lifesitenews--2020-03-19--‘A scene from communist China’: Police disrupt Mass in Italian church

A scene from Communist China took place in Marina di Cerveteri north of Rome .
A parish priest surprised by two law enforcement officials is ordered to stop a Eucharistic celebration .
What ’ s the reason ?
Because there were faithful gathered outside in the churchyard praying at the recommended distance .
March 18 , 2020 ( La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana ) — Police raid a church and break up a Mass at the altar .
It ’ s not a news story from Communist China , we are in Italy .
This is what happened in Cerveteri , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once the ancient Roman countryside , best known for one of the most important Etruscan burial grounds .
The municipal police blitz took place towards the end of the celebration at St. Francis of Assisi in Marina di Cerveteri .
The most solemn moment of the service — the Eucharist — has just finished .
The priest does even have the chance to begin the concluding rite inside an empty church ( but with faithful watching live on streaming ) when two local police officers in antiviral masks swoop in behind the altar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the celebration has to cease immediately .
What was their reason for stopping the Mass ?
They say the parish priest had left the doors of his church open and outside in the churchyard , faithful had gathered in prayer .
However , the few faithful present in the churchyard had kept a safe distance , far greater than the commonly known one-meter recommendation decreed by the Italian government .
The parish priest was caught by surprise during the moment of silence after Communion .
He tried explaining to the law enforcement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommended precautions , including blocking the church ’ s entrance with a lectern placed in the centre of the nave .
But he is unable to stop them .
One of the two policemen then grabs his microphone and announces , `` Excuse me ladies and gentlemen .
It is not permissible to conduct religious services and gather together .
Please leave , this isn ’ t allowed . ''
The priest , however , maintained his composure and without batting an eye proceeded to the concluding rite .
The raid was filmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who — like everyone else — had gathered outside the church .
It is probably the clearest indication of how Pope Francis is right in saying that `` drastic measures are not always good . ''
In this case , in fact , the parish priest of Latium ( the region where Rome is the capital ) implemented what the pope hoped for in a homily he delivered in the chapel of his Santa Marta residence on the seventh anniversary of his pontificate : “ We pray that the Holy Spirit will give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discernment to find ways that do not leave God ’ s holy faithful people alone.
” The parish pews in Marina di Cerveteri were completely empty and the entrance blocked , so yesterday ’ s liturgy was in effect not a public Mass and in compliance with provisions issued by the local bishop Gino Reali and the Italian Bishops ’ Conference which had to adopt the Italian government ’ s severely restrictive measures .
These same measures also permit churches to remain open , so it is not clear why the parish priest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parishioners from entering the building — should have closed the doors right at the time of the Sunday Mass which he privately celebrated .
Moreover , can we really imagine a priest interrupting the liturgy to hunt down a few faithful who had arrived in the churchyard and who were visibly maintaining social distancing ?
Thanks to keeping the church doors open , Fr .
Mimmo managed to find a way that would not leave God ’ s holy faithful alone , as Pope Francis most rightly requested last Friday .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter differently .
Neither did they take into account the sacredness of moment and place where they intervened , much less the penal code which punishes offenders who disturb religious functions .
If this really had been such a gross violation of Coronavirus emergency decrees , they could have simply asked the faithful gathered in the churchyard to go back home .
Was it really necessary to break into the Lord ’ s house FBI-style in the middle of Mass and order it stopped in the most sacred space behind the altar at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police did not even spare the poor priest ’ s public humiliation .
Instead , while scolding him in front of a live streaming audience , they ripped the microphone out of his hands to make a service announcement .
The announcement could have easily been made outside the church and to the very few persons present .
We should laud Fr .
Mimmo who , in full compliance with safety regulations , left his church doors open and who , despite the disturbance of some tactless police , finished the Mass undaunted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cerveteri reminds us , indeed , of the terrible stories reported from places where Catholics must worship in secret .
At the same time , this is also a sign of hope , reminding us of those brave priests who , during the Second World War , continued to celebrate Mass until the very end even as bombs fell from the sky right over their heads .

A scene from Communist China took place in Marina di Cerveteri north of Rome. A parish priest surprised by two law enforcement officials is ordered to stop a Eucharistic celebration. What’s the reason? Because there were faithful gathered outside in the churchyard praying at the recommended distance.
March 18, 2020 (La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana) — Police raid a church and break up a Mass at the altar. It’s not a news story from Communist China, we are in Italy. This is what happened in Cerveteri, a large town immersed in what was once the ancient Roman countryside, best known for one of the most important Etruscan burial grounds. The municipal police blitz took place towards the end of the celebration at St. Francis of Assisi in Marina di Cerveteri.
The most solemn moment of the service — the Eucharist — has just finished. The priest does even have the chance to begin the concluding rite inside an empty church (but with faithful watching live on streaming) when two local police officers in antiviral masks swoop in behind the altar. They then authoritatively tell the priest that the celebration has to cease immediately. What was their reason for stopping the Mass? They say the parish priest had left the doors of his church open and outside in the churchyard, faithful had gathered in prayer. However, the few faithful present in the churchyard had kept a safe distance, far greater than the commonly known one-meter recommendation decreed by the Italian government.
The parish priest was caught by surprise during the moment of silence after Communion. He tried explaining to the law enforcement officers that he had taken all the recommended precautions, including blocking the church’s entrance with a lectern placed in the centre of the nave. But he is unable to stop them. One of the two policemen then grabs his microphone and announces, “Excuse me ladies and gentlemen. It is not permissible to conduct religious services and gather together. Please leave, this isn’t allowed.”
The priest, however, maintained his composure and without batting an eye proceeded to the concluding rite. The raid was filmed by one of the few faithful present who — like everyone else — had gathered outside the church. It is probably the clearest indication of how Pope Francis is right in saying that “drastic measures are not always good.”
In this case, in fact, the parish priest of Latium (the region where Rome is the capital) implemented what the pope hoped for in a homily he delivered in the chapel of his Santa Marta residence on the seventh anniversary of his pontificate: “We pray that the Holy Spirit will give our pastors the ability and the pastoral discernment to find ways that do not leave God’s holy faithful people alone.” The parish pews in Marina di Cerveteri were completely empty and the entrance blocked, so yesterday’s liturgy was in effect not a public Mass and in compliance with provisions issued by the local bishop Gino Reali and the Italian Bishops’ Conference which had to adopt the Italian government’s severely restrictive measures.
These same measures also permit churches to remain open, so it is not clear why the parish priest — who also took care to discourage parishioners from entering the building — should have closed the doors right at the time of the Sunday Mass which he privately celebrated. Moreover, can we really imagine a priest interrupting the liturgy to hunt down a few faithful who had arrived in the churchyard and who were visibly maintaining social distancing? Thanks to keeping the church doors open, Fr. Mimmo managed to find a way that would not leave God’s holy faithful alone, as Pope Francis most rightly requested last Friday.
However, the two local police officers saw the matter differently. Neither did they take into account the sacredness of moment and place where they intervened, much less the penal code which punishes offenders who disturb religious functions. If this really had been such a gross violation of Coronavirus emergency decrees, they could have simply asked the faithful gathered in the churchyard to go back home. Was it really necessary to break into the Lord’s house FBI-style in the middle of Mass and order it stopped in the most sacred space behind the altar at the foot of the tabernacle?
The police did not even spare the poor priest’s public humiliation. Instead, while scolding him in front of a live streaming audience, they ripped the microphone out of his hands to make a service announcement. The announcement could have easily been made outside the church and to the very few persons present. We should laud Fr. Mimmo who, in full compliance with safety regulations, left his church doors open and who, despite the disturbance of some tactless police, finished the Mass undaunted.
The sad scene in Marina di Cerveteri reminds us, indeed, of the terrible stories reported from places where Catholics must worship in secret. At the same time, this is also a sign of hope, reminding us of those brave priests who, during the Second World War, continued to celebrate Mass until the very end even as bombs fell from the sky right over their heads.
Published with permission from La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-19--New Zealand lawmakers enact abortion on demand under cover of coronavirus

March 18 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Plans for a public referendum on the decriminalization of abortion in New Zealand were scrapped by lawmakers today in favor of a parliamentary vote , and legislators voted 68 to 51 to remove abortion from the 1961 Crimes Act .
Abortion already had been essentially legal , with women being required to obtain the approval of two physicians who determined that the pregnancy was a danger to the physical or mental health of the mother .
The Crimes Act was never enforced in the case of abortion , and no women actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technically speaking , the law permitted prison terms of up to 14 years for aborting a child ) .
According to justice minister Andrew Little , removing this last bit of stigma against abortion was a necessary move that gives women more control over their bodies ( and the bodies of their pre-born children , which he did not mention ) .
Little said the status quo had resulted in women lying in order to obtain abortions and caused delays that he felt were unnecessary .
“ From now [ on ] abortions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue , ” he stated on Wednesday .
“ The previous law required a woman seeking an abortion to go through many hoops.
” Under the new law , women will be able to get abortions up to twenty weeks with no questions asked , with the approval of a doctor being required to abort a baby after twenty weeks .
Jan Logie , a Green M.P.
, told the New Zealand Herald , “ It ’ s been a long time coming .
Today I hope we will come out of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been stuck in for over 40 years.
” Simeon Brown , a Conservative M.P.
, responded by pointing out that pre-born children have a heartbeat and can feel pain , and that the law should treat them with dignity and respect .
Most politicians , unfortunately , did not feel the same way .
Andy Moore , who became involved in the pro-life movement in New Zealand in 2008 when he co-founded ProLife NZ , the movement ’ s only youth wing at the time ( he now works as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anthony List ) , had a different reaction .
“ This is a dark day for Aotearoa , New Zealand , ” he told me .
“ The country that markets itself as ‘ 100 % pure ’ has now entered the shameful company of just 7 other countries in the world — including China and North Korea — that permit abortion on demand , for any reason , through all nine months .
Worse still , Kiwi taxpayers will be forced to pay for abortions with their hard-earned tax dollars.
” Moore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shocked many New Zealanders : “ Kiwis watched with growing disbelief as the unfettered extremism of the abortion lobby and its allies in Parliament was put on full display .
The majority of Kiwis found it morally repugnant that many commonsense and compassionate amendments — including on to ensure medical care for late-term babies who survive an abortion — were defeated.
” Even the prime minister , Jacinda Ahern , voted against the amendment .
Predictably , not even total decriminalization was enough for some people , with many observers noting the fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pro-lifers from offering help outside abortion facilities were not part of the bill , a provision that many abortion activists wanted .
On the day of the bill ’ s second reading , pro-life activists protested outside Parliament .
Some of them held up signs featuring photographs of aborted babies , beautiful children who had been reduced to bloody clumps of flesh by the tools of abortionists .
The prime minister said the photographs were “ not OK , ” and justice minister Andrew Little went even farther , stating that the pictures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seem to realize that if the photographs of the aborted babies are “ sick , ” the actual act of aborting those babies is infinitely worse .
Like so many politicians , Andrew Little could not bear to face the consequences of his own actions — and did not want to see the evidence that his bill has nothing to do with health care and everything to do with the ugly destruction of human life .
Jonathon ’ s new podcast , The Van Maren Show , is dedicated to telling the stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In his latest episode , he speaks with Alessandra Bocchi , who is currently in Rome , about what is actually happening on the ground in Rome and across Italy .
Bocchi is from Lombardy , the hardest hit region of Italy , but is “ stuck ” in Rome due to the government ’ s requests that people not leave their current locations in order to stop the spread of the virus .
The scene she shares is quite surreal .
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below :

'Kiwis watched with growing disbelief,' said one New Zealander, 'as the unfettered extremism of the abortion lobby and its allies in Parliament was put on full display.'
March 18, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Plans for a public referendum on the decriminalization of abortion in New Zealand were scrapped by lawmakers today in favor of a parliamentary vote, and legislators voted 68 to 51 to remove abortion from the 1961 Crimes Act. Abortion already had been essentially legal, with women being required to obtain the approval of two physicians who determined that the pregnancy was a danger to the physical or mental health of the mother. The Crimes Act was never enforced in the case of abortion, and no women actually went to prison for having one (technically speaking, the law permitted prison terms of up to 14 years for aborting a child).
According to justice minister Andrew Little, removing this last bit of stigma against abortion was a necessary move that gives women more control over their bodies (and the bodies of their pre-born children, which he did not mention). Little said the status quo had resulted in women lying in order to obtain abortions and caused delays that he felt were unnecessary. “From now [on] abortions will be rightly treated as a health issue,” he stated on Wednesday. “The previous law required a woman seeking an abortion to go through many hoops.”
Under the new law, women will be able to get abortions up to twenty weeks with no questions asked, with the approval of a doctor being required to abort a baby after twenty weeks. Jan Logie, a Green M.P., told the New Zealand Herald, “It’s been a long time coming. Today I hope we will come out of the sexual and reproductive time warp that we’ve been stuck in for over 40 years.” Simeon Brown, a Conservative M.P., responded by pointing out that pre-born children have a heartbeat and can feel pain, and that the law should treat them with dignity and respect. Most politicians, unfortunately, did not feel the same way.
Follow Jonathon van Maren on Facebook
Andy Moore, who became involved in the pro-life movement in New Zealand in 2008 when he co-founded ProLife NZ, the movement’s only youth wing at the time (he now works as the digital director for the U.S.-based Susan B. Anthony List), had a different reaction. “This is a dark day for Aotearoa, New Zealand,” he told me. “The country that markets itself as ‘100% pure’ has now entered the shameful company of just 7 other countries in the world — including China and North Korea — that permit abortion on demand, for any reason, through all nine months. Worse still, Kiwi taxpayers will be forced to pay for abortions with their hard-earned tax dollars.”
Moore highlighted the fact that the abortion extremism shocked many New Zealanders: “Kiwis watched with growing disbelief as the unfettered extremism of the abortion lobby and its allies in Parliament was put on full display. The majority of Kiwis found it morally repugnant that many commonsense and compassionate amendments — including on to ensure medical care for late-term babies who survive an abortion — were defeated.” Even the prime minister, Jacinda Ahern, voted against the amendment.
Predictably, not even total decriminalization was enough for some people, with many observers noting the fact that so-called “bubble zones” banning pro-lifers from offering help outside abortion facilities were not part of the bill, a provision that many abortion activists wanted.
On the day of the bill’s second reading, pro-life activists protested outside Parliament. Some of them held up signs featuring photographs of aborted babies, beautiful children who had been reduced to bloody clumps of flesh by the tools of abortionists. The prime minister said the photographs were “not OK,” and justice minister Andrew Little went even farther, stating that the pictures were “sick.”
He did not seem to realize that if the photographs of the aborted babies are “sick,” the actual act of aborting those babies is infinitely worse. Like so many politicians, Andrew Little could not bear to face the consequences of his own actions — and did not want to see the evidence that his bill has nothing to do with health care and everything to do with the ugly destruction of human life.
Jonathon’s new podcast, The Van Maren Show, is dedicated to telling the stories of the pro-life and pro-family movement. In his latest episode, he speaks with Alessandra Bocchi, who is currently in Rome, about what is actually happening on the ground in Rome and across Italy. Bocchi is from Lombardy, the hardest hit region of Italy, but is “stuck” in Rome due to the government’s requests that people not leave their current locations in order to stop the spread of the virus. The scene she shares is quite surreal.
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below:
Follow Jonathon Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer, and pro-life activist. His commentary has been translated into more than eight languages and published widely online as well as print newspapers such as the Jewish Independent, the National Post, the Hamilton Spectator and others. He has received an award for combating anti-Semitism in print from the Jewish organization B’nai Brith. His commentary has been featured on CTV Primetime, Global News, EWTN, and the CBC as well as dozens of radio stations and news outlets in Canada and the United States. He speaks on a wide variety of cultural topics across North America at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions. Some of these topics include abortion, pornography, the Sexual Revolution, and euthanasia. Jonathon holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from Simon Fraser University, and is the communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform. Jonathon’s first book, The Culture War, was released in 2016.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-19--The Church encourages priests to say Masses, even without the faithful

March 18 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — In an article entitled “ Private Mass Does Not Fit with a Contemporary Understanding of Eucharist ” ( first published in German at katholisch.de ) , three tired old “ liturgists ” from Bonn , Erfurt , and Münster are thundering from their academic “ cathedras ” against Mass being celebrated without the presence of the faithful .
These academics have nothing better to do than try to conserve what they perceive as “ wins ” from the postconciliar period , when the Mass , instead of being seen as a grace-bestowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was reinterpreted as a horizontal social event not very different from a Protestant assembly .
The inherent value of the priest ’ s daily offering of the all-pleasing Victim for his own spiritual benefit and the benefit of the entire Church was downplayed in favor of concelebrations ; often priests fell into the habit of saying Mass only when scheduled to do so in public .
This reductive notion of the Mass has never been the mind of the Holy Catholic Church , nor is it her mind today .
When such errors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Pope Paul VI condemned them firmly in his Encyclical Letter Mysterium Fidei of 1965 .
He stated : “ It is not permissible to extol the so-called ‘ community ’ Mass in such a way as to detract from Masses that are celebrated privately ” ( n. 11 ) .
Later in the document , he comments on “ the public and social nature of each and every Mass ” : For each and every Mass is not something private , even if a priest celebrates it privately ; instead , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Church .
In offering this sacrifice , the Church learns to offer herself as a sacrifice for all and she applies the unique and infinite redemptive power of the sacrifice of the Cross to the salvation of the whole world .
For every Mass that is celebrated is being offered not just for the salvation of certain people , but also for the salvation of the whole world .
The conclusion from this is that even though active participation by many faithful is of its very nature particularly fitting when Mass is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to criticize but rather only to approve a Mass that a priest celebrates privately for a good reason in accordance with the regulations and legitimate traditions of the Church , even when only a server to make the responses is present .
For such a Mass brings a rich and abundant treasure of special graces to help the priest himself , the faithful , the whole Church and the whole world toward salvation — and this same abundance of graces is not gained through mere reception of Holy Communion .
( n. 32 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is neither more nor less than a rejection of the dogmatically defined Catholic understanding of the Mass , which is not about this or that group of people who happen to be present , but about bringing our world and all of the faithful back to the Father through Jesus Christ .
It is obviously good when the faithful are present to participate in this offering — it is good for them — but the offering remains objectively real and efficacious whether a thousand , twenty , or no members of the faithful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forgetting , too , that Mass is offered in the presence of the holy angels and in communion with the saints of the Church triumphant so often honored in the liturgy and especially in the Eucharistic Prayer ?
Even a priest “ alone ” in a chapel is never alone ; he is always in the company of God ’ s elect , “ wrestling not against flesh and blood , but against principalities and powers , against the rulers of the world of this darkness , against the spirits of wickedness ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Of course , this cosmic perspective — which is that of Sacrosanctum Concilium no less than of Catholic tradition as a whole — depends on a living faith in what can not be seen by the human eye .
The German progressivists seem to reduce everything to what can be seen , betraying a lack of faith in the invisible realm , which is not less but far more real than the physical world around us .
As I detailed in an article at New Liturgical Movement , we find encouragement for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mass in the current Code of Canon Law as well as in the postconciliar Magisterium .
In his Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia ( 2003 ) , John Paul II teaches as follows : If the Eucharist is the center and summit of the Church ’ s life , it is likewise the center and summit of priestly ministry .
For this reason , with a heart filled with gratitude to our Lord Jesus Christ , I repeat that the Eucharist “ is the principal and central raison d ’ être of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into being at the moment of the institution of the Eucharist.
” … We can understand , then , how important it is for the spiritual life of the priest , as well as for the good of the Church and the world , that priests follow the Council ’ s recommendation to celebrate the Eucharist daily : “ for even if the faithful are unable to be present , it is an act of Christ and the Church ” ( Vatican II , Presbyterorum Ordinis , 13 ) .
In this way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily tensions which lead to a lack of focus and they will find in the Eucharistic sacrifice — the true center of their lives and ministry — the spiritual strength needed to deal with their different pastoral responsibilities .
Their daily activity will thus become truly Eucharistic .
( n. 31 ) The Eucharistic form of the Christian life is seen in a very special way in the priesthood .
Priestly spirituality is intrinsically Eucharistic.… An intense spiritual life will enable him [ the priest ] to enter more deeply into communion with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possessed by God ’ s love , bearing witness to that love at all times , even the darkest and most difficult .
To this end , I join the Synod Fathers in recommending “ the daily celebration of Mass , even when the faithful are not present ” ( Propositio 38 ) .
This recommendation is consistent with the objectively infinite value of every celebration of the Eucharist , and is motivated by the Mass ’ s unique spiritual fruitfulness .
If celebrated in a faith-filled and attentive way , Mass is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word , since it fosters the priest ’ s configuration to Christ and strengthens him in his vocation .
( n. 80 ) The General Instruction of the Roman Missal that governs celebrations in the “ Ordinary Form ” provides rubrics for the offering of Holy Mass when only one minister participates ( nn .
252–272 ) , and for the offering of Holy Mass without the participation of a minister ( n. 254 ) .
The rubrics that govern the celebration of the “ Extraordinary Form ” likewise provide for such a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centuries , before and after the Second Vatican Council and down to the present , would make no sense if this scenario were not anticipated as a necessary and praiseworthy practice in certain situations .
It is manifestly neither an abuse nor an “ outmoded idea , ” pace our Bonn professors .
The prayer of our Eternal High Priest is the holiest and most powerful of all prayers , and the Mass is His salvific prayer , His sweet-smelling oblation , offered at the hands of the ordained minister for the welfare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and for the priest ’ s own sanctification .
If the priest is not holy — if he does not assiduously pursue conformity with Christ the High Priest — his ministry will be increasingly empty , shallow , fruitless .
That is of no benefit to the People of God .
In times of danger and difficulty , the faithful and their ministers stand in even greater need of the grace of God , supporting and strengthening them .
To deprive the Church of so great a good as a single Holy Mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves of it on any day , would reflect not so much an enlightened attitude as a weak faith , a turning away from the supernatural , a tepid charity , a placing of hope in this world and its “ solutions.
” Whatever their merits , worldly solutions are not ultimate ones , and they can not bring us the divine help we need .
Correction , 03-19-20 : This blog post was updated to accurately reflect the locations of the three liturgists advocating against private Masses .
LifeSite regrets the error @

March 18, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — In an article entitled “Private Mass Does Not Fit with a Contemporary Understanding of Eucharist” (first published in German at katholisch.de), three tired old “liturgists” from Bonn, Erfurt, and Münster are thundering from their academic “cathedras” against Mass being celebrated without the presence of the faithful.
These academics have nothing better to do than try to conserve what they perceive as “wins” from the postconciliar period, when the Mass, instead of being seen as a grace-bestowing renewal of the Sacrifice of Calvary, was reinterpreted as a horizontal social event not very different from a Protestant assembly. The inherent value of the priest’s daily offering of the all-pleasing Victim for his own spiritual benefit and the benefit of the entire Church was downplayed in favor of concelebrations; often priests fell into the habit of saying Mass only when scheduled to do so in public.
This reductive notion of the Mass has never been the mind of the Holy Catholic Church, nor is it her mind today.
When such errors first began to arise after the Council, Pope Paul VI condemned them firmly in his Encyclical Letter Mysterium Fidei of 1965. He stated: “It is not permissible to extol the so-called ‘community’ Mass in such a way as to detract from Masses that are celebrated privately” (n. 11). Later in the document, he comments on “the public and social nature of each and every Mass”:
For each and every Mass is not something private, even if a priest celebrates it privately; instead, it is an act of Christ and of the Church. In offering this sacrifice, the Church learns to offer herself as a sacrifice for all and she applies the unique and infinite redemptive power of the sacrifice of the Cross to the salvation of the whole world. For every Mass that is celebrated is being offered not just for the salvation of certain people, but also for the salvation of the whole world. The conclusion from this is that even though active participation by many faithful is of its very nature particularly fitting when Mass is celebrated, still there is no reason to criticize but rather only to approve a Mass that a priest celebrates privately for a good reason in accordance with the regulations and legitimate traditions of the Church, even when only a server to make the responses is present. For such a Mass brings a rich and abundant treasure of special graces to help the priest himself, the faithful, the whole Church and the whole world toward salvation — and this same abundance of graces is not gained through mere reception of Holy Communion. (n. 32)
Rejecting the Mass without a congregation is neither more nor less than a rejection of the dogmatically defined Catholic understanding of the Mass, which is not about this or that group of people who happen to be present, but about bringing our world and all of the faithful back to the Father through Jesus Christ. It is obviously good when the faithful are present to participate in this offering — it is good for them — but the offering remains objectively real and efficacious whether a thousand, twenty, or no members of the faithful are present in person.
Are we forgetting, too, that Mass is offered in the presence of the holy angels and in communion with the saints of the Church triumphant so often honored in the liturgy and especially in the Eucharistic Prayer? Even a priest “alone” in a chapel is never alone; he is always in the company of God’s elect, “wrestling not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness” (cf. Eph. 6:12). Of course, this cosmic perspective — which is that of Sacrosanctum Concilium no less than of Catholic tradition as a whole — depends on a living faith in what cannot be seen by the human eye. The German progressivists seem to reduce everything to what can be seen, betraying a lack of faith in the invisible realm, which is not less but far more real than the physical world around us.
As I detailed in an article at New Liturgical Movement, we find encouragement for the priest’s personal offering of Mass in the current Code of Canon Law as well as in the postconciliar Magisterium. In his Encyclical Letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia (2003), John Paul II teaches as follows:
If the Eucharist is the center and summit of the Church’s life, it is likewise the center and summit of priestly ministry. For this reason, with a heart filled with gratitude to our Lord Jesus Christ, I repeat that the Eucharist “is the principal and central raison d’être of the sacrament of priesthood, which effectively came into being at the moment of the institution of the Eucharist.”… We can understand, then, how important it is for the spiritual life of the priest, as well as for the good of the Church and the world, that priests follow the Council’s recommendation to celebrate the Eucharist daily: “for even if the faithful are unable to be present, it is an act of Christ and the Church” (Vatican II, Presbyterorum Ordinis, 13). In this way priests will be able to counteract the daily tensions which lead to a lack of focus and they will find in the Eucharistic sacrifice — the true center of their lives and ministry — the spiritual strength needed to deal with their different pastoral responsibilities. Their daily activity will thus become truly Eucharistic. (n. 31)
Benedict XVI concurs in his post-synodal apostolic exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis (2007):
The Eucharistic form of the Christian life is seen in a very special way in the priesthood. Priestly spirituality is intrinsically Eucharistic.… An intense spiritual life will enable him [the priest] to enter more deeply into communion with the Lord and to let himself be possessed by God’s love, bearing witness to that love at all times, even the darkest and most difficult. To this end, I join the Synod Fathers in recommending “the daily celebration of Mass, even when the faithful are not present” (Propositio 38). This recommendation is consistent with the objectively infinite value of every celebration of the Eucharist, and is motivated by the Mass’s unique spiritual fruitfulness. If celebrated in a faith-filled and attentive way, Mass is formative in the deepest sense of the word, since it fosters the priest’s configuration to Christ and strengthens him in his vocation. (n. 80)
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal that governs celebrations in the “Ordinary Form” provides rubrics for the offering of Holy Mass when only one minister participates (nn. 252–272), and for the offering of Holy Mass without the participation of a minister (n. 254). The rubrics that govern the celebration of the “Extraordinary Form” likewise provide for such a situation. Such consistent provision over many centuries, before and after the Second Vatican Council and down to the present, would make no sense if this scenario were not anticipated as a necessary and praiseworthy practice in certain situations. It is manifestly neither an abuse nor an “outmoded idea,” pace our Bonn professors.
The prayer of our Eternal High Priest is the holiest and most powerful of all prayers, and the Mass is His salvific prayer, His sweet-smelling oblation, offered at the hands of the ordained minister for the welfare of the living and the dead, and for the priest’s own sanctification. If the priest is not holy — if he does not assiduously pursue conformity with Christ the High Priest — his ministry will be increasingly empty, shallow, fruitless. That is of no benefit to the People of God.
In times of danger and difficulty, the faithful and their ministers stand in even greater need of the grace of God, supporting and strengthening them. To deprive the Church of so great a good as a single Holy Mass, or to encourage priests to deprive themselves of it on any day, would reflect not so much an enlightened attitude as a weak faith, a turning away from the supernatural, a tepid charity, a placing of hope in this world and its “solutions.” Whatever their merits, worldly solutions are not ultimate ones, and they cannot bring us the divine help we need.
Correction, 03-19-20: This blog post was updated to accurately reflect the locations of the three liturgists advocating against private Masses. LifeSite regrets the error.
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--2020-03-20--For Ukraine, coronavirus crackdown is like Soviet Union revisited

KYIV , Ukraine , March 19 , 2020 ( The Daily Signal ) — Ukraine has gone into a nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus .
As of Tuesday , the country is completely closed to foreigners .
All international air traffic has stopped and Ukraine ’ s land borders are closed , too .
Ukrainian citizens stuck abroad have been instructed to go to their nearest consulate so they can get a seat on a chartered flight home .
All domestic air , train , and bus travel has been suspended .
Here in the capital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to stay open were grocery stores , pharmacies , and gas stations .
The government has ordered everything else closed .
Schools , gyms , malls , movie theaters , barbershops , museums .
Everything .
The government has banned gatherings of more than 10 .
And , in a bid to free up hospital space for a potential flood of cases of the new coronavirus disease , COVID-19 , the government has banned elective surgeries for the time being .
Not abiding by these rules is a crime , enforceable by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look harsh today , but two weeks later we may all be thankful that they were introduced , ” said Vasyl Myroshnychenko , 39 , co-founder of the Ukraine Crisis Media Center .
Rattled by the impending lockdown , Ukrainians rushed the supermarkets Monday to stock up on food and other supplies .
Shoppers jostled each other trying to get to the last bit of certain things such as canned goods or buckwheat groats .
At the glitzy Le Silpo supermarket in Kyiv ’ s city center , the shelves were left barren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It was madness .
Some younger Ukrainians on social media compared the coronavirus crackdown to the opening scenes of a zombie movie .
However , for older Ukrainians who can remember life in the Soviet Union , this whole crisis feels , well ... eerily familiar .
“ Parliament ’ s current decisions on quarantine ... are a purely Soviet measure to subdue society , ” said Viktor Zherditskiy , 63 , a resident of Kyiv .
Ukraine ’ s older generations remember everyday life under Soviet rule , with its myriad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a deep-seated distrust of the government in a time of crisis — an attitude that stems from , among other things , the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster .
“ When the government authorities start stroking the heads of their citizens , and in a quiet voice try to convince them that everything will be fine , the more I begin to worry , ” said Sergiy Tsyhipa , 58 , a Red Army veteran and former special operations soldier .
However , for Ukraine ’ s millennials — for whom the Soviet Union @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus lockdown is unprecedented and extraordinary .
“ In my opinion the virus isn ’ t the biggest problem , ” said Igor Didenko , 31 , who lives in Kyiv .
“ Nowadays , the main problem is panic , and this panic leads to serious problems for our people .
Like increasing prices for food and medicine.
” Younger generations are used to fully stocked grocery stores , where you can buy practically anything you ’ d find in a Whole Foods or a Trader Joe ’ s store back in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trendy Western retail shops , Apple products , IMAX movie theaters , and the convenience of Uber and Uber Eats .
It ’ s all available in Kyiv these days .
Ukraine ’ s millennials have gotten used to a certain Western standard of living .
They grew up watching many of the same movies and TV shows , and listening to much of the same music , as their American contemporaries .
In this globalized era , that ’ s not necessarily unusual .
But it ’ s definitely a far cry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal to possess a Western rock record obtained on the black market .
Young Ukrainians are used to many of the same freedoms and opportunities that we , as American citizens , take for granted .
The freedom to travel , too , has become an expectation .
In 2017 , the European Union approved visa-free travel for Ukrainian citizens .
Prior to that , Ukrainians had to spend hundreds of dollars on complicated visa applications to travel to Europe .
( Russians still do , by the way . )
Nowadays , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s landmark decision , Ukrainians can simply hop on a plane at their whim and go see the Continent .
It ’ s become a badge of honor among young Ukrainians to pepper their Facebook or Instagram feeds with photos of their European escapades .
Older Ukrainians can hardly believe it .
For them , such easy and unfettered access to Europe would have been unthinkable in their youths .
Thus , for younger Ukrainians , the COVID-19 crackdown is uncomfortably exposing them to how their parents and grandparents used to live — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but in the years immediately after the U.S.S.R. ’ s dissolution in 1991 .
Life in the 1990s , after all , wasn ’ t much easier than during the Cold War .
A decade of near anarchy followed the Soviet collapse ; it was a time of economic and societal collapse .
In fact , during the 1990s , Ukraine ’ s population and its industrial output decreased by a larger share than during World War II , when Ukraine was the deadliest battlefield of the deadliest war in human history .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fittest ” mentality that one had to adopt to make ends meet in Ukraine in the 1990s as the economy self-imploded and criminals took over the government .
When the banks privatized , many people lost their life savings .
Like the Soviet era that preceded it , the 1990s left a permanent impression on the mentalities of many Ukrainians who lived through it .
You now see evidence of this while in line at supermarkets when people of a certain age press forward as if the cashier might close down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Kyiv ’ s Boryspil International Airport , when some Ukrainians line up at their gate more than an hour before their flight ’ s boarding time — as if they might be barred from boarding the aircraft if they ’ re not waiting at the front of the line .
Now , with the coronavirus lockdown in full swing , those older generations are being reminded of the hard times they lived through , which have forever forged their mindsets .
“ Coronavirus is another catastrophe for our country , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For younger Ukrainians , this whole crisis has been an education in what that they ’ ve been fighting for since 2014 .
After all , it was Ukraine ’ s millennials who led the way in overthrowing the corrupt , pro-Russian regime of Viktor Yanukovych during the country ’ s 2014 “ Revolution of Dignity.
” After Russia invaded that year , it was the younger Ukrainian generations who rose up and led a grassroots war effort .
With no propaganda prodding , they banded together into civilian volunteer battalions and struck @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back Russia ’ s forces .
Those young Ukrainians fought back when their homeland was in peril and earned their country ’ s long-awaited independence from Russia .
And in government halls across the country , young Ukrainians also have shouldered the simultaneous fight against corruption .
Across Ukraine today , empty pedestals mark the spots where Soviet statues of Vladimir Lenin once stood .
Every street , town , or city in Ukraine that once bore a Soviet name has been renamed in the Ukrainian language .
It ’ s now technically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national anthem , or to wave the Soviet hammer-and-sickle flag .
Young Ukrainians have a dream for a better life , and they ’ ve proven time and again that they ’ re brave enough to fight for it .
They know what they ’ re fighting for — that ’ s clear .
And now , thanks to the coronavirus crackdown , they understand a little better what they ’ re fighting against .
Yes , the COVID-19 pandemic will pass , and life will go on .
The borders and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to work , and the grocery store shelves will be replenished .
But life never tastes sweeter than in those moments when you think you might lose it .
The same goes for freedom and opportunities .
Americans might well take stock of how life has changed for them during the coronavirus crisis , but also of how lucky they are to be Americans .
Because the coronavirus lockdown is what life was like every day in the Soviet Union .
Remember , a microscopic virus isn ’ t the only way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the fruits of our democratic way of life .
We ’ re perfectly capable of doing those terrible things ourselves , with or without Mother Nature ’ s help .
Published with permission from The Daily Signal .

Younger Ukrainians are now getting a taste of what their parents and grandparents lived through.
KYIV, Ukraine, March 19, 2020 (The Daily Signal) — Ukraine has gone into a nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
As of Tuesday, the country is completely closed to foreigners. All international air traffic has stopped and Ukraine’s land borders are closed, too.
Ukrainian citizens stuck abroad have been instructed to go to their nearest consulate so they can get a seat on a chartered flight home. All domestic air, train, and bus travel has been suspended.
Here in the capital city of Kyiv, the only businesses allowed to stay open were grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations. The government has ordered everything else closed. Schools, gyms, malls, movie theaters, barbershops, museums. Everything.
The government has banned gatherings of more than 10. And, in a bid to free up hospital space for a potential flood of cases of the new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, the government has banned elective surgeries for the time being.
Not abiding by these rules is a crime, enforceable by arrest.
“The current measures may look harsh today, but two weeks later we may all be thankful that they were introduced,” said Vasyl Myroshnychenko, 39, co-founder of the Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
Rattled by the impending lockdown, Ukrainians rushed the supermarkets Monday to stock up on food and other supplies. Shoppers jostled each other trying to get to the last bit of certain things such as canned goods or buckwheat groats.
At the glitzy Le Silpo supermarket in Kyiv’s city center, the shelves were left barren in the wake of the panicked purchasing. It was madness.
Closed borders. Empty shelves. Restrictions on movement.
Fear.
Some younger Ukrainians on social media compared the coronavirus crackdown to the opening scenes of a zombie movie. However, for older Ukrainians who can remember life in the Soviet Union, this whole crisis feels, well … eerily familiar.
“Parliament’s current decisions on quarantine … are a purely Soviet measure to subdue society,” said Viktor Zherditskiy, 63, a resident of Kyiv.
Ukraine’s older generations remember everyday life under Soviet rule, with its myriad restrictions and deprivations. They also retain a deep-seated distrust of the government in a time of crisis — an attitude that stems from, among other things, the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
“When the government authorities start stroking the heads of their citizens, and in a quiet voice try to convince them that everything will be fine, the more I begin to worry,” said Sergiy Tsyhipa, 58, a Red Army veteran and former special operations soldier.
Expectations
However, for Ukraine’s millennials — for whom the Soviet Union is not a living memory — the coronavirus lockdown is unprecedented and extraordinary.
“In my opinion the virus isn’t the biggest problem,” said Igor Didenko, 31, who lives in Kyiv. “Nowadays, the main problem is panic, and this panic leads to serious problems for our people. Like increasing prices for food and medicine.”
Younger generations are used to fully stocked grocery stores, where you can buy practically anything you’d find in a Whole Foods or a Trader Joe’s store back in the U.S. Young Ukrainians are used to trendy Western retail shops, Apple products, IMAX movie theaters, and the convenience of Uber and Uber Eats.
It’s all available in Kyiv these days.
Ukraine’s millennials have gotten used to a certain Western standard of living. They grew up watching many of the same movies and TV shows, and listening to much of the same music, as their American contemporaries.
In this globalized era, that’s not necessarily unusual. But it’s definitely a far cry from Soviet times, when it was illegal to possess a Western rock record obtained on the black market.
Young Ukrainians are used to many of the same freedoms and opportunities that we, as American citizens, take for granted. The freedom to travel, too, has become an expectation.
In 2017, the European Union approved visa-free travel for Ukrainian citizens. Prior to that, Ukrainians had to spend hundreds of dollars on complicated visa applications to travel to Europe. (Russians still do, by the way.)
Nowadays, though, thanks to the EU’s landmark decision, Ukrainians can simply hop on a plane at their whim and go see the Continent.
It’s become a badge of honor among young Ukrainians to pepper their Facebook or Instagram feeds with photos of their European escapades. Older Ukrainians can hardly believe it. For them, such easy and unfettered access to Europe would have been unthinkable in their youths.
Thus, for younger Ukrainians, the COVID-19 crackdown is uncomfortably exposing them to how their parents and grandparents used to live — not just during the Soviet era, but in the years immediately after the U.S.S.R.’s dissolution in 1991.
Life in the 1990s, after all, wasn’t much easier than during the Cold War. A decade of near anarchy followed the Soviet collapse; it was a time of economic and societal collapse.
In fact, during the 1990s, Ukraine’s population and its industrial output decreased by a larger share than during World War II, when Ukraine was the deadliest battlefield of the deadliest war in human history.
There was a certain “survival of the fittest” mentality that one had to adopt to make ends meet in Ukraine in the 1990s as the economy self-imploded and criminals took over the government. When the banks privatized, many people lost their life savings.
Like the Soviet era that preceded it, the 1990s left a permanent impression on the mentalities of many Ukrainians who lived through it. You now see evidence of this while in line at supermarkets when people of a certain age press forward as if the cashier might close down the register at any random moment.
Or at Kyiv’s Boryspil International Airport, when some Ukrainians line up at their gate more than an hour before their flight’s boarding time — as if they might be barred from boarding the aircraft if they’re not waiting at the front of the line.
Now, with the coronavirus lockdown in full swing, those older generations are being reminded of the hard times they lived through, which have forever forged their mindsets.
“Coronavirus is another catastrophe for our country,” said Tsyhipa, the Soviet army veteran.
Why We Fight
For younger Ukrainians, this whole crisis has been an education in what that they’ve been fighting for since 2014. After all, it was Ukraine’s millennials who led the way in overthrowing the corrupt, pro-Russian regime of Viktor Yanukovych during the country’s 2014 “Revolution of Dignity.”
After Russia invaded that year, it was the younger Ukrainian generations who rose up and led a grassroots war effort. With no propaganda prodding, they banded together into civilian volunteer battalions and struck out for the eastern front and turned back Russia’s forces.
Those young Ukrainians fought back when their homeland was in peril and earned their country’s long-awaited independence from Russia. And in government halls across the country, young Ukrainians also have shouldered the simultaneous fight against corruption.
Across Ukraine today, empty pedestals mark the spots where Soviet statues of Vladimir Lenin once stood. Every street, town, or city in Ukraine that once bore a Soviet name has been renamed in the Ukrainian language. It’s now technically illegal in Ukraine to play the Soviet national anthem, or to wave the Soviet hammer-and-sickle flag.
Young Ukrainians have a dream for a better life, and they’ve proven time and again that they’re brave enough to fight for it. They know what they’re fighting for — that’s clear.
And now, thanks to the coronavirus crackdown, they understand a little better what they’re fighting against.
Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic will pass, and life will go on. The borders and the stores will reopen, people will go back to work, and the grocery store shelves will be replenished.
But life never tastes sweeter than in those moments when you think you might lose it. The same goes for freedom and opportunities.
Americans might well take stock of how life has changed for them during the coronavirus crisis, but also of how lucky they are to be Americans. Because the coronavirus lockdown is what life was like every day in the Soviet Union.
Remember, a microscopic virus isn’t the only way in which we may lose our freedoms, and the fruits of our democratic way of life. We’re perfectly capable of doing those terrible things ourselves, with or without Mother Nature’s help.
Published with permission from The Daily Signal.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-03-20--Trans activist sues pro-family group for $15K for not calling him a woman

LANGLEY , British Columbia , March 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Transgender activist Jonathan “ Jessica ” Yaniv is suing a well known British Columbia parents ’ rights advocate for $ 15,000 for allegedly spreading hate against him by referring to him with male pronouns .
Yaniv filed his suit against Kari Simpson of CultureGuard , a group that battles the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity ( SOGI ) curriculum in the schools , on March 17 at a small claims court in Langley , British Columbia .
“ Kari Simpson is exhibiting hatered [ sic ] and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to me being transgender [ . ]
... She also purposely uses the wrong pronouns in an effort to hurt , and spread hate towards me , referring to me , a female , as ‘ he/him/his , ’ ” he wrote .
“ Using the wrong pronouns towards a transgender individuals is a hate crime .
Purposefully using the wrong pronouns constitutes discrimination and criminal harassment.
” For her part , Simpson says she ’ s ready to take on Yaniv , who gained international notoriety for the human rights complaints he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beauticians for refusing to wax his male genitals , as well as for his widely disseminated online social media messages that reveal a disturbing sexual interest in young girls .
“ I ’ m delighted at the invitation that Yaniv has provided me with into the court system to once and for all determine whether or not people have the right to deal in reality versus delusion , and whether the court will order people to lie , ” Simpson told LifeSiteNews .
“ I will protect Yaniv ’ s position to dress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , but where his delusion ends is where my reality begins , ” she added .
“ He is not a woman .
He should not be accessing women ’ s washrooms .
He is a danger .
He is a predator .
And he is abusive.
” Yaniv , a 32-year-old tech writer who runs a website called Trusted Nerd , was most recently in the news when he pleaded guilty March 16 at the Surrey provincial courthouse to possessing a prohibited weapon .
His criminal conviction stemmed from an August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeared to fire off a Taser during an online debate , prompting a number of people to call the Langley RCMP .
Yaniv was arrested later that night , and in a subsequent search , the RCMP found two stun guns , bear spray , and pepper spray at his residence .
On Monday , B.C .
Provincial Court judge Jay Solomon ordered a pre-sentence report , which includes a psychological report , before Yaniv ’ s scheduled June 1 sentencing .
He faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or both .
Yaniv ’ s suit against Simpson appears connected to this court appearance , at which he strongly objected to her being present , telling her : “ You ’ re not allowed to be here , b -- -- !
” He then called the Surrey RCMP , which is housed close to the courthouse , and officers showed up , Simpson told LifeSiteNews .
Constable Elenore Sturko , a self-identified member of the LGBT community , told LifeSiteNews that the officers attended because of an alleged “ courthouse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an investigation and that she could not confirm if Yaniv made the complaint because of privacy concerns .
The next day , Yaniv filed his lawsuit against Simpson , claiming in a request to have the filing costs waived that “ I have become suicidal due to her level of harassment and her involvement in anti-LGBTQ and anti–SOGI 123 politics .
It ’ s stressful and causing me severe anxiety , and depression.
” He further claimed that “ when I go to my audiologist [ Simpson ] starts recording me from her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is referring to the February 14 incident , which Simpson recorded and describes on her website as beginning when Yaniv photographed her office .
Yaniv also filed a suit claiming $ 30,000 in damages against Donald Smith , an autistic man whom Simpson describes as “ intellectually vulnerable.
” Yaniv claims in his filed document that Smith ’ s posted videos referring to him “ as a man ” have caused Yaniv “ much emotional damage ” and “ significant financial loss ” and that Smith has broken his bail conditions .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calling the Surrey RCMP and making allegations against Smith , and as a result , Smith is now charged with criminal harassment , uttering threats , and breach of undertaking and has spent 39 days in jail awaiting his June 2020 trial .
Simpson has become involved in Smith 's case and was principally responsible for getting him released from pre-trial custody on a $ 10,000 surety — which , she suspects , “ put a target on my back because it messed up Yaniv ’ s plan to keep Donald in jail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suit against her , she told LifeSiteNews .
She says that for her defense , she will be requesting documents relating to Yaniv ’ s “ biological reality ... that entitles me to prove whether or not my pronoun use is appropriate.
” Simpson has argued previously in a case she filed with the B.C .
Law Society that there is no law in Canada — including the Liberal Bill C-16 , which added “ gender identity ” and “ gender expression ” to the human rights code and the Criminal Code hate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use particular pronouns .
Yaniv ’ s lawsuit will “ allow us to challenge the gender identity provisions within our human rights legislation once and for all , ” she told LifeSiteNews .
“ This is a perfect opportunity for some semblance of grammatical order and logic to be established in the nation of Canada , as far as the rights of individuals to deal with reality versus delusion and compelled speech , ” added Simpson .
Meanwhile , Yaniv is facing a civil suit by reporters Keean Bexte and David Menzies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men on separate occasions : Bexte on January 13 , Menzies in August , in incidents that were recorded .
Amy Eileen Hamm , a reporter for the Post Millennial , is also suing Yaniv for defamation after the trans activist claimed that Hamm voyeuristically sexually assaulted him in a ladies ’ room at the Surrey courthouse January 13 .
Man who identifies as ‘ female ’ asks township to approve LGBT pool party for ‘ topless ’ 12-year-olds , no parents

LANGLEY, British Columbia, March 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Transgender activist Jonathan “Jessica” Yaniv is suing a well known British Columbia parents’ rights advocate for $15,000 for allegedly spreading hate against him by referring to him with male pronouns.
Yaniv filed his suit against Kari Simpson of CultureGuard, a group that battles the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) curriculum in the schools, on March 17 at a small claims court in Langley, British Columbia.
“Kari Simpson is exhibiting hatered [sic] and spreading that hate over social media due to me being transgender[.] … She also purposely uses the wrong pronouns in an effort to hurt, and spread hate towards me, referring to me, a female, as ‘he/him/his,’” he wrote.
“Using the wrong pronouns towards a transgender individuals is a hate crime. Purposefully using the wrong pronouns constitutes discrimination and criminal harassment.”
For her part, Simpson says she’s ready to take on Yaniv, who gained international notoriety for the human rights complaints he filed last year against at least 16 beauticians for refusing to wax his male genitals, as well as for his widely disseminated online social media messages that reveal a disturbing sexual interest in young girls.
“I’m delighted at the invitation that Yaniv has provided me with into the court system to once and for all determine whether or not people have the right to deal in reality versus delusion, and whether the court will order people to lie,” Simpson told LifeSiteNews.
“I will protect Yaniv’s position to dress up like a woman, put lipstick on, but where his delusion ends is where my reality begins,” she added.
“He is not a woman. He should not be accessing women’s washrooms. He is a danger. He is a predator. And he is abusive.”
Yaniv, a 32-year-old tech writer who runs a website called Trusted Nerd, was most recently in the news when he pleaded guilty March 16 at the Surrey provincial courthouse to possessing a prohibited weapon.
His criminal conviction stemmed from an August 5 incident in which Yaniv brandished and appeared to fire off a Taser during an online debate, prompting a number of people to call the Langley RCMP. Yaniv was arrested later that night, and in a subsequent search, the RCMP found two stun guns, bear spray, and pepper spray at his residence.
On Monday, B.C. Provincial Court judge Jay Solomon ordered a pre-sentence report, which includes a psychological report, before Yaniv’s scheduled June 1 sentencing. He faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail or a fine of up to $5,000, or both.
Yaniv’s suit against Simpson appears connected to this court appearance, at which he strongly objected to her being present, telling her: “You’re not allowed to be here, b—-!” He then called the Surrey RCMP, which is housed close to the courthouse, and officers showed up, Simpson told LifeSiteNews.
Constable Elenore Sturko, a self-identified member of the LGBT community, told LifeSiteNews that the officers attended because of an alleged “courthouse disturbance” but closed the file after an investigation and that she could not confirm if Yaniv made the complaint because of privacy concerns.
The next day, Yaniv filed his lawsuit against Simpson, claiming in a request to have the filing costs waived that “I have become suicidal due to her level of harassment and her involvement in anti-LGBTQ and anti–SOGI 123 politics. It’s stressful and causing me severe anxiety, and depression.”
He further claimed that “when I go to my audiologist [Simpson] starts recording me from her office above him.” Presumably, he is referring to the February 14 incident, which Simpson recorded and describes on her website as beginning when Yaniv photographed her office.
Yaniv also filed a suit claiming $30,000 in damages against Donald Smith, an autistic man whom Simpson describes as “intellectually vulnerable.”
Yaniv claims in his filed document that Smith’s posted videos referring to him “as a man” have caused Yaniv “much emotional damage” and “significant financial loss” and that Smith has broken his bail conditions.
But according to Simpson, Yaniv has been calling the Surrey RCMP and making allegations against Smith, and as a result, Smith is now charged with criminal harassment, uttering threats, and breach of undertaking and has spent 39 days in jail awaiting his June 2020 trial.
Simpson has become involved in Smith's case and was principally responsible for getting him released from pre-trial custody on a $10,000 surety — which, she suspects, “put a target on my back because it messed up Yaniv’s plan to keep Donald in jail” and led to Yaniv’s suit against her, she told LifeSiteNews.
She says that for her defense, she will be requesting documents relating to Yaniv’s “biological reality … that entitles me to prove whether or not my pronoun use is appropriate.”
Simpson has argued previously in a case she filed with the B.C. Law Society that there is no law in Canada — including the Liberal Bill C-16, which added “gender identity” and “gender expression” to the human rights code and the Criminal Code hate speech section — that actually compels people to use particular pronouns.
Yaniv’s lawsuit will “allow us to challenge the gender identity provisions within our human rights legislation once and for all,” she told LifeSiteNews.
“This is a perfect opportunity for some semblance of grammatical order and logic to be established in the nation of Canada, as far as the rights of individuals to deal with reality versus delusion and compelled speech,” added Simpson.
Meanwhile, Yaniv is facing a civil suit by reporters Keean Bexte and David Menzies of Rebel News for allegedly assaulting both men on separate occasions: Bexte on January 13, Menzies in August, in incidents that were recorded.
Amy Eileen Hamm, a reporter for the Post Millennial, is also suing Yaniv for defamation after the trans activist claimed that Hamm voyeuristically sexually assaulted him in a ladies’ room at the Surrey courthouse January 13.
Related:
Man who identifies as ‘female’ asks township to approve LGBT pool party for ‘topless’ 12-year-olds, no parents
Canadian LGBT lawyer faces challenge for claiming transgender pronouns are ‘the law’
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lifesitenews--2020-03-20--Coronavirus can help us rediscover the power of silence — and maybe find God

March 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — As odd as it may sound , one of the first things I did after embracing traditional Catholicism six years ago at the age of 27 was to turn off my car radio .
Up until then , whenever I got in my car , I would listen to the latest pop , classic rock , or rap songs .
The question wasn ’ t whether the radio or CD player was going to be on .
The question was simply , how loud would it be ?
As I came to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — thanks , in part , to the writings of St. Alphonsus — the less drawn I was to the world and to what it considers music .
Songs I once relied on to get me through the ups and downs of life no longer had the same meaning .
I came to see them as nothing more than catchy forms of noise pollution that , if I happened to hear them by accident , I frustratingly couldn ’ t get out of my head for the next 48 hours .
Eventually , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drove somewhere , I turned the radio off and prayed , oftentimes the rosary .
If I listened to anything , it was classical music or Gregorian chant .
This had an enormous impact on my spiritual life .
My mind was basically freed from my obsession with the music industry ’ s latest up and coming “ artists ” and their mind-numbing songs .
I slowly shifted from a naturalistic outlook to a more supernatural one that , I believe , has allowed grace to be more easily poured into my soul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is giving millions of people a chance to experience something similar to what I went through those six long years ago .
Across the world , sporting events have been canceled .
Movie theaters are closed .
Bars , restaurants , and casinos are shut down .
People are no longer able to rely on the “ entertainment ” that used to help them get through their daily lives .
Their distractions , in other words , have been cut to a minimum , and they are no longer able to console themselves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a false sense of comfort for many years .
What an enormous gift !
God has essentially given to mankind a chance to enjoy the world as it is and to bask in the beauty of silence , in opposition to what Cardinal Robert Sarah has called “ the dictatorship of noise.
” It ’ s also an occasion for millions of souls to realize that the many things they ’ ve been attached to are , in reality , meaningless traps that often divert their attention away from the things that really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends .
This sort of moment doesn ’ t come around very often .
Practically speaking , it would take millions of Christian missionaries traveling to all corners of the world to get people to start thinking about changing their lives in the way the coronavirus is forcing them to .
Unfortunately , I have a hunch that when the outbreak is over , not everyone is going to realize that many of the things they love are really just pointless addictions .
Most are simply unwilling or unable to break free from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ As the dog returns to his vomit pile , so the fool repeats his folly ” ( Proverbs 26:11 ) .
It would be a huge step in the right direction if Americans came out of this realizing just how silly and pointless the countless trivialities our soulless culture obsesses over really are .
They probably won ’ t , though .
Many will likely look back and see this snapshot in time as a nuisance they begrudgingly tolerated instead of a moment where they joyfully embraced the penance they were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the salvation of souls .
Whatever the case , my hope is that my fellow Americans will , as I did , turn off their car radios ( and television sets ) and engage in actual leisure activities and hobbies that better prepare the soul to receive the grace almighty God so desperately want to give them .
Reading , cooking , painting , walking and biking , journaling , and gardening are , in my estimation , the best places to start .

It would be a huge step in the right direction if Americans came out of this realizing just how pointless the countless trivialities our soulless culture obsesses over really are.
March 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — As odd as it may sound, one of the first things I did after embracing traditional Catholicism six years ago at the age of 27 was to turn off my car radio.
Up until then, whenever I got in my car, I would listen to the latest pop, classic rock, or rap songs. The question wasn’t whether the radio or CD player was going to be on. The question was simply, how loud would it be?
As I came to a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith — thanks, in part, to the writings of St. Alphonsus — the less drawn I was to the world and to what it considers music.
Songs I once relied on to get me through the ups and downs of life no longer had the same meaning. I came to see them as nothing more than catchy forms of noise pollution that, if I happened to hear them by accident, I frustratingly couldn’t get out of my head for the next 48 hours.
Eventually, I embraced the silence. If I drove somewhere, I turned the radio off and prayed, oftentimes the rosary. If I listened to anything, it was classical music or Gregorian chant.
This had an enormous impact on my spiritual life. My mind was basically freed from my obsession with the music industry’s latest up and coming “artists” and their mind-numbing songs. I slowly shifted from a naturalistic outlook to a more supernatural one that, I believe, has allowed grace to be more easily poured into my soul.
I suspect that the coronavirus outbreak is giving millions of people a chance to experience something similar to what I went through those six long years ago.
Across the world, sporting events have been canceled. Movie theaters are closed. Bars, restaurants, and casinos are shut down. People aren’t able to rely on the “entertainment” that got them through their day. Their distractions, in other words, have been cut to a minimum, and they’re no longer able to console themselves with the things that have brought them a false sense of comfort for many years.
What an enormous gift! God has essentially given to mankind a chance to enjoy the world as it is and to bask in the beauty of silence, in opposition to what Cardinal Robert Sarah has called “the dictatorship of noise.”
It’s also an occasion for millions of souls to realize that the many things they’ve been attached to are, in reality, meaningless traps that often divert their attention away from the things that really matter — faith, family, and friends.
This sort of moment doesn’t come around very often. Practically speaking, it would take millions of Christian missionaries traveling to all corners of the world to get people to start thinking about changing their lives in the way the coronavirus is forcing them to.
Unfortunately, I have a hunch that when the outbreak is over, not everyone is going to realize that many of the things they love are really just pointless addictions. Most are simply unwilling or unable to break free from the distraction-filled life they have been living. “As the dog returns to his vomit pile, so the fool repeats his folly” (Proverbs 26:11).
It would be a huge step in the right direction if Americans came out of this realizing just how silly the countless trivialities our soulless culture obsesses over really are. They probably won’t, though. Many will likely look back and see this snapshot in time as a nuisance they begrudgingly tolerated instead of a moment where they joyfully embraced the penance they were forced to endure and offered it for the salvation of souls.
Whatever the case, my hope is that my fellow Americans will, as I did, turn off their car radios (and television sets) and engage in actual leisure activities and hobbies that better prepare the soul to receive the grace almighty God so desperately want to give them. Reading, cooking, painting, walking and biking, journaling, and gardening are, in my estimation, the best places to start.
Follow Stephen Stephen Kokx is a journalist for LifeSiteNews. He previously worked for the Archdiocese of Chicago under the late Francis Cardinal George. A former community college instructor, Stephen has written and spoken extensively about Catholic social teaching and politics. His essays have appeared in a variety of outlets, including Catholic Family News, CatholicVote, and Alpha News.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-20--Experts criticize tyrannical modern state structure as destructive to families

BÖBLINGEN , Germany , March 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The modern state is harming families , Guido Hülsmann , a professor of economics in Angers , France , argued at a pro-family symposium .
“ Today , we have above all state interventionism to the detriment of the family , ” Hülsmann said .
The symposium , organized by DemoFürAlle , took place on February 15 in the German town of Böblingen .
Apart from Hülsmann , major speakers were Imre Téglásy , director of Human Life International in Hungary ; Raphael Bonelli , an Austrian psychiatrist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intimately familiar with the authoritarian government in former East Germany .
Hülsmann explained that the modern state was created in contradistinction to a society based on natural law .
Thus , the state was able to define what is right and what is wrong .
The modern state has a tendency , he said , to grow in an “ unlimited ” way .
The professor argued that the state generally does not intend to harm families .
Sometimes , the state might not even be aware of the consequences of a policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in fact known and approved nonetheless , because the policy would improve another situation .
In that context , Hülsmann strongly criticized “ our current monetary system , because it generates constant price inflation , which is quite deliberate.
” Price inflation “ creates irresistible incentives for a debt economy.
” “ If you have constant price inflation , then it is worthwhile for everyone to finance long-term investments by credit , ” Hülsmann said .
He then asked , “ How many families have been broken by the fact that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pay ?
” Hülsmann also referred to the modern state ’ s goal to emancipate and liberate the individual .
Laws allowing abortion and divorce make it less attractive for a man to get married , since the woman is more easily able to destroy the family at any point , he explained .
Kids staying at school until the late afternoon , which was very uncommon in Germany , leads to an education less optimal than it could be , Hülsmann said , since the parents are no longer raising their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems in a modern welfare state are not the best for families , according to Hülmann .
“ You don ’ t necessarily need the wife or the husband to cope with these life problems , to prepare for old age , to stay in good health .
In principle , you can have any lifestyle you want .
You can do dangerous sports , consume excessive alcohol , take drugs , etc .
In the end , all responsibility is taken away , ” he said .
“ Since you know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the incentives to have children in the first place and to raise children decrease , because you receive payment regardless of whether and how many children you yourself have raised as future taxpayers .
The benefits will be socialized and the costs of raising children will remain private , ” the professor clarified the retirement question .
Hülsmann concluded by pointing out that long-term goals to help the family in the modern state require short-term sacrifices .
Imre Téglásy of Human Life International in Hungary started his talk by looking at the term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is from the Latin word nasci , which comes from the word meaning “ to be born , ” Téglásy reasoned that there are no nations without births .
Hungary still has a low birth rate , even compared to other European countries , but the government has implemented certain measures intended to increase those numbers .
Some of the incentives of Hungarian government , led by prime minister Viktor Orbán , include tax benefits and home purchase loans for families , more spaces in nurseries , various transfer payments for couples with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no income tax for mothers of four .
All of this sounds good on paper , but Téglásy looked at the effect those policies had .
He said there was practically no improvement for many families in need , while the subsidies still help that part of the population that is wealthier .
While Fidesz , Orbán ’ s party , targets middle-class families , the fertility rates of poorer families that did not benefit from the policies increased more significantly .
Overall , the fertility rate went up from 1.25 to roughly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eight years .
According to Téglásy , however , all Eastern European countries increased the rate slightly after the fall of communism .
Hungary ’ s new constitution states , “ Every human being should have the right to life ; embryonic and fetal life should be protected from the moment of conception.
” Nevertheless , the law permitting abortions is still in force .
Up to 30,000 abortions are performed every single year in Hungary .
Téglásy mentioned that Poland , another Eastern European country with a conservative government , has only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is high time for true conservatives to stand up for a full turnaround .
It is time to return to God , the Creator and Lord of the universe , and to the constitution of natural law , ” the director of Human Life International in Hungary said .
“ It is also high time to fully and uncompromisingly recognize as persons all human beings who are still in the bosom of their mothers .
We are convinced that the bosom of mothers is the most intimate and dearest border of every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The atheistic profit-oriented model of Western societies continues to prevent us from recognizing the rights of children before birth and the right of parents to educate their children , ” he concluded .
Hubertus Knabe , who has studied the history of former East Germany , began by quoting from the family laws of that country , which referred to the family as the nucleus of society .
However , “ the reality looked very different.
” Kids spent ten hours or more of their day in daycare , as the mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work , the second shift was waiting for the women , namely shopping , looking after the children , working in the household.
” According to Knabe , that second shift amounted to about 47 hours every week , since modern conveniences , including stores that have everything in stock , were generally unknown in East Germany .
There was also a lack of places to live .
Only after getting married , people moved up on the waiting list of those looking for an apartment .
When the Iron Curtain fell in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were on that list .
“ The most prominent example of such a marriage is our chancellor , who is called Merkel because after graduating she married Ulrich Merkel , a fellow student , in order to get an apartment in Berlin , and then divorced him after a short time , ” Knabe pointed out .
In fact , many marriages ended quickly , but often they bore children .
“ Statistically , divorce usually occurred within the first three to four years of marriage.
” Even though East Germany had many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instance extra money for every child , and loan money at the beginning of marriage that did not have to be paid back after a certain number of children , the fertility rate was only 1.4 in the late 1980s .
Raphael Bonelli , a psychiatrist in the Austrian capital of Vienna , said that from a psychological perspective , the family is the nucleus of society .
The subconscious desire of every human being is to “ grow old ” with somebody else .
“ No one has ever told me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person I can live with for the next five years , and then I separate from him.
’ There ’ s no such thing , ” Bonelli emphasized .
Narcissism and perfectionism destroy the family , he explained , because they focus on the “ I ” instead of on the other person .
What makes free human beings and happy relationships is self-transcendence toward the True , the Good , and the Beautiful , the psychiatrist said .
In order to lead a good life , self-transcendence is key , but in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then the spouse , the children , the parents and parents-in-law , and finally siblings .
“ You won ’ t believe how many people infringe upon that hierarchy , ” Bonelli said .
“ If the hierarchies are not clear , families don ’ t work.
” Many people even put their career at the top .
Bonelli concluded with a few comments on family policies , and the lack of recognition for mothers .
“ Smart people have children and no time to argue with idiots , ” he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have better things to do than petitioning politicians .

Among the more striking remarks was Professor Guido Hülsmann's acknowledgment that abortion disincentivizes men to marry because the state empowers women to destroy the family at any time.
BÖBLINGEN, Germany, March 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The modern state is harming families, Guido Hülsmann, a professor of economics in Angers, France, argued at a pro-family symposium.
“Today, we have above all state interventionism to the detriment of the family,” Hülsmann said.
The symposium, organized by DemoFürAlle, took place on February 15 in the German town of Böblingen. Apart from Hülsmann, major speakers were Imre Téglásy, director of Human Life International in Hungary; Raphael Bonelli, an Austrian psychiatrist; and Hubertus Knabe, a historian intimately familiar with the authoritarian government in former East Germany.
Hülsmann explained that the modern state was created in contradistinction to a society based on natural law. Thus, the state was able to define what is right and what is wrong. The modern state has a tendency, he said, to grow in an “unlimited” way.
The professor argued that the state generally does not intend to harm families. Sometimes, the state might not even be aware of the consequences of a policy. Other times, the harmful consequences are in fact known and approved nonetheless, because the policy would improve another situation.
In that context, Hülsmann strongly criticized “our current monetary system, because it generates constant price inflation, which is quite deliberate.” Price inflation “creates irresistible incentives for a debt economy.”
“If you have constant price inflation, then it is worthwhile for everyone to finance long-term investments by credit,” Hülsmann said. He then asked, “How many families have been broken by the fact that there were debts the family was unable to pay?”
Hülsmann also referred to the modern state’s goal to emancipate and liberate the individual.
Laws allowing abortion and divorce make it less attractive for a man to get married, since the woman is more easily able to destroy the family at any point, he explained. Kids staying at school until the late afternoon, which was very uncommon in Germany, leads to an education less optimal than it could be, Hülsmann said, since the parents are no longer raising their own children.
The retirement and health care systems in a modern welfare state are not the best for families, according to Hülmann.
“You don’t necessarily need the wife or the husband to cope with these life problems, to prepare for old age, to stay in good health. In principle, you can have any lifestyle you want. You can do dangerous sports, consume excessive alcohol, take drugs, etc. In the end, all responsibility is taken away,” he said.
“Since you know that you will receive a state pension, the incentives to have children in the first place and to raise children decrease, because you receive payment regardless of whether and how many children you yourself have raised as future taxpayers. The benefits will be socialized and the costs of raising children will remain private,” the professor clarified the retirement question.
Hülsmann concluded by pointing out that long-term goals to help the family in the modern state require short-term sacrifices.
Imre Téglásy of Human Life International in Hungary started his talk by looking at the term “nation.” Since “nation” is from the Latin word nasci, which comes from the word meaning “to be born,” Téglásy reasoned that there are no nations without births.
Hungary still has a low birth rate, even compared to other European countries, but the government has implemented certain measures intended to increase those numbers.
Some of the incentives of Hungarian government, led by prime minister Viktor Orbán, include tax benefits and home purchase loans for families, more spaces in nurseries, various transfer payments for couples with more children, car subsidies, and no income tax for mothers of four.
All of this sounds good on paper, but Téglásy looked at the effect those policies had. He said there was practically no improvement for many families in need, while the subsidies still help that part of the population that is wealthier.
While Fidesz, Orbán’s party, targets middle-class families, the fertility rates of poorer families that did not benefit from the policies increased more significantly.
Overall, the fertility rate went up from 1.25 to roughly 1.4 in the course of the last eight years. According to Téglásy, however, all Eastern European countries increased the rate slightly after the fall of communism.
Hungary’s new constitution states, “Every human being should have the right to life; embryonic and fetal life should be protected from the moment of conception.”
Nevertheless, the law permitting abortions is still in force. Up to 30,000 abortions are performed every single year in Hungary. Téglásy mentioned that Poland, another Eastern European country with a conservative government, has only 1,000 abortions per year.
“Now it is high time for true conservatives to stand up for a full turnaround. It is time to return to God, the Creator and Lord of the universe, and to the constitution of natural law,” the director of Human Life International in Hungary said.
“It is also high time to fully and uncompromisingly recognize as persons all human beings who are still in the bosom of their mothers. We are convinced that the bosom of mothers is the most intimate and dearest border of every nation, including the Hungarian nation.”
“The atheistic profit-oriented model of Western societies continues to prevent us from recognizing the rights of children before birth and the right of parents to educate their children,” he concluded.
Hubertus Knabe, who has studied the history of former East Germany, began by quoting from the family laws of that country, which referred to the family as the nucleus of society. However, “the reality looked very different.”
Kids spent ten hours or more of their day in daycare, as the mother was required to work. “After work, the second shift was waiting for the women, namely shopping, looking after the children, working in the household.”
According to Knabe, that second shift amounted to about 47 hours every week, since modern conveniences, including stores that have everything in stock, were generally unknown in East Germany.
There was also a lack of places to live. Only after getting married, people moved up on the waiting list of those looking for an apartment. When the Iron Curtain fell in 1989, Knabe said, 800,000 people were on that list.
“The most prominent example of such a marriage is our chancellor, who is called Merkel because after graduating she married Ulrich Merkel, a fellow student, in order to get an apartment in Berlin, and then divorced him after a short time,” Knabe pointed out.
In fact, many marriages ended quickly, but often they bore children. “Statistically, divorce usually occurred within the first three to four years of marriage.”
Even though East Germany had many policies intended to help families, for instance extra money for every child, and loan money at the beginning of marriage that did not have to be paid back after a certain number of children, the fertility rate was only 1.4 in the late 1980s.
Raphael Bonelli, a psychiatrist in the Austrian capital of Vienna, said that from a psychological perspective, the family is the nucleus of society. The subconscious desire of every human being is to “grow old” with somebody else.
“No one has ever told me, ‘I have a longing for a person I can live with for the next five years, and then I separate from him.’ There’s no such thing,” Bonelli emphasized.
Narcissism and perfectionism destroy the family, he explained, because they focus on the “I” instead of on the other person.
What makes free human beings and happy relationships is self-transcendence toward the True, the Good, and the Beautiful, the psychiatrist said.
In order to lead a good life, self-transcendence is key, but in a certain order: God first, then the spouse, the children, the parents and parents-in-law, and finally siblings.
“You won’t believe how many people infringe upon that hierarchy,” Bonelli said. “If the hierarchies are not clear, families don’t work.” Many people even put their career at the top.
Bonelli concluded with a few comments on family policies, and the lack of recognition for mothers. “Smart people have children and no time to argue with idiots,” he said, referring to people with a family who have better things to do than petitioning politicians.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-19--Why Coronavirus gives Christians a perfect opportunity to follow God, be faithful to Him

March 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – I 've not lived much more than a quarter century , so I can only attest to the fact that the last decade seems as if society has been absolutely off the rocker .
Many of our more seasoned readers may feel as though that 's been the case for the last half century .
And I would say they 're probably right .
At a certain point with chaos , enough is enough .
And like a deck of cards , all comes tumbling down .
Just when it seems like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse , another sickness sets in , and in the truest sense , society comes to a grinding halt .
Life looks a little different now .
As Christians , we 've long had to swim upstream and go against the tide .
That is part of being a Christian after all .
Some may feel that the current situation of a virus epidemic , though , is yet another persecution of sorts , another time in which we seem to have the short end of the stick , with public Masses being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lord ’ s body that we need in order to be faithful to him being stripped away from us .
For me personally , I 've found myself this past week thinking to all the `` would-have-beens . ''
Plans have ground to a halt even in the various apostolates of which I am a part – ways in which I had planned to serve God in the coming weeks and where I find my greatest joy .
The rug seems to have been pulled out from under my feet .
I 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God ?
All I was doing was to glorify You .
It was in Your plan for me . ''
But then I sense the tenderness of His Providence speak through my own preoccupations with my own plans , and He says , `` No , this is part of My plan . ''
A lover must never take for granted the Beloved .
And I think that even as Christians who love the Lord , we can fall into that trap , too .
We can become complacent thinking we are serving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ourselves .
Our prayer lives can become stale and our service to others can become routine .
Sometimes the Beloved must withdraw in order to test the love of the lover .
That is what I have seen God do before , and in a sweeping , dramatic way , I believe He is calling us all back to our first Love right now .
`` Yet even now … return to me with your whole heart , with fasting , weeping , and mourning . ''
Our churches are closed , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for many , myself included .
I can see and hear the pain in the voices of our dear priests who so desire that their flock participate fully in the Holy Mass with them .
But I truly believe that this is a necessary time .
I am no farmer , but I do know that a fallow field is necessary for an abundant harvest in the season ahead .
Fellow Christians , I think this is our fallow time .
But I have hope in Galatians 6:9 : `` Let us not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in due time we shall reap our harvest , if we do not give up . ''

March 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – I've not lived much more than a quarter century, so I can only attest to the fact that the last decade seems as if society has been absolutely off the rocker. Many of our more seasoned readers may feel as though that's been the case for the last half century. And I would say they're probably right.
At a certain point with chaos, enough is enough. And like a deck of cards, all comes tumbling down. Just when it seems like a sick culture couldn't get any worse, another sickness sets in, and in the truest sense, society comes to a grinding halt. Life looks a little different now.
As Christians, we've long had to swim upstream and go against the tide. That is part of being a Christian after all. Some may feel that the current situation of a virus epidemic, though, is yet another persecution of sorts, another time in which we seem to have the short end of the stick, with public Masses being canceled and the spiritual nourishment of Our Lord’s body that we need in order to be faithful to him being stripped away from us.
For me personally, I've found myself this past week thinking to all the “would-have-beens.” Plans have ground to a halt even in the various apostolates of which I am a part – ways in which I had planned to serve God in the coming weeks and where I find my greatest joy. The rug seems to have been pulled out from under my feet. I've found myself thinking, “Why, God? All I was doing was to glorify You. It was in Your plan for me.”
But then I sense the tenderness of His Providence speak through my own preoccupations with my own plans, and He says, “No, this is part of My plan.”
A lover must never take for granted the Beloved. And I think that even as Christians who love the Lord, we can fall into that trap, too. We can become complacent thinking we are serving Him, when we're really serving ourselves. Our prayer lives can become stale and our service to others can become routine. Sometimes the Beloved must withdraw in order to test the love of the lover. That is what I have seen God do before, and in a sweeping, dramatic way, I believe He is calling us all back to our first Love right now. “Yet even now … return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”
Our churches are closed, and, yes, it is a cross for many, myself included. I can see and hear the pain in the voices of our dear priests who so desire that their flock participate fully in the Holy Mass with them. But I truly believe that this is a necessary time. I am no farmer, but I do know that a fallow field is necessary for an abundant harvest in the season ahead.
Fellow Christians, I think this is our fallow time. But I have hope in Galatians 6:9: “Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up.”
Share