lifesitenews--2020-06-06--Despite French govt’s COVID crackdown, historic Chartres pilgrimage lives on

June 5 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — For the first time since 1983 , when a group of militants of the cultural Centre Henri et André Charlier revived poet Charles Péguy ’ s walking pilgrimage from the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris to another Marian shrine , the cathedral of Chartres , the flags and banners of traditional Catholicism did not give vibrant color to the rolling green French countryside of the Beauce .
For the first time in 38 years , the hymns and the chants , the seemingly endless column of weary but smiling and open-faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young ! )
, did not claim back for a moment the soil of France , walking and suffering there so “ France and Christendom may continue.
” Even as COVID-19 was used to close churches and prevent public worship , so did the aftermath of confinement serve to prohibit gatherings of more than 10 people ( except demonstrations in Paris and elsewhere in the wake of the George Floyd affair ) in the public domain .
The pilgrimage that now brings together up to 20,000 people every year , hailing from many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be canceled .
But does this mean that this year , Pentecost was celebrated without “ Chartres ” ?
No !
Thanks to deconfinement on May 11 and the combined efforts of traditional Catholics who obtained recognition for freedom of worship ( that was being denied despite the end of lockdown ) from the Council of State , Masses could again be celebrated in public in time for Pentecost .
The organizers of the Paris-Chartres pilgrimage decided to do what they could to make more than a symbolic online pilgrimage — although that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see , as well as a myriad of local pilgrimages all over France .
Six groups of ten pilgrims “ relayed ” from Paris to Chartres from the Vigil of Pentecost to Pentecost Monday , in turn carrying the statue of “ Notre Dame de Chrétienté ” ( Our Lady of Christendom ) from Paris to Chartres so that the Virgin Mary might be honored there , as she is every year , and protect her children in these troubled times .
A solemn Mass in the Tridentine rite took place on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because the cathedral of Notre Dame is still closed to the public since the terrible fire that destroyed its roof last year .
Three hundred fifty faithful were able to join in the immense nave of the classic church .
Holy Communion was not distributed due to guidelines of the Archdiocese of Paris , which allow Communion only in the hand because of the COVID-19 pandemic .
The Mass , which was broadcast online , was celebrated by the chaplain of the firefighters of Paris , Canon Jean-Marc Fournier , who played a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dame supporting the firemen and going into the burning cathedral to save the Eucharist and the relics of the Passion of Our Lord ( including the Holy Crown of Thorns ) that were kept there .
PETITION : Tell politicians not to discriminate against churches when reopening society !
Sign the petition here .
In his homily , he recalled that although man is wounded by Original Sin , he is saved by God and can accept ( or reject ) salvation , which is freely given by God alone but with which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the talents we have received , it is our intelligence and our will that are called to collaborate so that the kingdom of God may spread .
Sound doctrine and upright action will be our best allies in helping to restore the order which sin never ceases to disturb .
But we have other allies in this struggle , the good angels and especially our guardian angels , ” said Canon Fournier .
The Holy Angels were the theme chosen for the 2020 Chartres pilgrimage .
The first small group of pilgrims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Jean des Tauriers , set off on foot and was welcomed and blessed at the gates of Paris by Bishop Matthieu Rougé of the diocese of Nanterre ( photos here ) .
From then on , the many faithful who joined the online pilgrimage of Chartres 2020 were able to follow prayerfully , having been provided with special booklets as well as with filmed meditations led by “ chapter leaders ” who spoke about the angels , the rosary , penance , the traditional Mass , and more .
All can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dame de Chrétienté .
They include three English-language meditations here .
Jean des Tauriers also recorded a special message for English-speaking pilgrims , available here .
“ We do not want the spiritual confinement of neutrality , the entombment of Catholics in secularist society — our pilgrimage is quite the opposite and makes it clear that we want God in our FAMILIES , our SCHOOLS and our INSTITUTIONS , ” he proclaimed .
“ Online ” pilgrims were treated to a special version of the dreaded early morning appeal that would have pulled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tents at 5 o ’ clock in the morning .
While the small groups of flesh-and-blood pilgrims continued their route to Chartres , the Sunday Mass of Pentecost was celebrated and broadcast from the Dominican convent of Chéméré-le-Roi in the West of France .
The Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was given and filmed from the seminary of the Good Pastor .
Exceptionally , the closing Mass on Pentecost Monday was celebrated at Saint Peter ’ s Basilica in Rome and also broadcast online , in the physical presence of a handful of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon , the group of pilgrims who had walked the last installment of the route from Paris to Chartres brought the statue of Our Lady into the Cathedral .
Photos here .
Meanwhile , all over France , families , young people , pilgrims of all ages set off on the roads in cities and in the countryside with the banners that should have gone to Chartres .
Each mini-pilgrimage had organized Masses , spiritual accompaniment , and meditations .
There were “ hundreds ” of these events , according to Notre Dame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orléans — the city liberated by Saint Joan of Arc on May 8 , 1429 — to Chartres , where it received the blessing of Bishop Christory .
An impressive range of photos of all these initiatives — and of the beautiful , age-old churches that welcomed the groups of pilgrims — can be found here .
A large number of children joined , as can be seen on several other series of photos on Notre Dame de Chrétienté ’ s Facebook page .
From the vineyards of Bordeaux to the suburbs of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alps and the rocky mountains of Provence to the tomb of Bonchamps near Angers — the heroic general of the Catholic and Royal Army of the Vendée — in forests and fields , churches and gardens , pilgrims walked , prayed , meditated , sang , confessed , heard Mass .
And , with the friendly spirit that is part of “ Paris-Chartres , ” they picnicked in the glorious June weather , shared bread and wine , and sang around bonfires , reclaiming their Christian heritage .
Far from stifling the voice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures have made them blossom in other ways , dotting the whole country with open-air celebrations of the traditional liturgy .
“ They ” should have known .
From the beginning , the Chartres pilgrimage was placed under the patronage of “ Notre Dame de la Sainte Espérance , ” Our Lady of Blessed Hope , to which all pilgrims know the reply : “ Convert us !
”

Six groups of ten pilgrims 'relayed' from Paris to Chartres from the Vigil of Pentecost to Pentecost Monday, with virtual 'pilgrims' joining them from online.
June 5, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — For the first time since 1983, when a group of militants of the cultural Centre Henri et André Charlier revived poet Charles Péguy’s walking pilgrimage from the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris to another Marian shrine, the cathedral of Chartres, the flags and banners of traditional Catholicism did not give vibrant color to the rolling green French countryside of the Beauce. For the first time in 38 years, the hymns and the chants, the seemingly endless column of weary but smiling and open-faced pilgrims, young and old (mostly young!), did not claim back for a moment the soil of France, walking and suffering there so “France and Christendom may continue.” Even as COVID-19 was used to close churches and prevent public worship, so did the aftermath of confinement serve to prohibit gatherings of more than 10 people (except demonstrations in Paris and elsewhere in the wake of the George Floyd affair) in the public domain. The pilgrimage that now brings together up to 20,000 people every year, hailing from many countries of the world, had to be canceled.
But does this mean that this year, Pentecost was celebrated without “Chartres”? No!
Thanks to deconfinement on May 11 and the combined efforts of traditional Catholics who obtained recognition for freedom of worship (that was being denied despite the end of lockdown) from the Council of State, Masses could again be celebrated in public in time for Pentecost. The organizers of the Paris-Chartres pilgrimage decided to do what they could to make more than a symbolic online pilgrimage — although that too was done, as we shall see, as well as a myriad of local pilgrimages all over France.
Six groups of ten pilgrims “relayed” from Paris to Chartres from the Vigil of Pentecost to Pentecost Monday, in turn carrying the statue of “Notre Dame de Chrétienté” (Our Lady of Christendom) from Paris to Chartres so that the Virgin Mary might be honored there, as she is every year, and protect her children in these troubled times.
A solemn Mass in the Tridentine rite took place on Saturday morning in Saint Sulpice, Paris, because the cathedral of Notre Dame is still closed to the public since the terrible fire that destroyed its roof last year. Three hundred fifty faithful were able to join in the immense nave of the classic church.
Holy Communion was not distributed due to guidelines of the Archdiocese of Paris, which allow Communion only in the hand because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mass, which was broadcast online, was celebrated by the chaplain of the firefighters of Paris, Canon Jean-Marc Fournier, who played a heroic role during the fire of Notre Dame supporting the firemen and going into the burning cathedral to save the Eucharist and the relics of the Passion of Our Lord (including the Holy Crown of Thorns) that were kept there.
PETITION: Tell politicians not to discriminate against churches when reopening society! Sign the petition here.
In his homily, he recalled that although man is wounded by Original Sin, he is saved by God and can accept (or reject) salvation, which is freely given by God alone but with which we human beings must collaborate.
“With the talents we have received, it is our intelligence and our will that are called to collaborate so that the kingdom of God may spread. Sound doctrine and upright action will be our best allies in helping to restore the order which sin never ceases to disturb. But we have other allies in this struggle, the good angels and especially our guardian angels,” said Canon Fournier.
The Holy Angels were the theme chosen for the 2020 Chartres pilgrimage.
The first small group of pilgrims, including the organization’s president, Jean des Tauriers, set off on foot and was welcomed and blessed at the gates of Paris by Bishop Matthieu Rougé of the diocese of Nanterre (photos here).
From then on, the many faithful who joined the online pilgrimage of Chartres 2020 were able to follow prayerfully, having been provided with special booklets as well as with filmed meditations led by “chapter leaders” who spoke about the angels, the rosary, penance, the traditional Mass, and more. All can be found on the Facebook page of Notre Dame de Chrétienté. They include three English–language meditations here. Jean des Tauriers also recorded a special message for English-speaking pilgrims, available here.
“We do not want the spiritual confinement of neutrality, the entombment of Catholics in secularist society — our pilgrimage is quite the opposite and makes it clear that we want God in our FAMILIES, our SCHOOLS and our INSTITUTIONS,” he proclaimed.
“Online” pilgrims were treated to a special version of the dreaded early morning appeal that would have pulled them out of their sleeping bags and tents at 5 o’clock in the morning.
While the small groups of flesh-and-blood pilgrims continued their route to Chartres, the Sunday Mass of Pentecost was celebrated and broadcast from the Dominican convent of Chéméré-le-Roi in the West of France. The Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was given and filmed from the seminary of the Good Pastor.
Exceptionally, the closing Mass on Pentecost Monday was celebrated at Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome and also broadcast online, in the physical presence of a handful of faithful and a choir.
In the afternoon, the group of pilgrims who had walked the last installment of the route from Paris to Chartres brought the statue of Our Lady into the Cathedral. Photos here.
Meanwhile, all over France, families, young people, pilgrims of all ages set off on the roads in cities and in the countryside with the banners that should have gone to Chartres. Each mini-pilgrimage had organized Masses, spiritual accompaniment, and meditations. There were “hundreds” of these events, according to Notre Dame de Chrétienté.
One pilgrimage went from Orléans — the city liberated by Saint Joan of Arc on May 8, 1429 — to Chartres, where it received the blessing of Bishop Christory.
An impressive range of photos of all these initiatives — and of the beautiful, age-old churches that welcomed the groups of pilgrims — can be found here. A large number of children joined, as can be seen on several other series of photos on Notre Dame de Chrétienté’s Facebook page.
From the vineyards of Bordeaux to the suburbs of Paris, from the foot of the Alps and the rocky mountains of Provence to the tomb of Bonchamps near Angers — the heroic general of the Catholic and Royal Army of the Vendée — in forests and fields, churches and gardens, pilgrims walked, prayed, meditated, sang, confessed, heard Mass.
And, with the friendly spirit that is part of “Paris-Chartres,” they picnicked in the glorious June weather, shared bread and wine, and sang around bonfires, reclaiming their Christian heritage.
Far from stifling the voice and the vitality of Christendom, anti-religious measures have made them blossom in other ways, dotting the whole country with open-air celebrations of the traditional liturgy.
“They” should have known. From the beginning, the Chartres pilgrimage was placed under the patronage of “Notre Dame de la Sainte Espérance,” Our Lady of Blessed Hope, to which all pilgrims know the reply: “Convert us!”
Follow Jeanne Jeanne Smits has worked as a journalist in France since 1987 after obtaining a Master of Arts in Law. She formerly directed the French daily Présent and was editor-in-chief of an all-internet French-speaking news site called reinformation.tv. She writes regularly for a number of Catholic journals (Monde & vie, L’Homme nouveau, Reconquête…) and runs a personal pro-life blog. In addition, she is often invited to radio and TV shows on alternative media. She is vice-president of the Christian and French defense association “AGRIF.” She is the French translator of The Dictator Pope by Henry Sire and Christus Vincit by Bishop Schneider, and recently contributed to the Bref examen critique de la communion dans la main about Communion in the hand. She is married and has three children, and lives near Paris.
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lifesitenews--2020-06-06--Archbishop Viganò’s powerful letter to President Trump: Eternal struggle between good and evil playi

Archbishop Viganò’s powerful letter to President Trump: Eternal struggle between good and evil playing out right now

Editor ’ s note : Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò has released this powerful letter today to President Trump warning him that the current crises over the coronavirus pandemic and the George Floyd riots are a part of the eternal spiritual struggle between the forces of good and evil .
He encourages the president to continue the fight on behalf of the “ children of light.
” Read the letter in PDF form here .
In recent months we have been witnessing the formation of two opposing sides that I would call Biblical : the children of light and the children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitute the most conspicuous part of humanity , while the children of darkness represent an absolute minority .
And yet the former are the object of a sort of discrimination which places them in a situation of moral inferiority with respect to their adversaries , who often hold strategic positions in government , in politics , in the economy and in the media .
In an apparently inexplicable way , the good are held hostage by the wicked and by those who help them either out of self-interest or fearfulness .
These two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , follow the clear separation between the offspring of the Woman and the offspring of the Serpent .
On the one hand there are those who , although they have a thousand defects and weaknesses , are motivated by the desire to do good , to be honest , to raise a family , to engage in work , to give prosperity to their homeland , to help the needy , and , in obedience to the Law of God , to merit the Kingdom of Heaven .
On the other hand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who do not hold any moral principles , who want to demolish the family and the nation , exploit workers to make themselves unduly wealthy , foment internal divisions and wars , and accumulate power and money : for them the fallacious illusion of temporal well-being will one day – if they do not repent – yield to the terrible fate that awaits them , far from God , in eternal damnation .
In society , Mr. President , these two opposing realities co-exist as eternal enemies , just as God and Satan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the children of darkness – whom we may easily identify with the deep state which you wisely oppose and which is fiercely waging war against you in these days – have decided to show their cards , so to speak , by now revealing their plans .
They seem to be so certain of already having everything under control that they have laid aside that circumspection that until now had at least partially concealed their true intentions .
The investigations already under way will reveal the true responsibility of those who managed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area of health care but also in politics , the economy , and the media .
We will probably find that in this colossal operation of social engineering there are people who have decided the fate of humanity , arrogating to themselves the right to act against the will of citizens and their representatives in the governments of nations .
We will also discover that the riots in these days were provoked by those who , seeing that the virus is inevitably fading and that the social alarm of the pandemic is waning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disturbances , because they would be followed by repression which , although legitimate , could be condemned as an unjustified aggression against the population .
The same thing is also happening in Europe , in perfect synchrony .
It is quite clear that the use of street protests is instrumental to the purposes of those who would like to see someone elected in the upcoming presidential elections who embodies the goals of the deep state and who expresses those goals faithfully and with conviction .
It will not be surprising if , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again that hidden behind these acts of vandalism and violence there are those who hope to profit from the dissolution of the social order so as to build a world without freedom : Solve et Coagula , as the Masonic adage teaches .
Although it may seem disconcerting , the opposing alignments I have described are also found in religious circles .
There are faithful Shepherds who care for the flock of Christ , but there are also mercenary infidels who seek to scatter the flock and hand the sheep over to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not surprising that these mercenaries are allies of the children of darkness and hate the children of light : just as there is a deep state , there is also a deep church that betrays its duties and forswears its proper commitments before God .
Thus the Invisible Enemy , whom good rulers fight against in public affairs , is also fought against by good shepherds in the ecclesiastical sphere .
It is a spiritual battle , which I spoke about in my recent Appeal which was published on May 8 .
For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has in you a President who courageously defends the right to life , who is not ashamed to denounce the persecution of Christians throughout the world , who speaks of Jesus Christ and the right of citizens to freedom of worship .
Your participation in the March for Life , and more recently your proclamation of the month of April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month , are actions that confirm which side you wish to fight on .
And I dare to believe that both of us are on the same side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weapons .
For this reason , I believe that the attack to which you were subjected after your visit to the National Shrine of Saint John Paul II is part of the orchestrated media narrative which seeks not to fight racism and bring social order , but to aggravate dispositions ; not to bring justice , but to legitimize violence and crime ; not to serve the truth , but to favor one political faction .
And it is disconcerting that there are Bishops – such as those whom I recently denounced – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they are aligned on the opposing side .
They are subservient to the deep state , to globalism , to aligned thought , to the New World Order which they invoke ever more frequently in the name of a universal brotherhood which has nothing Christian about it , but which evokes the Masonic ideals of those want to dominate the world by driving God out of the courts , out of schools , out of families , and perhaps even out of churches .
The American people are mature and have now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not want to spread the truth but seeks to silence and distort it , spreading the lie that is useful for the purposes of their masters .
However , it is important that the good – who are the majority – wake up from their sluggishness and do not accept being deceived by a minority of dishonest people with unavowable purposes .
It is necessary that the good , the children of light , come together and make their voices heard .
What more effective way is there to do this , Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Lord to protect you , the United States , and all of humanity from this enormous attack of the Enemy ?
Before the power of prayer , the deceptions of the children of darkness will collapse , their plots will be revealed , their betrayal will be shown , their frightening power will end in nothing , brought to light and exposed for what it is : an infernal deception .
Mr. President , my prayer is constantly turned to the beloved American nation , where I had the privilege and honor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Apostolic Nuncio .
In this dramatic and decisive hour for all of humanity , I am praying for you and also for all those who are at your side in the government of the United States .
I trust that the American people are united with me and you in prayer to Almighty God .
United against the Invisible Enemy of all humanity , I bless you and the First Lady , the beloved American nation , and all men and women of good will .
Former Apostolic Nuncio to the United @ @ @

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò warns the president that the current crises over the coronavirus pandemic and the George Floyd riots are a part of the eternal spiritual struggle between the forces of good and evil.
PETITION: Ask Archbishop Gregory to apologize to President Trump and the Knights of Columbus! Sign the petition here.
June 6, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Editor’s note: Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò has released this powerful letter today to President Trump warning him that the current crises over the coronavirus pandemic and the George Floyd riots are a part of the eternal spiritual struggle between the forces of good and evil. You are not alone in your beliefs on life, faith, family and freedom.
Join LifeSiteNews on the Frontlines of the battlefield as we work to expose the darkness and transform our culture through news media. Donate now through this secure link.
Click here to read the letter in Spanish.
Presione aquí para leer la carta completa en español.
Click here to read the letter in French.
Cliquez ici pour lire la lettre en français
Click here to read the letter in Chinese
點擊這裡閱讀中文信
June 7, 2020
Holy Trinity Sunday
Mr. President,
In recent months we have been witnessing the formation of two opposing sides that I would call Biblical: the children of light and the children of darkness. The children of light constitute the most conspicuous part of humanity, while the children of darkness represent an absolute minority. And yet the former are the object of a sort of discrimination which places them in a situation of moral inferiority with respect to their adversaries, who often hold strategic positions in government, in politics, in the economy and in the media. In an apparently inexplicable way, the good are held hostage by the wicked and by those who help them either out of self-interest or fearfulness.
These two sides, which have a Biblical nature, follow the clear separation between the offspring of the Woman and the offspring of the Serpent. On the one hand, there are those who, although they have a thousand defects and weaknesses, are motivated by the desire to do good, to be honest, to raise a family, to engage in work, to give prosperity to their homeland, to help the needy, and, in obedience to the Law of God, to merit the Kingdom of Heaven. On the other hand, there are those who serve themselves, who do not hold any moral principles, who want to demolish the family and the nation, exploit workers to make themselves unduly wealthy, foment internal divisions and wars, and accumulate power and money: for them the fallacious illusion of temporal well-being will one day – if they do not repent – yield to the terrible fate that awaits them, far from God, in eternal damnation.
In society, Mr. President, these two opposing realities co-exist as eternal enemies, just as God and Satan are eternal enemies. And it appears that the children of darkness – whom we may easily identify with the deep state which you wisely oppose and which is fiercely waging war against you in these days – have decided to show their cards, so to speak, by now revealing their plans. They seem to be so certain of already having everything under control that they have laid aside that circumspection that until now had at least partially concealed their true intentions. The investigations already under way will reveal the true responsibility of those who managed the COVID emergency not only in the area of health care but also in politics, the economy, and the media. We will probably find that in this colossal operation of social engineering there are people who have decided the fate of humanity, arrogating to themselves the right to act against the will of citizens and their representatives in the governments of nations.
RELATED: Archbishop Viganò: DC archbishop who criticized Trump’s visit to Catholic shrine is ‘false shepherd’
We will also discover that the riots in these days were provoked by those who, seeing that the virus is inevitably fading and that the social alarm of the pandemic is waning, necessarily have had to provoke civil disturbances, because they would be followed by repression which, although legitimate, could be condemned as an unjustified aggression against the population. The same thing is also happening in Europe, in perfect synchrony. It is quite clear that the use of street protests is instrumental to the purposes of those who would like to see someone elected in the upcoming presidential elections who embodies the goals of the deep state and who expresses those goals faithfully and with conviction. It will not be surprising if, in a few months, we learn once again that hidden behind these acts of vandalism and violence there are those who hope to profit from the dissolution of the social order so as to build a world without freedom: Solve et Coagula, as the Masonic adage teaches.
Although it may seem disconcerting, the opposing alignments I have described are also found in religious circles. There are faithful Shepherds who care for the flock of Christ, but there are also mercenary infidels who seek to scatter the flock and hand the sheep over to be devoured by ravenous wolves. It is not surprising that these mercenaries are allies of the children of darkness and hate the children of light: just as there is a deep state, there is also a deep church that betrays its duties and forswears its proper commitments before God. Thus the Invisible Enemy, whom good rulers fight against in public affairs, is also fought against by good shepherds in the ecclesiastical sphere. It is a spiritual battle, which I spoke about in my recent Appeal which was published on May 8.
For the first time, the United States has in you a President who courageously defends the right to life, who is not ashamed to denounce the persecution of Christians throughout the world, who speaks of Jesus Christ and the right of citizens to freedom of worship. Your participation in the March for Life, and more recently your proclamation of the month of April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, are actions that confirm which side you wish to fight on. And I dare to believe that both of us are on the same side in this battle, albeit with different weapons.
For this reason, I believe that the attack to which you were subjected after your visit to the National Shrine of Saint John Paul II is part of the orchestrated media narrative which seeks not to fight racism and bring social order, but to aggravate dispositions; not to bring justice, but to legitimize violence and crime; not to serve the truth, but to favor one political faction. And it is disconcerting that there are Bishops – such as those whom I recently denounced – who, by their words, prove that they are aligned on the opposing side. They are subservient to the deep state, to globalism, to aligned thought, to the New World Order which they invoke ever more frequently in the name of a universal brotherhood which has nothing Christian about it, but which evokes the Masonic ideals of those who want to dominate the world by driving God out of the courts, out of schools, out of families, and perhaps even out of churches.
RELATED: Archbishop Viganò: Our Lady warned of ‘great apostasy’ in Church followed by risk of World War III
The American people are mature and have now understood how much the mainstream media does not want to spread the truth but seeks to silence and distort it, spreading the lie that is useful for the purposes of their masters. However, it is important that the good – who are the majority – wake up from their sluggishness and do not accept being deceived by a minority of dishonest people with unavowable purposes. It is necessary that the good, the children of light, come together and make their voices heard. What more effective way is there to do this, Mr. President, than by prayer, asking the Lord to protect you, the United States, and all of humanity from this enormous attack of the Enemy? Before the power of prayer, the deceptions of the children of darkness will collapse, their plots will be revealed, their betrayal will be shown, their frightening power will end in nothing, brought to light and exposed for what it is: an infernal deception.
Mr. President, my prayer is constantly turned to the beloved American nation, where I had the privilege and honor of being sent by Pope Benedict XVI as Apostolic Nuncio. In this dramatic and decisive hour for all of humanity, I am praying for you and also for all those who are at your side in the government of the United States. I trust that the American people are united with me and you in prayer to Almighty God.
United against the Invisible Enemy of all humanity, I bless you and the First Lady, the beloved American nation, and all men and women of good will.
+ Carlo Maria Viganò
Titular Archbishop of Ulpiana
Former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America
Read the letter in PDF form here.
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lifesitenews--2020-06-06--Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

June 6 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In response to the coronavirus crisis , LifeSite is offering Catholics throughout the world a chance to be united in praying the rosary together , at the same time , every day at 12:00 noon EST .
The rosary is led by Father Anthony Pillari , an American priest currently in Italy .
To date , Catholics from Israel , Uganda , Italy , France , Germany , Ireland , the United Kingdom , the U.S. , Canada , Mexico , Chile , Brazil , Australia , New Zealand , the Philippines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as other countries , have been joining in .
The whole world – including the Church – has been thrown into chaos because of the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) .
Thousands of people have passed away as a result of the viral outbreak , while thousands more have been sickened .
And , across the world , business has come to a grinding halt , resulting in sudden job loss and threatening economic recession .
If there ever was a time for prayer , this is it .
Catholics around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sacraments , but in many places are unable to access them because of bishops ’ orders or government restrictions .
We know that community with other believers is vital all the time , but especially during this time of global calls for “ sheltering-in-place ” and quarantine .
“ The rosary is the weapon for these times , ” St. Padre Pio said .
Through prayer , we can shape history , change the world , and bring this painful crisis to an end .
Join us today !
Send photos or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rosary with Father Pillari to [ email protected ]

(LifeSiteNews) — In response to the crisis unfolding in our world and in the Church, LifeSite is happy to promote Regina Angelorum Press’s Daily Rosary, which is offering Catholics throughout the world the chance to be united daily in prayer, in the Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Crusade.
Catholics from all over the world — from Israel, Uganda, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Pakistan, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and other countries — are gathering daily to pray the Rosary, led by Father Pillari, JCL, MCL, STL, an American priest currently studying in Italy.
The Daily Rosary is being offered each day at 12noon EST through Regina Angelorum Press’ YouTube Channel to which you can subscribe HERE.
The goal is, by means of this Daily Rosary and by embracing and living out the message given by the Virgin Mary at Fatima, the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.
To help obtain that goal, Bishop Athanasius Schneider graciously composed the following prayer for this worldwide Rosary crusade:
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, you are the holy Mother of God and our tender Mother. Look upon the distress in which the Church and the whole of humanity are living because of the spread of materialism and the persecution of the Church. In Fatima you warned against these errors, as you spoke about the errors of Russia. You are the Mediatrix of all graces. Implore your Divine Son to grant this special grace for the Pope: that he might consecrate Russia to your Immaculate Heart, so that Russia will be converted, a period of peace will be granted to the world, and your Immaculate Heart will triumph, through an authentic renewal of the Church in the splendor of the purity of the Catholic Faith, of the sacredness of Divine worship and of the holiness of the Christian life. O Queen of the holy Rosary and our sweet Mother, turn your merciful eyes to us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer. Amen. + Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana
To learn more about the urgency of responding to Our Lady’s message at Fatima, and about what you can do, please read Cardinal Burke’s 2017 address at the Rome Life Forum.
As St. Padre Pio once said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times.” Through prayer, God can shape history, change the world, and bring about a great time of renewal and peace for the Church and for the world, through the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. Join us today!
If you would like to follow along with the prayers said during this Rosary, you can access them HERE. The document also includes a brief F.A.Q. pertaining to the daily Rosary.
You can send your prayer requests to https://reginangelorumpress.com/prayer-intentions/
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lifesitenews--2020-06-07--Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

June 7 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In response to the coronavirus crisis , LifeSite is offering Catholics throughout the world a chance to be united in praying the rosary together , at the same time , every day at 12:00 noon EST .
The rosary is led by Father Anthony Pillari , an American priest currently in Italy .
To date , Catholics from Israel , Uganda , Italy , France , Germany , Ireland , the United Kingdom , the U.S. , Canada , Mexico , Chile , Brazil , Australia , New Zealand , the Philippines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as other countries , have been joining in .
The whole world – including the Church – has been thrown into chaos because of the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) .
Thousands of people have passed away as a result of the viral outbreak , while thousands more have been sickened .
And , across the world , business has come to a grinding halt , resulting in sudden job loss and threatening economic recession .
If there ever was a time for prayer , this is it .
Catholics around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sacraments , but in many places are unable to access them because of bishops ’ orders or government restrictions .
We know that community with other believers is vital all the time , but especially during this time of global calls for “ sheltering-in-place ” and quarantine .
“ The rosary is the weapon for these times , ” St. Padre Pio said .
Through prayer , we can shape history , change the world , and bring this painful crisis to an end .
Join us today !
Send photos or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rosary with Father Pillari to [ email protected ]


lifesitenews--2020-06-08--Lancet forced to retract influential study discrediting malaria drug’s success in treating COVID-19

June 8 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Prestigious medical journal The Lancet has fully retracted a study that drove several world governments to cancel trials on the potential COVID-19 treatment hydroxychloroquine ( HCQ ) , following serious questions about the company that provided the data it relied upon .
HCQ is an FDA-approved drug developed in the 1950s to treat malaria and has been commonly used since as a treatment for autoimmune conditions and arthritis .
The FDA has not officially approved its use for the coronavirus , but has allowed it “ to be distributed and prescribed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with COVID-19 , as appropriate , when a clinical trial is not available or feasible.
” ( At the same time , the FDA warns not to use it outside of trials or hospitals . )
Several early studies showed that it may be an effective treatment against COVID-19 , but another study published last month in The Lancet purported to not only find “ no benefit ” to using HCQ , but instead finding “ decreased in-hospital survival and an increased frequency of ventricular arrhythmias.
” The news led the French High @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to recommend against prescribing the drug outside of clinical trials .
Belgium and Italy banned the use of HCQ as a COVID-19 treatment as well , citing safety concerns .
However , The Lancet was forced to issue an “ expression of concern ” about the study 's credibility following revelations from The Guardian that raised serious questions about the credibility of the American company Surgisphere , which appears to have been grossly misrepresenting its credentials , and the potentially-fraudulent data it provided .
The Lancet followed up by retracting the study Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peer review of Surgisphere with the consent of Sapan Desai to evaluate the origination of the database elements , to confirm the completeness of the database , and to replicate the analyses presented in the paper , ” write three of the study ’ s co-authors , Mandeep Mehra , Frank Ruschitzka , and Amit Patel .
“ Our independent peer reviewers informed us that Surgisphere would not transfer the full dataset , client contracts , and the full ISO audit report to their servers for analysis as such transfer would violate client @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such , our reviewers were not able to conduct an independent and private peer review and therefore notified us of their withdrawal from the peer-review process , ” they confess .
“ We all entered this collaboration to contribute in good faith and at a time of great need during the COVID-19 pandemic , ” the co-authors continue .
“ We deeply apologise to you , the editors , and the journal readership for any embarrassment or inconvenience that this may have caused.
” The Guardian 's investigation uncovered several alarming details about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apparent lack of medical credentials among its staff and lack of evidence that it had the research capability it boasted , to the fact that chief executive Sapan Desai , who was a co-author on the original study , is named in three medical malpractice lawsuits .
As part of its investigation , The Guardian contacted several hospitals in Australia following discrepancies between data on COVID-19 deaths supposedly obtained from them and numbers reported by Johns Hopkins University .
All of those hospitals replied that “ they had never heard of Surgisphere ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Peter Ellis , chief data scientist for the international management consulting firm Nous Group , says Surgisphere ’ s database is “ almost certainly a scam , ” because it ’ s “ not something that any hospital could realistically do , ” and there is “ no evidence online of [ Surgisphere ] having any analytical software earlier than a year ago.
” “ De-identifying is not just a matter of knocking off the patients ’ names , it is a big and difficult process , ” he explained .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do it appropriately .
It is the sort of thing national statistics agencies have whole teams working on , for years.
” On May 19 , President Donald Trump revealed he had been taking HCQ and a zinc supplement for “ a few weeks ” as a prophylactic ( though he has since stopped ) .
He has repeatedly tested negative for the coronavirus .
Trump was an early proponent of HCQ ’ s potential application to COVID-19 , which politicized the drug in the eyes of the president ’ s various opponents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world is estimated to have seen more than 6.7 million COVID-19 cases , with more than 394,000 deaths and 3.2 million recoveries .
An estimated 40 % of those deaths across the United States , and an equal or higher share among more than a dozen other countries , have come from nursing homes .
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews ’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world .

'We deeply apologise to you, the editors, and the journal readership for any embarrassment or inconvenience that this may have caused,' the authors stated.
June 8, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Prestigious medical journal The Lancet has fully retracted a study that drove several world governments to cancel trials on the potential COVID-19 treatment hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), following serious questions about the company that provided the data it relied upon.
HCQ is an FDA-approved drug developed in the 1950s to treat malaria and has been commonly used since as a treatment for autoimmune conditions and arthritis. The FDA has not officially approved its use for the coronavirus, but has allowed it “to be distributed and prescribed by doctors to hospitalized teen and adult patients with COVID-19, as appropriate, when a clinical trial is not available or feasible.” (At the same time, the FDA warns not to use it outside of trials or hospitals.)
Several early studies showed that it may be an effective treatment against COVID-19, but another study published last month in The Lancet purported to not only find “no benefit” to using HCQ, but instead finding “decreased in-hospital survival and an increased frequency of ventricular arrhythmias.” The news led the French High Council for Public Health (HCSP) to recommend against prescribing the drug outside of clinical trials. Belgium and Italy banned the use of HCQ as a COVID-19 treatment as well, citing safety concerns.
However, The Lancet was forced to issue an “expression of concern” about the study's credibility following revelations from The Guardian that raised serious questions about the credibility of the American company Surgisphere, which appears to have been grossly misrepresenting its credentials, and the potentially-fraudulent data it provided. The Lancet followed up by retracting the study Thursday.
“We launched an independent third-party peer review of Surgisphere with the consent of Sapan Desai to evaluate the origination of the database elements, to confirm the completeness of the database, and to replicate the analyses presented in the paper,” write three of the study’s co-authors, Mandeep Mehra, Frank Ruschitzka, and Amit Patel. “Our independent peer reviewers informed us that Surgisphere would not transfer the full dataset, client contracts, and the full ISO audit report to their servers for analysis as such transfer would violate client agreements and confidentiality requirements.
“As such, our reviewers were not able to conduct an independent and private peer review and therefore notified us of their withdrawal from the peer-review process,” they confess.
“We all entered this collaboration to contribute in good faith and at a time of great need during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the co-authors continue. “We deeply apologise to you, the editors, and the journal readership for any embarrassment or inconvenience that this may have caused.”
The Guardian's investigation uncovered several alarming details about Surgisphere and its data, from the apparent lack of medical credentials among its staff and lack of evidence that it had the research capability it boasted, to the fact that chief executive Sapan Desai, who was a co-author on the original study, is named in three medical malpractice lawsuits.
As part of its investigation, The Guardian contacted several hospitals in Australia following discrepancies between data on COVID-19 deaths supposedly obtained from them and numbers reported by Johns Hopkins University. All of those hospitals replied that “they had never heard of Surgisphere” and never provided information to its database.
Peter Ellis, chief data scientist for the international management consulting firm Nous Group, says Surgisphere’s database is “almost certainly a scam,” because it’s “not something that any hospital could realistically do,” and there is “no evidence online of [Surgisphere] having any analytical software earlier than a year ago.”
“De-identifying is not just a matter of knocking off the patients’ names, it is a big and difficult process,” he explained. “I doubt hospitals even have capability to do it appropriately. It is the sort of thing national statistics agencies have whole teams working on, for years.”
On May 19, President Donald Trump revealed he had been taking HCQ and a zinc supplement for “a few weeks” as a prophylactic (though he has since stopped). He has repeatedly tested negative for the coronavirus. Trump was an early proponent of HCQ’s potential application to COVID-19, which politicized the drug in the eyes of the president’s various opponents.
As of June 5, the world is estimated to have seen more than 6.7 million COVID-19 cases, with more than 394,000 deaths and 3.2 million recoveries. An estimated 40% of those deaths across the United States, and an equal or higher share among more than a dozen other countries, have come from nursing homes.
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world.
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lifesitenews--2020-06-08--If people are confused and angry at the mixed messaging on Covid right now, don’t be surprised

June 8 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Ontario , Canada is still officially in a state of emergency .
In this province you are not allowed to gather in groups larger than five .
If you violate this order , you risk a fine of hundreds , or even thousands of dollars .
And yet , on Friday , Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was photographed kneeling in the middle of a crowd of hundreds of protesters in Ottawa , a city located in Ontario .
You can think that what happened to George Floyd was demonically evil ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause the protesters are protesting in favour of all around the world is crucially important ( ending racism sure as heck is ) , and also wonder what the hell is going on with public officials ’ response to these protests with respect to the Covid-19 pandemic .
For months now we have been repeatedly told that if we don ’ t follow self-isolation rules to the tee , we are putting lives at risk .
It wasn ’ t about us , we were told .
Maybe we felt confident that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
But that didn ’ t matter .
It was about the fact that we could become carriers of Covid , and transmit the virus to vulnerable people .
This was literally a matter of life and death , possibly for millions of people .
Because of this , we were not allowed to be at the deathbeds of loved ones , could not mourn the lives of our deceased with funerals , could not be with our closest relations and friends at their weddings , and had to stomach the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in many cases significant harm to our mental and physical health .
We had no choice .
If we didn ’ t accept the costs and follow the rules , people would die .
As Princeton Professor Robert George notes : “ No exceptions , even to support and comfort the dying.
” Because we were all in this together .
And yet , yesterday , my prime minister stood in the middle of a huge crowd – violating the stay-at-home orders that he has repeatedly lambasted fellow Canadians for ignoring these past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re invincible .
You ’ re not .
Enough is enough , ” Trudeau lectured Canadians who were flouting the isolation rules in March .
“ Go home and stay home.
” Meanwhile , over 1,200 health care experts signed an open letter this week saying that the protests should not be shut down over coronavirus concerns , since the protests are “ vital to the national public health.
” Let me be clear : I ’ m not saying these protests shouldn ’ t happen ( the violence that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course , another matter ) .
Heck , I ’ ve been vocally supporting loosening the lockdowns faster .
And I would love nothing more than for racism to be wiped off the face of the planet .
But I am saying that this response is a huge case in point for why people are increasingly distrustful of the health experts , public officials and the media .
A couple weeks ago , protesters protesting the lockdowns were told they were murderously reckless .
Individuals who participated in those protests were publicly shamed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the media .
Now , crowds many , many times larger , are being encouraged to gather by the very same health experts and media because , in this case , it seems , the cause is worth the risk .
Maybe the cause is worth the risk .
It ’ s not the point I ’ m interested in arguing .
What I am interested in pointing out is that this is a naked example of a double standard , and that it ’ s confusing as hell for people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s going on , and who to believe .
This is not “ the science.
” This is an example of how scientists , the media and other experts and public officials allow political considerations to influence their allegedly objective scientific judgments , presenting their political viewpoints as “ the science ” .
Many of those who attended anti-lockdown protests also argued that the cause they were championing was “ vital to the national public health ” – i.e .
to mitigate the demonstrably serious collateral damage being caused by the lockdowns themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ skyrocketing calls to suicide hotlines , or the thousands of people who have missed cancer screenings , etc .
You can disagree with them , if you like .
But I think we can all agree that if something – i.e .
a public protest – poses a grave threat to life in one case ( anti-lockdown protests ) , then logically speaking the same thing – public protests – must pose a grave threat to life in another case ( the BLM protests ) .
In fact , given that in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more widespread , and many times larger ( as I write this , they are projecting as many as 100,000 protesters in a single city – D.C. ) the threat to life is also , presumably , that much greater .
And yet , this is precisely not what the health experts are currently saying .
Instead , they are proactively downplaying the risks and arguing for exceptions in the one case while labeling the other as evil .
As a friend of mine wrote a few days ago , what people desperately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this has been worth it.
” The months shut up in their apartments .
The lost jobs .
The conscientious observance of every dot and tittle of the health authorities ’ instructions .
Life put on hold .
We need the assurance that our health authorities were acting in good faith .
That the fines leveled against people for taking their dog for a walk , for driving in a car with someone who wasn ’ t from their household , or for wishing a friend happy birthday from a car – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stemmed from a legitimate cause : the pressing need to halt transmission of a deadly virus ; the need to ensure that nobody was cutting corners in our collective responsibility to protect the vulnerable .
But instead , what we are seeing is health authorities and the media overnight tossing the whole bloody thing .
No half measures here .
One day , sunning yourself in a park is a high crime , the next day , a failure to enthusiastically support crowds of tens of thousands of protesters just might well show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seriously .
So , don ’ t be surprised if people become confused and even angry if , on the one hand , they are being told that by no means can they be allowed an exception to go visit the deathbed of their grandmother , while on the other hand , the prime minister of a country still officially on lockdown , in a province that currently only allows a maximum of five people to gather , is publicly flouting his own lockdown orders and marching in the middle of a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , there are two possible interpretations of Trudeau ’ s presence at the protest : 1 ) The public experts have been telling us the truth about the risks posed by Covid these past few months , but Prime Minister Trudeau is willing to risk causing people to die by exposing himself to a crowd , and encouraging other people to do the same .
2 ) Despite what they ’ ve been telling us , and despite the burdens ( sometimes crushingly heavy ) we have all been expected to shoulder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts who ’ ve been ordering us to stay home ) don ’ t actually think there ’ s any very serious serious risk involved in being in a large group of people right now .
I ’ m not sure which interpretation is more troubling .
For weeks – now months – dying people have been made to draw their last breath entirely alone in hospitals and hospices , denied last rites or even the presence of a family member , because of public health requirements we were told simply could not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support and comfort the dying .
Now .
Now .
Now .
Some of the very same public health professionals and public officials who insisted on that brutally rigorous policy are supporting mass demonstrations that by any reckoning pose a massively greater threat to public health and safety .
Massively greater .
I ’ m accustomed to hypocrisy and bad faith among our professional elites and public officials , but this one is nevertheless stunning to me .
Just stunning .
Well , well , well , even a writer at Guardian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agrees .
This took some guts .
Quote : Consider France , where I live .
The country has only just begun reopening after two solid months of one of the world ’ s severest national quarantines , and in the face of the world ’ s fifth-highest coronavirus body count .
As recently as 11 May , it was mandatory here to carry a fully executed state-administered permission slip on one ’ s person in order to legally exercise or go shopping .
The country has only just begun to flatten the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counting – which have brought its economy to a standstill .
Yet even here , in the time it takes to upload a black square to your Instagram profile , those of us who move in progressive circles now find ourselves under significant moral pressure to understand that social distancing is an issue of merely secondary importance .
This feels like gaslighting .
Less than two weeks ago , the enlightened position in both Europe and America was to exercise nothing less than extreme caution .
Many of us went much further , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for insufficient social distancing or neglecting to wear masks or daring to believe they could maintain some semblance of a normal life during coronavirus .
At the end of April , when the state of Georgia moved to end its lockdown , the Atlantic ran an article with the headline “ Georgia ’ s Experiment in Human Sacrifice ” .
Two weeks ago we shamed people for being in the street ; today we shame them for not being in the street .
Public health experts – as well as many mainstream commentators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the pandemic were already incoherent about the importance of face masks and stay-at-home orders – have hemorrhaged credibility and authority .
This is not merely a short-term problem ; it will constitute a crisis of trust going forward , when it may be all the more urgent to convince skeptical masses to submit to an unproven vaccine or to another round of crushing stay-at-home orders .
Will anyone still listen ?

June 8, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Ontario, Canada is still officially in a state of emergency. In this province you are not allowed to gather in groups larger than five. If you violate this order, you risk a fine of hundreds, or even thousands of dollars. And yet, on Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was photographed kneeling in the middle of a crowd of hundreds of protesters in Ottawa, a city located in Ontario.
You can think that what happened to George Floyd was demonically evil (and it was) and that the cause the protesters are protesting in favour of all around the world is crucially important (ending racism sure as heck is), and also wonder what the hell is going on with public officials’ response to these protests with respect to the Covid-19 pandemic.
For months now we have been repeatedly told that if we don’t follow self-isolation rules to the tee, we are putting lives at risk. It wasn’t about us, we were told. Maybe we felt confident that we’d be ok if we got the virus. But that didn’t matter. It was about the fact that we could become carriers of Covid, and transmit the virus to vulnerable people. This was literally a matter of life and death, possibly for millions of people.
Because of this, we were not allowed to be at the deathbeds of loved ones, could not mourn the lives of our deceased with funerals, could not be with our closest relations and friends at their weddings, and had to stomach the loss of jobs, businesses, and in many cases significant harm to our mental and physical health. We had no choice. If we didn’t accept the costs and follow the rules, people would die. As Princeton Professor Robert George notes: “No exceptions, even to support and comfort the dying.” Because we were all in this together.
And yet, yesterday, my prime minister stood in the middle of a huge crowd – violating the stay-at-home orders that he has repeatedly lambasted fellow Canadians for ignoring these past few months. “You all think you’re invincible. You’re not. Enough is enough,” Trudeau lectured Canadians who were flouting the isolation rules in March. “Go home and stay home.” Meanwhile, over 1,200 health care experts signed an open letter this week saying that the protests should not be shut down over coronavirus concerns, since the protests are “vital to the national public health.”
Let me be clear: I’m not saying these protests shouldn’t happen (the violence that has marred some of them is, of course, another matter). Heck, I’ve been vocally supporting loosening the lockdowns faster. And I would love nothing more than for racism to be wiped off the face of the planet. But I am saying that this response is a huge case in point for why people are increasingly distrustful of the health experts, public officials and the media. A couple weeks ago, protesters protesting the lockdowns were told they were murderously reckless. Individuals who participated in those protests were publicly shamed and berated universally by the health experts and the media. Now, crowds many, many times larger, are being encouraged to gather by the very same health experts and media because, in this case, it seems, the cause is worth the risk.
Maybe the cause is worth the risk. It’s not the point I’m interested in arguing. What I am interested in pointing out is that this is a naked example of a double standard, and that it’s confusing as hell for people who are trying to figure out what’s going on, and who to believe. This is not “the science.” This is an example of how scientists, the media and other experts and public officials allow political considerations to influence their allegedly objective scientific judgments, presenting their political viewpoints as “the science”.
Many of those who attended anti-lockdown protests also argued that the cause they were championing was “vital to the national public health” – i.e. to mitigate the demonstrably serious collateral damage being caused by the lockdowns themselves, as evidenced by such things as skyrocketing calls to suicide hotlines, or the thousands of people who have missed cancer screenings, etc. You can disagree with them, if you like. But I think we can all agree that if something – i.e. a public protest – poses a grave threat to life in one case (anti-lockdown protests), then logically speaking the same thing – public protests – must pose a grave threat to life in another case (the BLM protests). In fact, given that in the latter case the protests have been far more widespread, and many times larger (as I write this, they are projecting as many as 100,000 protesters in a single city – D.C.) the threat to life is also, presumably, that much greater. And yet, this is precisely not what the health experts are currently saying. Instead, they are proactively downplaying the risks and arguing for exceptions in the one case while labeling the other as evil.
As a friend of mine wrote a few days ago, what people desperately need right now is “to know that this has been worth it.” The months shut up in their apartments. The lost jobs. The conscientious observance of every dot and tittle of the health authorities’ instructions. Life put on hold. We need the assurance that our health authorities were acting in good faith. That the fines leveled against people for taking their dog for a walk, for driving in a car with someone who wasn’t from their household, or for wishing a friend happy birthday from a car – that these seemingly extreme and harsh penalties stemmed from a legitimate cause: the pressing need to halt transmission of a deadly virus; the need to ensure that nobody was cutting corners in our collective responsibility to protect the vulnerable. But instead, what we are seeing is health authorities and the media overnight tossing the whole bloody thing. No half measures here. One day, sunning yourself in a park is a high crime, the next day, a failure to enthusiastically support crowds of tens of thousands of protesters just might well show that you don’t take racism seriously.
So, don’t be surprised if people become confused and even angry if, on the one hand, they are being told that by no means can they be allowed an exception to go visit the deathbed of their grandmother, while on the other hand, the prime minister of a country still officially on lockdown, in a province that currently only allows a maximum of five people to gather, is publicly flouting his own lockdown orders and marching in the middle of a large crowd of people.
As I see it, there are two possible interpretations of Trudeau’s presence at the protest: 1) The public experts have been telling us the truth about the risks posed by Covid these past few months, but Prime Minister Trudeau is willing to risk causing people to die by exposing himself to a crowd, and encouraging other people to do the same. 2) Despite what they’ve been telling us, and despite the burdens (sometimes crushingly heavy) we have all been expected to shoulder, Trudeau (and all those health experts who’ve been ordering us to stay home) don’t actually think there’s any very serious serious risk involved in being in a large group of people right now.
I’m not sure which interpretation is more troubling.
UPDATE 1
Professor Robert George writes on Facebook:
For weeks – now months – dying people have been made to draw their last breath entirely alone in hospitals and hospices, denied last rites or even the presence of a family member, because of public health requirements we were told simply could not be relaxed. No exceptions, even to support and comfort the dying. Now. Now. Now. Some of the very same public health professionals and public officials who insisted on that brutally rigorous policy are supporting mass demonstrations that by any reckoning pose a massively greater threat to public health and safety. Massively greater. I’m accustomed to hypocrisy and bad faith among our professional elites and public officials, but this one is nevertheless stunning to me. Just stunning.
UPDATE 2
Well, well, well, even a writer at Guardian – after a lot of throat-clearing – agrees. This took some guts. Quote:
Consider France, where I live. The country has only just begun reopening after two solid months of one of the world’s severest national quarantines, and in the face of the world’s fifth-highest coronavirus body count. As recently as 11 May, it was mandatory here to carry a fully executed state-administered permission slip on one’s person in order to legally exercise or go shopping. The country has only just begun to flatten the curve of deaths – nearly 30,000 and counting – which have brought its economy to a standstill. Yet even here, in the time it takes to upload a black square to your Instagram profile, those of us who move in progressive circles now find ourselves under significant moral pressure to understand that social distancing is an issue of merely secondary importance.
This feels like gaslighting. Less than two weeks ago, the enlightened position in both Europe and America was to exercise nothing less than extreme caution. Many of us went much further, taking to social media to castigate others for insufficient social distancing or neglecting to wear masks or daring to believe they could maintain some semblance of a normal life during coronavirus. At the end of April, when the state of Georgia moved to end its lockdown, the Atlantic ran an article with the headline “Georgia’s Experiment in Human Sacrifice”. Two weeks ago we shamed people for being in the street; today we shame them for not being in the street.
…
Public health experts – as well as many mainstream commentators, plenty of whom in the beginning of the pandemic were already incoherent about the importance of face masks and stay-at-home orders – have hemorrhaged credibility and authority. This is not merely a short-term problem; it will constitute a crisis of trust going forward, when it may be all the more urgent to convince skeptical masses to submit to an unproven vaccine or to another round of crushing stay-at-home orders. Will anyone still listen?
Follow John John Jalsevac is Web Strategy Director of LifeSiteNews.com. He has a bachelor's degree in philosophy with a minor in theology from Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. He has published hundreds of articles in publications including Crisis Magazine, Catholic Insight, The Wanderer, and of course, LifeSiteNews.
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lifesitenews--2020-06-08--Why do black lives ‘matter’? Not because they’re black, but because they’re human

PETITION : Yes to reform .
No to riots & revolution !
Sign the petition here .
June 8 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Many of the greatest defenders and proponents of stay-at-home orders and Black Lives Matter protests are rabidly pro-abortion , yet their responses to COVID-19 and the death of George Floyd reveal staunchly pro-life principles .
The entire narrative built by politicians and the mainstream media following the government 's stay-at-home orders was that we had to temporarily sacrifice our lifestyle and freedoms in order to protect the vulnerable .
We were told every day that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endanger the health and lives of others .
Similarly , if every other form of bodily rights can or should be temporarily restricted in a pandemic to save lives , why shouldn ’ t abortion , which always ends a life ?
Many politicians and pundits argued that social distancing and stay-at-home orders illustrated that your right to bodily autonomy should be regulated if your actions risk harming others .
Regardless of whether those orders were justified , this is the exact case pro-lifers make for protecting the unborn : A pregnant woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exercising that autonomy harms or kills others .
Obviously , pro-lifers maintain there is a difference between unintentionally infecting a vulnerable person at Disneyland and having an abortion , which always involves the direct and intentional killing of a human being .
But this only strengthens the case for regulating bodily autonomy when it comes to abortion .
It is not unreasonable for the government to temporarily restrict a pregnant woman 's bodily autonomy to protect the health and life of her vulnerable child .
Then , after two months of stay-at-home orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistreated and killed a black man named George Floyd , whom he held down on the street with his knee placed directly on Floyd 's neck for a full eight minutes .
This incident incited protests and riots all around the country .
While there is a clear distinction between peaceful protestors truly angered by Floyd 's murder and the criminals using his death to `` justify '' their looting and burning , the protests were nearly all called Black Lives Matter , which quickly became the trending hashtag on social media platforms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the police force aside , it is obvious that Americans are united in calling racism evil .
We all believe that Black Lives Matter , not because they 're black but because they 're human beings with intrinsic dignity .
Everyone agrees that intentionally harming or killing innocent human beings without proper justification is wrong .
But if Black Lives Matter because they 're human beings , then they matter from the moment they ARE human beings .
If systemic racism is true and Gayle King at CBS This Morning is right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on black people , '' such that we need to initiate systemic change to correct injustice , then how can we continue to tolerate the injustice of abortion , which quite literally is `` open season '' on black people ?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau , African-Americans account for 13.4 percent of the population but obtained 36 percent of the country ’ s abortions in 2015 .
That means that Planned Parenthood alone kills more black lives in two weeks than the KKK lynched in a century .
The most dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not in an altercation with a white police officer .
It 's in the womb !
While the claim that there is systemic racism in America 's police force targeting black lives is not verifiable , it is proven that the abortion industry targets black lives because of their race .
Fully aware of the disproportionate amount of abortions that black America obtains , Planned Parenthood strategically places their death camps in black neighborhoods .
A study by Protecting Black Life found that “ 79 percent of Planned Parenthood ’ s surgical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance of African and/or Hispanic communities.
” If Black Lives Matter , then ALL Black Lives Matter , both born and pre-born .
There is no greater assault on black lives than the one the abortion industry wages , as they specifically target black babies to increase profits .
Both the COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter responses reveal the self-evident nature of the pro-life position : Human beings have intrinsic dignity and value that should be respected and protected .
Unfortunately , after decades of pro-abortion propaganda , that self-evident truth is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While recognizing this truth as it applies to born people , too many of our countrymen still do n't believe it applies at the beginning of a human being 's existence !

Racism starts in the womb when African American mothers and their unborn babies are targeted for abortion.
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June 8, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Many of the greatest defenders and proponents of stay-at-home orders and Black Lives Matter protests are rabidly pro-abortion, yet their responses to COVID-19 and the death of George Floyd reveal staunchly pro-life principles.
The entire narrative built by politicians and the mainstream media following the government's stay-at-home orders was that we had to temporarily sacrifice our lifestyle and freedoms in order to protect the vulnerable. We were told every day that we didn't have the right to endanger the health and lives of others.
Similarly, if every other form of bodily rights can or should be temporarily restricted in a pandemic to save lives, why shouldn’t abortion, which always ends a life? Many politicians and pundits argued that social distancing and stay-at-home orders illustrated that your right to bodily autonomy should be regulated if your actions risk harming others. Regardless of whether those orders were justified, this is the exact case pro-lifers make for protecting the unborn: A pregnant woman's bodily autonomy ends the moment that exercising that autonomy harms or kills others.
Obviously, pro-lifers maintain there is a difference between unintentionally infecting a vulnerable person at Disneyland and having an abortion, which always involves the direct and intentional killing of a human being. But this only strengthens the case for regulating bodily autonomy when it comes to abortion.
It is not unreasonable for the government to temporarily restrict a pregnant woman's bodily autonomy to protect the health and life of her vulnerable child.
Then, after two months of stay-at-home orders, a police officer in Minneapolis brutally mistreated and killed a black man named George Floyd, whom he held down on the street with his knee placed directly on Floyd's neck for a full eight minutes.
This incident incited protests and riots all around the country. While there is a clear distinction between peaceful protestors truly angered by Floyd's murder and the criminals using his death to “justify” their looting and burning, the protests were nearly all called Black Lives Matter, which quickly became the trending hashtag on social media platforms.
Putting the question of systemic racism in the police force aside, it is obvious that Americans are united in calling racism evil. We all believe that Black Lives Matter, not because they're black but because they're human beings with intrinsic dignity. Everyone agrees that intentionally harming or killing innocent human beings without proper justification is wrong.
But if Black Lives Matter because they're human beings, then they matter from the moment they ARE human beings. If systemic racism is true and Gayle King at CBS This Morning is right that there is an “open season on black people,” such that we need to initiate systemic change to correct injustice, then how can we continue to tolerate the injustice of abortion, which quite literally is “open season” on black people?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, African-Americans account for 13.4 percent of the population but obtained 36 percent of the country’s abortions in 2015. That means that Planned Parenthood alone kills more black lives in two weeks than the KKK lynched in a century. The most dangerous place for an African American to be is not in an altercation with a white police officer. It's in the womb!
While the claim that there is systemic racism in America's police force targeting black lives is not verifiable, it is proven that the abortion industry targets black lives because of their race. Fully aware of the disproportionate amount of abortions that black America obtains, Planned Parenthood strategically places their death camps in black neighborhoods. A study by Protecting Black Life found that “79 percent of Planned Parenthood’s surgical abortion facilities are strategically located within walking distance of African and/or Hispanic communities.”
If Black Lives Matter, then ALL Black Lives Matter, both born and pre-born. There is no greater assault on black lives than the one the abortion industry wages, as they specifically target black babies to increase profits.
Both the COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter responses reveal the self-evident nature of the pro-life position: Human beings have intrinsic dignity and value that should be respected and protected.
Unfortunately, after decades of pro-abortion propaganda, that self-evident truth is not as self-evident as it used to be. While recognizing this truth as it applies to born people, too many of our countrymen still don't believe it applies at the beginning of a human being's existence!
Seth Gruber is the West Coast Director for Life Training Institute. He is also the host of “UnAborted with Seth Gruber.” Visit his website here.
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