lifesitenews--2020-05-19--Chinese government scheming to spread influence inside America, Pompeo warns

May 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The Chinese Communist Party is currently engaged in a variety of operations to gain influence around the world , posing a risk to the national security of the United States , according to recent comments by secretary of state Mike Pompeo .
“ The Chinese Communist Party working inside of their own country is one thing ; their efforts to create control and influence around the world are quite another , and we have a responsibility to fix that , ” Pompeo told Breitbart News this weekend .
One of the top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the regime ’ s Belt and Road Initiative , which is an effort to develop numerous international partnerships , ostensibly for infrastructure and transportation projects .
“ Several Asian and African nations have acceded to the Chinese regime ’ s plans , only to find themselves in serious financial distress afterward , ” Breitbart ’ s Matthew Boyle notes .
China is also working to get its hooks into the United States , Pompeo said .
PETITION : No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus !
Sign the petition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Governors ’ Association a few months back where I shared that they are working to influence governors , mayors , school board members , private business owners to influence them to put the bright face of China on what is actually the Chinese Communist Party that ’ s seeking to exert their influence here inside the United States , ” he explained .
“ You talked about our universities and our research labs .
This is not about good Chinese people working on commercial projects .
We find that acceptable .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its influence here in the United States for missions that are deeply connected to the regime in China trying to exert influence in places where it ought not to be , and we ’ re doing everything we can to push back against that.
” The article goes on to note two cases of American professors , one at Harvard University and another at the University of Arkansas , who were arrested this year for seeking grants and other influential projects without disclosing that they were subsidized by the Chinese government ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump got this right in his campaign , ” Pompeo said .
“ It ’ s something that presidents of both political parties have ignored for far too long .
President Trump has taken it on squarely .
You ’ ve seen it .
It ’ s very public what he ’ s done on trade to try to make sure that that is fair and reciprocal.
” The secretary ’ s warnings come as the Chinese government finds itself in the global hot seat for its role in allowing the COVID-19 virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world about the danger .

The Chinese Communist Party is striving to embed itself in U.S. institutions, Trump's secretary of state declared, and 'we're doing everything we can to push back against that.'
May 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The Chinese Communist Party is currently engaged in a variety of operations to gain influence around the world, posing a risk to the national security of the United States, according to recent comments by secretary of state Mike Pompeo.
“The Chinese Communist Party working inside of their own country is one thing; their efforts to create control and influence around the world are quite another, and we have a responsibility to fix that,” Pompeo told Breitbart News this weekend.
One of the top Chinese projects Pompeo was referring to is the regime’s Belt and Road Initiative, which is an effort to develop numerous international partnerships, ostensibly for infrastructure and transportation projects. “Several Asian and African nations have acceded to the Chinese regime’s plans, only to find themselves in serious financial distress afterward,” Breitbart’s Matthew Boyle notes.
China is also working to get its hooks into the United States, Pompeo said.
PETITION: No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
“I spoke to the National Governors’ Association a few months back where I shared that they are working to influence governors, mayors, school board members, private business owners to influence them to put the bright face of China on what is actually the Chinese Communist Party that’s seeking to exert their influence here inside the United States,” he explained. “You talked about our universities and our research labs. This is not about good Chinese people working on commercial projects. We find that acceptable. This is about the Chinese Communist Party exerting its influence here in the United States for missions that are deeply connected to the regime in China trying to exert influence in places where it ought not to be, and we’re doing everything we can to push back against that.”
The article goes on to note two cases of American professors, one at Harvard University and another at the University of Arkansas, who were arrested this year for seeking grants and other influential projects without disclosing that they were subsidized by the Chinese government’s “Thousand Talents Plan.”
“President Trump got this right in his campaign,” Pompeo said. “It’s something that presidents of both political parties have ignored for far too long. President Trump has taken it on squarely. You’ve seen it. It’s very public what he’s done on trade to try to make sure that that is fair and reciprocal.”
The secretary’s warnings come as the Chinese government finds itself in the global hot seat for its role in allowing the COVID-19 virus to spread globally while lying to the world about the danger.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-19--Left-wing media isn’t concerned about truth – it just wants Trump out of White House

PETITION : Pres .
Trump do n't give federal funds to COVID-19 vaccines made from aborted baby cells !
Sign the petition here .
May 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – I can not prove this , but the caller to my radio show seemed totally credible .
If what he said is true , then the animosity toward President Donald Trump in left-wing circles is even more extreme than some of us would have believed .
And that is saying a lot .
The caller , named Rob , from Tampa , Florida , said he had previously @ @ @ @ @ @ @ north .
( He didn ’ t want to give further details so as to be able to speak with total freedom . )
As a committed Christian , he claims he was not just in the minority .
He was alone , with all of the other newsroom staffers , totaling at least 30 people , identifying as either atheists or agnostics .
And , he said , “ Every single one of them was a hardcore leftist.
” Rob said his last year working at the station was the first year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2017 .
During that time , a story about Trump was run for a few days , a story that “ everyone knew was a lie.
” So he reached out to the assignment editor and said , “ What you ’ re putting on TV is a lie .
Why are you doing it ?
” According to Rob , “ The guy looked at me stone cold and said , ‘ It ’ s not my duty or my obligation to tell the truth .
It ’ s my obligation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House.
’ ” Again , I can ’ t verify this story , although , to repeat , Rob did seem credible and he was quite aware of Trump ’ s shortcomings .
But what I can say is this : There is no question that the TV media leans overwhelmingly to the left , and there is no question that the leftist media is overtly and unapologetically hostile to Trump .
Looking first at the media ’ s anti-Trump reporting , in October 2017 , Pew Research noted that , “ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ analysis of the early days of the Trump presidency , found that 62 percent of the coverage was negative and only 5 percent was positive .
“ In contrast , President Barack Obama 's coverage in early 2009 was 42 percent positive and 20 percent negative , the study said.
” So , the coverage of Trump was more than 12 to 1 negative ; the coverage of Obama was more than 2 to 1 positive .
One year later , in October 2018 , the Media Research Center stated that , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have continued to pound Donald Trump and his team with the most hostile coverage of a president in TV news history — 92 percent negative vs. just 8 percent positive.
” By January 2020 , the figure had risen to 93 percent negative .
Certainly , Trump ’ s provocation of the media plays into these numbers .
But whatever the cause , the anti-Trump sentiments have only intensified , and in increasingly unvarnished fashion at that .
As for the political leanings of the media , Nate Silver wrote in 2017 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7 percent of ( journalists ) identified as Republicans.
” ( This was down from 25.7 percent in 1971 ; strikingly , as of 2013 , half identified as independent . )
And a 2017 article in Politico pointed out , “ The national media really does work in a bubble , something that wasn ’ t true as recently as 2008 .
And the bubble is growing more extreme .
Concentrated heavily along the coasts , the bubble is both geographic and political .
If you ’ re a working journalist , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work in a pro-Clinton county — odds are that you reside in one of the nation ’ s most pro-Clinton counties ” ( their emphasis ) .
With good reason , the article , written by Jack Shafer and Tucker Doherty , carried this title and subtitle : “ The Media Bubble Is Worse Than You Think .
We crunched the data on where journalists work and how fast it ’ s changing .
The results should worry you.
” And then , this striking observation : “ The people who report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t help being affected — deeply affected — by the environment around them .
Former New York Times public editor Daniel Okrent got at this when he analyzed the decidedly liberal bent of his newspaper ’ s staff in a 2004 column that rewards rereading today .
The ‘ heart , mind , and habits ’ of the Times , he wrote , can not be divorced from the ethos of the cosmopolitan city where it is produced .
On such subjects as abortion , gay rights , gun control and environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a pretty good reflection of its region ’ s dominant predisposition.
” Okrent ’ s analysis was shockingly candid ( and note that it was published by the Times itself ) .
To the headline ’ s question , “ Is The New York Times a Liberal Newspaper ?
” he responded , “ Of course it is.
” ( Again , this was back in 2004 . )
With regard to “ the social issues : gay rights , gun control , abortion and environmental regulation , among others , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you think The Times plays it down the middle on any of them , you 've been reading the paper with your eyes closed.
” As for “ the editorial page , ” he described it as “ so thoroughly saturated in liberal theology that when it occasionally strays from that point of view the shocked yelps from the left overwhelm even the ceaseless rumble of disapproval from the right.
” Although I can not get my hands on the research right now , more than one decade ago , I read with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the nation held to radically leftist views on abortion and other social issues .
I would imagine those numbers would look similar today .
It is true that an academic article published by Science Advances in April 2020 argued that , “ Although a dominant majority of journalists identify as liberals/Democrats and many Americans and public officials frequently decry supposedly high and increasing levels of media bias , little compelling evidence exists as to ( i ) the ideological or partisan leanings of the many journalists who fail to answer surveys and/or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether journalists ’ political leanings bleed into the choice of which stories to cover that Americans ultimately consume.
” Rob , and a host of other observers , including me , would beg to differ .

The liberal press, which is reported to be dominated by atheists or agnostics, has stepped up the negative coverage of President Trump.
PETITION: Pres. Trump don't give federal funds to COVID-19 vaccines made from aborted baby cells! Sign the petition here.
May 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – I cannot prove this, but the caller to my radio show seemed totally credible. If what he said is true, then the animosity toward President Donald Trump in left-wing circles is even more extreme than some of us would have believed. And that is saying a lot.
The caller, named Rob, from Tampa, Florida, said he had previously worked at an NBC News affiliate up north. (He didn’t want to give further details so as to be able to speak with total freedom.)
As a committed Christian, he claims he was not just in the minority. He was alone, with all of the other newsroom staffers, totaling at least 30 people, identifying as either atheists or agnostics. And, he said, “Every single one of them was a hardcore leftist.”
Rob said his last year working at the station was the first year of Trump’s presidency, in 2017. During that time, a story about Trump was run for a few days, a story that “everyone knew was a lie.”
So he reached out to the assignment editor and said, “What you’re putting on TV is a lie. Why are you doing it?”
According to Rob, “The guy looked at me stone cold and said, ‘It’s not my duty or my obligation to tell the truth. It’s my obligation to get Donald Trump out of the White House.’”
Again, I can’t verify this story, although, to repeat, Rob did seem credible and he was quite aware of Trump’s shortcomings.
But what I can say is this: There is no question that the TV media leans overwhelmingly to the left, and there is no question that the leftist media is overtly and unapologetically hostile to Trump.
Looking first at the media’s anti-Trump reporting, in October 2017, Pew Research noted that, “The Pew Research Center, in a content analysis of the early days of the Trump presidency, found that 62 percent of the coverage was negative and only 5 percent was positive.
“In contrast, President Barack Obama's coverage in early 2009 was 42 percent positive and 20 percent negative, the study said.”
So, the coverage of Trump was more than 12 to 1 negative; the coverage of Obama was more than 2 to 1 positive.
One year later, in October 2018, the Media Research Center stated that, “Over the summer, the broadcast networks have continued to pound Donald Trump and his team with the most hostile coverage of a president in TV news history — 92 percent negative vs. just 8 percent positive.”
By January 2020, the figure had risen to 93 percent negative.
Certainly, Trump’s provocation of the media plays into these numbers. But whatever the cause, the anti-Trump sentiments have only intensified, and in increasingly unvarnished fashion at that.
As for the political leanings of the media, Nate Silver wrote in 2017 that, “As of 2013, only 7 percent of (journalists) identified as Republicans.” (This was down from 25.7 percent in 1971; strikingly, as of 2013, half identified as independent.)
And a 2017 article in Politico pointed out, “The national media really does work in a bubble, something that wasn’t true as recently as 2008. And the bubble is growing more extreme. Concentrated heavily along the coasts, the bubble is both geographic and political. If you’re a working journalist, odds aren’t just that you work in a pro-Clinton county — odds are that you reside in one of the nation’s most pro-Clinton counties” (their emphasis).
With good reason, the article, written by Jack Shafer and Tucker Doherty, carried this title and subtitle: “The Media Bubble Is Worse Than You Think. We crunched the data on where journalists work and how fast it’s changing. The results should worry you.”
And then, this striking observation: “The people who report, edit, produce and publish news can’t help being affected — deeply affected — by the environment around them. Former New York Times public editor Daniel Okrent got at this when he analyzed the decidedly liberal bent of his newspaper’s staff in a 2004 column that rewards rereading today. The ‘heart, mind, and habits’ of the Times, he wrote, cannot be divorced from the ethos of the cosmopolitan city where it is produced. On such subjects as abortion, gay rights, gun control and environmental regulation, the Times’ news reporting is a pretty good reflection of its region’s dominant predisposition.”
Okrent’s analysis was shockingly candid (and note that it was published by the Times itself). To the headline’s question, “Is The New York Times a Liberal Newspaper?” he responded, “Of course it is.” (Again, this was back in 2004.)
With regard to “the social issues: gay rights, gun control, abortion and environmental regulation, among others,” Okrent was equally blunt: “If you think The Times plays it down the middle on any of them, you've been reading the paper with your eyes closed.”
As for “the editorial page,” he described it as “so thoroughly saturated in liberal theology that when it occasionally strays from that point of view the shocked yelps from the left overwhelm even the ceaseless rumble of disapproval from the right.”
Although I cannot get my hands on the research right now, more than one decade ago, I read with interest a survey indicating how news anchors across the nation held to radically leftist views on abortion and other social issues. I would imagine those numbers would look similar today.
It is true that an academic article published by Science Advances in April 2020 argued that, “Although a dominant majority of journalists identify as liberals/Democrats and many Americans and public officials frequently decry supposedly high and increasing levels of media bias, little compelling evidence exists as to (i) the ideological or partisan leanings of the many journalists who fail to answer surveys and/or identify as independents and (ii) whether journalists’ political leanings bleed into the choice of which stories to cover that Americans ultimately consume.”
Rob, and a host of other observers, including me, would beg to differ.
Follow Michael Dr. Brown is the author of more than 35 books, including Our Hands Are Stained with Blood: The Tragic Story of the “Church” and the Jewish People, which has been translated into more than twelve languages, the highly acclaimed five-volume series, Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus, a commentary on Jeremiah (part of the revised edition of the Expositor’s Bible Commentary), and several books on revival and the Jesus revolution. His most recent book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test?
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lifesitenews--2020-05-19--Health Canada approves human trial testing of coronavirus vaccine derived from aborted fetal cell li

Health Canada approves human trial testing of coronavirus vaccine derived from aborted fetal cell line

PETITION : No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus !
Sign the petition here .
OTTAWA , May 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A Canadian vaccine watchdog group says Canada ’ s approval of a human clinical trial of a Chinese coronavirus vaccine made from aborted fetal cell lines should “ be a concern ” for everyone and that rushing a vaccine to market could do more harm than good .
Pro-abortion Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday that Health Canada approved the coronavirus vaccine Ad5-nCoV to be used in human clinical trials .
Ted Kuntz , president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a not-for-profit society founded by families who have suffered from vaccine reactions or injuries , told LifeSiteNews that Canadians should be concerned about the safety of the coronavirus trial vaccine .
“ The decision by Health Canada to approve human trial testing for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine should concern us all , ” Kuntz said to LifeSiteNews .
“ Bypassing standard and prudent safety protocols and rushing a vaccine to market not only increases the risk of producing a product that will cause more harm than good , it has the very real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health professionals , our health agencies , and in the entire vaccine paradigm.
” The vaccine candidate Ad5-nCoV uses the HEK293 cell line that LifeSiteNews reported last week is made from aborted fetal cells .
The HEK293 cell line was developed and is owned by Canada ’ s National Research Council ( NRC ) .
On May 12 , the NRC announced a collaboration with the Chinese firm CanSino Biologics Inc. ( CanSinoBIO ) to test and develop Ad5-nCoV in Canada .
The trial vaccine Ad5-nCoV was co-developed by the Beijing Institute of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used in initial human trials since mid-March in China .
The clinical trials for Ad5-nCoV will be taking place at the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology at Dalhousie University , which is in Halifax .
A total of 600 people will be needed for the trial , according to a CBC report , that will be done in phases .
Dr. Scott Halperin , the director of the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology at Dalhousie University , said to CTV that because of the scale of the coronavirus , his team will not wait for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next , but rather conduct the tests `` in a more accelerated fashion , without sacrificing any safety.
” Speaking of the coronavirus trial vaccine approval on Saturday , Trudeau said if the “ vaccine trials ” are successful , the hope is that “ we can produce and distribute it here at home.
” '' Research and development take time and must be done right .
But this is encouraging news , '' Trudeau said at his Saturday press conference .
Kuntz told LifeSiteNews in April that any type of forced vaccination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in reaction to Trudeau , saying he needed time to “ reflect ” about the possibility of making a coronavirus vaccine mandatory in Canada .
Alan Moy , M.D.
, founder and scientific director of the John Paul II Medical Research Institute and CEO of Cellular Engineering Technologies , confirmed for LifeSiteNews last week that Ad5-nCoV was indeed developed from an aborted fetal cell line .
“ Since it ’ s using an adenovirus replication-defective vector , it is using HEK293 .
HEK293 is an aborted fetal cell line , ” Dr. Moy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LifeSiteNews that the Ad5-nCoV vaccine being promoted by the Canadian government in collaboration with China may not prove to be very effective because there is a “ high incidence of immunity against Ad5.
” The Health Canada approval was the last hurdle needed to get Ad5-nCoV ready for use in human clinical trials .
Ad5-nCoV is the world 's first phase 2 coronavirus vaccine , which is approved to “ safely ” be used in human tests .
Halperin said in the CBC report that Phase 1 testing will be on 100 candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 55 , with Phase 2 expanding to 500 participants in the age range of 18 to 85 .
Phase 3 would be the stage to see `` if the vaccine works , '' said Halperin in the CBC report , and could come “ as early as ” late summer or the fall .
Halperin said in the CBC report that Health Canada could potentially approve an “ emergency release ” of a potential coronavirus vaccine even before Phase 3 is complete .
The CBC report said that Halperin noted there are “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place on how this could be accomplished .
The NRC said in its press release that it hopes its collaboration with CanSinoBIO will help it “ to advance a scale-up production process for the vaccine candidate , using its proprietary HEK293 cell line.
” Canada ’ s collaboration with China to test Ad5-nCoV comes despite evidence that China is ground zero for the coronavirus .
The Wuhan Institute of Virology is China ’ s only level four biosafety lab .
There has been speculation that the coronavirus somehow escaped from its doors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trudeau gave close to $ 1 million of taxpayer money to help fund “ research ” for new COVID-19 “ screening and diagnosis ” tools at the Chinese lab where the virus is suspected to have originated .
In the past , Trudeau has openly spoken about his admiration for China .
He famously praised China ’ s “ basic dictatorship ” while speaking at a Liberal Party fundraising event in 2013 after a reporter asked him which country besides Canada he most admires .
Canada ’ s chief public health officer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called out for her response to the coronavirus epidemic , has direct ties to the World Health Organization ( WHO ) .
She is one of seven people who sit on the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee ( IOAC ) for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme .
Despite this fact , the Trudeau government has persisted in backing the WHO , regardless of evidence that it is heavily influenced by the Chinese regime .

PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
OTTAWA, May 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A Canadian vaccine watchdog group says Canada’s approval of a human clinical trial of a Chinese coronavirus vaccine made from aborted fetal cell lines should “be a concern” for everyone and that rushing a vaccine to market could do more harm than good.
Pro-abortion Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday that Health Canada approved the coronavirus vaccine Ad5-nCoV to be used in human clinical trials.
Ted Kuntz, president of Vaccine Choice Canada (VCC), a not-for-profit society founded by families who have suffered from vaccine reactions or injuries, told LifeSiteNews that Canadians should be concerned about the safety of the coronavirus trial vaccine.
“The decision by Health Canada to approve human trial testing for a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine should concern us all,” Kuntz said to LifeSiteNews.
“Bypassing standard and prudent safety protocols and rushing a vaccine to market not only increases the risk of producing a product that will cause more harm than good, it has the very real potential to severely undermine trust in our health professionals, our health agencies, and in the entire vaccine paradigm.”
The vaccine candidate Ad5-nCoV uses the HEK293 cell line that LifeSiteNews reported last week is made from fetal cells harvested from an aborted baby decades ago. The HEK293 cell line was developed and is owned by Canada’s National Research Council (NRC).
On May 12, the NRC announced a collaboration with the Chinese firm CanSino Biologics Inc. (CanSinoBIO) to test and develop Ad5-nCoV in Canada. The trial vaccine Ad5-nCoV was co-developed by the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology and CanSinoBIO and has already been used in initial human trials since mid-March in China.
The clinical trials for Ad5-nCoV will be taking place at the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology at Dalhousie University, which is in Halifax. A total of 600 people will be needed for the trial, according to a CBC report, that will be done in phases.
Dr. Scott Halperin, the director of the Canadian Centre for Vaccinology at Dalhousie University, said to CTV that because of the scale of the coronavirus, his team will not wait for full results from one stage to the next, but rather conduct the tests “in a more accelerated fashion, without sacrificing any safety.”
Speaking of the coronavirus trial vaccine approval on Saturday, Trudeau said if the “vaccine trials” are successful, the hope is that “we can produce and distribute it here at home.”
“Research and development take time and must be done right. But this is encouraging news,” Trudeau said at his Saturday press conference.
Kuntz told LifeSiteNews in April that any type of forced vaccination is “morally repugnant” and unconstitutional in reaction to Trudeau, saying he needed time to “reflect” about the possibility of making a coronavirus vaccine mandatory in Canada.
Alan Moy, M.D., founder and scientific director of the John Paul II Medical Research Institute and CEO of Cellular Engineering Technologies, confirmed for LifeSiteNews last week that Ad5-nCoV was indeed developed from an aborted fetal cell line.
“Since it’s using an adenovirus replication-defective vector, it is using HEK293. HEK293 is an aborted fetal cell line,” Dr. Moy said to LifeSiteNews.
Moy also told LifeSiteNews that the Ad5-nCoV vaccine being promoted by the Canadian government in collaboration with China may not prove to be very effective because there is a “high incidence of immunity against Ad5.”
The Health Canada approval was the last hurdle needed to get Ad5-nCoV ready for use in human clinical trials. Ad5-nCoV is the world's first phase 2 coronavirus vaccine, which is approved to “safely” be used in human tests.
Halperin said in the CBC report that Phase 1 testing will be on 100 candidates in the age range of 18 to 55, with Phase 2 expanding to 500 participants in the age range of 18 to 85.
Phase 3 would be the stage to see “if the vaccine works,” said Halperin in the CBC report, and could come “as early as” late summer or the fall.
Halperin said in the CBC report that Health Canada could potentially approve an “emergency release” of a potential coronavirus vaccine even before Phase 3 is complete. The CBC report said that Halperin noted there are “some talks” that are now taking place on how this could be accomplished.
The NRC said in its press release that it hopes its collaboration with CanSinoBIO will help it “to advance a scale-up production process for the vaccine candidate, using its proprietary HEK293 cell line.”
Canada’s collaboration with China to test Ad5-nCoV comes despite evidence that China is ground zero for the coronavirus. The Wuhan Institute of Virology is China’s only level four biosafety lab. There has been speculation that the coronavirus somehow escaped from its doors.
In April, it was reported that Trudeau gave close to $1 million of taxpayer money to help fund “research” for new COVID-19 “screening and diagnosis” tools at the Chinese lab where the virus is suspected to have originated.
In the past, Trudeau has openly spoken about his admiration for China. He famously praised China’s “basic dictatorship” while speaking at a Liberal Party fundraising event in 2013 after a reporter asked him which country besides Canada he most admires.
Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, who has been called out for her response to the coronavirus epidemic, has direct ties to the World Health Organization (WHO). She is one of seven people who sit on the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee (IOAC) for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme.
Despite this fact, the Trudeau government has persisted in backing the WHO, regardless of evidence that it is heavily influenced by the Chinese regime.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-19--YouTube deletes viral COVID-19 video by anti-lockdown epidemiologist

May 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Social media ’ s war on dissenting opinions about COVID-19 has come for another expert , this time deleting an epidemiologist ’ s YouTube video after it amassed 1.3 million views .
Knut Wittkowski is the former head of Biostatistics , Epidemiology , and Research Design at Rockefeller University ’ s Center for Clinical & Translational Science , as well as the founder and CEO of drug developer Asdera , LLC .
He is an outspoken critic of the lockdowns most states have adopted to curb the spread of COVID-19 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever have become overloaded , irrespective of what we did , ” he told Spiked in an interview last week .
“ I hope the intervention did not have too much of an impact because it most likely made the situation worse.
” Wittkowski opposes “ social distancing , ” and argues that society should have instead simply isolated the vulnerable while allowing the rest of society to develop herd immunity .
“ The ideal approach would be to simply shut the door of the nursing homes and keep the personnel and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of time , and pay the staff overtime to stay there for 24 hours per day , ” he continued .
“ How long can you do that for ?
For three weeks , that is possible .
For 18 months , it is not.
” Wittkowski blames the present situation on governments rushing to act on the warnings of controversial Imperial College epidemiologist Neil Ferguson instead of organizing an “ open discussion , including economists , biologists and epidemiologists , to hear different voices , ” which could have identified the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ models .
Now , Wittkowski says YouTube has taken down his video exploring the subject without explanation , the New York Post reports .
In the 41-minute video , which can still be viewed at the American Institute for Economic Research ’ s website , the epidemiologist argues that herd immunity is “ the only thing that stops the disease.
” ( Another part of the interview remains on YouTube . )
“ They don ’ t tell you ; they just say it violates our community standards , ” Wittkowski says of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no explanation for what those standards are or what standards it violated.
” LifeSite contaced Wittkowski for comment , but did not hear back by press time .
Epidemiologists do not all agree with Wittkowski ’ s application of herd immunity to COVID-19 , and his views certainly fall outside the consensus position currently driving most US policy .
The Rockefeller Center itself issued a statement expressing the institution ’ s disagreement .
However , YouTube did not arrive at its decision to block the video based on a careful analysis of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather in deference to the position of its chosen – and controversial – authoritative body .
“ Anything that would go against World Health Organization recommendations would be a violation of our policy , ” YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki declared last month .
“ And so remove [ sic ] is another really important part of our policy.
” Critics have faulted the WHO for opposing bans on travel from China that could have limited the virus ’ s reach , and for legitimizing the false claims coming out of the Chinese government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration has suspended US aid to the organization , pending a review .
As of May 19 , the United States is estimated to have seen more than 1.5 million cases of COVID-19 , with more than 92,000 deaths and 360,000 recoveries .
A large share of those deaths have come not from the general population but from nursing homes , and mounting evidence suggests far more of the public has contracted and recovered from the virus than the official count indicates .
In addition , questions remain as to the accuracy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration ’ s own advisers divided on the matter .
Dr. Anthony Fauci says the actual number is “ almost certainly higher , ” based on the possibility of people dying at home without being checked for COVID-19 .
Dr. Deborah Birx , however , reportedly suspects that US Centers for Disease Control numbers might be inflated by as much as 25 percent , given the problem of hospitals and health agencies classifying “ COVID-19 deaths ” as anyone who died after testing positive for the virus , even if the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews ’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world .

Youtube's CEO says they are removing any content that goes 'against World Health Organization recommendations.'
May 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Social media’s war on dissenting opinions about COVID-19 has come for another expert, this time deleting an epidemiologist’s YouTube video after it amassed 1.3 million views.
Knut Wittkowski is the former head of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design at Rockefeller University’s Center for Clinical & Translational Science, as well as the founder and CEO of drug developer Asdera, LLC. He is an outspoken critic of the lockdowns most states have adopted to curb the spread of COVID-19.
“There is no indication that hospitals could ever have become overloaded, irrespective of what we did,” he told Spiked in an interview last week. “I hope the intervention did not have too much of an impact because it most likely made the situation worse.”
Wittkowski opposes “social distancing,” and argues that society should have instead simply isolated the vulnerable while allowing the rest of society to develop herd immunity.
“The ideal approach would be to simply shut the door of the nursing homes and keep the personnel and the elderly locked in for a certain amount of time, and pay the staff overtime to stay there for 24 hours per day,” he continued. “How long can you do that for? For three weeks, that is possible. For 18 months, it is not.”
Wittkowski blames the present situation on governments rushing to act on the warnings of controversial Imperial College epidemiologist Neil Ferguson instead of organizing an “open discussion, including economists, biologists and epidemiologists, to hear different voices,” which could have identified the “fundamental flaw” in Ferguson’s models.
Now, Wittkowski says YouTube has taken down his video exploring the subject without explanation, the New York Post reports. In the 41-minute video, which can still be viewed at the American Institute for Economic Research’s website, the epidemiologist argues that herd immunity is “the only thing that stops the disease.” (Another part of the interview remains on YouTube.)
“They don’t tell you; they just say it violates our community standards,” Wittkowski says of the takedown. “There’s no explanation for what those standards are or what standards it violated.”
LifeSite contaced Wittkowski for comment, but did not hear back by press time.
Epidemiologists do not all agree with Wittkowski’s application of herd immunity to COVID-19, and his views certainly fall outside the consensus position currently driving most US policy. The Rockefeller Center itself issued a statement expressing the institution’s disagreement.
However, YouTube did not arrive at its decision to block the video based on a careful analysis of the substantive facts of the question, but rather in deference to the position of its chosen – and controversial – authoritative body.
“Anything that would go against World Health Organization recommendations would be a violation of our policy,” YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki declared last month. “And so remove [sic] is another really important part of our policy.”
Critics have faulted the WHO for opposing bans on travel from China that could have limited the virus’s reach, and for legitimizing the false claims coming out of the Chinese government, among other offenses. The Trump administration has suspended US aid to the organization, pending a review.
As of May 19, the United States is estimated to have seen more than 1.5 million cases of COVID-19, with more than 92,000 deaths and 360,000 recoveries. A large share of those deaths have come not from the general population but from nursing homes, and mounting evidence suggests far more of the public has contracted and recovered from the virus than the official count indicates.
In addition, questions remain as to the accuracy of the official death counts, with the Trump administration’s own advisers divided on the matter. Dr. Anthony Fauci says the actual number is “almost certainly higher,” based on the possibility of people dying at home without being checked for COVID-19. Dr. Deborah Birx, however, reportedly suspects that US Centers for Disease Control numbers might be inflated by as much as 25 percent, given the problem of hospitals and health agencies classifying “COVID-19 deaths” as anyone who died after testing positive for the virus, even if the virus was not their actual cause of death.
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-19--Why many Catholic universities ‘betray’ when it comes to abortion: Former Catholic university presid

Why many Catholic universities ‘betray’ when it comes to abortion: Former Catholic university president

TORONTO , May 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — When it comes to defending the sanctity of human life , many Catholic colleges would rather “ betray their Catholic values ” than appear out of step with the secular majority , the former president of St. Michael ’ s University told the Virtual March for Life Rally last week ( interview starts at 1:56:28 ) .
David Mulroney made his remarks during an interview with Josie Luetke , youth coordinator with Campaign Life Coalition , Canada ’ s national pro-life , pro-family lobbying group which organizes the annual March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largest pro-life event , the March marks the legalization of abortion on May 14 , 1969 .
This year the event was moved online because of coronavirus pandemic restrictions .
A graduate of St. Michael ’ s University and former Canadian ambassador to China , Mulroney said he was asked to return as president when his alma mater was going through a crisis .
Affiliated with the University of Toronto , St. Michael ’ s “ was struggling because it had lost its identity , it had lost its way .
So student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life and reputation of the university was in crisis , ” said Mulroney , president from 2015 to 2018 .
There ’ s a “ real link ” between the two , and Catholic universities that have a strong sense of their mission “ also tend to be very strong academically , ” he said , adding that a stellar example of this is Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College in Barry ’ s Bay , Ontario .
“ I hired some really good people who helped me to work to change some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the things we worked on was to reach out to pro-life students and to encourage participation in the March for Life , ” he said .
Mulroney indicated that there is a reason many Catholic universities are soft when it comes to abortion .
What he “ saw around the abortion issue at St Michael ’ s , ” Mulroney said he also witnessed “ around the table ” during quarterly meetings with the presidents of Canada ’ s Catholic universities .
“ Around that table was a great deal of fear in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they might somehow fall afoul of the secular powers that be.
” Catholic universities are often “ federated with large , secular universities , ” added Mulroney .
“ And too many Catholic administrators and teachers would rather betray Catholic values than look somehow apart or out of step with the secular majority.
” As president , he encouraged pro-life students at St. Michael ’ s to “ go out and find allies , ” which included Toronto ’ s Cardinal Thomas Collins , who marched with the students , the Newman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We also worked with other educational institutions , including evangelical institutions where that respect for life , the flame for life burns so brightly , ” he said .
Mulroney advised pro-life students to “ go and see your president and ask him or her to support you in your pro-life efforts and if he or she won ’ t , ask why .
Write to the board of the university and ask for their support as well , and find allies , and be proud of your pro-life convictions.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ formerly the Ontario coordinator of the National Campus Life Network ( NCLN ) , who pointed out in a subsequent interview with Luetke that “ the age group that has the most abortions are the university ages , so we know it ’ s the most vulnerable group , so that is why we need to be present there.
” Universities tend to be very “ pro-choice ” as institutions , with a pro-abortion women ’ s centre typically funded the student union found on most campuses , she told Luetke .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You ’ re not welcome to go there if you are pro-life…they ’ re very upfront.
” Moreover , students in health or social sciences will likely feel they are a minority , and encounter pro-abortion faculty , as Lavergne did when studying at Ottawa University , where one of her professors was an abortionist who told students she went into medicine for that reason .
At the same time , most students don ’ t have any opinion on the matter , and are “ just the mushy middle , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Master ’ s in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences .
“ So , I think the average person is very easy to reach.
” She advised pro-life students to get training before becoming involved in pro-life activism “ just to know how to answer the common arguments that come up.
” “ When you ’ re doing activism or any sort of pro-life thing actually , at that moment you ’ re the face of the pro-life movement , so you want to represent it well , ” Lavergne said .
Students can get involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , working on the campaign of pro-life politicians , or starting high school pro-life clubs , she said .
University students can check the NCLN website to see if there is a pro-life group on their campus and if not , consider starting one .
“ I would say it ’ s not enough to just be pro-life if you ’ re not doing anything about it , ” observed Lavergne .
“ So that ’ s the extra step that I challenge every pro-lifer to do.
” To view the May 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , visit marchforlife.ca or the March for Life YouTube channel , here .

PETITION: Tell politicians not to discriminate against churches when reopening society! Sign the petition here.
TORONTO, May 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — When it comes to defending the sanctity of human life, many Catholic colleges would rather “betray their Catholic values” than appear out of step with the secular majority, the former president of St. Michael’s University told the Virtual March for Life Rally last week (interview starts at 1:56:28).
David Mulroney made his remarks during an interview with Josie Luetke, youth coordinator with Campaign Life Coalition, Canada’s national pro-life, pro-family lobbying group which organizes the annual March for Life.
The country’s largest pro-life event, the March marks the legalization of abortion on May 14, 1969. This year the event was moved online because of coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
A graduate of St. Michael’s University and former Canadian ambassador to China, Mulroney said he was asked to return as president when his alma mater was going through a crisis.
Affiliated with the University of Toronto, St. Michael’s “was struggling because it had lost its identity, it had lost its way. So student life was in crisis; the academic life and reputation of the university was in crisis,” said Mulroney, president from 2015 to 2018.
There’s a “real link” between the two, and Catholic universities that have a strong sense of their mission “also tend to be very strong academically,” he said, adding that a stellar example of this is Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College in Barry’s Bay, Ontario.
“I hired some really good people who helped me to work to change some of this” and “one of the things we worked on was to reach out to pro-life students and to encourage participation in the March for Life,” he said.
Mulroney indicated that there is a reason many Catholic universities are soft when it comes to abortion. What he “saw around the abortion issue at St Michael’s,” Mulroney said he also witnessed “around the table” during quarterly meetings with the presidents of Canada’s Catholic universities.
“Around that table was a great deal of fear in the university among academics and among administrators that they might somehow fall afoul of the secular powers that be.”
Catholic universities are often “federated with large, secular universities,” added Mulroney.
“And too many Catholic administrators and teachers would rather betray Catholic values than look somehow apart or out of step with the secular majority.”
As president, he encouraged pro-life students at St. Michael’s to “go out and find allies,” which included Toronto’s Cardinal Thomas Collins, who marched with the students, the Newman Centre, and the Sisters of Life.
“We also worked with other educational institutions, including evangelical institutions where that respect for life, the flame for life burns so brightly,” he said.
Mulroney advised pro-life students to “go and see your president and ask him or her to support you in your pro-life efforts and if he or she won’t, ask why. Write to the board of the university and ask for their support as well, and find allies, and be proud of your pro-life convictions.”
That was echoed by Florence Lavergne, formerly the Ontario coordinator of the National Campus Life Network (NCLN), who pointed out in a subsequent interview with Luetke that “the age group that has the most abortions are the university ages, so we know it’s the most vulnerable group, so that is why we need to be present there.”
Universities tend to be very “pro-choice” as institutions, with a pro-abortion women’s centre typically funded the student union found on most campuses, she told Luetke.
These are “very much pro-choice places. You’re not welcome to go there if you are pro-life…they’re very upfront.”
Moreover, students in health or social sciences will likely feel they are a minority, and encounter pro-abortion faculty, as Lavergne did when studying at Ottawa University, where one of her professors was an abortionist who told students she went into medicine for that reason.
At the same time, most students don’t have any opinion on the matter, and are “just the mushy middle,” said Lavergne, who is currently finishing her Master’s in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences.
“So, I think the average person is very easy to reach.”
She advised pro-life students to get training before becoming involved in pro-life activism “just to know how to answer the common arguments that come up.”
“When you’re doing activism or any sort of pro-life thing actually, at that moment you’re the face of the pro-life movement, so you want to represent it well,” Lavergne said.
Students can get involved by volunteering at a crisis pregnancy center, working on the campaign of pro-life politicians, or starting high school pro-life clubs, she said.
University students can check the NCLN website to see if there is a pro-life group on their campus and if not, consider starting one.
“I would say it’s not enough to just be pro-life if you’re not doing anything about it,” observed Lavergne. “So that’s the extra step that I challenge every pro-lifer to do.”
To view the May 10 to 15 Virtual March for Life events, visit marchforlife.ca or the March for Life YouTube channel, here.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-19--Growing deeper in our faith

Growing deeper in our faith

Formerly Heart to Heart with Mother Miriam , Mother Miriam Live brings you inspiration and solutions for life ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Miriam is a Catholic nun on a mission to bring hope to a world that @ @ @ @ @ let her share that hope and joy with you !
To tune into Mother Miriam @ @ @ @ @ Facebook page here every Monday to Friday at 10am .

To help keep this and other programs on the air, please donate here.
Watch Mother Miriam's Live show originally aired on 5.5.2020 and re-aired on 5.19.2020. Today Mother speaks about the importance of knowing our faith and how we can all learn more. Mother encourages individuals and families to read the Bible and the Catechism to help deepen their faith.
You can tune in daily at 10 am EST/7 am PST on our Facebook Page.
Subscribe to Mother Miriam Live here.


lifesitenews--2020-05-19--Trump says coronavirus vaccine will be voluntary: ‘Not everyone is going to want to get it’

WASHINGTON , D.C. , May 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – President Trump has stated that a future coronavirus vaccine will be voluntary .
On Friday , the president introduced “ Operation Warp Speed , ” an ambitious Manhattan Project-style initiative to fast-track the development and distribution of a coronavirus vaccine by January 2021 , tapping experts and resources in science , medicine , the military , and the private sector .
Experts have warned that the plan raises serious ethical and safety questions which are of grave importance not only to pro-life citizens , but to everyone .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a mandatory vaccine on Friday , saying that the new vaccine would be for those “ who want to get it , ” adding , “ Not everyone is going to want to get it.
” After he had previously introduced the idea of mobilizing the military to help deploy the new vaccine , some were concerned that this hinted that the drug would be forcibly administered .
One website asked , “ what will do when they come to door , and tell you it ’ s mandatory ?
” Anxiety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easily piggy-backed on top of wide speculation that legislation introduced in Congress earlier this month , known as the TRACE Act – the “ COVID-19 Testing , Reaching , And Contacting Everyone Act ” – would result in massive assaults by government agents against the constitutional rights of Americans .
Memes quickly cropped up on social media alleging that government officials could enter homes to forcibly test individuals and remove those who test positive – including children – and place them in government-sanctioned quarantine centers .
Heavy-handed measures put in place by many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the coronavirus by instituting lockdowns and using police to arrest citizens who engage in what are normally benign daily activities have certainly given cause to Americans to be on high alert .
Apprehension about the possible curtailing of basic freedoms in response to the pandemic is well founded : Some cities have encouraged residents to snitch on their neighbors suspected of skirting lockdown orders .
Citizens across the country have witnessed lone surfers and joggers , moms taking their kids to playgrounds , Christians sitting in their cars in church parking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being ticketed or arrested and hauled off by police , despite practicing common sense physical distancing .
Regardless of the President ’ s assurances , the public remains gravely concerned .
In just one week , nearly 440,000 people have signed a LifeSiteNews petition addressed to world leaders opposing a mandatory coronavirus vaccination .
And while none of the experts LifeSiteNews has spoken to in recent days have expressed concern about forced vaccinations for U.S. citizens , there is still cause for concern in some jurisdictions , such as Canada .
When Canadian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters April 28 whether a coronavirus would be mandatory , he said , “ As to what sort of vaccination protocols will be in place , we still have a fair bit of time to reflect on that in order to get it right .
”

The new vaccine will be for those 'who want to get it,' President Trump said Friday.
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – President Trump has stated that a future coronavirus vaccine will be voluntary.
On Friday, the president introduced “Operation Warp Speed,” an ambitious Manhattan Project-style initiative to fast-track the development and distribution of a coronavirus vaccine by January 2021, tapping experts and resources in science, medicine, the military, and the private sector.
Experts have warned that the plan raises serious ethical and safety questions which are of grave importance not only to pro-life citizens, but to everyone.
However, President Trump did allay concerns about a mandatory vaccine on Friday, saying that the new vaccine would be for those “who want to get it,” adding, “Not everyone is going to want to get it.”
After he had previously introduced the idea of mobilizing the military to help deploy the new vaccine, some were concerned that this hinted that the drug would be forcibly administered. One website asked, “what will you do when they come to your door, and tell you it’s mandatory?”
Anxiety about possible medical strong-arming by the military easily piggy-backed on top of wide speculation that legislation introduced in Congress earlier this month, known as the TRACE Act – the “COVID-19 Testing, Reaching, And Contacting Everyone Act” – would result in massive assaults by government agents against the constitutional rights of Americans.
Memes quickly cropped up on social media alleging that government officials could enter homes to forcibly test individuals and remove those who test positive – including children – and place them in government-sanctioned quarantine centers.
Heavy-handed measures put in place by many governors and mayors hoping to stem the spread of the coronavirus by instituting lockdowns and using police to arrest citizens who engage in what are normally benign daily activities have certainly given cause to Americans to be on high alert.
Apprehension about the possible curtailing of basic freedoms in response to the pandemic is well founded: Some cities have encouraged residents to snitch on their neighbors suspected of skirting lockdown orders. Citizens across the country have witnessed lone surfers and joggers, moms taking their kids to playgrounds, Christians sitting in their cars in church parking lots, and peaceful pro-life abortion protesters being ticketed or arrested and hauled off by police, despite practicing common sense physical distancing.
Regardless of the President’s assurances, the public remains gravely concerned. In just one week, nearly 440,000 people have signed a LifeSiteNews petition addressed to world leaders opposing a mandatory coronavirus vaccination.
And while none of the experts LifeSiteNews has spoken to in recent days have expressed concern about forced vaccinations for U.S. citizens, there is still cause for concern in some jurisdictions, such as Canada.
When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked by reporters April 28 whether a coronavirus would be mandatory, he said, “As to what sort of vaccination protocols will be in place, we still have a fair bit of time to reflect on that in order to get it right.”
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lifesitenews--2020-05-19--Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

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

(LifeSiteNews) — In response to the crisis unfolding in our world and in the Church, LifeSite is happy to promote Regina Angelorum Press’s Daily Rosary, which is offering Catholics throughout the world the chance to be united daily in prayer, in the Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Crusade.
Catholics from all over the world — from Israel, Uganda, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Pakistan, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and other countries — are gathering daily to pray the Rosary, led by Father Pillari, JCL, MCL, STL, an American priest currently studying in Italy.
The Daily Rosary is being offered each day at 12noon EST through Regina Angelorum Press’ YouTube Channel to which you can subscribe HERE.
The goal is, by means of this Daily Rosary and by embracing and living out the message given by the Virgin Mary at Fatima, the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.
To help obtain that goal, Bishop Athanasius Schneider graciously composed the following prayer for this worldwide Rosary crusade:
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, you are the holy Mother of God and our tender Mother. Look upon the distress in which the Church and the whole of humanity are living because of the spread of materialism and the persecution of the Church. In Fatima you warned against these errors, as you spoke about the errors of Russia. You are the Mediatrix of all graces. Implore your Divine Son to grant this special grace for the Pope: that he might consecrate Russia to your Immaculate Heart, so that Russia will be converted, a period of peace will be granted to the world, and your Immaculate Heart will triumph, through an authentic renewal of the Church in the splendor of the purity of the Catholic Faith, of the sacredness of Divine worship and of the holiness of the Christian life. O Queen of the holy Rosary and our sweet Mother, turn your merciful eyes to us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer. Amen. + Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana
To learn more about the urgency of responding to Our Lady’s message at Fatima, and about what you can do, please read Cardinal Burke’s 2017 address at the Rome Life Forum.
As St. Padre Pio once said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times.” Through prayer, God can shape history, change the world, and bring about a great time of renewal and peace for the Church and for the world, through the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. Join us today!
If you would like to follow along with the prayers said during this Rosary, you can access them HERE. The document also includes a brief F.A.Q. pertaining to the daily Rosary.
You can send your prayer requests to https://reginangelorumpress.com/prayer-intentions/
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lifesitenews--2020-05-19--Trump has been taking hydroxychloroquine for weeks to protect against coronavirus: Live updates

LifeSite ’ s previous ( and future ) live updates on the coronavirus crisis and how it relates to issues our readers care about can be viewed HERE .
President Donald Trump has revealed he has been taking hydroxychloroquine , the drug some doctors say has been highly effective at treating the coronavirus , for “ a few weeks.
” The drug is normally prescribed to treat malaria , arthritis , and lupus .
He has also been taking a zinc supplement .
The president has repeatedly tested negative for the coronavirus but is taking the drugs as a prophylactic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a.m. EST : Trump has given the World Health Organization ( WHO ) 30 days to reform or it will permanently lose U.S. funding .
“ The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China , ” he said in a letter to the pro-abortion United Nations entity .
“ I can not allow American taxpayer dollars to continue to finance an organization that , in its present state , is so clearly not serving America ’ s interests.
” May 19 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage of the coronavirus crisis includes : • We can ’ t let coronavirus fear paralyze our society .
Time to resume public Masses • Stanford medical prof says pandemic lockdowns are ‘ doomed to fail ’ • Chicago Catholic group : Cupich ’ s plan to re-open churches is ‘ betrayal of Christ ’ May 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A cafe in Germany is providing patrons with pool noodles to wear on their heads to aid in “ social distancing.
” People who try to swim at public beaches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken right out of the water , ” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said .
He also said lifeguards are banned from being on duty .
It is unclear who will be tasked with extracting swimmers .
A county judge has declared Oregon Gov .
Kate Brown ’ s coronavirus restrictions “ null and void ” because she didn ’ t have her emergency orders approved by the Legislature .
Baker County Circuit Judge Matthew Shirtcliff made the ruling Monday in a lawsuit brought by churches that had sued saying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she would immediately appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court to try to keep the emergency orders in effect .
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) Alex Azar said on CNN that “ in places that are opening , we 're not seeing this spike in cases . ''
“ We still see spikes in some areas that are , in fact , closed , ” he added .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar during Monday ’ s “ America ’ s Newsroom ” on Fox @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s request , he has delivered “ an extremely stern warning ” to the World Health Organization in regards to its handling of the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak in China .
Azar said his message included a call for “ significant structural reform ” in the organization , adding the W.H.O .
and China need “ to be held accountable ” for their actions that allowed the virus to spread around the world .
According to Axios , Trump “ declined an invitation to address a virtual gathering of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today with addresses from several world leaders but only a blistering rebuke from the U.S. ” China 's President Xi Jinping accepted an invitation to speak at the gathering .
The pro-abortion World Health Organization is a United Nations entity .
Its connections to communist China are currently under scrutiny , and Trump has frozen U.S. funding to it .
The Epoch Times has a list of where all 50 states and the District of Columbia are in their lockdowns or easing of them .
Idaho , Florida , Mississippi , Montana , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states .
California , Illinois , Washington , D.C. , New Mexico , New York , Hawaii , and Washington state are among the least free .
Massachusetts churches are allowed to open at 40 percent capacity now .
“ Places of worship are encouraged to modify communal rituals , like taking communion or passing of the peace , so as to limit contact with others , ” its government health guidelines urge .
“ Consider distributing , where applicable , prepackaged communion or sacraments .
”

Live updates on the coronavirus crisis and how it relates to pro-life issues, faith, and freedom.
LifeSite’s previous (and future) live updates on the coronavirus crisis and how it relates to issues our readers care about can be viewed HERE.
May 20, 2020, 7:21 p.m. EST: BREAKING: The Minnesota Catholic Conference and The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod in Minnesota sent Governor Tim Walz separate letters today announcing that they will resume worship services on May 26 despite Governor Walz’s current COVID-19 executive order which allows retailers to operate at 50 percent capacity but caps church worship services at ten people (more information on the letters is below).
May 22, 2020, 4:48 p.m. EST: This afternoon, President Trump demanded states allow churches to re-open. He said:
“Today I am identifying houses of worship – churches, synagogue, mosques – as essential places that provide essential services. Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential but have left out churches and other houses of worship. It’s not right. So I’m correcting this injustice and calling houses of worship essential. I call upon governors to allow our churches and places of worship to open right now. If there’s any question, they’re gonna have to call me, but they’re not gonna be successful in that call. These are places that hold our society together and keep our people united. The people are demanding to go to church and synagogue, go to their mosque – many millions of Americans embrace worship as an essential part of life. The ministers, pastors, rabbis, imams, and other faith leaders will make sure that their congregations are safe as they gather and pray. I know them well. They love their congregations. They love their people. They don’t want anything bad to happen to them or to anybody else. The governors need to do the right thing and allow these very important essential places of faith to open right now, for this weekend. If they don’t do it, I will override the governors. In America, we need more prayer, not less.”
May 22, 2020, 1:28 p.m. EST: LifeSite’s petition against a mandatory coronavirus vaccine has surged past half a million signatures.
Cardinal Raymond Burke spoke against a mandatory vaccine at the 2020 Rome Life Forum, which is being held online.
“There is a certain movement to insist that now everyone must be vaccinated against the coronavirus,” he said.
The cardinal also mentioned that some groups suggest “a kind of microchip needs to be placed under the skin of every person, so that at any moment he or she can be controlled by the State regarding health and about other matters which we can only imagine.”
A state mandating vaccinations or even microchips “violates the integrity of its citizens,” said Burke. “While the State can provide reasonable regulations for the safeguarding of health, it is not the ultimate provider of health. God is. Whatever the State proposes must respect God and His Law.”
President Trump says he wants churches to reopen.
500 doctors have warned the president that there will be “millions of casualties” if the shutdowns continue.
May 21, 2020, 2:24 p.m. EST: Recent LifeSiteNews coverage of the coronavirus crisis includes:
The 2020 Rome Life Forum, Coronavirus in the Light of Fatima: A Tragedy and a Source of Hope is happening online right now. It is free to participate. LifeSiteNews will have additional coverage of the event this week.
Reason reported yesterday, “Developments abroad put a damper on hopes that U.S. life will return to normal soon. Areas of Argentina, Germany, Iran, and elsewhere have seen COVID-19 cases surge again after starting to ease shutdown rules. Now, authorities in these places are once again tightening the screws on citizens' movement, fraternization, and economic activity.”
May 21, 2020, 12:48 p.m. EST: FOX News reported yesterday:
More than 600 doctors signed onto a letter sent to President Trump Tuesday pushing him to end the “national shutdown” aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus, calling the widespread state orders keeping businesses closed and kids home from school a “mass casualty incident” with “exponentially growing health consequences.” The letter outlines a variety of consequences that the doctors have observed resulting from the coronavirus shutdowns, including patients missing routine checkups that could detect things like heart problems or cancer, increases in substance and alcohol abuse, and increases in financial instability that could lead to “[p]overty and financial uncertainty,” which “is closely linked to poor health.”
A Mississippi church suing its city over the coronavirus lockdown has been destroyed by arson.
May 20, 2020, 7:21 p.m. EST: BREAKING: The Minnesota Catholic Conference and The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod in Minnesota sent Governor Tim Walz separate letters today announcing that they will resume worship services on May 26 despite Governor Walz’s current COVID-19 executive order which allows retailers to operate at 50 percent capacity but caps church worship services at ten people.
Governor Walz’s latest re-opening order allows the Mall of America to open its doors to those seeking retail therapy but disallows churches from providing spiritual healing to their congregations. At the same time, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty sent Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison a legal letter explaining why continuing to keep churches closed violates the First Amendment. Also representing the Catholic and Lutheran Churches is global law firm Sidley Austin LLP.
Becket explained in a press release:
On May 13, 2020, Governor Tim Walz issued an executive order with guidelines for reopening commerce in the State of Minnesota. The order allows malls, shops, and other retailers to open their doors at fifty percent capacity, allows businesses—from pet-grooming services to medical cannabis operations—to resume in-person operations, and even announces a phased plan for reopening bars and restaurants, but explicitly leaves in place bans on in-person worship services for more than ten people. Even Minnesota casinos are reopening starting May 26. After weeks of dialogue with Governor Walz to try to achieve equal treatment for houses of worship, today the Catholic and Lutheran Churches announced that they would resume worship services for their congregations at thirty-three percent capacity on Tuesday, May 26, with Pentecost Sunday, May 31, as the first day of Sunday services. The churches have committed to instituting rigorous social distancing and hygiene protocols to prevent the spread of coronavirus. “Darkness and despair have taken hold of so many of our fellow Americans in the face of the economic and social hardship of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Archbishop Hebda. “Faith has always been a source of comfort and strength and now more than ever it is of the utmost importance that we are able to meet the spiritual needs of our community.” Since the beginning of Minnesota’s stay-at-home order suicide hotlines have seen spikes in calls as high as 300 percent in parts of the State, as well as a 25 percent increase in calls about domestic violence. Millions of Americans seek comfort and strength in their faith communities, which also serve as safe spaces for victims of domestic violence and those suffering with addictions. “Throughout this crisis, we have been committed to modeling Christ’s love by protecting people from the spread of illness. That’s why it is so disheartening that the Governor has subordinated our spiritual well-being to the economic well-being of the State,” said Rev. Dr. Lucas Woodford, president of the Minnesota South District of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. “Now that the State has deemed the risk of spreading coronavirus low enough to reopen non-essential business, we respectfully believe that it is our right and duty to safely resume public ministry to the faithful even without the support of the Governor.” In March, well before statewide stay-at-home orders came into effect, both the Minnesota Catholic Conference and The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod voluntarily suspended in-person worship services to preserve the health and safety of their communities. On May 7, and again on May 16 the churches presented Governor Walz with proposed protocols for resuming in-person worship services in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization and United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “If malls, casinos, liquor stores, bars, and restaurants are reopening, why can’t Minnesota churches?” said Eric Rassbach, vice president and senior counsel at Becket. “Our Constitution stands for ‘equal justice under law’ and imposing a special disability on churches is anything but. Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison should ensure equal treatment for churches and houses of worship—especially because they are crucial to helping our nation overcome this crisis.
BREAKING: The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis will NOT comply with the new guidance from Governor Walz that only allows 10 people inside or outside churches. A letter to parishes across the state is signed by Archbishop Hebda and all six bishops in the state. https://t.co/PyzFIorMed — Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) May 20, 2020
May 19, 2020, 11:37 a.m. EST: Trump has given the World Health Organization (WHO) 30 days to reform or it will permanently lose U.S. funding.
“The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China,” he said in a letter to the pro-abortion United Nations entity. “I cannot allow American taxpayer dollars to continue to finance an organization that, in its present state, is so clearly not serving America’s interests.”
May 19, 2020, 9:59 a.m. EST: Recent LifeSiteNews coverage of the coronavirus crisis includes:
May 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – President Donald Trump has revealed he has been taking hydroxychloroquine, the drug some doctors say has been highly effective at treating the coronavirus, for “a few weeks.” The drug is normally prescribed to treat malaria, arthritis, and lupus. He has also been taking a zinc supplement. The president has repeatedly tested negative for the coronavirus but is taking the drugs as a prophylactic.
A cafe in Germany is providing patrons with pool noodles to wear on their heads to aid in “social distancing.”
People who try to swim at public beaches over Memorial Day weekend will be “taken right out of the water,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said. He also said lifeguards are banned from being on duty. It is unclear who will be tasked with extracting swimmers.
The Associated Press reports:
A county judge has declared Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s coronavirus restrictions “null and void” because she didn’t have her emergency orders approved by the Legislature. Baker County Circuit Judge Matthew Shirtcliff made the ruling Monday in a lawsuit brought by churches that had sued saying the social-distancing directives were unconstitutional. … Brown said she would immediately appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court to try to keep the emergency orders in effect.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar said on CNN that “in places that are opening, we're not seeing this spike in cases.”
“We still see spikes in some areas that are, in fact, closed,” he added.
Breitbart reports:
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar during Monday’s “America’s Newsroom” on Fox News Channel revealed that at President Donald Trump’s request, he has delivered “an extremely stern warning” to the World Health Organization in regards to its handling of the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak in China. Azar said his message included a call for “significant structural reform” in the organization, adding the W.H.O. and China need “to be held accountable” for their actions that allowed the virus to spread around the world.
According to Axios, Trump “declined an invitation to address a virtual gathering of the World Health Organization, which proceeded today with addresses from several world leaders but only a blistering rebuke from the U.S.”
China's President Xi Jinping accepted an invitation to speak at the gathering.
The pro-abortion World Health Organization is a United Nations entity. Its connections to communist China are currently under scrutiny, and Trump has frozen U.S. funding to it.
The Epoch Times has a list of where all 50 states and the District of Columbia are in their lockdowns or easing of them.
Idaho, Florida, Mississippi, Montana, and South Carolina are among the freer states.
California, Illinois, Washington, D.C., New Mexico, New York, Hawaii, and Washington state are among the least free.
Massachusetts churches are allowed to open at 40 percent capacity now. “Places of worship are encouraged to modify communal rituals, like taking communion or passing of the peace, so as to limit contact with others,” its government health guidelines urge. “Consider distributing, where applicable, prepackaged communion or sacraments.”
Correction 05-20-2020 21:25 EDT: St. Paul’s Cathedral is in St. Paul, not Minneapolis. LifeSite regrets the error.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-19--Trump gives pro-China World Health Org. 30 days to reform or permanently lose funding

PETITION : Thank President Trump for halting U.S. funding to pro-abortion World Health Organization !
Sign the petition here .
May 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – President Donald Trump issued another ultimatum to the embattled World Health Organization ( WHO ) Monday , threatening to permanently withdraw the United States ’ support for the organization unless it undertakes quick , substantial reforms .
Last month , the president announced a temporary suspension of the more than $ 400 million the United States sends the pro-abortion United Nations entity every year , pending a review of its “ role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the coronavirus.
” On Monday , he followed up by releasing a letter the Whitie House sent to WHO general-director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus .
The letter explains that the administration ’ s review “ confirmed many of the serious concerns I raised last month ” as to the international body ’ s “ repeated missteps ” and “ China centric ” nature .
“ The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China , ” it says .
“ I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to finance an organization that , in its present state , is so clearly not serving America ’ s interests.
” If the WHO “ does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days , ” Trump warns , “ I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the World Health Organization permanent and reconsider our membership in the organization.
” Critics have faulted the pro-abortion organization for , among other offenses , opposing bans on travel from China that could have limited the reach of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming out of the Chinese government that initially downplayed the gravity of the situation and covered up the Communist regime ’ s mishandling of it .
“ In December , the WHO refused to act on or publicize Taiwan ’ s warning that the new respiratory infection emerging in China could pass from human to human , ” Sen. Marco Rubio ( R-Fla. ) wrote .
“ In mid January , despite accumulating evidence of patients contracting what we now know as COVID-19 from other people , the organization repeated the CCP ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission .
In January the WHO , at Beijing ’ s behest , also blocked Taiwan from participating in critical meetings to coordinate responses to the coronavirus and even reportedly provided wrong information about the virus ’ s spread in Taiwan.
” Population Research Institute head and China expert Steve Mosher adds that Ghebreyesus and his senior adviser , Dr. Bruce Aylward , have been “ carrying water ” for the Chinese regime , from backing claims that the virus didn ’ t originate in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the outbreak .
Trump ’ s latest warning echoes previous comments by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who suggested that the future of the United States ’ relationship with the WHO will depend on whether the organization earns back the public ’ s trust .
“ If the institution works and functions , the United States will always lead and be part of it , ” he said .
“ When it ’ s not delivering , when in fact it ’ s failing to get the outcomes that are desired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with partners around the world to deliver a structure , a form , a governance model , that will actually deliver on the intended purposes.
” Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews ’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world .

'The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China.'
PETITION: Thank President Trump for halting U.S. funding to pro-abortion World Health Organization! Sign the petition here.
May 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – President Donald Trump issued another ultimatum to the embattled World Health Organization (WHO) Monday, threatening to permanently withdraw the United States’ support for the organization unless it undertakes quick, substantial reforms.
Last month, the president announced a temporary suspension of the more than $400 million the United States sends the pro-abortion United Nations entity every year, pending a review of its “role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.” On Monday, he followed up by releasing a letter the Whitie House sent to WHO general-director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
This is the letter sent to Dr. Tedros of the World Health Organization. It is self-explanatory! pic.twitter.com/pF2kzPUpDv — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2020
The letter explains that the administration’s review “confirmed many of the serious concerns I raised last month” as to the international body’s “repeated missteps” and “China centric” nature.
“The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China,” it says. “I cannot allow American taxpayer dollars to continue to finance an organization that, in its present state, is so clearly not serving America’s interests.”
If the WHO “does not commit to major substantive improvements within the next 30 days,” Trump warns, “I will make my temporary freeze of United States funding to the World Health Organization permanent and reconsider our membership in the organization.”
Critics have faulted the pro-abortion organization for, among other offenses, opposing bans on travel from China that could have limited the reach of COVID-19, and for legitimizing the false claims coming out of the Chinese government that initially downplayed the gravity of the situation and covered up the Communist regime’s mishandling of it.
“In December, the WHO refused to act on or publicize Taiwan’s warning that the new respiratory infection emerging in China could pass from human to human,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) wrote. “In mid January, despite accumulating evidence of patients contracting what we now know as COVID-19 from other people, the organization repeated the CCP’s [Chinese Communist Party] lie that there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission. In January the WHO, at Beijing’s behest, also blocked Taiwan from participating in critical meetings to coordinate responses to the coronavirus and even reportedly provided wrong information about the virus’s spread in Taiwan.”
Population Research Institute head and China expert Steve Mosher adds that Ghebreyesus and his senior adviser, Dr. Bruce Aylward, have been “carrying water” for the Chinese regime, from backing claims that the virus didn’t originate in China to praising the regime’s handling of the outbreak.
Trump’s latest warning echoes previous comments by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who suggested that the future of the United States’ relationship with the WHO will depend on whether the organization earns back the public’s trust.
“If the institution works and functions, the United States will always lead and be part of it,” he said. “When it’s not delivering, when in fact it’s failing to get the outcomes that are desired, we’re going to work with partners around the world to deliver a structure, a form, a governance model, that will actually deliver on the intended purposes.”
Readers can click here for LifeSiteNews’ live updates on the coronavirus and its impact all over the world.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-19--London will blare Islamic call to prayer during Ramadan as churches remain closed

LONDON , May 19 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A London suburb totalling a mere 15 square miles in size and with a population of less than 300,000 people has granted permission for the first time to nine mosques to broadcast the Islamic call to prayer during Ramadan .
The news was published earlier this month in an article in The Metro , which included a video of the “ Adhan ” being chanted above from the roof of a mosque in Waltham Forest .
Waltham Forest is one London ’ s 32 boroughs , each of which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coghill , the leader of Waltham Forest Council , said that the Adhan being broadcast was “ an alternative form of connection ” for Muslims , with mosques currently closed along with all other places of worship in the U.K. as part of the nationwide coronavirus lockdown .
“ Ramadan is normally a time for the Muslim community to come together to pray and break their fast , ” she said .
“ Like many aspects of all our lives , this has been affected by Covid-19 and the requirement to remain socially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connection during this special month , the Waltham Forest Council of Mosques contacted the council to request that as an alternative to congregating they announce a short call to prayer at a number of mosques adapted to remind worshippers to stay at home , ” she continued .
“ The council considered the request as it would with any religious or faith group looking to responsibly worship during this difficult time .
Ramadan Mubarak to all our Muslim community.
” The Adhan will be broadcast each day at sunset , with an additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Adhan state : “ Allah is the greatest .
I bear witness that there is no god except Allah .
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah .
Come to prayer .
Come to salvation.
” Cardinal Vincent Nichols , the senior Catholic cleric in the U.K. , marked the beginning of Ramadan by joining a host of religious leaders in an interfaith event titled “ Ramadan at Home , ” organised by the Naz Legacy .
The Catholic bishops of England & Wales prohibited the celebration of public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , according to their own statement , played a crucial role themselves in convincing the government to require that churches be closed altogether .
Nichols recently told Catholics in Britain that it would be a “ scandal ” to open churches for private prayer .

The words in the Adhan state: 'Allah is the greatest. I bear witness that there is no god except Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to prayer. Come to salvation.'
LONDON, May 19, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A London suburb totalling a mere 15 square miles in size and with a population of less than 300,000 people has granted permission for the first time to nine mosques to broadcast the Islamic call to prayer during Ramadan.
The news was published earlier this month in an article in The Metro, which included a video of the “Adhan” being chanted above from the roof of a mosque in Waltham Forest.
Waltham Forest is one London’s 32 boroughs, each of which has its own elected local council.
Clare Coghill, the leader of Waltham Forest Council, said that the Adhan being broadcast was “an alternative form of connection” for Muslims, with mosques currently closed along with all other places of worship in the U.K. as part of the nationwide coronavirus lockdown.
“Ramadan is normally a time for the Muslim community to come together to pray and break their fast,” she said.
“Like many aspects of all our lives, this has been affected by Covid-19 and the requirement to remain socially distant. As an alternative form of connection during this special month, the Waltham Forest Council of Mosques contacted the council to request that as an alternative to congregating they announce a short call to prayer at a number of mosques adapted to remind worshippers to stay at home,” she continued.
“The council considered the request as it would with any religious or faith group looking to responsibly worship during this difficult time. Ramadan Mubarak to all our Muslim community.”
The Adhan will be broadcast each day at sunset, with an additional broadcast each Friday. The words in the Adhan state: “Allah is the greatest. I bear witness that there is no god except Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Come to prayer. Come to salvation.”
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the senior Catholic cleric in the U.K., marked the beginning of Ramadan by joining a host of religious leaders in an interfaith event titled “Ramadan at Home,” organised by the Naz Legacy.
The Catholic bishops of England & Wales prohibited the celebration of public Masses before the lockdown came into force and, according to their own statement, played a crucial role themselves in convincing the government to require that churches be closed altogether.
Nichols recently told Catholics in Britain that it would be a “scandal” to open churches for private prayer.
Share