lifesitenews--2020-10-19--If Pope Francis wants Catholics to fight euthanasia, he must speak out against adultery

October 19 , 2020 ( The Catholic Thing ) — With the pope ’ s approval , the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ( CDF ) has issued a letter entitled The Good Samaritan devoted to the care of persons in the critical and terminal phases of life .
Those hoping to renew Christian moral awareness in response to the needs of our time will welcome its many affirmations of the Gospel and its critique of harmful cultural treads .
Unfortunately , those contributions are undermined by the radically different approach to morality found in other statements coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues such as abortion , homosexuality , contraception , and remarriage after divorce .
This conflict is evident in their divergent understandings of moral acts , cooperation , conscience , and pastoral accompaniment .
The CDF ’ s letter affirms the human and evangelical truth that euthanasia and assisted suicide are intrinsically evil acts , that is , they are always violations of human life and the Gospel .
The document denies that any consideration of other “ goods or values ” can alter the fundamental reality : the moral object chosen in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which of itself or by intention causes death ” to an innocent person ( i.e.
, it is murder ) .
It follows that “ any formal or immediate material cooperation in such an act is a grave sin.
” This means in particular that those who approve euthanasia laws are “ accomplices of a grave sin ” and “ guilty of scandal because by such laws they contribute to the distortion of conscience.
” The CDF acknowledges that requests for euthanasia may arise in circumstances that reduce or completely remove guilt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ into which the conscience falls ... does not change the nature of this act.
” Thus , the act is always harmful and never a real service to the person .
The letter calls Christians and others to follow the example of the Good Samaritan ( who , ultimately , represents Jesus ) by personally attending to those who suffer , enlisting others to assist in their care , and unfailingly doing good for them .
It stresses the Christian duty to help them embrace unavoidable suffering by uniting themselves to the Crucified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pastoral accompaniment is said to require withholding sacraments from those who request euthanasia and avoiding anything that approves or appears to approve their decision , such as standing by while the person is killed .
These pastoral directives serve the good of the person , other Christians , and the civil community .
The person seeking euthanasia , “ whatever their subjective dispositions may be , has decided upon a gravely immoral act ” and thus lacks “ the proper disposition for the reception of the Sacraments of Penance , with absolution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ persons need , then , first to be guided to abandon their intention and to remove themselves from any organization that provides euthanasia .
Withholding sacraments under these conditions serves a medicinal purpose : to lead the person to a deeper participation in the life of Christ .
Similarly , avoiding the appearance of approving the killing prevents the scandal of misleading the person , those present , or others who may hear of it .
These acts of pastoral accompaniment do not reject or abandon the person , but affirm their human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s approach to morality and to the pastoral response to evil is remarkable for the stark challenge it poses to contemporary approaches to other moral issues , particularly one theory claiming to have the pope ’ s support .
Consider that abortion , like euthanasia , is the direct killing of the innocent .
Contraception and homosexual activity , too , are intrinsically evil acts .
Jesus himself declared that remarriage after the divorce of a legitimate marriage is inherently adulterous .
Yet for more than fifty years , bishops have allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ goods or values ” and judgments of conscience can sometimes permit such actions .
During the same period , most bishops have failed to instruct Catholics that voters and politicians who approve abortion laws are accomplices in grave sin and guilty of scandal .
Worse , bishops taught or allowed the public to believe that this cooperation isn ’ t sinful and refused to provide the medicine of withholding sacraments .
Thus , their “ pastoral accompaniment ” slipped into approval or the appearance of approval which misleads others .
They , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first to atone publicly for this scandal .
In recent decades , numerous bishops have permitted ministries for Catholic homosexuals that don ’ t declare the need to renounce sexual activity and membership in organizations that promote such behavior .
In fact , some bishops have suggested that pastoral accompaniment should include blessings or ecclesial recognition for same-sex “ partnerships , ” ignoring the scandal of leading people to believe that God approves this behavior .
At present , bishops and theologians who claim to speak on the Pope ’ s behalf , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assert that the Church may not withhold sacraments from those acting with a sincere conscience .
They seem unaware that conscience can ’ t change the nature of an action and that the appearance of approving evil actions isn ’ t really pastoral care ; it ’ s a scandal .
True accompaniment patiently corrects consciences , withholding sacraments when necessary .
Regrettably , there are periodic claims that Pope Francis has spoken privately in favor of these distorted understandings of conscience and pastoral accompaniment .
Some say this is the key to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Laetitia , which speaks of various goods and values in second unions .
But it never establishes the evangelical basis on which these can alter the fundamental reality that the moral act chosen by such a couple is sexual relations outside a valid marriage ( i.e.
, adultery ) .
If circumstance or conscience can ’ t make euthanasia good , how could they make an adulterous union good ?
The pope ’ s continued resistance to settling questions regarding his alleged remarks and the moral foundations of Amoris Laetitia leave space for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally Christians to defend using an approach to morality that repudiates the theories he allows to spread in his name .
A vigorous , unified Catholic response is currently impossible because “ If the trumpet give an uncertain sound , who shall prepare himself to the battle ?
” ( I Cor .
14:8 ) Published with permission from The Catholic Thing .

PETITION UPDATE (7/9/2021) -
Father James Altman was informed late last week that he has been removed as pastor of St. James the Less parish, and that his priestly faculties have been suspended indefinitely.
Please Click Here to WATCH LifeSite's exclusive interview with Fr. Altman, and Click Here to READ more about this turn of events.
As Bishop William J. Callahan’s decree explains, this means he is forbidden from celebrating “The Holy Eucharist” with any members of the faithful present, except for his elderly parents. He is also “no longer allowed to preach,” administer baptism, or assist at marriages.
Altman said that he wasn’t issued restrictions from hearing Confessions or Anointing of the Sick.
The decree also states that he is to continue to live within the Diocese of LaCrosse, where he has been instructed to meet with the Vicar for Clergy at least once a month, and has been “invited to begin” a month-long “spiritual retreat” to help him to “spiritually heal” and “address the issues that caused the issuance of this decree.”
The order states it is in effect as long as “cause” is present, but it does not specify what the cause is. Callahan said he asked Altman to resign on May 23 for being “divisive and ineffective.”
Altman first triggered backlash from his bishop when his video “You cannot be a Catholic and a Democrat. Period” went viral last year. Altman shared that in response to this, his office “got the most vile, despicable phone calls, letters” and “some terrible, really foul messages.”
Callahan criticized Altman at the time for his “manner and tone,” to which Altman countered, “what about the manner and tone of the 10,000 babies that are chopped up last Saturday?”
“What I would hope would always come through no matter what people think about my manner and tone, is that they would recognize that what’s coming through there is God’s love,” Altman told LifeSiteNews. “A love that I recognize because He’s loved me, and I didn’t deserve that.”
“If I seem angry at times, it has nothing to do with me, it has to do with the people. And I asked the question recently, how can they love? If you love, how can you not feed your children?”
In late April, Altman chided the U.S. bishops for needlessly shutting churches and denying the faithful sacraments during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the hierarchy showed “an abundance of cowardice.”
In his interview with LifeSite, Altman alluded to the fact that some don’t like seeing him “upset.”
“I’m thinking well, if you’re denying my child food, the Bread of Life – [Bishop Fulton J. Sheen] said, if you can’t get angry about stuff like that then you can’t love either. Because greater love has greater anger towards those things that are contrary to the salvation of eternal souls, which is the only thing that matters in the end,” said Altman.
"I don’t care what they do to me, honestly, in the end… what troubles me is the interference with the feeding of God’s children, which is through word and through the sacrament. Both of which were denied to people over the past 15 months."
Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this petition, and to continue to contact the Diocese of LaCrosse's Chancery Office, to politely voice your opposition to the removal of Fr. Altman from his parish. The Chancery's phone number is: 608-788-7700.
_______________________________________________________________________
PETITION UPDATE (5/24/2021) -
Father James Altman, the Wisconsin priest whose video message last fall "You can’t be a Catholic and a Democrat" went viral and who has fearlessly admonished the U.S. bishops for shutting churches and denying the faithful Sacraments during the COVID-19 crisis, announced on Pentecost Sunday that his bishop has asked him to resign for being "divisive and ineffective."
Please CLICK HERE to READ LifeSiteNews' latest article related to Fr. Altman's ongoing persecution, just to continue shepherding his flock.
Bishop William P. Callahan began threatening the outspoken priest with "canonical penalties" in September, even as public support for the priest surged among rank-and-file Catholics around the country and the world.
And now, a group called 'Faithful America' is proudly boasting responsibility for taking down Fr. Altman, but Faithful America are not even a Catholic organization!
Thankfully, Fr. Altman says he is working with a canon lawyer to resolve this matter.
WATCH Fr. Altman's Sunday sermon in which he announces the bishop's decision to ask for his resignation.
"In response my canon lawyer asked for clarification – asked for the justification and a chance to review what was in my file that suggested I was so divisive and ineffective,” explained Altman. “And I say all this only because, I'm no expert on canon law, but understand only that while we are contesting bishop's request — and we are — he could in theory appoint a parish administrator whilst I remain a pastor without duties until the appeal goes through Rome, which could take up to a year or more."
Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, offered his support for Altman via Twitter.
Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this petition with your like-minded family and friends.
And, after signing and sharing, please take a minute to contact the LaCrosse Diocese to politely voice your support for Fr. Altman, and against leftist pressure groups like 'Faithful America.' Please ask Bishop Callahan to prayerfully reconsider his decision and allow Fr. Altman to remain as pastor of St. James the Less parish.
The phone number for the diocese office is: 608.788.7700
Thank you!
PETITION UPDATE (9/15/2020) -
Just this past weekend a prayer vigil was held outside the Cathedral in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, on behalf of Fr. James Altman, the priest facing Church penalties for saying that you cannot be a Catholic and a Democrat in 2020.
Hundreds of faithful Catholics turn out to pray for Fr. Altman. Though Fr. Altman did use strong language to warn his flock against spiritual perils, what he said about the Democratic Party's platform is true!
Motivated by a deep sense of justice, supporters gathered at the Cathedral to pray for the priest, and for Bishop Callahan to stand by his priest rather than punish him.
"Fr. Altman is a rare breed. He’s a modern-day St. John the Baptist," declared one woman who attended the prayer vigil. "He’s really changed my life and so many others he’s had that impact on. We need more priests who are true shepherds."
Fr. Richard Heilman, who is the founder of the U.S. Grace Force and who was also present to help lead people in prayer during the vigil, had this to say about Fr. Altman: "Bottom line: he loves, loves, loves his flock. And so, like a good shepherd, if he sees the wolves invading, he sounds the warning alarm."
Please consider SIGNING this petition if you have not already signed. And, please SHARE this petition and video with your family, friends and colleagues. Thank you!
If after signing and sharing you wish to make an even greater impact, we encourage you to contact the Diocese of LaCrosse's Chancery Offices to politely let them know that you support Fr. Altman and want to see him continue in his essential ministry.
Diocese of LaCrosse's Chancery Office phone number: 608-788-7700.
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ORIGINAL PETITION TEXT:
Father James Altman, pastor of St. James the Less parish in the Wisconsin Diocese of LaCrosse, has been threatened with canonical punishment by his Bishop, Most Rev. William Patrick Callahan.
Fr. Altman's alleged "offense"?
Stating what every faithful Catholic knows to be true in 2020: "You cannot be a Catholic and a Democrat."
Please SIGN this petition which will go to Bishop Callahan and ask him to stop any canonical proceedings against Fr. Altman.
In a strongly-worded YouTube video, designed to shepherd the faithful out of harm's way (supporting the Democratic Party's evil platform), Fr. Altman states the following:
"Here's a memo to clueless, baptized Catholics out there: You cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat. Period. Their party platform absolutely is against everything the Catholic Church teaches. So, just quit pretending that you're Catholic and vote Democrat. Repent of your support of that party and its platform, or face the fires of Hell..."
Strong stuff to be sure, but Fr. Altman was taking his cue from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (whom he quotes) – the Church has a "duty and obligation" to speak up when politicians act in an immoral way.
In other words, a pastor must give strong warnings, at times, to guide souls away from grave danger, even when the dangers come from politicians or a political party.
When your house is burning down...or, more appropriately, when someone is attempting to burn your house down, it's time to dispense with the niceties of politically correct language.
And, as Fr. Altman suggests, the Democratic Party's evil platform which promotes the desecration of God's plan for humanity is, in effect, trying to burn down our house (i.e., the Church).
Not only do the Democrats openly advocate for abortion (i.e., killing innocent human beings), but they also promote the destruction of the natural family and the desecration of human nature in support of the homosexual and transgender agendas.
Remember the following:
The Obama-Biden Administration attempted to force the Little Sisters of the Poor to participate in the provision of abortion-inducing drugs and contraception and threatened schools with the loss of federal funding if they wouldn’t let boys in girls’ bathrooms and vice versa.
Democratic Senators Kamala Harris and Mazie Hirono grilled a judge, who is a Knight of Columbus, on his membership in the Knights, absurdly suggesting that membership in the Catholic mens' fraternal organization should disqualify someone from sitting on the bench.
And, in 2017, the DNC Chairman said that pro-lifers were not welcome in the party.
No faithful Catholic should even think about voting for such a platform. And, the bishops should be on the frontlines, speaking this truth to power.
Thankfully, the Bishop of Tyler, Texas, Most Rev. Joseph Strickland, has come out in support of Fr. Altman's statement, tweeting:
"As the Bishop of Tyler I endorse Fr. Altman’s statement in this video. My shame is that it has taken me so long. Thank you Fr Altman for your COURAGE. If you love Jesus & His Church & this nation...please HEED THIS MESSAGE.”
With this petition, we now ask that Fr. Altman's own bishop, Most. Rev. Callahan, likewise support his priest and stop any canonical proceedings against him.
Devoid of united leadership from the Hierarchy, individual priests must do their best to inform the laity of the mortal dangers on full view in the Democrats' platform.
And, threatening to silence priests for strongly speaking the truth only plays into the hand of those who actually hate what the Church stands for...and who will, if elected, most likely seek to injure, or even eradicate, the Church.
The bishops should know that the legacy of the Democratic Party being the party of the small man and of the Catholic immigrant is now over.
The Democratic Party of today is the party of radical individualism, not the common good. And, rabid support for abortion and the homosexual agenda are practically obligatory.
As such, the Democratic Party is not a friend of the Church and any priest or bishop who thinks otherwise is being deceived, or allowing himself to be deceived or bullied.
This is not just an abstraction! This is a serious threat to Christianity and their party's platform needs to be met with strong opposition.
Thank you for SIGNING this petition to the bishop of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Bishop Callahan, asking him to support Fr. Altman rather than bringing any canonical proceedings against him.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'Bishop threatens ‘canonical penalties’ for priest whose viral video warned Catholics can’t be Democrats': https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bishop-threatens-canonical-penalties-for-fr-altman
YouTube Video - 'Fr. James Altman: You cannot be Catholic & a Democrat. Period.': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-7eoTN2vNM
Statement regarding Fr. James Altman from Bishop Callahan: https://diolc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Statement-Father-James-Altman-090920.pdf
'Bishop Strickland echoes priest: ‘You cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat’': https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bishop-strickland-echoes-priest-you-cannot-be-catholic-and-be-a-democrat
**Photo Credit: Screen capture from Fr. James Altman's YouTube video on Alpha News MN


lifesitenews--2020-10-19--5 ways for pro-lifers in the modern world to overcome fear and witness boldly

Editor ’ s note : This article originally appeared at Love Unleashes Life on November 21 , 2019 .
It is republished here with permission .
October 19 , 2020 ( Love Unleashes Life ) — In the first film from Lord of the Rings , Frodo says to the wizard Gandalf , “ I wish none of this had ever happened .
I wish the ring had never come to me.
” And Gandalf replies , “ So do all who live to see such times .
But that is not for them to decide .
All we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time that is given to us.
” Speaking to a medical audience of physicians , nurses , and medical students in early November , I used those words to capture the sentiment pro-life medical professionals often feel in this world that is increasingly hostile to a pro-life worldview .
At a time when abortion is widespread , assisted suicide is increasing , and conscience rights are lessening , understandably the pro-life medical professional thinks , “ I wish none of this had ever happened.
” And of course , that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is — it has happened .
All we have to decide is how we are going to respond .
And now , more than ever , we need pro-life medical professionals to respond with courage , not cowardice .
Fear can be paralyzing but it doesn ’ t have to be .
Fear is the tie that actually binds both courage and cowardice .
What separates them , however , is how each responds to fear .
Courage controls fear .
Cowardice is controlled by fear .
In his Letter from Birmingham Jail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarked , “ There was a time when the church was very powerful — in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed .
In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion ; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society… ” Ah .
A thermometer versus a thermostat .
One tells us the temperature .
The other changes it .
The courage we so badly need at a time like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recognizing the temperature needs to change , and being the ones to change it , channeling any fear we feel into energy that drives change forward .
What helps us be bold ?
What enables us to courageously change the temperature to the level it should be ?
In my presentation I focused on 5 things : 1 ) Know your why 2 ) Unleash the power of your mind 3 ) Study people who said no Know Your Why Author Simon Sinek has given one of the most popular TED Talks and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reasons behind the positions we hold .
Pro-life medical professionals need to make sure they know not simply what they believe but also why , and be trained to articulate that winsomely , as that will give confidence , and confidence is an ingredient for controlling fear and driving change .
Clicking here and here and here and here are good places to start to know your why .
Unleash the Power of Your Mind Have you ever gone car shopping , perhaps for a white Toyota Corolla , test driven one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white Toyota Corollas everywhere you go ?
It ’ s not that Toyota is following you and planting their cars so you buy one .
Instead , what we think about — what we put in our minds — becomes part of our reality .
There aren ’ t more Toyotas on the road the week after you test drove ; instead , the car is in your mind and you are more prone to notice what you had previously ignored .
If the thoughts we put in our head are what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-life medical professionals putting in their heads ?
If it ’ s overwhelming fear of losing one ’ s licence , of possible complaints by patients , etc.
, then , well , that is more likely to come to fruition .
If , instead , pro-life professionals focus on being the best doctor , etc.
, to their patients , of having the best bedside manner , of building an excellent rapport with patients , etc.
, then not only will they experience the good fruits that flow from that , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an army of patients rising up to defend the beloved physician .
Having said that , I ’ m not saying we should be naïve and unprepared for challenges or critiques that could come .
I ’ m saying that we should be wise about the present reality , equipped for possible negative outcomes , while not being obsessed or overly focused on them .
It ’ s the old adage , “ Prepare for the worst but hope for the best.
” If you were to ask a crowd of people what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tiananmen Square ” they will likely recall this photo .
The quiet but steady defiance of one man against an army of tanks is an example for us all .
Sometimes to unjust power structures we need to simply stand up and say “ No.
” Come what may .
Rosa Parks , the black woman who refused to give up her bus seat in 1955 , is another example of the power of saying no .
So is Dr. Halima Bashir .
She ’ s a physician from Darfur who wrote the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In it she shares her story of witnessing , in an emergency room , the results of genocide .
When asked by media about what she was observing , she spoke .
Several days later , a group of men showed up at the hospital to try to intimidate her into not speaking out again .
Fast forward to when she moved to work in a small village .
One day , people ran to her clinic carrying blood-covered children .
Soldiers had invaded a school and gang-raped children as young as 8 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to respond to what was a scene from hell .
A short while later , as word spread about what happened , UN officials showed up to ask her if the reports of the gang rapes were true .
Dr. Bashir could have been influenced by the intimidation and threats previously directed at her when she spoke up at her other job .
She could have been silent .
But she knew that silence in the face of the injustice was the wrong response .
So she spoke .
But it came with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was kidnapped , beaten , tied in a dark room with rats , and gang-raped for days — all because she spoke up ; all because she said no to corruption and to cover-up .
What is at the heart of the pro-life message ?
What are we asking of women in crisis pregnancies ?
What are we asking of patients with illness or disability who don ’ t know when their life will naturally end ?
We are asking them to let go of control .
We are asking them to ride @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are asking them to consider the long-term effects of their choices , not just the short-term .
We are asking them to not create a false dilemma where it ’ s a ) or b ) — that sometimes c ) “ none of the above ” can be their story .
We are asking them to do the right thing even when it ’ s hard .
We are asking them to remember that it is better to suffer evil than to do evil .
And so , for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking out , about the risk to their job , etc.
, they need to heed those same messages about control , long-term focus , resisting false dilemmas , and doing the right thing .
Magnetism is an extraordinary ability , or power , to attract .
Our pro-life professionals may have unpopular positions but if they are known for being experts in their field , and for having compassionate doctor-patient interactions , this will attract people .
Sure , there will be an element of mystery ( “ I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a great doctor but her view on abortion is so strange ” ) ; however , it ’ s that mystery that will draw people in more .
And we want to draw people in , for it is probing that leads to discovery .
I am reminded of a TV show my mom and I used to watch together , Columbo .
In this mystery series , a homicide detective ’ s work always leads to a discovery of who committed a crime , but it ’ s his personality and approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a little odd , but he ’ s actually quite shrewd .
He asks lots of questions , draws people in , and in doing so , exposes the true criminal .
The person who asks the questions controls the conversation .
When pro-life medical professionals come under fire , they should respond by asking questions of their interrogators , Columbo-style , compelling them to stay in conversation , to think through their claims , and to attempt to defend inconsistencies or problematic positions they hold — which will expose the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which it ’ s built .
Another way to be magnetic is to be real , to not be afraid to show the fullness of your emotions .
Jordan Peterson is an example of this .
Although there are plenty of people who do not like him , he nonetheless has an aura of intrigue , even to his opponents .
He ’ s an intellectual and academic but he ’ s known for frequently getting emotional .
In fact , if you search “ Jordan Peterson crying ” you will get results @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his various bouts of weeping .
When I neared the end of that clip I thought to myself , “ What kind of person makes a video like that ?
” It seemed like such a strange thing to do .
But the final screen put it all in perspective : “ Jordan Peterson gets a lot of unfair and undeserved criticism .
That ’ s why I created this video , to show that a man that breaks down when talking about the suffering of individuals and the way to overcome it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desire but the deep desire to reduce suffering in the world and to oppose anything that causes its increase….This video is the best way to show to those who oppose Jordan that what they think of him is wrong .
This video has the potential to decrease the amount of criticism he gets , and show that he deeply cares about people.
” It is this blend between the head and the heart , the intellect and the emotion , this fullness of what it means to be human that attracts people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they don ’ t always agree .
It ’ s magnetic .
Note : The author is scheduled to debate prominent pro-abortion philosopher Peter Singer .
Find more information here .

Now, more than ever, we need pro-life witnesses to respond with courage, not cowardice.
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared at Love Unleashes Life on November 21, 2019. It is republished here with permission.
October 19, 2020 (Love Unleashes Life) — In the first film from Lord of the Rings, Frodo says to the wizard Gandalf, “I wish none of this had ever happened. I wish the ring had never come to me.” And Gandalf replies, “So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
Speaking to a medical audience of physicians, nurses, and medical students in early November, I used those words to capture the sentiment pro-life medical professionals often feel in this world that is increasingly hostile to a pro-life worldview. At a time when abortion is widespread, assisted suicide is increasing, and conscience rights are lessening, understandably the pro-life medical professional thinks,
“I wish none of this had ever happened.”
And of course, that’s a good wish. But the reality is — it has happened. All we have to decide is how we are going to respond. And now, more than ever, we need pro-life medical professionals to respond with courage, not cowardice.
The challenge? Fear.
Fear can be paralyzing but it doesn’t have to be. Fear is the tie that actually binds both courage and cowardice. What separates them, however, is how each responds to fear. Courage controls fear. Cowardice is controlled by fear.
In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., remarked, “There was a time when the church was very powerful — in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society…”
Ah. A thermometer versus a thermostat. One tells us the temperature. The other changes it. The courage we so badly need at a time like this involves being thermostats. It involves recognizing the temperature needs to change, and being the ones to change it, channeling any fear we feel into energy that drives change forward.
— Article continues below Petition — VICTORY: Poland says 'No' to eugenic abortion! Show Petition Text 6238 have signed the petition. Let's get to 7500 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition PETITION UPDATE (10/22/2020) Today, the Polish Constitutional Tribunal issued a ruling that the provision in the act allowing "abortion in the case of a high probability of severe and irreversible impairment of the fetus or an incurable disease that threatens the fetus" is inconsistent with the Polish Constitution, which was permitted since 1993 until the time when the conceived child reaches the age when it is able to survive outside the mother's body, in practice up to the 24th week of pregnancy. This ruling makes abortion for eugenic reasons illegal in Poland! Thank God and sincere gratitude to the Polish Constitutional Court for doing the right and reasonable thing. And, thank you for continuing to sign this petition. We will send all signatures to the Polish Constitutional Court as way to show our thanks! _____________________________________________________________________ On October 22nd, the Polish Constitutional Tribunal will decide whether eugenic abortion - on the grounds of a positive Down Syndrome test, for example - currently allowed by the Abortion Act of 1993 is in keeping with the country's constitution. Eugenic abortion is not the mark of an advanced society. It is, rather, the mark of a savage society which deems some human lives as disposable. And, the reason the court will issue a ruling is because Members of the Sejm (the Lower House of the Polish Parliament) have requested clarification of the law. We, therefore, ask you to join us in urging the Polish Constitutional Tribunal to reject eugenic abortion and affirm the dignity and life of every preborn baby. Let's encourage the Polish Court to a give good example to the rest of the world, and affirm life! By SIGNING this petition, we demonstrate our agreement with the amicus brief brought to the Polish court by Ordo Iuris International Law Center, which you can READ by clicking here. The problem mainly lies in two Articles of the Abortion Act (1993), which legalizes eugenic abortion, and which are, therefore, non-compliant with Article 30 of the Polish Constitution. That is because of the key fact, that they legalize eugenic practices towards an unborn child, denying him the respect and protection of his dignity. Indeed, according to the Polish Constitution, the source of all freedoms and rights is dignity and it not only belongs to each human, but it cannot be relinquished. Fortunately, there is a close connection between the protection of human dignity and legal guarantees of the protection of human life in Polish law, and that is why in its judgment of January 2004, the Constitutional Tribunal stated: "There can be no protection of human dignity if there are no sufficient grounds to protect life." Please SIGN this petition which urges the Polish Constitutional Tribunal to vindicate and protect the lives of the sick preborn babies. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Ordo Iuris amicus brief urging the Polish Constitutional Court to declare two articles of the Abortion Act to be in non-conformity with the Polish Constitution: https://ordoiuris.pl/pliki/dokumenty/Miedzynarodowy_Amicus_Curiae_ws_obrony_zycia.pdf *Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com **LifeSiteNews and LifePetitions are against abortion under every circumstance. By supporting this petition, we are not somehow suggesting that we are only against eugenic abortion. Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
What helps us be bold? What enables us to courageously change the temperature to the level it should be? In my presentation I focused on 5 things:
1) Know your why
2) Unleash the power of your mind
3) Study people who said no
4) Practise what you preach
5) Be magnetic
Know Your Why
Author Simon Sinek has given one of the most popular TED Talks and he speaks about the importance of knowing the reasons behind the positions we hold. Pro-life medical professionals need to make sure they know not simply what they believe but also why, and be trained to articulate that winsomely, as that will give confidence, and confidence is an ingredient for controlling fear and driving change. Clicking here and here and here and here are good places to start to know your why.
Unleash the Power of Your Mind
Have you ever gone car shopping, perhaps for a white Toyota Corolla, test driven one, and then the following week noticed white Toyota Corollas everywhere you go? It’s not that Toyota is following you and planting their cars so you buy one. Instead, what we think about — what we put in our minds — becomes part of our reality. There aren’t more Toyotas on the road the week after you test drove; instead, the car is in your mind and you are more prone to notice what you had previously ignored.
If the thoughts we put in our head are what we end up noticing, what thoughts are pro-life medical professionals putting in their heads? If it’s overwhelming fear of losing one’s licence, of possible complaints by patients, etc., then, well, that is more likely to come to fruition. If, instead, pro-life professionals focus on being the best doctor, etc., to their patients, of having the best bedside manner, of building an excellent rapport with patients, etc., then not only will they experience the good fruits that flow from that, but if there are complaints there will be an army of patients rising up to defend the beloved physician. Having said that, I’m not saying we should be naïve and unprepared for challenges or critiques that could come. I’m saying that we should be wise about the present reality, equipped for possible negative outcomes, while not being obsessed or overly focused on them. It’s the old adage, “Prepare for the worst but hope for the best.”
Study People Who Said “No”
If you were to ask a crowd of people what comes to mind when you say “Tiananmen Square” they will likely recall this photo. The quiet but steady defiance of one man against an army of tanks is an example for us all. Sometimes to unjust power structures we need to simply stand up and say “No.” Come what may. Rosa Parks, the black woman who refused to give up her bus seat in 1955, is another example of the power of saying no. So is Dr. Halima Bashir.
She’s a physician from Darfur who wrote the book “Tears of the Desert.” In it she shares her story of witnessing, in an emergency room, the results of genocide. When asked by media about what she was observing, she spoke. Several days later, a group of men showed up at the hospital to try to intimidate her into not speaking out again. Fast forward to when she moved to work in a small village. One day, people ran to her clinic carrying blood-covered children. Soldiers had invaded a school and gang-raped children as young as 8. Dr. Bashir did what she could to respond to what was a scene from hell. A short while later, as word spread about what happened, UN officials showed up to ask her if the reports of the gang rapes were true. Dr. Bashir could have been influenced by the intimidation and threats previously directed at her when she spoke up at her other job. She could have been silent. But she knew that silence in the face of the injustice was the wrong response. So she spoke. But it came with a horrifying personal cost: Dr. Bashir was kidnapped, beaten, tied in a dark room with rats, and gang-raped for days — all because she spoke up; all because she said no to corruption and to cover-up.
Practise What You Preach
What is at the heart of the pro-life message? What are we asking of women in crisis pregnancies? What are we asking of patients with illness or disability who don’t know when their life will naturally end? We are asking them to let go of control. We are asking them to ride the waves and float into the unknown. We are asking them to consider the long-term effects of their choices, not just the short-term. We are asking them to not create a false dilemma where it’s a) or b) — that sometimes c) “none of the above” can be their story. We are asking them to do the right thing even when it’s hard. We are asking them to remember that it is better to suffer evil than to do evil.
And so, for the pro-life medical professional who is scared about speaking out, about the risk to their job, etc., they need to heed those same messages about control, long-term focus, resisting false dilemmas, and doing the right thing.
Be Magnetic
Magnetism is an extraordinary ability, or power, to attract. Our pro-life professionals may have unpopular positions but if they are known for being experts in their field, and for having compassionate doctor-patient interactions, this will attract people. Sure, there will be an element of mystery (“I don’t get it; she’s such a great doctor but her view on abortion is so strange”); however, it’s that mystery that will draw people in more. And we want to draw people in, for it is probing that leads to discovery.
I am reminded of a TV show my mom and I used to watch together, Columbo. In this mystery series, a homicide detective’s work always leads to a discovery of who committed a crime, but it’s his personality and approach that is magnetic. He appears simple, and a little odd, but he’s actually quite shrewd. He asks lots of questions, draws people in, and in doing so, exposes the true criminal.
The person who asks the questions controls the conversation. When pro-life medical professionals come under fire, they should respond by asking questions of their interrogators, Columbo-style, compelling them to stay in conversation, to think through their claims, and to attempt to defend inconsistencies or problematic positions they hold — which will expose the false worldview for the shaky ground on which it’s built.
Another way to be magnetic is to be real, to not be afraid to show the fullness of your emotions. Jordan Peterson is an example of this. Although there are plenty of people who do not like him, he nonetheless has an aura of intrigue, even to his opponents. He’s an intellectual and academic but he’s known for frequently getting emotional. In fact, if you search “Jordan Peterson crying” you will get results like this, a 15-minute compilation of his various bouts of weeping.
When I neared the end of that clip I thought to myself, “What kind of person makes a video like that?” It seemed like such a strange thing to do. But the final screen put it all in perspective: “Jordan Peterson gets a lot of unfair and undeserved criticism. That’s why I created this video, to show that a man that breaks down when talking about the suffering of individuals and the way to overcome it, can’t have any other desire but the deep desire to reduce suffering in the world and to oppose anything that causes its increase….This video is the best way to show to those who oppose Jordan that what they think of him is wrong. This video has the potential to decrease the amount of criticism he gets, and show that he deeply cares about people.”
It is this blend between the head and the heart, the intellect and the emotion, this fullness of what it means to be human that attracts people to pay attention to him, even when they don’t always agree. It’s magnetic.
Note: The author is scheduled to debate prominent pro-abortion philosopher Peter Singer. Find more information here.
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lifesitenews--2020-10-19--China has bought and paid for Joe Biden and his entire family

October 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — In the classic movie The Manchurian Candidate , an American prisoner of war is brainwashed by the Chinese Communist Party into becoming an unwitting assassin of an anti-communist presidential candidate .
Leave it to Hollywood to sensationalize everything .
While the Chinese Communist Party is a master at brainwashing , and is certainly not averse to assassinations , it has long followed a simpler script where American politicians are concerned .
The preferred ploy is for Party operatives to offer a politico ’ s immediate family members sweetheart business deals .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toe Beijing ’ s line — or else .
Both 2020 presidential candidates have been offered such barely disguised bribes .
One candidate ’ s son-in-law was offered a half-billion-dollar “ investment ” into his family ’ s real estate firm .
Jared Kushner — recognizing a bribe for what it was — sent the CCP operative packing .
The other candidate ’ s son accepted a $ 1.5-billion “ investment.
” Then Hunter Biden went back to China at least five times for more .
Nobody pays useless money to a drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largess was obviously “ Pop ” Joe Biden .
Now “ Pop ” says that he knows nothing — zip , zilch , nada — about his son ’ s business dealings in China and elsewhere .
Son Hunter , on the other hand , complains in an email extracted from his defunct laptop that he has to give half of his earnings to “ Pop.
” There ’ s one fact that jumps out from Biden ’ s record as vice president : wherever Obama puts him in charge of foreign policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it be Iraq , Russia , Ukraine , or China , America loses , and the Biden Family wins .
Rudy Giuliani , the former mayor of New York City , doesn ’ t mince words about what he calls the Biden Crime Family .
“ What Hunter Biden is is a bagman , ” says Giuliani .
“ I ’ ve prosecuted many cases like this .
He ’ s collecting Joe ’ s bribes that come to about $ 12 million from the Ukraine and $ 3.5 million from Russia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ China .
And the amount of money involved is literally in the tens of millions of dollars.
” One leaked investigative report summarizes Hunter ’ s many business deals in China .
To take just one example , his private equity deal called BHR , originally worth $ 1.5 billion , is now worth an estimated $ 6.5 billion .
BHR is probably generating about $ 130 million a year in fees , of which 10 percent , or $ 13 million , would go to Hunter .
According to Hunter ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 6.5 million — would have to be turned over to “ Pop.
” But the real big money will come when the Bidens sell their 10-percent stake in BHR , which at current valuations would be worth some $ 650 million .
In actual fact , however , it will be worth whatever the CCP decides to pay the Bidens for it .
Giuliani sums up by saying , “ [ Joe Biden ] ’ s asking to be president of the U.S. and he ’ s in partnership with the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owned by the Chinese Communist Party.
” What did the Chinese Communist Party receive in return for its investment in the then–vice president ?
First of all , they bought the services of a first-rate propagandist .
Vice President Biden eagerly spread the the myth not only that China ’ s rise was inevitable , but that the United States should welcome it .
In fact , he has spent most of the past quarter-century attempting to sell Americans on the idea that “ a rising China is an incredibly positive development for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. and the rest of the world.
” At the same time , Biden took a dive on the human rights front , soft-pedaling the CCP ’ s many abuses .
When he did speak out in public , it was often to apologize for the CCP ’ s misbehavior , as when he said on a visit to China that he “ understood ” the need for the brutal one-child policy .
Biden delivered again as the “ point man ” on the “ Pivot to Asia , ” which was intended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the U.S. was there to stay .
Yet as China militarized the South China Sea and tried to bully smaller neighbors such as the Philippines and Vietnam into accepting its claims , Biden was missing in action .
By the time he left office , the CCP had fortified its artificial islands , and the U.S. was widely regarded as in retreat .
Another payback to the CCP came in May 2013 , when the then-V.P .
helped engineer a “ memorandum of understanding ” with the PRC that exempted Chinese corporations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This gave CCP-controlled firms an advantage over American firms listed in U.S. stock exchanges by exempting them from independent audits .
This meant that the Party could raise trillions from our debt and equity markets on preferential terms .
To put it bluntly , it allowed CCP corporations to cheat unsuspecting U.S. investors out of their money by cooking their books .
Since leaving office , even as the danger that China poses to the United States and the world has become ever more apparent , the former vice president has continued his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Right now , as China steals our jobs and our technology and sickens the world with the coronavirus , Joe Biden still won ’ t stand up to it .
He has dismissed China ’ s threat to American national security and jobs , claiming as recently as 2019 that China is not bad and not competition .
Instead , he seems bent upon surrendering to China .
He intends to lift President Trump ’ s tariffs on China without getting anything in return .
He will tax American companies at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which will lead to millions of American jobs shipped to Beijing .
He has even promised to restore funding to the World Health Organization — the same WHO that collaborated with the CCP in covering up the spread of the coronavirus .
Even if Joe Biden comes to understand the mortal threat that the CCP poses to America , he ’ s in too deep to extricate himself and his family .
The CCP could easily leak the details of the deals it has struck with the Biden Crime Family if he tries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet , it could leak the sex and drug tapes that it reportedly has of Hunter Biden in China doing what Hunter Biden does .
Steven W. Mosher is the president of the Population Research Institute and the author of Bully of Asia : Why China ’ s Dream is the New Threat to World Order .

Even if Joe Biden comes to understand the mortal threat the Chinese Communist Party poses to America, he’s in too deep to extricate himself and his family.
October 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — In the classic movie The Manchurian Candidate, an American prisoner of war is brainwashed by the Chinese Communist Party into becoming an unwitting assassin of an anti-communist presidential candidate.
Leave it to Hollywood to sensationalize everything.
While the Chinese Communist Party is a master at brainwashing, and is certainly not averse to assassinations, it has long followed a simpler script where American politicians are concerned. The preferred ploy is for Party operatives to offer a politico’s immediate family members sweetheart business deals. The expectation is that the paterfamilias will then toe Beijing’s line — or else.
Both 2020 presidential candidates have been offered such barely disguised bribes. One candidate’s son-in-law was offered a half-billion-dollar “investment” into his family’s real estate firm. Jared Kushner — recognizing a bribe for what it was — sent the CCP operative packing. The other candidate’s son accepted a $1.5-billion “investment.” Then Hunter Biden went back to China at least five times for more.
Nobody pays useless money to a drug addict. The intended recipient of this largess was obviously “Pop” Joe Biden.
Now “Pop” says that he knows nothing — zip, zilch, nada — about his son’s business dealings in China and elsewhere. Son Hunter, on the other hand, complains in an email extracted from his defunct laptop that he has to give half of his earnings to “Pop.”
Dead computers don’t lie.
There’s one fact that jumps out from Biden’s record as vice president: wherever Obama puts him in charge of foreign policy as “point man,” whether it be Iraq, Russia, Ukraine, or China, America loses, and the Biden Family wins.
Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, doesn’t mince words about what he calls the Biden Crime Family. “What Hunter Biden is is a bagman,” says Giuliani. “I’ve prosecuted many cases like this. He’s collecting Joe’s bribes that come to about $12 million from the Ukraine and $3.5 million from Russia. But the really big money comes from China. And the amount of money involved is literally in the tens of millions of dollars.”
One leaked investigative report summarizes Hunter’s many business deals in China. To take just one example, his private equity deal called BHR, originally worth $1.5 billion, is now worth an estimated $6.5 billion. BHR is probably generating about $130 million a year in fees, of which 10 percent, or $13 million, would go to Hunter. According to Hunter’s email, half of this — or $6.5 million — would have to be turned over to “Pop.”
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: No to government and corporate penalties for refusing COVID-19 vaccine Show Petition Text 103183 have signed the petition. Let's get to 125000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition **Photo credit: Shutterstock.com Mainstream media sources are promoting offensive suggestions by some doctors that people who refuse a vaccine for COVID-19 should be "punished" by the government and by business - effectively coercing them into taking the vaccine. One group of doctors writing in 'USA Today' suggested that the government impose special taxes (i.e., fines) on people who refuse the vaccination and that business simply refuse to serve them. [see story below]
Another doctor writing in an online publication called 'The Conversation' shamelessly suggested that people who refuse a vaccine should be given a psychoactive drug to induce compliance. [see story below] But, these suggestions are plain political posturing, and have nothing to do with science or with the recent trends of the disease. And, in case they haven't noticed, we live in a democracy not a medical dictatorship! Please SIGN this urgent petition which asks policy-makers and business people, at all levels, to pledge to respect the rights of those who, in good conscience, decide not to vaccinate themselves or their children. People should not have to live in fear of governmental or corporate retribution for refusing a vaccine which is being rushed to market by Big Pharma and their fellow-travelers in NGOs, like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It would be intolerable and immoral for the government or business to coerce someone, and their family, to take a COVID vaccine against their will to avoid a fine, or just so they can do their weekly grocery shopping. Medical freedom must be respected in principle and also in practice. So, it is now time that our policy-makers listen to all voices involved in this vital conversation, and start to represent those who will not tolerate being punished for refusing a vaccine. Simply put, legislatures must begin to act as legislatures again. Questions must be asked. Hearings and investigations must be held. And, the legislatures of each state and country must return to the business of representing the people who voted for them, assuming their rightful place as the originator of legislation. We can no longer accept the dictates of executive branches without question, especially now that, statistically speaking, the initial brunt of the COVID crisis has passed. Neither can we accept the dictates of doctors who seem detached from reality and from science, and who only seem to be attached to the idea of promoting ideas which contribute to the agrandizement of power and control of political interests, and wealth of those who stand to make a lot of money from the sale of a COVID vaccine. Please SIGN this urgent petition which asks government and business leaders to pledge to respect the rights of those who refuse a COVID vaccine, and not seek to punish them for doing so. FOR MORE INFORMATION: 'Doctors lay out plan to ‘punish’ people who refuse coronavirus vaccine: ‘There is no alternative’' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/doctors-lay-out-plan-to-punish-people-who-refuse-coronavirus-vaccine-there-is-no-alternative 'US professor: ‘Psychoactive pill’ should be covertly administered to ensure lockdown compliance' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/us-professor-ensure-lockdown-compliance-by-drugging-dissenters-with-psychoactive-pill Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
But the real big money will come when the Bidens sell their 10-percent stake in BHR, which at current valuations would be worth some $650 million. In actual fact, however, it will be worth whatever the CCP decides to pay the Bidens for it.
Giuliani sums up by saying, “[Joe Biden]’s asking to be president of the U.S. and he’s in partnership with the Chinese Communist Party. The Biden Family is owned by the Chinese Communist Party.”
What did the Chinese Communist Party receive in return for its investment in the then–vice president?
First of all, they bought the services of a first-rate propagandist. Vice President Biden eagerly spread the the myth not only that China’s rise was inevitable, but that the United States should welcome it. In fact, he has spent most of the past quarter-century attempting to sell Americans on the idea that “a rising China is an incredibly positive development for not only China, but for the U.S. and the rest of the world.”
At the same time, Biden took a dive on the human rights front, soft-pedaling the CCP’s many abuses. When he did speak out in public, it was often to apologize for the CCP’s misbehavior, as when he said on a visit to China that he “understood” the need for the brutal one-child policy.
Biden delivered again as the “point man” on the “Pivot to Asia,” which was intended to reassure our allies in the region that the U.S. was there to stay. Yet as China militarized the South China Sea and tried to bully smaller neighbors such as the Philippines and Vietnam into accepting its claims, Biden was missing in action. By the time he left office, the CCP had fortified its artificial islands, and the U.S. was widely regarded as in retreat.
Another payback to the CCP came in May 2013, when the then-V.P. helped engineer a “memorandum of understanding” with the PRC that exempted Chinese corporations from U.S. securities statutes and regulations. This gave CCP-controlled firms an advantage over American firms listed in U.S. stock exchanges by exempting them from independent audits. This meant that the Party could raise trillions from our debt and equity markets on preferential terms. To put it bluntly, it allowed CCP corporations to cheat unsuspecting U.S. investors out of their money by cooking their books.
Since leaving office, even as the danger that China poses to the United States and the world has become ever more apparent, the former vice president has continued his apology tour on behalf of the PRC. Right now, as China steals our jobs and our technology and sickens the world with the coronavirus, Joe Biden still won’t stand up to it. He has dismissed China’s threat to American national security and jobs, claiming as recently as 2019 that China is not bad and not competition.
Instead, he seems bent upon surrendering to China. He intends to lift President Trump’s tariffs on China without getting anything in return. He will tax American companies at a higher rate than Communist China does, which will lead to millions of American jobs shipped to Beijing. He has even promised to restore funding to the World Health Organization — the same WHO that collaborated with the CCP in covering up the spread of the coronavirus.
Even if Joe Biden comes to understand the mortal threat that the CCP poses to America, he’s in too deep to extricate himself and his family. The CCP could easily leak the details of the deals it has struck with the Biden Crime Family if he tries to get tough on China. Worse yet, it could leak the sex and drug tapes that it reportedly has of Hunter Biden in China doing what Hunter Biden does.
Biden is the real Manchurian candidate. His assignment is not to assassinate his anti-communist opponent, but to defeat him in the upcoming election. If Biden wins, China wins, and America loses.
Steven W. Mosher is the president of the Population Research Institute and the author of Bully of Asia: Why China’s Dream is the New Threat to World Order.
Follow Steven Steven Mosher is an internationally recognised authority on China and population issues as well as an acclaimed author and speaker and founder and head of the Population Research Institute. He was the first American social scientist to visit mainland China in 1979 where he witnessed women being forced to have abortion under the new “one-child-policy” which he then exposed to the world. Mr. Mosher was a pro-choice atheist at the time, but witnessing these traumatic abortions led him to reconsider his convictions and to eventually become a practicing, pro-life Roman Catholic. Mosher has appeared numerous times before the US Congress as an expert in world population, China and human Rights abuses. He has also made TV appearances on Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, The Today Show, 20/20, FOX and CNN news, as well as being a regular guest on talk radio shows across the nation. He is the author of the best-selling A Mother’s Ordeal: One woman’s Fight Against China’s One-Child-Policy. His latest book is Bully of Asia, exposing the threat of China to the entire world at this time. Articles by Steve have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, The New Republic, The Washington Post, National Review, Reason, The Asian Wall Street Journal, Freedom Review, Linacre Quarterly, Catholic World Report, Human Life Review, First Things, and numerous other publications. Steven Mosher lives in Virginia with his wife, Vera, and their nine children.
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lifesitenews--2020-10-19--The age of martyrdom is coming to US Catholics

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Watch this episode of Mother @ @ @ @ @ on 10.19.2020 .
In today ’ s episode , Mother Miriam shares an article written @ @ @ @ @ on the age of martyrdom of the 20th century .
Mother points out that this @ @ @ @ @ society continues to make it more and more difficult to truly live our Catholic faith @ @ @ @ @ daily at 10 am EST/7 am PST on our Facebook Page .
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Watch this episode of Mother Miriam's Live originally aired on 10.19.2020. In today’s episode, Mother Miriam shares an article written by Fr. John Hardon on the age of martyrdom of the 20th century. Mother points out that this article still applies today as society continues to make it more and more difficult to truly live our Catholic faith.
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lifesitenews--2020-10-19--Follow the money: Why hydroxychloroquine may have been denied to COVID-stricken Trump

October 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Narcissist Dr. Anthony Fauci is terrorizing the public again with endless media appearances .
Rather than talk about medicines that can cure the coronavirus , like those given to President Trump , he is peddling fear by talking about 300,000 to 400,000 deaths .
He pushes his favorite solutions , namely masks and lockdowns .
Leftist media can ’ t get enough Fauci .
[ Interestingly , he is the highest-paid federal employee with a salary of $ 417,608 versus $ 400,000 for the president . ]
There is some mystery about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the dubious , ultra-expensive medicine remdesivir and an experimental antibodies medicine .
Why not use hydroxychloroquine ?
He previously took it safely and correctly promoted it .
Mountains of evidence have vindicated him .
HCQ has proven , better health benefits than remdesivir for treating the coronavirus .
Perhaps the ill disrupter president ’ s doctors were convinced to use remdesivir by establishment interests – namely a large drug company Gilead , the Gates foundation and Fauci – rather than HCQ , used safely by millions of people worldwide .
Many physicians strongly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health sense .
Remdesivir can only be used for hospitalized patients .
But millions of people could take HCQ to stay out of hospital .
If President Trump had been given HCQ it would have promoted its wide use .
Oops , but that would threaten the billions of dollars to be made from remdesivir .
Such wide use of HCQ would negate the need for devastating lockdowns , a benefit not offered by remdesivir .
Though President Trump took HCQ as a prophylactic without any issues , he apparently did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with zinc every day as many physicians believe necessary .
Conservative pundit Dennis Prager has been doing this for months .
“ Rudy Giuliani says he is taking hydroxychloroquine despite testing negative twice for the coronavirus.
” The two people sitting on either side of him at the White House Garden Amy Coney Barrett announcement event tested positive for covid .
Rudy was negative .
Representative Louie Gohmert also announced his use of HCQ .
Brazilian President Bolsonaro proudly announced his successful use of HCQ .
Call it speculation , but perhaps one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president is a mostly unknown lawsuit in federal court against the federal government ( FDA ) by the Association of American Physicians & Surgeons .
The goal is to protect medical freedom and unblock physician access to HCQ by releasing the government stockpile that could save thousands of lives weekly .
It invokes “ release of the HCQ Stockpile could save 50,000-100,000 American lives.
” This is forward-looking , but the same numbers apply to past death numbers : As much as half or more of the over 200,000 deaths were preventable !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that using HCQ might lose the case .
Just maybe .
For months articles appeared highlighting the competition between HCQ and remdesivir to fight the pandemic .
But the competition was lopsided , like a kite competing against a jet plane .
Why ?
So much money and powerful people pushing remdesivir .
So little money to be made from using HCQ .
What about the medical and scientific proof ?
It is like night and day .
Remdesivir has only been shown to modestly reduce hospital time by a few days .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been shown to cut hospitalizations and deaths .
When remdesivir was in clinical studies the government ( Fauci ) and Gilead cleverly changed what measured outcome effectiveness .
The protocol was changed after the trial started .
Rather than measure death , length of hospital stay , a far less rigorous measure , was deemed to determine success against COVID-19 .
Why ?
Because remdesivir did not reduce the death rate .
With billions of dollars at stake , they needed a way to make the drug a market success , despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient .
Also , the government approved the drug even though phase three of the randomized clinical study had not been completed .
Note that Fauci blocked HCQ because of a lack of an acceptable randomized study .
Data on remdesvir just published shows it “ had little effect in patients with moderate COVID-19 in 105 hospitals in the United States , Europe , and Asia in a randomized , controlled trial… adding to a mixed picture of the drug in randomized clinical trials ( RCTs ) , which are considered the gold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a physician on an emergency medicine blog presented a detailed analysis and concluded “ Combining all the evidence we have thus far , remdesivir is far from a savior in COVID-19.
” In a strange timing coincidence , the same day that news hit about Trump catching the virus The Washington Post had a major story with the headline “ Remdesivir may not cure coronavirus , but it ’ s on track to make billions for Gilead.
” What first appears as a puff piece promoting remdesivir reveals on close reading a number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Here are some examples : • An official with the Association of American Medical Colleges pointed out the “ flattening demand ” and “ If it prevented people from dying there would be a different demand.
” • A noted clinician and researcher said “ Remdesivir is not the answer to the epidemic .
It ’ s going to play a role in helping a few people.
” • Fauci was said to declare remdesivir a “ modest weapon against the disease but said it would be the standard of care.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the multitude of people not in a hospital .
Without allowing a standard of care for HCQ , it is largely doomed .
• Another physician spoke of the drug probably offering “ some benefit.
” • The Post noted that the drug “ reduces hospital stays from 15 to 11 days but does not significantly reduce the odds of dying of the coronavirus.
” As to granting standard of care recognition for remdesivir , it has been noted that the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) panel had members with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that the same panel ruled against HCQ as a standard of care .
Back in May , it was noted correctly that “ there is no fair test of the two top contending treatments being conducted.
” Fauci was clearly seen as a promoter of remdesivir .
And , just as more work would show , this article correctly noted the serious side-effect , namely “ abnormal liver function.
” Indeed , the European drugs regulator said recently that its safety committee was reviewing reports of acute kidney injury in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A noted researcher concluded : “ Remdesivir can cause severe kidney failure ( requiring dialysis , kidney transplant ) , liver failure , genetic mutation , heart problems up to cardiac arrest , among others .
This is the truth.
” Another source said we “ strongly believe that Veklury ( remdesivir ) is a harmful drug and that this evidence has been concealed by Gilead .
We believe that the lobbying operation conducted in the media and certain public health authorities in order to discredit hydroxychloroquine , specifically in hospitals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) the only solution in this situation.
” Trump will have to be checked for some time for side effects from remdesivir .
In contrast , Dr. Scott Atlas who is on the White House pandemic task force has said : “ What ’ s happened with hydroxychloroquine is that the system has gone mad .
… Hydroxychloroquine is super safe.
” Also , there are no health concerns yet about the still experimental antibodies medicine from Regeneron also given to President Trump .
Recently , a noted physician said , “ Remdesivir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) is somewhat symbolic of the fight of medical journals , of corrupt institutions against field medicine , of the many general practitioners who are at the bedside.
” Letting physicians use HCQ use would greatly reduce dependence on a vaccine .
It is perfectly consistent with the Great Barrington Declaration , a highly praised strategy to curb lockdowns and open up society and the economy .
Important new positive results on HCQ merit attention .
Recently a California doctor received attention when he went public that he had successfully used an HCQ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus without any deaths .
That could be done safely for millions of Americans .
Doctor Tyson said that between 75 and 80 percent of the over 200,000 deaths thus far could have been prevented by using HCQ .
If the leftist media was not biased , that would be national news .
That some doctors are using HCQ despite the hazards they face helps explain the lower death rate despite rising cases of the coronavirus .
A new report looked at five randomized controlled clinical trials enrolling 5,577 outpatients in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found HCQ used for prophylaxis or early treatment was associated with a 24 percent reduction in COVID-19 infection , hospitalization or death without serious adverse events .
If zinc had also been used , more success would have been likely .
This is the latest of 133 studies of early treatment with HCQ , all positive with a median improvement of 64 percent .
Follow the science , not Fauci !
Give our doctors medical freedom to prescribe their patients what they believe most effective .
In sum , the president has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new antibodies cocktail ( from Regeneron ) that the president has spoken about very positively [ and which Fauci immediately downplayed ] , a traditional steroid as well as remdesivir that the president has not talked about .
But no HCQ .
One can only imagine the demand from ordinary Americans for such a powerful VIP treatment regime .
The president deserved a powerful approach , and it seems totally effective .
But the nonuse of HCQ merits discussion .
Dr. Hirschhorn has a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering .
He has a long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including being a full professor at the University of Wisconsin , Madison , a senior official at the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment and the National Governors Association .
He has authored a number of books and hundreds of articles and has served as an executive volunteer at a major hospital for over ten years .

October 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Narcissist Dr. Anthony Fauci is terrorizing the public again with endless media appearances. Rather than talk about medicines that can cure the coronavirus, like those given to President Trump, he is peddling fear by talking about 300,000 to 400,000 deaths. He pushes his favorite solutions, namely masks and lockdowns. Leftist media can’t get enough Fauci. [Interestingly, he is the highest-paid federal employee with a salary of $417,608 versus $400,000 for the president.]
There is some mystery about why hospitalized President Trump was infused with the dubious, ultra-expensive medicine remdesivir and an experimental antibodies medicine. Why not use hydroxychloroquine? He previously took it safely and correctly promoted it. Mountains of evidence have vindicated him. HCQ has proven, better health benefits than remdesivir for treating the coronavirus.
Perhaps the ill disrupter president’s doctors were convinced to use remdesivir by establishment interests – namely a large drug company Gilead, the Gates foundation and Fauci – rather than HCQ, used safely by millions of people worldwide.
Many physicians strongly believe that an HCQ cocktail makes more public health sense. Remdesivir can only be used for hospitalized patients. But millions of people could take HCQ to stay out of hospital. If President Trump had been given HCQ it would have promoted its wide use. Oops, but that would threaten the billions of dollars to be made from remdesivir. Such wide use of HCQ would negate the need for devastating lockdowns, a benefit not offered by remdesivir.
Though President Trump took HCQ as a prophylactic without any issues, he apparently did not stay on a weekly low dose together with zinc every day as many physicians believe necessary. Conservative pundit Dennis Prager has been doing this for months. “Rudy Giuliani says he is taking hydroxychloroquine despite testing negative twice for the coronavirus.” The two people sitting on either side of him at the White House Garden Amy Coney Barrett announcement event tested positive for covid. Rudy was negative. Representative Louie Gohmert also announced his use of HCQ. Brazilian President Bolsonaro proudly announced his successful use of HCQ.
Call it speculation, but perhaps one reason HCQ was not given to the president is a mostly unknown lawsuit in federal court against the federal government (FDA) by the Association of American Physicians & Surgeons. The goal is to protect medical freedom and unblock physician access to HCQ by releasing the government stockpile that could save thousands of lives weekly. It invokes “release of the HCQ Stockpile could save 50,000-100,000 American lives.” This is forward-looking, but the same numbers apply to past death numbers: As much as half or more of the over 200,000 deaths were preventable! Maybe some senior advisors warned the president that using HCQ might lose the case. Just maybe.
For months articles appeared highlighting the competition between HCQ and remdesivir to fight the pandemic. But the competition was lopsided, like a kite competing against a jet plane. Why? So much money and powerful people pushing remdesivir. So little money to be made from using HCQ.
What about the medical and scientific proof? It is like night and day. Remdesivir has only been shown to modestly reduce hospital time by a few days. In contrast, HCQ in countless studies has been shown to cut hospitalizations and deaths. When remdesivir was in clinical studies the government (Fauci) and Gilead cleverly changed what measured outcome effectiveness. The protocol was changed after the trial started. Rather than measure death, length of hospital stay, a far less rigorous measure, was deemed to determine success against COVID-19. Why? Because remdesivir did not reduce the death rate. With billions of dollars at stake, they needed a way to make the drug a market success, despite a cost of thousands of dollars per patient.
Also, the government approved the drug even though phase three of the randomized clinical study had not been completed. Note that Fauci blocked HCQ because of a lack of an acceptable randomized study.
Data on remdesvir just published shows it “had little effect in patients with moderate COVID-19 in 105 hospitals in the United States, Europe, and Asia in a randomized, controlled trial… adding to a mixed picture of the drug in randomized clinical trials (RCTs), which are considered the gold standard for gauging interventions.” Similarly, a physician on an emergency medicine blog presented a detailed analysis and concluded “Combining all the evidence we have thus far, remdesivir is far from a savior in COVID-19.”
In a strange timing coincidence, the same day that news hit about Trump catching the virus The Washington Post had a major story with the headline “Remdesivir may not cure coronavirus, but it’s on track to make billions for Gilead.” What first appears as a puff piece promoting remdesivir reveals on close reading a number of points that should shake up people.
Here are some examples:
An official with the Association of American Medical Colleges pointed out the “flattening demand” and “If it prevented people from dying there would be a different demand.”
A noted clinician and researcher said “Remdesivir is not the answer to the epidemic. It’s going to play a role in helping a few people.”
Fauci was said to declare remdesivir a “modest weapon against the disease but said it would be the standard of care.” But such a standard would not apply to the multitude of people not in a hospital. Without allowing a standard of care for HCQ, it is largely doomed.
Another physician spoke of the drug probably offering “some benefit.”
The Post noted that the drug “reduces hospital stays from 15 to 11 days but does not significantly reduce the odds of dying of the coronavirus.”
As to granting standard of care recognition for remdesivir, it has been noted that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel had members with financial ties to the manufacturer, Gilead, and that the same panel ruled against HCQ as a standard of care.
Back in May, it was noted correctly that “there is no fair test of the two top contending treatments being conducted.” Fauci was clearly seen as a promoter of remdesivir. And, just as more work would show, this article correctly noted the serious side-effect, namely “abnormal liver function.”
Indeed, the European drugs regulator said recently that its safety committee was reviewing reports of acute kidney injury in some COVID-19 patients who had been given remdesivir. A noted researcher concluded: “Remdesivir can cause severe kidney failure (requiring dialysis, kidney transplant), liver failure, genetic mutation, heart problems up to cardiac arrest, among others. This is the truth.”
Another source said we “strongly believe that Veklury (remdesivir) is a harmful drug and that this evidence has been concealed by Gilead. We believe that the lobbying operation conducted in the media and certain public health authorities in order to discredit hydroxychloroquine, specifically in hospitals, was intended to make Velkury (remdesivir) the only solution in this situation.”
Trump will have to be checked for some time for side effects from remdesivir.
In contrast, Dr. Scott Atlas who is on the White House pandemic task force has said: “What’s happened with hydroxychloroquine is that the system has gone mad. … Hydroxychloroquine is super safe.”
Also, there are no health concerns yet about the still experimental antibodies medicine from Regeneron also given to President Trump.
Recently, a noted physician said, “Remdesivir’s fight against Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is somewhat symbolic of the fight of medical journals, of corrupt institutions against field medicine, of the many general practitioners who are at the bedside.”
Letting physicians use HCQ use would greatly reduce dependence on a vaccine. It is perfectly consistent with the Great Barrington Declaration, a highly praised strategy to curb lockdowns and open up society and the economy.
Important new positive results on HCQ merit attention. Recently a California doctor received attention when he went public that he had successfully used an HCQ cocktail to cure over 1,700 people of the virus without any deaths. That could be done safely for millions of Americans. Doctor Tyson said that between 75 and 80 percent of the over 200,000 deaths thus far could have been prevented by using HCQ. If the leftist media was not biased, that would be national news. That some doctors are using HCQ despite the hazards they face helps explain the lower death rate despite rising cases of the coronavirus.
A new report looked at five randomized controlled clinical trials enrolling 5,577 outpatients in the US, Canada and Spain; it found HCQ used for prophylaxis or early treatment was associated with a 24 percent reduction in COVID-19 infection, hospitalization or death without serious adverse events. If zinc had also been used, more success would have been likely. This is the latest of 133 studies of early treatment with HCQ, all positive with a median improvement of 64 percent. Follow the science, not Fauci! Give our doctors medical freedom to prescribe their patients what they believe most effective.
In sum, the president has been given three prescription medicines, including a new antibodies cocktail (from Regeneron) that the president has spoken about very positively [and which Fauci immediately downplayed], a traditional steroid as well as remdesivir that the president has not talked about. But no HCQ. One can only imagine the demand from ordinary Americans for such a powerful VIP treatment regime. The president deserved a powerful approach, and it seems totally effective. But the nonuse of HCQ merits discussion.
Dr. Hirschhorn has a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering. He has a long history of working on health issues, including being a full professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, a senior official at the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment and the National Governors Association. He has authored a number of books and hundreds of articles and has served as an executive volunteer at a major hospital for over ten years.


lifesitenews--2020-10-19--LifeSiteNews announces 2020 voter guides for Catholics, Evangelicals, Hispanics

October 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — LifeSiteNews has officially launched our new 2020 presidential election voter guides .
They can be found at www.lifesitenews.com/votelife .
America hangs in the balance this November , and we want all of our readers , family , and friends to be prepared and knowledgeable when heading to the polls .
• Top things CATHOLIC voters should Know before the upcoming election • Top things EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN voters should know before the upcoming election • Top things HISPANIC VOTERS should know before the upcoming election Thank you for signing this petition !
John-Henry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said to Americans , “ Now is the time to do everything we can to get out the vote for life .
Call up friends and family and ask them as a personal favor to get out there and vote for life .
One million innocent American children killed in the womb every year makes every other political issue pale in comparison .
America , vote life !
” These election guides were created with undecided Catholic , Evangelical , and Hispanic voters in mind .
The Hispanic voter guide is available @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re having a tough time convincing your friends and family to vote for life and family this November , then we hope these guides help you .
They are conveniently packaged as attractive PDF files , so you can print , download , or email them as an attachment to all your friends and family .
We hope that all will check the box for life and family in November .
The future of America depends on it .

PETITION UPDATE (3/15/21) -
Reports suggest that the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Conference (USCCB) is preparing a vote on what to do about pro-abortion Joe Biden (and, presumably, other abortion-promoting politicians) who continues to present himself (themselves) for Holy Communion.
Public excommunication would be a suitable response for Biden's obstinate, public and grave sin of scandalously promoting abortion.
Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this important petition.
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PETITION UPDATE (2/4/20)
Since Joe Biden was sworn-in on the 20th of January, he has wasted no time in signing Executive Orders to destroy the protections which former President Trump offered to the unborn and to the innocence and modesty of children of the United States.
In one executive order, Biden rescinded the Mexico City Policy prohibiting the federal government from spending taxpayer monies on abortion and the promotion of abortion.
And, in another executive order, Biden seeks to force girls' athletic programs, restrooms, and locker rooms to accept gender-confused males.
Since the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was shamefully silent throughout the presidential campaign on the pre-eminent issues of abortion and gender ideology, and what Biden vowed he would do as president, it is cold comfort that their pro-life office is now speaking up about this Administration's wilful disregard for human life and for God's design of human nature (i.e., two biological sexes).
Stated plainly, Joe Biden is as bad as he said he would be, and the bishop, acting in unison (as the USCCB) have an obligation to the Lord (first) and to the faithful (second) to refuse Holy Communion to this grave public sinner.
With all due respect to these bishops, they diminish the Holy Eucharist and their high office, as well as cause grave scandal to the faithful, by dialoguing with a man who is promoting mass murder of the unborn against the constant teaching of the Church.
A man who continues to use the church as a backdrop for statements about how "Catholic/religious" he is, but, at the same time, is now doing everything in his power to protect the murder of the innocent, needs to publicly repent before dialogue can begin.
The bishops should not dialogue with or congratulate someone who has publicly betrayed the Church's teaching and who is leading others astray.
It's an embarrassment and a scandal for the bishops to continue to allow him to receive Holy Communion.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition today!
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PETITION UPDATE (12/10/20)
Prior to the election on November 3, the U.S. bishops did not address Joe Biden’s anti-Catholic position regarding faith and morals as a unified body.
The USCCB, the organization to which every U.S. bishop belongs and which is staffed and led by bishops, remained disgracefully silent in the run-up to the election.
What were the bishops afraid of, losing their charitable tax status with the IRS, or being deprived of fat checks from the HHS (immigration programs) and USAID (foreign aid programs)?
Or, were they just too cowardly to clearly declare Christ's law to be above man's law and risk the ire of a Joe Biden as president?
Either way, the bishops’ lack of clarity in this regard is a terrible scandal in itself and probably greatly contributed to the possible election of a pro-abortion, anti-Catholic Catholic to the presidency.
Given the fact that exit polling shows Catholics split their vote 50-50 for Trump and Biden, even a slight deviation in the heavily-Catholic swing-states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania could have produced different results.
The bishops could have spoken out against Biden’s pro-abortion stance collectively, but, again, they were overwhelmingly and shamefully silent.
Because of this, they will be at least partly responsible for the policies advanced by a Biden administration, in the event that Biden is sworn into office.
However, the bishops can, even now, mitigate the damage done by their inaction by taking the following steps: 1) Speak with one voice, as the USCCB, and plainly condemn Biden's pro-abortion stance; 2) Publicly advise Biden not to present himself for Holy Communion because of his scandalous position on abortion and homosexual "marriage;" and, 3) Tell Biden to publicly repent of publicly promoting the wilfull murder of the preborn, sins against nature, and diminishing the natural family.
Thankfully, some individual bishops have spoken out forcefully on Biden's scandalous behavior, and his standing in the Church.
On November 9, Archbishop Strickland of Tyler, Texas tweeted: “A dark cloud has descended on this nation when the USCCB and Planned Parenthood speak in unison in support of a Biden-Harris administration that supports the slaughter of innocents by abortion for all 9 months of pregnancy.”
Additionally, Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver, Colorado and Archbishop Charles Chaput have both declared publicly that Joe Biden “should not receive Holy Communion."
But, to add insult to injury, Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C. has said that he will give Holy Communion to Biden because “it’s a matter of the responsibility that I have as the archbishop to be engaged and to be in dialogue with him, even in those areas where we obviously have some differences.”
And, Bishop W. Francis Malooly of Wilmington, Delaware and Bishop McElroy of San Diego also congratulated Biden in statements, but they have not indicated whether or not they would administer Holy Communion to him.
With all due respect to these bishops, they diminish the Holy Eucharist and their high office, as well as cause grave scandal to the faithful, by dialoguing with a man who is promoting mass murder of the unborn against the constant teaching of the Church.
A man who uses the church as a backdrop to make sickening political advertisements about how "Catholic/religious" he is, but, at the same time, says that he will do everything in his power to protect the murder of the innocent, needs to publicly repent before dialogue can begin.
The bishops should not dialogue with or congratulate someone who has publicly betrayed the Church's teaching and who is leading others astray.
It's an embarrassment and a scandal for the bishops to continue to allow him to receive Holy Communion.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition today!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/us-bishops-concerned-about-pro-abortion-biden-previously-hailed-him-as-second-catholic-president
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/abp-aquila-backs-call-for-pro-abortion-catholic-joe-biden-to-be-denied-holy-communion?utm_source=top_news&utm_campaign=standard
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/former-philly-archbishop-biden-not-in-full-communion-with-the-catholic-church
https://www.thesoutherncross.org/news/bishop-mcelroy-offers-prayers-and-congratulations-to-president-elect-biden/
https://www.ncronline.org/news/politics/us-catholics-weigh-mixed-reaction-biden-win
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PETITION UPDATE (9/29/20)
Cardinal Raymond Burke has stated that Democratic candidate Joe Biden should not receive Holy Communion because of his support for abortion.
In an interview for Thomas McKenna's Catholic Action for Faith and Family podcast, Cardinal Burke states the following (starting around 5:00):
First of all, I would tell him [Biden] not to approach to receive Holy Communion, out of charity toward him, because that would be a sacrilege and endanger the salvation of his own soul.
But, also, he should not approach to receive Holy Communion because he gives scandal to everyone, because if someone says, 'I'm a devout Catholic," and, at the same time is promoting abortion, it gives the impression to others that it's acceptable for a Catholic to be in favor of abortion.
Of course, it's absolutely not acceptable, and never has been, and never will be.
We give thanks for Cardinal Burke's frankness and clarity. And, we call on every U.S. Catholic bishop to follow Cardinal Burke's lead and call out Joe Biden for his bloody-minded hypocrisy on the issue of abortion.
To reiterate: You cannot be a Catholic and support abortion.
Thank you for continuing to sign this urgent petition.
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PETITION UPDATE (8/17/20)
The Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, keeps claiming to be Catholic but has said he will do everything in his power to support abortion.
And, with his pick of California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, Biden has just cemented abortion into the Democrats' 2020 presidential ticket.
Indeed, Harris is vehemently pro-abortion.
During her time as attorney general of California, Harris played a key role in defending Planned Parenthood over its sale of aborted baby parts (which violated multiple federal laws, according to undercover video of abortion industry personnel).
And, last year, Harris unveiled a plan to essentially force pro-life states to seek permission from the federal government before pro-life laws can take effect.
Additionally, Harris has dangerous views on religious liberty and freedom of speech.
Harris displayed anti-Catholic bigotry in the confirmation hearings of Judge Brian Buescher. Harris cited his membership in the “all-male society” the Knights of Columbus and its stances against abortion and same-sex “marriage” as grounds for rejecting Buescher for a federal district court in Nebraska.
And, David Daleiden, head of the pro-life investigative group Center for Medical Progress, wrote that from his firsthand experience, he considers Harris the “greatest threat to First Amendment civil rights our country has ever seen.”
Joe Biden has seriously erred by taking on Kamala Harris as his running mate, further distancing himself from the truths of the Catholic Faith, especially that every life is sacred from conception till natural death.
Please CLICK HERE to read an article which details one U.S. bishop's warning about the Biden-Harris ticket.
And, please continue to SIGN and SHARE this petition.
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Of course, these two things are incompatible: you cannot be Catholic and pro-abortion.
And, a "Catholic" politician's responsibility in this regard is absolute: On pain of serious sin, he or she can never promote abortion because abortion is the wilful murder of innocent preborn human beings, and also because doing so causes grave scandal to the Church and the faithful.
Please SIGN this urgent petition asking the bishops of the United States to refuse to give Holy Communion to Joe Biden until he publicly repents from his scandalous promotion of abortion.
Biden recently promised to “codify Roe v. Wade” as president, adding, "my Justice Department will do everything in its power to stop the rash of state laws that so blatantly violate a woman’s protected, constitutional right to choose."
And, since starting his latest run for the presidency, Biden also flip-flopped against the Hyde Amendment, saying that he would allow federal funds to be spent on abortion - a position he claimed to be against for more than 40 years.
In short, Joe Biden will do everything in his power to enable and defend the wilful murder of innocent preborn human beings.
So, this should not be a hard decision for our U.S. bishops. In fact, in another circumstance, it was already done by an Illinois bishop.
Indeed, Bishop Paprocki, of Springfield, Illinois, invoked Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law to withdraw Holy Communion from two Illinois state politicians who had worked to enact radical new abortion legislation in 2019.
Canon 915 states: "Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion."
Of course, no-one, least of all the bishops, wants anyone to be deprived of Holy Communion.
A politician who publicly and obstinately advocates for the murder of innocent preborn babies puts himself out-of-communion with the Church and her teaching.
Pro-abortion politicians should not think that they can advocate for the murder of the unborn and receive the Body of Christ at the same time. This would be to defile the Eucharist while giving scandal to the faithful.
Depriving politicians of Holy Communion is not just meant to prevent scandal; it is also designed to bring a grave public sinner to repentance. In this way, such an action is meant to be for the good of their souls, too.
Thank you for SIGNING this urgent petition which calls on the U.S. Catholic bishops to refuse to admit Joe Biden to Holy Communion until he publicly repents from his scandalous promotion of abortion.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Joe Biden: I support abortion ‘under any circumstance’ - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/joe-biden-i-support-abortion-under-any-circumstance
Catholic priest denies Joe Biden Holy Communion for pro-abortion stance - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-priest-denies-joe-biden-holy-communion-for-pro-abortion-stance
Cardinal McCarrick and the Concealing of Rome’s Position on Denying Communion - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cardinal-mccarrick-and-the-concealing-of-romes-position-on-denying-communio
**Photo Credit: Joshua Roberts / Getty Images