lifesitenews--2020-03-21--Cdl. Burke issues new statement about combatting the coronavirus

March 21 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Earlier today , Cardinal Raymond Burke released a statement on the coronavirus .
In his lengthy remarks , His Excellency described the virus as “ insidious ” and advised persons to take precautions againt spreading and contracting it .
He also stated that it ’ s “ essential ” for Catholics “ at all times and above all in times of crisis , to have access to our churches and chapels , to the Sacraments , and to public devotions and prayers.
” “ In combatting the evil of the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship with Christ through prayer and penance , and devotions and sacred worship , ” he stated .
“ We turn to Christ to deliver us from pestilence and from all harm.
” Echoing the remarks of Archbishop Carlo Viganò , who has previously called for churches to remain open , Burke states that , “ we must be able to pray in our churches and chapels , receive the Sacraments , and engage in acts of public prayer and devotion , so that we know God ’ s closeness to us and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon His help.
” “ Without the help of God , ” His Eminence contines , “ we are indeed lost.
” Burke also said that the spread of the coronavirus can not be understood apart from the world ’ s “ rebellious ” stance towards God .
Nor can it be viewed apart from the “ paganism ” that is being promoted from “ within the Church.
” “ [ A ] person of faith can not consider the present calamity in which we find ourselves without considering also how distant our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not only indifferent to His presence in our midst but openly rebellious toward Him and the good order with which He has created us and sustains us in being.
” “ We witness , too , even within the Church , a paganism which worships nature and the earth , ” he continued .
“ There are those within the Church who refer to the earth as our mother , as if we came from the earth , and the earth is our salvation .
But we come from the hand of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” For some time now , we have been in combat against the spread of the coronavirus , COVID-19 .
From all that we can tell – and one of the difficulties of the combat is that so much about the pestilence remains unclear – the battle will yet continue for some time .
The virus involved is particularly insidious , for it has a relatively long incubation period – some say 14 days and some say 20 days – and is highly contagious , much more highly contagious than other viruses we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural means to defend ourselves against the coronavirus is to avoid any close contact with others .
It is important , in fact , to keep always a distance – some say a yard ( meter ) and some say six-feet – away from each other , and , of course , to avoid group gatherings , that is gatherings in which a number of people are in close proximity of each other .
In addition , since the virus is transmitted by small droplets emitted when one sneezes or blows his or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wash our hands frequently with disinfectant soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds , and to use disinfectant handwash and handwipes .
It is equally important to disinfect tables , chairs , countertops , etc.
, on which these droplets may have landed and from which they are capable of transmitting the contagion for some time .
If we sneeze or blow our nose , we are counseled to use a paper facial tissue , to discard it immediately , and then to wash our hands .
Of course , those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be quarantined , and those who are not feeling well , even if it has not been determined that they suffer from the coronavirus , should , out of charity toward others , remain at home , until they are feeling better .
Living in Italy , in which the spread of the coronavirus has been particularly deadly , especially for the elderly and for those who are already in a state of delicate health , I am edified by the great care which the Italians are taking to protect themselves and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have already read , the healthcare system in Italy is severely tested in trying to provide necessary hospitalization and intensive-care treatment for the most vulnerable .
Please pray for the Italian people and especially for both those for whom the coronavirus can be fatal and those entrusted with their care .
Being a citizen of the United States , I have been following the situation of the spread of the coronavirus in my homeland and know that those living in the United States are becoming more and more concerned to stop its spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy be repeated at home .
The whole situation certainly disposes us to a profound sadness and also to fear .
No one wants to contract the illness connected with the virus or to have anyone else contract it .
We especially do not want our beloved elderly or others who are suffering in health to be put in danger of death through the spread of the virus .
To fight the spread of the virus , we are all on a kind of forced spiritual retreat , confined to quarters and unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family and to friends .
For those in quarantine , the isolation is clearly even more severe , not being able to have contact with anyone , not even at a distance .
If the illness itself associated with the virus were not enough to worry us , we can not ignore the economic devastation which the spread of the virus has caused , with its grievous effects on individuals and families , and those who serve us in so many ways in our daily life .
Of course , our thoughts can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an even greater devastation of the population of our homelands and , indeed , of the world .
Certainly , we are right to learn about and employ all of the natural means to defend ourselves against the contagion .
It is a fundamental act of charity to use every prudent means to avoid contracting or spreading the coronavirus .
The natural means of preventing the spread of the virus must , however , respect what we need to live , for example , access to food , water and medicine .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imposition of ever greater restrictions on the movement of individuals , provides that individuals can visit the supermarket and the pharmacy , with the observance of the precautions of social distancing and of use of disinfectants on the part of all involved .
In considering what is needed to live , we must not forget that our first consideration is our relationship with God .
We recall the words of Our Lord in the Gospel according to John : “ If a man loves me , he will keep my word , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we come to him and make our home with him ” ( 14 , 23 ) .
Christ is the Lord of nature and of history .
He is not distant and disinterested in us and the world .
He has promised us : “ I am with you always , to the close of the age ” ( Mt 28 , 20 ) .
In combatting the evil of the coronavirus , our most effective weapon is , therefore , our relationship with Christ through prayer and penance , and devotions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deliver us from pestilence and from all harm , and He never fails to respond with pure and selfless love .
That is why it is essential for us , at all times and above all in times of crisis , to have access to our churches and chapels , to the Sacraments , and to public devotions and prayers .
Just as we are able to purchase food and medicine , while taking care not to spread the coronavirus in the process , so also we must be able to pray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sacraments , and engage in acts of public prayer and devotion , so that we know God ’ s closeness to us and remain close to Him , fittingly calling upon His help .
Without the help of God , we are indeed lost .
Historically , in times of pestilence , the faithful gathered in fervent prayer and took part in processions .
In fact , in the Roman Missal , promulgated by Pope Saint John XXIII in 1962 , there are special texts for the Holy Mass to be offered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mass for the Deliverance from Death in Time of Pestilence ( Missae Votivae ad Diversa , n. 23 ) .
Likewise , in the traditional Litany of the Saints , we pray : “ From plague , famine , and war , O Lord , deliver us.
” Oftentimes , when we find ourselves in great suffering and even facing death , we ask : “ Where is God ?
” But the real question is : “ Where are we ?
” In other words , God is assuredly with us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time of severe trial or death , but we are too often far from Him because of our failure to acknowledge our total dependence upon Him and , therefore , to pray daily to Him and to offer Him our worship .
In these days , I have heard from so many devout Catholics who are deeply saddened and discouraged not to be able to pray and worship in their churches and chapels .
They understand the need to observe social distance and to follow the other precautions , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can easily enough do in their places of worship .
But , often enough , they have to accept the profound suffering of having their churches and chapels closed , and of not having access to Confession and the Most Holy Eucharist .
In the same light , a person of faith can not consider the present calamity in which we find ourselves without considering also how distant our popular culture is from God .
It is not only indifferent to His presence in our midst but openly rebellious toward Him and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created us and sustains us in being .
We need only think of the commonplace violent attacks on human life , male and female , which God has made in His own image and likeness ( Gn 1 , 27 ) , attacks on the innocent and defenseless unborn , and on those who have the first title to our care , those who are heavily burdened with serious illness , advanced years , or special needs .
We are daily witnesses to the spread of violence in a culture which fails to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need only to think of the pervasive attack upon the integrity of human sexuality , of our identity as man or woman , with the pretense of defining for ourselves , often employing violent means , a sexual identity other than that given to us by God .
With ever greater concern , we witness the devastating effect on individuals and families of the so-called “ gender theory.
” We witness , too , even within the Church , a paganism which worships nature and the earth .
There are those within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our mother , as if we came from the earth , and the earth is our salvation .
But we come from the hand of God , Creator of Heaven and Earth .
In God alone we find salvation .
We pray in the divinely-inspired words of the Psalmist : “ [ God ] alone is my rock and my salvation , my fortress ; I shall not be shaken ” ( Ps 62 [ 61 ] , 6 ) .
We see how the life of faith itself has become increasingly secularized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christ , God the Son Incarnate , King of Heaven and Earth .
We witness so many other evils which derive from idolatry , from the worship of ourselves and our world , instead of worshiping God , the source of all being .
We sadly see in ourselves the truth of Saint Paul ’ s inspired words regarding the “ ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth ” : “ they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever !
” ( Rom 1 , 18 .
25 ) .
Many with whom I am in communication , reflecting upon the present worldwide health crisis with all of its attendant effects , have expressed to me the hope that it will lead us – as individuals and families , and as a society – to reform our lives , to turn to God Who is surely near to us and Who is immeasurable and unceasing in His mercy and love towards us .
There is no question that great evils like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and of our actual sins .
God , in His justice , must repair the disorder which sin introduces into our lives and into our world .
In fact , He fulfills the demands of justice by His superabundant mercy .
God has not left us in the chaos and death , which sin introduces into the world , but has sent His only-begotten Son , Jesus Christ , to suffer , die , rise from the dead and ascend in glory to His right hand , in order to remain with us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inflaming us with His love .
In His justice , God recognizes our sins and the need of their reparation , while , in His mercy He showers upon us the grace to repent and make reparation .
The Prophet Jeremiah prayed : “ We recognize , O LORD , our wickedness , the guilt of our fathers ; that we have sinned against you , ” but he immediately continued his prayer : “ For your name ’ s sake spurn us not , disgrace not the throne of your glory ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ break it not ” ( Jer 14 , 20-21 ) .
God never turns His back on us ; He will never break His covenant of faithful and enduring love with us , even though we are so frequently indifferent , cold and unfaithful .
As the present suffering uncovers for us so much indifference , coldness and infidelity on our part , we are called to turn to God and to beg for His mercy .
We are confident that He will hear us and bless us with His gifts of mercy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our sufferings to the Passion and Death of Christ and thus , as Saint Paul says , “ complete what is lacking in Christ ’ s afflictions for the sake of his body , that is , the Church ” ( Col 1 , 24 ) .
Living in Christ , we know the truth of our Biblical prayer : “ The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD ; he is their refuge in the time of trouble ” ( Ps 37 [ 36 ] , 39 ) .
In Christ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the truth expressed in the prayer of the Psalmist : “ Mercy and truth have met together ; justice and peace have kissed ” ( Ps 85 [ 84 ] , 10 ) .
In our totally secularized culture , there is a tendency to view prayer , devotions and worship like any other activity , for example , going to the cinema or to a football game , which is not essential and therefore can be cancelled for the sake of taking every precaution to curb the spread of a deadly contagion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , above all , Confession and the Holy Mass , are essential for us to remain healthy and strong spiritually , and for us to seek God ’ s help in a time of great danger for all .
Therefore , we can not simply accept the determinations of secular governments , which would treat the worship of God in the same manner as going to a restaurant or to an athletic contest .
Otherwise , the people who already suffer so much from the results of the pestilence are deprived of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our midst to restore health and peace .
We bishops and priests need to explain publicly the necessity of Catholics to pray and worship in their churches and chapels , and to go in procession through the streets and ways , asking God ’ s blessing upon His people who suffer so intensely .
We need to insist that the regulations of the State , also for the good of the State , recognize the distinct importance of places of worship , especially in time of national and international crisis .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understood , above all , the importance of the faith , prayer and worship of the people to overcome a pestilence .
Even as we have found a way to provide for food and medicine and other necessities of life during a time of contagion , without irresponsibly risking the spread of the contagion , so , in a similar way , we can find a way to provide for the necessities of our spiritual life .
We can provide more opportunities for the Holy Mass and devotions at which a number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the spread of contagion .
Many of our churches and chapels are very large .
They permit a group of the faithful to gather for prayer and worship without violating the requirements of “ social distance.
” The confessional with the traditional screen is usually equipped with or , if not , can be easily equipped with a thin veil which can be treated with disinfectant , so that access to the Sacrament of Confession is possible without great difficulty and without danger of transmitting the virus .
If a church or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff to be able to disinfect regularly the pews and other surfaces , I have no doubt that the faithful , in gratitude for the gifts of the Holy Eucharist , Confession , and of public devotion , will gladly assist .
Even if , for whatever reason , we are unable to have access to our churches and chapels , we must remember that our homes are an extension of our parish , a little Church into which we bring Christ from our encounter with Him in the bigger Church .
Let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis , reflect the truth that Christ is the guest of every Christian home .
Let us turn to him through prayer , especially the Rosary , and other devotions .
If the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus , together with the image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary , is not already enthroned in our home , now would be the time to do so .
The place of the image of the Sacred Heart is for us a little altar at home , at which we gather , conscious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into our hearts , and place our often poor and sinful hearts into His glorious pierced Heart – always open to receive us , to heal us of our sins , and to fill us with divine love .
If you desire to enthrone the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus , I commend to you the handbook , The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus , available through the Marian Catechist Apostolate .
It is also available in Polish and Slovak translations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Holy Mass and Holy Communion , I commend the devout practice of Spiritual Communion .
When we are rightly disposed to receive Holy Communion , that is , when we are in the state of grace , not conscious of any mortal sin which we have committed and for which we have not yet been forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance , and desire to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion but are unable to do so , we unite ourselves spiritually with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass , praying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Saint Alphonsus Liguori : “ Since I am unable now to receive Thee sacramentally , come at least spiritually into my heart.
” Spiritual Communion is a beautiful expression of love for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament .
It will not fail to bring to us abundant grace .
At the same time , when we are conscious of having committed a mortal sin and are unable to have access to the Sacrament of Penance or Confession , the Church invites us to make an act of perfect contrition , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which “ arises from a love by which God is loved above all else.
” .
An act of perfect contrition “ obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible ” ( Catechism of the Catholic Church , no .
1452 ) .
An act of perfect contrition disposes our soul for Spiritual Communion .
In the end , faith and reason , as they always do , work together to provide for the just and right solution to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , inspired by faith , to find the correct manner in which to deal with a deadly pandemic .
That manner must give priority to prayer , devotion and worship , to the invocation of God ’ s mercy upon His people who suffer so much and are in danger of death .
Made in God ’ s own image and likeness , we enjoy the gifts of intellect and free will .
Using these God-given gifts , united to the also God-given gifts of Faith , Hope and Love , we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of worldwide trial which is the cause of so much sadness and fear .
We can count upon the help and intercession of the great host of our heavenly friends , to whom we are intimately united in the Communion of Saints .
The Virgin Mother of God , the holy Archangels and Guardian Angels , Saint Joseph , True Spouse of the Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church , Saint Roch whom we invoke in times of epidemic , and the other saints and blessed to whom we regularly turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They guide us and constantly assure us that God will never fail to hear our prayer ; He will respond with His immeasurable and unceasing mercy and love .
Dear friends , I offer these few reflections to you , deeply conscious of how much you are suffering because of the pandemic coronavirus .
It is my hope that the reflections may be of help to you .
Above all , I hope that they will inspire you to turn to God in prayer and worship , each according to his or her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and peace .
With the reflections comes the assurance of my daily remembrance of your intentions in my prayer and penance , especially in the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass .
I ask you please to remember me in your daily prayers .
I remain yours in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary , and in the Purest Heart of Saint Joseph ,

March 21, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Earlier today, Cardinal Raymond Burke released a statement on the coronavirus. In his lengthy remarks, His Excellency described the virus as “insidious” and advised persons to take precautions againt spreading and contracting it. He also stated that it’s “essential” for Catholics “at all times and above all in times of crisis, to have access to our churches and chapels, to the Sacraments, and to public devotions and prayers.”
“In combatting the evil of the coronavirus, our most effective weapon is…our relationship with Christ through prayer and penance, and devotions and sacred worship,” he stated. “We turn to Christ to deliver us from pestilence and from all harm.”
Echoing the remarks of Archbishop Carlo Viganò, who has previously called for churches to remain open, Burke states that, “we must be able to pray in our churches and chapels, receive the Sacraments, and engage in acts of public prayer and devotion, so that we know God’s closeness to us and remain close to Him, fittingly calling upon His help.”
“Without the help of God,” His Eminence contines, “we are indeed lost.”
Burke also said that the spread of the coronavirus cannot be understood apart from the world’s “rebellious” stance towards God. Nor can it be viewed apart from the “paganism” that is being promoted from “within the Church.”
“[A] person of faith cannot consider the present calamity in which we find ourselves without considering also how distant our popular culture is from God. It is not only indifferent to His presence in our midst but openly rebellious toward Him and the good order with which He has created us and sustains us in being.”
“We witness, too, even within the Church, a paganism which worships nature and the earth,” he continued. “There are those within the Church who refer to the earth as our mother, as if we came from the earth, and the earth is our salvation. But we come from the hand of God, Creator of Heaven and Earth.”
Read the full statement below:
Dear Friends,
For some time now, we have been in combat against the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19. From all that we can tell – and one of the difficulties of the combat is that so much about the pestilence remains unclear – the battle will yet continue for some time. The virus involved is particularly insidious, for it has a relatively long incubation period – some say 14 days and some say 20 days – and is highly contagious, much more highly contagious than other viruses we have experienced.
One of the principal natural means to defend ourselves against the coronavirus is to avoid any close contact with others. It is important, in fact, to keep always a distance – some say a yard (meter) and some say six-feet – away from each other, and, of course, to avoid group gatherings, that is gatherings in which a number of people are in close proximity of each other. In addition, since the virus is transmitted by small droplets emitted when one sneezes or blows his or her nose, it is critical to wash our hands frequently with disinfectant soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, and to use disinfectant handwash and handwipes. It is equally important to disinfect tables, chairs, countertops, etc., on which these droplets may have landed and from which they are capable of transmitting the contagion for some time. If we sneeze or blow our nose, we are counseled to use a paper facial tissue, to discard it immediately, and then to wash our hands. Of course, those who are diagnosed with the coronavirus must be quarantined, and those who are not feeling well, even if it has not been determined that they suffer from the coronavirus, should, out of charity toward others, remain at home, until they are feeling better.
Living in Italy, in which the spread of the coronavirus has been particularly deadly, especially for the elderly and for those who are already in a state of delicate health, I am edified by the great care which the Italians are taking to protect themselves and others from the contagion. As you may have already read, the healthcare system in Italy is severely tested in trying to provide necessary hospitalization and intensive-care treatment for the most vulnerable. Please pray for the Italian people and especially for both those for whom the coronavirus can be fatal and those entrusted with their care. Being a citizen of the United States, I have been following the situation of the spread of the coronavirus in my homeland and know that those living in the United States are becoming more and more concerned to stop its spread, lest a situation like that in Italy be repeated at home.
The whole situation certainly disposes us to a profound sadness and also to fear. No one wants to contract the illness connected with the virus or to have anyone else contract it. We especially do not want our beloved elderly or others who are suffering in health to be put in danger of death through the spread of the virus. To fight the spread of the virus, we are all on a kind of forced spiritual retreat, confined to quarters and unable to show usual signs of affection to family and to friends. For those in quarantine, the isolation is clearly even more severe, not being able to have contact with anyone, not even at a distance.
If the illness itself associated with the virus were not enough to worry us, we cannot ignore the economic devastation which the spread of the virus has caused, with its grievous effects on individuals and families, and those who serve us in so many ways in our daily life. Of course, our thoughts cannot help but include the possibility of an even greater devastation of the population of our homelands and, indeed, of the world.
Certainly, we are right to learn about and employ all of the natural means to defend ourselves against the contagion. It is a fundamental act of charity to use every prudent means to avoid contracting or spreading the coronavirus. The natural means of preventing the spread of the virus must, however, respect what we need to live, for example, access to food, water and medicine. The State, for instance, in its imposition of ever greater restrictions on the movement of individuals, provides that individuals can visit the supermarket and the pharmacy, with the observance of the precautions of social distancing and of use of disinfectants on the part of all involved.
In considering what is needed to live, we must not forget that our first consideration is our relationship with God. We recall the words of Our Lord in the Gospel according to John: “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we come to him and make our home with him” (14, 23). Christ is the Lord of nature and of history. He is not distant and disinterested in us and the world. He has promised us: “I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28, 20). In combatting the evil of the coronavirus, our most effective weapon is, therefore, our relationship with Christ through prayer and penance, and devotions and sacred worship. We turn to Christ to deliver us from pestilence and from all harm, and He never fails to respond with pure and selfless love. That is why it is essential for us, at all times and above all in times of crisis, to have access to our churches and chapels, to the Sacraments, and to public devotions and prayers.
Just as we are able to purchase food and medicine, while taking care not to spread the coronavirus in the process, so also we must be able to pray in our churches and chapels, receive the Sacraments, and engage in acts of public prayer and devotion, so that we know God’s closeness to us and remain close to Him, fittingly calling upon His help. Without the help of God, we are indeed lost. Historically, in times of pestilence, the faithful gathered in fervent prayer and took part in processions. In fact, in the Roman Missal, promulgated by Pope Saint John XXIII in 1962, there are special texts for the Holy Mass to be offered in times of pestilence, the Votive Mass for the Deliverance from Death in Time of Pestilence (Missae Votivae ad Diversa, n. 23). Likewise, in the traditional Litany of the Saints, we pray: “From plague, famine, and war, O Lord, deliver us.”
Oftentimes, when we find ourselves in great suffering and even facing death, we ask: “Where is God?” But the real question is: “Where are we?” In other words, God is assuredly with us to help us and save us, especially at the time of severe trial or death, but we are too often far from Him because of our failure to acknowledge our total dependence upon Him and, therefore, to pray daily to Him and to offer Him our worship.
In these days, I have heard from so many devout Catholics who are deeply saddened and discouraged not to be able to pray and worship in their churches and chapels. They understand the need to observe social distance and to follow the other precautions, and they will follow these prudent practices, which they can easily enough do in their places of worship. But, often enough, they have to accept the profound suffering of having their churches and chapels closed, and of not having access to Confession and the Most Holy Eucharist.
In the same light, a person of faith cannot consider the present calamity in which we find ourselves without considering also how distant our popular culture is from God. It is not only indifferent to His presence in our midst but openly rebellious toward Him and the good order with which He has created us and sustains us in being. We need only think of the commonplace violent attacks on human life, male and female, which God has made in His own image and likeness (Gn 1, 27), attacks on the innocent and defenseless unborn, and on those who have the first title to our care, those who are heavily burdened with serious illness, advanced years, or special needs. We are daily witnesses to the spread of violence in a culture which fails to respect human life.
Likewise, we need only to think of the pervasive attack upon the integrity of human sexuality, of our identity as man or woman, with the pretense of defining for ourselves, often employing violent means, a sexual identity other than that given to us by God. With ever greater concern, we witness the devastating effect on individuals and families of the so-called “gender theory.”
We witness, too, even within the Church, a paganism which worships nature and the earth. There are those within the Church who refer to the earth as our mother, as if we came from the earth, and the earth is our salvation. But we come from the hand of God, Creator of Heaven and Earth. In God alone we find salvation. We pray in the divinely-inspired words of the Psalmist: “[God] alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken” (Ps 62 [61], 6). We see how the life of faith itself has become increasingly secularized and thus has compromised the Lordship of Christ, God the Son Incarnate, King of Heaven and Earth. We witness so many other evils which derive from idolatry, from the worship of ourselves and our world, instead of worshiping God, the source of all being. We sadly see in ourselves the truth of Saint Paul’s inspired words regarding the “ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth”: “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever!” (Rom 1, 18. 25).
Many with whom I am in communication, reflecting upon the present worldwide health crisis with all of its attendant effects, have expressed to me the hope that it will lead us – as individuals and families, and as a society – to reform our lives, to turn to God Who is surely near to us and Who is immeasurable and unceasing in His mercy and love towards us. There is no question that great evils like pestilence are an effect of original sin and of our actual sins. God, in His justice, must repair the disorder which sin introduces into our lives and into our world. In fact, He fulfills the demands of justice by His superabundant mercy.
God has not left us in the chaos and death, which sin introduces into the world, but has sent His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer, die, rise from the dead and ascend in glory to His right hand, in order to remain with us always, purifying us of sin and inflaming us with His love. In His justice, God recognizes our sins and the need of their reparation, while, in His mercy He showers upon us the grace to repent and make reparation. The Prophet Jeremiah prayed: “We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness, the guilt of our fathers; that we have sinned against you,” but he immediately continued his prayer: “For your name’s sake spurn us not, disgrace not the throne of your glory; remember your covenant with us, and break it not” (Jer 14, 20-21).
God never turns His back on us; He will never break His covenant of faithful and enduring love with us, even though we are so frequently indifferent, cold and unfaithful. As the present suffering uncovers for us so much indifference, coldness and infidelity on our part, we are called to turn to God and to beg for His mercy. We are confident that He will hear us and bless us with His gifts of mercy, forgiveness and peace. We join our sufferings to the Passion and Death of Christ and thus, as Saint Paul says, “complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church” (Col 1, 24). Living in Christ, we know the truth of our Biblical prayer: “The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their refuge in the time of trouble” (Ps 37 [36], 39). In Christ, God has fully revealed to us the truth expressed in the prayer of the Psalmist: “Mercy and truth have met together; justice and peace have kissed” (Ps 85 [84], 10).
In our totally secularized culture, there is a tendency to view prayer, devotions and worship like any other activity, for example, going to the cinema or to a football game, which is not essential and therefore can be cancelled for the sake of taking every precaution to curb the spread of a deadly contagion. But prayer, devotions and worship, above all, Confession and the Holy Mass, are essential for us to remain healthy and strong spiritually, and for us to seek God’s help in a time of great danger for all. Therefore, we cannot simply accept the determinations of secular governments, which would treat the worship of God in the same manner as going to a restaurant or to an athletic contest. Otherwise, the people who already suffer so much from the results of the pestilence are deprived of those objective encounters with God Who is in our midst to restore health and peace.
We bishops and priests need to explain publicly the necessity of Catholics to pray and worship in their churches and chapels, and to go in procession through the streets and ways, asking God’s blessing upon His people who suffer so intensely. We need to insist that the regulations of the State, also for the good of the State, recognize the distinct importance of places of worship, especially in time of national and international crisis. In the past, in fact, governments have understood, above all, the importance of the faith, prayer and worship of the people to overcome a pestilence.
Even as we have found a way to provide for food and medicine and other necessities of life during a time of contagion, without irresponsibly risking the spread of the contagion, so, in a similar way, we can find a way to provide for the necessities of our spiritual life. We can provide more opportunities for the Holy Mass and devotions at which a number of faithful can participate without violating necessary precautions against the spread of contagion. Many of our churches and chapels are very large. They permit a group of the faithful to gather for prayer and worship without violating the requirements of “social distance.” The confessional with the traditional screen is usually equipped with or, if not, can be easily equipped with a thin veil which can be treated with disinfectant , so that access to the Sacrament of Confession is possible without great difficulty and without danger of transmitting the virus. If a church or chapel does not have a sufficiently large staff to be able to disinfect regularly the pews and other surfaces, I have no doubt that the faithful, in gratitude for the gifts of the Holy Eucharist, Confession, and of public devotion, will gladly assist.
Even if, for whatever reason, we are unable to have access to our churches and chapels, we must remember that our homes are an extension of our parish, a little Church into which we bring Christ from our encounter with Him in the bigger Church. Let our homes, during this time of crisis, reflect the truth that Christ is the guest of every Christian home. Let us turn to him through prayer, especially the Rosary, and other devotions. If the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, together with the image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is not already enthroned in our home, now would be the time to do so. The place of the image of the Sacred Heart is for us a little altar at home, at which we gather, conscious of Christ’s dwelling with us through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into our hearts, and place our often poor and sinful hearts into His glorious pierced Heart – always open to receive us, to heal us of our sins, and to fill us with divine love. If you desire to enthrone the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I commend to you the handbook, The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, available through the Marian Catechist Apostolate. It is also available in Polish and Slovak translations.
For those who cannot have access to the Holy Mass and Holy Communion, I commend the devout practice of Spiritual Communion. When we are rightly disposed to receive Holy Communion, that is, when we are in the state of grace, not conscious of any mortal sin which we have committed and for which we have not yet been forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance, and desire to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion but are unable to do so, we unite ourselves spiritually with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, praying to Our Eucharistic Lord in the words of Saint Alphonsus Liguori: “Since I am unable now to receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.” Spiritual Communion is a beautiful expression of love for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. It will not fail to bring to us abundant grace.
At the same time, when we are conscious of having committed a mortal sin and are unable to have access to the Sacrament of Penance or Confession, the Church invites us to make an act of perfect contrition, that is, of sorrow for sin, which “arises from a love by which God is loved above all else.”. An act of perfect contrition “obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1452). An act of perfect contrition disposes our soul for Spiritual Communion.
In the end, faith and reason, as they always do, work together to provide for the just and right solution to a difficult challenge. We must use reason, inspired by faith, to find the correct manner in which to deal with a deadly pandemic. That manner must give priority to prayer, devotion and worship, to the invocation of God’s mercy upon His people who suffer so much and are in danger of death. Made in God’s own image and likeness, we enjoy the gifts of intellect and free will. Using these God-given gifts, united to the also God-given gifts of Faith, Hope and Love, we will find our way in the present time of worldwide trial which is the cause of so much sadness and fear.
We can count upon the help and intercession of the great host of our heavenly friends, to whom we are intimately united in the Communion of Saints. The Virgin Mother of God, the holy Archangels and Guardian Angels, Saint Joseph, True Spouse of the Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church, Saint Roch whom we invoke in times of epidemic, and the other saints and blessed to whom we regularly turn in prayer are at our side. They guide us and constantly assure us that God will never fail to hear our prayer; He will respond with His immeasurable and unceasing mercy and love.
Dear friends, I offer these few reflections to you, deeply conscious of how much you are suffering because of the pandemic coronavirus. It is my hope that the reflections may be of help to you. Above all, I hope that they will inspire you to turn to God in prayer and worship, each according to his or her possibilities, and thus experience His healing and peace. With the reflections comes the assurance of my daily remembrance of your intentions in my prayer and penance, especially in the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
I ask you please to remember me in your daily prayers.
I remain yours in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and in the Purest Heart of Saint Joseph,
Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke
21 March 2020
Feast of Saint Benedict, Abbot


lifesitenews--2020-03-23--Young man who threw Pachamama in Tiber releases statement: “God demands sacrifices from us”

Alexander Tschugguel is on the way to recovery and asks us all to accept this cross of the virus .
Alexander Tschugguel , the young man who became internationally known after having removed several Pachamama statues from a Catholic church in Rome and threw them into the Tiber River , is recovering in the hospital from the illness caused by the coronavirus .
He now calls upon us to accept the sacrifices that come with the virus , “ for all the bad things in the world ... in the Church.
” “ The virus strikes much harder than expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he says .
As LifeSiteNews reported , Tschugguel had been hospitalized on March 17 after contracting the coronavirus , suffering severely from it .
Hundreds and thousands of people across the world prayed for his recovery .
On March 21 , Tschugguel posted a tweet in which he indicated that he is finally feeling a little bit better , after two weeks into the illness .
“ So right now it ‘ s day 14 of me having # corona , ” Alexander Tschugguel wrote .
“ My lungs are still very weak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too .
Christ shows us here many possibilities of carrying our cross .
Let us use this opportunity .
Pray your # rosary daily and ask the Lord how to serve him best in these times.
” Today , Alexander asked LifeSite to share with our readers his message , in which he stresses the seriousness of this new virus and in which he asks us to accept it as a suffering willed by God for the sins of the world and of the Church .
Please see here his full statement : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prayers and encouragement during the last days .
I am now in the 15th day of my illness and slowly on the way to recovery .
The virus strikes much harder than expected and hits all age groups .
Now we have to learn to deal with it , which means to understand that God demands sacrifices from us .
He demands more from us this Lent than we are used to .
We have to be very reserved , renounce many things and repent for all the bad things in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have happened in the Church .
God in His abundant providence has imposed these restrictions upon us and we must see them as a cross to bear , especially for all those who are fatally ill with the virus , for all those families that are torn apart , for all aborted children , for the destruction of our homelands .
For all this suffering we must now sacrifice our freedom , our prosperity and the lives we ’ re accustomed to living .
Let us do this together as believers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ never abandon us .
As soon as I am healthy again , I will make a video and tell you how this virus feels and what it does to you .
I send you all my heartfelt greetings and wish you

Alexander Tschugguel is on the way to recovery and asks us all to accept this cross of the virus.
PRAYER PLEDGE: Rally around the daily Rosary to stop the coronavirus Sign the petition here.
March 22, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Alexander Tschugguel is on the way to recovery and asks us all to accept this cross of the virus.
Tschugguel, the young man who became internationally known after having removed several Pachamama statues from a Catholic church in Rome and threw them into the Tiber River, is recovering in the hospital from the illness caused by the coronavirus. He now calls upon us to accept the sacrifices that come with the virus, “for all the bad things in the world…in the Church.”
“The virus strikes much harder than expected and hits all age groups,” he says.
As LifeSiteNews reported, Tschugguel had been hospitalized on March 17 after contracting the coronavirus, suffering severely from it. Hundreds and thousands of people across the world prayed for his recovery.
On March 21, Tschugguel posted a tweet in which he indicated that he is finally feeling a little bit better, after two weeks into the illness.
“So right now it‘s day 14 of me having #corona,” Alexander Tschugguel wrote.
“My lungs are still very weak and the rest of the body is too. Christ shows us here many possibilities of carrying our cross. Let us use this opportunity. Pray your #rosary daily and ask the Lord how to serve him best in these times.”
Today, Alexander asked LifeSite to share with our readers his message, in which he stresses the seriousness of this new virus and in which he asks us to accept it as a suffering willed by God for the sins of the world and of the Church.
Please see here his full statement:
Dear friends and supporters,
Thank you very much for all your prayers and encouragement during the last days. I am now in the 15th day of my illness and slowly on the way to recovery. The virus strikes much harder than expected and hits all age groups. Now we have to learn to deal with it, which means to understand that God demands sacrifices from us. He demands more from us this Lent than we are used to. We have to be very reserved, renounce many things and repent for all the bad things in the world and especially for all the bad things that have happened in the Church.
God in His abundant providence has imposed these restrictions upon us and we must see them as a cross to bear, especially for all those who are fatally ill with the virus, for all those families that are torn apart, for all aborted children, for the destruction of our homelands. For all this suffering we must now sacrifice our freedom, our prosperity and the lives we’re accustomed to living.
Let us do this together as believers. We can rest assured that God will never abandon us. As soon as I am healthy again, I will make a video and tell you how this virus feels and what it does to you. I send you all my heartfelt greetings and wish you
God's blessing,
Alexander Tschugguel
Follow Maike Dr. Maike Hickson was born and raised in Germany. She holds a PhD from the University of Hannover, Germany, after having written in Switzerland her doctoral dissertation on the history of Swiss intellectuals before and during World War II. She now lives in the U.S. and is married to Dr. Robert Hickson, and they have been blessed with two beautiful children. She is a happy housewife who likes to write articles when time permits. Dr. Hickson published in 2014 a Festschrift, a collection of some thirty essays written by thoughtful authors in honor of her husband upon his 70th birthday, which is entitled A Catholic Witness in Our Time. Hickson has closely followed the papacy of Pope Francis and the developments in the Catholic Church in Germany, and she has been writing articles on religion and politics for U.S. and European publications and websites such as LifeSiteNews, OnePeterFive, The Wanderer, Rorate Caeli, Catholicism.org, Catholic Family News, Christian Order, Notizie Pro-Vita, Corrispondenza Romana, Katholisches.info, Der Dreizehnte, Zeit-Fragen, and Westfalen-Blatt.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-22--Travel papers, social gatherings reporting system: Here’s the latest coronavirus news

LifeSite ’ s live coronavirus updates from March 13 to 19 are HERE .
March 22 , 2020 , 7:37 p.m. EST : Senator Rand Paul ( R-KY ) is the first U.S. senator to test positive for the coronavirus .
Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein , who was recently sentenced to 23 years for sexual assault and rape , also has the coronavirus .
A March 17 article from the New York Daily News says that New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority employees have been given letters authorizing them to travel .
These letters can be shown to law enforcement , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that most citizens are restricted from traveling .
LifeSiteNews is unaware of any Catholic diocese in the United States that offered public Masses this weekend .
March 21 , 2020 , 6:46 p.m. EST : The first person known to have died of the coronavirus in Washington , D.C. is a Franciscan friar , Br .
John-Sebastian Laird-Hammond , OFM .
He lived at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land , a popular Catholic pilgrimage site in the nation ’ s capital , just a short distance from the Basilica of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He was 59 and had been suffering from leukemia .
Today , nearly one billion people – roughly one seventh of the world ’ s population – were confined at home , AFP News reported .
The coronavirus pandemic took an increasingly bleak toll Saturday in the U.S. and Europe , producing staggering caseloads in New York and Italy and setting off a desperate scramble to set up thousands of additional hospital beds as the disease notched another grim advance .
Italy , at the heart of Europe ’ s rampaging outbreak , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new cases — its biggest day-to-day increase yet .
In New York , state officials sought out desperately needed medical supplies and hospital beds as confirmed coronavirus cases soared above 10,000 statewide , with 56 deaths .
“ Everything that can be done is being done , ” New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said , adding , “ We are literally scouring the globe looking for medical supplies.
” Across the world , streets , squares and highways in major cities were deserted as curfews and lockdowns multiplied to try to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. , New Jersey and St. Louis were added to a growing list of areas where residents were ordered to stay home .
Health care workers from Oklahoma City to Minneapolis sought donations of protective equipment .
Staff at a Detroit hospital began creating homemade face masks for workers .
Even rural hospitals were strained as people increasingly felt the pandemic closing in .
March 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The coronavirus crisis continues to rage around the world .
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a “ statewide order ” forcing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Golden State to stay at home and only leave for essential or medical business .
It is in effect until further notice .
The left-wing governor told his constituents , “ You can still take your kids outside , practicing common sense and social distancing .
You can still walk your dog.
” Similar measures are being undertaken in England .
The Guardian reports : Cardinal Robert Sarah , Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship , has declared that Easter Masses “ can not be transferred to another time , ” because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mass , usually celebrated on the Tuesday of Holy Week , may , however , be postponed by bishops to a later date .
Expressions of popular piety and processions common to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum may also take place later in the year , depending on the judgement of local ordinaries .
The cardinal suggested September 14 and 15 .
All public Masses in New Zealand are cancelled .
Communist China ’ s relationship with the pro-abortion World Health Organization is under scrutiny .
A London hospital declared a critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelmed with coronavirus patients .
Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow , part of the London North West University Healthcare Trust , sent a message to staff on Thursday night warning that it had run out of critical-care space .
The hospital said it called on neighbouring hospitals for help to take on additional patients .
The incident was stood down after 24 hours .
Six patients who have died at the hospital tested positive for the coronavirus infection .
It comes as the NHS rushes to find an extra 30,000 bed spaces in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an expected surge in coronavirus cases over the coming weeks .
Bishop Athanasius Schneider , one of the world ’ s foremost defenders of Catholic orthodoxy , has written a scathing examination of the situation in which Catholics around the world have found themselves , comparing it to life in the Soviet Union and Rome in the first centuries .
Millions of Catholics in the so-called free Western world will , in the coming weeks or even months , and especially during Holy Week and Easter , the culmination of the entire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public acts of worship due to both civic and ecclesiastical reaction to the outbreak of Coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) .
The most painful and distressing of these is the deprivation of Holy Mass and sacramental Holy Communion .
The current atmosphere of an almost planetary panic is continuously fueled by the universally proclaimed “ dogma ” of the new coronavirus pandemic .
The drastic and disproportionate security measures with the denial of fundamental human rights of freedom of movement , freedom of assembly , and freedom of opinion appear almost globally orchestrated along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire human race becomes a kind of prisoner of a world “ sanitary dictatorship , ” which for its part also reveals itself as a political dictatorship .
An important side-effect of this new “ sanitary dictatorship ” that is spreading throughout the world is the growing and uncompromising ban on all forms of public worship .
Beginning on March 16 , 2020 , the German government issued a ban on all forms of public religious gatherings for all religions .
Such a drastic measure of strict prohibition of all forms of public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reich .
St. Andrew Apostle , a parish in the Archdiocese of Washington , hosted “ drive-in Eucharistic Adoration ” with a five-foot monstrance and 150 cars in its parking lot .
One complaint of some Catholics in the Washington , D.C. area and the neighboring Diocese of Arlington is the lack of information about which parishes still have Confession or Adoration and when special events like this take place .
Dane County , Wisconsin , home to the left-wing stronghold of Madison , has just launched an online tool for the express @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who gather in groups of 10 or more .
Senators Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) , Dianne Feinstein ( D-CA ) , Richard Burr ( R-NC ) , and James Inhofe ( R-OK ) all dumped millions of dollars of stocks after being briefed on the coronavirus , it has been revealed .
Loeffler ’ s husband is the Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange .
Scientists are claiming that the Trump administration ’ s ban on research using aborted fetal tissue is blocking coronavirus treatment research .
Army Times reports that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to rapidly increase ” and “ could be used for law enforcement.
” Pope Francis has granted special indulgences to coronavirus sufferers , the details of which can be read here .
A Texas abortionist is self-quarantining himself and worried fewer babies will be killed because of it .
Monaco ’ s Prince Albert II has the coronavirus , as does Catholic University of America president John Garvey .
Finally , I ’ ve written a blog post about nine pro-life things you can do while stuck at home because of the @ @

Live updates on the coronavirus and how it relates to pro-life issues, faith, and freedom.
LifeSite’s previous (and future) live updates on the coronavirus crisis and how it relates to issues our readers care about can be viewed HERE.
March 23, 2020, 6:00 p.m. EST: Texas has become the latest state to stop abortions due to the coronavirus crisis, deeming them not medically necessary.
Here is more information about the lockdown of Great Britain from LifeSite’s Dorothy Cummings McLean, who is based in Scotland.
The Catholic bishops of Portugal are going to consecrate their country to Jesus and Mary on March 25 (the Feast of the Annunication) at Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima and are inviting other prelates to do the same.
“Any other country can also join the initiative, simply by a request from its bishops’ conference to the bishops’ conference of Portugal,” ACI Digital/CNA reported.
Don Giuseppe Berardelli, 72-year-old priest from Casnigo (Bergamo), has died from coronavirus covid-19, he declined a ventilator, so that it go to someone younger, someone he didn't even know. A heroic and saintly act, may he rest in peace.https://t.co/fq34kUxB9p pic.twitter.com/ZdJe7NZd29 — Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) March 23, 2020
March 23, 2020, 4:54 p.m. EST: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has put Great Britain on a national lockdown. “Gatherings with more than two people in public, excluding people you live with, will be stopped, as will weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies,” a London news report explained. Funerals are the exception to that.
A LifeSite article with more details is forthcoming.
March 23, 2020, 3:10 p.m. EST: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has just announced a national lockdown for 21 days. 56 million people live in South Africa. All businesses will be closed from midnight of Thursday, March, 26 through midnight of April 16.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are being postponed.
Ontario is shutting down all “non-essential” businesses for two weeks.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has ordered all schools, public and private, to remain closed for “at least” the rest of the academic year. He is also ordering a number of businesses to be closed.
“I want to be clear, essential businesses will remain open,” he insisted. “These are things like grocery stores, pharmacies, and banks. You will still be able to buy food and necessary supplies for you and your family. Restaurants can remain open for carryout, curbside, and delivery service only.”
“I also want to be clear about the expectations for essential businesses that remain open. Social distancing matters everywhere. So essential businesses that remain open have a responsibility to adhere to social distancing recommendations. You need to step up sanitizing practices on common surfaces,” Northam admonished.
March 23, 2020, 1:23 p.m. EST: Archbishop Gregory Michael Aymond of New Orleans has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Baltimore Sun reports:
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Monday he was ordering closed all non-essential businesses in the state, including retail stores that had been allowed to remain open. Hogan said the additional step was necessary to “slow the spread of COVID-19 in Maryland.” The order, which takes effect at 5 p.m. today, does not include essential or critical industries as defined by the federal government: health care, law enforcement, emergency workers, food, energy, water, transportation, public works, communications, government, critical manufacturing, financial services, chemicals and defense. Restaurant carry-outs, liquor stores and daycare centers are among the businesses that can remain open. Big box stores will remain open, but Hogan said he has asked local law enforcement to help those retailers deal with crowd control. The tighter restrictions were imposed in part because Maryland residents, Hogan said, continue to flout social distancing guidelines and ignore a ban on mass gatherings of more than 10 people. “Let me repeat, once again as strongly as I possibly can: if you are engaged in this activity, you are breaking the law and you are literally endangering the lives of your family friends and fellow citizens,” Hogan said.
March 23, 2020, 1:13 p.m. EST: Michigan, Indiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Wisconsin have asked or are about to ask citizens to stay home unless they are going to the doctor, grocery store, or pharmacy.
Beginning at 11:59 p.m. tonight, Dallas County, Texas is under a “shelter-in-place” order from a judge.
March 22, 2020, 7:37 p.m. EST: Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) is the first U.S. senator to test positive for the coronavirus.
Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, who was recently sentenced to 23 years for sexual assault and rape, also has the coronavirus.
A March 17 article from the New York Daily News says that New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority employees have been given letters authorizing them to travel. These letters can be shown to law enforcement, the article says, in the event that most citizens are restricted from traveling.
LifeSiteNews is unaware of any Catholic diocese in the United States that offered public Masses this weekend.
March 21, 2020, 6:46 p.m. EST: The first person known to have died of the coronavirus in Washington, D.C. is a Franciscan friar, Br. John-Sebastian Laird-Hammond, OFM. He lived at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land, a popular Catholic pilgrimage site in the nation’s capital, just a short distance from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. He was 59 and had been suffering from leukemia.
Today, nearly one billion people – roughly one seventh of the world’s population – were confined at home, AFP News reported.
The Associated Press reported:
The coronavirus pandemic took an increasingly bleak toll Saturday in the U.S. and Europe, producing staggering caseloads in New York and Italy and setting off a desperate scramble to set up thousands of additional hospital beds as the disease notched another grim advance. Italy, at the heart of Europe’s rampaging outbreak, announced nearly 800 new deaths and 6,600 new cases — its biggest day-to-day increase yet. In New York, state officials sought out desperately needed medical supplies and hospital beds as confirmed coronavirus cases soared above 10,000 statewide, with 56 deaths. “Everything that can be done is being done,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, adding, “We are literally scouring the globe looking for medical supplies.” Across the world, streets, squares and highways in major cities were deserted as curfews and lockdowns multiplied to try to stop the spread of COVID-19. In the U.S., New Jersey and St. Louis were added to a growing list of areas where residents were ordered to stay home. Health care workers from Oklahoma City to Minneapolis sought donations of protective equipment. Staff at a Detroit hospital began creating homemade face masks for workers. Even rural hospitals were strained as people increasingly felt the pandemic closing in.
March 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The coronavirus crisis continues to rage around the world.
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a “statewide order” forcing the nearly 40 million people in the Golden State to stay at home and only leave for essential or medical business. It is in effect until further notice. The left-wing governor told his constituents, “You can still take your kids outside, practicing common sense and social distancing. You can still walk your dog.”
Similar measures are being undertaken in England. The Guardian reports:
Boris Johnson took the extraordinary step of ordering pubs, clubs and restaurants across the UK to close on Friday, and announced an unprecedented wage-support scheme to try to prevent a consequent tsunami of job losses. Announcing the decision in the fight against the coronavirus, the prime minister said he realised that it went against what he called “the inalienable free-born right of people born in England to go to the pub”.
Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, has declared that Easter Masses “cannot be transferred to another time,” because of the coronavirus. The annual Chrism Mass, usually celebrated on the Tuesday of Holy Week, may, however, be postponed by bishops to a later date. Expressions of popular piety and processions common to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum may also take place later in the year, depending on the judgement of local ordinaries. The cardinal suggested September 14 and 15.
All public Masses in New Zealand are cancelled.
Communist China’s relationship with the pro-abortion World Health Organization is under scrutiny.
The Independent reports:
A London hospital declared a critical incident after its intensive care unit was overwhelmed with coronavirus patients. Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, part of the London North West University Healthcare Trust, sent a message to staff on Thursday night warning that it had run out of critical-care space. The hospital said it called on neighbouring hospitals for help to take on additional patients. The incident was stood down after 24 hours. Six patients who have died at the hospital tested positive for the coronavirus infection. It comes as the NHS rushes to find an extra 30,000 bed spaces in order to establish makeshift intensive-care units ahead of an expected surge in coronavirus cases over the coming weeks.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider, one of the world’s foremost defenders of Catholic orthodoxy, has written a scathing examination of the situation in which Catholics around the world have found themselves, comparing it to life in the Soviet Union and Rome in the first centuries.
Schneider writes:
Millions of Catholics in the so-called free Western world will, in the coming weeks or even months, and especially during Holy Week and Easter, the culmination of the entire liturgical year, be deprived of any public acts of worship due to both civic and ecclesiastical reaction to the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19). The most painful and distressing of these is the deprivation of Holy Mass and sacramental Holy Communion. The current atmosphere of an almost planetary panic is continuously fueled by the universally proclaimed “dogma” of the new coronavirus pandemic. The drastic and disproportionate security measures with the denial of fundamental human rights of freedom of movement, freedom of assembly, and freedom of opinion appear almost globally orchestrated along a precise plan. Thus, the entire human race becomes a kind of prisoner of a world “sanitary dictatorship,” which for its part also reveals itself as a political dictatorship. An important side-effect of this new “sanitary dictatorship” that is spreading throughout the world is the growing and uncompromising ban on all forms of public worship. Beginning on March 16, 2020, the German government issued a ban on all forms of public religious gatherings for all religions. Such a drastic measure of strict prohibition of all forms of public worship was unimaginable even during the Third Reich.
St. Andrew Apostle, a parish in the Archdiocese of Washington, hosted “drive-in Eucharistic Adoration” with a five-foot monstrance and 150 cars in its parking lot. One complaint of some Catholics in the Washington, D.C. area and the neighboring Diocese of Arlington is the lack of information about which parishes still have Confession or Adoration and when special events like this take place.
Dane County, Wisconsin, home to the left-wing stronghold of Madison, has just launched an online tool for the express purpose of reporting to the authorities citizens who gather in groups of 10 or more.
Senators Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Richard Burr (R-NC), and James Inhofe (R-OK) all dumped millions of dollars of stocks after being briefed on the coronavirus, it has been revealed. Loeffler’s husband is the Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.
Scientists are claiming that the Trump administration’s ban on research using aborted fetal tissue is blocking coronavirus treatment research.
Army Times reports that National Guard “activations [are] expected to rapidly increase” and “could be used for law enforcement.”
Pope Francis has granted special indulgences to coronavirus sufferers, the details of which can be read here.
A Texas abortionist is self-quarantining himself and worried fewer babies will be killed because of it.
Monaco’s Prince Albert II has the coronavirus, as does Catholic University of America president John Garvey.
Finally, I’ve written a blog post about nine pro-life things you can do while stuck at home because of the coronavirus.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-03-23--Pope asks Christians worldwide to pray ‘Our Father’ on March 25 in response to coronavirus

VATICAN CITY , March 23 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― Pope Francis has announced two extraordinary spiritual events to help the world as it struggles with the coronavirus : a universal prayer and a special blessing .
After the Angelus on Sunday , which the pontiff prayed from within the library of the Apostolic Palace and was broadcast live , Pope Francis asked Christians around the world to pray the Lord ’ s Prayer simultaneously on March 25 , the feast of the Annunciation .
“ In these trying days , while humanity trembles due to the threat of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propose to all Christians that together we lift our voices towards heaven , ” Francis said .
“ I invite all the heads of the churches and the leaders of every Christian community , together with all Christian of the various confessions , to invoke the Almighty , the omnipotent God , to recite at the same time the prayer that Jesus , our Lord , taught us , ” he continued .
“ I , therefore , invite everyone to do this several times a day , but all together , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 25 March , at noon ( Rome time ) , all together .
On that day on which many Christians recall the annunciation to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation of the Word , may the Lord listen to the united prayer of all of His disciples who are preparing themselves to celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ.
” Rome is on Central European Standard Time , which is five hours before Eastern Daylight Time ( EDT ) and six hours before Central Daylight Time ( CDT ) .
Thus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7 a.m. in Toronto and New York , and 6 a.m. in Chicago .
The Argentinian pontiff also announced that he would offer the papal “ Urbi et Orbi ” blessing during a prayer service on March 27 , and that participating in the blessing through the media would , in part , confer a plenary indulgence .
“ With this same intention , this coming Friday , 27 March , at 6 p.m. , I will preside over a moment of prayer on the sagrata of St. Peter ’ s Basilica , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I invite everyone to participate spiritually through the means of communication , ” he continued .
“ We will listen to the Word of God , we will lift up our supplication , we will adore the Blessed Sacrament , with which at the end , I will give the Urbi et Orbi blessing , to which will be connected the possibility of receiving the plenary indulgence.
” The Urbi et Orbi ( “ to the City ( of Rome ) and to the World ” ) blessing is normally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Vatican News , Matteo Bruni , director of the Holy See Press Office , confirmed that Friday ’ s prayer service will be broadcast live from the Vatican , beginning at 6 p.m. Rome time ( 1 p.m. EDT , 12 p.m. CDT ) .
Bruni noted that the plenary indulgence attached to the Urbi et Orbi blessing “ is subject to the conditions foreseen by the recent Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary .
”

Two days later, on March 27, he will grant a plenary indulgence through his 'Urbi et Orbi' blessing.
PRAYER PLEDGE: Rally around the daily Rosary to stop the coronavirus Sign the petition here.
VATICAN CITY, March 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― Pope Francis has announced two extraordinary spiritual events to help the world as it struggles with the coronavirus: a universal prayer and a special blessing.
After the Angelus on Sunday, which the pontiff prayed from within the library of the Apostolic Palace and was broadcast live, Pope Francis asked Christians around the world to pray the Lord’s Prayer simultaneously on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation.
“In these trying days, while humanity trembles due to the threat of the pandemic, I would like to propose to all Christians that together we lift our voices towards heaven,” Francis said.
“I invite all the heads of the churches and the leaders of every Christian community, together with all Christian of the various confessions, to invoke the Almighty, the omnipotent God, to recite at the same time the prayer that Jesus, our Lord, taught us,” he continued.
“I, therefore, invite everyone to do this several times a day, but all together, to recite the Our Father this coming Wednesday, 25 March, at noon (Rome time), all together. On that day on which many Christians recall the annunciation to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation of the Word, may the Lord listen to the united prayer of all of His disciples who are preparing themselves to celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ.”
Rome is on Central European Standard Time, which is five hours before Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and six hours before Central Daylight Time (CDT). Thus, the simultaneous prayer will take place at 7 a.m. in Toronto and New York, and 6 a.m. in Chicago.
The Argentinian pontiff also announced that he would offer the papal “Urbi et Orbi” blessing during a prayer service on March 27, and that participating in the blessing through the media would, in part, confer a plenary indulgence.
“With this same intention, this coming Friday, 27 March, at 6 p.m., I will preside over a moment of prayer on the sagrata of St. Peter’s Basilica, before the empty square,” Francis said.
“I invite everyone to participate spiritually through the means of communication,” he continued.
“We will listen to the Word of God, we will lift up our supplication, we will adore the Blessed Sacrament, with which at the end, I will give the Urbi et Orbi blessing, to which will be connected the possibility of receiving the plenary indulgence.”
The Urbi et Orbi (“to the City (of Rome) and to the World”) blessing is normally reserved for Christmas and Easter.
According to Vatican News, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, confirmed that Friday’s prayer service will be broadcast live from the Vatican, beginning at 6 p.m. Rome time (1 p.m. EDT, 12 p.m. CDT). Bruni noted that the plenary indulgence attached to the Urbi et Orbi blessing “is subject to the conditions foreseen by the recent Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary.”
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lifesitenews--2020-03-23--British public placed under strict lockdown: ‘You must stay at home’

LONDON , England , March 23 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― People in Britain are to be confined to their houses except for a slim number of reasons , Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced today .
“ You must stay at home , ” Boris Johnson told over 66 million people at 8:30 p.m. GMT tonight .
Johnson called the COVID-19 coronavirus “ the biggest threat this country has faced in decades ” and explained that no health service in the world could cope with large numbers of people all becoming ill at the same time .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease , ” the prime minister said .
Whereas the British public had merely been asked to stay home and practice “ social distancing ” to alleviate the coronavirus crisis , weekend crowds at beaches , public parks , and tourist sites showed that many Britons have been reluctant to make the sacrifice .
However , as of now , residents of Britain are confined to their homes , and police have been given the power to fine people who are in public without a good reason and to break up assemblies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ include shopping for food and medicine , going for one form of exercise a day , like “ a run , walk , or cycle , ” “ any medical need , to provide care or help a vulnerable person , ” and traveling to and from work – and only if this is absolutely necessary and the work can not be done from home .
“ That ’ s all – these are the only reasons you should leave your home , ” Johnson said .
“ You should not be meeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet , you should say ‘ no , ’ ” he continued .
“ You should not be meeting family members who do not live in your home .
You should not be going shopping except for essentials like food and medicine — and you should do this as little as you can .
And use food delivery services where you can.
” Eliminating temptations to gather , the British government has ordered all shops , restaurants , parks , gyms , and places of worship to close .
Gatherings of more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the same household are banned .
“ To ensure compliance with the government ’ s instruction to stay at home , we will immediately close all shops selling non-essential goods , including clothing and electronic stores and other premises including libraries , playgrounds and outdoor gyms , and places of worship , ” said Johnson .
“ We will stop all gatherings of more than two people in public – excluding people you live with , ” he continued .
“ And we ’ ll stop all social events , including weddings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excluding funerals.
” This strict quarantine will last for at least three weeks .
“ The way ahead is hard , ” Johnson conceded , “ ... and many lives will sadly be lost [ anyway ] .
” He insisted , however , that “ we will rise to this challenge .
”

Police have been given the power to fine people who are in public without a good reason and to break up assemblies.
LONDON, England, March 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― People in Britain are to be confined to their houses except for a slim number of reasons, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced today.
“You must stay at home,” Boris Johnson told over 66 million people at 8:30 p.m. GMT tonight.
Johnson called the COVID-19 coronavirus “the biggest threat this country has faced in decades” and explained that no health service in the world could cope with large numbers of people all becoming ill at the same time.
“It is vital to slow the spread of the disease,” the prime minister said.
Whereas the British public had merely been asked to stay home and practice “social distancing” to alleviate the coronavirus crisis, weekend crowds at beaches, public parks, and tourist sites showed that many Britons have been reluctant to make the sacrifice. However, as of now, residents of Britain are confined to their homes, and police have been given the power to fine people who are in public without a good reason and to break up assemblies.
The good reasons to be out include shopping for food and medicine, going for one form of exercise a day, like “a run, walk, or cycle,” “any medical need, to provide care or help a vulnerable person,” and traveling to and from work – and only if this is absolutely necessary and the work cannot be done from home.
“That’s all – these are the only reasons you should leave your home,” Johnson said.
“You should not be meeting friends. If your friends ask you to meet, you should say ‘no,’” he continued.
“You should not be meeting family members who do not live in your home. You should not be going shopping except for essentials like food and medicine — and you should do this as little as you can. And use food delivery services where you can.”
Eliminating temptations to gather, the British government has ordered all shops, restaurants, parks, gyms, and places of worship to close. Gatherings of more than two people who do not live in the same household are banned.
“To ensure compliance with the government’s instruction to stay at home, we will immediately close all shops selling non-essential goods, including clothing and electronic stores and other premises including libraries, playgrounds and outdoor gyms, and places of worship,” said Johnson.
“We will stop all gatherings of more than two people in public – excluding people you live with,” he continued.
“And we’ll stop all social events, including weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies, but excluding funerals.”
This strict quarantine will last for at least three weeks.
“The way ahead is hard,” Johnson conceded, “…and many lives will sadly be lost [anyway].”
He insisted, however, that “we will rise to this challenge.”
Developing…
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lifesitenews--2020-03-23--U.K. on lockdown, Olympics postponed: Here’s the latest coronavirus news

LifeSite ’ s live coronavirus updates from March 13 to 19 are HERE .
March 23 , 2020 , 6:00 p.m. EST : Texas has become the latest state to stop abortions due to the coronavirus crisis , deeming them not medically necessary .
Here is more information about the lockdown of Great Britain from LifeSite ’ s Dorothy Cummings McLean , who is based in Scotland .
The Catholic bishops of Portugal are going to consecrate their country to Jesus and Mary on March 25 ( the Feast of the Annunication ) at Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same .
“ Any other country can also join the initiative , simply by a request from its bishops ’ conference to the bishops ’ conference of Portugal , ” ACI Digital/CNA reported .
March 23 , 2020 , 4:54 p.m. EST : British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has put Great Britain on a national lockdown .
“ Gatherings with more than two people in public , excluding people you live with , will be stopped , as will weddings , baptisms and other ceremonies , ” a London news report explained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A LifeSite article with more details is forthcoming .
March 23 , 2020 , 3:10 p.m. EST : South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has just announced a national lockdown for 21 days .
56 million people live in South Africa .
All businesses will be closed from midnight of Thursday , March , 26 through midnight of April 16 .
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are being postponed .
Ontario is shutting down all “ non-essential ” businesses for two weeks .
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has ordered all schools , public and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least ” the rest of the academic year .
He is also ordering a number of businesses to be closed .
“ I want to be clear , essential businesses will remain open , ” he insisted .
“ These are things like grocery stores , pharmacies , and banks .
You will still be able to buy food and necessary supplies for you and your family .
Restaurants can remain open for carryout , curbside , and delivery service only.
” “ I also want to be clear about the expectations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social distancing matters everywhere .
So essential businesses that remain open have a responsibility to adhere to social distancing recommendations .
You need to step up sanitizing practices on common surfaces , ” Northam admonished .
March 23 , 2020 , 1:23 p.m. EST : Archbishop Gregory Michael Aymond of New Orleans has tested positive for the coronavirus .
March 23 , 2020 , 1:13 p.m. EST : Michigan , Indiana , Massachusetts , Ohio , and Wisconsin have asked or are about to ask citizens to stay home unless they are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or pharmacy .
Beginning at 11:59 p.m. tonight , Dallas County , Texas is under a “ shelter-in-place ” order from a judge .
March 22 , 2020 , 7:37 p.m. EST : Senator Rand Paul ( R-KY ) is the first U.S. senator to test positive for the coronavirus .
Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein , who was recently sentenced to 23 years for sexual assault and rape , also has the coronavirus .
A March 17 article from the New York Daily News says that New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority employees have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These letters can be shown to law enforcement , the article says , in the event that most citizens are restricted from traveling .
LifeSiteNews is unaware of any Catholic diocese in the United States that offered public Masses this weekend .
March 21 , 2020 , 6:46 p.m. EST : The first person known to have died of the coronavirus in Washington , D.C. is a Franciscan friar , Br .
John-Sebastian Laird-Hammond , OFM .
He lived at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land , a popular Catholic pilgrimage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , just a short distance from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception .
He was 59 and had been suffering from leukemia .
Today , nearly one billion people – roughly one seventh of the world ’ s population – were confined at home , AFP News reported .
The coronavirus pandemic took an increasingly bleak toll Saturday in the U.S. and Europe , producing staggering caseloads in New York and Italy and setting off a desperate scramble to set up thousands of additional hospital beds as the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the heart of Europe ’ s rampaging outbreak , announced nearly 800 new deaths and 6,600 new cases — its biggest day-to-day increase yet .
In New York , state officials sought out desperately needed medical supplies and hospital beds as confirmed coronavirus cases soared above 10,000 statewide , with 56 deaths .
“ Everything that can be done is being done , ” New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said , adding , “ We are literally scouring the globe looking for medical supplies.
” Across the world , streets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deserted as curfews and lockdowns multiplied to try to stop the spread of COVID-19 .
In the U.S. , New Jersey and St. Louis were added to a growing list of areas where residents were ordered to stay home .
Health care workers from Oklahoma City to Minneapolis sought donations of protective equipment .
Staff at a Detroit hospital began creating homemade face masks for workers .
Even rural hospitals were strained as people increasingly felt the pandemic closing in .
March 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The coronavirus crisis continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Governor Gavin Newsom issued a “ statewide order ” forcing the nearly 40 million people in the Golden State to stay at home and only leave for essential or medical business .
It is in effect until further notice .
The left-wing governor told his constituents , “ You can still take your kids outside , practicing common sense and social distancing .
You can still walk your dog.
” Similar measures are being undertaken in England .
The Guardian reports : Cardinal Robert Sarah , Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not be transferred to another time , ” because of the coronavirus .
The annual Chrism Mass , usually celebrated on the Tuesday of Holy Week , may , however , be postponed by bishops to a later date .
Expressions of popular piety and processions common to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum may also take place later in the year , depending on the judgement of local ordinaries .
The cardinal suggested September 14 and 15 .
All public Masses in New Zealand are cancelled .
Communist China ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is under scrutiny .
Bishop Athanasius Schneider , one of the world ’ s foremost defenders of Catholic orthodoxy , has written a scathing examination of the situation in which Catholics around the world have found themselves , comparing it to life in the Soviet Union and Rome in the first centuries .
St. Andrew Apostle , a parish in the Archdiocese of Washington , hosted “ drive-in Eucharistic Adoration ” with a five-foot monstrance and 150 cars in its parking lot .
One complaint of some Catholics in the Washington , D.C. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the lack of information about which parishes still have Confession or Adoration and when special events like this take place .
Dane County , Wisconsin , home to the left-wing stronghold of Madison , has just launched an online tool for the express purpose of reporting to the authorities citizens who gather in groups of 10 or more .
Senators Kelly Loeffler ( R-GA ) , Dianne Feinstein ( D-CA ) , Richard Burr ( R-NC ) , and James Inhofe ( R-OK ) all dumped millions of dollars of stocks after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been revealed .
Loeffler ’ s husband is the Chairman of the New York Stock Exchange .
Scientists are claiming that the Trump administration ’ s ban on research using aborted fetal tissue is blocking coronavirus treatment research .
Army Times reports that National Guard “ activations [ are ] expected to rapidly increase ” and “ could be used for law enforcement.
” Pope Francis has granted special indulgences to coronavirus sufferers , the details of which can be read here .
A Texas abortionist is self-quarantining himself and worried fewer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Monaco ’ s Prince Albert II has the coronavirus , as does Catholic University of America president John Garvey .
Finally , I ’ ve written a blog post about nine pro-life things you can do while stuck at home because of the coronavirus .


lifesitenews--2020-03-23--Amid virus scare, bishop stands at busy intersection, blesses passersby with Eucharist

TYLER , Texas , March 23 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – As Catholics throughout the western world have been cut off from the Sacraments and often find themselves locked out of their churches due to the coronavirus , Bishop Joseph Strickland stationed himself at the busiest intersection in his city , armed with the Blessed Sacrament held high .
Early in the day on Saturday , Strickland announced via Twitter , “ I plan to stand at the busiest intersection in our city this evening with a deacon , vested in a cope & bless the people of God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jesus Christ in His Blessed Sacrament .
I urge every priest to do the same in their city .
Bring the LORD to His people !
” Afterwards , Bishop Strickland posted a picture of the event accompanied by a prayer for the sick , that they might know that have been chosen to be united to Christ in his suffering for the salvation of the world : O God , who willed that our infirmities be borne by your Only Begotten Son to show the value of human suffering , listen in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sisters who are sick ; grant that all who are oppressed by pain , distress or other afflictions may know that they are chosen among those proclaimed blessed and are united to Christ in his suffering for the salvation of the world .
Through our Lord Jesus Christ , your Son , who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit , one God , for ever and ever .
“ We need dynamically orthodox , happy , faithful , manly , courageous Catholic Bishops like Bishop Joseph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tweeted Deacon Keith Fornier , who can be seen standing by the Strickland ’ s side .
“ Deacons , become what you are !
Rise up , ” encouraged Fournier .
“ Be Deacons 24/7.
” “ This is an American Catholic BISHOP .
We still have hope , ” declared Dr. Taylor Marshall .
“ Thank you Bishop Strickland , ” added Marshall .
“ He carries Jesus to the world.
” Stacy Trasancos , Executive Director of the St. Philip Institute , posted video of the Tyler Texas Bishop raising @ @ @ @ @ @ @

TYLER, Texas, March 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – As Catholics throughout the western world have been cut off from the Sacraments and often find themselves locked out of their churches due to the coronavirus, Bishop Joseph Strickland stationed himself at the busiest intersection in his city, armed with the Blessed Sacrament held high.
Early in the day on Saturday, Strickland announced via Twitter, “I plan to stand at the busiest intersection in our city this evening with a deacon, vested in a cope & bless the people of God with the Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in His Blessed Sacrament. I urge every priest to do the same in their city. Bring the LORD to His people!”
I plan to stand at the busiest intersection in our city this evening with a deacon, vested in a cope & bless the people of God with the Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in His Blessed Sacrament.I urge every priest to do the same in their city. Bring the LORD to His people! — Bishop J. Strickland (@Bishopoftyler) March 21, 2020
Afterwards, Bishop Strickland posted a picture of the event accompanied by a prayer for the sick, that they might know that have been chosen to be united to Christ in his suffering for the salvation of the world:
O God, who willed that our infirmities
be borne by your Only Begotten Son
to show the value of human suffering,
listen in kindness to our prayers
for our brothers and sisters who are sick;
grant that all who are oppressed by
pain, distress or other afflictions
may know that they are chosen
among those proclaimed blessed
and are united to Christ in his suffering
for the salvation of the world.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Bishops, priests, and deacons urged to follow Bishop Strickland’s boldness
“We need dynamically orthodox, happy, faithful, manly, courageous Catholic Bishops like Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas,” tweeted Deacon Keith Fornier, who can be seen standing by the Strickland’s side.
“Deacons, become what you are! Rise up,” encouraged Fournier. “Be Deacons 24/7.”
We need dynamically orthodox, happy, faithful, manly, courageous Catholic Bishops like Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas. I said yes to his invitation to move to Tyler, Texas. What a fortunate Deacon I am. Deacons, become what you are! Rise up. Be Deacons 24/7 https://t.co/mCmNBorARU — Deacon Keith Fournier (@KeithFournier7) March 22, 2020
“This is an American Catholic BISHOP. We still have hope,” declared Dr. Taylor Marshall.
“Thank you Bishop Strickland,” added Marshall. “He carries Jesus to the world.”
This is an American Catholic BISHOP. We still have hope. Thank you Bishop Strickland @Bishopoftyler He carries Jesus to the world. Retweet to appreciate His Excellency. pic.twitter.com/OOriJTFj5b — Dr Taylor Marshall �� (@TaylorRMarshall) March 22, 2020
Stacy Trasancos, Executive Director of the St. Philip Institute, posted video of the Tyler Texas Bishop raising a monstrance above the crowded intersection:
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