lifesitenews--2020-12-16--How Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg affected the 2020 election

December 16 , 2020 ( American Thinker ) — One of the most disturbing things about the 2020 election was to see the big tech companies place their thumbs so heavily on the Biden scale .
From overt censorship to sending voting reminders only to Democrats to Google/YouTube ’ s announcement that it ’ s deplatforming any challenges to challenge Biden ’ s fraudulent victory , it ’ s been tyranny all the way down .
Word is now emerging that Facebook ’ s Mark Zuckerberg may have played one of the biggest roles in swinging the election outcome .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the election season was to label conservative posts as inaccurate .
It then pointed to allegedly “ non-partisan ” fact-checking reports that purportedly contained the correct information .
I reported here about a ludicrous Facebook censorship effort that directed readers to a manifestly biased , and quite stupid , AP article .
The Federalist reported a similar story , which occurred when Mollie Hemingway wrote a wildly popular article pointing out , accurately , that no one had successfully debunked the infamous Georgia vote-counting video .
Facebook immediately announced that a third-party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hemingway ’ s article as untrue .
American Thinker dealt with that site ’ s fake debunking effort here .
The Federalist report about Lead Stories ’ fake fact-checking added that the site is not only gets funding from Google and ByteDance , a Beijing headquartered company , it gets money from Facebook too .
Just a couple of days later , news emerged that USA Today , which Facebook also uses as an “ independent fact-checker , ” relies on wildly partisan college students to do its fact-checking .
Now it turns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook employees , the one responsible for certifying the allegedly impartial fact-checking process , is “ unashamedly politically biased ” against Donald Trump and was a fanatic fan of Hillary Clinton .
According to Sky News Australia , International Fact-Checking Network certifier and American University School of Communication professor Margot Susca is unashamedly politically biased but she was responsible for issuing 19 fact-check licenses or reviews for organisations to become fact-checkers .
This includes the Associated Press , Check Your Fact , Decrypteurs , Lead Stories , Media Wise and The Dispatch .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia Today to criticise President Trump and has tweeted that it would be a “ dereliction of duty ” to broadcast his speeches .
In 2019 Ms Susca posted a happy snap with failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton where she admitted “ I ’ ve been on Team Hillary since 08 tbh ” and said she was disappointed her likability did not resonate with the public in 2016 .
Of course , when one talks about Facebook , one is really talking about Mark Zuckerberg .
It turns out that Zuckerberg played an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unconstitutional voting systems in the disputed states .
Phill Kline , a former attorney general for Kansas and the current director of the Amistad Project of the Thomas More Society , testified to the Wisconsin legislature about Zuckerberg ’ s involvement Of all the people I ’ ve heard since the election , both lawyers and non-lawyers , talking about the fraud at issue here , and about the specific activity in which Zuckerberg engaged , I ’ ve yet to hear someone speak with Kline ’ s power and clarity .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kline ’ s war against abortionists , which saw him give up his law license .
I don ’ t believe that has any bearing on the clarity with which he communicates the issues here . )
Spend 12 minutes watching this video and you will have a deeper understanding of the fraud issues in this election : No one person should have as much power as Mark Zuckerberg , and no corporations should have the power that the tech companies have amassed .
The essence of my conservativism is a deep bias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or individual hands .
Watching what Facebook did before , during , and after this election surely supports my philosophy .
Published with permission from the American Thinker .

PETITION UPDATE (1/15/2021) -
The events of the past month, and especially the past 10 days, have shaken the faith Americans have in their elected and appoint officials.
We continue to call for investigations to be made into allegations of election fraud. Texas is in the process of prosecuting one political operative for illegal ballot harvesting, and multiple state legislatures have called for investigations, too.
However, the judiciary has severely let down the American electorate.
As we have said all along, the integrity of the election is much bigger than President Trump. Election integrity is at the heart of republican democracy, and if we don't have it, we no longer have a functioning republic.
Therefore, we continue to seek the truth for the election outcome. Perhaps that will only be known in the future when state or federal commissions are established to investigate the instances of election fraud which were witnessed and sworn to, by thousands of Americans of all political persuasions.
In the meantime, you may still sign this petition. Thank you!
___________________________________________________________________
PETITION UPDATE (12/10/20) -
On Wednesday, President Trump tweeted: "We will be INTERVENING in the Texas (plus many other states) case. This is the big one. Our Country needs a victory!"
He is referring to the lawsuit which the state of Texas has filed against Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Georgia in the Supreme Court over changes those states made to their election rules, claiming they violated the U.S. Constitution in the process.
Here is the central part of the argument: if Texas were to allow possible voter fraud to go unchecked in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Georgia, it would be akin to committing fraud upon the people of Texas, who cast their ballots within the framework of the law.
Indeed, this would apply equally to all citizens who voted within the framework of the law across the United States!
President Trump also tweeted that this case is, "very strong...ALL CRITERIA MET."
Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition, now.
____________________________________________________________________
PETITION UPDATE (12/7/20) - Since this petition was launched, President Trump's legal team, as well as other concerned citizens, have discovered what appears to be irrefutable evidence of voter fraud in several of the key battleground states, and have initiated legal challenges in six states.
While the situation continues to evolve, this remains a hugely important petition which we encourage you to SIGN and SHARE.
Below, please WATCH and READ about the mounting evidence of voter fraud and how the mainstream media seem determined to ignore even the most egregious instances of vote tampering. Then, please SIGN and SHARE this petition.
'Trump: ‘Our election system is now under assault and siege’ and as president I must defend it'
'Tens of thousands 2020 election votes illegally scanned in Detroit, says Dominion IT contractor'
'Trump campaign files lawsuit demanding ‘a new statewide election for president’ in Georgia'
'Experts flag over 500k ballots in PA with new evidence of major 2020 election voter fraud'
''Smoking gun'? Pennsylvania vote fraud hearing gets gasps from audience'
'FBI and Justice Department have dragged their feet investigating 2020 vote fraud'
''CNN top brass in leaked tape: We won't give Trump 'too much of a platform on his not conceding'
'Twitter censored Trump 63 times over Thanksgiving holiday, Biden untouched'
LifeSite supports President Trump with this petition because we believe he is trying to defend the Constitution, ensuring that electoral fraud does not taint the result of the 2020 general election.
But, since starting this petition, we have launched a separate petition related to the disputed election outcome, calling on the Department of Justice to 'do their job' and engage in meaningful investigations of the mounting evidence of voter fraud.
We believe that conducting forensic audits of ballots and voting machines, as well as issuing subpoenas to collect more evidence, would be a good start.
Thankfully, some of the state started to demand investigations independent of federal agencies. But we still believe that the DoJ needs to use its enormous fact-finding resources to help resolve allegations of election fraud.
Thank you for continuing to SIGN and SHARE all our election-related petitions.
_____________________________________________________________________
Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition which calls on all Americans to Stand With President Trump as he uses every legitimate means to find out if voter fraud played any role in the election outcome.
Amid allegations of voter fraud, and at a time when the situation with COVID has been used by many of the states to facilitate the use of mail-in ballots on a massive scale, we need to be very careful in dismissing the possibility of voter fraud.
The fact is, the possibility of wide-spread fraud with mail-in ballots is significant.
But, this is not about Donald Trump or Joe Biden! This about whether or not the sanctity of the ballot box has been tampered with!
Please Stand With President Trump as he attempts to defend the integrity of this election, as well as well as the right to vote itself!
Indeed, this is so important, not so much because one election hangs in the balance, but because our democracy, itself, hangs in the balance.
Americans not only have a right to know, but should demand that every legitimate means be used to discover the truth about these elections!
Please SIGN this petition and Stand With President Trump to ensure that these elections were conducted freely and fairly!
While most all Americans believe in playing by the rules, we also know that some very devious, politically-motivated operatives have been trying to harm the Trump administration from before he even took the oath of office.
This fact should lead us to question how some allegations of voter fraud can be so easily dismissed by state election authorities.
We demand to know the truth, and, for the sake of our democracy, we demand that President Trump keep fighting to learn the truth.
Thank you for SIGNING and SHARING this petition today!
**Photo Credit: Shealah Craighead / White House / Flickr


lifesitenews--2020-12-16--Catholics should not be happy with a ‘second Catholic president’ if it’s Joe Biden

LifeSiteNews is facing increasing censorship .
Click HERE to sign up to receive emails when we add to our video library .
December 16 , 2020 ( Turning Point Project ) — In early November , Archbishop Jose Gomez , the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops , congratulated Joe Biden as “ the second United States president to profess the Catholic faith.
” The implication seemed to be that Catholics should be proud because another member of their team had made it to the top .
The Archbishop ’ s message must have been confusing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Biden ’ s policy positions are in direct opposition to Catholic teaching .
They were undoubtedly further confused by the American hierarchy ’ s obvious distaste for Donald Trump — a man who has done more to reinforce Catholic teachings than any other president .
However , despite their misgivings , many Catholics seem disposed to go along to get along .
“ Oh , well ” they say to themselves , “ that ’ s politics as usual.
” The problem with that reasoning is that what we are now faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but a civilizational struggle — a struggle over what kind of people we will be , and whether we will retain our freedoms .
This confusion about the state of our society even extends to some of the Catholics on the Supreme Court .
You may have noticed that the Supreme Court has joined the “ let ’ s-move-on ” brigade .
In the Texas vs. Pennsylvania decision , they decided that a procedural issue over “ standing ” was more important than whether the American Republic stands or falls .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it quite clear that it is dissatisfied with the American Republic , and plans to change it — by revolutionary means if necessary .
“ Nothing to see here , just move along ” ?
Except that there is a lot to see if one has the curiosity to look .
Did none of the Supremes wake up on November 4th and say to themselves , “ Hmm , that ’ s funny .
When I went to bed , Trump was leading comfortably ” ?
Did none of them find it curious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to victory on the coattails of Trump , yet the man with the capacious coattails couldn ’ t beat an absentee candidate suffering from obvious cognitive decline ?
Mr. Biden did get one thing right though .
He called the election , a “ battle for the soul of America.
” And that it was : perhaps the most momentous election in American history .
The election of 2020 may very well mark the point at which America transitioned from a constitutional republic to a socialist republic — as in Union of Soviet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as in People ’ s Republic of China .
For , as we are beginning to see , China has taken quite an interest in what kind of civilization America will have .
So , it was indeed a battle for the soul of America , and the media-proclaimed winners seem quite willing to sell the soul of America for a few billion Yuan , or whatever the going price for soul-selling happens to be .
Whether or not , election fraud can be proved , this is undoubtedly the most significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Civil War .
The election to end all elections ?
That phrase can be interpreted in two senses .
It can mean that this is the most controversial election we ’ ve yet seen .
Or it can mean that this election signals the end of free and fair elections .
As in communist countries , “ elections ” may continue , but the results will be pre-ordained .
This election represented not only a difference in degree ( more election fraud than usual ) , but a difference in kind .
Institutions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weight behind the Democrats .
Democratic officials who indulged in vote rigging may have protected themselves with plausible deniability , but there is no way to deny all the missing media stories .
There can be no doubt that big media and big tech combined to rig the election by hiding relevant news from the voting public .
A poll by the Media Research Center revealed that 35 % of Biden voters were unaware of sex assault allegations against Biden , and a whopping 45 % of Biden voters were unaware of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that 17 percent of the Biden voters they surveyed would have changed their vote if they had known about one or more of the eight stories presented in the study .
In recent months , the media has used its power to convince people to wear a mask over nose and mouth .
Now we learn that they ’ ve been putting a mask over our eyes as well .
For a long time , conservatives have warned about a possible totalitarian future in America .
But , as evidenced by big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control , we already live under a soft totalitarianism .
When , for example , was the last time you felt free to voice a controversial opinion to any but trusted friends and family ?
If a male at your place of work demands to be addressed as a female , will you stand by your convictions or will you go along with the charade ?
Was the election count a charade ?
It will be increasingly dangerous to ask the question .
Google and YouTube have already started to remove content that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud or errors changed the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
” What next ?
Re-education camps for those who persist in thinking wrong thoughts ?
Incarceration in a mental hospital ( as just happened to a French professor of pharmacology who criticized the official line on Covid-19 vaccines ) ?
It ’ s possible that such fears are overblown , and that nothing of the sort will ever happen in the U.S .
But the assumption that those on the left-liberal side of the spectrum share the same basic values as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong time and again .
We assume , for example , that liberals would be deeply upset upon learning that Chinese Communist spies have been targeting members of Congress .
But , apparently , not so .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was not concerned about the possibility that Eric Swalwell , a member of the House Intelligence Committee , had been compromise by a Chinese spy .
Of course , candidate Joe Biden could hardly have been surprised by the news either , since much of the Biden family business revolves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party .
Indeed , the number of politicians who could actually be shocked by the Swalwell story must be rather small .
FBI Director Christopher Wray recently revealed that the FBI opens a new China-related intelligence case every ten hours .
Meanwhile , John Ratcliffe , the director of national intelligence warned that the scale of Chinese influence operations in the U.S. was far larger than any foreign power had ever attempted .
All of this is confirmed by a video of Professor Di Dongsheng , associate dean of the School of International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a large audience , he revealed that China “ has people at the top of America ’ s core inner circle of power.
” Moreover , some of these “ old friends ” have been working on China ’ s behalf for “ decades ” .
” In addition , he mentioned that the Chinese Communist Party had helped Hunter Biden obtain business deals .
It looks like it would take an army of James Bonds to untangle the web of Chinese influence on our government , but , up until recently , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a collection of clueless Clouseau ’ s .
Speaking of armies , it ’ s worth noting that our friendly neighbor to the north has been making friendly overtures to the Chinese military .
Justin Trudeau — a name that rhymes with Clouseau — had planned to invite elements of the Chinese army to participate in winter warfare exercises .
Apparently , there ’ s not enough cold weather in Manchuria for these sorts of activities .
Fortunately , Trudeau ’ s generals cancelled the plan .
But there ’ s always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always the possibility that a President Biden will invite the Chinese to train in Idaho to make up for Canada ’ s offensive behavior .
We suddenly find ourselves in a brave new world .
Left-wing politicians , a left-wing media , and Orwellian corporations have formed a tacit alliance with the Communist Party of the world ’ s largest nation — a nation that boasts the planet ’ s second largest economy and , perhaps , its largest military .
None of this bodes well for the survival of freedom in America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying something like “ Stay tuned , ” but it ’ s hard to stay tuned when the frequencies on your radio are being shut down one by one .
William Kilpatrick is the author of What Catholics Need to Know about Islam and other books about culture and religion .
His work is supported in part by the Shillman Foundation .
Published with permission from the Turning Point Project .

PETITION UPDATE (3/15/21) -
Reports suggest that the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Conference (USCCB) is preparing a vote on what to do about pro-abortion Joe Biden (and, presumably, other abortion-promoting politicians) who continues to present himself (themselves) for Holy Communion.
Public excommunication would be a suitable response for Biden's obstinate, public and grave sin of scandalously promoting abortion.
Please continue to SIGN and SHARE this important petition.
__________________________________________________________________
PETITION UPDATE (2/4/20)
Since Joe Biden was sworn-in on the 20th of January, he has wasted no time in signing Executive Orders to destroy the protections which former President Trump offered to the unborn and to the innocence and modesty of children of the United States.
In one executive order, Biden rescinded the Mexico City Policy prohibiting the federal government from spending taxpayer monies on abortion and the promotion of abortion.
And, in another executive order, Biden seeks to force girls' athletic programs, restrooms, and locker rooms to accept gender-confused males.
Since the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was shamefully silent throughout the presidential campaign on the pre-eminent issues of abortion and gender ideology, and what Biden vowed he would do as president, it is cold comfort that their pro-life office is now speaking up about this Administration's wilful disregard for human life and for God's design of human nature (i.e., two biological sexes).
Stated plainly, Joe Biden is as bad as he said he would be, and the bishop, acting in unison (as the USCCB) have an obligation to the Lord (first) and to the faithful (second) to refuse Holy Communion to this grave public sinner.
With all due respect to these bishops, they diminish the Holy Eucharist and their high office, as well as cause grave scandal to the faithful, by dialoguing with a man who is promoting mass murder of the unborn against the constant teaching of the Church.
A man who continues to use the church as a backdrop for statements about how "Catholic/religious" he is, but, at the same time, is now doing everything in his power to protect the murder of the innocent, needs to publicly repent before dialogue can begin.
The bishops should not dialogue with or congratulate someone who has publicly betrayed the Church's teaching and who is leading others astray.
It's an embarrassment and a scandal for the bishops to continue to allow him to receive Holy Communion.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition today!
________________________________________________________________________________________________
PETITION UPDATE (12/10/20)
Prior to the election on November 3, the U.S. bishops did not address Joe Biden’s anti-Catholic position regarding faith and morals as a unified body.
The USCCB, the organization to which every U.S. bishop belongs and which is staffed and led by bishops, remained disgracefully silent in the run-up to the election.
What were the bishops afraid of, losing their charitable tax status with the IRS, or being deprived of fat checks from the HHS (immigration programs) and USAID (foreign aid programs)?
Or, were they just too cowardly to clearly declare Christ's law to be above man's law and risk the ire of a Joe Biden as president?
Either way, the bishops’ lack of clarity in this regard is a terrible scandal in itself and probably greatly contributed to the possible election of a pro-abortion, anti-Catholic Catholic to the presidency.
Given the fact that exit polling shows Catholics split their vote 50-50 for Trump and Biden, even a slight deviation in the heavily-Catholic swing-states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania could have produced different results.
The bishops could have spoken out against Biden’s pro-abortion stance collectively, but, again, they were overwhelmingly and shamefully silent.
Because of this, they will be at least partly responsible for the policies advanced by a Biden administration, in the event that Biden is sworn into office.
However, the bishops can, even now, mitigate the damage done by their inaction by taking the following steps: 1) Speak with one voice, as the USCCB, and plainly condemn Biden's pro-abortion stance; 2) Publicly advise Biden not to present himself for Holy Communion because of his scandalous position on abortion and homosexual "marriage;" and, 3) Tell Biden to publicly repent of publicly promoting the wilfull murder of the preborn, sins against nature, and diminishing the natural family.
Thankfully, some individual bishops have spoken out forcefully on Biden's scandalous behavior, and his standing in the Church.
On November 9, Archbishop Strickland of Tyler, Texas tweeted: “A dark cloud has descended on this nation when the USCCB and Planned Parenthood speak in unison in support of a Biden-Harris administration that supports the slaughter of innocents by abortion for all 9 months of pregnancy.”
Additionally, Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver, Colorado and Archbishop Charles Chaput have both declared publicly that Joe Biden “should not receive Holy Communion."
But, to add insult to injury, Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C. has said that he will give Holy Communion to Biden because “it’s a matter of the responsibility that I have as the archbishop to be engaged and to be in dialogue with him, even in those areas where we obviously have some differences.”
And, Bishop W. Francis Malooly of Wilmington, Delaware and Bishop McElroy of San Diego also congratulated Biden in statements, but they have not indicated whether or not they would administer Holy Communion to him.
With all due respect to these bishops, they diminish the Holy Eucharist and their high office, as well as cause grave scandal to the faithful, by dialoguing with a man who is promoting mass murder of the unborn against the constant teaching of the Church.
A man who uses the church as a backdrop to make sickening political advertisements about how "Catholic/religious" he is, but, at the same time, says that he will do everything in his power to protect the murder of the innocent, needs to publicly repent before dialogue can begin.
The bishops should not dialogue with or congratulate someone who has publicly betrayed the Church's teaching and who is leading others astray.
It's an embarrassment and a scandal for the bishops to continue to allow him to receive Holy Communion.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition today!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/us-bishops-concerned-about-pro-abortion-biden-previously-hailed-him-as-second-catholic-president
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/abp-aquila-backs-call-for-pro-abortion-catholic-joe-biden-to-be-denied-holy-communion?utm_source=top_news&utm_campaign=standard
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/former-philly-archbishop-biden-not-in-full-communion-with-the-catholic-church
https://www.thesoutherncross.org/news/bishop-mcelroy-offers-prayers-and-congratulations-to-president-elect-biden/
https://www.ncronline.org/news/politics/us-catholics-weigh-mixed-reaction-biden-win
____________________________________________________________________________
PETITION UPDATE (9/29/20)
Cardinal Raymond Burke has stated that Democratic candidate Joe Biden should not receive Holy Communion because of his support for abortion.
In an interview for Thomas McKenna's Catholic Action for Faith and Family podcast, Cardinal Burke states the following (starting around 5:00):
First of all, I would tell him [Biden] not to approach to receive Holy Communion, out of charity toward him, because that would be a sacrilege and endanger the salvation of his own soul.
But, also, he should not approach to receive Holy Communion because he gives scandal to everyone, because if someone says, 'I'm a devout Catholic," and, at the same time is promoting abortion, it gives the impression to others that it's acceptable for a Catholic to be in favor of abortion.
Of course, it's absolutely not acceptable, and never has been, and never will be.
We give thanks for Cardinal Burke's frankness and clarity. And, we call on every U.S. Catholic bishop to follow Cardinal Burke's lead and call out Joe Biden for his bloody-minded hypocrisy on the issue of abortion.
To reiterate: You cannot be a Catholic and support abortion.
Thank you for continuing to sign this urgent petition.
___________________________________________________________________________
PETITION UPDATE (8/17/20)
The Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, keeps claiming to be Catholic but has said he will do everything in his power to support abortion.
And, with his pick of California Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate, Biden has just cemented abortion into the Democrats' 2020 presidential ticket.
Indeed, Harris is vehemently pro-abortion.
During her time as attorney general of California, Harris played a key role in defending Planned Parenthood over its sale of aborted baby parts (which violated multiple federal laws, according to undercover video of abortion industry personnel).
And, last year, Harris unveiled a plan to essentially force pro-life states to seek permission from the federal government before pro-life laws can take effect.
Additionally, Harris has dangerous views on religious liberty and freedom of speech.
Harris displayed anti-Catholic bigotry in the confirmation hearings of Judge Brian Buescher. Harris cited his membership in the “all-male society” the Knights of Columbus and its stances against abortion and same-sex “marriage” as grounds for rejecting Buescher for a federal district court in Nebraska.
And, David Daleiden, head of the pro-life investigative group Center for Medical Progress, wrote that from his firsthand experience, he considers Harris the “greatest threat to First Amendment civil rights our country has ever seen.”
Joe Biden has seriously erred by taking on Kamala Harris as his running mate, further distancing himself from the truths of the Catholic Faith, especially that every life is sacred from conception till natural death.
Please CLICK HERE to read an article which details one U.S. bishop's warning about the Biden-Harris ticket.
And, please continue to SIGN and SHARE this petition.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Of course, these two things are incompatible: you cannot be Catholic and pro-abortion.
And, a "Catholic" politician's responsibility in this regard is absolute: On pain of serious sin, he or she can never promote abortion because abortion is the wilful murder of innocent preborn human beings, and also because doing so causes grave scandal to the Church and the faithful.
Please SIGN this urgent petition asking the bishops of the United States to refuse to give Holy Communion to Joe Biden until he publicly repents from his scandalous promotion of abortion.
Biden recently promised to “codify Roe v. Wade” as president, adding, "my Justice Department will do everything in its power to stop the rash of state laws that so blatantly violate a woman’s protected, constitutional right to choose."
And, since starting his latest run for the presidency, Biden also flip-flopped against the Hyde Amendment, saying that he would allow federal funds to be spent on abortion - a position he claimed to be against for more than 40 years.
In short, Joe Biden will do everything in his power to enable and defend the wilful murder of innocent preborn human beings.
So, this should not be a hard decision for our U.S. bishops. In fact, in another circumstance, it was already done by an Illinois bishop.
Indeed, Bishop Paprocki, of Springfield, Illinois, invoked Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law to withdraw Holy Communion from two Illinois state politicians who had worked to enact radical new abortion legislation in 2019.
Canon 915 states: "Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion."
Of course, no-one, least of all the bishops, wants anyone to be deprived of Holy Communion.
A politician who publicly and obstinately advocates for the murder of innocent preborn babies puts himself out-of-communion with the Church and her teaching.
Pro-abortion politicians should not think that they can advocate for the murder of the unborn and receive the Body of Christ at the same time. This would be to defile the Eucharist while giving scandal to the faithful.
Depriving politicians of Holy Communion is not just meant to prevent scandal; it is also designed to bring a grave public sinner to repentance. In this way, such an action is meant to be for the good of their souls, too.
Thank you for SIGNING this urgent petition which calls on the U.S. Catholic bishops to refuse to admit Joe Biden to Holy Communion until he publicly repents from his scandalous promotion of abortion.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Joe Biden: I support abortion ‘under any circumstance’ - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/joe-biden-i-support-abortion-under-any-circumstance
Catholic priest denies Joe Biden Holy Communion for pro-abortion stance - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/catholic-priest-denies-joe-biden-holy-communion-for-pro-abortion-stance
Cardinal McCarrick and the Concealing of Rome’s Position on Denying Communion - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cardinal-mccarrick-and-the-concealing-of-romes-position-on-denying-communio
**Photo Credit: Joshua Roberts / Getty Images


lifesitenews--2020-12-16--Questions arise about radical pro-LGBT Catholic school trustee’s eligibility for office

LifeSiteNews is facing increasing censorship .
Click HERE to sign up to receive emails when we add to our video library .
TORONTO , December 16 , 2020 ( Corriere Canadese ) — On Monday , we provided a simple analysis of the facts relating to the latest assault on the Catholic ethic in our Schools System .
Whether people like it or not , Catholics — still the largest single religious group in the country and the province — hold some hard-won Constitutional rights in Education by virtue of their contribution to the creation and development of our Confederation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are available to all non-Catholics in the Public School system .
In this regard , just to make one thing clear , the Law requires that to be one or the other , a citizen wishing to register a child , in one or the other system , must provide proof of tax support to that system .
There may be some exceptions .
These are resolved on appeal with documentation .
Generally , one is a Catholic school supporter if one ’ s property or residential rental agreement is listed for assessment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those “ supporters ” have the legislative , constitutional right to run for elected office on Catholic boards ( and to seek the approval of the local bishop ) to effect decisions consistent with the constitutional mandate enshrined in Section 93 of the Constitution Act , 1867 and reaffirmed in 1982 .
Trustee Maria Rizzo appears to disqualify herself as a Catholic School Supporter on several counts .
First , the last three addresses in which she lives or has lived are all listed as being owned by an EP ( English Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current address in Springwater , bought in 2016 and co-owned with her husband .
This is not a summer cottage ; she refers to it as her “ house ” .
It is not in the electoral jurisdiction of the TCDSB ( in the pic , Maria Rizzo 's residence in Wasaga Beach ) .
The address which she listed as her home address prior to , and including the election year 2018 , is owned by someone with a Rizzo last name , but not her .
The owner was also registered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2019 and 2020 .
What did not change is the absence of a registered rental agreement attesting to her determination to be a Catholic School supporter .
Second , the evidence our researcher obtained from the town of Springwater , the Toronto Municipal Elections Office and City Planning and Assessment suggests strongly that Rizzo was ineligible to seek office in 2018 ( or 2014 for that matter ) .
The Municipal Elections Act demands that candidates who meet the qualifying criteria to run for office must , if elected , remain qualified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as does the Education Act , sec .
236 , ( 1 ) ( 2 ) .
Rizzo moved to Springwater in 2016 .
She should have resigned at that point ( in the pics , Maria Rizzo 's residence in Toronto and the document we found ) .
Third , as “ evidence ” of the qualifications she was required to meet under the Education Act , section 236 , ( 2 ) she presented a standard form signed only by her , without any corroborating documentation .
The Clerk accepted her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ honour system ” .
Fourth — and this speaks to “ character ” — she and her crew swore obeisance to the magisterium ’ s ( Bishop ) guidance on Catholic ethics ( and confirmed as recently as November 28 ) then proceeded to introduce cultural values inimical to that ethic ; fraudulently so , as per the Human Rights Code , the Education Act and the Constitution .
In the process , they turned one of their colleagues who defends that ethic as a “ proxy punching bag ” .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she and her gang of four will lead the Board in consideration of an appeal by trustee Del Grande to rescind an illegal decision visited upon him regarding an issue on trustee code of conduct .
If an independent audit confirms the above facts , the TCDSB may be faced with rescinding all decisions in which she cast a determining vote .
Note : Corriere reached out to the TCDSB and Maria Rizzo following the receipt of an email from torontoschoolboardwatch , a group of concerned catholic parents .
The TCDSB handed off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We conducted our own research as per above .
Published with permission from the Corriere Canadese .

Trustee Maria Rizzo appears to disqualify herself as a Catholic School Supporter on several counts.
LifeSiteNews is facing increasing censorship. Click HERE to sign up to receive emails when we add to our video library.
TORONTO, December 16, 2020 (Corriere Canadese) — On Monday, we provided a simple analysis of the facts relating to the latest assault on the Catholic ethic in our Schools System. Whether people like it or not, Catholics — still the largest single religious group in the country and the province — hold some hard-won Constitutional rights in Education by virtue of their contribution to the creation and development of our Confederation.
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Reject government control of the internet in Canada Show Petition Text 6569 have signed the petition. Let's get to 7500 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government has introduced a bill which threatens to seize control of online media content in Canada, putting liberty and freedom at risk. But, the Trudeau Liberals have no right to impose their party's ideology on the Canadian internet! Please SIGN this petition which tells the Trudeau Liberals, as well as the opposition, to leave the internet as a free speech zone! Bill C-10 is causing alarm bells to sound with conservative and Christians, who are concerned that it is the first step towards the destruction of independent online media in Canada. The Bill would require more "diversity and inclusion" content, reflecting the experience of "Canadians from racialized communities and Canadians of diverse ethnocultural backgrounds, socio-economic statuses, abilities and disabilities, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and ages." And, Bill C-10 would also give power to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to "assign penalties for non-compliance." With this frightening new power, Bill C-10 is a real threat to the freedom of speech of conservatives and Christians in Canada who engage with the entire world about their issues on the internet. Jay Cameron, a lawyer for the Canada-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms told LifeSite: "It is clear from recent statements by the PM and the Heritage Minister that the federal government wants to increase control and penalties for speech and content that is not approved of by the ideologues in the Liberal Party. Unsurprisingly, the purpose of Bill C-10 is not to increase freedom of ‘thought, belief, opinion, and expression’ (section 2(b) of the Charter) but to further restrict it.". Simply put: the chilling effect that this Bill could have on freedom of speech rights is incalculable. Please SIGN and SHARE this petition which tells Trudeau Liberals to stop their attempt to impose their party's ideology on the Canadian internet. Tell them to scrap Bill C-10 and leave the internet as an independent forum where ideas, beliefs and other ventures can be discussed without government regulation or censorship. And, tell them that Canadian adults are mature enough to make up their own minds about sensitive topics without government interference. After you have signed the petition, please consider politely contacting the Minister for Canadian Heritage, the Shadow Minister for Industry and Economic Development, and the Prime Minister's office, to tell them about your dismay regarding Bill C-10. CONTACT DETAILS BELOW. Thank you! FOR MORE INFORMATION: 'Trudeau government introduces bill to force online media companies to push liberal content' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/trudeau-government-introduces-bill-to-force-online-media-companies-to-push-liberal-content Steven Guilbeault - Minister of Canadian Heritage Telephone: 819-997-7788 Email: [email protected] Alain Rayes - Opposition Shadow Cabinet - Canadian Heritage, Official Languages & Quebec Economic Development Telephone: 819-751-1375; Email: [email protected] Justin Trudeau - Office of the Prime Minister Fax: 613-941-6900 [email protected] https://pm.gc.ca/en/connect/contact Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
Those rights, exercised differently, are available to all non-Catholics in the Public School system. In this regard, just to make one thing clear, the Law requires that to be one or the other, a citizen wishing to register a child, in one or the other system, must provide proof of tax support to that system.
There may be some exceptions. These are resolved on appeal with documentation. Generally, one is a Catholic school supporter if one’s property or residential rental agreement is listed for assessment as a separate school supporter. Only those “supporters” have the legislative, constitutional right to run for elected office on Catholic boards (and to seek the approval of the local bishop) to effect decisions consistent with the constitutional mandate enshrined in Section 93 of the Constitution Act, 1867 and reaffirmed in 1982.
Trustee Maria Rizzo appears to disqualify herself as a Catholic School Supporter on several counts. First, the last three addresses in which she lives or has lived are all listed as being owned by an EP (English Public school) supporter. They include her current address in Springwater, bought in 2016 and co-owned with her husband. This is not a summer cottage; she refers to it as her “house”. It is not in the electoral jurisdiction of the TCDSB (in the pic, Maria Rizzo's residence in Wasaga Beach).
The address which she listed as her home address prior to, and including the election year 2018, is owned by someone with a Rizzo last name, but not her. The owner was also registered as Public School supporter. That changed in 2019 and 2020. What did not change is the absence of a registered rental agreement attesting to her determination to be a Catholic School supporter.
Second, the evidence our researcher obtained from the town of Springwater, the Toronto Municipal Elections Office and City Planning and Assessment suggests strongly that Rizzo was ineligible to seek office in 2018 (or 2014 for that matter).
The Municipal Elections Act demands that candidates who meet the qualifying criteria to run for office must, if elected, remain qualified for the duration of the term, as does the Education Act, sec. 236, (1) (2).
Rizzo moved to Springwater in 2016. She should have resigned at that point (in the pics, Maria Rizzo's residence in Toronto and the document we found).
Third, as “evidence” of the qualifications she was required to meet under the Education Act, section 236, (2) she presented a standard form signed only by her, without any corroborating documentation. The Clerk accepted her nomination, no doubt trusting in the “honour system”.
Fourth — and this speaks to “character” — she and her crew swore obeisance to the magisterium’s (Bishop) guidance on Catholic ethics (and confirmed as recently as November 28) then proceeded to introduce cultural values inimical to that ethic; fraudulently so, as per the Human Rights Code, the Education Act and the Constitution. In the process, they turned one of their colleagues who defends that ethic as a “proxy punching bag”.
On Wednesday, December 16, 2020, she and her gang of four will lead the Board in consideration of an appeal by trustee Del Grande to rescind an illegal decision visited upon him regarding an issue on trustee code of conduct.
If an independent audit confirms the above facts, the TCDSB may be faced with rescinding all decisions in which she cast a determining vote.
Note: Corriere reached out to the TCDSB and Maria Rizzo following the receipt of an email from torontoschoolboardwatch, a group of concerned catholic parents. The TCDSB handed off the issue to their Integrity Commissioner. We conducted our own research as per above.
Published with permission from the Corriere Canadese.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-12-17--Abby Johnson blasts USCCB for ‘cowering to Big Pharma’ on abortion-tainted COVID-19 vaccines

December 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Well-known pro-life advocate Abby Johnson has blasted the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for “ cowering to Big Pharma ” by endorsing abortion-tainted Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines .
Johnson , who converted to Catholicism in 2013 , also accused the bishops of “ talking out of both sides of their mouth ” by saying that abortion is evil , but that it is “ okay ” to take an abortion-related vaccine if there are no ethical alternatives available , all while exhorting Catholics to lobby for ethical alternatives .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USCCB ) document “ Moral Considerations Regarding the new COVID-19 Vaccines , ” released on December 14 cites the “ gravity of the current pandemic and the lack of availability of alternative vaccines ” as “ sufficiently serious ” reasons to accept the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines “ despite their remote connection to morally compromised cell lines.
” The bishops added that doing so is “ an act of love of our neighbor and part of our moral responsibility for the common good.
” In an Instagram video post , Johnson slammed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I have a real problem with the USCCB coming out and saying that that , you know , there is a distant connection between abortion and some of these vaccines that we are injecting into our bodies , as if that makes the abortion acceptable , ” said Johnson , whose conversion from a Planned Parenthood abortion facility director to pro-life advocate was dramatized in the movie Unplanned .
The bishops “ talk out of both sides of their mouth because they say , well , abortion is evil and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I guess it ’ s okay in this situation , ” and at the same time they tell Catholics to lobby for ethical alternatives .
Johnson quoted the USCCB document : “ Failure to adequately protest and or to demand alternatives to these vaccines can contribute to moral complacency on this critical issue .
This can encourage people to continue to justify and to benefit from the destruction of human life via elective abortion.
” But the fault is with the bishops for not taking an unequivocal stand , she said .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stopped using aborted fetal cell lines in vaccine development is “ because the leadership of the Catholic Church is too cowardly to stand up and say no more .
That ’ s why it hasn ’ t happened , ” contended Johnson .
“ And I am so sick of the USCCB cowering to Big Pharma , cowering to liberals , and allowing us and allowing our children to be guinea pigs , and to … allow our children to be injected with these vaccines that have dead children in them , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest religious organization in the world , the Catholic Church , continues to require the laity to protest while the leadership accepts these vaccines borne on the backs of aborted babies , as long as they require the laity to be the ones to protest while the leadership falls in line like a bunch of sheep , Big Pharma will continue to ram these research protocols through , ” asserted Johnson .
“ And they will continue to use aborted fetal tissue in testing and production because we don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have a voice.
” She also disputed the distinction the bishops made between COVID-19 vaccines tested on an aborted fetal cell line , and those produced or developed using such a cell line .
“ That ’ s ridiculous .
If abortion was used in any part of the manufacturing or production of this vaccine , the Catholic Church , especially in all Christians , should be saying , no , we don ’ t want any part of it , ” Johnson said .
The USCCB document stated that the Pfizer-BioNTech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency use last week , and the Moderna vaccine , which is reportedly on track for FDA emergency use approval this week , were neither designed , developed , or produced using fetal cell lines , but were tested using the “ morally compromised HEK293 cell line , ” which was derived from a baby aborted decades ago .
“ Thus , while neither vaccine is completely free from any connection to morally compromised cell lines , in this case the connection is very remote from the initial evil of the abortion , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the case of Moderna , the bishops ’ document contradicts the Children of God for Life , which states that Moderna “ extensively ” used the “ aborted fetal cell line HEK-293 … in numerous patents in the fundamental design of mRNA technology and in the original vaccine research , development , production and testing.
” The bishops state that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is “ more morally compromised ” because the HEK293 aborted fetal cell line was used in its development and production , “ and so this vaccine should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , if “ one does not really have a choice ” and if refusing the AstraZeneca vaccine would lead to “ lengthy delays in immunization , ” then it is morally permissible to take the vaccine , the USCCB document said .
Johnson expects to be criticized for “ going against the bishops , ” she said .
“ Well then so be it , because the USCCB has flown the coop a long time ago , ” she said , adding that their credibility took a hit when they congratulated Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on “ being the president elect , ” she said .
“ And then they send out a letter saying it ’ s acceptable for us to inject ourselves and our children with vaccines that are borne off the backs of aborted babies tells me that they have absolutely no credibility and that we should not be listening to them , ” Johnson added .
“ Catholics , you know better and you know what the Magisterium of the Catholic Church says , and it says that we should never cooperate with evil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” This was echoed by Cardinal Janis Pujats , Archbishop Tomash Peta , Archbishop Jan Pawel Lenga , Bishop Joseph E. Strickland , and Bishop Athanasius Schneider , who last week released a joint statement opposing the use of abortion-linked vaccines in all circumstances .
“ Any link to the abortion process , even the most remote and implicit , will cast a shadow over the Church ’ s duty to bear unwavering witness to the truth that abortion must be utterly rejected , ” they stated , adding that the “ ends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prelates also criticized statements from other bishops seeking to justify the use of abortion-linked vaccines on the basis of “ remote and material cooperation ” as “ extremely anti-pastoral and counterproductive , especially when one considers the increasingly apocalyptic character of the abortion industry , and the inhuman nature of some biomedical research and embryonic technology.
” Meanwhile , a number of experts , including former Pfizer senior researcher Michael Yeadon , are contesting the need for COVID-19 vaccine , and raising significant concerns about the safety of the fast-tracked products .
LifeSiteNews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ page .
View it here .
US bishops endorse abortion-tainted COVID vaccine : ‘ an act of love of our neighbor ’ On the moral illicitness of the use of vaccines made from cells derived from aborted human fetuses

'I am so sick of the USCCB cowering to Big Pharma, cowering to liberals, and allowing us and allowing our children to be guinea pigs, and to … allow our children to be injected with these vaccines that have dead children in them.'
December 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Well-known pro-life advocate Abby Johnson has blasted the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for “cowering to Big Pharma” by endorsing abortion-tainted Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
Johnson, who converted to Catholicism in 2013, also accused the bishops of “talking out of both sides of their mouth” by saying that abortion is evil, but that it is “okay” to take an abortion-related vaccine if there are no ethical alternatives available, all while exhorting Catholics to lobby for ethical alternatives.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) document “Moral Considerations Regarding the new COVID-19 Vaccines,” released on December 14 cites the “gravity of the current pandemic and the lack of availability of alternative vaccines” as “sufficiently serious” reasons to accept the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines “despite their remote connection to morally compromised cell lines.”
The bishops added that doing so is “an act of love of our neighbor and part of our moral responsibility for the common good.”
In an Instagram video post, Johnson slammed the bishops on a number of counts.
“I have a real problem with the USCCB coming out and saying that that, you know, there is a distant connection between abortion and some of these vaccines that we are injecting into our bodies, as if that makes the abortion acceptable,” said Johnson, whose conversion from a Planned Parenthood abortion facility director to pro-life advocate was dramatized in the movie Unplanned.
The bishops “talk out of both sides of their mouth because they say, well, abortion is evil and we should not compromise with evil, but I guess it’s okay in this situation,” and at the same time they tell Catholics to lobby for ethical alternatives.
Johnson quoted the USCCB document: “Failure to adequately protest and or to demand alternatives to these vaccines can contribute to moral complacency on this critical issue. This can encourage people to continue to justify and to benefit from the destruction of human life via elective abortion.”
But the fault is with the bishops for not taking an unequivocal stand, she said.
The reason why pharmaceutical giants haven’t stopped using aborted fetal cell lines in vaccine development is “because the leadership of the Catholic Church is too cowardly to stand up and say no more. That’s why it hasn’t happened,” contended Johnson.
“And I am so sick of the USCCB cowering to Big Pharma, cowering to liberals, and allowing us and allowing our children to be guinea pigs, and to … allow our children to be injected with these vaccines that have dead children in them,” she said.
“As long as the largest religious organization in the world, the Catholic Church, continues to require the laity to protest while the leadership accepts these vaccines borne on the backs of aborted babies, as long as they require the laity to be the ones to protest while the leadership falls in line like a bunch of sheep, Big Pharma will continue to ram these research protocols through,” asserted Johnson.
“And they will continue to use aborted fetal tissue in testing and production because we don’t have a voice. The laity don’t have a voice.”
She also disputed the distinction the bishops made between COVID-19 vaccines tested on an aborted fetal cell line, and those produced or developed using such a cell line.
“That’s ridiculous. If abortion was used in any part of the manufacturing or production of this vaccine, the Catholic Church, especially in all Christians, should be saying, no, we don’t want any part of it,” Johnson said.
The USCCB document stated that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which the FDA approved for emergency use last week, and the Moderna vaccine, which is reportedly on track for FDA emergency use approval this week, were neither designed, developed, or produced using fetal cell lines, but were tested using the “morally compromised HEK293 cell line,” which was derived from a baby aborted decades ago.
“Thus, while neither vaccine is completely free from any connection to morally compromised cell lines, in this case the connection is very remote from the initial evil of the abortion,” the bishops said.
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Urge HHS to STOP FUNDING aborted baby vaccines Show Petition Text 29087 have signed the petition. Let's get to 30000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition PETITION UPDATE (12/16/2020) - Operation Warp Speed—the HHS’s program to accelerate the development, manufacture, and distribution of COVID-19 therapeutics—has spent billions of our tax dollars to bring a COVID vaccine to market. Now, the FDA has granted emergency approval to roll out the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, and people in the UK and the US are already receiving it. Though the Pfizer vaccine was not designed or produced using aborted fetal cells, it was tested using the HEK293 fetal cell line to create humanized mice. And, more unethical vaccines are reaching the finish line and are being funded and promoted by the HHS with our tax dollars. We must continue to demand that this stop and that a fully ethical vaccine be brought to market instead! SIGN and SHARE our petition with the Personhood Alliance to demand that the HHS stop using our money to support the grisly connection between abortion and biomedical science. _________________________________________________________________________________ Operation Warp Speed—the HHS’s program to accelerate the development, manufacture, and distribution of COVID-19 therapeutics—is spending billions of our tax dollars to bring a COVID vaccine to market as quickly as possible. Now, two of the Operation Warp Speed vaccines (one created by Pfizer/BioNTech and one created by Moderna/NIH) are nearing the finish line, soon to be applying for emergency FDA approval for mass distribution. And, while LifeSite neither advocates for or against voluntary vaccination, there are several apparent problems with the vaccines being fast-tracked by HHS’ Operation Warp Speed. First among the vaccines’ major problems: they were tested using aborted fetal cells . Please SIGN and SHARE LifeSite’s urgent petition with the Personhood Alliance to demand that the HHS stop funding and promoting this unethical practice, and bring a fully ethical vaccine to market instead. The production and testing of vaccines that use the remains of aborted children, regardless of when they were killed and at what point they were used in the process, is morally unacceptable and must be consistently opposed by the whole pro-life movement. And, although the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were not designed or produced using aborted fetal cells, the Personhood Alliance recently reported that the vaccines’ testing phases used the HEK293 aborted fetal cell line to create humanized mice. This stomach-churning practice transferred immortalized cells from a child killed in 1973 into mouse embryos, so that when the mice were born, they had tiny human lungs that researchers infected with COVID to test the vaccines. This type of Frankenscience has no place in a civilized society, certainly not one whose citizens are forced to fund it! Sign our petition with the Personhood Alliance to demand that the HHS stop supporting the grisly connection between abortion and biomedical science. We can make a difference if we raise our voices together, but we’re running out of time! Thank you for SIGNING and SHARING this urgent petition today! FOR MORE INFORMATION: See LifeSite articles on the Coronavirus vaccine **Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
However, in the case of Moderna, the bishops’ document contradicts the Children of God for Life, which states that Moderna “extensively” used the “aborted fetal cell line HEK-293 … in numerous patents in the fundamental design of mRNA technology and in the original vaccine research, development, production and testing.”
The bishops state that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is “more morally compromised” because the HEK293 aborted fetal cell line was used in its development and production, “and so this vaccine should be avoided if other alternatives available.”
However, if “one does not really have a choice” and if refusing the AstraZeneca vaccine would lead to “lengthy delays in immunization,” then it is morally permissible to take the vaccine, the USCCB document said.
Johnson expects to be criticized for “going against the bishops,” she said.
“Well then so be it, because the USCCB has flown the coop a long time ago,” she said, adding that their credibility took a hit when they congratulated Joe Biden “an actively pro-abortion person,” on “being the president elect,” she said.
“And then they send out a letter saying it’s acceptable for us to inject ourselves and our children with vaccines that are borne off the backs of aborted babies tells me that they have absolutely no credibility and that we should not be listening to them,” Johnson added.
“Catholics, you know better and you know what the Magisterium of the Catholic Church says, and it says that we should never cooperate with evil, we should never cooperate with abortion.”
This was echoed by Cardinal Janis Pujats, Archbishop Tomash Peta, Archbishop Jan Pawel Lenga, Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, and Bishop Athanasius Schneider, who last week released a joint statement opposing the use of abortion-linked vaccines in all circumstances.
“Any link to the abortion process, even the most remote and implicit, will cast a shadow over the Church’s duty to bear unwavering witness to the truth that abortion must be utterly rejected,” they stated, adding that the “ends cannot justify the means.”
The prelates also criticized statements from other bishops seeking to justify the use of abortion-linked vaccines on the basis of “remote and material cooperation” as “extremely anti-pastoral and counterproductive, especially when one considers the increasingly apocalyptic character of the abortion industry, and the inhuman nature of some biomedical research and embryonic technology.”
Meanwhile, a number of experts, including former Pfizer senior researcher Michael Yeadon, are contesting the need for COVID-19 vaccine, and raising significant concerns about the safety of the fast-tracked products.
LifeSiteNews has produced an extensive COVID-19 vaccines resources page. View it here.
RELATED:
US bishops endorse abortion-tainted COVID vaccine: ‘an act of love of our neighbor’
On the moral illicitness of the use of vaccines made from cells derived from aborted human fetuses
Pfizer COVID jab warning: No breastfeeding, avoid pregnancy for 2 months, unknown fertility impacts
Research scientist warns coronavirus vaccines have ‘terrible safety record’ historically
Share


lifesitenews--2020-12-17--Cardinal Pell: My time in jail ‘was a gift and a grace’

ROME , Italy , December 16 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — An exonerated Australian cardinal stated today that he accepted his time in prison as “ a gift and a grace.
” Cardinal George Pell , who was imprisoned on charges of child sexual abuse later struck down by Australia ’ s highest court , gave an online press conference today to answer questions about his new book .
Prison Journal : Volume I , with an introduction by George Weigel , was published by Ignatius Press .
“ God writes straight with crooked lines , and given that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do regard it as a gift and a grace , ” Pell told reporters .
“ I ’ d have to hasten to add that I still regret that it happened , ” he continued .
“ I wouldn ’ t have chosen it , but there I was and , please God , I did my Christian duty while I was in jail.
” In the hour-long press conference , the Australian cardinal said that “ many , many good things ” happened to him during his imprisonment .
They included “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and friends ; the “ decency and professionalism ” of all the warders , some of whom were quite friendly ; the letters he received , including from other prisoners ; “ intellectually stimulating ” journal articles people sent him ; and an excellent prison chaplain .
“ I was impressed by the goodness of a lot of people , ” Pell said .
The cardinal received good wishes even from his next-cell neighbor .
“ The fellow who was in the cell next to me — he was a bit off his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murderer .
But on the morning that I was going for my appeal , he shouted out , wished me well , ” the cardinal recalled .
“ A very small thing , but it ’ s something for which I was very , very grateful.
” The press conference was introduced and moderated by the American author George Weigel , who said he had known the cardinal for 53 years .
Weigel stated that although Pell ’ s book should never have been written , the fact that it was written was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blessing.
” Prison Journal will allow people who had never met the cardinal to meet the “ full ” George Pell instead of the “ cartoon ” Pell “ perpetuated ” by the Australian media .
“ Even old friends will encounter depths of insight here that they might not have met before , ” Weigel said .
“ The book invites readers to meet the soul of a public man , which is a rare thing indeed , and all the more precious for its rarity , ” he continued .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to meet a soul as it ’ s being purified and strengthened by suffering.
” Cardinal Pell revealed that he wrote his journal “ partly as a historical record of a strange time.
” More importantly , he thought his reflections might help people going through hard times .
He also found it “ good therapy ” .
“ As I said to somebody , I now understand why Solzhenitsyn wrote so much , ” the cardinal said .
In Prison Journal , Pell wrote that he was aware of an obligation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When asked by a reporter how people can “ nourish ” forgiveness , the cardinal indicated that prayer is key .
“ First of all , you have to keep praying .
Reading the Scriptures , reading your breviary , even going to Mass , ” Pell said .
“ The New Testament is always niggling away at us — much more than the Old Testament , reminding us of difficult challenges , like the challenge to forgive.
” The cardinal recalled from a marriage encounter meeting , long ago , that one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife said the most important thing was to “ make an act of will to forgive and then , in many cases , the feelings follow behind.
” “ I think you decide to forgive , and pretty well always the feelings will follow , ” Pell declared .
“ Every now and again , you may feel a surge of animosity , and I suppose you ’ ve just got to clamp down on it , '' he added .
“ But you can ’ t do that without faith , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” When asked if there was anything he missed in prison life , Pell said at first that he had never thought about it , but then reminisced about his nightly cup of camomile tea and two rows of Cadbury chocolate .
He mentioned having watched a lot of sports on television and at times feeling content and settled .
While he was in prison , Pell prayed for victims of pedophilia every day .
Regarding the Church ’ s pastoral care of victims of clerical sexual abuse , Pell said that there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on it since the Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse .
The current compensation panel is “ scarcely different ” from the one the cardinal himself set up in the Melbourne response in the mid-1990s .
“ There have got to be counseling services available and , of course , financial reparations , ” Pell stated .
“ It ’ s a solemn obligation .
We ’ ve got to do our best .
I think by and large we ’ re moving along in the right direction in Australia.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was not sufficiently acknowledged in Australia that the Church had “ broken the back ” of the problem of clerical sexual abuse of children “ by stopping the crimes substantially in the middle of the ’ 90s.
” “ Hardly any ” of the cases examined by the recent Royal Commission were from the 21st century , and “ most of them were from times earlier than the 1990s.
” Lisa Wheeler of Carmel Communications confirmed with LifeSiteNews , which has a reporter present at the event , that this was Cardinal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he returned to Rome this autumn .

'I'd have to hasten to add that I still regret that it happened,' the Australian cardinal continued.
ROME, Italy, December 16, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — An exonerated Australian cardinal stated today that he accepted his time in prison as “a gift and a grace.”
Cardinal George Pell, who was imprisoned on charges of child sexual abuse later struck down by Australia’s highest court, gave an online press conference today to answer questions about his new book. Prison Journal: Volume I, with an introduction by George Weigel, was published by Ignatius Press.
“God writes straight with crooked lines, and given that I was sentenced to jail, I do regard it as a gift and a grace,” Pell told reporters.
“I’d have to hasten to add that I still regret that it happened,” he continued.
“I wouldn’t have chosen it, but there I was and, please God, I did my Christian duty while I was in jail.”
In the hour-long press conference, the Australian cardinal said that “many, many good things” happened to him during his imprisonment. They included “the wonderful support” of his family and friends; the “decency and professionalism” of all the warders, some of whom were quite friendly; the letters he received, including from other prisoners; “intellectually stimulating” journal articles people sent him; and an excellent prison chaplain.
“I was impressed by the goodness of a lot of people,” Pell said.
The cardinal received good wishes even from his next-cell neighbor.
“The fellow who was in the cell next to me — he was a bit off his head, he’s a mass murderer. But on the morning that I was going for my appeal, he shouted out, wished me well,” the cardinal recalled.
“A very small thing, but it’s something for which I was very, very grateful.”
The press conference was introduced and moderated by the American author George Weigel, who said he had known the cardinal for 53 years. Weigel stated that although Pell’s book should never have been written, the fact that it was written was a “grace” and a “blessing.” Prison Journal will allow people who had never met the cardinal to meet the “full” George Pell instead of the “cartoon” Pell “perpetuated” by the Australian media.
“Even old friends will encounter depths of insight here that they might not have met before,” Weigel said.
“The book invites readers to meet the soul of a public man, which is a rare thing indeed, and all the more precious for its rarity,” he continued.
“Even more impressive is when we are allowed to meet a soul as it’s being purified and strengthened by suffering.”
Cardinal Pell revealed that he wrote his journal “partly as a historical record of a strange time.” More importantly, he thought his reflections might help people going through hard times. He also found it “good therapy”.
“As I said to somebody, I now understand why Solzhenitsyn wrote so much,” the cardinal said.
In Prison Journal, Pell wrote that he was aware of an obligation to forgive those who accused him. When asked by a reporter how people can “nourish” forgiveness, the cardinal indicated that prayer is key.
“First of all, you have to keep praying. Reading the Scriptures, reading your breviary, even going to Mass,” Pell said.
“The New Testament is always niggling away at us — much more than the Old Testament, reminding us of difficult challenges, like the challenge to forgive.”
The cardinal recalled from a marriage encounter meeting, long ago, that one couple talking about forgiveness between husband and wife said the most important thing was to “make an act of will to forgive and then, in many cases, the feelings follow behind.”
“I think you decide to forgive, and pretty well always the feelings will follow,” Pell declared.
“Every now and again, you may feel a surge of animosity, and I suppose you’ve just got to clamp down on it,” he added.
“But you can’t do that without faith, and I suspect you need to keep praying.”
When asked if there was anything he missed in prison life, Pell said at first that he had never thought about it, but then reminisced about his nightly cup of camomile tea and two rows of Cadbury chocolate. He mentioned having watched a lot of sports on television and at times feeling content and settled.
“My jail time doesn’t give me nightmares,” he assured reporters.
While he was in prison, Pell prayed for victims of pedophilia every day. Regarding the Church’s pastoral care of victims of clerical sexual abuse, Pell said that there had been “a renewed emphasis” on it since the Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse. The current compensation panel is “scarcely different” from the one the cardinal himself set up in the Melbourne response in the mid-1990s.
“There have got to be counseling services available and, of course, financial reparations,” Pell stated.
“It’s a solemn obligation. We’ve got to do our best. I think by and large we’re moving along in the right direction in Australia.”
He noted, however, that it was not sufficiently acknowledged in Australia that the Church had “broken the back” of the problem of clerical sexual abuse of children “by stopping the crimes substantially in the middle of the ’90s.” “Hardly any” of the cases examined by the recent Royal Commission were from the 21st century, and “most of them were from times earlier than the 1990s.”
Lisa Wheeler of Carmel Communications confirmed with LifeSiteNews, which has a reporter present at the event, that this was Cardinal Pell’s first press conference since he returned to Rome this autumn.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-12-18--Why the Vatican Nativity scene this year is so unbearably ugly

LifeSiteNews is facing increasing censorship .
Click HERE to sign up to receive emails when we add to our video library .
December 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — This year , the annual tradition of the large-scale Nativity scene in St Peter ’ s Square descended into farce when the figures were revealed as childish and hideous products of artistic modernism .
The figures were produced over the course of about a decade starting in 1965 and are reminiscent of the mediocre art of that time .
One of the figures visiting the crib is an astronaut ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ angel represented as a bizarre , tower-like object with meaningless rings round it .
There are a great many reasons why this collection of objects is unsuitable for display as the Vatican ’ s Nativity scene .
I leave it to art historians to decide whether it has sufficient historical importance to gather dust in a provincial museum somewhere .
If it were not the season of goodwill , I might suggest it be crushed and used for road-building .
But the simple and overwhelming point to make about it is that while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — art inspired by religious themes or values , or representing a scene with religious significance — it can not possibly be described as devotional art .
The failure to distinguish these two categories is to blame for a lot of entirely inappropriate art in our churches .
Consider the images showing the Stations of the Cross .
These are designed to assist the user ( and , yes , devotional art is used ) , to enter imaginatively into the scenes of Christ ’ s sufferings .
This assistance to the imagination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of scenes .
To do this effectively , it needs at least to be representational , and not , for example , abstract .
Again , devotional images of Christ and the saints have the role of focusing the attention in prayer , because that is what they are for : they are designed to be the focus of prayer .
In order to do this they must themselves honor the person represented , who is being venerated , and bring out figure ’ s holiness .
The Roman soldiers and some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cross may be ugly brutes , but even a painting of a saint who was a leper , like St. Damian of Molokai , should bring out his inner beauty and not exaggerate his disfigurement .
The reason is not only that a beautiful image will hold our attention , and a repulsive image , obviously , repel it , but because sanctity and beauty are connected .
However we define beauty , a beautiful thing is one that is not disordered , whose features are not out of proportion or out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to us .
God is beautiful because He is supremely well ordered .
The saints become beautiful as they grow in holiness .
Physical beauty is therefore a fitting artistic symbol of spiritual beauty .
The innocence of children , and the serenity of old people who are at peace with God , are in real life outward signs of the inner person , even if such signs are fallible .
Evil makes even naturally beautiful people ugly , in time : eventually one can see cruelty , sensuality , and egoism etched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a particularly delicate devotional role , because it is a scene for meditation , like the Stations of the Cross or a depiction of a martyrdom , and at the same time , the individual major figures are devotional images of Christ and the saints , which will be the focus of prayer in a way the figures in the Stations are much less often .
Unlike the stations or a painting of some other complex religious scene , a Nativity scene in a church will be blessed , have candles lit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the focus of a great deal of individual prayer over the months of its display .
More , perhaps , should be done to make these as grand , beautiful , and devotionally compelling and appropriate as possible than usually is done .
Not only is the Vatican Nativity scene a complete failure as a piece of devotional art — it would obviously be difficult to pray in front of it , and I doubt that many people will try — but its style is a deliberate rejection of beauty in art .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ popularized ( if that is the right word ) in the 1960s , which says art should be not about beauty , but about the artist ’ s existential despair or something of the kind .
The late Roger Scruton , a philosopher of art , asked of this movement : This artistic movement is a reflection of a world without God , and the despair the artist feels as a result .
A more inappropriate medium for expressing the message that God is born in Bethlehem is impossible to imagine .

There are a great many reasons why this collection of objects is unsuitable for display as the Vatican’s Nativity scene.
LifeSiteNews is facing increasing censorship. Click HERE to sign up to receive emails when we add to our video library.
December 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — This year, the annual tradition of the large-scale Nativity scene in St Peter’s Square descended into farce when the figures were revealed as childish and hideous products of artistic modernism. The figures were produced over the course of about a decade starting in 1965 and are reminiscent of the mediocre art of that time. One of the figures visiting the crib is an astronaut; others are unrecognizable. There is an angel represented as a bizarre, tower-like object with meaningless rings round it.
There are a great many reasons why this collection of objects is unsuitable for display as the Vatican’s Nativity scene. I leave it to art historians to decide whether it has sufficient historical importance to gather dust in a provincial museum somewhere. If it were not the season of goodwill, I might suggest it be crushed and used for road-building. But the simple and overwhelming point to make about it is that while it might claim to be religious art — art inspired by religious themes or values, or representing a scene with religious significance — it cannot possibly be described as devotional art.
The failure to distinguish these two categories is to blame for a lot of entirely inappropriate art in our churches. Consider the images showing the Stations of the Cross. These are designed to assist the user (and, yes, devotional art is used), to enter imaginatively into the scenes of Christ’s sufferings. This assistance to the imagination is the role of all devotional depictions of scenes. To do this effectively, it needs at least to be representational, and not, for example, abstract.
Again, devotional images of Christ and the saints have the role of focusing the attention in prayer, because that is what they are for: they are designed to be the focus of prayer. In order to do this they must themselves honor the person represented, who is being venerated, and bring out figure’s holiness. The Roman soldiers and some of the bystanders in the Stations of the Cross may be ugly brutes, but even a painting of a saint who was a leper, like St. Damian of Molokai, should bring out his inner beauty and not exaggerate his disfigurement.
The reason is not only that a beautiful image will hold our attention, and a repulsive image, obviously, repel it, but because sanctity and beauty are connected. However we define beauty, a beautiful thing is one that is not disordered, whose features are not out of proportion or out of place, and this is naturally attractive to us. God is beautiful because He is supremely well ordered. The saints become beautiful as they grow in holiness. Physical beauty is therefore a fitting artistic symbol of spiritual beauty. The innocence of children, and the serenity of old people who are at peace with God, are in real life outward signs of the inner person, even if such signs are fallible. Evil makes even naturally beautiful people ugly, in time: eventually one can see cruelty, sensuality, and egoism etched in the face.
A Nativity scene has a particularly delicate devotional role, because it is a scene for meditation, like the Stations of the Cross or a depiction of a martyrdom, and at the same time, the individual major figures are devotional images of Christ and the saints, which will be the focus of prayer in a way the figures in the Stations are much less often. Unlike the stations or a painting of some other complex religious scene, a Nativity scene in a church will be blessed, have candles lit in front of it, and be the focus of a great deal of individual prayer over the months of its display. More, perhaps, should be done to make these as grand, beautiful, and devotionally compelling and appropriate as possible than usually is done.
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Ask Pope Francis to clarify and rectify scandalous remarks on homosexual civil unions Show Petition Text 22787 have signed the petition. Let's get to 25000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition Remarks attributed to Pope Francis (and, not denied by the Vatican) in support of homosexual civil unions have caused grave scandal to the faithful. Please SIGN this urgent petition which asks Pope Francis to clarify and rectify these heterodox and scandalous remarks on homosexual civil unions, and which will be delivered both to the Vatican and to the Papal Nuncio of the United States (the Pope's official representative in the U.S.). As the last guarantor of the Faith, the Pope should clarify and rectify these remarks, which go against the perennial teaching of the Church, even including the teaching of his living predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. "What we have to create is a law of civil coexistence [meaning civil union law, for homosexuals]...," Pope Francis is reported to have remarked, in what is arguably his clearest statement of public support for a practice morally prohibited by official Catholic Church teaching. In fact, the Church has been crystal clear in Her opposition to homosexual unions. Just in 2003, Pope Saint John Paul II approved a document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, titled 'Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions between Homosexual Persons' and written by Cardinal Ratzinger (now, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI), which concludes with the following: "The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behaviour or to legal recognition of homosexual unions. The common good requires that laws recognize, promote and protect marriage as the basis of the family, the primary unit of society. Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean not only the approval of deviant behaviour, with the consequence of making it a model in present-day society, but would also obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity. The Church cannot fail to defend these values, for the good of men and women and for the good of society itself." It could not be more clear: the Church is calling people to repentance, not to be left to indulge in grave sin. Since becoming public, several senior prelates as well as other notable Catholic figures have voiced their opposition to these remarks attributed to the Pontiff. Cardinal Raymond Burke stated: "It is a source of deepest sadness and pressing pastoral concern that the private opinions reported with so much emphasis by the press and attributed to Pope Francis do not correspond to the constant teaching of the Church, as it is expressed in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition." Cardinal Gerhard Müller commented: "Where there is tension between the plain and obvious Word of God and the infallible interpretation on the one hand, and private expressions of opinion even by the highest church authorities on the other, the principle always applies: in dubio pro DEO [When in doubt, be in favor of God]." And, Catholic theologian and apologist Scott Hahn, without directly quoting Pope Francis, shared on Facebook the 'Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons,' published by the CDF in 1986, with the statement: "Holy Father, respectfully and humbly, I beg to differ... if that is indeed what you said. In any case, please clarify and rectify your statement, especially in view of the official teaching of our Lord through the magisterium of His Church." But, the silence from the Vatican has been deafening, with no clarification forthcoming. We must, therefore, ask the Pope for clarification in this serious matter. Please SIGN and SHARE this petition which asks Pope Francis to clarify and rectify remarks attributed to him in support of homosexual civil unions. FOR MORE INFORMATION: 'Cdl. Burke: Pope’s homosexual civil union remarks ‘contrary’ to Scripture, Tradition' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/cardinal-burke-on-popes-homosexual-civil-union-remarks-contrary-to-the-teaching-of-sacred-scripture-and-sacred-tradition 'Cardinal says Catholics ‘can and should’ disagree with Pope’s ‘opinion’ on gay civil unions' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/cdl.mueller-popes-words-on-gay-civil-unions-purely-private-expression-of-opinion-which-every-catholic-can-and-should-freely-contradict 'Archbishop Vigano, Bishops Tobin and Strickland respond to Pope’s approval of homosexual civil unions' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/archbishop-vigano-and-bishops-tobin-strickland-respond-to-popes-approval-of-homosexual-civil-unions 'Pope’s comments on gay civil unions cause shockwaves around the world' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/deepest-sadness-cardinal-burke-condemns-pope-franciss-remarks-supporting-civil-unions Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
Not only is the Vatican Nativity scene a complete failure as a piece of devotional art — it would obviously be difficult to pray in front of it, and I doubt that many people will try — but its style is a deliberate rejection of beauty in art. It is the product of the movement popularized (if that is the right word) in the 1960s, which says art should be not about beauty, but about the artist’s existential despair or something of the kind.
The late Roger Scruton, a philosopher of art, asked of this movement:
Why should people want to desecrate the human form and the ordinary ideals of human life? And I say, you only desecrate what is sacred. Only something sacred can be desecrated. So there’s this cry from the heart here for the religious meaning of things. It’s showing the yearning for God and the sense that these things make no sense without him.
This artistic movement is a reflection of a world without God, and the despair the artist feels as a result. A more inappropriate medium for expressing the message that God is born in Bethlehem is impossible to imagine.
Follow Joseph Dr Joseph Shaw has a Doctorate in Philosophy from Oxford University, where he also gained a first degree in Politics and Philosophy and a graduate Diploma in Theology. He has published on Ethics and Philosophy of Religion and is the editor of The Case for Liturgical Restoration: Una Voce Position Papers on the Extraordinary Form (Angelico Press). He is the Chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales and Secretary of Una Voce International. He teaches Philosophy in Oxford University and lives nearby with his wife and nine children.
Share