lifesitenews--2020-07-09--Ireland’s new children’s minister pushes to help minors ‘change gender’

DUBLIN , Ireland , July 8 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The Irish minister for children , disability , equality , and integration has said he supports proposals to make it easier for children in Ireland under the age of 16 to “ change their gender , ” after the government confirmed that it will introduce such laws for 16- and 17-year-olds .
The Irish government , which is currently a coalition between Fianna Fáil , Fine Gael , and the Green Party , released its Programme for Government last month , which pledged to “ [ r ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16 and 17 years to have two specialist reports before they can apply for legal gender recognition.
” The Programme for Government document , entitled “ Our Shared Future , ” also promises to “ deliver a framework for the development of National Gender Clinics and Multidisciplinary Teams for children and adults ” and to “ examine arrangements for children under 16.
” Roderic O ’ Gorman , the new minister for children , disability , equality , and integration , said earlier this week that experts had proposed making it easier for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ Right now , if they want to initiate a gender change , they have to get kind of high-level medical consultants to actually sign off on that .
Whereas the recommendation is to make that easier to allow a GP basically to sign off to say yes , ” O ’ Gorman said .
“ In an area like this , you should be led by expert advice , ” he added .
Irish journalist John McGuirk has pointed out that the so-called “ expert advice ” which O ’ Gorman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group made up of a number of trans activists .
“ There was one Doctor on the review group — and she is a doctor of law , not a doctor of medicine .
The review group did contain , however , four representatives from NGOs that advocate for trans rights , ” McGuirk writes .
“ How can this be said to be ‘ expert advice ’ ?
It is only expert if one is seeking experts in trans rights activism , and not expertise in children ’ s medicine or psychology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review panel did not contain one single psychologist , one single gender specialist , or one single GP .
There ’ s a lone nurse on it , but with respect to nurses , they ’ re not qualified in gender issues in children.
” O ’ Gorman has been the focus of scrutiny on social media in the past week after a picture of him emerged at a 2018 Dublin “ Pride ” parade with prominent U.K. LGBT activist Peter Tatchell .
A number of journalists and social media users wanted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ publicly that he condemns pedophila in light of Tatchell ’ s 1997 letter to The Guardian in which he said “ not all sex involving children is unwanted , abusive and harmful.
” Earlier this week , O ’ Gorman said the 2018 Dublin “ Pride ” parade was “ the first and only time ” he has met Tatchell .
“ I had no idea about the letter .
Had I read it straight before the march I probably would have re-considered [ taking a photo with him ] .
I absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those points , ” he said in a statement on Monday .
O ’ Gorman also published a statement on Twitter saying accusations against him are “ rooted in homophobia.
” A petition calling for O ’ Gorman to be removed from his position as children ’ s minister has been signed by more than 4,000 people .
The petition cites a 2017 tweet of O ’ Gorman ’ s that the petitioners say is of “ great concern.
” In the tweet , O ’ Gorman shares an image of a map @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2011 .
O ’ Gorman posted the words “ “ Mmmmm .
Map porn , ” along with the image .
A number of Twitter users highlighted that the word “ MAP ” is an acronym for “ Minor Attracted Person.
” O ’ Gorman has also responded to accusations that he supports Satanism after investigative journalist Gemma O ’ Doherty posted a screenshot of him retweeting a photo of an Irish actor who had recreated a Goya painting entitled “ Saturn Devouring His Son.
” “ It ’ s a painting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a well put together Halloween costume .
But now it ’ s being cited as an example that I support Satanism .
It ’ s gone to the ridiculous , ” O ’ Gorman said .
Social media users have also expressed concern about a 2016 tweet by O ’ Gorman where he appears to make a joke about masturbation .
“ Err check your tone .
Do n't you know I wank highly in Wome ?
!
” he wrote .
“ Time for Rodney to go !
Minister for Children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response in the past week .
July 9 .
2020 update : This article was updated with additional information about O ’ Gorman ’ s social media history .

'Right now,' Roderic O'Gorman complained, 'if they want to initiate a gender change, they have to get kind of high-level medical consultants.'
DUBLIN, Ireland, July 8, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The Irish minister for children, disability, equality, and integration has said he supports proposals to make it easier for children in Ireland under the age of 16 to “change their gender,” after the government confirmed that it will introduce such laws for 16- and 17-year-olds.
The Irish government, which is currently a coalition between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Green Party, released its Programme for Government last month, which pledged to “[r]emove the need for a person aged 16 and 17 years to have two specialist reports before they can apply for legal gender recognition.”
The Programme for Government document, entitled “Our Shared Future,” also promises to “deliver a framework for the development of National Gender Clinics and Multidisciplinary Teams for children and adults” and to “examine arrangements for children under 16.”
Roderic O’Gorman, the new minister for children, disability, equality, and integration, said earlier this week that experts had proposed making it easier for children under 16 to “change gender.”
“Right now, if they want to initiate a gender change, they have to get kind of high-level medical consultants to actually sign off on that. Whereas the recommendation is to make that easier to allow a GP basically to sign off to say yes,” O’Gorman said.
“In an area like this, you should be led by expert advice,” he added.
Irish journalist John McGuirk has pointed out that the so-called “expert advice” which O’Gorman referred to actually came from a review group made up of a number of trans activists.
“There was one Doctor on the review group — and she is a doctor of law, not a doctor of medicine. The review group did contain, however, four representatives from NGOs that advocate for trans rights,” McGuirk writes.
“How can this be said to be ‘expert advice’? It is only expert if one is seeking experts in trans rights activism, and not expertise in children’s medicine or psychology,” he continues.
“This review panel did not contain one single psychologist, one single gender specialist, or one single GP. There’s a lone nurse on it, but with respect to nurses, they’re not qualified in gender issues in children.”
O’Gorman has been the focus of scrutiny on social media in the past week after a picture of him emerged at a 2018 Dublin “Pride” parade with prominent U.K. LGBT activist Peter Tatchell.
A number of journalists and social media users wanted the new children’s minister to state publicly that he condemns pedophila in light of Tatchell’s 1997 letter to The Guardian in which he said “not all sex involving children is unwanted, abusive and harmful.”
Earlier this week, O’Gorman said the 2018 Dublin “Pride” parade was “the first and only time” he has met Tatchell.
“I had no idea about the letter. Had I read it straight before the march I probably would have re-considered [taking a photo with him]. I absolutely don’t share his views on those points,” he said in a statement on Monday.
O’Gorman also published a statement on Twitter saying accusations against him are “rooted in homophobia.”
A small group of people with a very clear agenda have been making allegations about me on social media over the last few days. I’m taking this opportunity to set the record straight. pic.twitter.com/AKKLkauYvg — Roderic O’Gorman TD (@rodericogorman) July 6, 2020
A petition calling for O’Gorman to be removed from his position as children’s minister has been signed by more than 4,000 people.
The petition cites a 2017 tweet of O’Gorman’s that the petitioners say is of “great concern.” In the tweet, O’Gorman shares an image of a map of Ireland with colours displaying commuter trends in 2011. O’Gorman posted the words ““Mmmmm. Map porn,” along with the image. A number of Twitter users highlighted that the word “MAP” is an acronym for “Minor Attracted Person.”
O’Gorman has also responded to accusations that he supports Satanism after investigative journalist Gemma O’Doherty posted a screenshot of him retweeting a photo of an Irish actor who had recreated a Goya painting entitled “Saturn Devouring His Son.”
“It’s a painting of a famous Greek legend and I like a well put together Halloween costume. But now it’s being cited as an example that I support Satanism. It’s gone to the ridiculous,” O’Gorman said.
Social media users have also expressed concern about a 2016 tweet by O’Gorman where he appears to make a joke about masturbation.
“Err check your tone. Don't you know I wank highly in Wome?!” he wrote.
@Kony_2016_ @angpolitical @SamuelJPElliott @anbealach @AndrewSB49 Err check your tone. Don't you know I wank highly in Wome?! — Roderic O’Gorman TD (@rodericogorman) April 18, 2016
“Time for Rodney to go! Minister for Children?” one Twitter user wrote in response in the past week.
July 9. 2020 update: This article was updated with additional information about O’Gorman’s social media history.
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lifesitenews--2020-07-11--Twitter alternative Parler soars as conservatives flock to new social network

July 10 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — As relations between Twitter and its conservative users continue to deteriorate , a new conservative-friendly alternative is gaining steam with its stated devotion to true freedom of speech .
Founded by John Matze and Jared Thomson , Parler bills itself as a “ non-biased free speech driven entity that “ accepts your right to express your thoughts , opinions and ideals online.
” Whereas Twitter and Facebook have steadily adopted and expanded roles as adjudicators of “ productive ” versus “ hateful ” or “ misleading ” speech , Parler says it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their social experience .
Users can be responsible to engage content as they see fit.
” The platform was launched in 2018 but didn ’ t hit it big until this summer .
In the wake of Twitter taking the unprecedented step last month of flagging tweets by President Donald Trump as deceptive and threatening , a steady flow of prominent conservative pundits , politicians , and publications — including Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) , Trump 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale , and LifeSiteNews — announced the creation of Parler accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook and Twitter .
On July 27 , CNBC reported that Parler had surpassed both Twitter and Reddit to become the top-rated news-related iPhone app , adding half a million users in the span of just one week .
“ We ’ re a community town square , an open town square , with no censorship , ” Matze told CNBC .
“ If you can say it on the street of New York , you can say it on Parler.
” That ’ s not to say Parler has no rules of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Community Guidelines forbid spamming users , support for federally recognized terrorist groups , unsolicited commercial advertisements in comment sections , defamation , threats of violence , blackmail , pornographic or otherwise obscene content , plagiarism , copyright or trademark violations , bribery , soliciting criminal acts , doxxing , and otherwise advocating for or glorifying illegal activities .
Despite the platform ’ s obvious appeal to conservatives , Matze says he hopes it attracts more left-of-center users in the long term and becomes a true forum for genuine debate and disagreement — so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a $ 20,000 “ progressive bounty ” for a left-wing pundit with 50,000 Twitter or Facebook followers to open a Parler account , with the sum ultimately going to the pundit who generates the most engagement on Parler .
In the meantime , its public perception is firmly associated with the political right , leading to some inevitable criticism from not just the left , but also libertarian defenders of Big Tech .
Liberal websites soon began spreading claims of being banned from Parler , albeit without investigating why .
Others began highlighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Terms of Service , namely a passage claiming the right to charge users for any legal fees associated with claims “ arising from or relating to your access to or use of the Service.
” Conservative Partnership Institute senior adviser Rachel Bovard addressed Parler ’ s naysayers at length in a piece at American Greatness , noting the irony of those who “ have told unhappy users to just ‘ build their own platform ’ ” reacting with such vitriol to someone who “ finally did.
” After noting that Parler says it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Terms of Service , Bovard lamented the “ weird brand of free marketer who so earnestly wishes for the free market alternatives to spectacularly fail.
” “ The question isn ’ t if these companies have a right to engage in content moderation .
They obviously do , ” she explains .
“ Rather , the question at the root of much of our policy debate is how that power is being weaponized at scale , the consequences of it , and if this power has become so unaccountable that Sundar Pichai , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectively deciding the terms of our national political debate — and even worse , the terms of what constitutes ‘ appropriate thought.
’ ” In light of these concerns , one might expect figures such as the Koch Institute ’ s Casey Mattox , Reason ’ s Elizabeth Nolan Brown , and The Dispatch ’ s David French to welcome a competitor more open to the dissemination of center-right thought .
So , Bovard concludes , “ it ’ s a bit rich for the ‘ free enterprise ’ crowd ’ s first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternative to be so publicly negative , nasty , dismissive , and crude .
”

On July 27, CNBC reported that Parler had surpassed both Twitter and Reddit to become the top-rated news-related iPhone app, adding half a million users in the span of just one week.
July 10, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — As relations between Twitter and its conservative users continue to deteriorate, a new conservative-friendly alternative is gaining steam with its stated devotion to true freedom of speech.
Founded by John Matze and Jared Thomson, Parler bills itself as a “non-biased free speech driven entity that “accepts your right to express your thoughts, opinions and ideals online.” Whereas Twitter and Facebook have steadily adopted and expanded roles as adjudicators of “productive” versus “hateful” or “misleading” speech, Parler says it “aims to empower users to control their social experience. Users can be responsible to engage content as they see fit.”
The platform was launched in 2018 but didn’t hit it big until this summer. In the wake of Twitter taking the unprecedented step last month of flagging tweets by President Donald Trump as deceptive and threatening, a steady flow of prominent conservative pundits, politicians, and publications — including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Trump 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale, and LifeSiteNews — announced the creation of Parler accounts in addition to their pre-existing presences on Facebook and Twitter.
On July 27, CNBC reported that Parler had surpassed both Twitter and Reddit to become the top-rated news-related iPhone app, adding half a million users in the span of just one week.
“We’re a community town square, an open town square, with no censorship,” Matze told CNBC. “If you can say it on the street of New York, you can say it on Parler.”
That’s not to say Parler has no rules of its own. The website’s Community Guidelines forbid spamming users, support for federally recognized terrorist groups, unsolicited commercial advertisements in comment sections, defamation, threats of violence, blackmail, pornographic or otherwise obscene content, plagiarism, copyright or trademark violations, bribery, soliciting criminal acts, doxxing, and otherwise advocating for or glorifying illegal activities.
Despite the platform’s obvious appeal to conservatives, Matze says he hopes it attracts more left-of-center users in the long term and becomes a true forum for genuine debate and disagreement — so much so that the company is offering a $20,000 “progressive bounty” for a left-wing pundit with 50,000 Twitter or Facebook followers to open a Parler account, with the sum ultimately going to the pundit who generates the most engagement on Parler.
In the meantime, its public perception is firmly associated with the political right, leading to some inevitable criticism from not just the left, but also libertarian defenders of Big Tech.
Liberal websites soon began spreading claims of being banned from Parler, albeit without investigating why. Others began highlighting alarming provisions in the site’s Terms of Service, namely a passage claiming the right to charge users for any legal fees associated with claims “arising from or relating to your access to or use of the Service.”
Conservative Partnership Institute senior adviser Rachel Bovard addressed Parler’s naysayers at length in a piece at American Greatness, noting the irony of those who “have told unhappy users to just ‘build their own platform’” reacting with such vitriol to someone who “finally did.”
After noting that Parler says it is revising its “somewhat extreme” Terms of Service, Bovard lamented the “weird brand of free marketer who so earnestly wishes for the free market alternatives to spectacularly fail.”
“The question isn’t if these companies have a right to engage in content moderation. They obviously do,” she explains. “Rather, the question at the root of much of our policy debate is how that power is being weaponized at scale, the consequences of it, and if this power has become so unaccountable that Sundar Pichai, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jack Dorsey are effectively deciding the terms of our national political debate — and even worse, the terms of what constitutes ‘appropriate thought.’”
In light of these concerns, one might expect figures such as the Koch Institute’s Casey Mattox, Reason’s Elizabeth Nolan Brown, and The Dispatch’s David French to welcome a competitor more open to the dissemination of center-right thought. So, Bovard concludes, “it’s a bit rich for the ‘free enterprise’ crowd’s first response to a surge toward a Twitter alternative to be so publicly negative, nasty, dismissive, and crude.”
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lifesitenews--2020-07-10--Trudeau faces ethics probe over financial entanglement with ‘WE Charity’ founded by Catholic Kielbur

Trudeau faces ethics probe over financial entanglement with ‘WE Charity’ founded by Catholic Kielburger bros

OTTAWA , July 10 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Conservative members of Parliament are asking for a police investigation into the Liberal government ’ s decision to give WE Charity a no-bid contract to manage its student volunteer program in the wake of news that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ’ s mother and brother received almost $ 350,000 over four years to speak at WE events .
Trudeau is also facing an investigation by Canada ’ s ethics commissioner into allegations that his government breached conflict-of-interest rules when it awarded WE Charity a single-source $ 19.5-million contract to administer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( CSSG ) , CBC reported .
The prime minister has been dogged by controversy over his close ties to WE Charity since he announced June 25 that the Toronto-based international youth organization would administer a new Liberal program that offers grants of between $ 1,000 and $ 5,000 to post-secondary students in return for volunteer hours .
Trudeau told reporters at a press conference Wednesday that he did not recuse himself from Cabinet discussions leading to the decision to award the contract to WE Charity , CBC reported .
WE Charity is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger started as the child advocacy group Free the Children in 1995 , and which has grown into an international organization that bills itself as a movement that “ empowers people to change the world.
” Many Catholic school boards participate in the WE Schools program , in which students earn the right to attend the charity ’ s problematic WE Days .
These stadium mega-events often feature sexually charged acts by performers such as rapper Big Sean , Jennifer Lopez , and Kardinal Offishall , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harry Potter film star Emma Watson and Trudeau , Canada ’ s most pro-abortion prime minister , who has spoken at WE Days both on his own and with his wife , Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau .
Although the Liberals and WE canceled their agreement last week , controversy erupted anew when Canadaland and CBC revealed Thursday that Trudeau ’ s mother , Margaret , and his brother , Alexandre , received a total of nearly $ 350,000 over the last four years to speak at WE events .
It was also revealed that Gregoire-Trudeau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a podcast connected to the charity , received $ 1,400 to speak at a WE Day in 2012 , before her husband entered politics , CBC reported .
PETITION : Investigate George Soros ' role in funding domestic terrorism !
Sign the petition here .
This contradicted a statement from the Prime Minister ’ s Office Wednesday that “ [ t ] he Prime Minister and his wife have never been paid by WE , ” the Toronto Globe and Mail reported .
WE also stated at the outset of the controversy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to any of the Trudeaus to speak at its events , as reported by Canadaland and CBC .
But in response to inquiries from Canadaland , WE said that between 2016 and 2020 , it paid Margaret Trudeau $ 312,000 for 28 speaking events and Alexandre Trudeau $ 40,000 for eight events , and that these totals included a 20-percent commission paid to their speaking agency .
WE explained that ME to WE Social Enterprise , its separate for-profit entity and one of the many sponsors of WE Day , paid the honorariums @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
However , in what the organization describes as a “ billing error , ” WE Charity paid $ 64,000 directly to Margaret Trudeau , Canadaland reported .
The news prompted Conservative finance critic M.P .
Pierre Poilievre to request that Parliament be recalled to look into the scandal , as he tweeted Thursday : Poilievre and Conservative ethics critic M.P .
Michael Barrett said at a Friday news conference that revelations that Trudeau family members received money from WE raised the matter to a potentially criminal level and represented “ sufficient grounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Global News reported .
They are asking the RCMP to look into whether a Criminal Code section related to government fraud applies to the Liberals ’ decision to grant WE the multi-million-dollar contract .
Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet has called on Trudeau to step aside from the role of prime minister “ for a few months ” while the WE contract is investigated , the Toronto Globe and Mail reported .
Neither Poilievre nor Barrett would say Friday if he thinks Trudeau should step down , but Barrett said it is more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ members ] who were all party to this decision ” as to what they knew and when .
“ Did they know that the prime minister ’ s family was receiving significant cash to do these events ?
Were they aware ?
” he said .
Conflict of interest and ethics commissioner Mario Dion told Barrett in a letter last Friday he will investigate if Trudeau violated the Conflict of Interest Act when his government awarded WE Charity the contract , CTV News reported .
This will be Trudeau ’ s third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prime minister in 2015 , as noted by HuffPost .
Dion ruled last year that the prime minister improperly pressured his former attorney general , Jody Wilson-Raybould , to intervene in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin .
In 2017 , he was found to have breached ethics when he accepted family vacations on the Aga Khan ’ s private island , it reported .
LifeSiteNews has reported extensively on the problems with WE Days , as well as the fact that Marc Kielburger admitted in March 2011 in a letter to the Ottawa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stocked contraceptives at their Baraka medical clinics in Kenya .
The Kenyan bishops asked Canadian and U.S. Catholics to stop funding the charity for this reason .
The brothers signed a Mother ’ s Day Manifesto in 2011 denouncing the Conservatives ’ planned funding cuts to the International Planned Parenthood Federation , describing the abortion provider as “ an organization that provides reproductive health services abroad ” and the government ’ s action “ paternalistic refusal to offer women in Africa the same rights offered to women in Canada.
” WE Day Toronto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performing for school children ‘ Trudeau !
Trudeau !
’ : We Day leads 16,000 youth in chant for Canada ’ s new pro-abortion prime minister Kielburgers : We ’ re Catholic but don ’ t take a stance on abortion Kielburgers ’ Free the Children caught promoting abortion for Third World Free the Children manager resigns after report on his work as gay stripper

The prime minister has been dogged by controversy over his close ties to WE Charity.
OTTAWA, July 10, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Conservative members of Parliament are asking for a police investigation into the Liberal government’s decision to give WE Charity a no-bid contract to manage its student volunteer program in the wake of news that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s mother and brother received almost $350,000 over four years to speak at WE events.
Trudeau is also facing an investigation by Canada’s ethics commissioner into allegations that his government breached conflict-of-interest rules when it awarded WE Charity a single-source $19.5-million contract to administer the $912-million Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG), CBC reported.
The prime minister has been dogged by controversy over his close ties to WE Charity since he announced June 25 that the Toronto-based international youth organization would administer a new Liberal program that offers grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 to post-secondary students in return for volunteer hours.
Trudeau told reporters at a press conference Wednesday that he did not recuse himself from Cabinet discussions leading to the decision to award the contract to WE Charity, CBC reported.
WE Charity is but one branch of WE, which Catholic brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger started as the child advocacy group Free the Children in 1995, and which has grown into an international organization that bills itself as a movement that “empowers people to change the world.”
Many Catholic school boards participate in the WE Schools program, in which students earn the right to attend the charity’s problematic WE Days. These stadium mega-events often feature sexually charged acts by performers such as rapper Big Sean, Jennifer Lopez, and Kardinal Offishall, as well as appearances by abortion advocates such as Harry Potter film star Emma Watson and Trudeau, Canada’s most pro-abortion prime minister, who has spoken at WE Days both on his own and with his wife, Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau.
Although the Liberals and WE canceled their agreement last week, controversy erupted anew when Canadaland and CBC revealed Thursday that Trudeau’s mother, Margaret, and his brother, Alexandre, received a total of nearly $350,000 over the last four years to speak at WE events.
It was also revealed that Gregoire-Trudeau, an ambassador for WE and host of a podcast connected to the charity, received $1,400 to speak at a WE Day in 2012, before her husband entered politics, CBC reported.
PETITION: Investigate George Soros' role in funding domestic terrorism! Sign the petition here.
This contradicted a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office Wednesday that “[t]he Prime Minister and his wife have never been paid by WE,” the Toronto Globe and Mail reported.
WE also stated at the outset of the controversy that its charity had not paid honorariums to any of the Trudeaus to speak at its events, as reported by Canadaland and CBC.
But in response to inquiries from Canadaland, WE said that between 2016 and 2020, it paid Margaret Trudeau $312,000 for 28 speaking events and Alexandre Trudeau $40,000 for eight events, and that these totals included a 20-percent commission paid to their speaking agency.
WE explained that ME to WE Social Enterprise, its separate for-profit entity and one of the many sponsors of WE Day, paid the honorariums via the Speakers’ Spotlight speaking bureau.
However, in what the organization describes as a “billing error,” WE Charity paid $64,000 directly to Margaret Trudeau, Canadaland reported.
The news prompted Conservative finance critic M.P. Pierre Poilievre to request that Parliament be recalled to look into the scandal, as he tweeted Thursday:
We must recall Parliament immediately to get answers and bring accountability. The Prime Minister personally intervened to direct a billion-dollar program to a group that had paid his family almost $300k. Not in Venezuela. Not in Zimbabwe. In Canada. https://t.co/MCvAA7iNNj — pierrepoilievre (@PierrePoilievre) July 9, 2020
Poilievre and Conservative ethics critic M.P. Michael Barrett said at a Friday news conference that revelations that Trudeau family members received money from WE raised the matter to a potentially criminal level and represented “sufficient grounds to be investigated by police,” Global News reported.
They are asking the RCMP to look into whether a Criminal Code section related to government fraud applies to the Liberals’ decision to grant WE the multi-million-dollar contract.
Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet has called on Trudeau to step aside from the role of prime minister “for a few months” while the WE contract is investigated, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported.
Neither Poilievre nor Barrett would say Friday if he thinks Trudeau should step down, but Barrett said it is more important to “hear from the cabinet [members] who were all party to this decision” as to what they knew and when.
“Did they know that the prime minister’s family was receiving significant cash to do these events? Were they aware?” he said.
Conflict of interest and ethics commissioner Mario Dion told Barrett in a letter last Friday he will investigate if Trudeau violated the Conflict of Interest Act when his government awarded WE Charity the contract, CTV News reported.
This will be Trudeau’s third ethics investigation since he was first elected prime minister in 2015, as noted by HuffPost. Dion ruled last year that the prime minister improperly pressured his former attorney general, Jody Wilson-Raybould, to intervene in the criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin. In 2017, he was found to have breached ethics when he accepted family vacations on the Aga Khan’s private island, it reported.
LifeSiteNews has reported extensively on the problems with WE Days, as well as the fact that Marc Kielburger admitted in March 2011 in a letter to the Ottawa Catholic School Board that Free the Children stocked contraceptives at their Baraka medical clinics in Kenya. The Kenyan bishops asked Canadian and U.S. Catholics to stop funding the charity for this reason.
The brothers signed a Mother’s Day Manifesto in 2011 denouncing the Conservatives’ planned funding cuts to the International Planned Parenthood Federation, describing the abortion provider as “an organization that provides reproductive health services abroad” and the government’s action “paternalistic refusal to offer women in Africa the same rights offered to women in Canada.”
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Kielburger’s Free the Children board chairman a leading homosexual activist
Kielburgers’ Free the Children caught promoting abortion for Third World
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lifesitenews--2020-07-10--Thirty percent of German Catholics surveyed say they’re considering leaving Church soon

PETITION : Support priest who was suspended for calling out the Black Lives Matter organization !
Sign the petition here .
July 10 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — A survey commissioned by German Catholic news service Die Tagespost found that 30 percent of the Catholics they spoke with would consider leaving the Church soon .
The survey interviewed 2,040 adults earlier this month and asked them to respond to the statement : “ I am a member of the Church and can imagine leaving the Church soon.
” Die Tagespost reported that 54 percent of the Catholics interviewed disagreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they did not know , and seven percent did not state anything .
The news comes after one German bishop recently stated that the Church and its message is “ losing relevance.
” Bishop Heiner Wilmer of the Hildesheim Diocese wrote in a July 1 article that “ We , as the Catholic Church , are losing relevance in interpreting people 's lives.
” Wilmer has recently criticized some Catholics for being “ fixated only on the Eucharist ” and earlier this year welcomed the idea of Catholics forming joint parishes with Lutherans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wilmer advocated for the creation of “ power centers ” that would be led by lay people rather than priests .
“ I do n't want to downplay the classic parish , ” he said , “ but we need alternatives in preaching.
” Wilmer also says a “ corona effect ” will lead to a “ drastic drop ” in those attending churches .
” I assume that if the distance regulations and precautionary measures fall , we will have a drastic drop in church visitors again , ” he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis is not a punishment from God ” and suggested that to think so is “ un-Christian.
” Earlier this year , the Munich statistical office reported that more than 10,000 people from the German Archdiocese of Munich and Freising officially left the Catholic Church in 2019 , with the compulsory church tax in Germany thought to be a key reason for the record number .
More than 8,000 people are reported to have left Wilmer ’ s Hildesheim Diocese .
Even many faithful Catholics in Germany are reluctant to pay the church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of churches the monies are used in part to fund the heterodox activities of German Catholic bishops .
In April this year , Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg , the head of the German Bishops ’ Conference , called for a change in the Church ’ s teaching on homosexuality in an interview with a German newspaper .
The German Church ’ s “ synodal path , ” which held its first meeting earlier this year , has in its preparatory documents indicated clearly the aim of dissenting from the Church ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ ordination , ” and her apostolic discipline of priestly celibacy .
At the first “ synodal path ” meeting at the end of January , a majority of the 230 synodal members voted against a proposal that only those votes that are in accordance with the Church ’ s teaching be passed on to the general assembly .
New stats show record numbers leaving the Catholic Church in German archdiocese

2,040 adults were asked to respond to the statement: ‘I am a member of the Church and can imagine leaving the Church soon.’
PETITION: Support priest who was suspended for calling out the Black Lives Matter organization! Sign the petition here.
July 10, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A survey commissioned by German Catholic news service Die Tagespost found that 30 percent of the Catholics they spoke with would consider leaving the Church soon.
The survey interviewed 2,040 adults earlier this month and asked them to respond to the statement: “I am a member of the Church and can imagine leaving the Church soon.”
Die Tagespost reported that 54 percent of the Catholics interviewed disagreed with the statement,nine percent said they did not know, and seven percent did not state anything.
The news comes after one German bishop recently stated that the Church and its message is “losing relevance.”
Bishop Heiner Wilmer of the Hildesheim Diocese wrote in a July 1 article that “We, as the Catholic Church, are losing relevance in interpreting people's lives.”
Wilmer has recently criticized some Catholics for being “fixated only on the Eucharist” and earlier this year welcomed the idea of Catholics forming joint parishes with Lutherans.
In his July 1 article, Wilmer advocated for the creation of “power centers” that would be led by lay people rather than priests.
“I don't want to downplay the classic parish,” he said, “but we need alternatives in preaching.”
Wilmer also says a “corona effect” will lead to a “drastic drop” in those attending churches.
”I assume that if the distance regulations and precautionary measures fall, we will have a drastic drop in church visitors again,” he said.
Wilmer has previously said “the corona crisis is not a punishment from God” and suggested that to think so is “un-Christian.”
Earlier this year, the Munich statistical office reported that more than 10,000 people from the German Archdiocese of Munich and Freising officially left the Catholic Church in 2019, with the compulsory church tax in Germany thought to be a key reason for the record number. More than 8,000 people are reported to have left Wilmer’s Hildesheim Diocese.
Even many faithful Catholics in Germany are reluctant to pay the church tax because in addition to the upkeep of churches the monies are used in part to fund the heterodox activities of German Catholic bishops.
In April this year, Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, the head of the German Bishops’ Conference, called for a change in the Church’s teaching on homosexuality in an interview with a German newspaper.
The German Church’s “synodal path,” which held its first meeting earlier this year, has in its preparatory documents indicated clearly the aim of dissenting from the Church’s sexual teaching, her ban on female “ordination,” and her apostolic discipline of priestly celibacy. At the first “synodal path” meeting at the end of January, a majority of the 230 synodal members voted against a proposal that only those votes that are in accordance with the Church’s teaching be passed on to the general assembly.
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New stats show record numbers leaving the Catholic Church in German archdiocese
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lifesitenews--2020-07-10--Catholics to hold prayer vigil to support priest suspended for criticizing Black Lives Matter

PETITION : Yes to reform .
No to riots & revolution !
Sign the petition here .
LAFAYETTE , Indiana , July 10 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A group of Catholics within the diocese of Lafayette , Indiana , is supporting Fr .
Theodore Rothrock with a prayer vigil after he was removed from his parish last week .
Rothrock had been suspended from public ministry by Bishop Timothy L. Doherty for having spoken strongly against the Black Lives Matter and Antifa movements .
On Saturday , July 11 , Catholics for Unity and Peace ( CUP ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the chancery of the Diocese of Lafayette from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Vicki Yamasaki , one of CUP ’ s leaders , told LifeSiteNews that her organization will join several other prayer groups supporting the priest .
“ CUP plans to pray for the bishop , Fr .
Ted and the diocese , ” she said .
CUP was founded immediately after the removal of Fr .
Rothrock “ due to the overwhelming response we received to organize a movement.
” At the same time , the group wants to “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ addressing the treatment of Fr .
Ted .
It is about defending our Catholic beliefs and our right to express those beliefs.
” CUP ’ s stated purpose is to defend “ our Catholic beliefs and our rights to express those beliefs.
” This includes , the group emphasizes , to preserve and defend “ the dignity of every human being , especially people of color , the poor , and the disenfranchised.
” Yamasaki and her fellow CUP members want to provide “ education about movements/organizations that infringe on our beliefs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to provide this leadership.
” In the case of the Black Lives Matter movement , it is especially the “ BLM Global Network Foundation , ” the most vocal and organized part of the movement , which pushes positions contrary to Catholic teaching , as pointed out by Fr .
Rothrock .
The organization , according to its website , endorses homosexuality and gender ideology .
“ We foster a queer‐affirming network .
When we gather , we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all in the world are heterosexual ( unless s/he or they disclose otherwise ) .
” Additionally , Black Lives Matter wants to abolish the traditional family .
“ We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘ villages ’ that collectively care for one another , especially our children , to the degree that mothers , parents , and children are comfortable.
” Rothrock had asked in his parish bulletin on June 28 , “ Who are the real racists and the purveyors of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them by their works , ” he answered .
“ The only lives that matter are their own and the only power they seek is their own .
They are wolves in wolves clothing , masked thieves and bandits , seeking only to devour the life of the poor and profit from the fear of others .
They are maggots and parasites at best , feeding off the isolation of addiction and broken families , and offering to replace any current frustration and anxiety with more misery and greater resentment.
” The priest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the heart of the gospel “ we carry in common with the Orthodox Churches and other Christians.
” He encouraged Catholics to stand “ in solidarity with our brethren across the world to oppose this malevolent force.
” He said , “ Black Lives Matter , Antifa , and the other nefarious acolytes of their persuasion are not the friends or allies we have been led to believe .
They are serpents in the garden , seeking only to uproot and replant a new species of human made in the likeness of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God.
” “ Their poison is more toxic than any pandemic we have endured , ” he added .
“ The father of lies has not just been seen in our streets , we have invited him into our home .
Now he is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour .
Resist him , strong in your faith.
” Rothrock referred to abolitionist Frederick Douglass and leader of the civil rights movement Martin Luther King , Jr. , asking if they would have engaged in what rioters are currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What would the great visionary leaders of the past be contributing to the discussion at this point in time ?
” he asked .
“ Would men like Fredrick Douglas ( sic ) and the Reverend King , both men of deep faith , be throwing bombs or even marching in the streets ?
Would they be pleased with the murder rates in our cities or the destruction of our families by the welfare system ?
Would they see a value in the obliteration of our history to rewrite a future without the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Would we tear down their monuments ?
” Even though Fr .
Rothrock later admitted that some of his message was stated “ rather poorly , ” and “ it was not my intention to offend anyone and I am sorry that my words have caused any hurt to anyone , ” Bishop Doherty removed him from his parish .
A statement by the diocese , now published on the website of St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church , Rothrock ’ s former parish , claimed , “ Bishop Doherty asked Father Theodore Rothrock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the division and damage that was instantly felt within the parish , the diocese and the larger community following Father Rothrock ’ s controversial bulletin article.
” Yamasaki disputed that account in her remarks to LifeSiteNews .
“ The purported division and damage was prompted by the bishop ’ s reaction and decision regarding Fr .
Rothrock , ” she explained .
“ The bishop did not engage the parishioner base , and is not listening to his flock .
To date , we do not know of anyone who has written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ted that has received a response.
” She also said “ Deacon Bill ’ s official statement on the St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church website and subsequent agreement with the CARI movement demands ( Carmel Against Racial Injustice ) is causing confusion among the parishioners .
Instead of uniting Catholics across our diocese and beyond , it is creating unrest .
This is why we have created the CUP movement to foster unity and peace.
” Deacon Bill Reid , named the parish administrator , had said Fr .
Rothrock ’ s words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsed silencing the oppressed.
” Bishop Doherty , who had ended his statement to the parish last weekend by encouraging the faithful to tell everybody that “ this bishop says that black lives matter , ” distinguished the slogan from the organization .
“ The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation clearly says things that I oppose , ” he pointed out .
At the same time , he qualified his remarks by emphasizing that this group “ is only one organization among many dozens using the phrase BLM , and it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the headquarters of what is a very diverse movement.
” Yamasaki took issue with that interpretation , arguing that “ like in business , ” the “ branding ” for Black Lives Matter “ has become synonymous ” with the BLM Global Network Foundation .
LifeSiteNews has seen several of the letters sent by faithful in support of Fr .
Rothrock to Bishop Doherty .
One of them said “ Fr .
Ted is not just looking out for his flock , his community , and every American citizen , but even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antifa , and other groups who are trying to dominate others.
” “ He wants those people to look at themselves and realize how they have degenerated -- how did he put it -- ‘ They are serpents in the garden , seeking only to uproot and replant a new species of human made in the likeness of men and not in the image of God , ’ ” the letter continued .
“ He ’ s calling for REPENTANCE !
He wants them to come to Jesus Christ and be saved !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ support of Fr .
Rothrock has already garnered more than 33,000 signatures .
Readers can sign it by clicking here .

‘On Saturday, July 11, Catholics for Unity and Peace (CUP) will hold a prayer vigil in front of the chancery of the diocese of Lafayette from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.’
PETITION: Yes to reform. No to riots & revolution! Sign the petition here.
LAFAYETTE, Indiana, July 10, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A group of Catholics within the diocese of Lafayette, Indiana, is supporting Fr. Theodore Rothrock with a prayer vigil after he was removed from his parish last week.
Rothrock had been suspended from public ministry by Bishop Timothy L. Doherty for having spoken strongly against the Black Lives Matter and Antifa movements.
On Saturday, July 11, Catholics for Unity and Peace (CUP) will hold a prayer vigil in front of the chancery of the Diocese of Lafayette from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Vicki Yamasaki, one of CUP’s leaders, told LifeSiteNews that her organization will join several other prayer groups supporting the priest. “CUP plans to pray for the bishop, Fr. Ted and the diocese,” she said.
CUP was founded immediately after the removal of Fr. Rothrock “due to the overwhelming response we received to organize a movement.”
At the same time, the group wants to “be clear that our purpose expands beyond addressing the treatment of Fr. Ted. It is about defending our Catholic beliefs and our right to express those beliefs.”
CUP’s stated purpose is to defend “our Catholic beliefs and our rights to express those beliefs.” This includes, the group emphasizes, to preserve and defend “the dignity of every human being, especially people of color, the poor, and the disenfranchised.”
Yamasaki and her fellow CUP members want to provide “education about movements/organizations that infringe on our beliefs,” and “help the institutional church to provide this leadership.”
In the case of the Black Lives Matter movement, it is especially the “BLM Global Network Foundation,” the most vocal and organized part of the movement, which pushes positions contrary to Catholic teaching, as pointed out by Fr. Rothrock.
The organization, according to its website, endorses homosexuality and gender ideology. “We foster a queer‐affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking, or rather, the belief that all in the world are heterosexual (unless s/he or they disclose otherwise).”
Additionally, Black Lives Matter wants to abolish the traditional family. “We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.”
Rothrock had asked in his parish bulletin on June 28, “Who are the real racists and the purveyors of hate?”
“You shall know them by their works,” he answered. “The only lives that matter are their own and the only power they seek is their own. They are wolves in wolves clothing, masked thieves and bandits, seeking only to devour the life of the poor and profit from the fear of others. They are maggots and parasites at best, feeding off the isolation of addiction and broken families, and offering to replace any current frustration and anxiety with more misery and greater resentment.”
The priest emphasized that the message of peace is at the heart of the gospel “we carry in common with the Orthodox Churches and other Christians.” He encouraged Catholics to stand “in solidarity with our brethren across the world to oppose this malevolent force.”
He said, “Black Lives Matter, Antifa, and the other nefarious acolytes of their persuasion are not the friends or allies we have been led to believe. They are serpents in the garden, seeking only to uproot and replant a new species of human made in the likeness of men and not in the image of God.”
“Their poison is more toxic than any pandemic we have endured,” he added. “The father of lies has not just been seen in our streets, we have invited him into our home. Now he is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, strong in your faith.”
Rothrock referred to abolitionist Frederick Douglass and leader of the civil rights movement Martin Luther King, Jr., asking if they would have engaged in what rioters are currently doing across the United States.
“What would the great visionary leaders of the past be contributing to the discussion at this point in time?” he asked. “Would men like Fredrick Douglas (sic) and the Reverend King, both men of deep faith, be throwing bombs or even marching in the streets? Would they be pleased with the murder rates in our cities or the destruction of our families by the welfare system? Would they see a value in the obliteration of our history to rewrite a future without the experience and struggles of the past? Would we tear down their monuments?”
Even though Fr. Rothrock later admitted that some of his message was stated “rather poorly,” and “it was not my intention to offend anyone and I am sorry that my words have caused any hurt to anyone,” Bishop Doherty removed him from his parish.
A statement by the diocese, now published on the website of St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, Rothrock’s former parish, claimed, “Bishop Doherty asked Father Theodore Rothrock to step aside from public ministry because of the division and damage that was instantly felt within the parish, the diocese and the larger community following Father Rothrock’s controversial bulletin article.”
Yamasaki disputed that account in her remarks to LifeSiteNews.
“The purported division and damage was prompted by the bishop’s reaction and decision regarding Fr. Rothrock,” she explained. “The bishop did not engage the parishioner base, and is not listening to his flock. To date, we do not know of anyone who has written the bishop in support of Fr. Ted that has received a response.”
She also said “Deacon Bill’s official statement on the St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church website and subsequent agreement with the CARI movement demands (Carmel Against Racial Injustice) is causing confusion among the parishioners. Instead of uniting Catholics across our diocese and beyond, it is creating unrest. This is why we have created the CUP movement to foster unity and peace.”
Deacon Bill Reid, named the parish administrator, had said Fr. Rothrock’s words, regardless of his intention, “endorsed silencing the oppressed.”
Bishop Doherty, who had ended his statement to the parish last weekend by encouraging the faithful to tell everybody that “this bishop says that black lives matter,” distinguished the slogan from the organization.
“The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation clearly says things that I oppose,” he pointed out. At the same time, he qualified his remarks by emphasizing that this group “is only one organization among many dozens using the phrase BLM, and it is a mistake to say that that foundation is the headquarters of what is a very diverse movement.”
Yamasaki took issue with that interpretation, arguing that “like in business,” the “branding” for Black Lives Matter “has become synonymous” with the BLM Global Network Foundation.
LifeSiteNews has seen several of the letters sent by faithful in support of Fr. Rothrock to Bishop Doherty. One of them said “Fr. Ted is not just looking out for his flock, his community, and every American citizen, but even those people in the BLM movement, Antifa, and other groups who are trying to dominate others.”
“He wants those people to look at themselves and realize how they have degenerated — how did he put it — ‘They are serpents in the garden, seeking only to uproot and replant a new species of human made in the likeness of men and not in the image of God,’” the letter continued. “He’s calling for REPENTANCE! He wants them to come to Jesus Christ and be saved!”
A petition launched by LifeSiteNews in support of Fr. Rothrock has already garnered more than 33,000 signatures. Readers can sign it by clicking here.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-07-10--UK urged to punish Nigerian officials complicit in slaughter of Christians

UNITED KINGDOM , July 10 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Following years of disturbing accounts of Nigerian Christians suffering extreme persecution at the hands of Boko Haram , the Islamic State , and Fulani herdsmen , authors of a newly released report are urging the U.K. government to sanction individual government officials in the African nation who have permitted the persecution to continue .
With thousands tortured and more than 30,000 slaughtered , Nigeria is the 12th worst country in the world for persecution of Christians .
Titled “ Integrating Foreign Policy , Development Policy and Human Rights Objectives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the report published by Competere enjoined the U.K. government to utilize its newly instituted “ global human rights sanctions regime ” to deter Nigerian officials from turning a blind eye — or worse , colluding in serious human rights violations in their country .
Despite being “ a signatory to a range of human rights conventions , from the UN Convention on Human Rights to the European Convention on Human Rights , ” the report chided the U.K. for not having done a good job “ of actually protecting people from persecution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shambolic UN Human Rights Council ( formerly Commission ) , made up of , as it often is , by the greatest human rights violators ( in recent succession , it has counted Cuba , Venezuela , Saudi Arabia and Egypt among its recent membership ) has become a global joke with regard to effectiveness , ” declared the Competere report .
“ If human rights violators and government officials who turn a blind eye or conspire with them through inaction understand that there are very real repercussions that could lead to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bans , ” said Competere , “ they will be more likely to cease and desist from such conduct.
” The report then focused on the plight of the Nigerian Christians , who constitute half of the country ’ s population .
PETITION : Support priest who was suspended for calling out the Black Lives Matter organization !
Sign the petition here .
Competere — a trade law and economic policy consultancy — cited a U.K. All-Party Parliamentary Group ( APPG ) on religious liberty recitation highlighting key points about the persecution of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 2018 , the Nigerian House of Representatives declared the killing of Christian farmers in the middle belt to be genocide , and requested the government to act by establishing orphanages and taking other critical steps .
[ None of this has been done ] .
• Churches have been , and continue to , be burned in Nigeria .
Five hundred churches have been destroyed in Benue State alone .
One hundred churches have been burned in Taraki and two hundred abandoned out of fear .
Sixty-five per cent of the Churches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Killings continue .
As recently as 20th January 2020 , Reverend Lawan Andimi , Chair of the Christian Association of Nigeria , was executed .
• On the 26th December , to coincide with the Christmas holiday , ISWAP released videos of beheadings of 10 Christian hostages and one Muslim apostate .
• As recently as 2 April 2020 , three hundred Muslim Fulani attacked the village of Hukke , killing seven and setting fire to twenty-three homes .
• On the 26th February 2019 , the ECOWAS court censured the Nigerian government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Benue state in 2016 .
The court found that the government had neglected its primary duty to protect its citizens .
Theophilus Danjuma , former Army Chief of Staff and former Defence Minister said that the “ Army is not neutral .
They collude ” in ethnic cleansing .
He urged people to defend themselves and not rely on the Army to protect them .
Indeed , there is evidence that the security forces abandon areas just before atrocities are committed .
• President Buhari obtained 97 % of his votes from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the Christian south .
Most of his political appointments are Northern Muslims .
The APPG agreed that this was a violation of section 14 ( 3 ) of the Nigerian constitution , that there should not be a preponderance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or sectional groups .
• The Buhari government ’ s response to the killings has been to deny , ignore and deflect .
The government ’ s chief legal and judicial officer – Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami – has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perpetrators or to protect the Christian communities at risk .
The wilful blindness of the administration is seen by many in Nigeria and internationally as complicity with , and enabling of , the killings .
The Competere report came just two days after the U.K. had announced its first round of sanctions under its new global human rights regime targeting more than four dozen individuals and organizations “ involved in some of the most notorious human rights violations and abuses in recent years.
” “ The ground-breaking global regime means the UK has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious human rights abuses and violations from entering the country , channelling money through UK banks , or profiting from our economy , ” explained a government statement .
“ The measures will target individuals and organisations , rather than nations.
” “ Today we ’ re designating 49 people and organisations for responsibility in some [ of ] the worst human rights abuses in recent memory , ” declared U.K. foreign secretary Dominic Raab .
“ This is a demonstration of Global Britain ’ s commitment to acting as a force for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , CEO of Competere , told the Catholic News Agency ( CNA ) : “ Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has announced that the U.K. will no longer be a safe haven for those who engage in gross human rights violations .
This is to be welcomed.
” “ The U.K. now has the tools to deal with human rights violations such as those being perpetrated in Nigeria against Christians in the Middle Belt .
It is crucial that the full force of U.K. sanctions is brought against Nigerian officials who are guilty of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection of one ’ s own life is the most basic human right .
Without it , no right has any meaning .
It is the quintessential job of government to , at the very least , protect the lives of their citizens .
When a government wilfully colludes in actions that lead to gross human rights violations such as are occurring in Nigeria on a daily basis , that government must be held to account .
This requires the full suite of tools available for the more developed , advanced economies .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ trade , commercial and economic policies are joined up on this , and the UK ’ s recent foreign policy moves are a step towards this .
The UK ’ s enhancement of its criminal law to allow promoters of persecution to have their assets frozen and to stop them from enjoying the hospitality of the donor countries themselves is a welcome development .
Now the UK must prove that in the protection of human rights , it has the moral high ground .

With thousands tortured and more than 30,000 slaughtered, Nigeria is the 12th worst country in the world for persecution of Christians.
UNITED KINGDOM, July 10, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Following years of disturbing accounts of Nigerian Christians suffering extreme persecution at the hands of Boko Haram, the Islamic State, and Fulani herdsmen, authors of a newly released report are urging the U.K. government to sanction individual government officials in the African nation who have permitted the persecution to continue.
With thousands tortured and more than 30,000 slaughtered, Nigeria is the 12th worst country in the world for persecution of Christians.
Titled “Integrating Foreign Policy, Development Policy and Human Rights Objectives: Christian Persecution in Nigeria,” the report published by Competere enjoined the U.K. government to utilize its newly instituted “global human rights sanctions regime” to deter Nigerian officials from turning a blind eye — or worse, colluding in serious human rights violations in their country.
Despite being “a signatory to a range of human rights conventions, from the UN Convention on Human Rights to the European Convention on Human Rights,” the report chided the U.K. for not having done a good job “of actually protecting people from persecution, violence and even genocide.”
“The shambolic UN Human Rights Council (formerly Commission), made up of, as it often is, by the greatest human rights violators (in recent succession, it has counted Cuba, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Egypt among its recent membership) has become a global joke with regard to effectiveness,” declared the Competere report.
“If human rights violators and government officials who turn a blind eye or conspire with them through inaction understand that there are very real repercussions that could lead to a freezing of their UK assets and travels bans,” said Competere, “they will be more likely to cease and desist from such conduct.”
The report then focused on the plight of the Nigerian Christians, who constitute half of the country’s population.
PETITION: Support priest who was suspended for calling out the Black Lives Matter organization! Sign the petition here.
Competere — a trade law and economic policy consultancy — cited a U.K. All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on religious liberty recitation highlighting key points about the persecution of Christians there:
On 4 th July, 2018, the Nigerian House of Representatives declared the killing of Christian farmers in the middle belt to be genocide, and requested the government to act by establishing orphanages and taking other critical steps. [None of this has been done].
July, 2018, the Nigerian House of Representatives declared the killing of Christian farmers in the middle belt to be genocide, and requested the government to act by establishing orphanages and taking other critical steps. [None of this has been done]. Churches have been, and continue to, be burned in Nigeria. Five hundred churches have been destroyed in Benue State alone. One hundred churches have been burned in Taraki and two hundred abandoned out of fear. Sixty-five per cent of the Churches in Wakari have been burned.
Killings continue. As recently as 20 th January 2020, Reverend Lawan Andimi, Chair of the Christian Association of Nigeria, was executed.
January 2020, Reverend Lawan Andimi, Chair of the Christian Association of Nigeria, was executed. On the 26 th December, to coincide with the Christmas holiday, ISWAP released videos of beheadings of 10 Christian hostages and one Muslim apostate.
December, to coincide with the Christmas holiday, ISWAP released videos of beheadings of 10 Christian hostages and one Muslim apostate. As recently as 2 April 2020, three hundred Muslim Fulani attacked the village of Hukke, killing seven and setting fire to twenty-three homes.
On the 26 th February 2019, the ECOWAS court censured the Nigerian government, especially with reference to the killings in Benue state in 2016. The court found that the government had neglected its primary duty to protect its citizens. Theophilus Danjuma, former Army Chief of Staff and former Defence Minister said that the “Army is not neutral. They collude” in ethnic cleansing. He urged people to defend themselves and not rely on the Army to protect them. Indeed, there is evidence that the security forces abandon areas just before atrocities are committed.
February 2019, the ECOWAS court censured the Nigerian government, especially with reference to the killings in Benue state in 2016. The court found that the government had neglected its primary duty to protect its citizens. Theophilus Danjuma, former Army Chief of Staff and former Defence Minister said that the “Army is not neutral. They collude” in ethnic cleansing. He urged people to defend themselves and not rely on the Army to protect them. Indeed, there is evidence that the security forces abandon areas just before atrocities are committed. President Buhari obtained 97% of his votes from the Muslim North and only 5% from the Christian south. Most of his political appointments are Northern Muslims. The APPG agreed that this was a violation of section 14(3) of the Nigerian constitution, that there should not be a preponderance of persons from a few states or from a few ethnic or sectional groups.
The Buhari government’s response to the killings has been to deny, ignore and deflect. The government’s chief legal and judicial officer – Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami – has taken no steps to investigate or prosecute perpetrators or to protect the Christian communities at risk. The wilful blindness of the administration is seen by many in Nigeria and internationally as complicity with, and enabling of, the killings.
The Competere report came just two days after the U.K. had announced its first round of sanctions under its new global human rights regime targeting more than four dozen individuals and organizations “involved in some of the most notorious human rights violations and abuses in recent years.”
“The ground-breaking global regime means the UK has new powers to stop those involved in serious human rights abuses and violations from entering the country, channelling money through UK banks, or profiting from our economy,” explained a government statement. “The measures will target individuals and organisations, rather than nations.”
“Today we’re designating 49 people and organisations for responsibility in some [of] the worst human rights abuses in recent memory,” declared U.K. foreign secretary Dominic Raab. “This is a demonstration of Global Britain’s commitment to acting as a force for good in the world.”
Shanker Singham, CEO of Competere, told the Catholic News Agency (CNA): “Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has announced that the U.K. will no longer be a safe haven for those who engage in gross human rights violations. This is to be welcomed.”
“The U.K. now has the tools to deal with human rights violations such as those being perpetrated in Nigeria against Christians in the Middle Belt. It is crucial that the full force of U.K. sanctions is brought against Nigerian officials who are guilty of collusion in these heinous acts.”
The Competere report concluded:
The protection of one’s own life is the most basic human right. Without it, no right has any meaning. It is the quintessential job of government to, at the very least, protect the lives of their citizens. When a government wilfully colludes in actions that lead to gross human rights violations such as are occurring in Nigeria on a daily basis, that government must be held to account. This requires the full suite of tools available for the more developed, advanced economies. It is crucial that development and foreign trade, commercial and economic policies are joined up on this, and the UK’s recent foreign policy moves are a step towards this. The UK’s enhancement of its criminal law to allow promoters of persecution to have their assets frozen and to stop them from enjoying the hospitality of the donor countries themselves is a welcome development. Now the UK must prove that in the protection of human rights, it has the moral high ground.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-07-10--Denmark offers travelers ‘COVID-free’ passports if they get tested

COPENHAGEN , July 10 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― Denmark is offering its citizens a passport declaring them free from the coronavirus .
Danes interested in carrying proof that they are COVID-free when they travel are invited to be tested for the virus .
If they test negative , they can download a document saying so within seven days .
Reserving the test , checking the results , and receiving the passport can be done over the “ Coronaprover.dk ” website .
This is believed to be the first “ coronavirus passport ” in Europe .
So far , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
According to the U.K. ’ s Independent , Denmark ’ s health minister praised the measure .
“ With the new Covid-19 passport , we now have a digital offering for Danes who need to be able to bring ... official documentation of a test on their journey , ” said Magnus Heunicke .
The Independent also quoted Michael Svane , the chief executive of the Confederation of Danish Transport , saying the passport will help Danes who have to travel .
“ We are in a time when , as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the Covid-19 passport is easy to access and very easy to use , ” he said .
The closest barrier to Danish travellers so far is their own closed border with Sweden .
Danish travelers trying to enter their country from Sweden must show Danish authorities evidence that they are free from COVID-19 .
Denmark is also not yet accepting flights from Portugal or the United Kingdom , which are still reporting high numbers of new cases relative to Denmark .
Yesterday , Denmark reported only 16 new cases of the novel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.K. 630 , and Portugal 418 .
As borders fall selectively across Europe , travelers entering the U.K. from healthy Denmark are no longer subject to a fourteen-day quarantine , whereas travelers entering the U.K. from Sweden , Portugal , and Russia will have to remain indoors for the full two-week stretch .
PETITION : No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus !
Sign the petition here .
Travelers from Canada and the USA will also have to remain quarantined for two weeks if they set foot in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later countries to relax its borders to international travel , cautiously opening to most other European countries only on June 27 .
Meanwhile , the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported today that the five European countries hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis to date are Russia ( 707,301 cases ) , the United Kingdom ( 287,621 ) , Spain ( 253,056 ) , Italy ( 242,363 ) , and Germany ( 198,178 ) .
Some pundits are worried that passports , including digital technology , that declare individuals free from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be used to “ jump-start ” the economy .
Even left-wing groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU ) have cautioned against plans to introduce multi-purpose coronavirus “ immunity passports.
” In an article published last month , senior members of the ACLU argued that immunity passports could “ harm public health , incentivize economically-vulnerable people to risk their health by contracting COVID-19 , exacerbate racial and economic disparities , and lead to a new health surveillance infrastructure that endangers privacy rights.
” “ An immunity passport system is fundamentally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test workers for COVID-19 or screen for symptoms , to ensure that no one with active infection is entering a workplace .
In the latter system , only contagious workers are prevented from going to work and only for the period of time in which they are contagious , ” the article continues .
“ But an immunity passport system would divide workers into two classes — the immune and the non-immune — and the latter might never be eligible for a given job short of contracting and surviving COVID-19 if an immune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Opponents of the measure worry that it will create an adversarial class system of the immune and the non-immune.
COPENHAGEN, July 10, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― Denmark is offering its citizens a passport declaring them free from the coronavirus.
Danes interested in carrying proof that they are COVID-free when they travel are invited to be tested for the virus. If they test negative, they can download a document saying so within seven days. Reserving the test, checking the results, and receiving the passport can be done over the “Coronaprover.dk”website.
This is believed to be the first “coronavirus passport” in Europe. So far, its purpose is solely to facilitate travel.
According to the U.K.’s Independent, Denmark’s health minister praised the measure.
“With the new Covid-19 passport, we now have a digital offering for Danes who need to be able to bring … official documentation of a test on their journey,” said Magnus Heunicke.
The Independent also quoted Michael Svane, the chief executive of the Confederation of Danish Transport, saying the passport will help Danes who have to travel.
“We are in a time when, as a traveller, you encounter many obstacles. But the Covid-19 passport is easy to access and very easy to use,” he said.
The closest barrier to Danish travellers so far is their own closed border with Sweden. Danish travelers trying to enter their country from Sweden must show Danish authorities evidence that they are free from COVID-19.
Denmark is also not yet accepting flights from Portugal or the United Kingdom, which are still reporting high numbers of new cases relative to Denmark. Yesterday, Denmark reported only 16 new cases of the novel coronavirus, whereas Sweden reported 458, the U.K. 630, and Portugal 418.
As borders fall selectively across Europe, travelers entering the U.K. from healthy Denmark are no longer subject to a fourteen-day quarantine, whereas travelers entering the U.K. from Sweden, Portugal, and Russia will have to remain indoors for the full two-week stretch.
PETITION: No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
Travelers from Canada and the USA will also have to remain quarantined for two weeks if they set foot in the U.K.
Denmark was one of the later countries to relax its borders to international travel, cautiously opening to most other European countries only on June 27. Meanwhile, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported today that the five European countries hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis to date are Russia (707,301 cases), the United Kingdom (287,621), Spain (253,056), Italy (242,363), and Germany (198,178).
Some pundits are worried that passports, including digital technology, that declare individuals free from COVID-19 or immune to the virus will be used to “jump-start” the economy. Even left-wing groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have cautioned against plans to introduce multi-purpose coronavirus “immunity passports.” In an article published last month, senior members of the ACLU argued that immunity passports could “harm public health, incentivize economically-vulnerable people to risk their health by contracting COVID-19, exacerbate racial and economic disparities, and lead to a new health surveillance infrastructure that endangers privacy rights.”
“An immunity passport system is fundamentally different from a regime whereby employers routinely test workers for COVID-19 or screen for symptoms, to ensure that no one with active infection is entering a workplace. In the latter system, only contagious workers are prevented from going to work and only for the period of time in which they are contagious,” the article continues.
“But an immunity passport system would divide workers into two classes — the immune and the non-immune — and the latter might never be eligible for a given job short of contracting and surviving COVID-19 if an immune worker is available to take the slot.”
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lifesitenews--2020-07-10--Online conference will spur laity to stand up for right to receive Communion on tongue

July 10 , 2020 ( Voice of the Family ) — An online conference “ Love and reverence due to Our Lord : Let ’ s always receive Holy Communion on the tongue ” will be held on Thursday , 16 July 2020 from 12:00pm EST until 2:30pm .
This event is being held online for free and can be viewed on LifeSite ’ s YouTube channel and on the LifeSiteNews Catholic Facebook page .
To bookmark the LifeSite YouTube channel , click here .
The event will feature the following guests : • John Smeaton , Society for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary .
Please tune in Thursday , 16 July 2020 beginning at 12:00pm EST !
All presentations will be readily available to watch immediately afterwards if you can not attend .
About the theme of this conference Voice of the Family in union with the pro-life movement worldwide advocates for the inviolability and value of human life and proudly so .
Indeed , we consider it a privilege and honour to defend the most vulnerable human lives .
Many in the pro-life movement are prepared to lay down their own lives for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is the strength of our commitment .
And yet there is something even more precious than the sanctity of human life , and this is the divine life truly present in the Holy Eucharist in His Body , Blood , Soul and Divinity .
Our greatest treasure on earth is the Blessed Sacrament .
There is no other nation so great , the Divine Office of Corpus Christi sings , “ as to have its gods so near as our God is present to us ” .
The Eucharist is our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it so near to us in our Catholic churches fills us with gratitude and awe .
We rejoice as churches around the world re-open .
Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist can be received again .
But whilst the life of a Catholic might be characterised as discerning how we can best offer the love and reverence due to Our Lord , Catholics in many places in the world are now faced with a new and terrible challenge of how are we to worship Our Lord .
New regulations , issued by some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommend that the faithful receive Holy Communion in the hand and , in the most radical cases , including in Britain , bishops attempt to ban Holy Communion on the tongue .
These recommendations contradict divine and Church law , they obscure the reality of the Real Presence , and they lead the faithful , albeit , please God , in most cases unintentionally , to engage in practices lacking in reverence towards the divine life .
What are we , the laity , to do in such a situation ?
How can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lord the love and reverence due to Him ?
First , we must know that by insisting on receiving Holy Communion on the tongue , we are standing on solid ground , prepared by the Tradition of the Church and made fertile with the blood of her martyrs .
Tradition demands the greatest possible reverence towards the Holy Eucharist .
In fact , serious punishments used to be reserved for practices which are being recommended by some bishops today .
The faithful are being misled into believing that the responsible option is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the very real danger of losing and desecrating fragments of our Eucharistic Lord .
And following the instructions issued in the current crisis , Catholics are being schooled to remember in future that this is the so-called “ safer option ” when similar problems arrive .
But generations of Catholics before us have kept their devotion to our Eucharistic Lord unchanged throughout wars , epidemics , and other disasters that have struck the world — not because they did not know the danger they were in , but because they knew Who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas taught : “ Out of reverence towards this Sacrament , nothing touches it , but what is consecrated ; hence the corporal and the chalice are consecrated , and likewise the priest ’ s hands , for touching this Sacrament .
Hence , it is not lawful for anyone else to touch it except from necessity , for instance , if it were to fall upon the ground , or else in some other case of urgency.
” ( 16 ST , III , Q .
82 , Art .
13 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is not possible that what the Church has always taught about the Holy Eucharist does not apply following the coronavirus .
Secondly , receiving Holy Communion on the tongue remained the norm even after the practice of Communion in the hand was introduced in 1969 under certain conditions despite the opposition of the overwhelming majority of the bishops at the time .
Thus , it is a practice that the Church in modern times , tragically , tolerates .
However , the universal law of the Church states that the faithful have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tongue and that this right can not be denied to them .
This is the universal norm that no bishop or a bishops ’ conference can overrule .
As lay faithful , we must insist upon our right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue .
But above all , we must insist that Our Lord has the right to be received in the most reverent manner possible .
This is not a matter of our personal piety but justice due to Him .
The ultimate target of Satan ’ s attacks is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christ is really present .
The devil will do everything in his power to obscure the sacred reality of the Eucharist in order to diminish reverence due to Him .
Today his scheme aims to lead large groups of faithful to desecration of the Eucharistic Body of Christ on an unprecedented scale .
He wants the Body of Christ to be trampled on by the feet of clergy and laity in Catholic churches around the world .
For a vast number of Catholics in the past fifty years , the practice of receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Real Presence , in transubstantiation and in the divine character of the Sacrament .
The devil would use anything to advance his wicked plots , even our longing to be united with Our Lord again in the Holy Eucharist after being deprived of assisting at Holy Mass for months .
We must join in making acts of reparation for sins committed against the Holy Eucharist in our churches .
The Eucharistic fragments falling down and crushed by the feet of God ’ s own people has to be for us a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brings us to the role of the pro-life movement .
We could take the view that this painful development troubles us as Catholics , but does not relate to our noble work of saving babies .
However , this is not the case .
On the contrary , to be fully pro-life means being fully Catholic : offering everyone the gift of eternal life , which comes only through Jesus Christ and the saving truth He has confided to the Catholic Church .
How can we say we care deeply about an unborn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and not offer them the possibility of eternal life , which only comes through the Catholic Church ?
We in the pro-life movement defend the reality of hidden life .
We are accustomed to defending human life hidden in the womb and now we are being called upon to defend the divine life hidden in the tabernacle , Who is being abused by many of those who should be the first to love Him .
Catholics in the pro-life movement are uniquely well prepared to counter these offences .
Also , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ co-incidence , that Communion in the hand that obscures the dignity of divine life was introduced about fifty years ago , just as abortion in many western countries that denies the dignity of human life was introduced about fifty years ago ?
Today we reap the bitter fruits : human life has lost its value in human society and the Body of Christ has become abused in His churches .
And just as it is impossible to calculate the countless desecrations of the Body of Christ in the sacrilegious treatment of the Holy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Communion in the hand , it is also impossible to number the unborn children — made in the image and likeness of God — killed worldwide not only under permissive abortion legislation , but also those killed as a result of abortifacient contraceptive drugs and devices , and through IVF procedures .
The truth about the sanctity of human life before birth can not triumph without the recognition of the truth about Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist .
This is why we have organised this online conference , as Voice of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from all around the world .
With this conference we wish to mobilise our fellow lay Catholics to offer the love and reverence due to Our Lord truly present in the Holy Eucharist .
We are very pleased to bring you some moving personal witnesses , as well as interviews and presentations by some of the outstanding Catholic thinkers and activists today .
Please join us on 16 July 2020 !
Published with permission from Voice of the Family .

July 10, 2020 (Voice of the Family) — An online conference “Love and reverence due to Our Lord: Let’s always receive Holy Communion on the tongue” will be held on Thursday, 16 July 2020 from 12:00pm EST until 2:30pm.
This event is being held online for free and can be viewed on LifeSite’s YouTube channel and on the LifeSiteNews Catholic Facebook page. To bookmark the LifeSite YouTube channel, click here.
The event will feature the following guests:
Fr. Serafino Lanzetta, Diocese of Portsmouth, UK
Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, Author
Alexander Tschugguel, St. Boniface Institute
Theresa Habsburg
John-Henry Westen, LifeSiteNews
John Smeaton, Society for the Protection of Unborn Children
No registration is necessary. Please tune in Thursday, 16 July 2020 beginning at 12:00pm EST!
All presentations will be readily available to watch immediately afterwards if you cannot attend.
To help cover the cost of this conference, please prayerfully consider donating through this secure link: https://give.lifesitenews.com/
***
About the theme of this conference
Voice of the Family in union with the pro-life movement worldwide advocates for the inviolability and value of human life and proudly so. Indeed, we consider it a privilege and honour to defend the most vulnerable human lives. Many in the pro-life movement are prepared to lay down their own lives for the lives of those they seek to protect. This is the strength of our commitment.
And yet there is something even more precious than the sanctity of human life, and this is the divine life truly present in the Holy Eucharist in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Our greatest treasure on earth is the Blessed Sacrament. There is no other nation so great, the Divine Office of Corpus Christi sings, “as to have its gods so near as our God is present to us”. The Eucharist is our dearest treasure and the thought of having it so near to us in our Catholic churches fills us with gratitude and awe.
We rejoice as churches around the world re-open. Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist can be received again. But whilst the life of a Catholic might be characterised as discerning how we can best offer the love and reverence due to Our Lord, Catholics in many places in the world are now faced with a new and terrible challenge of how are we allowed to worship Our Lord. New regulations, issued by some of the world’s bishops, recommend that the faithful receive Holy Communion in the hand and, in the most radical cases, including in Britain, bishops attempt to ban Holy Communion on the tongue. These recommendations contradict divine and Church law, they obscure the reality of the Real Presence, and they lead the faithful, albeit, please God, in most cases unintentionally, to engage in practices lacking in reverence towards the divine life.
What are we, the laity, to do in such a situation? How can we defend the Eucharist and offer Our Lord the love and reverence due to Him?
First, we must know that by insisting on receiving Holy Communion on the tongue, we are standing on solid ground, prepared by the Tradition of the Church and made fertile with the blood of her martyrs. Tradition demands the greatest possible reverence towards the Holy Eucharist. In fact, serious punishments used to be reserved for practices which are being recommended by some bishops today. The faithful are being misled into believing that the responsible option is to receive Our Lord in the hand despite the very real danger of losing and desecrating fragments of our Eucharistic Lord. And following the instructions issued in the current crisis, Catholics are being schooled to remember in future that this is the so-called “safer option” when similar problems arrive.
But generations of Catholics before us have kept their devotion to our Eucharistic Lord unchanged throughout wars, epidemics, and other disasters that have struck the world — not because they did not know the danger they were in, but because they knew Who is in the Eucharist they approached.
St. Thomas taught: “Out of reverence towards this Sacrament, nothing touches it, but what is consecrated; hence the corporal and the chalice are consecrated, and likewise the priest’s hands, for touching this Sacrament. Hence, it is not lawful for anyone else to touch it except from necessity, for instance, if it were to fall upon the ground, or else in some other case of urgency.” (16 ST, III, Q. 82, Art. 13)
The Real Presence does not change. It is not possible that what the Church has always taught about the Holy Eucharist does not apply following the coronavirus.
Secondly, receiving Holy Communion on the tongue remained the norm even after the practice of Communion in the hand was introduced in 1969 under certain conditions despite the opposition of the overwhelming majority of the bishops at the time. Thus, it is a practice that the Church in modern times, tragically, tolerates.
However, the universal law of the Church states that the faithful have the right to receive Communion on the tongue and that this right cannot be denied to them. This is the universal norm that no bishop or a bishops’ conference can overrule. As lay faithful, we must insist upon our right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue. But above all, we must insist that Our Lord has the right to be received in the most reverent manner possible. This is not a matter of our personal piety but justice due to Him.
The ultimate target of Satan’s attacks is the Holy Eucharist, in which Jesus Christ is really present. The devil will do everything in his power to obscure the sacred reality of the Eucharist in order to diminish reverence due to Him. Today his scheme aims to lead large groups of faithful to desecration of the Eucharistic Body of Christ on an unprecedented scale. He wants the Body of Christ to be trampled on by the feet of clergy and laity in Catholic churches around the world. For a vast number of Catholics in the past fifty years, the practice of receiving Communion in the hand has weakened faith in the Real Presence, in transubstantiation and in the divine character of the Sacrament. The devil would use anything to advance his wicked plots, even our longing to be united with Our Lord again in the Holy Eucharist after being deprived of assisting at Holy Mass for months.
We must join in making acts of reparation for sins committed against the Holy Eucharist in our churches. The Eucharistic fragments falling down and crushed by the feet of God’s own people has to be for us a tragedy that demands action.
And this brings us to the role of the pro-life movement. We could take the view that this painful development troubles us as Catholics, but does not relate to our noble work of saving babies. However, this is not the case.
On the contrary, to be fully pro-life means being fully Catholic: offering everyone the gift of eternal life, which comes only through Jesus Christ and the saving truth He has confided to the Catholic Church. How can we say we care deeply about an unborn child, his mother, or anyone, and not offer them the possibility of eternal life, which only comes through the Catholic Church?
We in the pro-life movement defend the reality of hidden life. We are accustomed to defending human life hidden in the womb and now we are being called upon to defend the divine life hidden in the tabernacle, Who is being abused by many of those who should be the first to love Him. Catholics in the pro-life movement are uniquely well prepared to counter these offences.
Also, we may wonder, is it merely a co-incidence, that Communion in the hand that obscures the dignity of divine life was introduced about fifty years ago, just as abortion in many western countries that denies the dignity of human life was introduced about fifty years ago? Today we reap the bitter fruits: human life has lost its value in human society and the Body of Christ has become abused in His churches.
And just as it is impossible to calculate the countless desecrations of the Body of Christ in the sacrilegious treatment of the Holy Eucharist brought about by the practice of Communion in the hand, it is also impossible to number the unborn children — made in the image and likeness of God — killed worldwide not only under permissive abortion legislation, but also those killed as a result of abortifacient contraceptive drugs and devices, and through IVF procedures.
The truth about the sanctity of human life before birth cannot triumph without the recognition of the truth about Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist.
This is why we have organised this online conference, as Voice of the Family, uniting pro-life and pro-family groups from all around the world. With this conference we wish to mobilise our fellow lay Catholics to offer the love and reverence due to Our Lord truly present in the Holy Eucharist. We are very pleased to bring you some moving personal witnesses, as well as interviews and presentations by some of the outstanding Catholic thinkers and activists today.
Please join us on 16 July 2020!
Published with permission from Voice of the Family.
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