lifesitenews--2020-04-29--Viganò: Pope’s call for ‘obedience’ to Italy’s ongoing Mass ban ‘undue…harmful’

April 29 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Amid the coronavirus pandemic and massive restrictions on Mass attendance , Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò has encouraged the bishops in Italy “ to decide how to act , with prudence and wisdom , in order to guarantee the Sacraments and the celebration of the Mass to the faithful.
” The Pope ’ s call for “ obedience ” to Italian “ phase 2 ” restrictions that continue a ban on Mass is not only “ undue , but is also a violation of conscience and harmful to the health of souls , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ Do we think that Our Lord will judge us on having been obedient to Caesar , when this means disobeying God ?
Is the Christian not bound to conscientious objection , even at work , when that which is asked of him violates the Divine Law ?
” At the same time , Viganò said the newest decree of the Italian government violates a concordat between Italy and the Vatican , and thus international law , by keeping public Masses banned .
“ The Concordat between the Holy See and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as its ‘ native right , ’ full freedom and autonomy in carrying out her ministry , which is given proper social and public expression in the celebration of Holy Mass and the administration of the Sacraments , ” the former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States told Marco Tosatti .
“ No authority may interfere in this ministry , ” Viganò added , “ not even with the consent of Church authority , which is not the master of the Sacraments but rather the administrator of the grace conveyed by them.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual bishop of a diocese , he said , to decide “ with full autonomy , for the good of the souls entrusted to him as Pastor , which functions may be celebrated there and by whom they may be celebrated.
” As LifeSiteNews reported yesterday , the Italian Bishops ’ Conference had criticized the Italian government on Sunday night for extending the ban on public worship into “ Phase 2 ” of its strategy against the COVID-19 coronavirus .
Following the statement of the Italian Bishops ’ Conference , Pope Francis asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of … obedience ” regarding “ Phase 2 ” of the country ’ s lockdown regulations .
“ At this time when measures for leaving the quarantine are beginning , let us pray to the Lord that He will give his people , to all of us , the grace of prudence and obedience , so that the pandemic does not return , ” the Pope said .
Viganò emphasized that technically , the bishops ’ conference does not have any authority over the individual dioceses , but only the local bishop .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ unheard of that “ the Italian Bishops ’ Conference would continue to tolerate such abuse , which prejudices the divine right of the Church , violates a law of the State , and creates a very serious precedent.
” “ And I believe that the statement issued on Sunday evening is a proof of the consensus of the leadership of the Italian episcopate not only about the means but also about the ends this Government proposes , ” he added .
The archbishop had already mentioned in an interview at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to interfere in Church matters .
“ It must also be clear , though , especially in a country like Italy which signed a Concordat with the Church in 1929 , that the ecclesiastical authorities have sole rights over places of worship , ” Viganò told The Remnant .
Archbishop Viganò recalled during his conversation with Marco Tosatti that in Italy , some Masses celebrated in recent weeks were interrupted by local authorities “ with a sacrilegious arrogance that should have received an immediate and very strong protest from the Secretariat of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should have been summoned to the Holy See and presented with a harsh note of protest against the government ’ s serious violation of the Concordat , and the Holy See should have informed the Italian government that it would exercise its right to withdraw the Apostolic Nuncio to Italy if the government ’ s illegitimate provision was not withdrawn , ” Viganò explained .
LifeSiteNews reported on an incident in the diocese of Cremona , where police interrupted a Mass celebrated with only 12 faithful present .
One police officer even tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about to begin the Eucharistic Prayer , to talk to the mayor on the phone .
In this context , Viganò also criticized Cardinal Pietro Parolin , the Vatican ’ s Secretary of State .
“ It appears evident that , instead of protecting the sovereignty and freedom of the Church in fidelity to his high institutional function as Secretary of State , Cardinal Parolin has shamefully chosen to line up alongside his lawyer friend [ Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte ] , ” he argued .
When asked about how the position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in that , on the one had , he encouraged the Episcopal Conference of Italy ( CEI ) to take a position against the government , while , on the other hand , he recently recommended that the faithful obey the guidelines of the decrees , Archbishop Viganò responded that the Holy Father has suddenly changed his position before .
“ Bergoglio is not new at these types of sudden changes .
As everyone well remembers , before the scandal broke within the Order of Malta concerning the distribution of condoms in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Patron of the Order , Cardinal Burke , in which he gave him very clear provisions regarding his duty to watch over the Order so that Catholic morals would be followed with scrupulous fidelity.
” However , when it was opportune , “ he did not hesitate to disavow His Eminence , taking direct control of the Order , demanding the resignation of the Grand Master and reinstating the Councilor who had been expelled because he was responsible for that deplorable violation of morals.
” “ In the most recent case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued on Sunday evening [ April 26 ] evidently had received approval from the president of the bishops ’ conference Cardinal Bassetti , who in turn must have consulted with Francis .
It is disconcerting that , in the space of a few hours , the pulpit of Santa Marta disavowed the CEI and invited the faithful and priests to an obedience towards the provisions of the government which is not only undue , but is also a violation of conscience and harmful to the health of souls , ” the former Apostolic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forget that the faithful have the right , as well as the duty , to assist at Mass , to go to confession , to receive the Sacraments : this is a right that comes to them as living members of the Mystical Body in virtue of their Baptism , ” he continued .
“ The Pastors have therefore the sacred duty – even at the risk of their health and of life itself , when required – to fulfill this right of the faithful , and for this they will have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President of the [ Italian Bishops ’ Conference ] nor to the President.
” Viganò asked the Italian bishops , “ Do you believe that , when the churches in Mexico or in Spain were closed [ in the 20th century ] , when they prohibited processions , when they banned the wearing of the religious habit in public , that things started differently then they have started now ?
” He stressed they should not allow “ the freedoms of the Church to be limited by the excuse of an alleged epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not an excuse for servility .
“ If our faith was based only on obedience , the martyrs would not have had to face the torment to which the civil law condemned them : it would have been enough to obey and burn a grain of incense before the statue of the Emperor.
” In the course of the interview , Viganò briefly expressed his reservations about certain claims made regarding the coronavirus pandemic .
If one were to admit , he said , that the coronavirus is “ so virulent and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an entire nation , indeed of the entire world , well then : is it really precisely in this moment that the sacraments and the Mass are being denied to everyone , right when they are most needed for eternal salvation ?
” The archbishop added that the “ alleged pandemic ” had provided “ an excellent occasion – intended or not , we will soon know – to impose on the population a limitation of freedom that is not in any way democratic nor in any way good.
” “ These are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they even dare to track people ’ s movements , using the excuse of health reasons and a hypothetical future resurgence of the virus , ” he said .
“ They think they can impose a tyrannical regime in which non-elected persons claim the right to establish what is lawful and what is not , including which cures to impose and which punishments to inflict on those who will not submit .
”

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April 29, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Amid the coronavirus pandemic and massive restrictions on Mass attendance, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò has encouraged the bishops in Italy “to decide how to act, with prudence and wisdom, in order to guarantee the Sacraments and the celebration of the Mass to the faithful.”
The Pope’s call for “obedience” to Italian “phase 2” restrictions that continue a ban on Mass is not only “undue, but is also a violation of conscience and harmful to the health of souls,” the Archbishop said.
He asked, “Do we think that Our Lord will judge us on having been obedient to Caesar, when this means disobeying God? Is the Christian not bound to conscientious objection, even at work, when that which is asked of him violates the Divine Law?”
At the same time, Viganò said the newest decree of the Italian government violates a concordat between Italy and the Vatican, and thus international law, by keeping public Masses banned.
“The Concordat between the Holy See and the Italian State recognizes that the Church has, as its ‘native right,’ full freedom and autonomy in carrying out her ministry, which is given proper social and public expression in the celebration of Holy Mass and the administration of the Sacraments,” the former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States told Marco Tosatti.
“No authority may interfere in this ministry,” Viganò added, “not even with the consent of Church authority, which is not the master of the Sacraments but rather the administrator of the grace conveyed by them.”
It is the task of the individual bishop of a diocese, he said, to decide “with full autonomy, for the good of the souls entrusted to him as Pastor, which functions may be celebrated there and by whom they may be celebrated.”
As LifeSiteNews reported yesterday, the Italian Bishops’ Conference had criticized the Italian government on Sunday night for extending the ban on public worship into “Phase 2” of its strategy against the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Following the statement of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Pope Francis asked Catholics to pray for the “grace of … obedience” regarding “Phase 2” of the country’s lockdown regulations.
“At this time when measures for leaving the quarantine are beginning, let us pray to the Lord that He will give his people, to all of us, the grace of prudence and obedience, so that the pandemic does not return,” the Pope said.
Viganò emphasized that technically, the bishops’ conference does not have any authority over the individual dioceses, but only the local bishop.
Nevertheless, he admitted that it is unheard of that “the Italian Bishops’ Conference would continue to tolerate such abuse, which prejudices the divine right of the Church, violates a law of the State, and creates a very serious precedent.”
“And I believe that the statement issued on Sunday evening is a proof of the consensus of the leadership of the Italian episcopate not only about the means but also about the ends this Government proposes,” he added.
The archbishop had already mentioned in an interview at the end of March that the Italian government is not allowed to interfere in Church matters. “It must also be clear, though, especially in a country like Italy which signed a Concordat with the Church in 1929, that the ecclesiastical authorities have sole rights over places of worship,” Viganò told The Remnant.
Archbishop Viganò recalled during his conversation with Marco Tosatti that in Italy, some Masses celebrated in recent weeks were interrupted by local authorities “with a sacrilegious arrogance that should have received an immediate and very strong protest from the Secretariat of State.”
“The Ambassador of Italy should have been summoned to the Holy See and presented with a harsh note of protest against the government’s serious violation of the Concordat, and the Holy See should have informed the Italian government that it would exercise its right to withdraw the Apostolic Nuncio to Italy if the government’s illegitimate provision was not withdrawn,” Viganò explained.
LifeSiteNews reported on an incident in the diocese of Cremona, where police interrupted a Mass celebrated with only 12 faithful present. One police officer even tried to get the priest, who was about to begin the Eucharistic Prayer, to talk to the mayor on the phone.
In this context, Viganò also criticized Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State. “It appears evident that, instead of protecting the sovereignty and freedom of the Church in fidelity to his high institutional function as Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin has shamefully chosen to line up alongside his lawyer friend [Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte],” he argued.
When asked about how the position of Pope Francis seems to be contradictory in that, on the one had, he encouraged the Episcopal Conference of Italy (CEI) to take a position against the government, while, on the other hand, he recently recommended that the faithful obey the guidelines of the decrees, Archbishop Viganò responded that the Holy Father has suddenly changed his position before.
“Bergoglio is not new at these types of sudden changes. As everyone well remembers, before the scandal broke within the Order of Malta concerning the distribution of condoms in its hospitals, Francis had written a letter to the Patron of the Order, Cardinal Burke, in which he gave him very clear provisions regarding his duty to watch over the Order so that Catholic morals would be followed with scrupulous fidelity.”
However, when it was opportune, “he did not hesitate to disavow His Eminence, taking direct control of the Order, demanding the resignation of the Grand Master and reinstating the Councilor who had been expelled because he was responsible for that deplorable violation of morals.”
“In the most recent case of the CEI, the press release issued on Sunday evening [April 26] evidently had received approval from the president of the bishops’ conference Cardinal Bassetti, who in turn must have consulted with Francis. It is disconcerting that, in the space of a few hours, the pulpit of Santa Marta disavowed the CEI and invited the faithful and priests to an obedience towards the provisions of the government which is not only undue, but is also a violation of conscience and harmful to the health of souls,” the former Apostolic Nuncio said.
“Let us not forget that the faithful have the right, as well as the duty, to assist at Mass, to go to confession, to receive the Sacraments: this is a right that comes to them as living members of the Mystical Body in virtue of their Baptism,” he continued.
“The Pastors have therefore the sacred duty – even at the risk of their health and of life itself, when required – to fulfill this right of the faithful, and for this they will have to answer to God, not to the President of the [Italian Bishops’ Conference] nor to the President.”
Viganò asked the Italian bishops, “Do you believe that, when the churches in Mexico or in Spain were closed [in the 20th century], when they prohibited processions, when they banned the wearing of the religious habit in public, that things started differently then they have started now?”
He stressed they should not allow “the freedoms of the Church to be limited by the excuse of an alleged epidemic!”
Obedience, Viganò said, is not an excuse for servility. “If our faith was based only on obedience, the martyrs would not have had to face the torment to which the civil law condemned them: it would have been enough to obey and burn a grain of incense before the statue of the Emperor.”
In the course of the interview, Viganò briefly expressed his reservations about certain claims made regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
If one were to admit, he said, that the coronavirus is “so virulent and deadly that it justifies the sequestering of an entire nation, indeed of the entire world, well then: is it really precisely in this moment that the sacraments and the Mass are being denied to everyone, right when they are most needed for eternal salvation?”
The archbishop added that the “alleged pandemic” had provided “an excellent occasion – intended or not, we will soon know – to impose on the population a limitation of freedom that is not in any way democratic nor in any way good.”
“These are proven techniques of dictatorship, in which they even dare to track people’s movements, using the excuse of health reasons and a hypothetical future resurgence of the virus,” he said. “They think they can impose a tyrannical regime in which non-elected persons claim the right to establish what is lawful and what is not, including which cures to impose and which punishments to inflict on those who will not submit.”
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lifesitenews--2020-04-29--Alberta bans singing in church to prevent spread of COVID-19

EDMONTON , Alberta , April 29 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Alberta ’ s United Conservative government has followed a California county and banned singing during live-streamed church services — which are restricted to fewer than 15 people — allegedly to stop the spread of the coronavirus .
“ Any gatherings with fewer than 15 people must not include activities that could promote disease transmission , ” reads a March 24 Alberta government advisory on restrictions on gatherings .
“ This includes singing , even at religious gatherings , as infected people can transmit the virus through their saliva @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it notes .
“ Other activities considered high risk include — but are not limited to — cheering , hand shaking , preparing food , sharing food or beverages , and buffet-style meals.
” The penalty for violating the order is a fine that can range from $ 1,000 to $ 100,000 for a first offense and up to $ 500,000 “ for a subsequent offence for more serious violations.
” As the directive is worded , a priest singing the Mass in the presence of a single cameraperson and observing the required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the law and subject to fines between $ 1,000 to $ 100,000 .
According to an individual who spoke to LifeSiteNews but wished to remain anonymous , local churches are continuing to sing during their live-streamed worship services .
“ The government has crossed a line in dictating how we are allowed to worship our God , ” the individual told LifeSiteNews .
“ That is not acceptable to many churches .
That ’ s no different than China.
” The churches are observing the required social distancing , the individual added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has also set up a complaint line so people concerned that others are breaking health regulations can contact Alberta Health Services health inspectors .
The Alberta directive is similar to the shelter-in-place order issued April 10 by California ’ s Mendocino County , 100 miles north of San Francisco .
In force until May 10 , the order limits events , including those live-streamed , to four individuals , and bans not only singing , but the “ use of wind instruments , harmonicas , or other instruments that could spread COVID-19 through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week .
R. Albert Mohler , Jr. , president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary , criticized the order in an essay in The Federalist as “ government authority intruding upon the integrity of Christian worship.
” Mendocino County ’ s order was issued 10 days after media reports that two people had died after evidently becoming infected by the virus during a choir practice in Mount Vernon , Washington .
Sixty members of 121 Skagit Valley Chorale , none of whom had symptoms at the time , met at a church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a volleyball court ” for a practice on March 10 , at a time when the state permitted gatherings of up to 250 people , according to a March 29 report in the Los Angeles Times .
Twenty days later , 45 had symptoms of COVID-19 , 28 tested positive for the virus , three had been hospitalized , and two had died .
At the practice , a greeter offered members hand sanitizer at the door , the singers did not hug or shake hands , and they maintained distance from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Everybody came with their own sheet music and avoided direct physical contact .
Some members helped set up or remove folding chairs .
A few helped themselves to mandarins that had been put out on a table in back , ” according to the Los Angeles Times .
The members , a majority of whom are seniors , at one point “ broke into two groups , each standing around separate pianos to sing.
” Health authorities concluded in the aftermath that the virus had been transmitted through the air .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington tragedy prompted Mendocino county ’ s order , Tyler O ’ Neill of PJ Media argues the directive is on its face “ ridiculous.
” The order would “ ban one solitary soloist from singing ‘ Mary had a little lamb , ’ but it would allow an expectorating preacher to spew the same supposedly coronavirus-laden ‘ droplets ’ in the midst of a sermon in the same sanctuary , ” O ’ Neill pointed out .
“ It would prevent a child from playing her harmonica while allowing a spit-laced oration.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , John Carpay , president of the Calgary-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms , said the UCP government has to back it up with evidence .
“ The onus is on the Alberta Government to explain why singing while six feet apart is somehow more dangerous than speaking while six feet apart .
After all , our Prime Minister has stated that some people speak moistly , ” he told LifeSiteNews in an email .
“ If there is solid evidence to support the notion that singing is more likely to project dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking , then the government could potentially succeed in enforcing this prohibition on singing in church , ” added Carpay .
“ When governments violate our Charter freedoms to move , travel , associate , assemble and worship , governments are required by the Charter to curtail our freedoms as little as possible , only to the extent necessary to achieve a goal , ” he said .
LifeSiteNews contacted the communications director for Alberta ’ s chief medical officer of health , Dr. Deena Hinshaw , for a comment but did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alberta ’ s latest data , there are 4,850 confirmed cases of COVID-19 — 3,366 in Calgary and 486 in Edmonton — and 80 deaths in the province , which has a population of just over four million .
There are 1,800 reported recovered cases .
The Edmonton Journal reported Tuesday that 472 health care workers in Alberta — including 22 doctors — are known to have contracted COVID-19 since the outbreak began , with the majority in the Calgary area .
Alberta Health Services ( AHS ) reported April 23 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 18 , 2020 , 1,532 people were hospitalized with the seasonal flu , and 39 died of the flu in hospital .
These figures are only for cases handled by AHS and exclude those handled by the First Nation and Inuit Health Branch , reports the AHS website .
Canadian province to track citizens via cell phones , ‘ deal with ’ those who break quarantine This article has been updated .

Alberta’s United Conservative government has followed a California county and banned singing during live-streamed church services — which are restricted to fewer than 15 people.
EDMONTON, Alberta, April 29, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Alberta’s United Conservative government has followed a California county and banned singing during live-streamed church services — which are restricted to fewer than 15 people — allegedly to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“Any gatherings with fewer than 15 people must not include activities that could promote disease transmission,” reads a March 24 Alberta government advisory on restrictions on gatherings.
“This includes singing, even at religious gatherings, as infected people can transmit the virus through their saliva or respiratory droplets while singing,” it notes.
“Other activities considered high risk include — but are not limited to — cheering, hand shaking, preparing food, sharing food or beverages, and buffet-style meals.”
The penalty for violating the order is a fine that can range from $1,000 to $100,000 for a first offense and up to $500,000 “for a subsequent offence for more serious violations.”
As the directive is worded, a priest singing the Mass in the presence of a single cameraperson and observing the required social distance would be in violation of the law and subject to fines between $1,000 to $100,000.
According to an individual who spoke to LifeSiteNews but wished to remain anonymous, local churches are continuing to sing during their live-streamed worship services.
“The government has crossed a line in dictating how we are allowed to worship our God,” the individual told LifeSiteNews. “That is not acceptable to many churches. That’s no different than China.”
The churches are observing the required social distancing, the individual added.
Premier Jason Kenney’s UCP government has also set up a complaint line so people concerned that others are breaking health regulations can contact Alberta Health Services health inspectors.
The Alberta directive is similar to the shelter-in-place order issued April 10 by California’s Mendocino County, 100 miles north of San Francisco.
In force until May 10, the order limits events, including those live-streamed, to four individuals, and bans not only singing, but the “use of wind instruments, harmonicas, or other instruments that could spread COVID-19 through projected droplets,” as LifeSiteNews reported last week.
R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, criticized the order in an essay in The Federalist as “government authority intruding upon the integrity of Christian worship.”
Mendocino County’s order was issued 10 days after media reports that two people had died after evidently becoming infected by the virus during a choir practice in Mount Vernon, Washington.
Sixty members of 121 Skagit Valley Chorale, none of whom had symptoms at the time, met at a church hall that was “roughly the size of a volleyball court” for a practice on March 10, at a time when the state permitted gatherings of up to 250 people, according to a March 29 report in the Los Angeles Times.
Twenty days later, 45 had symptoms of COVID-19, 28 tested positive for the virus, three had been hospitalized, and two had died.
At the practice, a greeter offered members hand sanitizer at the door, the singers did not hug or shake hands, and they maintained distance from each other during the two-and-a-half-hour event.
“Everybody came with their own sheet music and avoided direct physical contact. Some members helped set up or remove folding chairs. A few helped themselves to mandarins that had been put out on a table in back,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
The members, a majority of whom are seniors, at one point “broke into two groups, each standing around separate pianos to sing.”
Health authorities concluded in the aftermath that the virus had been transmitted through the air.
While it’s not clear if the Washington tragedy prompted Mendocino county’s order, Tyler O’Neill of PJ Media argues the directive is on its face “ridiculous.”
The order would “ban one solitary soloist from singing ‘Mary had a little lamb,’ but it would allow an expectorating preacher to spew the same supposedly coronavirus-laden ‘droplets’ in the midst of a sermon in the same sanctuary,” O’Neill pointed out.
“It would prevent a child from playing her harmonica while allowing a spit-laced oration.”
As for Alberta’s order, John Carpay, president of the Calgary-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, said the UCP government has to back it up with evidence.
“The onus is on the Alberta Government to explain why singing while six feet apart is somehow more dangerous than speaking while six feet apart. After all, our Prime Minister has stated that some people speak moistly,” he told LifeSiteNews in an email.
“If there is solid evidence to support the notion that singing is more likely to project dangerous matter through six feet of air than speaking, then the government could potentially succeed in enforcing this prohibition on singing in church,” added Carpay.
“When governments violate our Charter freedoms to move, travel, associate, assemble and worship, governments are required by the Charter to curtail our freedoms as little as possible, only to the extent necessary to achieve a goal,” he said.
LifeSiteNews contacted the communications director for Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, for a comment but did not hear back by deadline.
According to Alberta’s latest data, there are 4,850 confirmed cases of COVID-19 — 3,366 in Calgary and 486 in Edmonton — and 80 deaths in the province, which has a population of just over four million. There are 1,800 reported recovered cases.
The Edmonton Journal reported Tuesday that 472 health care workers in Alberta — including 22 doctors — are known to have contracted COVID-19 since the outbreak began, with the majority in the Calgary area.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) reported April 23, 2020 that between August 25, 2019 and April 18, 2020, 1,532 people were hospitalized with the seasonal flu, and 39 died of the flu in hospital. These figures are only for cases handled by AHS and exclude those handled by the First Nation and Inuit Health Branch, reports the AHS website.
Related:
Canadian police fine preacher feeding homeless for ‘coronavirus health orders’
Canadian province to track citizens via cell phones, ‘deal with’ those who break quarantine
California county bans singing in online worship services
This article has been updated.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-29--Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

April 29 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In response to the coronavirus crisis , LifeSite is offering Catholics throughout the world a chance to be united in praying the rosary together , at the same time , every day at 12:00 noon EST .
The rosary is led by Father Anthony Pillari , an American priest currently in Italy .
To date , Catholics from Israel , Uganda , Italy , France , Germany , Ireland , the United Kingdom , the U.S. , Canada , Mexico , Chile , Brazil , Australia , New Zealand , the Philippines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as other countries , have been joining in .
The whole world – including the Church – has been thrown into chaos because of the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) .
Thousands of people have passed away as a result of the viral outbreak , while thousands more have been sickened .
And , across the world , business has come to a grinding halt , resulting in sudden job loss and threatening economic recession .
If there ever was a time for prayer , this is it .
Catholics around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sacraments , but in many places are unable to access them because of bishops ’ orders or government restrictions .
We know that community with other believers is vital all the time , but especially during this time of global calls for “ sheltering-in-place ” and quarantine .
“ The rosary is the weapon for these times , ” St. Padre Pio said .
Through prayer , we can shape history , change the world , and bring this painful crisis to an end .
Join us today !
Send photos or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rosary with Father Pillari to [ email protected ]

(LifeSiteNews) — In response to the crisis unfolding in our world and in the Church, LifeSite is happy to promote Regina Angelorum Press’s Daily Rosary, which is offering Catholics throughout the world the chance to be united daily in prayer, in the Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Crusade.
Catholics from all over the world — from Israel, Uganda, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Pakistan, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and other countries — are gathering daily to pray the Rosary, led by Father Pillari, JCL, MCL, STL, an American priest currently studying in Italy.
The Daily Rosary is being offered each day at 12noon EST through Regina Angelorum Press’ YouTube Channel to which you can subscribe HERE.
The goal is, by means of this Daily Rosary and by embracing and living out the message given by the Virgin Mary at Fatima, the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.
To help obtain that goal, Bishop Athanasius Schneider graciously composed the following prayer for this worldwide Rosary crusade:
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, you are the holy Mother of God and our tender Mother. Look upon the distress in which the Church and the whole of humanity are living because of the spread of materialism and the persecution of the Church. In Fatima you warned against these errors, as you spoke about the errors of Russia. You are the Mediatrix of all graces. Implore your Divine Son to grant this special grace for the Pope: that he might consecrate Russia to your Immaculate Heart, so that Russia will be converted, a period of peace will be granted to the world, and your Immaculate Heart will triumph, through an authentic renewal of the Church in the splendor of the purity of the Catholic Faith, of the sacredness of Divine worship and of the holiness of the Christian life. O Queen of the holy Rosary and our sweet Mother, turn your merciful eyes to us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer. Amen. + Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana
To learn more about the urgency of responding to Our Lady’s message at Fatima, and about what you can do, please read Cardinal Burke’s 2017 address at the Rome Life Forum.
As St. Padre Pio once said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times.” Through prayer, God can shape history, change the world, and bring about a great time of renewal and peace for the Church and for the world, through the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. Join us today!
If you would like to follow along with the prayers said during this Rosary, you can access them HERE. The document also includes a brief F.A.Q. pertaining to the daily Rosary.
You can send your prayer requests to https://reginangelorumpress.com/prayer-intentions/
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lifesitenews--2020-04-29--This revered female saint chastened popes and rebuked cardinals. Her wisdom is urgently needed today

April 29 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In our family , we enjoy reading books aloud almost every evening after dinner .
In this way , we ’ ve managed to read through hundreds of books over the years—mostly imaginative literature , but sometimes biographies , histories , or religious works .
At the recommendation of others who had read it , one springtime we took up Catherine of Siena by Sigrid Undset , author of the novel Kristin Lavransdatter .
Undset converted to Catholicism in 1924 , at the age of 42 , and eventually became a lay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were spell-bound by this book , amazed at Catherine ’ s spiritual gifts and human qualities , delighted by the vigor of her writings ( which Undset quotes or summarizes throughout ) , appalled at the clerical and political corruption of her age , and edified by her response to it , at once charitable and courageous .
How remarkable is the shining knowledge and serene wisdom of Catherine on every profound question she ever spoke about—this girl who had barely had any education and who said , with simplicity , that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She used to dictate two or three letters at a time to her various secretaries and never lost the thread of her thoughts .
No atheist could ever explain how something like this is even remotely possible on a materialist reading of the universe .
She is living proof of the reality of God and the infusion of His grace .
Catherine was born on March 25 , 1347 , and died on April 29 , 1380 .
When she was added to the general calendar of the saints in 1628 , April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St. Peter the Martyr ( often depicted in European art with a sword halfway through his head , as he was killed by a Catharist assassin ) , so she was given the date April 30th—a date she retained until 1969 , when Peter Martyr was dropped from the general calendar and Catherine put in her place .
I would like to share some passages in Undset ’ s biography that particularly struck me .
I will be citing from the original Sheed & Ward edition from 1954 .
( Strangely , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opening chapter by Undset , which concludes with the lines : “ They [ blessed Birgitta of Sweden and blessed Catherine ] came to play a part in world politics , and to correct , advise and direct—sometimes even order and command—the Vicar of Christ on earth , ” and consequently numbers Undset ’ s chapter 2 as “ chapter 1 , ” etc.
, which is , to say the least , misleading to the reader .
One wonders if perhaps the content of the opening chapter was thought to be too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gets credit for his discernment of spirits , but we can find in her works a vivid anticipation of the same principles .
Jesus says to her at one point : Christ says again to Catherine , who never sought publicity and , if anything , ran from confrontation : The situation of the period was terrible , as the French-controlled papacy remained comfortably settled in Avignon , perpetuating “ the Popes ’ Babylonian captivity , ” while the state of the Church , in general , went from bad to worse : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us marvel at how history repeats itself , except never in quite the same way ; for though a bishop dwells in the old capital of the Church , he has dispossessed himself of the title of Vicar of Christ , reducing it to a mere “ historical title.
” In words devastatingly applicable to the fear that has gripped the world and driven responses to the coronavirus , Catherine writes to a Cardinal Legate , Pierre d ’ Estaing , in 1372 : A soul which is full of slavish fear can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whatever the circumstances may be , whether it concern small or great things .
It will always be shipwrecked and never complete what it has begun .
Oh , how dangerous this fear is !
It makes holy desire powerless , it blinds a man so that he can neither see nor understand the truth .
This fear is born of the blindness of self-love , for as soon as a human being loves himself with the self-love of the senses he learns fear , and the reason of this fear is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fragile things which have neither substance nor being and vanish like the wind… Seek for nothing but the honour of God , the salvation of the soul , and the service of the beloved Bride of Christ , the Holy Church .
( pp .
139–40 ) In 1375 , she addressed to Pope Gregory XI a letter described by Undset as “ nothing less than a serious warning.
” Catherine tells Gregory “ the victim of self-love becomes indifferent to sins and faults among his subordinates… Either he attempts to punish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or else he does not punish them at all ” ( p. 166 ) .
At one moment Undset pauses to speak about the paradox of the papacy—obviously she doesn ’ t belong to that facile school of thought for which a given pope is “ the Holy Spirit ’ s choice ” and so he must be doing and teaching all the right things : Catherine nevertheless retained an unshakeable faith in Divine Providence and in the indefectibility of the Catholic Church , in spite of the sins of her members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same year ( 1375 ) , she wrote in a circular letter to the general and elders of Lucca : To three Italian cardinals , she wrote : “ You deserve punishment more than words ” ( p. 247 ) .
In what has to be one of the most remarkable letters ever written , Catherine admonished her spiritual director , Raymond of Capua ( who later wrote an important biography of the saint ) for his fear of possible ambush and capture in a journey he was to undertake : My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I Catherine , Christ ’ s servants ’ serving-woman and slave , write to you in His precious Blood , full of longing to see you grow out of your childhood and become a grown man… For an infant who lives on milk is not able to fight on the battlefield ; he only wants to play with other children… .
But when he becomes a grown man , he leaves behind him his sensitive self-love .
Filled with holy desire , he eats bread , chewing it with the teeth of hate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harder it is , the better he likes it… He has become strong , he associates with strong men , he is firm , serious , thoughtful ; he hastens to the battlefield with them , and his only wish is to fight for the Truth… You were not yet worthy to fight on the battlefield , and therefore you were sent behind the lines like a little boy ; you fled of your own free will , and were glad to do so , because God showed mercy for your weakness… Oh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been for your soul and mine if you had cemented a single stone in the Church of God with your blood , out of love for the precious Blood… We have truly reason to complain when we see how our wretched deeds have lost a great reward for us .
Oh , let us lose our milk teeth and cut instead the strong teeth of hate and love .
( pp .
253–54 ) Catherine and Raymond had a deep friendship in Christ and their love was only strengthened by the clarity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of being chided as “ a little boy , ” Raymond must have been mature indeed to respond so well to such frank criticism !
In a letter after this , Catherine continues her advice to her director , whom she knows will be entrusted with more and more responsibilities : Sigrid Undset concludes with an eloquent peroration to the “ martyrdom ” suffered by this great Sienese saint in her 33 years of tireless prayer and labors : St. Catherine was unquestionably among the most sincere and most faithful Christians the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of whom the world was not worthy ” ( Heb 11:38 ) , and yet who have left a decisive mark on the Church and on human civilization .
Her spiritual doctrine remains ever fresh and full of life , accurate and relevant .
May she intercede for us as we strive to be those “ firm , serious , thoughtful ” soldiers of Christ who “ hasten to the battlefield…to fight for the Truth .
”

April 29, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – In our family, we enjoy reading books aloud almost every evening after dinner. In this way, we’ve managed to read through hundreds of books over the years—mostly imaginative literature, but sometimes biographies, histories, or religious works.
At the recommendation of others who had read it, one springtime we took up Catherine of Siena by Sigrid Undset, author of the novel Kristin Lavransdatter. Undset converted to Catholicism in 1924, at the age of 42, and eventually became a lay Dominican, like Catherine herself. We were spell-bound by this book, amazed at Catherine’s spiritual gifts and human qualities, delighted by the vigor of her writings (which Undset quotes or summarizes throughout), appalled at the clerical and political corruption of her age, and edified by her response to it, at once charitable and courageous.
How remarkable is the shining knowledge and serene wisdom of Catherine on every profound question she ever spoke about—this girl who had barely had any education and who said, with simplicity, that the Lord taught her everything she knew! She used to dictate two or three letters at a time to her various secretaries and never lost the thread of her thoughts. No atheist could ever explain how something like this is even remotely possible on a materialist reading of the universe. She is living proof of the reality of God and the infusion of His grace.
Catherine was born on March 25, 1347, and died on April 29, 1380. When she was added to the general calendar of the saints in 1628, April 29th was occupied by the great Dominican St. Peter the Martyr (often depicted in European art with a sword halfway through his head, as he was killed by a Catharist assassin), so she was given the date April 30th—a date she retained until 1969, when Peter Martyr was dropped from the general calendar and Catherine put in her place.
I would like to share some passages in Undset’s biography that particularly struck me. I will be citing from the original Sheed & Ward edition from 1954. (Strangely, the new Ignatius Press edition omits the powerful opening chapter by Undset, which concludes with the lines: “They [blessed Birgitta of Sweden and blessed Catherine] came to play a part in world politics, and to correct, advise and direct—sometimes even order and command—the Vicar of Christ on earth,” and consequently numbers Undset’s chapter 2 as “chapter 1,” etc., which is, to say the least, misleading to the reader. One wonders if perhaps the content of the opening chapter was thought to be too edgy?)
St. Ignatius of Loyola gets credit for his discernment of spirits, but we can find in her works a vivid anticipation of the same principles. Jesus says to her at one point:
My visions are always accompanied at first by a certain amount of fear, but as they unfold they bring a growing feeling of security. First comes bitterness, but later comes strength and consolation. The visions which come from the devil create at first a feeling of security and sweetness, but they end in terror and bitterness. My way is the way of penitence. At first it seems hard and difficult to follow, but the further you pursue it, the happier and sweeter it appears. The way of the devil, on the other hand, is sweet and happy to begin with, but as the soul pursues the way of sin it goes from bitterness to bitterness, and the end is eternal damnation. (p. 44)
Christ says again to Catherine, who never sought publicity and, if anything, ran from confrontation:
I shall send you to the popes and the leaders of My Church and to all Christians, for I choose to put the pride of the mighty to shame by the use of fragile tools. (p. 102)
The situation of the period was terrible, as the French-controlled papacy remained comfortably settled in Avignon, perpetuating “the Popes’ Babylonian captivity,” while the state of the Church, in general, went from bad to worse:
The people lost their love and trust in the Church of Christ since its power to lead souls into the right way and to heal the wounds of the exhausted people had been so sadly weakened. The morals of the clergy, both the higher and the lower, had in many places sunk so deep that the hearts of the faithful were filled with horror and grief. In many parts there was a terrible ignorance of religion; practically no religious teaching was given, men and women knew almost nothing of the faith which they officially professed…. But no place suffered from the absence of the Vicar of Christ from the old capital of the Church so much as Rome itself. (pp. 118–19)
Reading such words today can only make us marvel at how history repeats itself, except never in quite the same way; for though a bishop dwells in the old capital of the Church, he has dispossessed himself of the title of Vicar of Christ, reducing it to a mere “historical title.”
In words devastatingly applicable to the fear that has gripped the world and driven responses to the coronavirus, Catherine writes to a Cardinal Legate, Pierre d’Estaing, in 1372:
A soul which is full of slavish fear cannot achieve anything which is right, whatever the circumstances may be, whether it concern small or great things. It will always be shipwrecked and never complete what it has begun. Oh, how dangerous this fear is! It makes holy desire powerless, it blinds a man so that he can neither see nor understand the truth. This fear is born of the blindness of self-love, for as soon as a human being loves himself with the self-love of the senses he learns fear, and the reason of this fear is that it has given its hope and love to fragile things which have neither substance nor being and vanish like the wind… Seek for nothing but the honour of God, the salvation of the soul, and the service of the beloved Bride of Christ, the Holy Church. (pp. 139–40)
Catherine writes to another church dignitary, Gérard du Puy:
Our Lord hates above all things three abominable sins: covetousness, unchastity, and pride. These prevail in the Bride of Christ, that is to say, in the prelates who seek nothing but riches, pleasure, and fame. They see the demons from hell stealing the souls which have been put into their keeping, and are completely unmoved, for they are wolves who do business with divine grace. Strict justice is needed to punish them. In this case exaggerated mercy is in fact the worst cruelty. It is necessary for justice to go hand in hand with mercy to put a stop to such evil. (p. 141)
In 1375, she addressed to Pope Gregory XI a letter described by Undset as “nothing less than a serious warning.” Catherine tells Gregory “the victim of self-love becomes indifferent to sins and faults among his subordinates… Either he attempts to punish them so half-heartedly that it is useless, or else he does not punish them at all” (p. 166).
Catherine tells the pope openly that in the last resort it is he who carries the whole responsibility for the terrible abuses which are draining the life of the Church, even though according to human reckoning he may be a fine person with many good qualities. Nevertheless it is he who is responsible for the bad shepherds and the treacherous monks whose shameful way of living is undermining the faith of believers. (p. 167)
At one moment Undset pauses to speak about the paradox of the papacy—obviously she doesn’t belong to that facile school of thought for which a given pope is “the Holy Spirit’s choice” and so he must be doing and teaching all the right things:
[A]s it has been put in the hands of men to appoint a man as the Vicar of Christ, it is only to be expected that the voters will all too often vote from impure, mean, or cunning motives, for a man who will become an evil to the Church of God on earth. God will nevertheless watch over His Church, raise and restore again what mankind may ruin or soil; it is necessary, for mystical reasons which the saints have partly seen and understood, that the offence should occur. But woe to that person through whom the offence comes. (p. 170)
Catherine nevertheless retained an unshakeable faith in Divine Providence and in the indefectibility of the Catholic Church, in spite of the sins of her members and especially of her shepherds. In the same year (1375), she wrote in a circular letter to the general and elders of Lucca:
The Church is His bride; the faithful sons of the Church are they who prefer to suffer death a thousand times than to leave it. If you reply that it looks as though the Church must surrender, for it is impossible for it to save itself and its children, I say to you that it is not so. The outward appearance deceives, but look at the inward, and you will find that it possesses a power which its enemies can never possess. (p. 172)
To three Italian cardinals, she wrote: “You deserve punishment more than words” (p. 247).
In what has to be one of the most remarkable letters ever written, Catherine admonished her spiritual director, Raymond of Capua (who later wrote an important biography of the saint) for his fear of possible ambush and capture in a journey he was to undertake:
My very dear Father in Jesus Christ, I Catherine, Christ’s servants’ serving-woman and slave, write to you in His precious Blood, full of longing to see you grow out of your childhood and become a grown man… For an infant who lives on milk is not able to fight on the battlefield; he only wants to play with other children…. But when he becomes a grown man, he leaves behind him his sensitive self-love. Filled with holy desire, he eats bread, chewing it with the teeth of hate and love, and the coarser and harder it is, the better he likes it… He has become strong, he associates with strong men, he is firm, serious, thoughtful; he hastens to the battlefield with them, and his only wish is to fight for the Truth… You were not yet worthy to fight on the battlefield, and therefore you were sent behind the lines like a little boy; you fled of your own free will, and were glad to do so, because God showed mercy for your weakness… Oh bad little Father, what happiness it had been for your soul and mine if you had cemented a single stone in the Church of God with your blood, out of love for the precious Blood… We have truly reason to complain when we see how our wretched deeds have lost a great reward for us. Oh, let us lose our milk teeth and cut instead the strong teeth of hate and love. (pp. 253–54)
Catherine and Raymond had a deep friendship in Christ and their love was only strengthened by the clarity of their candid correspondence. In spite of being chided as “a little boy,” Raymond must have been mature indeed to respond so well to such frank criticism! In a letter after this, Catherine continues her advice to her director, whom she knows will be entrusted with more and more responsibilities:
You will not be able to enjoy much of the solitude of the cell, but it is my will that you carry with you everywhere the cell in your heart, for you know that when we are enclosed in it the enemy cannot harm us…. Love the table of the Cross and nourish yourself with the soul’s food in holy vigilance and ceaseless prayer; say Mass every day unless you are absolutely prevented…. Cast your weakness and slavish fear from you, for the Holy Church has no use for such servants. (p. 270)
Sigrid Undset concludes with an eloquent peroration to the “martyrdom” suffered by this great Sienese saint in her 33 years of tireless prayer and labors:
It is certain that Catherine voluntarily—and few women have ever had such an inflexible will—chose to suffer ceaselessly for all she believed in, loved, and desired: unity with God, the glory and honour of His name, His kingdom on earth, the eternal happiness of all mankind, and the re-birth of Christ’s Church to the beauty which it possesses when the radiance of its soul shines freely through its outward form—that form which was then stained and spoilt by its own degenerate servants and rebellious children. As Catherine expressed it: the strength and beauty of its mystical body can never diminish, for it is God; but the jewels with which its mystical body are adorned are the good accomplished by its sincere and faithful children. (p. 289)
St. Catherine was unquestionably among the most sincere and most faithful Christians the world has ever known—like the ancient saints “of whom the world was not worthy” (Heb 11:38), and yet who have left a decisive mark on the Church and on human civilization. Her spiritual doctrine remains ever fresh and full of life, accurate and relevant.
May she intercede for us as we strive to be those “firm, serious, thoughtful” soldiers of Christ who “hasten to the battlefield…to fight for the Truth.”
Peter Kwasniewski, Thomistic theologian, liturgical scholar, and choral composer, is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College in California (B.A. Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy). He taught at the International Theological Institute in Austria and the Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Austria Program, then helped establish Wyoming Catholic College in 2006. There he taught theology, philosophy, music, and art history and directed the choirs until leaving in 2018 to devote himself full-time to writing and lecturing. Today he contributes regularly to many websites and publications, including New Liturgical Movement, OnePeterFive, LifeSiteNews, Rorate Caeli, The Remnant, and Catholic Family News, and has published thirteen books, including four on traditional Catholicism: Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis (Angelico, 2014, also available in Czech, Polish, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Belarusian), Noble Beauty, Transcendent Holiness (Angelico, 2017), Tradition and Sanity (Angelico, 2018), and Reclaiming Our Roman Catholic Birthright: The Genius and Timeliness of the Traditional Latin Mass (Angelico, 2020). His work has been translated into at least eighteen languages. Kwasniewski is a scholar of The Aquinas Institute in Green Bay, which is publishing the Opera Omnia of the Angelic Doctor, a Fellow of the Albertus Magnus Center for Scholastic Studies, and a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center. He has published over a thousand articles on Thomistic thought, sacramental and liturgical theology, the history and aesthetics of music, and the social doctrine of the Church. For news, information, article links, sacred music, and the home of Os Justi Press, visit his personal website, www.peterkwasniewski.com.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-29--Mom shares amazing photos of premature twins who survived at 22 weeks

NORTH CAROLINA , April 29 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The mother of the world ’ s second most premature babies to survive life outside the womb has told reporters she feels blessed after doctors suggested that her identical twin daughters had zero chance of surviving .
“ I am so lucky and I know it ’ s an absolute miracle .
I feel blessed , ” the daughters ’ mother , Tracey Hernandez , told The Metro after sharing incredible photos of her children receiving critical care from medics in North Carolina .
“ They are a creation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ develop outside the womb , ” she said .
Twins Makenzie and Makayla were born at just 22 weeks , with Makenzie weighing less than 1 lb , 1 oz and Makayla 1 lb , 3 oz .
Hernandez told reporters : “ When I went into labour they told me the survival rate for them was zero per cent .
They said that babies born at less than 23 weeks just don ’ t make it.
” The twins were born on December 8 , 2019 .
After months in the hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they are expected to return home soon .
“ They have both amazed me and they continue to amaze me , ” Hernandez said .
“ They are a blessing and I am so proud to call myself their mom.
” Editor ’ s note : All photos included in this story are taken from this site .
More photos are available at The Metro .

'I am so lucky and I know it’s an absolute miracle. I feel blessed.'
NORTH CAROLINA, April 29, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The mother of the world’s second most premature babies to survive life outside the womb has told reporters she feels blessed after doctors suggested that her identical twin daughters had zero chance of surviving.
“I am so lucky and I know it’s an absolute miracle. I feel blessed,” the daughters’ mother, Tracey Hernandez, told The Metro after sharing incredible photos of her children receiving critical care from medics in North Carolina.
“They are a creation of God and I have watched them develop outside the womb,” she said.
Twins Makenzie and Makayla were born at just 22 weeks, with Makenzie weighing less than 1 lb, 1 oz and Makayla 1 lb, 3 oz.
Hernandez told reporters: “When I went into labour they told me the survival rate for them was zero per cent. They said that babies born at less than 23 weeks just don’t make it.”
The twins were born on December 8, 2019. After months in the hospital with treatment including back and heart surgery, they are expected to return home soon.
“They have both amazed me and they continue to amaze me,” Hernandez said. “They are a blessing and I am so proud to call myself their mom.”
Editor’s note: All photos included in this story are taken from this site. More photos are available at The Metro.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-29--Priest demands French govt permit religious services after armed police broke up his Mass

PARIS , April 29 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― A priest whose Mass was stormed by armed police this month has demanded that churches in France be opened on May 11 .
Fr .
Philippe de Maistre , the pastor of the Church of Saint-André de l ’ Europe in Paris , made the on-camera demand last week , asking for the partial relaxation of the French coronavirus lockdown to include the reintroduction of public worship .
The video was edited and published by French newspaper Le Figaro .
“ I clearly request that on May 11 all churches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ De Maistre said .
“ And I believe the government can rely on the Catholic Church , which has played the game [ i.e.
, followed the lockdown regulations ] scrupulously from the beginning.
” The priest added that there was nothing to prevent him on May 11 from saying 10 or 15 Masses on Sunday with congregations of 50 or 100 in his church , in which normally almost 1,000 people in total are spread out over the usual three services .
“ I believe the government has good reasons to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he allowed .
Earlier in his recorded statement , the priest indicated that French people are tired of and frustrated by the continuing ban on religious services .
“ I ’ m a parish priest , so I see a little of what ’ s going on , ” de Maistre said .
“ And [ we know ] also the feelings of Christians , and not only Christians , because we are very close to people .
We spend our time trying to help people on the street , to make people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another , ” he explained .
“ There is fatigue and there is a little exasperation , it has to be said , when we see that the restoration of worship will be postponed.
” De Maistre was saying a live-streamed 8:00 A.M. Mass on April 19 , as he has done every Sunday since the beginning of the French lockdown , when armed police stormed the church .
At the time , there were well under the current limit of 20 people in the building , as the only people there were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ altar server , a cantor , someone transmitting the liturgy with a smartphone , and three parishioners to make the responses .
The Church of Saint-André de l ’ Europe can contain 500 or 600 people at a time .
French Catholics were outraged , and the archbishop of Paris subsequently spoke out against the illegal invasion .
“ The law forbids police to enter a church armed and without the permission of the pastor , ” de Maistre explained in the new video .
“ On this occasion , as the archbishop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no terrorist .
There was no threat to public order.
” After Mass was over , de Maistre found a message on his telephone from a local who had accused him of saying “ clandestine Masses ” for three weeks and informed him that she had lodged a complaint with police .
The priest observed on camera that his Masses were legal and not at all clandestine , as “ there have been 2,000 views on YouTube.
” Despite de Maistre ’ s plea , Masses will not resume on May 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 11 easing of the French lockdown will involve the reopening of most shops , libraries , small museums , and elementary schools .
Public eateries , like cafés , bars , and restaurants , will remain shut .
People will be able to travel outside their homes without being questioned by police .
They will be allowed to gather in groups of no more than 10 .
Beaches and some parks will stay closed .
“ Religious authorities have been asked not to organize services before 2 June , ” the Guardian @ @ @

Fr. Philippe de Maistre, the pastor of the Church of Saint-André de l’Europe in Paris, made the on-camera demand last week.
PARIS, April 29, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― A priest whose Mass was stormed by armed police this month has demanded that churches in France be opened on May 11.
Fr. Philippe de Maistre, the pastor of the Church of Saint-André de l’Europe in Paris, made the on-camera demand last week, asking for the partial relaxation of the French coronavirus lockdown to include the reintroduction of public worship.
The video was edited and published by French newspaper Le Figaro.
“I clearly request that on May 11 all churches will be able to reopen,” De Maistre said. “And I believe the government can rely on the Catholic Church, which has played the game [i.e., followed the lockdown regulations] scrupulously from the beginning.”
The priest added that there was nothing to prevent him on May 11 from saying 10 or 15 Masses on Sunday with congregations of 50 or 100 in his church, in which normally almost 1,000 people in total are spread out over the usual three services.
“I believe the government has good reasons to be sure that this is done,” he allowed.
Earlier in his recorded statement, the priest indicated that French people are tired of and frustrated by the continuing ban on religious services.
“I’m a parish priest, so I see a little of what’s going on,” de Maistre said.
“And [we know] also the feelings of Christians, and not only Christians, because we are very close to people. We spend our time trying to help people on the street, to make people understand, to be careful around one another,” he explained.
“There is fatigue and there is a little exasperation, it has to be said, when we see that the restoration of worship will be postponed.”
De Maistre was saying a live-streamed 8:00 A.M. Mass on April 19, as he has done every Sunday since the beginning of the French lockdown, when armed police stormed the church.
At the time, there were well under the current limit of 20 people in the building, as the only people there were the priest, the organist, an altar server, a cantor, someone transmitting the liturgy with a smartphone, and three parishioners to make the responses. The Church of Saint-André de l’Europe can contain 500 or 600 people at a time.
French Catholics were outraged, and the archbishop of Paris subsequently spoke out against the illegal invasion.
“The law forbids police to enter a church armed and without the permission of the pastor,” de Maistre explained in the new video. “On this occasion, as the archbishop [of Paris] said, there was no terrorist. There was no threat to public order.”
After Mass was over, de Maistre found a message on his telephone from a local who had accused him of saying “clandestine Masses” for three weeks and informed him that she had lodged a complaint with police. The priest observed on camera that his Masses were legal and not at all clandestine, as “there have been 2,000 views on YouTube.”
Despite de Maistre’s plea, Masses will not resume on May 11.
According to the Guardian, the May 11 easing of the French lockdown will involve the reopening of most shops, libraries, small museums, and elementary schools. Public eateries, like cafés, bars, and restaurants, will remain shut. People will be able to travel outside their homes without being questioned by police. They will be allowed to gather in groups of no more than 10. Beaches and some parks will stay closed.
“Religious authorities have been asked not to organize services before 2 June,” the Guardian reported yesterday.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-29--NYC mayor threatens Jews, anyone gathering in crowds with arrest: ‘Time for warnings has passed’

BROOKLYN , NEW YORK , April 29 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has threatened the “ Jewish community , and all communities ” with arrest if they gather in large groups during the city ’ s ongoing coronavirus lockdown .
Mayor de Blasio posted two tweets yesterday evening in response to a funeral reportedly attended by hundreds of Orthodox Jews , who gathered in the streets in Williamsburg , Brooklyn .
Images from the event show that many of those in attendance wore face masks .
Some images show large numbers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recommended six feet apart .
“ Something absolutely unacceptable happened in Williamsburg tonite : a large funeral gathering in the middle of this pandemic .
When I heard , I went there myself to ensure the crowd was dispersed .
And what I saw WILL NOT be tolerated so long as we are fighting the Coronavirus , ” de Blasio wrote .
“ My message to the Jewish community , and all communities , is this simple : the time for warnings has passed .
I have instructed the NYPD to proceed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who gather in large groups .
This is about stopping this disease and saving lives .
Period.
” The New York Post has reported on a number of similar events in recent weeks , with multiple funerals held by Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn reported to have broken so-called social distancing rules .
But the New York City mayor has come under criticism for his latest tweet , with Fox News host Laura Ingraham reminding people that de Blasio encouraged New Yorkers as late as March 15 to visit their local bars .
New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blasio ’ s threat possibly “ the worst tweet by a New York elected officials [ sic ] — ever.
” The mayor has also come under fire for having been filmed going out for a walk more than ten miles from his home , despite having urged New Yorkers to report on others for breaking lockdown restrictions .
De Blasio stood by his tweets , saying , “ I have no regrets about calling out this danger , ” according to the New York Times .
The Times reported : At his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point , saying that he had a long-held relationship with the Orthodox Jewish community .
“ The notion that people gather in large numbers and even if they didn ’ t mean to would spread a disease that will kill other members of the community is just unacceptable to me , ” he said .
He added : “ Members of the Jewish community were putting each other in danger .
They were putting our police officers in danger.
” Jewish leaders and others pointed out that Mr. de Blasio ’ s Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Yorkers to watch a flyover by the Blue Angels fighter-jet squadron and accused the mayor of a double standard .
Mr. de Blasio offered a limited apology on Wednesday , but said that he would not stand for anyone violating social distancing guidelines .
“ If I see it in any other community , I ’ ll call that out equally , ” he said .
“ If in my emotion I said something that in any way was hurtful , I ’ m sorry about that , that was not my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be clear , I have no regrets about calling out this danger and saying I want to deal with it very , very aggressively.
” Last month de Blasio warned that churches and synagogues that break lockdown rules could be closed permanently .
“ I want to say to all those who are preparing the potential of religious services this weekend — if you go to your synagogue , if you go to your church and attempt to hold services after having been told so often not to , our enforcement agents will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those services , ” de Blasio announced during a press conference streamed online .
“ Again , I ’ m sorry I have to tell you this , but anyone who ’ s hearing this , take it seriously .
You ’ ve been warned , you need to stop services .
Help people practice their faiths in different ways , but not in groups , not in gatherings that could endanger people.
” This article was updated at 12:43 p.m. EST to include de Blasio ’ s Wednesday comments .

'I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups.'
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, April 29, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has threatened the “Jewish community, and all communities” with arrest if they gather in large groups during the city’s ongoing coronavirus lockdown.
Mayor de Blasio posted two tweets yesterday evening in response to a funeral reportedly attended by hundreds of Orthodox Jews, who gathered in the streets in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Images from the event show that many of those in attendance wore face masks. Some images show large numbers of people closely grouped together, less than the recommended six feet apart.
“Something absolutely unacceptable happened in Williamsburg tonite: a large funeral gathering in the middle of this pandemic. When I heard, I went there myself to ensure the crowd was dispersed. And what I saw WILL NOT be tolerated so long as we are fighting the Coronavirus,” de Blasio wrote.
“My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed. I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period.”
Something absolutely unacceptable happened in Williamsburg tonite: a large funeral gathering in the middle of this pandemic. When I heard, I went there myself to ensure the crowd was dispersed. And what I saw WILL NOT be tolerated so long as we are fighting the Coronavirus — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 29, 2020
My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed. I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period. — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 29, 2020
The New York Post has reported on a number of similar events in recent weeks, with multiple funerals held by Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn reported to have broken so-called social distancing rules.
But the New York City mayor has come under criticism for his latest tweet, with Fox News host Laura Ingraham reminding people that de Blasio encouraged New Yorkers as late as March 15 to visit their local bars.
All New Yorkers should remember this, from a mayor who was telling folks on March 15 to go out to bars. https://t.co/dgTmPOduHg — Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) April 29, 2020
New York Post editor Sohrab Ahmari called de Blasio’s threat possibly “the worst tweet by a New York elected officials [sic] — ever.”
Good Lord, this might be the worst tweet by a New York elected officials — ever. https://t.co/FmbdFmuTIf — Sohrab Ahmari (@SohrabAhmari) April 29, 2020
The mayor has also come under fire for having been filmed going out for a walk more than ten miles from his home, despite having urged New Yorkers to report on others for breaking lockdown restrictions.
De Blasio stood by his tweets, saying, “I have no regrets about calling out this danger,” according to the New York Times. The Times reported:
At his Wednesday briefing, the mayor repeated the point, saying that he had a long-held relationship with the Orthodox Jewish community. “The notion that people gather in large numbers and even if they didn’t mean to would spread a disease that will kill other members of the community is just unacceptable to me,” he said. He added: “Members of the Jewish community were putting each other in danger. They were putting our police officers in danger.” … Jewish leaders and others pointed out that Mr. de Blasio’s Tuesday diatribe came on the same day that New Yorkers clustered in large dense crowds to watch a flyover by the Blue Angels fighter-jet squadron and accused the mayor of a double standard. … Mr. de Blasio offered a limited apology on Wednesday, but said that he would not stand for anyone violating social distancing guidelines. “If I see it in any other community, I’ll call that out equally,” he said. “If in my emotion I said something that in any way was hurtful, I’m sorry about that, that was not my intention. But I also want to be clear, I have no regrets about calling out this danger and saying I want to deal with it very, very aggressively.”
Last month de Blasio warned that churches and synagogues that break lockdown rules could be closed permanently.
“I want to say to all those who are preparing the potential of religious services this weekend — if you go to your synagogue, if you go to your church and attempt to hold services after having been told so often not to, our enforcement agents will have no choice but to shut down those services,” de Blasio announced during a press conference streamed online.
“Again, I’m sorry I have to tell you this, but anyone who’s hearing this, take it seriously. You’ve been warned, you need to stop services. Help people practice their faiths in different ways, but not in groups, not in gatherings that could endanger people.”
This article was updated at 12:43 p.m. EST to include de Blasio’s Wednesday comments.
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lifesitenews--2020-04-30--Bishop Schneider: Coronavirus is causing a ‘catacomb Church’ to emerge

April 29 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — During an interview with LifeSite co-founder John-Henry Westen yesterday , Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan said the “ persecution ” of the church being carried out by governments across the world during the COVID-19 outbreak is causing “ a kind of underground Church ” to emerge and that this may be a vehicle for God to purify the Church .
“ It could be that we are going through a time of the catacombs — a kind of underground Church , ” he said .
“ But we needn ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because the Church has a lot of ... experience being a catacomb Church , an underground Church .
And in those times of catacombs , God gave plenty of spiritual fruits for the renewal of the Church.
” Schneider pointed to the heavy-handed restrictions placed on churches in the United Kingdom and elsewhere as proof that governments are using the coronavirus as a “ pretext ” to “ implicitly persecute ” the Catholic Church .
England ’ s lockdown laws are “ completely against every reasonableness of proportionality , ” he remarked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discrimination and persecution of the Church.
” His Excellency continued : “ The bishops and the bishops ’ conferences — and even the Holy See — should insist on the governments to give to the churches at least the same rights ... as they give to the stores where people can buy food.
” “ If the government denies the Church the same rights as they give to a store , then this is discrimination of the religion.
” Schneider wondered if this particular time in history is “ an intervention to purify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the widespread nature of “ heresies in doctrine and morals [ and ] in the liturgy ” in the Church .
Schneider wondered if “ a time of catacombs would be good for the Church ” in that it could be “ a very strong intervention by divine providence to awaken the Church.
” His Excellency added that Catholics need to pray so God may “ illuminate ” Pope Francis so he will “ make acts of reparation together with the cardinals ” for the “ outrages against our Lord , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and for sins like abortion that are “ committed outside the church.
” “ It is the Lord who will determine the time of the catacombs , the time of persecution , not the government ’ s , ” he concluded .
The John-Henry Westen Show is available by video on the show ’ s YouTube channel and right here on my LifeSite blog .
It is also available in audio format on platforms such as Spotify , Soundcloud , and ACast .
We are awaiting approval for iTunes and Google Play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audio version on various channels , visit the ACast webpage here .
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Please sign up now by clicking here .
You can also subscribe to the YouTube channel , and you ’ ll be notified by YouTube when there is new content .
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'It could be that we are going through a time of the catacombs — a kind of underground Church,' he said. 'But we needn’t be fearful. We have to be courageous.'
Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world: Feed your flock Sign the petition here.
April 29, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — During an interview with LifeSite co-founder John-Henry Westen yesterday, Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan said the “persecution” of the church being carried out by governments across the world during the COVID-19 outbreak is causing “a kind of underground Church” to emerge and that this may be a vehicle for God to purify the Church.
“It could be that we are going through a time of the catacombs — a kind of underground Church,” he said. “But we needn’t be fearful. We have to be courageous, because the Church has a lot of … experience being a catacomb Church, an underground Church. And in those times of catacombs, God gave plenty of spiritual fruits for the renewal of the Church.”
Schneider pointed to the heavy-handed restrictions placed on churches in the United Kingdom and elsewhere as proof that governments are using the coronavirus as a “pretext” to “implicitly persecute” the Catholic Church.
England’s lockdown laws are “completely against every reasonableness of proportionality,” he remarked. They are “a kind of discrimination and persecution of the Church.”
His Excellency continued: “The bishops and the bishops’ conferences — and even the Holy See — should insist on the governments to give to the churches at least the same rights … as they give to the stores where people can buy food.” “If the government denies the Church the same rights as they give to a store, then this is discrimination of the religion.”
Schneider wondered if this particular time in history is “an intervention to purify the Church through a persecution” due to the widespread nature of “heresies in doctrine and morals [and] in the liturgy” in the Church.
Schneider wondered if “a time of catacombs would be good for the Church” in that it could be “a very strong intervention by divine providence to awaken the Church.”
His Excellency added that Catholics need to pray so God may “illuminate” Pope Francis so he will “make acts of reparation together with the cardinals” for the “outrages against our Lord, in the Eucharist … committed inside the church” and for sins like abortion that are “committed outside the church.”
“It is the Lord who will determine the time of the catacombs, the time of persecution, not the government’s,” he concluded.
The John-Henry Westen Show is available by video on the show’s YouTube channel and right here on my LifeSite blog.
It is also available in audio format on platforms such as Spotify, Soundcloud, and ACast. We are awaiting approval for iTunes and Google Play as well. To subscribe to the audio version on various channels, visit the ACast webpage here.
We’ve created a special email list for the show so that we can notify you every week when we post a new episode. Please sign up now by clicking here. You can also subscribe to the YouTube channel, and you’ll be notified by YouTube when there is new content.
You can send me feedback or ideas for show topics by emailing [email protected].
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lifesitenews--2020-05-01--Liberal Catholics aghast after New York’s Cardinal Dolan praises Trump

WASHINGTON , D.C. , April 30 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Liberal Catholic opinionators are aghast that Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York warmly welcomed President Trump to a live-streamed Mass from St. Patrick ’ s Cathedral on Sunday after having participated in a teleconference between Catholic leaders and the president the day before .
Not only that , but they are horrified that Dolan then spoke highly of Trump in a Fox News interview the next day .
The very liberal National Catholic Reporter ( NCR ) editorial board called Trump ’ s Saturday phone call with over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prelates , a “ cringe-worthy exchange ” where the bishops were “ masterfully manipulated.
” “ Without a whimper from any of his fellow bishops , the cardinal archbishop of New York has inextricably linked the Catholic Church in the United States to the Republican Party , ” they wrote , “ and , particularly , President Donald Trump.
” The 1,200-word tirade concluded , “ The Catholic voice , capable of a priceless contribution to the public conversation , has been sold for cheap to political hucksters.
” They have forgotten that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( USCCB ) , headquartered in Washington , D.C. , frequently churns out statements critical of this president , which often sound as if they have been ghostwritten by staff at the Democratic National Committee .
Sean Michael Winters , star writer at the NCR , wrote a snarky parody to voice his disapproval .
He began : The archbishop of New York , Cardinal Timothy Dolan , announced he was resigning as the spiritual leader of the “ capital of the world ” in order to dedicate all his energies to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Re-elect the President .
The resignation has yet to be accepted by Pope Francis , but there is little doubt the Supreme Pontiff will grant Dolan 's request to be relieved of his spiritual duties .
Sources close to the campaign said they had intended to announce the job shift by the 70-year old prelate later in the year .
But it became obvious over the weekend , after a phone call between Catholic leaders and the president , followed by an ingratiating homily by the cardinal Sunday morning , that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When Winters attempted to shift his piece back to reality , he wrote , “ [ T ] he fact that the hierarchy of the Catholic Church is being roped into the president 's reelection efforts is now obvious and it is not a parody.
” “ The U.S. bishops have become like Neville Chamberlain , ” continued Winters , “ convinced that they can bend the tyrant to their purpose with sweet reasonableness and good intentions .
“ The alignment of conservative white Catholics with Trump not only parallels dislike for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in all manner of unhealthy , un-Catholic ways , ” said Winters , who proceeded to tell the entire U.S. prelature what to do : “ Left-wing pundits , and the media in general , are so hysterically anti-Trump that their credibility is shot , ” declared Catholic League president Bill Donohue , commenting on the aftermath .
“ Worse , some of them have turned into bullies , ” wrote Donohue .
“ When it comes to Catholic leaders , their game plan is one of intimidation , hoping to deter them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Looks like they will be very busy over the next six months.
” Michael O ’ Loughlin , writing for the Jesuit publication , America , criticized Dolan for his TV interview , noting that he appeared on “ the president ’ s favorite news channel.
” Perhaps O ’ Loughlin is unaware of Trump ’ s criticism of the Fox News Channel .
More important , does O ’ Loughlin think that Dolan would refuse to appear on CNN or MSNBC ?
Maybe he should call the Trump-bashing stations and ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him on more often .
In his article , O ’ Loughlin rolls out statements by left-wing Catholics who are critical of Trump .
So what ?
What does that have to do with the propriety of Dolan ’ s remarks ?
O ’ Loughlin also said , falsely , that Trump and Clinton “ split the Catholic vote in 2016.
” Exit polls , not polls taken before and after an election , are what counts .
Among Catholics , Trump beat Hillary Clinton 52 percent to 45 percent .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pundits aligned with Democrats are spitting mad .
Crux , which had obtained a recording of Saturday ’ s call , characterized President Trump ’ s comments as “ attempting to paint a stark contrast between his administration and what a Democratic presidency could mean for Catholics.
” [ T ] he president ’ s most frequented theme in his opening remarks was that of his commitment to pro-life cause , saying that it has “ been at a level that no other president has seen before , according to everybody.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is saying , ” he said , citing the fact that he was first sitting president to address the March for Life in person in January , the annual event in protest of the legalization of abortion by the Supreme Court in 1973 .
... [ The president said ] Democrats “ want abortion and they want it now and they want it to go up to the end of the ninth month and beyond , ” and referenced the comments of Virginia Democratic Governor Ralph Northam who faced backlash last year for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... “ I hope that everyone gets out and votes and does what they have to do , ” he then said of the November election .
“ You ’ re going to have a very different Catholic Church , ” he warned if he is defeated .
So what if President Trump told the Catholic leaders during Saturday ’ s teleconference that he ’ s “ the best [ president ] in the history of the Catholic church ” ?
A strong case can be made that this is true

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 30, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Liberal Catholic opinionators are aghast that Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York warmly welcomed President Trump to a live-streamed Mass from St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday after having participated in a teleconference between Catholic leaders and the president the day before. Not only that, but they are horrified that Dolan then spoke highly of Trump in a Fox News interview the next day.
The very liberal National Catholic Reporter (NCR) editorial board called Trump’s Saturday phone call with over 600 U.S. Catholic leaders, including prominent prelates, a “cringe-worthy exchange” where the bishops were “masterfully manipulated.”
NCR’s editors lamented, “The capitulation is complete.”
“Without a whimper from any of his fellow bishops, the cardinal archbishop of New York has inextricably linked the Catholic Church in the United States to the Republican Party,” they wrote, “and, particularly, President Donald Trump.”
The 1,200-word tirade concluded, “The Catholic voice, capable of a priceless contribution to the public conversation, has been sold for cheap to political hucksters.”
They have forgotten that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), headquartered in Washington, D.C., frequently churns out statements critical of this president, which often sound as if they have been ghostwritten by staff at the Democratic National Committee.
Trump-supporters are ‘un-Catholic’
Sean Michael Winters, star writer at the NCR, wrote a snarky parody to voice his disapproval. He began:
The archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, announced he was resigning as the spiritual leader of the “capital of the world” in order to dedicate all his energies to his new position as co-chairman of the Committee to Re-elect the President. The resignation has yet to be accepted by Pope Francis, but there is little doubt the Supreme Pontiff will grant Dolan's request to be relieved of his spiritual duties. Sources close to the campaign said they had intended to announce the job shift by the 70-year old prelate later in the year. But it became obvious over the weekend, after a phone call between Catholic leaders and the president, followed by an ingratiating homily by the cardinal Sunday morning, that the news was likely to leak any moment.
When Winters attempted to shift his piece back to reality, he wrote, “[T]he fact that the hierarchy of the Catholic Church is being roped into the president's reelection efforts is now obvious and it is not a parody.”
“The U.S. bishops have become like Neville Chamberlain,” continued Winters, “convinced that they can bend the tyrant to their purpose with sweet reasonableness and good intentions.
“The alignment of conservative white Catholics with Trump not only parallels dislike for Pope Francis, the two are linked in all manner of unhealthy, un-Catholic ways,” said Winters, who proceeded to tell the entire U.S. prelature what to do:
I have a bit of advice for the U.S. bishops: Stay away from the president. Avoid getting mentioned in any article that mentions him[.] … His moral framework is reptilian and any association with him will end up burning you.
Spitting mad, hysterically anti-Trump Catholic libs
“Left-wing pundits, and the media in general, are so hysterically anti-Trump that their credibility is shot,” declared Catholic League president Bill Donohue, commenting on the aftermath.
“Worse, some of them have turned into bullies,” wrote Donohue. “When it comes to Catholic leaders, their game plan is one of intimidation, hoping to deter them from saying anything kind about the president. Looks like they will be very busy over the next six months.”
Donohue zeroed in on America Magazine’s commentary:
Michael O’Loughlin, writing for the Jesuit publication, America, criticized Dolan for his TV interview, noting that he appeared on “the president’s favorite news channel.” Perhaps O’Loughlin is unaware of Trump’s criticism of the Fox News Channel. More important, does O’Loughlin think that Dolan would refuse to appear on CNN or MSNBC? Maybe he should call the Trump-bashing stations and ask them why they don’t invite him on more often. In his article, O’Loughlin rolls out statements by left-wing Catholics who are critical of Trump. So what? What does that have to do with the propriety of Dolan’s remarks? O’Loughlin also said, falsely, that Trump and Clinton “split the Catholic vote in 2016.” Exit polls, not polls taken before and after an election, are what counts. Among Catholics, Trump beat Hillary Clinton 52 percent to 45 percent.
It’s no wonder liberal Catholic media and pundits aligned with Democrats are spitting mad. Crux, which had obtained a recording of Saturday’s call, characterized President Trump’s comments as “attempting to paint a stark contrast between his administration and what a Democratic presidency could mean for Catholics.”
[T]he president’s most frequented theme in his opening remarks was that of his commitment to pro-life cause, saying that it has “been at a level that no other president has seen before, according to everybody.” “I’m just saying what everybody is saying,” he said, citing the fact that he was first sitting president to address the March for Life in person in January, the annual event in protest of the legalization of abortion by the Supreme Court in 1973. … [The president said] Democrats “want abortion and they want it now and they want it to go up to the end of the ninth month and beyond,” and referenced the comments of Virginia Democratic Governor Ralph Northam who faced backlash last year for his support of third trimester abortion. … “I hope that everyone gets out and votes and does what they have to do,” he then said of the November election. “You’re going to have a very different Catholic Church,” he warned if he is defeated.
So what if President Trump told the Catholic leaders during Saturday’s teleconference that he’s “the best [president] in the history of the Catholic church”? A strong case can be made that this is true
Follow Doug Doug Mainwaring is a journalist for LifeSiteNews, an author, and a marriage, family and children's rights activist. He has testified before the United States Congress and state legislative bodies, originated and co-authored amicus briefs for the United States Supreme Court, and has been a guest on numerous TV and radio programs. Doug and his family live in the Washington, DC suburbs.
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