lifesitenews--2020-10-23--“La enseñanza cristiana se interpretaría como actos delictivos,” advierten los Obispos canadienses s

“La enseñanza cristiana se interpretaría como actos delictivos,” advierten los Obispos canadienses sobre la prohibición de la terapia

Read this article in English here .
En una carta del 7 de octubre al gobierno canadiense , el CCCB enfatizó que los medios de conversión coercitivos o involuntarios no son éticos y no respetan la dignidad de la persona .
Sin embargo , los Obispos argumentaron que el lenguaje del proyecto de ley está lleno de ambigüedades que podrían convertir la instrucción religiosa y las conversaciones privadas en ilegales y dificultar que las personas que buscan revertir las llamadas cirugías de `` cambio de sexo '' lo hagan .
Evitaría que aquellos que buscan superar sentimientos intrusivos y no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
El CCCB no está solo en su lucha contra el proyecto de ley .
La Comunidad Evangélica de Canadá también ha emitido su propia carta abierta al actual Ministro de Justicia y Fiscal General de Canadá , David Lametti .
La carta de la EFC dice : “ ... [ L ] os términos ‘ práctica , tratamiento o servicio , ’ aunque a menudo se usan en un contexto médico o terapéutico , no están definidos en el Proyecto de Ley C-6 y pueden interpretarse y aplicarse de varias maneras .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ podrían incluir grupos de apoyo buscados voluntariamente para aquellos que eligen vivir sus vidas de acuerdo con sus creencias religiosas . ''
Read this article in English here .

Read this article in English here.
CANADÁ, 23 de octubre de 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Un proyecto de ley que prohíba la terapia para las atracciones sexuales no deseadas podría someter las “conversaciones privadas entre padres e hijos sobre cuestiones de sexualidad humana” a un “proceso penal,” advirtió la Conferencia Canadiense de Obispos Católicos en una nueva carta.
El proyecto de ley C-6 prohíbe la llamada terapia de conversión, que define se como “una práctica, tratamiento o servicio diseñado para cambiar la orientación sexual de una persona a heterosexual o identidad de género a cisgénero, o para reprimir o reducir la atracción o el comportamiento sexual no heterosexual.“
Según la Conferencia Canadiense de Obispos Católicos (CCCB), el proyecto de ley no deja espacio para la libertad religiosa en su idioma.
En una carta del 7 de octubre al gobierno canadiense, el CCCB enfatizó que los medios de conversión coercitivos o involuntarios no son éticos y no respetan la dignidad de la persona. Sin embargo, los Obispos argumentaron que el lenguaje del proyecto de ley está lleno de ambigüedades que podrían convertir la instrucción religiosa y las conversaciones privadas en ilegales y dificultar que las personas que buscan revertir las llamadas cirugías de “cambio de sexo” lo hagan. Evitaría que aquellos que buscan superar sentimientos intrusivos y no deseados accedan a la ayuda que desean.
El CCCB declaró: “Existe la posibilidad de que dentro de las familias, las conversaciones privadas entre padres e hijos sobre temas de sexualidad humana se consideren públicas y sujetas a enjuiciamiento penal, lo que a su vez plantea serias dudas sobre la legitimidad de la vigilancia gubernamental, la confidencialidad profesional y violación de la privacidad. Como principales educadores de sus hijos, los padres tienen derecho a criarlos de acuerdo con sus creencias religiosas legítimas y éticas. Cualquier intervención estatal no debe anular el derecho principal de los padres a cuidar de sus hijos y tomar decisiones para su bienestar.”
“Existe un peligro real de que las enseñanzas cristianas, religiosas y éticas con respecto a la sexualidad humana se interpreten como actos criminales,” advirtieron los Obispos Católicos. “El proyecto de ley podría incluso criminalizar ministerios y grupos Católicos, líderes religiosos o pastores que alientan a las personas con atracción por el mismo sexo a vivir castamente y de conformidad con las enseñanzas del Evangelio, los principios morales de la Iglesia Católica y los dictados de sus propia conciencia.“
Junto con la intromisión del gobierno en los asuntos privados de la familia, el proyecto de ley también es problemático porque no especifica cómo manejará el discurso público y la instrucción religiosa sobre sexualidad y género, haciéndolos vulnerables a la criminalización. No hay ninguna disposición en el proyecto de ley sobre creencias religiosas, filosofías o incluso estudios científicos sobre la sexualidad humana que puedan divergir de la ideología impuesta por el gobierno.
Si se interpreta literalmente, el proyecto de ley podría evitar que las personas reciban tratamiento médico de médicos, psicólogos, psiquiatras y otros expertos en salud mental porque obligaría a los profesionales médicos a retener terapias bajo pena de ley.
“Por ejemplo, las personas transgénero que deseen libremente salir de la transición podrían no tener acceso a la asistencia profesional necesaria para explorar esta opción. De manera similar, los médicos podrían verse inhibidos de defender un enfoque prudente y con apoyo profesional hacia los niños pequeños con disforia de género,” escribió el CCCB.
El CCCB no está solo en su lucha contra el proyecto de ley. La Comunidad Evangélica de Canadá también ha emitido su propia carta abierta al actual Ministro de Justicia y Fiscal General de Canadá, David Lametti. La carta de la EFC dice: “… [L] os términos‘ práctica, tratamiento o servicio,’ aunque a menudo se usan en un contexto médico o terapéutico, no están definidos en el Proyecto de Ley C-6 y pueden interpretarse y aplicarse de varias maneras. Tal como están redactados, estos términos podrían incluir grupos de apoyo buscados voluntariamente para aquellos que eligen vivir sus vidas de acuerdo con sus creencias religiosas.”
Read this article in English here.
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lifesitenews--2020-10-22--Pope’s comments on gay civil unions cause shockwaves around the world

October 22 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Pope Francis ’ s remarks supporting homosexual civil unions , aired yesterday in the premiere of the documentary Francesco , have caused a worldwide stir , arousing backlash , celebration , and confusion all at once .
“ What we have to create is a civil union law , ” Pope Francis is reported to have said in what is arguably his clearest statement of public support for a practice morally prohibited by official Catholic Church teaching .
Cardinal Raymond Burke today released a statement on Pope Francis ’ s remarks in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a source of deepest sadness and pressing pastoral concern that the private opinions reported with so much emphasis by the press and attributed to Pope Francis do not correspond to the constant teaching of the Church , as it is expressed in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.
” Cardinal Gerhard Müller commented , “ Where there is tension between the plain and obvious Word of God and the infallible interpretation on the one hand , and private expressions of opinion even by the highest church authorities on the other , the principle always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When in doubt , be in favor of God ] .
” It ’ s not just the usual critics of Pope Francis ’ s provocative statements who are speaking out .
Catholic theologian and apologist Scott Hahn , without directly quoting Pope Francis , yesterday shared on Facebook the “ Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons , ” published by the CDF in 1986 , with the statement : “ Holy Father , respectfully and humbly , I beg to differ ... if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In any case , please clarify and rectify your statement , especially in view of the official teaching of our Lord through the magisterium of His Church.
” Meanwhile , Pope Francis ’ s remarks have received notable support from U.N. secretary general António Guterres .
In an interview with the Associated Press on October 21 , he said , “ This is a clear demonstration of a fundamental principle , which is the principle of non-discrimination .
And one of the things that has been very clear in the UN doctrine on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in terms of sexual orientation so of course this issue of the pope is extremely welcome from our perspective.
” Father James Martin , controversially known as one of the most outspoken advocates for Church acceptance of homosexuality , told CNN yesterday , “ The bishops who are many in different countries who are sort of violently against civil unions are going to have to rethink their positions.
” “ [ Pope Francis ] may have in a sense , as we say in the church , developed his own doctrine .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the head of the church has now said that he feels that civil unions are ok. And we can ’ t dismiss that .
This is a kind of teaching that he is giving us , ” Fr .
Martin continued .
The fact that the pope , historically known as the “ vicar of Christ ” — although Pope Francis has distanced himself from that title — has publicly broken with Catholic moral teaching is , naturally , a source of confusion , as Bishop Thomas Tobin wryly noted in a tweet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benedict , in formal teaching said that same-sex civil unions were wrong and that Catholics had to oppose them .
Pope Francis , in a movie , said that same-sex civil unions were helpful and should be promoted .
So , I ask , how could there possibly be any confusion ?
” The responses to this tweet merely drive his point home .
One Twitter user responded , “ Because Pope Francis is Our current Pope and to disregard him is to ignore God ’ s update .
Not kidding.
” Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s word is law .
You should obey , Bishop.
” Michael Heinlein , editor of Simplycatholic.com , responded by tweeting a quote by Cardinal Francis George : “ Same-sex unions are incompatible with the teaching that has kept the Church united to her Lord for two thousand years.
” The confusion is even more powerfully demonstrated by the front cover of today ’ s “ highest circulation UK newspaper , ” Metro , shared by Edward Pentin on Twitter .
It reads : “ Pope Blesses Gay Weddings.
” While support of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — some , including Pope Francis himself — draw moral distinctions between homosexual civil unions and homosexual “ marriage.
” Metro ’ s claim that Pope Francis has blessed or in any way approved “ gay weddings ” is flat-out incorrect .
Adding “ intrigue ” to the airing of Pope Francis ’ s statements is an exchange between Rev .
Antonio Spadaro , one of Pope Francis ’ s leading communications advisers , and the Associated Press .
According to the Associated Press , Spadaro “ insisted the pope ’ s comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made during a May 2019 interview with Mexican broadcaster Televisa.
” As he exited the premiere of the film Francesco , Spadaro told the AP , “ There ’ s nothing new because it ’ s a part of that interview .
It seems strange that you don ’ t remember.
” “ But Televisa didn ’ t air those comments when it broadcast the interview — nor did the Vatican when it put out its recordings of it , ” the AP said .
How the Pope ’ s approving of homosexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Fatima Vatican hosts award ceremony for gay director of film in which Pope endorsed gay civil unions Cardinal says Catholics ‘ can and should ’ disagree with Pope ’ s ‘ opinion ’ on gay civil unions

October 22, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Pope Francis’s remarks supporting homosexual civil unions, aired yesterday in the premiere of the documentary Francesco, have caused a worldwide stir, arousing backlash, celebration, and confusion all at once.
“What we have to create is a civil union law,” Pope Francis is reported to have said in what is arguably his clearest statement of public support for a practice morally prohibited by official Catholic Church teaching.
Cardinal Raymond Burke today released a statement on Pope Francis’s remarks in which he said, “It is a source of deepest sadness and pressing pastoral concern that the private opinions reported with so much emphasis by the press and attributed to Pope Francis do not correspond to the constant teaching of the Church, as it is expressed in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.”
Cardinal Gerhard Müller commented, “Where there is tension between the plain and obvious Word of God and the infallible interpretation on the one hand, and private expressions of opinion even by the highest church authorities on the other, the principle always applies: in dubio pro DEO [When in doubt, be in favor of God].”
It’s not just the usual critics of Pope Francis’s provocative statements who are speaking out.
Catholic theologian and apologist Scott Hahn, without directly quoting Pope Francis, yesterday shared on Facebook the “Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons,” published by the CDF in 1986, with the statement: “Holy Father, respectfully and humbly, I beg to differ… if that is indeed what you said. In any case, please clarify and rectify your statement, especially in view of the official teaching of our Lord through the magisterium of His Church.”
Meanwhile, Pope Francis’s remarks have received notable support from U.N. secretary general António Guterres. In an interview with the Associated Press on October 21, he said, “This is a clear demonstration of a fundamental principle, which is the principle of non-discrimination. And one of the things that has been very clear in the UN doctrine on this is that non-discrimination is also relevant in terms of sexual orientation so of course this issue of the pope is extremely welcome from our perspective.”
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Ask Pope Francis to clarify and rectify scandalous remarks on homosexual civil unions Show Petition Text 22787 have signed the petition. Let's get to 25000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition Remarks attributed to Pope Francis (and, not denied by the Vatican) in support of homosexual civil unions have caused grave scandal to the faithful. Please SIGN this urgent petition which asks Pope Francis to clarify and rectify these heterodox and scandalous remarks on homosexual civil unions, and which will be delivered both to the Vatican and to the Papal Nuncio of the United States (the Pope's official representative in the U.S.). As the last guarantor of the Faith, the Pope should clarify and rectify these remarks, which go against the perennial teaching of the Church, even including the teaching of his living predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. "What we have to create is a law of civil coexistence [meaning civil union law, for homosexuals]...," Pope Francis is reported to have remarked, in what is arguably his clearest statement of public support for a practice morally prohibited by official Catholic Church teaching. In fact, the Church has been crystal clear in Her opposition to homosexual unions. Just in 2003, Pope Saint John Paul II approved a document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, titled 'Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons' and written by Cardinal Ratzinger (now, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI), which concludes with the following: "The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behaviour or to legal recognition of homosexual unions. The common good requires that laws recognize, promote and protect marriage as the basis of the family, the primary unit of society. Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean not only the approval of deviant behaviour, with the consequence of making it a model in present-day society, but would also obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity. The Church cannot fail to defend these values, for the good of men and women and for the good of society itself." It could not be more clear: the Church is calling people to repentance, not to be left to indulge in grave sin. Since becoming public, several senior prelates as well as other notable Catholic figures have voiced their opposition to these remarks attributed to the Pontiff. Cardinal Raymond Burke stated: "It is a source of deepest sadness and pressing pastoral concern that the private opinions reported with so much emphasis by the press and attributed to Pope Francis do not correspond to the constant teaching of the Church, as it is expressed in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition." Cardinal Gerhard Müller commented: "Where there is tension between the plain and obvious Word of God and the infallible interpretation on the one hand, and private expressions of opinion even by the highest church authorities on the other, the principle always applies: in dubio pro DEO [When in doubt, be in favor of God]." And, Catholic theologian and apologist Scott Hahn, without directly quoting Pope Francis, shared on Facebook the 'Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons,' published by the CDF in 1986, with the statement: "Holy Father, respectfully and humbly, I beg to differ... if that is indeed what you said. In any case, please clarify and rectify your statement, especially in view of the official teaching of our Lord through the magisterium of His Church." But, the silence from the Vatican has been deafening, with no clarification forthcoming. We must, therefore, ask the Pope for clarification in this serious matter. Please SIGN and SHARE this petition which asks Pope Francis to clarify and rectify remarks attributed to him in support of homosexual civil unions. FOR MORE INFORMATION: 'Cdl. Burke: Pope’s homosexual civil union remarks ‘contrary’ to Scripture, Tradition' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/cardinal-burke-on-popes-homosexual-civil-union-remarks-contrary-to-the-teaching-of-sacred-scripture-and-sacred-tradition 'Cardinal says Catholics ‘can and should’ disagree with Pope’s ‘opinion’ on gay civil unions' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/cdl.mueller-popes-words-on-gay-civil-unions-purely-private-expression-of-opinion-which-every-catholic-can-and-should-freely-contradict 'Archbishop Vigano, Bishops Tobin and Strickland respond to Pope’s approval of homosexual civil unions' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/archbishop-vigano-and-bishops-tobin-strickland-respond-to-popes-approval-of-homosexual-civil-unions 'Pope’s comments on gay civil unions cause shockwaves around the world' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/deepest-sadness-cardinal-burke-condemns-pope-franciss-remarks-supporting-civil-unions Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
Father James Martin, controversially known as one of the most outspoken advocates for Church acceptance of homosexuality, told CNN yesterday, “The bishops who are many in different countries who are sort of violently against civil unions are going to have to rethink their positions.”
“[Pope Francis] may have in a sense, as we say in the church, developed his own doctrine. We have to reckon with the fact that the head of the church has now said that he feels that civil unions are ok. And we can’t dismiss that. This is a kind of teaching that he is giving us,” Fr. Martin continued.
The fact that the pope, historically known as the “vicar of Christ” — although Pope Francis has distanced himself from that title — has publicly broken with Catholic moral teaching is, naturally, a source of confusion, as Bishop Thomas Tobin wryly noted in a tweet yesterday: “Popes John Paul and Benedict, in formal teaching said that same-sex civil unions were wrong and that Catholics had to oppose them. Pope Francis, in a movie, said that same-sex civil unions were helpful and should be promoted. So, I ask, how could there possibly be any confusion?”
The responses to this tweet merely drive his point home.
One Twitter user responded, “Because Pope Francis is Our current Pope and to disregard him is to ignore God’s update. Not kidding.”
Another said, “The Holy Father’s word is law. You should obey, Bishop.”
Michael Heinlein, editor of Simplycatholic.com, responded by tweeting a quote by Cardinal Francis George: “Same-sex unions are incompatible with the teaching that has kept the Church united to her Lord for two thousand years.”
The confusion is even more powerfully demonstrated by the front cover of today’s “highest circulation UK newspaper,” Metro, shared by Edward Pentin on Twitter. It reads: “Pope Blesses Gay Weddings.” While support of homosexual civil unions already contradicts Church teaching — some, including Pope Francis himself — draw moral distinctions between homosexual civil unions and homosexual “marriage.” Metro’s claim that Pope Francis has blessed or in any way approved “gay weddings” is flat-out incorrect.
Adding “intrigue” to the airing of Pope Francis’s statements is an exchange between Rev. Antonio Spadaro, one of Pope Francis’s leading communications advisers, and the Associated Press.
According to the Associated Press, Spadaro “insisted the pope’s comments were old news, saying they were made during a May 2019 interview with Mexican broadcaster Televisa.”
As he exited the premiere of the film Francesco, Spadaro told the AP, “There’s nothing new because it’s a part of that interview. It seems strange that you don’t remember.”
“But Televisa didn’t air those comments when it broadcast the interview — nor did the Vatican when it put out its recordings of it,” the AP said.
RELATED:
How the Pope’s approving of homosexual civil unions is related to the message of Fatima
Vatican hosts award ceremony for gay director of film in which Pope endorsed gay civil unions
Cardinal says Catholics ‘can and should’ disagree with Pope’s ‘opinion’ on gay civil unions
Cdl. Burke: Pope’s homosexual civil union remarks ‘contrary’ to Scripture, Tradition
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lifesitenews--2020-10-24--US Catholic bishops fund network that endorses Biden, abortion, strippers

October 23 , 2020 ( Lepanto Institute ) — Last week , the Lepanto Institute published a report showing how the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ( USCCB ) , through the Catholic Campaign for Human Development ( CCHD ) , is funding a network of community organizers openly committed to helping Joe Biden get elected as the next president of the United States .
The community organizing network , “ Faith in Action ” ( formerly the PICO Network ) , has forty-nine affiliate members , twenty-nine of which received $ 1.5 million from pewsitting Catholics last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a $ 500,000 grant directly to PICO/Faith in Action , meaning that the CCHD has funded the national network in recent years and is currently funding more than half of the network ’ s affiliate members .
Our previous report provided evidence from Faith in Action ’ s ( FIA ) own website and social media feeds proving a direct partisan push in favor of Joe Biden and against Donald Trump for the 2020 national election .
However , this is not the only problem with the Faith in Action network .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we also uncovered evidence of FIA promoting abortion , homosexual activism , open rebellion , and the abolition of police while making excuses for rioting and violence .
FIA ’ s Director of National Policy is “ Bishop ” Dwayne Royster .
He is also Faith in Action ’ s Northeast Regional Director , so he represents FIA ’ s regional and national policy decisions .
On April 1 , 2019 Democrat candidates for the 2020 Presidential Election participated in the “ We the People Summit.
” Royster gave the opening remarks at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s events .
After being proudly introduced by Planned Parenthood Action Fund ’ s executive director Kelley Robinson , Royster called for a round of applause for Robinson “ for her great leadership , ” before proclaiming a revolutionary vision that “ women have the right to control the destinies of their own bodies ” and work for “ all the issues and all the people that are represented in this room in the intersection of all our demands…women ’ s rights and worker ’ s rights , racial justice and reproductive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is FIA ’ s National Policy Director opening a partisan political event , calling for “ victory in November , ” but he specifically and directly endorsed the Democrat ’ s pro-abortion agenda .
Here is a clip from the conference showing Royster being introduced , and his subsequent opening remarks : Royster ’ s nonchalant attitude toward the direct and intentional killing of preborn babies extends to FIA as a whole .
For instance , FIA ’ s Live Free project issued the following re-tweets as this report was drafted ( NOTE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a direct link to a “ retweet ” that doesn ’ t go to the original tweet , in order to find the retweet , you ’ ll have to scan the timeline for the date indicated in the image below ) : Live Free ’ s moral compass is entirely skewed as can be seen by its re-tweet of a “ get out the vote ” video featuring highly suggestive posing of nearly-nude Atlanta based strippers .
Again , we must ask if this is really what the US Bishops intended to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this network !
WARNING !
This video is very graphic !
Sadly , it is necessary to post it as is to prove what is being promoted by organizations receiving Catholic funding : [ LifeSite has elected not to embed the video .
Readers who feel the need to watch it can do so at this article 's original location , here . ]
In August of 2020 , FIA ’ s national Live Free project promoted a 4-day online festival called Into Action .
Live Free was also identified as one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for the event .
Live Free ’ s Facebook posts promoting this event demonstrate that FIA knew what sort of topics this event was going to cover , including the promotion of homosexual activism and abortion “ reproductive justice.
” This Aug 5 Facebook post from Live Free clearly mentions LGBTQ activism : This video posted on Aug 18 by Live Free states “ my body , my business ” giving a strong idea what will be covered by Into Action ( also note the light up “ pro-choice ” purse in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Action videos , each of which clearly identifies FIA ’ s project , Live Free as a “ community partner , ” were filled with LGBT and transgender activism , as well as the promotion of abortion .
The clips which follow ( taken from the full video , here ) present a small sample representing the depraved nature of the entire event .
You will see the moderator introduce the president of the Trans Latina Coalition , Bamby Salcero , who opens by speaking in Spanish and then explains that it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ honor [ his ] higher power.
” He then claims that the Trump administration is attempting to “ erase ” transgenders and says that his organization is suing the Trump administration .
This clip is followed by a brief statement from Dolores Huerta , a strident pro-abortion activist .
Huerta talks about the importance of “ cross-sectionality ” between the immigrant rights movement , the workers movement , the LGBT movement , and the pro-abortion movement .
Into Action also produced a video for International Youth Day that featured heavy amounts of transgenderism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video ) .
Featured in these video clips is an interview with transgender activist , Alok Vaid-Menon , and a transgender skateboard professional called Cher Strawberry .
In this series of clips , you ’ ll see Alok states that gender boils down to “ my body my choice , ” and the claims that the idea that there are two genders is “ a harmful myth.
” You ’ ll also see Cher Strawberry attempt to normalize queer and transgender activities for youth by presenting as a popular pro-skateboarder who also happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in mind as you watch these clips that the Live Free is a project of a network receiving large amounts of funding from the US Bishops .
The promotion of homosexualism is not just confined to the national level .
On July 1 of this year , FIA member Inland Congregations United for Change ( ICUC ) posted on Facebook an image of its logo superimposed on a rainbow flag , stating , “ As Pride Month comes to a close , we would like to let all our LGBTQIA+ community know ICUC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the fight for equality.
” ICUC received $ 75,000 from the CCHD for 2019-2020 .
Speaking of ICUC , this organization not only supports homosexual activism , it also openly condones violence and the destruction of public property .
In this May 30th Facebook post , ICUC reposted Pico California co-director Rev .
Ben McBride ’ s comparison of rioters burning of the Minneapolis police headquarters to the burning bush witnessed by Moses .
ICUC and McBride suggest that the burning bush and the burning building are both calls from God to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US Bishops REALLY want to be sponsoring a group that thinks that God calls us through such violent acts as this ?
Another FIA member promoting violent revolution is $ 25,000 CCHD grantee , Faith in the Valley San Joaquin .
On May 28 , Faith in the Valley posted Rev .
Ben McBride ’ s video presentation against the police .
In the video , McBride excused the burning of private property – like a Target store in Minneapolis – calling such acts “ not rioting , but rebellion.
” He also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defund the police called “ Bring the Heat ” is ultimately concerned with abolishing the police altogether .
NOTE : This video was still available prior to the publication of our first report , but has since been deleted by both Faith in the Valley and Ben McBride .
But the Lepanto Institute saved the entire video before publishing , knowing that the evidence would soon start disappearing once we published our first report .
To view the complete video , click here .
What follows is a condensed version of the full @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racial slur , calling the US government the “ Jewnited States government ” while quoting the anti-semite Farrakhan saying he doesn ’ t have to follow the rules of the United States .
You ’ ll also see McBride promoting actual rebellion and the burning of retail stores ; calling Trump a “ totalitarian ” who is starting a police state ; calling for a race war ; admitting that their aim is to completely abolish the police ; calls burning down buildings a “ tactical action against white racists ” ; calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; calls the Republican party a “ racist system ” and that they “ say they are pro-life but they want to control women ’ s bodies , they just want people born so they can rape them.
” This echoes Ben McBride ’ s own twitter posts on the matter .
On May 20 , he retweeted a call to “ stop using the term ‘ riot ’ to describe the current actions in MN .
These are REBELLIONS.
” To this , Ben McBride added , “ Yes , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and open statement , there can be no doubt that the CCHD is funding actual calls for rebellion against the United States .
In this tweet from May 27 , Ben McBride – again , the Director for PICO California – said , “ Stop telling Black people to be peaceful.
” In this tweet from May 28 , PICO California Director Ben McBride referred to buildings set on fire by arsonists as “ burning bushes ” with the hashtag “ BringTheHEAT .
He suggested that the fires spoke to the people about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for justice.
” Again , on May 29 , PICO California Director Ben McBride appeared to be egging on arsonists by posting a photo of arson and calling the burning building “ Burning Bushes , ” presenting the hashtag # BringTheHEAT .
All of this coincides with Faith in Action ’ s member organizations and the Live Free project ’ s calls to either defund or abolish the police .
The examples we have collected are too numerous to post all of them , but here are some samples : On August 21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Project tweeted a call to “ Defund the Police.
” Keep in mind that Ben McBride , the brother of the director of the Live Free project , Michael McBride , explained on video that defunding the police was a step toward abolition .
After the presidential debate on September 29 , where President Trump mentioned the support he has from police departments across the country , Faith in Action tweeted , “ Defund the police.
” On October 7 , the Live Free project quoted PICO California ’ s director , Ben @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of police .
Faith in Action is a hard-left , pro-abortion , pro-violent-revolution , transgender-promoting , organization that is clearly committed to help Joe Biden get elected in November .
And the majority of its affiliates are receiving CCHD funds .
This is all direct proof from FIA ’ s own websites and social media feeds that it has NO intention of following CCHD ’ s poorly enforced guidelines .
This entire network must be defunded immediately and the CCHD must be held to account for its continued slipshod and absolutely faithless handling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bishop and the CCHD , telling them what you think about the CCHD funding members of Faith in Action !
Click here for the contact information for your bishop .
Click here for the name and email address of your diocesan CCHD director .
Grant Specialists Area A Ian Mitchell 202-541-3371 [ email protected ] Connecticut , Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , New Jersey , New York , Pennsylvania , Puerto Rico , Rhode Island , Vermont Published with permission from the Lepanto Institute .

Direct proof from the group's own websites and social media feeds show that it has no intention of following the U.S. bishops' poorly enforced funding guidelines.
October 23, 2020 (Lepanto Institute) — Last week, the Lepanto Institute published a report showing how the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), through the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), is funding a network of community organizers openly committed to helping Joe Biden get elected as the next president of the United States. The community organizing network, “Faith in Action” (formerly the PICO Network), has forty-nine affiliate members, twenty-nine of which received $1.5 million from pewsitting Catholics last year. In 2016, the CCHD provided a $500,000 grant directly to PICO/Faith in Action, meaning that the CCHD has funded the national network in recent years and is currently funding more than half of the network’s affiliate members.
Our previous report provided evidence from Faith in Action’s (FIA) own website and social media feeds proving a direct partisan push in favor of Joe Biden and against Donald Trump for the 2020 national election. However, this is not the only problem with the Faith in Action network. While researching FIA’s partisan activity, we also uncovered evidence of FIA promoting abortion, homosexual activism, open rebellion, and the abolition of police while making excuses for rioting and violence.
FIA’s Director of National Policy is “Bishop” Dwayne Royster. He is also Faith in Action’s Northeast Regional Director, so he represents FIA’s regional and national policy decisions. On April 1, 2019 Democrat candidates for the 2020 Presidential Election participated in the “We the People Summit.” Royster gave the opening remarks at the summit, kicking off the day’s events. After being proudly introduced by Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s executive director Kelley Robinson, Royster called for a round of applause for Robinson “for her great leadership,” before proclaiming a revolutionary vision that “women have the right to control the destinies of their own bodies” and work for “all the issues and all the people that are represented in this room in the intersection of all our demands…women’s rights and worker’s rights, racial justice and reproductive justice!” So, not only is FIA’s National Policy Director opening a partisan political event, calling for “victory in November,” but he specifically and directly endorsed the Democrat’s pro-abortion agenda. Here is a clip from the conference showing Royster being introduced, and his subsequent opening remarks:
Royster’s nonchalant attitude toward the direct and intentional killing of preborn babies extends to FIA as a whole. For instance, FIA’s Live Free project issued the following re-tweets as this report was drafted (NOTE: Because you can’t post a direct link to a “retweet” that doesn’t go to the original tweet, in order to find the retweet, you’ll have to scan the timeline for the date indicated in the image below):
Live Free’s moral compass is entirely skewed as can be seen by its re-tweet of a “get out the vote” video featuring highly suggestive posing of nearly-nude Atlanta based strippers. Again, we must ask if this is really what the US Bishops intended to fund with the 1.5 million going to this network! WARNING! This video is very graphic! Sadly, it is necessary to post it as is to prove what is being promoted by organizations receiving Catholic funding:
[LifeSite has elected not to embed the video. Readers who feel the need to watch it can do so at this article's original location, here.]
INTO ACTION
In August of 2020, FIA’s national Live Free project promoted a 4-day online festival called Into Action. Live Free was also identified as one of Into Action’s “Community Partners” for the event. Live Free’s Facebook posts promoting this event demonstrate that FIA knew what sort of topics this event was going to cover, including the promotion of homosexual activism and abortion “reproductive justice.”
This Aug 5 Facebook post from Live Free clearly mentions LGBTQ activism:
This video posted on Aug 18 by Live Free states “my body, my business” giving a strong idea what will be covered by Into Action (also note the light up “pro-choice” purse in the background):
The actual Into Action videos, each of which clearly identifies FIA’s project, Live Free as a “community partner,” were filled with LGBT and transgender activism, as well as the promotion of abortion.
The clips which follow (taken from the full video, here) present a small sample representing the depraved nature of the entire event. You will see the moderator introduce the president of the Trans Latina Coalition, Bamby Salcero, who opens by speaking in Spanish and then explains that it was a “customary thing he does to honor [his] higher power.” He then claims that the Trump administration is attempting to “erase” transgenders and says that his organization is suing the Trump administration. This clip is followed by a brief statement from Dolores Huerta, a strident pro-abortion activist. Huerta talks about the importance of “cross-sectionality” between the immigrant rights movement, the workers movement, the LGBT movement, and the pro-abortion movement.
Into Action also produced a video for International Youth Day that featured heavy amounts of transgenderism (click here to see the full video). Featured in these video clips is an interview with transgender activist, Alok Vaid-Menon, and a transgender skateboard professional called Cher Strawberry.
In this series of clips, you’ll see Alok states that gender boils down to “my body my choice,” and the claims that the idea that there are two genders is “a harmful myth.” You’ll also see Cher Strawberry attempt to normalize queer and transgender activities for youth by presenting as a popular pro-skateboarder who also happens to be a transgender activist.
Bear in mind as you watch these clips that the Live Free is a project of a network receiving large amounts of funding from the US Bishops.
The promotion of homosexualism is not just confined to the national level. On July 1 of this year, FIA member Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC) posted on Facebook an image of its logo superimposed on a rainbow flag, stating, “As Pride Month comes to a close, we would like to let all our LGBTQIA+ community know ICUC stands with you 365 days a year in the fight for equality.” ICUC received $75,000 from the CCHD for 2019-2020.
Speaking of ICUC, this organization not only supports homosexual activism, it also openly condones violence and the destruction of public property.
In this May 30th Facebook post, ICUC reposted Pico California co-director Rev. Ben McBride’s comparison of rioters burning of the Minneapolis police headquarters to the burning bush witnessed by Moses. ICUC and McBride suggest that the burning bush and the burning building are both calls from God to “go confront Empire.”
Do the US Bishops REALLY want to be sponsoring a group that thinks that God calls us through such violent acts as this?
Another FIA member promoting violent revolution is $25,000 CCHD grantee, Faith in the Valley San Joaquin. On May 28, Faith in the Valley posted Rev. Ben McBride’s video presentation against the police. In the video, McBride excused the burning of private property – like a Target store in Minneapolis – calling such acts “not rioting, but rebellion.” He also stated that FIA’s effort to defund the police called “Bring the Heat” is ultimately concerned with abolishing the police altogether.
NOTE: This video was still available prior to the publication of our first report, but has since been deleted by both Faith in the Valley and Ben McBride. But the Lepanto Institute saved the entire video before publishing, knowing that the evidence would soon start disappearing once we published our first report. To view the complete video, click here.
What follows is a condensed version of the full video, showing Ben McBride using a racial slur, calling the US government the “Jewnited States government” while quoting the anti-semite Farrakhan saying he doesn’t have to follow the rules of the United States. You’ll also see McBride promoting actual rebellion and the burning of retail stores; calling Trump a “totalitarian” who is starting a police state; calling for a race war; admitting that their aim is to completely abolish the police; calls burning down buildings a “tactical action against white racists”; calls the USA a “wicked empire”; calls the Republican party a “racist system” and that they “say they are pro-life but they want to control women’s bodies, they just want people born so they can rape them.”
This echoes Ben McBride’s own twitter posts on the matter. On May 20, he retweeted a call to “stop using the term ‘riot’ to describe the current actions in MN. These are REBELLIONS.” To this, Ben McBride added, “Yes, it is REBELLION!” Given this very clear and open statement, there can be no doubt that the CCHD is funding actual calls for rebellion against the United States.
In this tweet from May 27, Ben McBride – again, the Director for PICO California – said, “Stop telling Black people to be peaceful.”
In this tweet from May 28, PICO California Director Ben McBride referred to buildings set on fire by arsonists as “burning bushes” with the hashtag “BringTheHEAT. He suggested that the fires spoke to the people about “oppression” and called “out for justice.”
Again, on May 29, PICO California Director Ben McBride appeared to be egging on arsonists by posting a photo of arson and calling the burning building “Burning Bushes,” presenting the hashtag #BringTheHEAT.
All of this coincides with Faith in Action’s member organizations and the Live Free project’s calls to either defund or abolish the police. The examples we have collected are too numerous to post all of them, but here are some samples:
On August 21, Faith in Actions’ Live Free Project tweeted a call to “Defund the Police.” Keep in mind that Ben McBride, the brother of the director of the Live Free project, Michael McBride, explained on video that defunding the police was a step toward abolition.
After the presidential debate on September 29, where President Trump mentioned the support he has from police departments across the country, Faith in Action tweeted, “Defund the police.”
On October 7, the Live Free project quoted PICO California’s director, Ben McBride, who called for the abolition of police.
Faith in Action is a hard-left, pro-abortion, pro-violent-revolution, transgender-promoting, organization that is clearly committed to help Joe Biden get elected in November. And the majority of its affiliates are receiving CCHD funds.
This is all direct proof from FIA’s own websites and social media feeds that it has NO intention of following CCHD’s poorly enforced guidelines. This entire network must be defunded immediately and the CCHD must be held to account for its continued slipshod and absolutely faithless handling of Catholic money.
Please contact your bishop and the CCHD, telling them what you think about the CCHD funding members of Faith in Action!
Click here for the contact information for your bishop.
Click here for the name and email address of your diocesan CCHD director.
NATIONAL OFFICE STAFF
Ralph McCloud, CCHD Director 202-541-3367 [email protected]
Lydia Jiles, Grants Administrator 202-541-3210 [email protected]
Juan Aranda, Grants Specialist for Area D 202-541-3370 [email protected]
Main Number . . . . . . . . . . 202-541-3210
Fax Number . . . . . . . . . . 202-541-3329
Main Email . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Grant Specialists
Area A Ian Mitchell 202-541-3371 [email protected]
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont
Area B Gene Giannotta 202-541-3211 [email protected]
Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin
Area C Randy Keesler 202-541-3369 [email protected]
Alabama, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee , Virgin Islands, Virginia, West Virginia
Area D Juan Aranda 202-541-3370 [email protected]
Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas
Area E Sean Wendlinder 202-541-3212 [email protected]
Alaska, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Published with permission from the Lepanto Institute.
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lifesitenews--2020-10-24--Pro-life Canadian husband and wife to form new social conservative political party

CAMBRIDGE , Ontario , October 23 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — A husband-and-wife team consisting of a lawyer who was prevented from running as leader of the federal Conservative Party of Canada ( CPC ) and an independent member of provincial Parliament ( MPP ) in Ontario announced they are forming a new provincial party called New Blue Ontario .
Socially conservative MPP for Cambridge Belinda Karahalios , along with her husband Jim Karahalios , announced that they have been given the green light from Elections Ontario to form their new party .
The pair announced the news on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party is needed in Ontario as an alternative to the “ corrupt ” Ontario Progressive Conservative ( P.C . )
party under Ontario premier Doug Ford .
“ People have reached out to us , said , ‘ You can ’ t stop .
You got ta run again , Belinda .
You guys need to , together , not give up , and so that ’ s the solution : creating a new party in Ontario , because the Ontario P.C .
party , there ’ s no democracy inside of it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jim Karahalios in the YouTube announcement of New Blue on October 11 .
In their video announcement , Jim asked Belinda if there was “ any hope on fixing the party from the inside ” to which she said a firm “ no.
” “ No , and that ’ s the thing .
So , people keep saying — so , if we had a different leader , that it would be different , but the party is so far gone , it ’ s so corrupt , that it doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It doesn ’ t matter .
It ’ s not going to change , ” said Belinda to her husband , Jim .
LifeSiteNews reached out to Belinda and Jim to ask them about their new party , but they were unable to provide a comment in time for this report ’ s deadline .
Belinda Karahalios was kicked out of the Ontario P.C .
Party in the summer of 2020 for voting against a COVID-19 recovery bill introduced by the Ford government .
Her husband , Jim Karahalios , was twice disqualified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the spring of 2020 upon rulings of the CPC ’ s Leadership Election Organizing Committee ( LEOC ) .
Karahalios ’ s lawyers said the party had disqualified him “ as a result of a complaint filed by the Erin O ’ Toole campaign requesting his disqualification.
” O ’ Toole , who identities as pro-abortion , won the CPC leadership race in a close contest in August .
The pair ’ s YouTube video also touched on the internal politics of the CPC and the Ontario P.C .
party , seeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the “ corruption ” of “ stuffing ballots ” within the Ontario P.C .
Party .
The announcement of New Blue caught the attention of People ’ s Party of Canada Leader and former CPC M.P .
Maxime Bernier on social media .
“ Watch this discussion between @ jimkarahaliosand @ KarahaliosPC if you want to know more about the corruption within the @ CPC_HQ during their recent leadership race .
Nothing has changed .
Update from Belinda and Jim , ” wrote Bernier on Twitter .
In their YouTube message , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way ” Belinda can run again for the Ontario P.C .
party , which left them with no other option but to start a new provincial party .
“ There ’ s no way for you to run the P.C .
nomination , so there ’ s really no other option for — not only for us , but for voters in Ontario who believe in grassroots democracy , who believe that the parties should not all be agreeing with each other on every major policy , and who want to deliver a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroying small businesses , protecting places of worship , ” said Jim Karahalios .
“ And so , we ’ ve got no other option to help but to start a new party , so it ’ s the New Blue Party of Ontario for us moving forward.
” To be registered as an official party , the married couple is looking for 1,000 signatures from Ontario residents who are of voting age .
Jim Karahalios said in his YouTube message that another option would be to work with existing “ smaller parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the process.
” Belinda and Jim are asking those interested in helping them out to visit their website , where one can fill out an Elections Ontario “ Petition to Register a Political Party ” form , which , when filled , can be scanned and emailed back to [ email protected ] .

Jim Karahalios, who was barred from running for the Conservative Party's leadership position, and his wife Belinda are seeking signatures to officially register New Blue Ontario.
CAMBRIDGE, Ontario, October 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A husband-and-wife team consisting of a lawyer who was prevented from running as leader of the federal Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) and an independent member of provincial Parliament (MPP) in Ontario announced they are forming a new provincial party called New Blue Ontario.
Socially conservative MPP for Cambridge Belinda Karahalios, along with her husband Jim Karahalios, announced that they have been given the green light from Elections Ontario to form their new party.
The pair announced the news on YouTube Thanksgiving Monday, saying a new party is needed in Ontario as an alternative to the “corrupt” Ontario Progressive Conservative (P.C.) party under Ontario premier Doug Ford.
“People have reached out to us, said, ‘You can’t stop. You gotta run again, Belinda. You guys need to, together, not give up, and so that’s the solution: creating a new party in Ontario, because the Ontario P.C. party, there’s no democracy inside of it to fix things up,” said Jim Karahalios in the YouTube announcement of New Blue on October 11.
In their video announcement, Jim asked Belinda if there was “any hope on fixing the party from the inside” to which she said a firm “no.”
“No, and that’s the thing. So, people keep saying — so, if we had a different leader, that it would be different, but the party is so far gone, it’s so corrupt, that it doesn’t matter who the leader is. It doesn’t matter. It’s not going to change,” said Belinda to her husband, Jim.
LifeSiteNews reached out to Belinda and Jim to ask them about their new party, but they were unable to provide a comment in time for this report’s deadline.
Belinda Karahalios was kicked out of the Ontario P.C. Party in the summer of 2020 for voting against a COVID-19 recovery bill introduced by the Ford government.
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Urge state legislatures to scrap universal mail-in ballots and help protect the vote Show Petition Text 19132 have signed the petition. Let's get to 20000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition Voter fraud is real, and threatens November's election outcome. Please SIGN this urgent petition which asks each state legislature to pass emergency legislation to stop or scrap plans for universal mail-in ballots. Universal mail-in ballots are ballots which would be automatically sent to every voter on the register, without voters having to apply for them. So far, 9 state have mandated universal mail-in ballots because of the COVID crisis, but more are considering the policy. Under normal circumstances, voters who intend to be away from home on polling day can request an absentee ballot from their state's election authority. The key difference between absentee ballots and universal mail-in ballots is that with absentee ballots voters undergo a vetting process which requires them to prove who they are and sign an application form. AND, crucially, absentee voters expect to receive their ballot in the mail. But, with universal mail-in voting, the intended recipient may not expect their ballot in the mail. Indeed, some people may be totally unaware of this initiative. And, moreover, no-one need prove their identity and sign an application. Obviously, this practice is ripe for abuse and voter fraud. From the state sending out ballots to people who no longer live in the voting district (especially when the state does not require people to update their voting status if they move out of the state) to ballot theft, there are several major threats to the integrity of the vote. In fact, judges around the country have already started to make known their displeasure with different aspects of mail-in ballots: In New Jersey - A judge just ordered an election redo over massive voter fraud using mail-in ballots.
In Iowa - A judge just voided the application for 50,000 mail-in ballots which had voters' information pre-filled on the forms. The purpose of this petition is to ensure the integrity of the vote. And, the petition appeals to each state legislature to stop or scrap plans for universal mail-in ballots because of the serious potential for voter fraud. Although this policy would require one additional step to complete the process of voting, the democratic process must be safeguarded as much as humanly possible for this election. Please SIGN this petition and SHARE with your like-minded friends, family and colleagues. Thank you! FOR MORE INFORMATION: 'New Jersey judge orders election redo over massive voter fraud using mail-in ballots' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/new-jersey-judge-orders-election-redo-over-massive-voter-fraud-using-mail-in-ballots 'Judge invalidates pre-filled absentee ballots in second Iowa county' - https://www.kcrg.com/2020/08/29/judge-invalidates-pre-filled-absentee-ballots-in-second-iowa-county/ 'Flashback: New York Democrat election official admitted ‘you’re gonna see a lot’ of voter fraud' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/flashback-new-york-democrat-election-official-admitted-youre-gonna-see-a-lot-of-vote-fraud 'Voter fraud is a huge problem in the Democratic Party' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/voter-fraud-is-a-huge-problem-in-the-democratic-party **Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
Her husband, Jim Karahalios, was twice disqualified from running in the CPC leadership race in the spring of 2020 upon rulings of the CPC’s Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC).
Karahalios’s lawyers said the party had disqualified him “as a result of a complaint filed by the Erin O’Toole campaign requesting his disqualification.”
O’Toole, who identifies as pro-abortion, won the CPC leadership race in a close contest in August.
The pair’s YouTube video also touched on the internal politics of the CPC and the Ontario P.C. party, seeing Jim Karahalios give insight into what he called the “corruption” of “stuffing ballots” within the Ontario P.C. Party.
The announcement of New Blue caught the attention of People’s Party of Canada Leader and former CPC M.P. Maxime Bernier on social media.
“Watch this discussion between @jimkarahaliosand @KarahaliosPC if you want to know more about the corruption within the @CPC_HQ during their recent leadership race. Nothing has changed. Update from Belinda and Jim,” wrote Bernier on Twitter.
In their YouTube message, the Karahalioses said there is “no way” Belinda can run again for the Ontario P.C. party, which left them with no other option but to start a new provincial party.
“There’s no way for you to run the P.C. nomination, so there’s really no other option for — not only for us, but for voters in Ontario who believe in grassroots democracy, who believe that the parties should not all be agreeing with each other on every major policy, and who want to deliver a platform of defending the taxpayer, not destroying small businesses, protecting places of worship,” said Jim Karahalios.
“And so, we’ve got no other option to help but to start a new party, so it’s the New Blue Party of Ontario for us moving forward.”
To be registered as an official party, the married couple is looking for 1,000 signatures from Ontario residents who are of voting age.
Jim Karahalios said in his YouTube message that another option would be to work with existing “smaller parties” in Ontario to “speed up the process.”
Belinda and Jim are asking those interested in helping them out to visit their website, where one can fill out an Elections Ontario “Petition to Register a Political Party” form, which, when filled, can be scanned and emailed back to [email protected].
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lifesitenews--2020-10-23--40 million Christians who sit out elections need to be motivated to vote this year

October 23 , 2020 ( WorldNetDaily ) – Every American who does n't want to see our beloved nation transformed into a godless , socialist , `` workers ' paradise '' must vote to stop the threat of the systemic Marxism that has infected our society through the efforts of today 's Democratic Party .
Sadly , about 40 million Christians do n't take this threat seriously enough to even vote ( 15 million Christians not registered ; the total of non-voting adults , registered and not registered , was 102.7 million in 2016 , or 44.4 percent of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-voting Christians are a huge percentage ( 44 percent ) of the 90 million eligible Christians ( all denominations ) .
How is it possible that so many who aspire to Christian moral responsibility are so cavalier about such a consequential civic responsibility , one that has such grave moral significance ?
To comprehend this threat , please read the evidence at every link and compare the differences between party platforms on these subjects : abortion , marriage , free expression of religion , limited government and preserving America 's Christian heritage .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this existential threat , with its eternal consequences , than liberty-loving Christians who see the true nature of what the Democratic Party advocates as anti-family , anti-Christian culture , increasingly anti-American and anti-God ( the party 's policies , not individual Democrats ) , and anti-civilization ( pro-abortion , and tacitly approving rioting/looting/burning , often fomenting police-hatred , advocating abolishing/defunding police , etc. )
?
The Democratic Party is promoting Marxism .
If the threat of the Democratic Party 's systemically Marxist policies/practices and promises does n't motivate those non-voting Christians by itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understanding the dire consequences of supporting that danger within the context of both of Jesus ' pledge , first , to bless those who acknowledge him publicly ( in this regard , politically ) and , second , to condemn those who publicly deny him : '' … everyone who acknowledges me before men , I also will acknowledge before my Father … ; but whoever denies me before men , I also will deny before my Father .
… '' – Matthew 10:32-33 The Democratic Party , which actually booed God at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jesus `` before men '' if its candidates control the government .
People who boo God deny that the founders actually dedicated the nation to Jesus Christ by officially , perpetually and gratefully `` acknowledg ( ing ) ( him ) before men '' ( `` before a candid world '' in the Declaration of Independence ) when they referenced him four times in the document , one being an undisguised prayer ( see below ) .
That acknowledgment obligated Jesus to acknowledge our nation `` before ( his ) Father '' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• the moral authority for independence in the Declaration 's first sentence ; • the beneficent source of our unalienable rights and individual political sovereignty in the Declaration 's second sentence ; and • when offering an undisguised prayer to Jesus ( see below ) for protection and guidance in that document 's concluding paragraph – yes , the Constitution ( which outlaws socialism ) is one answer to those prayers ; • all of the above is the `` American Theory of Government '' ; • therefore , we are truly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to that ) God . ''
This work is derived from my ebook , `` America 's Primal Prayer : Is Jesus Christ the God of the Declaration ; Did the Founders Dedicate the Nation to Him ; is the Constitution Woven From Christian Fabric ; and Why it Matters . ''
That ebook explains that we are `` one nation under ( and blessed by that ) God '' because America officially and perpetually acknowledges Jesus Christ `` before men '' in many ways , but specifically in the Declaration of Independence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judge of the world '' in the concluding paragraph of the Declaration is a clear reference to Jesus Christ inserted into Jefferson 's draft as an undisguised prayer by the Christians in Congress , the Declaration 's actual author ( because diests deny that God judges , they do n't pray ) .
That prayer to Jesus Christ clarifies Jefferson 's less specific references to `` Nature 's God '' and `` Creator '' ( in the first and second sentences ) and to Congress ' prayer for `` the protection of divine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last sentence ) , with an explicit identification that Jesus Christ is the God to whom the nation perpetually prays for righteousness using his well-known biblical title : While the phrase , `` one nation under God , '' was n't added to the Pledge of Allegiance until 1954 , it 's an explicit reference to the historical fact of the Declaration 's Christ-based `` Chain of Delegated Authority '' ( God > man > servants in limited government ) , and of that Chain 's manifestation in the symbiotically-linked Constitution as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American form of government — that our rights are a gift from God — which has a 240 year history of not being the theocracy the secular ( godless ) left falsely alleges .
Such an understanding desperately needs the political support of those non-voting , and Democratic voting , Christians .
Voting would be an important way for them ( and you ? )
to `` acknowledge ( Jesus ) before men '' '' and , thus , revitalize the founders ' official and perpetual acknowledgment of Jesus `` before men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for themselves by politically opposing the Democratic Party 's attack on the God-acknowledging American Theory of Government .
• Does failing to vote at all constitute tacit support for the Democratic Party 's naked attempt to fundamentally transform the United States of America , and is that failure to vote a denial of `` America 's Christian acknowledgment of Jesus '' `` before men '' in the Declaration of Independence ?
• Will an actual vote for Democrats constitute an overt denial of Jesus `` before men '' such that it will mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His ) Father '' all those who vote Democratic , including denying the nation if Democrats nationalize their denial of Jesus ?
• Will Jesus ' denial `` before ( His ) Father , '' if Democrats take us down that Marxist `` path , '' mean that the blessing of our liberty-enhancing , limited form of government will be changed into their Orwellian `` Democratic Socialism '' ( aka , Marxism ) ?
• What are the personal consequences for each voter or non-voter of such a denial of Jesus `` before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and vote accordingly after reviewing this information .
America needs a revival of Christian patriotism by those who vote and who know the 40 million Christians who do n't vote ( or the millions of Christians who vote Democratic ) to motivate them to do their civic and Christian moral duty to vote and restore America 's historical acknowledgment of Jesus `` before men '' ( `` before a candid world '' ) and , thus , preserve his blessings on America , and save the nation from the godless , America-hating Marxism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' today 's Democratic Party .
This knowledge will be decisive in the 2020 election , and beyond , if those reading this pass it on to their pastors , fellow parishioners/congregants and family/friends , as well as to as many media personalities as possible .
This article was initially published on WorldNetDaily and is republished by LifeSiteNews with permission of the author .
Michael Nedderman is a California-based writer and author of the ebook , `` America 's Primal Prayer , '' who loves history , photography , martial arts , prospecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editor and exploring the meaning of life .
He can be reached at [ email protected ]

They could be the ones to stop the threat of Marxism portended by the Democrat Party.
October 23, 2020 (WorldNetDaily) – Every American who doesn't want to see our beloved nation transformed into a godless, socialist, “workers' paradise” must vote to stop the threat of the systemic Marxism that has infected our society through the efforts of today's Democratic Party. Sadly, about 40 million Christians don't take this threat seriously enough to even vote (15 million Christians not registered; the total of non-voting adults, registered and not registered, was 102.7 million in 2016, or 44.4 percent of the 231.5 million eligible voters).
Those non-voting Christians are a huge percentage (44 percent) of the 90 million eligible Christians (all denominations). How is it possible that so many who aspire to Christian moral responsibility are so cavalier about such a consequential civic responsibility, one that has such grave moral significance? To comprehend this threat, please read the evidence at every link and compare the differences between party platforms on these subjects: abortion, marriage, free expression of religion, limited government and preserving America's Christian heritage.
Who should better understand the urgency of this existential threat, with its eternal consequences, than liberty-loving Christians who see the true nature of what the Democratic Party advocates as anti-family, anti-Christian culture, increasingly anti-American and anti-God (the party's policies, not individual Democrats), and anti-civilization (pro-abortion, and tacitly approving rioting/looting/burning, often fomenting police-hatred, advocating abolishing/defunding police, etc.)? The Democratic Party is promoting Marxism.
If the threat of the Democratic Party's systemically Marxist policies/practices and promises doesn't motivate those non-voting Christians by itself, perhaps they will be persuaded by understanding the dire consequences of supporting that danger within the context of both of Jesus' pledge, first, to bless those who acknowledge him publicly (in this regard, politically) and, second, to condemn those who publicly deny him:
” … everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father … ; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father. …” – Matthew 10:32-33
The Democratic Party, which actually booed God at its 2012 convention, will certainly deny Jesus “before men” if its candidates control the government.
People who boo God deny that the founders actually dedicated the nation to Jesus Christ by officially, perpetually and gratefully “acknowledg(ing) (him) before men” (“before a candid world” in the Declaration of Independence) when they referenced him four times in the document, one being an undisguised prayer (see below). That acknowledgment obligated Jesus to acknowledge our nation “before (his) Father”, thus, explaining America's massive blessings.
The founders acknowledged Jesus as:
the moral authority for independence in the Declaration's first sentence; the beneficent source of our unalienable rights and individual political sovereignty in the Declaration's second sentence; and when offering an undisguised prayer to Jesus (see below) for protection and guidance in that document's concluding paragraph – yes, the Constitution (which outlaws socialism) is one answer to those prayers; all of the above is the “American Theory of Government”; therefore, we are truly “one nation under (and dedicated to that) God.”
This work is derived from my ebook, “America's Primal Prayer: Is Jesus Christ the God of the Declaration; Did the Founders Dedicate the Nation to Him; is the Constitution Woven From Christian Fabric; and Why it Matters.” That ebook explains that we are “one nation under (and blessed by that) God” because America officially and perpetually acknowledges Jesus Christ “before men” in many ways, but specifically in the Declaration of Independence.
The reference to the “Supreme Judge of the world” in the concluding paragraph of the Declaration is a clear reference to Jesus Christ inserted into Jefferson's draft as an undisguised prayer by the Christians in Congress, the Declaration's actual author (because diests deny that God judges, they don't pray). That prayer to Jesus Christ clarifies Jefferson's less specific references to “Nature's God” and “Creator” (in the first and second sentences) and to Congress' prayer for “the protection of divine Providence” (in the Declaration's last sentence), with an explicit identification that Jesus Christ is the God to whom the nation perpetually prays for righteousness using his well-known biblical title:
” appealing (praying) to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude (righteousness) of our intentions. …” (Emphasis on Jesus' title, bracketed comments added.)
While the phrase, “one nation under God,” wasn't added to the Pledge of Allegiance until 1954, it's an explicit reference to the historical fact of the Declaration's Christ-based “Chain of Delegated Authority” (God>man>servants in limited government), and of that Chain's manifestation in the symbiotically-linked Constitution as the unamendable “Liberty Equation” inherent in the American form of government — that our rights are a gift from God — which has a 240 year history of not being the theocracy the secular (godless) left falsely alleges.
Such an understanding desperately needs the political support of those non-voting, and Democratic voting, Christians. Voting would be an important way for them (and you?) to “acknowledge (Jesus) before men”” and, thus, revitalize the founders' official and perpetual acknowledgment of Jesus “before men” while also claiming Jesus' promise for themselves by politically opposing the Democratic Party's attack on the God-acknowledging American Theory of Government.
Consider these questions:
Does failing to vote at all constitute tacit support for the Democratic Party's naked attempt to fundamentally transform the United States of America, and is that failure to vote a denial of “America's Christian acknowledgment of Jesus” “before men” in the Declaration of Independence?
Will an actual vote for Democrats constitute an overt denial of Jesus “before men” such that it will mean that Jesus must deny “before (His) Father” all those who vote Democratic, including denying the nation if Democrats nationalize their denial of Jesus?
Will Jesus' denial “before (His) Father,” if Democrats take us down that Marxist “path,” mean that the blessing of our liberty-enhancing, limited form of government will be changed into their Orwellian “Democratic Socialism” (aka, Marxism)?
What are the personal consequences for each voter or non-voter of such a denial of Jesus “before men”?
Each person must decide and vote accordingly after reviewing this information.
America needs a revival of Christian patriotism by those who vote and who know the 40 million Christians who don't vote (or the millions of Christians who vote Democratic) to motivate them to do their civic and Christian moral duty to vote and restore America's historical acknowledgment of Jesus “before men” (“before a candid world”) and, thus, preserve his blessings on America, and save the nation from the godless, America-hating Marxism systemically infecting “before a candid world” today's Democratic Party.
This knowledge will be decisive in the 2020 election, and beyond, if those reading this pass it on to their pastors, fellow parishioners/congregants and family/friends, as well as to as many media personalities as possible.
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Dump Twitter and Big Tech for threatening our democracy and freedom of speech! Show Petition Text 15628 have signed the petition. Let's get to 17500 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition Twitter just deplatformed President Trump premanently! And, other conservatives, including General Flynn and Sidney Powell, were also deplatformed. Conservatives, Christians and freedom-loving Americans of all political persuasions must now take a decision to preserve their free speech AND their ability to peaceably assemble by dumping Twitter and Big Tech, and by finding other good alternatives to communicate with each other and share their opinions. Please SIGN our petition-pledge to Dump Twitter and Big Tech, and take back your freedom of speech and privacy. [CLICK HERE for our "Goodbye Google" resources page to find good alternatives to Google!] When you use Twitter or Facebook to communicate, or Google to search for something online, these companies can stifle your ability to share your thoughts and opinions and manipulate your search results, threatening your privacy, your freedom of speech, and even our democracy. Evidence suggests that Twitter and Facebook's 'community guidelines' are selectively enforced against conservatives and Christians, while Google rigs their search algorithms to direct traffic away from conservative and Christian websites, effectively choking traffic to those sites. Simply put, Twitter, Facebook and Google (who owns YouTube) appear to be actively suppressing access to pro-freedom, pro-family and pro-life news and opinion. Don't contribute to this assault on democracy: Stop using Twitter, Facebook and Google as your default social media platforms and search engine! [CLICK HERE to find a good alternative to Google.] To repeat: a few liberal and completely unaccountable computer programmers in Silicon Valley are dictating what we do and do not see in our Twitter and Facebook feeds, and in our Google searches. We, here, at LifeSite, also recently had our Twitter account suspended by the company over "misgendering" a man who claims to be a woman. LifeSite has also experienced a fall-off in Google search-related traffic since the company updated its search algorithms at the beginning of May. And, since the November election, Twitter and Big Tech appear to have dramatically INCREASED their censorship of conservatives and Christians as the President Trump disputed the results of the election and when evidence of election fraud began to mount. Now, it seems likely that they are trying to cut-off conservative leaders (like President Trump) from conservatives on the ground, and effectively exclude us from the national conversation. But, this tactic will not work. Because Twitter, Facebook and Google are not the only game in town! There are a good number of excellent alternatives which we list in our 'Goodbye Google' Resources page. The great irony is that, while Twitter, Facebook and Google executives talk a lot about maintaining freedom of speech and diversity, in fact, these hypocrites are ATTACKING free speech point-blank! This kind of manipulation poses a lethal threat to our democracy, but as we see so clearly now, Twitter and Big Tech have shown no hesitation in excluding conservatives and Christians from the public square. So, at this point, the only way to stop Twitter, Facebook and Google is to quit using their platform. Please SIGN and SHARE this petition to pledge to stop using Twitter and Big Tech. Then, please CLICK HERE to find alternative search engines and social media platforms. Thank you! FOR MORE INFORMATION: Ready to say "Goodbye Google"? Find alternatives for search engines, browsers, email, and more: https://lifesite.kartra.com/page/gbgresources 'BREAKING: Twitter permanently bans President Trump from platform' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-twitter-permanently-bans-president-trump-from-platform WATCH LifeSite's exclusive series - 'Big Tech vs Free Speech' - of interviews with experts on how Big Tech censorship is killing free speech: https://www.lifesitenews.com/bigtech/ From YouTube to social media and beyond, online censorship is rampant. Read the latest articles covering this ongoing struggle: https://lifesite.kartra.com/page/censorship Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
This article was initially published on WorldNetDaily and is republished by LifeSiteNews with permission of the author.
Michael Nedderman is a California-based writer and author of the ebook, “America's Primal Prayer,” who loves history, photography, martial arts, prospecting for gold, writing letters to the editor and exploring the meaning of life. He can be reached at [email protected]
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lifesitenews--2020-10-23--New Irish law banning gatherings threatens prison for priests who say Mass

DUBLIN , Ireland , October 23 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — As a result of an astonishing new law passed in Ireland last night , members of the clergy could now face imprisonment for celebrating Mass or other ceremonies .
An amendment was made to the 1947 Health Act , concerning temporary restrictions in the nation-wide lockdown , and passed into law by the Irish Parliament , or Dáil , on October 22 .
Article 8 of the new regulations outlines restrictions on events , and reads : “ A person shall not organise , or cause to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relevant geographical location other than in accordance with paragraph ( 2 ) .
” Paragraph ( 2 ) lists the only two permissible exceptions to the law , which are if the event takes place “ only outdoors ” and if the organizer “ takes all reasonable steps to ensure that the event is attended , or proposed to be attended , by persons residing in no more than 2 different places of residence.
” The now amended Health Act specifically states that forbidden events include gatherings for “ religious or other reasons.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but only with the strict condition that there be no more than 25 people present , excluding the priest .
Anyone contravening the law has committed an “ offence ” against the Health Act , for which the penalty is “ a class C fine , or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months , or both.
” A Class C fine is one that does not exceed €2,500 ( about $ 3,000 ) .
The Iona Institute first reported the news , noting that the last time priests faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the penal times , when Catholics in Ireland were under bloody persecution .
Minister for health Stephen Donnelly seemed unaware of the text of the legislation , claiming that “ I assure the Deputy and other colleagues that with regard to penalties , religious services are non-penal in that there is no penalty attached to them.
” However , Deputy McNamara , the recently appointed chair of the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Response , issued a blistering attack on the government : “ Priests will be committing a criminal offence if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Mass.
” He continued , “ Is the Government is going to send Gardaí after priests who decide to say Mass ?
If the Government is thinking of that , I have one word to say : Don ’ t. ” The Irish Constitution holds that “ [ f ] reedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion are , subject to public order and morality , guaranteed to every citizen.
” It also states : “ The State shall not impose any disabilities or make any discrimination on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or status.
” The Irish government has provided a list of “ essential retail outlets ” that are permitted to remain open , among which are included normal supermarkets , opticians , shops with animal supplies , and food markets .
The government originally re-closed the churches on October 5 , despite widespread compliance from religious communities with the existing government measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 .
Senator Rónán Mullen expressed his confusion about the heavy-handed restrictions on churches : “ It is strange that there is this lack of nuance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommendations or regulations because in all groups of society those who are attending Masses and services are probably the most compliant.
” At the time , the four archbishops of Ireland expressed their concern that people be allowed to continue to attend Mass .
“ While we fully support the guidance of the public health authorities , we will continue to engage constructively in the coming days with the civil authorities to ensure that our people have continued access to the support of Mass and the Sacraments and essential spiritual nourishment for these @ @ @ @

Ireland's health minister claims that the law doesn't apply to religious services, but nothing in the law as written exempts them.
DUBLIN, Ireland, October 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — As a result of an astonishing new law passed in Ireland last night, members of the clergy could now face imprisonment for celebrating Mass or other ceremonies.
An amendment was made to the 1947 Health Act, concerning temporary restrictions in the nation-wide lockdown, and passed into law by the Irish Parliament, or Dáil, on October 22. Article 8 of the new regulations outlines restrictions on events, and reads: “A person shall not organise, or cause to be organised, a relevant event in a relevant geographical location other than in accordance with paragraph (2).”
Paragraph (2) lists the only two permissible exceptions to the law, which are if the event takes place “only outdoors” and if the organizer “takes all reasonable steps to ensure that the event is attended, or proposed to be attended, by persons residing in no more than 2 different places of residence.”
The now amended Health Act specifically states that forbidden events include gatherings for “religious or other reasons.”
Funerals are permitted under the law, but only with the strict condition that there be no more than 25 people present, excluding the priest.
Anyone contravening the law has committed an “offence” against the Health Act, for which the penalty is “a class C fine, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or both.” A Class C fine is one that does not exceed €2,500 (about $3,000).
The Iona Institute first reported the news, noting that the last time priests faced such a penalty for saying Mass was in the penal times, when Catholics in Ireland were under bloody persecution.
Minister for health Stephen Donnelly seemed unaware of the text of the legislation, claiming that “I assure the Deputy and other colleagues that with regard to penalties, religious services are non-penal in that there is no penalty attached to them.”
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Reject totalitarianism - Australians pledge not to vote Labor! Show Petition Text 5114 have signed the petition. Let's get to 6000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition ALP Premier Daniel Andrews Photo Credit: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images Although the Australian Labor Party (ALP) has been accused of government overreach on other issues, the COVID crisis has clearly demonstrated that Labor should not be in power again, for a very, very long time. Over the last six months, Victorians have endured an authoritarian abuse of power, and their ALP government has become the laughing-stock of western democracies. Premier Daniel Andrews simply cannot be trusted to govern ever again. Please SIGN this petition pledging not to vote Labor. Here is short list of laws, directives and proposals which show how the ALP have forfeited their right to govern: Allowing only 48 hours for public submissions, Labor's Omnibus Bill, now amended, would have authorised arbitrary arrest and indefinite detention for "pre-crime"
Victorian Labor hastily appointed private security firms to guard those in mandatory hotel quarantine. Some guards underwent diversity training but no Covid training, and ended up fraternizing with those in quarantine, thereby triggering the second wave which led to even harsher lockdowns measures. Premier Andrews had the audacity to deny knowledge of who appointed private security firms to the task, and then rolled his Health Minister to avoid responsibility.
Andrews' Labor Party imposed a nightly curfew, which was only just suspended last week when a private citizen was about to take out an injunction in court and in the process discovered that the curfew was not based on either medical, departmental or police advice – the ALP just thought this would be a good idea.
Churches remain closed and baptisms are forbidden under pain of a $10,000 penalty. The Last Rites were denied to dying Catholics, with the Health Department absurdly suggesting that anointing could somehow be done by teleconference instead
Meanwhile pubs and clubs are reopening across the state and the government is midway through a review looking at whether fully decriminalising sex work would achieve better public health outcomes. Think about it. Arbitrary arrest and detention for "pre-crime" read right out of a dystopian novel. But this is really happening, right now. However, your pledge not to vote Labor can help ensure that it doesn't happen again. Please SIGN now, and pledge to not vote Labor. Thank you! FOR MORE INFORMATION: '‘All this can be avoided if people don’t protest’: Politician after police stomp on man’s head' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/all-this-can-be-avoided-if-people-dont-protest-politician-after-police-stomp-on-mans-head 'New Australia COVID lockdown law empowers indefinite detention of citizens' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/new-australia-covid-lockdown-law-empowers-indefinite-detention-of-citizens '13 Australian doctors tell govt to end lockdowns: 'They’re causing unprecedented negative…outcomes'' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/13-australian-doctors-tell-govt-to-end-lockdowns-theyre-causing-unprecedented-negative-outcomes-1 Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
However, Deputy McNamara, the recently appointed chair of the Special Committee on the COVID-19 Response, issued a blistering attack on the government: “Priests will be committing a criminal offence if they open the doors of their churches for Mass.”
He continued, “Is the Government is going to send Gardaí after priests who decide to say Mass? If the Government is thinking of that, I have one word to say: Don’t.”
The Irish Constitution holds that “[f]reedom of conscience and the free profession and practice of religion are, subject to public order and morality, guaranteed to every citizen.”
It also states: “The State shall not impose any disabilities or make any discrimination on the ground of religious profession, belief or status.”
The Irish government has provided a list of “essential retail outlets” that are permitted to remain open, among which are included normal supermarkets, opticians, shops with animal supplies, and food markets.
The government originally re-closed the churches on October 5, despite widespread compliance from religious communities with the existing government measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Senator Rónán Mullen expressed his confusion about the heavy-handed restrictions on churches: “It is strange that there is this lack of nuance and sophistication in the government’s recommendations or regulations because in all groups of society those who are attending Masses and services are probably the most compliant.”
At the time, the four archbishops of Ireland expressed their concern that people be allowed to continue to attend Mass. “While we fully support the guidance of the public health authorities, we will continue to engage constructively in the coming days with the civil authorities to ensure that our people have continued access to the support of Mass and the Sacraments and essential spiritual nourishment for these challenging times.”
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