lifesitenews--2020-05-14--Canadian province bans Communion distribution, singing as churches reopen

EDMONTON , Alberta , May 14 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Alberta Catholic churches are banned from distributing Communion when they reopen today under Premier Jason Kenney ’ s partial lifting of coronavirus pandemic restrictions .
According to the province ’ s Guidance for Places of Worship , religious services “ must not include sharing food or beverages , ” and “ must not include any contact between congregants such as handshaking or the sharing of communal items ( e.g .
communion chalice ) .
” The guidance also states that “ congregational singing is a high-risk activity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a Catholic and voted pro-life during his years as a federal Member of Parliament , announced Phase 1 of Alberta ’ s regional economic relaunch on Wednesday .
The plan keeps current shutdown in place in Calgary and Brooks , hardest hit by the Wuhan virus , but allows a number of businesses — retail stores , hair salons , museums , daycares , day camps , restaurants and cafes — to reopen with restrictions elsewhere in the province on May 14 , reported the CBC .
Churches , mosques , synagogues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” are also allowed to reopen Thursday with restrictions , said Tom McMillan , assistant director of communications for the ministry of health .
“ When stage 1 begins , places of worship will be able to hold services , provided they follow the guidelines provided by the Alberta government , ” he told LifeSiteNews in an email .
“ All worship leaders are still encouraged to hold services remotely and to use creative mechanisms whenever possible , ” added McMillan .
“ It will be up to each place of worship to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to ensure all guidelines have been met , ” he said .
“ For those wishing to host services , Alberta will allow places of worship to operate in a manner similar to how businesses that are currently open to function , ” McMillan added .
“ They will need to keep attendance under 50 or 1/3 capacity ( whichever is smaller ) , as well as take steps to mitigate risk by following the guidance and ensure the activity is done safely.
” When asked about the distribution of Communion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , as indicated in the guidance .
Whenever possible , they should find alternative options to limit touching and sharing of items.
” However , McMillan also made a distinction between guidance documents , which are “ not binding and mandatory , ” and public health orders , which are .
“ In terms of the restrictions , there are specific public health orders that will continue to be in place , such as physical distancing , things like that , so those will continue to be enforced .
But overall guidance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this time , ” he told LifeSiteNews in a telephone interview .
“ We expect people to do the right thing , ” added McMillan .
Moreover , “ if someone does observe that people are violating the guidance , certainly our public health officials will be able to contact whatever location it will be , to provide input , ” he said .
But while guidance documents may not be not health orders , they still use “ imperative language , ” points out Jay Cameron , lawyer with the Calgary-based Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states that worship services “ must not include sharing food or beverages , ” and “ must not include any contact between congregants such as handshaking or the sharing of communal items ( e.g .
communion chalice ) , ” he emphasized .
“ My guess is the guidelines are issued because they ’ re supposed to be a requirement , and so when you use imperative language , that ’ s a prohibition , ” said Cameron .
His reading is that “ what the government is saying ” is that communion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wine from one person to another , is not permitted still , ” he told LifeSiteNews .
It ’ s undeniable that there is “ quite a bit of confusion about these guidelines and restrictions which are , number one , different from province to province , and number two , are not drafted in plain language , ” added Cameron .
Part of the problem is that the government is being “ willy nilly ” about what is law , and what is not , he observed .
“ Where is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a website ?
Who makes the law ?
Does [ Chief Medical Officer ] Dr [ Deena ] Henshaw make the law ?
Who knows ?
” he said .
“ But you get a ticket for $ 1200 if you don ’ t observe the Public Health Act ...
It ’ s very confusing .
It ’ s not how the rule of law works , ” Cameron said .
That was echoed by Pastor Patrick Schoenberger of Medicine Hat ’ s Heights Baptist Church .
“ What I ’ m finding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are contradictions , ” he told LifeSiteNews , adding that while the document is called “ a guidance , ” it clearly says that “ congregational singing is not allowed , period.
” His church board hasn ’ t met yet to discuss reopening , so he did not have an official position on how they will respond , but in his view , the shutdown “ is a bigger threat than the virus , ” Schoenberger told LifeSiteNews .
“ I don ’ t know a single soul who ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know people who are being affected by unemployment , depression , anxiety , isolation , loneliness , ” he said .
“ We are the church , we are parts of one body .
The whole idea of social isolation is , in a lot of ways , foreign to scripture.
” As well as its negative social consequences , the shutdown poses a “ threat to rights and freedoms : freedom of assembly , freedom of religion , ” Schoenberger said .
“ I ’ m not afraid of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the loss of freedoms in our country , the propaganda war that ’ s promoting fear , that ’ s what I ’ m concerned about , ” he told LifeSiteNews .
“ We need to live life and we can ’ t live in fear.
” As for Alberta ’ s Catholic bishops , they have yet to publicly respond to the guidance .
“ The bishops will be consulting further with the Chief Medical Officer of Health [ Deena Henshaw ] as they continue to discern a plan for a gradual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Archbishop is not prepared to comment at this time , ” said Lorraine Turchansky , spokesperson for Edmonton ’ s Archbishop Richard Smith .
Smith and Calgary ’ s Bishop William McGrattan are heading a task force to “ discern when and how ” the bishops will reinstate the “ gradual reinstatement ” of public Masses , according to the Edmonton archdiocesan website .
Other jurisdictions that have effectively banned Communion include Maryland and Knoxville , Tennessee .
Check Campaign Life Coalition website , here , for the name and address of your @ @ @

PETITION: No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
June 9, 2020 update: Regarding the reception of Communion for Catholics in Alberta, the bishops of Alberta issued guidelines May 26, 2020 on the return to public Masses in the province, which began with daily Mass June 1 in some parishes and Sunday Masses June 7. The guidelines (here) were developed by a task force the bishops established under the direction of Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton and Bishop William McGrattan of Calgary, and follow UCP government “guidances” for the reopening of houses of worship, which restrict attendance to one-third capacity of the church or 50 people, whichever number is fewer. The guidelines permit Catholics to receive Holy Communion during Mass, but only on the hand and they must approach wearing a mask. An Edmonton archdiocese video instructing Catholics on how to receive Holy Communion under these restrictions, which the archdiocese says are temporary, can be seen here. Catholics who attend Mass are asked to answer a series of health and travel-related questions as recommended by Alberta Health Services, and to give their contact information for the purpose of contact tracing if necessary.
EDMONTON, Alberta, May 14, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Alberta Catholic churches are banned from distributing Communion when they reopen today under Premier Jason Kenney’s partial lifting of coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
According to the province’s Guidance for Places of Worship, religious services “must not include sharing food or beverages,” and “must not include any contact between congregants such as handshaking or the sharing of communal items (e.g. communion chalice).”
The guidance also states that “congregational singing is a high-risk activity and is not allowed.”
Kenney, who is a Catholic and voted pro-life during his years as a federal Member of Parliament, announced Phase 1 of Alberta’s regional economic relaunch on Wednesday.
The plan keeps current shutdown in place in Calgary and Brooks, hardest hit by the Wuhan virus, but allows a number of businesses — retail stores, hair salons, museums, daycares, day camps, restaurants and cafes — to reopen with restrictions elsewhere in the province on May 14, reported the CBC.
Churches, mosques, synagogues and “any other place of worship” are also allowed to reopen Thursday with restrictions, said Tom McMillan, assistant director of communications for the ministry of health.
“When stage 1 begins, places of worship will be able to hold services, provided they follow the guidelines provided by the Alberta government,” he told LifeSiteNews in an email.
“All worship leaders are still encouraged to hold services remotely and to use creative mechanisms whenever possible,” added McMillan.
“It will be up to each place of worship to determine if they are ready to open and to ensure all guidelines have been met,” he said.
“For those wishing to host services, Alberta will allow places of worship to operate in a manner similar to how businesses that are currently open to function,” McMillan added.
“They will need to keep attendance under 50 or 1/3 capacity (whichever is smaller), as well as take steps to mitigate risk by following the guidance and ensure the activity is done safely.”
When asked about the distribution of Communion, McMillan said churches “should not do so, as indicated in the guidance. Whenever possible, they should find alternative options to limit touching and sharing of items.”
However, McMillan also made a distinction between guidance documents, which are “not binding and mandatory,” and public health orders, which are.
“In terms of the restrictions, there are specific public health orders that will continue to be in place, such as physical distancing, things like that, so those will continue to be enforced. But overall guidance, those are not mandatory, at this time,” he told LifeSiteNews in a telephone interview.
“We expect people to do the right thing,” added McMillan.
Moreover, “if someone does observe that people are violating the guidance, certainly our public health officials will be able to contact whatever location it will be, to provide input,” he said.
But while guidance documents may not be not health orders, they still use “imperative language,” points out Jay Cameron, lawyer with the Calgary-based Justice Center for Constitutional Freedom.
The guidance states that worship services “must not include sharing food or beverages,” and “must not include any contact between congregants such as handshaking or the sharing of communal items (e.g. communion chalice),” he emphasized.
“My guess is the guidelines are issued because they’re supposed to be a requirement, and so when you use imperative language, that’s a prohibition,” said Cameron.
His reading is that “what the government is saying” is that communion, “or the exchange of bread and wine from one person to another, is not permitted still,” he told LifeSiteNews.
It’s undeniable that there is “quite a bit of confusion about these guidelines and restrictions which are, number one, different from province to province, and number two, are not drafted in plain language,” added Cameron.
Part of the problem is that the government is being “willy nilly” about what is law, and what is not, he observed.
“Where is the law? Is it up on a website? Who makes the law? Does [Chief Medical Officer] Dr [Deena] Henshaw make the law? Who knows?” he said.
“But you get a ticket for $1200 if you don’t observe the Public Health Act… It’s very confusing. It’s not how the rule of law works,” Cameron said.
That was echoed by Pastor Patrick Schoenberger of Medicine Hat’s Heights Baptist Church.
“What I’m finding is there are mixed messages, and there are contradictions,” he told LifeSiteNews, adding that while the document is called “a guidance,” it clearly says that “congregational singing is not allowed, period.”
His church board hasn’t met yet to discuss reopening, so he did not have an official position on how they will respond, but in his view, the shutdown “is a bigger threat than the virus,” Schoenberger told LifeSiteNews.
“I don’t know a single soul who’s been affected by this virus, but I know people who are being affected by unemployment, depression, anxiety, isolation, loneliness,” he said.
“We are the church, we are parts of one body. The whole idea of social isolation is, in a lot of ways, foreign to scripture.”
As well as its negative social consequences, the shutdown poses a “threat to rights and freedoms: freedom of assembly, freedom of religion,” Schoenberger said.
“I’m not afraid of the virus. What I am afraid of is the loss of freedoms in our country, the propaganda war that’s promoting fear, that’s what I’m concerned about,” he told LifeSiteNews.
“We need to live life and we can’t live in fear.”
As for Alberta’s Catholic bishops, they have yet to publicly respond to the guidance.
“The bishops will be consulting further with the Chief Medical Officer of Health [Deena Henshaw] as they continue to discern a plan for a gradual reintroduction of public masses, so the Archbishop is not prepared to comment at this time,” said Lorraine Turchansky, spokesperson for Edmonton’s Archbishop Richard Smith.
Smith and Calgary’s Bishop William McGrattan are heading a task force to “discern when and how” the bishops will reinstate the “gradual reinstatement” of public Masses, according to the Edmonton archdiocesan website.
Other jurisdictions that have effectively banned Communion include Maryland and Knoxville, Tennessee.
Contact information for respectful communication:
Premier Jason Kenney
307 Legislature Building
10800 – 97 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB, T5K 2B6
Phone: 780 427-2251
Email: [email protected]
Constituency Office
2105, 230 Eversyde Blvd SW
Calgary, AB, T2Y 0J4
Phone:403.238.1212
Email: [email protected]
Check Campaign Life Coalition website, here, for the name and address of your Alberta MLA.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-14--WATCH: Comedian highlights absurdity of severe coronavirus restrictions in viral video

May 14 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The King of Queens and Paul Blart : Mall Cop actor and comedian Kevin James has released a short viral video that uses humor to highlight how the corona-crisis is being used by authorities to strip people of their fundamental rights and freedoms .
His May 8 video , “ Out Of Touch , ” with over 2.3 million views , appears to be mocking some of the more severe restrictions put in place during the pandemic , as well as the existence of “ snitches , ” as Los Angeles mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video , James is seen running from police with a friend .
At the end of the video , a flashback reveals they were fleeing because several “ snitches ” had reported a handshake between the two to authorities .
Police use dogs , helicopters , and flashlights to track the two down and apprehend them .
The comedian subsequently published a video titled “ I Miss Baseball ” in which the avid Mets fan is seen successfully playing baseball alone , given the absence of Major League Baseball due to COVID-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the video .
The video “ A Quarantine Birthday ” shows James celebrating his birthday with friends before he is seen removing his virtual reality headset , alone in a room , with a cupcake .
PETITION : No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus !
Sign the petition here .
Earlier this year , James , who is a devout Catholic , released a video in which he and another man have several weird experiences until James tells the man , “ You have a dark entity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he adds , pulling out a bottle of holy water and a crucifix .
Then he starts praying the St. Michael prayer in Latin .
On Twitter , Kevin James can be seen serving the traditional Latin Mass for Fr .
Chad Ripperger , a famous exorcist and speaker on Catholic subjects .
“ I ’ ve been very guilty , a lot , of not knowing my faith too much and just praying when I needed it when something bad happened in my life and not being thankful when things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an interview .
“ The more I realized how important it is , the more I want to learn about it and do the right thing .
All good is from him [ God ] , and so I want to honor him .
It ’ s honestly about learning more and instilling that in my kids and my friends , and those around me .
”

May 14, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The King of Queens and Paul Blart: Mall Cop actor and comedian Kevin James has released a short viral video that uses humor to highlight how the corona-crisis is being used by authorities to strip people of their fundamental rights and freedoms.
His May 8 video, “Out Of Touch,” with over 2.3 million views, appears to be mocking some of the more severe restrictions put in place during the pandemic, as well as the existence of “snitches,” as Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti called them.
In the video, James is seen running from police with a friend. At the end of the video, a flashback reveals they were fleeing because several “snitches” had reported a handshake between the two to authorities.
Police use dogs, helicopters, and flashlights to track the two down and apprehend them.
The comedian subsequently published a video titled “I Miss Baseball” in which the avid Mets fan is seen successfully playing baseball alone, given the absence of Major League Baseball due to COVID-19. James surprises the viewer with the ending to the video.
The video “A Quarantine Birthday” shows James celebrating his birthday with friends before he is seen removing his virtual reality headset, alone in a room, with a cupcake.
PETITION: No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
Earlier this year, James, who is a devout Catholic, released a video in which he and another man have several weird experiences until James tells the man, “You have a dark entity behind you.”
“I got you,” he adds, pulling out a bottle of holy water and a crucifix. Then he starts praying the St. Michael prayer in Latin.
On Twitter, Kevin James can be seen serving the traditional Latin Mass for Fr. Chad Ripperger, a famous exorcist and speaker on Catholic subjects.
@DrScottHahn with Fr Ripperger & @KevinJames with the King of Queens serving Mass for Fr R #CatholicTwitter pic.twitter.com/lHU9ohqkmw — Sensus Fidelium (@Sensus_Fidelium) December 14, 2019
“I’ve been very guilty, a lot, of not knowing my faith too much and just praying when I needed it when something bad happened in my life and not being thankful when things turned good,” James admitted in an interview. “The more I realized how important it is, the more I want to learn about it and do the right thing. All good is from him [God], and so I want to honor him. It’s honestly about learning more and instilling that in my kids and my friends, and those around me.”
Editor’s note: LifeSiteNews’s Pete Baklinski contributed to this report.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-14--Daleiden sues Planned Parenthood, Kamala Harris, California AG for violating his civil rights

IRVINE , California , May 14 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) –The Center for Medical Progress and its founder David Daleiden , responsible for the undercover video series exposing top Planned Parenthood leadership negotiating the harvesting and sale of aborted fetal body parts , are suing Planned Parenthood , Kamala Harris , and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in Los Angeles federal court for conspiracy to violate First and Fourteenth Amendment civil rights .
California ’ s recording law bans secret videotaping of “ confidential ” conversations where third parties can not be expected to overhear the conversation .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video recording by California news outlets , even recording conversations that could not be overheard by others , that the Attorney General never prosecuted .
The California Attorney General admitted in a filing that Daleiden alone among other undercover recorders was being charged for his videos because “ those recordings were edited to enhance their shock value ” and thus Daleiden was “ culpable to a greater extent ” than other journalists .
And then during questioning about the elements of the video recording law used for prosecution at the preliminary hearing last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in open court , “ There is no definition of ‘ confidential ’ in the statute ” on video recording .
The California recording law in fact defines “ confidential communication ” at 632 ( c ) .
“ The California Attorney General first admitted that they are enforcing the video recording law solely based on how they feel about the message being published , and then further admitted they are not even trying to follow the text of the law as written , ” Daleiden notes .
“ CMP ’ s undercover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecution of fetal body parts sales we reported in southern California , multiple Congressional investigations , and forensic video analysis .
It is every reporter ’ s First Amendment right to underscore the gravity of their findings , especially when the politically powerful disagree with them.
” Harmeet K. Dhillon , lead counsel on the complaint , states : “ Our federal civil rights statutes were enacted in the wake of the darkest periods in our nation ’ s history .
They are well-suited for the current civil rights crisis we face , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special interest patrons to custom-order prosecutions that violate fundamental constitutional rights , and do so even with the knowledge that their actions are ultra vires.
” Beginning under the leadership of now-U.S .
Senator Kamala Harris , the California Attorney General ’ s office targeted Daleiden ’ s speech under the video recording law at the urging of Planned Parenthood , the National Abortion Federation , and StemExpress , a fetal tissue procurement company with deep ties to the professional abortion industry .
While running for U.S. Senate , Harris had a secret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles , including witnesses in her investigation , to discuss issues in the investigation as part of Planned Parenthood ’ s political agenda in California .
Two weeks later , Daleiden ’ s home was raided by the California Department of Justice .
California DOJ reports reveal that they were instructed by Planned Parenthood ’ s attorney Beth Parker , a defendant in the lawsuit , to seize “ the computers used to produce the videos.
” Last year , Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation attempted to intervene in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dictate how he would be allowed to present his defense .
The California recording law includes an absolute protection for recordings made for the purpose of gathering evidence of violent crimes , and Planned Parenthood and NAF wanted to block off any evidence or testimony that would reveal criminality in their fetal tissue programs .
The publication of CMP ’ s undercover videos led to two comprehensive Congressional investigations , one in the Senate Judiciary Committee and one in the House Energy & Commerce Committee ’ s Select Investigative Panel .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Planned Parenthood and its business partners for transferring aborted fetal organs and tissues for valuable consideration against the law .
In December 2017 , the U.S. Department of Justice announced it had opened a federal investigation of Planned Parenthood , StemExpress , and others based on the referrals from Congress .
Two of Planned Parenthood ’ s business partners in Orange County , CA then admitted guilt for selling aborted fetal organs and tissues from Planned Parenthood against the law in a $ 7.8 million settlement , and the Orange County District @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with prompting the successful case .
The case is 8:20-cv-00891 , The Center for Medical Progress and David Daleiden v. Xavier Becerra , Planned Parenthood Federation of America , Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California , National Abortion Federation , StemExpress , Kamala Harris , Jill Habig , Beth Parker , et al .
in the Central District of California .

IRVINE, California, May 14, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) –The Center for Medical Progress and its founder David Daleiden, responsible for the undercover video series exposing top Planned Parenthood leadership negotiating the harvesting and sale of aborted fetal body parts, are suing Planned Parenthood, Kamala Harris, and California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in Los Angeles federal court for conspiracy to violate First and Fourteenth Amendment civil rights.
The lawsuit states:
This complaint seeks justice for a brazen, unprecedented, and ongoing conspiracy to selectively use California’s video recording laws as a political weapon to silence disfavored speech. David Daleiden became the first journalist ever to be criminally prosecuted under California’s recording law, not because of the method of video recording he utilized in his investigation—which is common in investigative journalism in this state—but because his investigation revealed and he published “shock[ing]” content that California’s Attorney General and the private party co-conspirators wanted to cover up.
California’s recording law bans secret videotaping of “confidential” conversations where third parties cannot be expected to overhear the conversation. The lawsuit documents many recent examples of undercover video recording by California news outlets, even recording conversations that could not be overheard by others, that the Attorney General never prosecuted.
The California Attorney General admitted in a filing that Daleiden alone among other undercover recorders was being charged for his videos because “those recordings were edited to enhance their shock value” and thus Daleiden was “culpable to a greater extent” than other journalists.
And then during questioning about the elements of the video recording law used for prosecution at the preliminary hearing last year, the California Attorney General declared in open court, “There is no definition of ‘confidential’ in the statute” on video recording. The California recording law in fact defines “confidential communication” at 632(c).
“The California Attorney General first admitted that they are enforcing the video recording law solely based on how they feel about the message being published, and then further admitted they are not even trying to follow the text of the law as written,” Daleiden notes. “CMP’s undercover reporting has been corroborated by the successful prosecution of fetal body parts sales we reported in southern California, multiple Congressional investigations, and forensic video analysis. It is every reporter’s First Amendment right to underscore the gravity of their findings, especially when the politically powerful disagree with them.”
Harmeet K. Dhillon, lead counsel on the complaint, states: “Our federal civil rights statutes were enacted in the wake of the darkest periods in our nation’s history. They are well-suited for the current civil rights crisis we face, a time when powerful politicians allow their special interest patrons to custom-order prosecutions that violate fundamental constitutional rights, and do so even with the knowledge that their actions are ultra vires.”
Beginning under the leadership of now-U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, the California Attorney General’s office targeted Daleiden’s speech under the video recording law at the urging of Planned Parenthood, the National Abortion Federation, and StemExpress, a fetal tissue procurement company with deep ties to the professional abortion industry. While running for U.S. Senate, Harris had a secret in-person meeting with Planned Parenthood executives in Los Angeles, including witnesses in her investigation, to discuss issues in the investigation as part of Planned Parenthood’s political agenda in California. Two weeks later, Daleiden’s home was raided by the California Department of Justice.
California DOJ reports reveal that they were instructed by Planned Parenthood’s attorney Beth Parker, a defendant in the lawsuit, to seize “the computers used to produce the videos.” Last year, Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation attempted to intervene in the Attorney General’s prosecution of Daleiden to dictate how he would be allowed to present his defense. The California recording law includes an absolute protection for recordings made for the purpose of gathering evidence of violent crimes, and Planned Parenthood and NAF wanted to block off any evidence or testimony that would reveal criminality in their fetal tissue programs.
The publication of CMP’s undercover videos led to two comprehensive Congressional investigations, one in the Senate Judiciary Committee and one in the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s Select Investigative Panel. The two investigations issued dozens of criminal referrals for Planned Parenthood and its business partners for transferring aborted fetal organs and tissues for valuable consideration against the law. In December 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it had opened a federal investigation of Planned Parenthood, StemExpress, and others based on the referrals from Congress. Two of Planned Parenthood’s business partners in Orange County, CA then admitted guilt for selling aborted fetal organs and tissues from Planned Parenthood against the law in a $7.8 million settlement, and the Orange County District Attorney credited CMP’s undercover reporting with prompting the successful case.
The case is 8:20-cv-00891, The Center for Medical Progress and David Daleiden v. Xavier Becerra, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, National Abortion Federation, StemExpress, Kamala Harris, Jill Habig, Beth Parker, et al. in the Central District of California.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-14--Bp. Schneider: Today’s public worship bans are like ‘times of systematic Christian persecution’

Editor ’ s note : Athanasius Schneider , auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana , one of the signers of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò ’ s “ Appeal for the Church and the World , ” responds to sharp criticism that the Appeal has generated .
May 14 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — On May 8 , 2020 , a document titled “ Appeal for the Church and the World : to Catholics and all people of good will ” was published .
Its initial signatories included , among others , three cardinals , nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and thirteen lawyers .
It is astonishing to see how representatives of the ecclesiastical as well as political and media establishment have , in obeisance to the prevailing uniform thinking , unanimously sought to discredit the concerns expressed in the Appeal and squelch any further discussion with the “ knock-out argument ” that it is mere “ conspiracy theory.
” I remember a similar form of reaction and language under the Soviet dictatorship , when dissenters and critics of the prevailing ideology and politics were accused of being complicit in the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West .
The critics of the Appeal refuse to consider the evidence , such as the official mortality rate ( for the same time period ) of the 2017–2018 flu season , as compared with the current COVID-19 epidemic in Germany .
The mortality rate of the latter is much lower .
There are countries with moderate coronavirus security and prevention measures that , due to their implementation , do not have a higher mortality rate .
If the mere acknowledgment of the facts , and discussion about them , is labeled as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who still thinks independently has good reason to be concerned about the possibility that subtle forms of dictatorship exist in our society .
As is well known , eliminating or discrediting societal debate and dissenting voices is a chief characteristic of a totalitarian regime , whose main weapon against dissidents are not factual arguments , but rather demagogic and popular rhetoric .
Only dictatorships fear objective debate when there are differing opinions .
The Appeal does not deny the existence of an epidemic and the need to fight it .
However , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imposing forms of complete surveillance over people .
Under the pretext of an epidemic , such measures violate fundamental civil liberties and the democratic order of the State .
Proposals regarding compulsory vaccination , with no alternative to the state-approved vaccine , and which would inevitably restrict personal liberties , are also very dangerous .
Such measures and proposals are accustoming citizens to forms of technocratic and centrally directed tyranny — and civic courage ; independent thinking ; and , above all , any resistance are being severely paralyzed .
One aspect of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been similarly implemented in almost all countries is the drastic ban on public worship .
Such bans have existed only in times of systematic Christian persecution .
The absolute novelty , however , is that in some places , State authorities are even prescribing liturgical norms to the Church , such as the manner of distributing Holy Communion .
This is a clear interference in matters that pertain to the immediate authority of the Church .
History will one day lament the “ regime-clerics ” of our time who subserviently accepted such interference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lamented that , in times of great crisis , the majority remained silent , and dissenting voices were stifled .
Therefore , the Appeal for the Church and the World should at least be given a fair chance to initiate an honest debate , without fear of social and moral reprisals , as befits a democratic society .
+ Athanasius Schneider , auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana Editor ’ s note : This piece first appeared in the conservative German Catholic weekly Die Tagespost .
It is republished @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The bishop insists that history will not look kindly on bishops who cooperated with governments' draconian edicts interfering in how Catholics practice the Faith.
Editor’s note: Athanasius Schneider, auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana, one of the signers of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s “Appeal for the Church and the World,” responds to sharp criticism that the Appeal has generated.
May 14, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — On May 8, 2020, a document titled “Appeal for the Church and the World: to Catholics and all people of good will” was published. Its initial signatories included, among others, three cardinals, nine bishops, eleven doctors, twenty-two journalists, and thirteen lawyers.
It is astonishing to see how representatives of the ecclesiastical as well as political and media establishment have, in obeisance to the prevailing uniform thinking, unanimously sought to discredit the concerns expressed in the Appeal and squelch any further discussion with the “knock-out argument” that it is mere “conspiracy theory.” I remember a similar form of reaction and language under the Soviet dictatorship, when dissenters and critics of the prevailing ideology and politics were accused of being complicit in the “conspiracy theory” disseminated by the capitalist West.
The critics of the Appeal refuse to consider the evidence, such as the official mortality rate (for the same time period) of the 2017–2018 flu season, as compared with the current COVID-19 epidemic in Germany. The mortality rate of the latter is much lower. There are countries with moderate coronavirus security and prevention measures that, due to their implementation, do not have a higher mortality rate. If the mere acknowledgment of the facts, and discussion about them, is labeled as “conspiracy theory,” then anyone who still thinks independently has good reason to be concerned about the possibility that subtle forms of dictatorship exist in our society. As is well known, eliminating or discrediting societal debate and dissenting voices is a chief characteristic of a totalitarian regime, whose main weapon against dissidents are not factual arguments, but rather demagogic and popular rhetoric. Only dictatorships fear objective debate when there are differing opinions.
The Appeal does not deny the existence of an epidemic and the need to fight it. However, some of the security and prevention measures involve imposing forms of complete surveillance over people. Under the pretext of an epidemic, such measures violate fundamental civil liberties and the democratic order of the State. Proposals regarding compulsory vaccination, with no alternative to the state-approved vaccine, and which would inevitably restrict personal liberties, are also very dangerous. Such measures and proposals are accustoming citizens to forms of technocratic and centrally directed tyranny — and civic courage; independent thinking; and, above all, any resistance are being severely paralyzed.
One aspect of the security and prevention measures that have been similarly implemented in almost all countries is the drastic ban on public worship. Such bans have existed only in times of systematic Christian persecution. The absolute novelty, however, is that in some places, State authorities are even prescribing liturgical norms to the Church, such as the manner of distributing Holy Communion. This is a clear interference in matters that pertain to the immediate authority of the Church. History will one day lament the “regime-clerics” of our time who subserviently accepted such interference by the State. History has always lamented that, in times of great crisis, the majority remained silent, and dissenting voices were stifled. Therefore, the Appeal for the Church and the World should at least be given a fair chance to initiate an honest debate, without fear of social and moral reprisals, as befits a democratic society.
May 13, 2020
+ Athanasius Schneider, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana
Editor’s note: This piece first appeared in the conservative German Catholic weekly Die Tagespost. It is republished here by permission of the author.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-14--Cdl Müller: It’s no ‘conspiracy theory’ – pandemic is being used to implement ‘questionable measures

Cdl Müller: It’s no ‘conspiracy theory’ – pandemic is being used to implement ‘questionable measures’

May 14 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In a lengthy interview with the German Catholic newspaper Die Tagespost ( published in full below ) , Cardinal Gerhard Müller responds in detail to the many accusations leveled at him in the last days for having signed Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó 's appeal concerning the corona crisis and the impending dangers of governmental control and abuse .
In light of accusations of fostering conspiracy theories , the cardinal invites people to respond to facts , instead of demeaning people who “ think for themselves , ” and he also points to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Without mentioning Bill Gates ' name directly , Müller mentions that the “ threat has been made publicly that 7 billion people will be forcibly vaccinated , even if the drugs have not yet been sufficiently tested , and that if people are not complying , fundamental rights will be withdrawn from them.
” “ No one can be forced to believe that a few 'philanthropic ' super billionaires have the best programs for world improvement just because they have succeeded in accumulating a huge private fortune , ” he comments .
Cardinal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ conspiracy theorist ” by referring to his own experience : “ In Peru during the Fujimori era , I myself spoke to involuntarily sterilized men and women who had been cheated out of health and happiness with money and false promises , ” he states and asks : “ What does this have to do with a 'conspiracy theory ' ?
” The May 7 Viganò Appeal – which was also signed by Cardinals Joseph Zen and Janis Pujats , as well as Bishops Athanasius Schneider and Joseph Strickland – had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdowns and strong restrictions of freedoms of citizens as measures against the coronavirus outbreak .
The signatories of this appeal , among whom are also journalists , experts , and other clergy , are concerned for the Church and the world that the COVID-19 pandemic is being used as a “ pretext ” by world leaders to “ control ” people , strip them of their fundamental rights , while providing a “ disturbing prelude to the realization of a world government beyond all control.
” They also reminded the public of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firmly asserts her autonomy to govern , worship , and teach , ” thus making clear that the state has not the authority to decide over church closures .
So far , more than 38,000 people have signed this text .
Especially in Germany , Cardinal Müller had been singled out and targeted by numerous Catholic and secular media .
The main tenor of the accusations even in major newspapers is that this appeal is filled with a set of crude conspiracy theories , going so far that it even purportedly fosters Anti-Semitism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world government and by spreading “ myths about conspiracies.
” Bishop Schneider , in his own response as to why he has signed this May 7 Appeal written by Archbishop Viganò , stated that , in light of such strong reactions against this appeal , he feels reminded of the strategy of totalitarian regimes to silence the opponent instead of taking in the facts .
Bishop Schneider insists upon a fair and honest debate and also warns against the possible danger of forced vaccinations which do not permit any alternate paths .
Cardinal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has made it clear that to withdraw now his signature from this appeal would be “ cowardly.
” In yet another article , he is being quoted as saying that he does not understand this indignation , since he did not consider the appeal to be a scientific analysis .
He who has better ideas could easily “ respond in a calm and relaxed manner with the help of objective arguments ” and thus correct “ purported or real errors ” in the text .
“ Important for us , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Faith and reason in dealing with the consequences [ of the corona crisis ] with regard to physical , social , and spiritual aspects.
” In his new Tagespost interview , the German prelate also responds to the question as to whether he leaves his competence as a bishop when commenting on the current corona crisis , to include political and medical matters .
Such had been the criticism of the Italian church historian Roberto de Mattei .
Responds Müller : “ It also has to do with theology that , despite the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realms , we must also talk about an ethics of economics , politics , and medicine .
Here I refer to the Second Vatican Council and its Constitution Gaudium et Spes 36.
” Full translation of Cardinal Müller 's new interview with the German Catholic newspaper Die Tagespost : Q : Your Eminence , are you really afraid that a world government is about to take over power by means of illiberal measures , as the appeal you signed states ?
Cardinal Müller : Anyone who does not distinguish between the opportunities and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality .
Pope Francis is also opposed to the neo-colonialism of states and international organizations forcing abortion among poor peoples by withdrawing development aid if they refuse .
In Peru during the Fujimori era , I myself spoke to involuntarily sterilized men and women who had been cheated out of health and happiness with money and false promises .
What does this have to do with a “ conspiracy theory ” ?
Q : But can you not understand that the document [ appeal ] is being considered to contain , at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In any case , far-reaching assumptions are being made without any proof .
Cardinal Müller : The mantra with conspiracy theories is a cheap way of making headlines and a tactical game to denounce those who think for themselves .
Who are we to believe when one conspiracist accuses the other of fake news ?
Q : Then help us to understand .
The appeal speaks of forces that are interested in creating panic among the population .
No proofs are given .
What are these forces ?
Cardinal Müller : You have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not understand the text as meaning that the coronavirus was invented to create panic , but that the measures taken against it must be strictly related to the disease and that political and economic interests must not be mixed up with it .
In any case , the threat has been made publicly that 7 billion people will be forcibly vaccinated , even if the drugs have not yet been sufficiently tested , and that if people are not complying , fundamental rights will be withdrawn from them .
No one can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ philanthropic ” super billionaires have the best programs for world improvement just because they have succeeded in accumulating a huge private fortune .
Or another problem : a certain amount of public surveillance to prevent and solve crimes is ethically justified , but by no means a total control of privacy .
Q : Left-wing and right-wing governments around the world are looking for answers to an unprecedented pandemic challenge .
Do you really believe that they want to use this crisis to permanently restrict or abolish freedom and civil rights ?
Cardinal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by naively and blindly believing the authorities , that everyone has only the best motives in mind ?
Do not see everything only from a German perspective !
America and China are blaming each other and perhaps are taking questionable measures that have nothing to do with the pandemic .
In some countries , unfortunately , party politics is still being pursued even in this crisis .
So far , in some places , the primacy of ethics over party politics remains a pious hope .
Q : The German Bishops ' Conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed .
Your successor in the Regensburg episcopal chair has explicitly endorsed this verdict .
Positions within the Church thus do not play any role in this criticism .
Does that impress you ?
Cardinal Müller : It would have been more urgent if the German bishops had agreed on the New Evangelization of their dioceses , as Pope Francis had wanted , or loudly stood up against the persecution of Christians in the world , instead of working themselves up over a three-page paper , which is certainly – as many a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final word in the matter , but which is an appeal for reflection .
None of these fellow bishops have spoken to me , but they , instead , refer to headlines to which to refer or which to contradict means a loss of time .
Q : The paper makes judgments on political and spiritual issues .
You have signed it in its entirety .
By agreeing to these political theses , have you not exceeded your competence as a bishop ?
Cardinal Müller : The paper — not a single line @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me .
But 30,000 people have so far supported it and the general direction of its aims with their signatures , without carefully examining every sentence individually .
Many physicians and other scientists have also helped write it .
But it also has to do with theology that , despite the respect for the autonomy of the secular realms , we must also talk about an ethics of economics , politics , and medicine .
Here I refer to the Second Vatican Council and its Constitution Gaudium et Spes 36 .
Q : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Church .
The state must not violate her right to celebrate public Masses .
Now the German bishops , but also those in many other countries of the world , have expressly agreed to the temporary ban on public worship services to combat the pandemic .
Where do you see the rights of the Church violated here ?
Cardinal Müller : Religious freedom and the autonomy of the Church in her spiritual and sacramental life have constitutional status in Germany and elsewhere and are among the fundamental human rights .
The Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the common good and does not claim to be a state within a state .
But the state only has the right to demand the necessary safety measures at worship gatherings , but not to prohibit the liturgy and the sacraments in and of themselves .
In non-democratic states , public gatherings are currently allowed , but only worship services continue to be banned – if one can believe the media reports .
If , despite all the dangers , the basic physical and medical care of the population is guaranteed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dying , for example , do not remain without spiritual help .
Or if a civil wedding is possible , no one understands why a church wedding is not possible , among other things , as well .
Because everything is politicized , even the shepherds no longer notice the discordant tone in the brutal formulation “ Baptisms , Confirmations , Masses , Marriages , that is , the sacramental mediation of grace , are forbidden.
” Q : Would you sign the document again ?
Cardinal Müller : Whatever one answers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the new headlines .
The media hype is not about a discussion about facts , but for some people it is what they have been waiting for in order to respond to their need for indignation with absurd accusations and insinuations and in order to confirm each other .
Whoever accuses others of “ a coalition of irrationality ” and of worse and sillier things , should be able to refute coolly the document with a few rational arguments or to let it go down into the spiral of silence .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francis as an example here , who has been constantly silent in the face of quite different accusations that he considers unjustified .

'Anyone who does not distinguish between the opportunities and the dangers associated with globalization is denying reality.'
PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
May 14, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – In a lengthy interview with the German Catholic newspaper Die Tagespost (published in full below), Cardinal Gerhard Müller responds in detail to the many accusations leveled at him in the last days for having signed Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó's appeal concerning the corona crisis and the impending dangers of governmental control and abuse.
In light of accusations of fostering conspiracy theories, the cardinal invites people to respond to facts, instead of demeaning people who “think for themselves,” and he also points to the danger of “forced vaccinations.” Without mentioning Bill Gates' name directly, Müller mentions that the “threat has been made publicly that 7 billion people will be forcibly vaccinated, even if the drugs have not yet been sufficiently tested, and that if people are not complying, fundamental rights will be withdrawn from them.”
“No one can be forced to believe that a few 'philanthropic' super billionaires have the best programs for world improvement just because they have succeeded in accumulating a huge private fortune,” he comments.
Cardinal Müller further rejects the accusation of being a “conspiracy theorist” by referring to his own experience: “In Peru during the Fujimori era, I myself spoke to involuntarily sterilized men and women who had been cheated out of health and happiness with money and false promises,” he states and asks: “What does this have to do with a 'conspiracy theory'?”
The May 7 Viganò Appeal – which was also signed by Cardinals Joseph Zen and Janis Pujats, as well as Bishops Athanasius Schneider and Joseph Strickland – had called into question the world-wide response of lockdowns and strong restrictions of freedoms of citizens as measures against the coronavirus outbreak.
The signatories of this appeal, among whom are also journalists, experts, and other clergy, are concerned for the Church and the world that the COVID-19 pandemic is being used as a “pretext” by world leaders to “control” people, strip them of their fundamental rights, while providing a “disturbing prelude to the realization of a world government beyond all control.” They also reminded the public of the liberty of the Catholic Church who “firmly asserts her autonomy to govern, worship, and teach,” thus making clear that the state has not the authority to decide over church closures. So far, more than 38,000 people have signed this text.
Especially in Germany, Cardinal Müller had been singled out and targeted by numerous Catholic and secular media. The main tenor of the accusations even in major newspapers is that this appeal is filled with a set of crude conspiracy theories, going so far that it even purportedly fosters Anti-Semitism by speaking of the dangers of a world government and by spreading “myths about conspiracies.”
Bishop Schneider, in his own response as to why he has signed this May 7 Appeal written by Archbishop Viganò, stated that, in light of such strong reactions against this appeal, he feels reminded of the strategy of totalitarian regimes to silence the opponent instead of taking in the facts.
Bishop Schneider insists upon a fair and honest debate and also warns against the possible danger of forced vaccinations which do not permit any alternate paths.
Cardinal Müller, in another May 13 interview, has made it clear that to withdraw now his signature from this appeal would be “cowardly.”
In yet another article, he is being quoted as saying that he does not understand this indignation, since he did not consider the appeal to be a scientific analysis. He who has better ideas could easily “respond in a calm and relaxed manner with the help of objective arguments” and thus correct “purported or real errors” in the text. “Important for us,” he continues, “is the connection between Faith and reason in dealing with the consequences [of the corona crisis] with regard to physical, social, and spiritual aspects.”
In his new Tagespost interview, the German prelate also responds to the question as to whether he leaves his competence as a bishop when commenting on the current corona crisis, to include political and medical matters. Such had been the criticism of the Italian church historian Roberto de Mattei. Responds Müller: “It also has to do with theology that, despite the respect for the autonomy of the secular realms, we must also talk about an ethics of economics, politics, and medicine. Here I refer to the Second Vatican Council and its Constitution Gaudium et Spes 36.”
***
Full translation of Cardinal Müller's new interview with the German Catholic newspaper Die Tagespost:
Q: Your Eminence, are you really afraid that a world government is about to take over power by means of illiberal measures, as the appeal you signed states?
Cardinal Müller: Anyone who does not distinguish between the opportunities and the dangers associated with globalization is denying reality. Pope Francis is also opposed to the neo-colonialism of states and international organizations forcing abortion among poor peoples by withdrawing development aid if they refuse. In Peru during the Fujimori era, I myself spoke to involuntarily sterilized men and women who had been cheated out of health and happiness with money and false promises. What does this have to do with a “conspiracy theory”?
Q: But can you not understand that the document [appeal] is being considered to contain, at least in certain passages, conspiracy theories? In any case, far-reaching assumptions are being made without any proof.
Cardinal Müller: The mantra with conspiracy theories is a cheap way of making headlines and a tactical game to denounce those who think for themselves. Who are we to believe when one conspiracist accuses the other of fake news?
Q: Then help us to understand. The appeal speaks of forces that are interested in creating panic among the population. No proofs are given. What are these forces?
Cardinal Müller: You have to ask the authors. I do not understand the text as meaning that the coronavirus was invented to create panic, but that the measures taken against it must be strictly related to the disease and that political and economic interests must not be mixed up with it. In any case, the threat has been made publicly that 7 billion people will be forcibly vaccinated, even if the drugs have not yet been sufficiently tested, and that if people are not complying, fundamental rights will be withdrawn from them. No one can be forced to believe that a few “philanthropic” super billionaires have the best programs for world improvement just because they have succeeded in accumulating a huge private fortune. Or another problem: a certain amount of public surveillance to prevent and solve crimes is ethically justified, but by no means a total control of privacy.
Q: Left-wing and right-wing governments around the world are looking for answers to an unprecedented pandemic challenge. Do you really believe that they want to use this crisis to permanently restrict or abolish freedom and civil rights?
Cardinal Müller: Should I now say, by naively and blindly believing the authorities, that everyone has only the best motives in mind? Do not see everything only from a German perspective! America and China are blaming each other and perhaps are taking questionable measures that have nothing to do with the pandemic. In some countries, unfortunately, party politics is still being pursued even in this crisis. So far, in some places, the primacy of ethics over party politics remains a pious hope.
Q: The German Bishops' Conference has distanced itself from the appeal you signed. Your successor in the Regensburg episcopal chair has explicitly endorsed this verdict. Positions within the Church thus do not play any role in this criticism. Does that impress you?
Cardinal Müller: It would have been more urgent if the German bishops had agreed on the New Evangelization of their dioceses, as Pope Francis had wanted, or loudly stood up against the persecution of Christians in the world, instead of working themselves up over a three-page paper, which is certainly – as many a text from the DBK – not the final word in the matter, but which is an appeal for reflection. None of these fellow bishops have spoken to me, but they, instead, refer to headlines to which to refer or which to contradict means a loss of time.
Q: The paper makes judgments on political and spiritual issues. You have signed it in its entirety. By agreeing to these political theses, have you not exceeded your competence as a bishop?
Cardinal Müller: The paper — not a single line in it — was not written by me. But 30,000 people have so far supported it and the general direction of its aims with their signatures, without carefully examining every sentence individually. Many physicians and other scientists have also helped write it. But it also has to do with theology that, despite the respect for the autonomy of the secular realms, we must also talk about an ethics of economics, politics, and medicine. Here I refer to the Second Vatican Council and its Constitution Gaudium et Spes 36.
Q: The appeal insists on the autonomy of the Church. The state must not violate her right to celebrate public Masses. Now the German bishops, but also those in many other countries of the world, have expressly agreed to the temporary ban on public worship services to combat the pandemic. Where do you see the rights of the Church violated here?
Cardinal Müller: Religious freedom and the autonomy of the Church in her spiritual and sacramental life have constitutional status in Germany and elsewhere and are among the fundamental human rights. The Catholic Church respects the competence of the state for the common good and does not claim to be a state within a state. But the state only has the right to demand the necessary safety measures at worship gatherings, but not to prohibit the liturgy and the sacraments in and of themselves. In non-democratic states, public gatherings are currently allowed, but only worship services continue to be banned – if one can believe the media reports. If, despite all the dangers, the basic physical and medical care of the population is guaranteed, then care must also be taken that the dying, for example, do not remain without spiritual help. Or if a civil wedding is possible, no one understands why a church wedding is not possible, among other things, as well. Because everything is politicized, even the shepherds no longer notice the discordant tone in the brutal formulation “Baptisms, Confirmations, Masses, Marriages, that is, the sacramental mediation of grace, are forbidden.”
Q: Would you sign the document again?
Cardinal Müller: Whatever one answers, the indignant will feel confirmed again by the new headlines.
The media hype is not about a discussion about facts, but for some people it is what they have been waiting for in order to respond to their need for indignation with absurd accusations and insinuations and in order to confirm each other. Whoever accuses others of “a coalition of irrationality” and of worse and sillier things, should be able to refute coolly the document with a few rational arguments or to let it go down into the spiral of silence. The best thing would be to take Pope Francis as an example here, who has been constantly silent in the face of quite different accusations that he considers unjustified.
Translation by LifeSiteNews’ Dr. Maike Hickson
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--2020-05-14--California State University system cancels in-person fall classes due to COVID-19

PETITION : No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus !
Sign the petition here .
May 14 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The California State University system announced Tuesday that none of its 23 schools will resume in-person classes for the fall semester , instead administering education via the internet .
`` This virtual planning approach for the next academic year is necessary because of the evolving data surrounding the progression of COVID-19 , ” Chancellor Timothy White told CSU trustees via teleconference , ABC 30 reported .
The decision was made based on fears that , even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term , a second wave could return when Californians ’ guard is down .
`` This virtual planning approach is necessary because a course that might begin in a face-to-face modality in the fall would likely have to be switched to a virtual format during the term if a serious second wave of the pandemic occurs as forecast for late fall , ” White said .
The university system is currently working on two plans to be ready for review later this month .
One would be entirely virtual , with in-person events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow for a handful of in-person courses .
The decision comes as top Whitie House coronavirus adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci warned the public not to expect a reliable treatment or vaccine to be ready in time for the start of the school year .
His comments were initially construed as discouraging the resumption of classes , but he later clarified that he meant that such decisions “ would depend on the dynamics of the outbreak in the region where the school is .
I did not mean to imply at all any relationship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment and our ability to go back to school.
” As of May 14 , the United States is estimated to have seen more than 1.4 million cases of COVID-19 , with more than 85,000 deaths and 310,000 recoveries .
California is the fifth-most impacted state , with 73,143 cases and 2,974 deaths .
Almost half of California ’ s COVID-19 deaths come from nursing homes .
Yet many of the state ’ s response efforts have targeted groups and activities with little-to-no risk , from ticketing residents for standing outside abortion centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services .
State leaders currently say they ’ re “ months , not weeks ” away from reopening religious services , beauty salons , gyms , or movie theaters .
Other medical experts argue that the evidence warrants a strategy more narrowly targeted toward protecting the elderly and immunocompromised while allowing the younger and healthier to go about their lives .
“ If we focus on the elderly , we will bring a death rate that is likely no more than 1 percent down to fractions of a percent , ” says Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center .
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews ’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world .

Online-only classes will be offered amid unsubstantiated claims that a second wave of the virus will strike this fall.
PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
May 14, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The California State University system announced Tuesday that none of its 23 schools will resume in-person classes for the fall semester, instead administering education via the internet.
“This virtual planning approach for the next academic year is necessary because of the evolving data surrounding the progression of COVID-19,” Chancellor Timothy White told CSU trustees via teleconference, ABC 30 reported. The decision was made based on fears that, even if the COVID-19 numbers decline in the short term, a second wave could return when Californians’ guard is down.
“This virtual planning approach is necessary because a course that might begin in a face-to-face modality in the fall would likely have to be switched to a virtual format during the term if a serious second wave of the pandemic occurs as forecast for late fall,” White said.
The university system is currently working on two plans to be ready for review later this month. One would be entirely virtual, with in-person events remaining suspended, and the other would allow for a handful of in-person courses.
The decision comes as top Whitie House coronavirus adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci warned the public not to expect a reliable treatment or vaccine to be ready in time for the start of the school year. His comments were initially construed as discouraging the resumption of classes, but he later clarified that he meant that such decisions “would depend on the dynamics of the outbreak in the region where the school is. I did not mean to imply at all any relationship between the availability of a vaccine and treatment and our ability to go back to school.”
As of May 14, the United States is estimated to have seen more than 1.4 million cases of COVID-19, with more than 85,000 deaths and 310,000 recoveries. California is the fifth-most impacted state, with 73,143 cases and 2,974 deaths.
Almost half of California’s COVID-19 deaths come from nursing homes. Yet many of the state’s response efforts have targeted groups and activities with little-to-no risk, from ticketing residents for standing outside abortion centers to forbidding singing even in online church services. State leaders currently say they’re “months, not weeks” away from reopening religious services, beauty salons, gyms, or movie theaters.
Other medical experts argue that the evidence warrants a strategy more narrowly targeted toward protecting the elderly and immunocompromised while allowing the younger and healthier to go about their lives. “If we focus on the elderly, we will bring a death rate that is likely no more than 1 percent down to fractions of a percent,” says Dr. Donald Yealy, chair of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-14--Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

May 14 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In response to the coronavirus crisis , LifeSite is offering Catholics throughout the world a chance to be united in praying the rosary together , at the same time , every day at 12:00 noon EST .
The rosary is led by Father Anthony Pillari , an American priest currently in Italy .
To date , Catholics from Israel , Uganda , Italy , France , Germany , Ireland , the United Kingdom , the U.S. , Canada , Mexico , Chile , Brazil , Australia , New Zealand , the Philippines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as other countries , have been joining in .
The whole world – including the Church – has been thrown into chaos because of the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) .
Thousands of people have passed away as a result of the viral outbreak , while thousands more have been sickened .
And , across the world , business has come to a grinding halt , resulting in sudden job loss and threatening economic recession .
If there ever was a time for prayer , this is it .
Catholics around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sacraments , but in many places are unable to access them because of bishops ’ orders or government restrictions .
We know that community with other believers is vital all the time , but especially during this time of global calls for “ sheltering-in-place ” and quarantine .
“ The rosary is the weapon for these times , ” St. Padre Pio said .
Through prayer , we can shape history , change the world , and bring this painful crisis to an end .
Join us today !
Send photos or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rosary with Father Pillari to [ email protected ]

(LifeSiteNews) — In response to the crisis unfolding in our world and in the Church, LifeSite is happy to promote Regina Angelorum Press’s Daily Rosary, which is offering Catholics throughout the world the chance to be united daily in prayer, in the Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Crusade.
Catholics from all over the world — from Israel, Uganda, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Pakistan, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and other countries — are gathering daily to pray the Rosary, led by Father Pillari, JCL, MCL, STL, an American priest currently studying in Italy.
The Daily Rosary is being offered each day at 12noon EST through Regina Angelorum Press’ YouTube Channel to which you can subscribe HERE.
The goal is, by means of this Daily Rosary and by embracing and living out the message given by the Virgin Mary at Fatima, the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.
To help obtain that goal, Bishop Athanasius Schneider graciously composed the following prayer for this worldwide Rosary crusade:
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, you are the holy Mother of God and our tender Mother. Look upon the distress in which the Church and the whole of humanity are living because of the spread of materialism and the persecution of the Church. In Fatima you warned against these errors, as you spoke about the errors of Russia. You are the Mediatrix of all graces. Implore your Divine Son to grant this special grace for the Pope: that he might consecrate Russia to your Immaculate Heart, so that Russia will be converted, a period of peace will be granted to the world, and your Immaculate Heart will triumph, through an authentic renewal of the Church in the splendor of the purity of the Catholic Faith, of the sacredness of Divine worship and of the holiness of the Christian life. O Queen of the holy Rosary and our sweet Mother, turn your merciful eyes to us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer. Amen. + Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana
To learn more about the urgency of responding to Our Lady’s message at Fatima, and about what you can do, please read Cardinal Burke’s 2017 address at the Rome Life Forum.
As St. Padre Pio once said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times.” Through prayer, God can shape history, change the world, and bring about a great time of renewal and peace for the Church and for the world, through the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. Join us today!
If you would like to follow along with the prayers said during this Rosary, you can access them HERE. The document also includes a brief F.A.Q. pertaining to the daily Rosary.
You can send your prayer requests to https://reginangelorumpress.com/prayer-intentions/
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lifesitenews--2020-05-14--Joan of Arc, canonized 100 years ago, consoles those victimized by Church hierarchy

May 14 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — On May 16 , 1920 , in a ceremony attended by over 30,000 people — including over a hundred descendents of her family — Pope Benedict XV canonized St. Joan of Arc ( c. 1412–1431 ) , the Maid of Orléans .
St. Joan of Arc is remarkable in so many ways .
I would like to draw attention to a few aspects of her life and character that hold pointed lessons for us today .
First , as a young woman , Joan practiced a deep , humble , and serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic faith were enough to take her to the heights of sanctity and the gift of herself for her country and her Lord .
She listened to the Lord ’ s voice as He spoke to her through the saints and through circumstances , and she obeyed His will unflinchingly .
St. Michael the Archangel addressed her as “ Jehanne the Maid , Child of God , ” for this is what she was and always remained .
Instead of allowing herself to be distracted by worldly motivations , she followed the path @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its difficulty .
She is , in other words , the exact antithesis of churchmen today who would water down the demands of God ’ s law , the necessity of self-denial in adhering to it , and the supernatural motives that should sustain us .
Second , Joan boldly stepped into a public role at God ’ s behest , but without losing her femininity .
She did not wage war with the soldiers , but simply led them in formation .
She would not , in principle , kill or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remotest chance that she would ever condone women fighting in the military and being trained to kill — the absurdity of actual or potential nurturers of life taking it voluntarily .
In this , she is an example of true Christian womanhood : strong and courageous , willing to stick her neck out , willing to lead ( as she herself was willing to be led by her Master ) , but not stupidly trying to be a man .
She did not think equality with maleness as something to be grasped , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In this way she provided an example of being true to her identity and vocation that is resoundingly necessary for both women and men to heed in a world that has become confused about how many sexes there are and who belongs to which “ division ” of the human race .
Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world : Feed your flock !
Sign the petition here .
Third , Joan is a model of the virtues of chastity and purity .
Feminists like to point out that she donned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time when this was considered immoral .
Yet all historians are agreed that the reason Joan wore a man ’ s clothing during her public service , and later in prison , was to protect herself against the danger of rape from the soldiers and enemies among whom she had to dwell .
The ordinary women ’ s clothing of the time offered no such defense , and she would not have had the leisure or the talent to create a new and better fashion de novo .
She complained to the tribunal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violate her in prison .
Like St. Maria Goretti , St. Joan prized the gift of her virginity and defended it .
She knew her worth and her dignity as a woman and a human being .
Fourth , Joan was condemned by an ecclesiastical kangaroo court presided over by a corrupt bishop , Pierre Cauchon , with the complicity of corrupt clergy .
As everyone knows who has read Joan ’ s life , she was falsely charged with heresy and condemned to be burnt at the stake .
The trial was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be gravely defective and irregular on numerous counts — indeed , not to mince words , it was a wicked sham , an excuse for murdering an inconvenient and too popular figure who could not be readily controlled by those in power .
We live today in a world in which most of episcopacy is corrupt on several levels — doctrinally , through failing to teach the Catholic Faith in its integrity , if not positively adhering to modernist views , or morally , due to practicing sexual abuse , or covering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or liturgically , by refusing to model right worship or to correct impious deviations , or , indeed , all three at once .
Joan sets us an example of a laywoman who refuses to be cowed by threats and intimidations from “ authority , ” even legitimate authority abusing its powers , and who would rather die for a right conscience than falsely admit to wrongdoing .
She ought to be recognized as the patron saint of those who have been victimized by the Church ’ s hierarchy .
St. Joan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , patroness of France , pray for us .

May 14, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — On May 16, 1920, in a ceremony attended by over 30,000 people — including over a hundred descendents of her family — Pope Benedict XV canonized St. Joan of Arc (c. 1412–1431), the Maid of Orléans.
St. Joan of Arc is remarkable in so many ways. I would like to draw attention to a few aspects of her life and character that hold pointed lessons for us today.
First, as a young woman, Joan practiced a deep, humble, and serious piety. The age-old practices of the Catholic faith were enough to take her to the heights of sanctity and the gift of herself for her country and her Lord. She listened to the Lord’s voice as He spoke to her through the saints and through circumstances, and she obeyed His will unflinchingly. St. Michael the Archangel addressed her as “Jehanne the Maid, Child of God,” for this is what she was and always remained. Instead of allowing herself to be distracted by worldly motivations, she followed the path God set for her, in spite of its difficulty. She is, in other words, the exact antithesis of churchmen today who would water down the demands of God’s law, the necessity of self-denial in adhering to it, and the supernatural motives that should sustain us.
Second, Joan boldly stepped into a public role at God’s behest, but without losing her femininity. She did not wage war with the soldiers, but simply led them in formation. She would not, in principle, kill or wound anyone. There is not the remotest chance that she would ever condone women fighting in the military and being trained to kill — the absurdity of actual or potential nurturers of life taking it voluntarily. In this, she is an example of true Christian womanhood: strong and courageous, willing to stick her neck out, willing to lead (as she herself was willing to be led by her Master), but not stupidly trying to be a man. She did not think equality with maleness as something to be grasped, but emptied herself and became a servant. In this way she provided an example of being true to her identity and vocation that is resoundingly necessary for both women and men to heed in a world that has become confused about how many sexes there are and who belongs to which “division” of the human race.
Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world: Feed your flock! Sign the petition here.
(And it is indeed a division — but it need not be an opposition or antagonism, in the way that both male chauvinism and feminism imagine it to be, each feeding off the other. Real difference makes possible a deeper communion and cooperation than uniformity and replaceability, even as, in the Church, the priest’s role as mediator is seen to be essentially different from that of the laity, since he acts on their behalf in persona Christi capitis, in the person of Christ the Head of the Church. In a similar way, the husband in a family has the calling to imitate and represent the headship of Christ. As St. Paul explained so well, one cannot have a functional organic body if it’s made up only of arms or hands or eyes or, for that matter, heads. Real difference and distinction, when embraced in a spirit of servanthood, confer a mutual benefit that far exceeds what one could obtain independently. Hierarchy and unity are correlative, not opposed, as democracy falsely assumes.)
Third, Joan is a model of the virtues of chastity and purity. Feminists like to point out that she donned a man’s clothing at a time when this was considered immoral. Yet all historians are agreed that the reason Joan wore a man’s clothing during her public service, and later in prison, was to protect herself against the danger of rape from the soldiers and enemies among whom she had to dwell. The ordinary women’s clothing of the time offered no such defense, and she would not have had the leisure or the talent to create a new and better fashion de novo. She complained to the tribunal that an English lord had attempted to violate her in prison. Like St. Maria Goretti, St. Joan prized the gift of her virginity and defended it. She knew her worth and her dignity as a woman and a human being.
Fourth, Joan was condemned by an ecclesiastical kangaroo court presided over by a corrupt bishop, Pierre Cauchon, with the complicity of corrupt clergy. As everyone knows who has read Joan’s life, she was falsely charged with heresy and condemned to be burnt at the stake. The trial was later re-evaluated by the Church and found to be gravely defective and irregular on numerous counts — indeed, not to mince words, it was a wicked sham, an excuse for murdering an inconvenient and too popular figure who could not be readily controlled by those in power. We live today in a world in which most of episcopacy is corrupt on several levels — doctrinally, through failing to teach the Catholic Faith in its integrity, if not positively adhering to modernist views, or morally, due to practicing sexual abuse, or covering it up, or tolerating its existence, or liturgically, by refusing to model right worship or to correct impious deviations, or, indeed, all three at once. Joan sets us an example of a laywoman who refuses to be cowed by threats and intimidations from “authority,” even legitimate authority abusing its powers, and who would rather die for a right conscience than falsely admit to wrongdoing. She ought to be recognized as the patron saint of those who have been victimized by the Church’s hierarchy.
St. Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orléans, patroness of France, pray for us.
Peter Kwasniewski, Thomistic theologian, liturgical scholar, and choral composer, is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College in California (B.A. Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy). He taught at the International Theological Institute in Austria and the Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Austria Program, then helped establish Wyoming Catholic College in 2006. There he taught theology, philosophy, music, and art history and directed the choirs until leaving in 2018 to devote himself full-time to writing and lecturing. Today he contributes regularly to many websites and publications, including New Liturgical Movement, OnePeterFive, LifeSiteNews, Rorate Caeli, The Remnant, and Catholic Family News, and has published thirteen books, including four on traditional Catholicism: Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis (Angelico, 2014, also available in Czech, Polish, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Belarusian), Noble Beauty, Transcendent Holiness (Angelico, 2017), Tradition and Sanity (Angelico, 2018), and Reclaiming Our Roman Catholic Birthright: The Genius and Timeliness of the Traditional Latin Mass (Angelico, 2020). His work has been translated into at least eighteen languages. Kwasniewski is a scholar of The Aquinas Institute in Green Bay, which is publishing the Opera Omnia of the Angelic Doctor, a Fellow of the Albertus Magnus Center for Scholastic Studies, and a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center. He has published over a thousand articles on Thomistic thought, sacramental and liturgical theology, the history and aesthetics of music, and the social doctrine of the Church. For news, information, article links, sacred music, and the home of Os Justi Press, visit his personal website, www.peterkwasniewski.com.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-14--Pro-abortion Washington Post columnist uses coronavirus lockdown debate to attack pro-lifers

May 13 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — As the debate over whether the cure is worse than the disease with regard to the COVID-19 lockdowns grows , progressives are responding to the suggestion of some that it may be time to loosen restrictions by leveling their favorite criticism at Republicans and conservatives : See ?
You ’ re not pro-life at all !
The headlines are nearly nonstop , with Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post leading the charge .
Rubin is one of those commentators who , for entirely mysterious reasons , gets called “ conservative ” despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positions on social issues , fawns embarrassingly over Joe Biden , and loathes Donald Trump so much that her Twitter feed often prompts genuine concern from those who peruse it .
In fact , I would have had no idea she was conservative if her Twitter bio hadn ’ t told me .
Rubin , who is herself pro-abortion , has decided that tearing into conservatives over the alleged hypocrisy of being both a ) opposed to aborting babies in the womb and b ) skeptical that sweeping lockdowns will not cause more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of attack .
On April 14 , for example , she produced a column titled “ The GOP is not a pro-life party , ” apparently assuming that that could persuade readers that she is a good judge of who is and who is not pro-life .
PETITION : No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus !
Sign the petition here .
A few days later on April 20 , she penned another angry column titled “ Rolling back the curtain on the not-all-that-pro-life movement.
” And then , just in case we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rubin inflicted another fresh portion of confusing accusations on her editors with a May 6 column titled “ At least we can dump the pretense that the GOP is the ‘ pro-life ’ party.
” This column , too , made the same tired point : Republicans who disagree with Rubin on the best way to respond to the COVID-19 crisis are obviously pro-death , mostly because they disagree with her .
And because they oppose butchering babies in the womb while disagreeing with her , this makes them hypocrites .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m somewhat surprised that it took Rubin three columns to articulate it .
As leading pro-life apologist Scott Klusendorf , the author of The Case for Life and Pro-Life 101 , noted on my podcast last week , the pro-life position is that we can never intentionally kill an innocent human being .
That ’ s it .
Pro-lifers can radically differ ( and do ) on the best economic models , foreign policy , taxes , and the welfare state , just so long as they oppose killing innocent human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorse Jennifer Rubin ’ s preferred economic reopening strategy ( and it is unsurprising that a woman who can work and earn her paycheck from home isn ’ t in much of a hurry to end the lockdowns ) means that someone isn ’ t pro-life is idiotic .
Progressives like Rubin — especially those claiming to be conservative in order to get on the payrolls of media organizations who then pay them to attack and berate their “ fellow ” conservatives — like to accuse pro-lifers of hypocrisy because it kills two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they get to discredit opponents of killing pre-born children , which they very much want to do .
Second , they get to distract people from the fact that they do support killing pre-born children in the womb by pretending they are pro-life because they support preferred policy X and the anti-abortion folks do not .
Win-win .
Jennifer Rubin and the rest of the pundits who support the legal destruction of human beings in the womb appear to think it is a clever gotcha move to take the slogan of a movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human beings in the womb and turn it against us .
If they weren ’ t so blinded by partisan rage , or capable of attempting to understand the motives and positions of their ideological opponents , perhaps they wouldn ’ t produce such drivel .
Being “ pro-life ” means one thing : opposing the killing of innocent human beings .
It does not mean “ having a policy disagreement with Jennifer Rubin.
” Somebody should tell her that .
Jonathon ’ s new podcast , The Van Maren Show , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-life and pro-family movement .
In his latest episode , he interviews Scott Klusendorf about the fundamental flaw Klusendorf sees in the idea of locking down the country under the guise of preventing people from getting coronavirus .
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below :

Being 'pro-life' means one thing: opposing the killing of innocent human beings. It does not mean 'having a policy disagreement with Jennifer Rubin.'
May 13, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — As the debate over whether the cure is worse than the disease with regard to the COVID-19 lockdowns grows, progressives are responding to the suggestion of some that it may be time to loosen restrictions by leveling their favorite criticism at Republicans and conservatives: See? You’re not pro-life at all!
The headlines are nearly nonstop, with Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post leading the charge. Rubin is one of those commentators who, for entirely mysterious reasons, gets called “conservative” despite the fact that she holds no conservative positions on social issues, fawns embarrassingly over Joe Biden, and loathes Donald Trump so much that her Twitter feed often prompts genuine concern from those who peruse it. In fact, I would have had no idea she was conservative if her Twitter bio hadn’t told me.
Rubin, who is herself pro-abortion, has decided that tearing into conservatives over the alleged hypocrisy of being both a) opposed to aborting babies in the womb and b) skeptical that sweeping lockdowns will not cause more harm than good is a fruitful line of attack. On April 14, for example, she produced a column titled “The GOP is not a pro-life party,” apparently assuming that that could persuade readers that she is a good judge of who is and who is not pro-life.
PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
A few days later on April 20, she penned another angry column titled “Rolling back the curtain on the not-all-that-pro-life movement.” And then, just in case we all hadn’t gotten the point, Rubin inflicted another fresh portion of confusing accusations on her editors with a May 6 column titled “At least we can dump the pretense that the GOP is the ‘pro-life’ party.” This column, too, made the same tired point: Republicans who disagree with Rubin on the best way to respond to the COVID-19 crisis are obviously pro-death, mostly because they disagree with her. And because they oppose butchering babies in the womb while disagreeing with her, this makes them hypocrites.
Follow Jonathon van Maren on Facebook
This accusation is so boring and clichéd that I’m somewhat surprised that it took Rubin three columns to articulate it. As leading pro-life apologist Scott Klusendorf, the author of The Case for Life and Pro-Life 101, noted on my podcast last week, the pro-life position is that we can never intentionally kill an innocent human being. That’s it. Pro-lifers can radically differ (and do) on the best economic models, foreign policy, taxes, and the welfare state, just so long as they oppose killing innocent human beings. The idea that declining to endorse Jennifer Rubin’s preferred economic reopening strategy (and it is unsurprising that a woman who can work and earn her paycheck from home isn’t in much of a hurry to end the lockdowns) means that someone isn’t pro-life is idiotic.
Progressives like Rubin — especially those claiming to be conservative in order to get on the payrolls of media organizations who then pay them to attack and berate their “fellow” conservatives — like to accuse pro-lifers of hypocrisy because it kills two birds with one stone. First, they get to discredit opponents of killing pre-born children, which they very much want to do. Second, they get to distract people from the fact that they do support killing pre-born children in the womb by pretending they are pro-life because they support preferred policy X and the anti-abortion folks do not. Win-win.
Jennifer Rubin and the rest of the pundits who support the legal destruction of human beings in the womb appear to think it is a clever gotcha move to take the slogan of a movement dedicated to fighting the legal destruction of human beings in the womb and turn it against us. If they weren’t so blinded by partisan rage, or capable of attempting to understand the motives and positions of their ideological opponents, perhaps they wouldn’t produce such drivel.
Being “pro-life” means one thing: opposing the killing of innocent human beings. It does not mean “having a policy disagreement with Jennifer Rubin.” Somebody should tell her that.
Jonathon’s new podcast, The Van Maren Show, is dedicated to telling the stories of the pro-life and pro-family movement. In his latest episode, he interviews Scott Klusendorf about the fundamental flaw Klusendorf sees in the idea of locking down the country under the guise of preventing people from getting coronavirus.
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below:
Follow Jonathon Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer, and pro-life activist. His commentary has been translated into more than eight languages and published widely online as well as print newspapers such as the Jewish Independent, the National Post, the Hamilton Spectator and others. He has received an award for combating anti-Semitism in print from the Jewish organization B’nai Brith. His commentary has been featured on CTV Primetime, Global News, EWTN, and the CBC as well as dozens of radio stations and news outlets in Canada and the United States. He speaks on a wide variety of cultural topics across North America at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions. Some of these topics include abortion, pornography, the Sexual Revolution, and euthanasia. Jonathon holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from Simon Fraser University, and is the communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform. Jonathon’s first book, The Culture War, was released in 2016.
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