN show to discuss her daughter’s “problem” with a “prominent senator.”
Regardless, much of the media has shown far less interest, as have the same abortion lobbying groups that aggressively promoted unsubstantiated rape claims against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and sexual harassment claims against President Donald Trump.
The Daily Beast reports that it “contacted 10 top national pro-women organizations for this story, including Emily’s List, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and the National Organization for Women. Most organizations did not respond to a detailed request for comment,” while “others replied and did not provide a statement.
One unspecified “prominent” group among the list cited scheduling conflicts on two consecutive days, while asking to be kept “in mind for other opportunities.”
The ardently pro-abortion Biden is the presumptive Democrat presidential nominee, though lingering concerns about the 77-year-old candidate’s mental sharpness have prompted speculation that Democrats may attempt to replace him at the party convention with a younger candidate, such as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-30--Renowned political philosopher: Corona lockdown measures are ‘enormous…inadmissible abuse of power’

April 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A world-renowned political philosopher is raising the alarm that government authorities could be using the “ health emergency ” brought on by the coronavirus to establish a “ permanent state of emergency ” where personal freedoms enjoy just a few weeks ago are simply erased .
Pierre Manent noted how authorities are using the “ most primitive and brutal of measures ” in response to COVID-19 , namely “ general confinement under police surveillance.
” Talking to French newspaper Le Figaro , Manent admitted that in an emergency “ some unusual measures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that basing emergency measures solely on the “ fragility of human health ” could “ provide the State with a permanent justification for a permanent state of emergency , ” given the “ permanent urgency ” of health questions .
His interview was published in English by First Things .
Manent , who has been called “ perhaps the most thoughtful political philosopher writing today , ” teaches not only in France but also at Boston College in the United States .
A follower of Aristotle , Alexis de Tocqueville , and Leo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been critical of many modern developments , for instance the European Union .
Manent converted to Catholicism at a young age .
The decisions of governments across the globe to essentially prohibit proper funerals of loved ones , Manent explained , necessarily follow the “ erasure of religion.
” He asked , “ Have you noticed that , on the long list of authorized reasons for leaving one ’ s domicile , the ‘ needs of pets ’ were not forgotten , but there was no provision for those who might wish to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Those who govern us are honorable people who are doing their best to overcome a serious crisis , ” Manent answered his own question .
“ But they have not noticed the enormous , and inadmissible abuse of power implicit in some of their decisions .
How is this possible ?
” “ It is time to wake up , ” he said .
“ Innocent or benign missteps are punished with exorbitant fines .
We are forbidden from leaving our residences without passports , but the reestablishment of national borders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said .
He pointed out that recently , “ we note the return of the least likeable features of our State.
” Nevertheless , even though the state had taken away many freedoms amid the coronavirus pandemic , Manent said , “ we gave ourselves over to the State long ago , according it sovereignty over our lives.
” Prior to political developments in recent months , people ’ s lives had already been heavily influenced , often subtly , by the power of the state , Manent explained , specifically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The spontaneity of public speech has been subjected to a kind of prior censorship , which in effect has excluded legitimate debate on most of the important questions of our common life , or even of our personal lives , ” he said .
“ Whether the question is migration or relations between the sexes and related social questions , an ideology common to society and the State dictates what is permitted and prohibited , which is the same as what is honorable and shameful , noble and vile .
In a word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a code of speech and expression , which it is considered suspect to resist.
” These prior developments put people in an impossible situation in the face of government measures amid the coronavirus pandemic .
“ Our world is full of victims who , in a voice that is at once whining and threatening , claim to be wounded ” by free speech .
“ They see in the grammatical rules governing gender an offense to all women and find homophobic insult in schoolboy profanity .
How can we now oppose the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beg it to intrude into our ever-wounded personal lives ?
” According to the French philosopher , the nation has already been “ abandoned , discredited , and delegitimized for two generations.
” Nevertheless , he said , the “ European Union is just as weak as the nations that make it up.
” Manent called the current crisis “ the end of the European fantasy.
” At the same time , he identified in it an opportunity to “ rediscover a certain affection for what we are , ” as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our national character and patiently nourish our own resources—moral and spiritual resources as well as military and economic resources.
” He cautioned that this endeavour would only be salutary if accompanied by an awareness of the very real weakness “ into which we have let ourselves slide.
” Explicitly mentioned was the dependence of France on China , which is also true of other European countries , as well as the United States .
According to Manent , that dependence was “ willed ” by governments in the Western world .
An opinion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March that American “ dependence on China is not just for medicine and devices to deal with this pandemic but also for technology that is critical to our long-term economic and security interests.
” “ The current pandemic has exposed the fact that we are dependent on China for everything from iPhones and computers to clothing and footwear—supply chains that have been disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak , ” wrote Marc A. Thiessen .
“ It ’ s one thing to depend on China for cheap T-shirts and sneakers , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to depend on a brutal communist dictatorship for life-saving drugs and the communications infrastructure that will undergird the 21st-century economy.
” RELATED : Are globalists using coronavirus crisis as battering ram to destroy , remake world order ?

PETITION: Support pro-lifers threatened and arrested for praying outside of abortion facilities Sign the petition here.
April 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A world-renowned political philosopher is raising the alarm that government authorities could be using the “health emergency” brought on by the coronavirus to establish a “permanent state of emergency” where personal freedoms enjoyed just a few weeks ago are simply erased.
Pierre Manent noted how authorities are using the “most primitive and brutal of measures” in response to COVID-19, namely “general confinement under police surveillance.”
Talking to French newspaper Le Figaro, Manent admitted that in an emergency “some unusual measures are unavoidable.” However, he cautioned that basing emergency measures solely on the “fragility of human health” could “provide the State with a permanent justification for a permanent state of emergency,” given the “permanent urgency” of health questions. His interview was published in English by First Things.
Manent, who has been called “perhaps the most thoughtful political philosopher writing today,” teaches not only in France but also at Boston College in the United States. A follower of Aristotle, Alexis de Tocqueville, and Leo Strauss, in his work he has been critical of many modern developments, for instance the European Union. Manent converted to Catholicism at a young age.
The decisions of governments across the globe to essentially prohibit proper funerals of loved ones, Manent explained, necessarily follow the “erasure of religion.”
He asked, “Have you noticed that, on the long list of authorized reasons for leaving one’s domicile, the ‘needs of pets’ were not forgotten, but there was no provision for those who might wish to go to a place of worship?”
“Those who govern us are honorable people who are doing their best to overcome a serious crisis,” Manent answered his own question. “But they have not noticed the enormous, and inadmissible abuse of power implicit in some of their decisions. How is this possible?”
“It is time to wake up,” he said.
“Innocent or benign missteps are punished with exorbitant fines. We are forbidden from leaving our residences without passports, but the reestablishment of national borders is still considered a mortal sin,” he said.
He pointed out that recently, “we note the return of the least likeable features of our State.” Nevertheless, even though the state had taken away many freedoms amid the coronavirus pandemic, Manent said, “we gave ourselves over to the State long ago, according it sovereignty over our lives.”
Prior to political developments in recent months, people’s lives had already been heavily influenced, often subtly, by the power of the state, Manent explained, specifically referring to freedom of speech.
“The spontaneity of public speech has been subjected to a kind of prior censorship, which in effect has excluded legitimate debate on most of the important questions of our common life, or even of our personal lives,” he said.
“Whether the question is migration or relations between the sexes and related social questions, an ideology common to society and the State dictates what is permitted and prohibited, which is the same as what is honorable and shameful, noble and vile. In a word, we have altogether internalized the principle of a code of speech and expression, which it is considered suspect to resist.”
These prior developments put people in an impossible situation in the face of government measures amid the coronavirus pandemic. “Our world is full of victims who, in a voice that is at once whining and threatening, claim to be wounded” by free speech.
“They see in the grammatical rules governing gender an offense to all women and find homophobic insult in schoolboy profanity. How can we now oppose the State as guardian of rights while we beg it to intrude into our ever-wounded personal lives?”
According to the French philosopher, the nation has already been “abandoned, discredited, and delegitimized for two generations.” Nevertheless, he said, the “European Union is just as weak as the nations that make it up.”
Manent called the current crisis “the end of the European fantasy.”
At the same time, he identified in it an opportunity to “rediscover a certain affection for what we are,” as well as to “gather strength in drawing upon our national character and patiently nourish our own resources—moral and spiritual resources as well as military and economic resources.”
He cautioned that this endeavour would only be salutary if accompanied by an awareness of the very real weakness “into which we have let ourselves slide.”
Explicitly mentioned was the dependence of France on China, which is also true of other European countries, as well as the United States. According to Manent, that dependence was “willed” by governments in the Western world.
An opinion piece in the Washington Post pointed out in March that American “dependence on China is not just for medicine and devices to deal with this pandemic but also for technology that is critical to our long-term economic and security interests.”
“The current pandemic has exposed the fact that we are dependent on China for everything from iPhones and computers to clothing and footwear—supply chains that have been disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak,” wrote Marc A. Thiessen.
“It’s one thing to depend on China for cheap T-shirts and sneakers,” he argued. “It’s another to depend on a brutal communist dictatorship for life-saving drugs and the communications infrastructure that will undergird the 21st-century economy.”
RELATED: Are globalists using coronavirus crisis as battering ram to destroy, remake world order?
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lifesitenews--2020-04-30--BREAKING: Pro-life investigators ordered to pay $1.5 million in Planned Parenthood baby parts case

SAN FRANCISCO , California , April 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A judge in San Francisco has ruled that the pro-life defendants in the Planned Parenthood Federation of America v. Center for Medical Progress case – popularly known as the “ baby body parts case ” – must pay Planned Parenthood over $ 1.5 million , not including attorney fees which will likely add millions more to what they owe the abortion-committing behemoth .
In November , after the six-week courtroom drama presided over by United States District Judge William H. Orrick concluded , a jury took less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Medical Progress ( CMP ) and its undercover investigators guilty of multiple crimes , including violating the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations ( RICO ) Act , wiretapping , and engaging in civil conspiracy .
The roster of those found liable reads like a who ’ s who of pro-life all stars : Troy Newman , longtime pro-life activist and president of Operation Rescue ; David Daleiden , project lead of CMP who became the face of the investigation ; Sandra Merritt ; Albin Rhomberg ; and Gerardo Adrian Lopez .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ severally liable ” for the $ 1,555,084 judgment .
“ It is no longer in dispute that Planned Parenthood sold aborted baby parts for profit and that our video evidence was authentic .
They admitted it during our trial , ” Newman said in a just-released statement .
Newman served as a founding board member of CMP during the undercover investigation .
“ I believe when the full truth is finally told – and it wasn ’ t at our trial – we will all be exonerated , and it will be Planned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their crimes in a court of law , ” said Newman .
“ I look forward to that day.
” In 2015 , CMP released videos exposing Planned Parenthood ’ s apparently illegal trade in aborted baby body parts after a 30-month undercover operation .
The groundbreaking videos showed top-level Planned Parenthood executives haggling over prices of aborted baby body parts and discussing how to change abortion procedures to obtain more intact organs .
The videos sparked public outrage , congressional and senate hearings , and an ongoing Department of Justice criminal investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ those who practice , advocate for , and profit from unthinkably cruel and barbaric acts on the tiniest of humans against a few individuals who had the tenacity , courage , resourcefulness , and faith to walk into the heart of darkness to expose trafficking in the brains , hearts , livers , lungs , and limbs of pre-born babies , ” said LifeSiteNews ’ Lianne Laurence , who travelled to San Francisco last fall to cover the civil trial .
In her analysis of the proceedings , Laurence explained : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overestimated .
This lawsuit is Planned Parenthood ’ s desperate attempt to permanently discredit the undercover videos the Center for Medical Progress released in 2015 that exposed its part in trafficking baby body parts .
The casual brutality of abortionists discussing crushing unborn babies and haggling over the price of fetal organs shocked the world and Planned Parenthood wants to convey that those who exposed them – not their giant abortion corporation – are in the wrong .
It ’ s also a retaliatory action : Planned Parenthood wants to to crush the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
The plaintiffs allege CMP ’ s project lead David Daleiden , undercover journalists Sandra Merritt and Geraldo Adrian Lopez , and founding board members Troy Newman and Albin Rhomberg , committed 15 crimes while carrying out the undercover video project , ranging from breach of contract to racketeering .
They claim CMP is liable for paying for everything Planned Parenthood ’ s personnel bought , such as security upgrades and staff counselling hotlines , after they realized they ’ d been recorded .
The defendants named in the judgment are : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ran the undercover sting operation and is the high-profile , public face of CMP .
• Troy Newman , 54 , a veteran pro-life activist , is well-known as the president of Operation Rescue .
• Sandra Merritt , 66 , a grandmother who ran a home business and was a part-time teacher , is familiar as co-defendant with Daleiden in an ongoing California state criminal prosecution .
• Gerardo Adrian Lopez , 28 , is employed by the Navy as a hospital corpsman in an intensive care neonatal unit , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daleiden met him when he worked at Starbucks and hired him to transcribe the videos .
• Albin Rhomberg is a longtime pro-life advocate and investigator who did graduate studies in high-energy particle physics , taught physics at the University of Wisconsin , and worked in the space program at Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory and at the Johnson Space Flight Center in Texas : in other words , he ’ s a rocket scientist .
Lawyers from four law firms and four pro-life legal associations represented the five individual defendants , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The five pro-life activists are also liable for attorney fees, which will likely add millions more to what they owe America's largest abortion chain.
SAN FRANCISCO, California, April 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A judge in San Francisco has ruled that the pro-life defendants in the Planned Parenthood Federation of America v. Center for Medical Progress case – popularly known as the “baby body parts case” – must pay Planned Parenthood over $1.5 million, not including attorney fees which will likely add millions more to what they owe the abortion-committing behemoth.
In November, after the six-week courtroom drama presided over by United States District Judge William H. Orrick concluded, a jury took less than two days to find the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) and its undercover investigators guilty of multiple crimes, including violating the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, wiretapping, and engaging in civil conspiracy.
The roster of those found liable reads like a who’s who of pro-life all stars: Troy Newman, longtime pro-life activist and president of Operation Rescue; David Daleiden, project lead of CMP who became the face of the investigation; Sandra Merritt; Albin Rhomberg; and Gerardo Adrian Lopez. Each has been found “joint and severally liable” for the $1,555,084 judgment.
“It is no longer in dispute that Planned Parenthood sold aborted baby parts for profit and that our video evidence was authentic. They admitted it during our trial,” Newman said in a just-released statement. Newman served as a founding board member of CMP during the undercover investigation.
“I believe when the full truth is finally told – and it wasn’t at our trial – we will all be exonerated, and it will be Planned Parenthood that will be held liable for their crimes in a court of law,” said Newman. “I look forward to that day.”
In 2015, CMP released videos exposing Planned Parenthood’s apparently illegal trade in aborted baby body parts after a 30-month undercover operation.
The groundbreaking videos showed top-level Planned Parenthood executives haggling over prices of aborted baby body parts and discussing how to change abortion procedures to obtain more intact organs. The videos sparked public outrage, congressional and senate hearings, and an ongoing Department of Justice criminal investigation into Planned Parenthood.
The lawsuit pitted “those who practice, advocate for, and profit from unthinkably cruel and barbaric acts on the tiniest of humans against a few individuals who had the tenacity, courage, resourcefulness, and faith to walk into the heart of darkness to expose trafficking in the brains, hearts, livers, lungs, and limbs of pre-born babies,” said LifeSiteNews’ Lianne Laurence, who travelled to San Francisco last fall to cover the civil trial.
In her analysis of the proceedings, Laurence explained:
The significance of the case cannot be overestimated. This lawsuit is Planned Parenthood’s desperate attempt to permanently discredit the undercover videos the Center for Medical Progress released in 2015 that exposed its part in trafficking baby body parts. The casual brutality of abortionists discussing crushing unborn babies and haggling over the price of fetal organs shocked the world and Planned Parenthood wants to convey that those who exposed them – not their giant abortion corporation – are in the wrong. It’s also a retaliatory action: Planned Parenthood wants to to crush the pro-life advocates who went undercover and exposed them. The plaintiffs allege CMP’s project lead David Daleiden, undercover journalists Sandra Merritt and Geraldo Adrian Lopez, and founding board members Troy Newman and Albin Rhomberg, committed 15 crimes while carrying out the undercover video project, ranging from breach of contract to racketeering. They claim CMP is liable for paying for everything Planned Parenthood’s personnel bought, such as security upgrades and staff counselling hotlines, after they realized they’d been recorded.
The defendants named in the judgment are:
David Daleiden, 31, developed and ran the undercover sting operation and is the high-profile, public face of CMP.
31, developed and ran the undercover sting operation and is the high-profile, public face of CMP. Troy Newman, 54, a veteran pro-life activist, is well-known as the president of Operation Rescue.
54, a veteran pro-life activist, is well-known as the president of Operation Rescue. Sandra Merritt , 66, a grandmother who ran a home business and was a part-time teacher, is familiar as co-defendant with Daleiden in an ongoing California state criminal prosecution.
, 66, a grandmother who ran a home business and was a part-time teacher, is familiar as co-defendant with Daleiden in an ongoing California state criminal prosecution. Gerardo Adrian Lopez , 28, is employed by the Navy as a hospital corpsman in an intensive care neonatal unit, and got involved in the undercover operation after Daleiden met him when he worked at Starbucks and hired him to transcribe the videos.
, 28, is employed by the Navy as a hospital corpsman in an intensive care neonatal unit, and got involved in the undercover operation after Daleiden met him when he worked at Starbucks and hired him to transcribe the videos. Albin Rhomberg is a longtime pro-life advocate and investigator who did graduate studies in high-energy particle physics, taught physics at the University of Wisconsin, and worked in the space program at Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory and at the Johnson Space Flight Center in Texas: in other words, he’s a rocket scientist.
Lawyers from four law firms and four pro-life legal associations represented the five individual defendants, as well as CMP and its alter-ego BioMax.
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