lifesitenews--2020-10-23--Trump shines, Biden stumbles despite bias of second presidential debate

October 23 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — For more than a few Trump voters ( myself included ) , last month ’ s debacle of a first debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden ( with assistance from Fox News “ moderator ” Chris Wallace ) left us relieved that the second planned debate didn ’ t happen .
But with Thursday night ’ s final debate ( video , transcript ) , the president managed to turn things around ( as he ’ d say ) bigly .
While Trump could have handled a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the guy to expect , shall we say , an abundance of rhetorical precision out of , on the whole his performance was confident , collected , and vastly improved over his previous debate .
By contrast , the best that can be said of Biden ’ s performance is that he managed another extended public appearance without feeding suspicions that he may be in cognitive decline .
Beyond that , he was angry and evasive throughout the night , frequently falling back on non-responsive cliches .
He lied just as much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the difference is that this time , it looked like he was lying even to those who weren ’ t already familiar with the subject matter .
It surely helped somewhat that Kristen Welker of NBC News was nowhere near as hostile as Wallace .
But that ’ s not to say the event was without bias , which primarily took the form of what subjects weren ’ t discussed — nothing about abortion , or Biden ’ s recent statements on court-packing and transgenderism .
No pressing Biden on his former running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same message .
And the questions that were asked were typically slanted to the left .
On foreign policy , for instance , one might think it would be of some interest to the American people to ask Biden about the Trump administration brokering Middle Eastern peace deals unseen during the Obama-Biden administration ’ s eight years .
But the closest Welker got to foreign policy was raising the specter of “ foreign election interference ” — meaning , in a nutshell , foreign actors buying advertising or sending junk mail to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bucket of American electioneering , which means very little to the lives of most Americans but means everything to lefty “ journalists ” desperate for a boogeyman to explain away Trump ’ s 2016 win .
So naturally , it was up to Trump himself to raise the issue of the Biden family using the vice presidency to cash in around the world : All of the emails , the emails , the horrible emails of the kind of money that you were raking in , you and your family .
And Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this was happening , and it should have never happened .
And I think you owe an explanation to the American people .
Why is it , somebody just had a news conference a little while ago who was essentially supposed to work with you and your family , but what he said was damning .
And regardless of me , I think you have to clean it up and talk to the American people .
Maybe you can do it right now [ ... ] I don ’ t make money from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t make money from Ukraine .
You do .
I don ’ t make money from Russia .
You made $ 3.5 million , Joe , and your son gave you , they even have a statement that we have to give 10 % to the big man .
You ’ re the big man , I think .
I don ’ t know , maybe you ’ re not , but you ’ re the big man , I think .
Your son said we have to give 10 % to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what ’ s that all about ?
It ’ s terrible .
Biden ’ s response ?
Declaring that he himself has “ not taken a penny from any foreign source ever ” and that no investigator ever “ said anything [ Hunter ] did was wrong in Ukraine ” ( claims that are highly unlikely to withstand scrutiny ) , and … trying to change the subject to Trump ’ s tax returns , which turned out to be the definition of “ nothingburger.
” Most significant , however , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t the only ones who recognized the above .
A focus group organized by pollster Frank Luntz ( a Republican but most definitely not a Trump fan ) found that Trump beat Biden among undecided voters , who had the following to say about the candidates : Now , all that remains to be seen is how many minds last night changed , and whether the Trump campaign can effectively reinforce these takeaways among the people they need to reach less than two weeks from now .

All that remains to be seen is how many minds last night changed.
October 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — For more than a few Trump voters (myself included), last month’s debacle of a first debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden (with assistance from Fox News “moderator” Chris Wallace) left us relieved that the second planned debate didn’t happen.
But with Thursday night’s final debate (video, transcript), the president managed to turn things around (as he’d say) bigly.
While Trump could have handled a few questions better, and will never be the guy to expect, shall we say, an abundance of rhetorical precision out of, on the whole his performance was confident, collected, and vastly improved over his previous debate.
By contrast, the best that can be said of Biden’s performance is that he managed another extended public appearance without feeding suspicions that he may be in cognitive decline. Beyond that, he was angry and evasive throughout the night, frequently falling back on non-responsive cliches. He lied just as much as he did last time, but the difference is that this time, it looked like he was lying even to those who weren’t already familiar with the subject matter.
It surely helped somewhat that Kristen Welker of NBC News was nowhere near as hostile as Wallace. But that’s not to say the event was without bias, which primarily took the form of what subjects weren’t discussed — nothing about abortion, or Biden’s recent statements on court-packing and transgenderism. No pressing Biden on his former running mate endorsing Biden and violent protesters in the same message.
And the questions that were asked were typically slanted to the left. On foreign policy, for instance, one might think it would be of some interest to the American people to ask Biden about the Trump administration brokering Middle Eastern peace deals unseen during the Obama-Biden administration’s eight years.
But the closest Welker got to foreign policy was raising the specter of “foreign election interference” — meaning, in a nutshell, foreign actors buying advertising or sending junk mail to Americans that represents a drop in the bucket of American electioneering, which means very little to the lives of most Americans but means everything to lefty “journalists” desperate for a boogeyman to explain away Trump’s 2016 win.
So naturally, it was up to Trump himself to raise the issue of the Biden family using the vice presidency to cash in around the world:
All of the emails, the emails, the horrible emails of the kind of money that you were raking in, you and your family. And Joe, you were vice-president when some of this was happening, and it should have never happened. And I think you owe an explanation to the American people. Why is it, somebody just had a news conference a little while ago who was essentially supposed to work with you and your family, but what he said was damning. And regardless of me, I think you have to clean it up and talk to the American people. Maybe you can do it right now […] I don’t make money from China. You do. I don’t make money from Ukraine. You do. I don’t make money from Russia. You made $3.5 million, Joe, and your son gave you, they even have a statement that we have to give 10% to the big man. You’re the big man, I think. I don’t know, maybe you’re not, but you’re the big man, I think. Your son said we have to give 10% to the big [man]. Joe, what’s that all about? It’s terrible.
Biden’s response? Declaring that he himself has “not taken a penny from any foreign source ever” and that no investigator ever “said anything [Hunter] did was wrong in Ukraine” (claims that are highly unlikely to withstand scrutiny), and … trying to change the subject to Trump’s tax returns, which turned out to be the definition of “nothingburger.”
Most significant, however, is the fact that Trump supporters aren’t the only ones who recognized the above. A focus group organized by pollster Frank Luntz (a Republican but most definitely not a Trump fan) found that Trump beat Biden among undecided voters, who had the following to say about the candidates:
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Call for another presidential debate with former Navy SEAL as moderator Show Petition Text 7017 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 No matter which way you look at it, the first Presidential debate was a disaster. There was no winner, but there was a clear loser: the American people. With free speech hanging in the balance, America deserves better than a biased and weak moderator like Chris Wallace. America also deserves to listen to the candidates answer complex questions in more than two minute sound bites. Please SIGN this urgent petition to the Commission on Presidential Debates and urge them to select former Navy SEAL Commander Jocko Willink as moderator for another presidential debate. Let's think outside the box. Most Americans listen to long format podcasts. So let's ditch the ridiculous idea that you can communicate complex policy answers in 60 seconds and instead allow the candidates to speak. And while we are at it, let's look to someone outside the political talking-head world to moderate this badly needed long format debate! That is why we are calling on one of America's top podcaster, a man who has devoted most of his life to serving his country, to come to its aid once again. Help us draft decorated Navy Seal Commander Jocko Willink to moderate a long-format debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION TO DRAFT JOCKO WILLINK TO MODERATE A PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE The corporate legacy media and the Big Tech monopolies cannot be trusted. When the survival of civil society hangs in the balance who could be better to rely on than Retired Navy Seal Commander Jocko Willink? Besides being a decorated military hero, Jocko Willink happens to also be a gifted communicator, and his Jocko Podcast is in the Top 100 podcasts on Apple's Top Charts. Jocko Willink embodies the non-partisan spirit of America's greatest president, George Washington and as such is much more likely to conduct an interesting and informative debate on issues that are actually important to the Amerian people, rather than cater to the hyper-polarized corporate legacy media monopolies. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Help us draft retired Navy Seal Commander Jocko Willink to host a real presidential debate where the two candidates are given direct unbiased questions and then allowed sufficient time to answer them. PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION TO DRAFT JOCKO WILLINK and feel free to contact him by leaving comments on his Twitter account: @jockowillink With the shocking mainstream and social media blackout of any information that could damage Joe Biden's campaign as well as the revelations that the second presidential debate moderator, Steve Scully was coordinating with anti-Trump politico Anthony Scaramucci, we need to think outside the box. Please SIGN our petition to draft Jocko Willink. Thank you! FOR MORE INFORMATION: Jocko Willink's Prager U. video 'Discipline = Freedom' - https://youtu.be/eBmVv2P-v2s Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
My focus group’s words to describe Trump tonight:
• “Controlled”
• “Reserved”
• “Poised”
• “Con artist”
• “Surprisingly presidential” Words to describe Biden tonight:
• “Vague”
• “Unspecific”
• “Elusive”
• “Defensive”
• “Grandfatherly” ���� https://t.co/LOOQDLAjoT pic.twitter.com/qa54f6F94S — Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) October 23, 2020
Now, all that remains to be seen is how many minds last night changed, and whether the Trump campaign can effectively reinforce these takeaways among the people they need to reach less than two weeks from now.
Follow Calvin Calvin Freiburger is a Wisconsin-based conservative writer and 2011 graduate of Hillsdale College. His commentary and analysis have been featured on NewsReal Blog, Live Action, and various other conservative websites. Before joining LifeSiteNews, he spent two years in Washington, DC, working to build support for the Life at Conception Act with the National Pro-Life Alliance, then worked a year and a half as assistant editor of TheFederalistPapers.org. You can follow him on Twitter @CalFreiburger, and check out his personal website, ConservativeStandards.com.
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lifesitenews--2020-10-23--Chinese nationals are censoring conservatives on Facebook, insider reveals

October 23 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — China ’ s influence on social media and its users extends well beyond Big Tech ’ s subservience to the pro-China World Health Organization , according to a Facebook insider who has revealed that the company employs several Chinese nationals trained at Chinese schools to censor content in the United States .
On Monday , the New York Post published an interview with a Facebook insider who detailed discontent within the company over Facebook ’ s actions to censor the Post ’ s reporting about emails that appear to detail how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with former Vice President and current Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden around the world .
The next day , the Post published a follow-up revealing there are at least half a dozen “ Chinese nationals who are working on censorship , ” according to an employee directory provided by the insider .
Primarily based in Seattle , these members of Facebook ’ s “ Hate-Speech Engineering ” team include graduates of Chinese schools such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences , Jilin University , and Nanjing University .
They previously worked at Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Railway & Design Institute of Signal and Communication .
The team ’ s work focuses on using machine learning to determine which types of content are prioritized or diminished in users ’ newsfeeds , such that disfavored “ borderline ” content “ shows up dead last.
” “ What they don ’ t do is ban a specific pro-Trump hashtag , ” the insider explained .
Rather , “ content that is a little too conservative , they will down-rank .
You can ’ t tell it ’ s censored.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees come from all over the world , ” a Facebook spokesperson responded .
“ Our standards and policies are public , including about our third-party fact-checking program , and designed to apply equally to content across the political spectrum .
With over 35,000 people working on safety and security issues at Facebook , the insinuation that these employees have an outsized influence on our broader policies or technology is absurd.
” Such statements are unlikely to convince Facebook ’ s critics in light of the company ’ s broader record of bias @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided footage of content moderators openly discussing how they would like to delete “ every Donald Trump post I see on the timeline ” and “ delete all Republicans … for terrorism ” if they so much as post a photo “ wearing a MAGA hat.
” Yet another described witnessing moderators “ deleting on average 300 posts or actioning 300 posts a day ” in a way “ that just targeted conservatives or favored liberals , ” with personnel equating Trump supporters with violent hate groups , while expressly making an exception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ pro-homosexuality and pro-transgenderism allies in the name of supporting so-called “ pride ” month .
The New York Post ’ s experience has renewed calls for the federal government to step in .
Many have advocated modifications to the federal law that immunizes websites from liability for user content , and Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has called on the Federal Elections Commission to investigate whether their suppression of the story , less than a month before the presidential election , qualifies as an illegal in-kind contribution to the Biden campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit against Google this week , and on Thursday the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to subpoena Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey for questioning .

Twitter just deplatformed President Trump premanently! And, other conservatives, including General Flynn and Sidney Powell, were also deplatformed.
Conservatives, Christians and freedom-loving Americans of all political persuasions must now take a decision to preserve their free speech AND their ability to peaceably assemble by dumping Twitter and Big Tech, and by finding other good alternatives to communicate with each other and share their opinions.
Please SIGN our petition-pledge to Dump Twitter and Big Tech, and take back your freedom of speech and privacy. [CLICK HERE for our "Goodbye Google" resources page to find good alternatives to Google!]
When you use Twitter or Facebook to communicate, or Google to search for something online, these companies can stifle your ability to share your thoughts and opinions and manipulate your search results, threatening your privacy, your freedom of speech, and even our democracy.
Evidence suggests that Twitter and Facebook's 'community guidelines' are selectively enforced against conservatives and Christians, while Google rigs their search algorithms to direct traffic away from conservative and Christian websites, effectively choking traffic to those sites.
Simply put, Twitter, Facebook and Google (who owns YouTube) appear to be actively suppressing access to pro-freedom, pro-family and pro-life news and opinion.
Don't contribute to this assault on democracy: Stop using Twitter, Facebook and Google as your default social media platforms and search engine! [CLICK HERE to find a good alternative to Google.]
To repeat: a few liberal and completely unaccountable computer programmers in Silicon Valley are dictating what we do and do not see in our Twitter and Facebook feeds, and in our Google searches.
We, here, at LifeSite, also recently had our Twitter account suspended by the company over "misgendering" a man who claims to be a woman.
LifeSite has also experienced a fall-off in Google search-related traffic since the company updated its search algorithms at the beginning of May.
And, since the November election, Twitter and Big Tech appear to have dramatically INCREASED their censorship of conservatives and Christians as the President Trump disputed the results of the election and when evidence of election fraud began to mount.
Now, it seems likely that they are trying to cut-off conservative leaders (like President Trump) from conservatives on the ground, and effectively exclude us from the national conversation.
But, this tactic will not work. Because Twitter, Facebook and Google are not the only game in town! There are a good number of excellent alternatives which we list in our 'Goodbye Google' Resources page.
The great irony is that, while Twitter, Facebook and Google executives talk a lot about maintaining freedom of speech and diversity, in fact, these hypocrites are ATTACKING free speech point-blank!
This kind of manipulation poses a lethal threat to our democracy, but as we see so clearly now, Twitter and Big Tech have shown no hesitation in excluding conservatives and Christians from the public square.
So, at this point, the only way to stop Twitter, Facebook and Google is to quit using their platform.
Please SIGN and SHARE this petition to pledge to stop using Twitter and Big Tech. Then, please CLICK HERE to find alternative search engines and social media platforms. Thank you!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Ready to say "Goodbye Google"? Find alternatives for search engines, browsers, email, and more: https://lifesite.kartra.com/page/gbgresources
'BREAKING: Twitter permanently bans President Trump from platform' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-twitter-permanently-bans-president-trump-from-platform
WATCH LifeSite's exclusive series - 'Big Tech vs Free Speech' - of interviews with experts on how Big Tech censorship is killing free speech: https://www.lifesitenews.com/bigtech/
From YouTube to social media and beyond, online censorship is rampant. Read the latest articles covering this ongoing struggle: https://lifesite.kartra.com/page/censorship


lifesitenews--2020-10-23--UK’s prime minister warns COVID-19 airport testing only 7% accurate

LONDON , England , October 23 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom said that only a small percentage of coronavirus tests performed at airports actually deliver accurate results .
During a BBC interview broadcast on September 4 , the prime minister addressed the issue of airport testing replacing quarantines .
Johnson stated that “ everyone thinks you can have some test at the airport that will answer whether you ’ ve got ( the coronavirus ) or not .
Unfortunately , it only works in seven percent of the cases ; 93 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a real false sense of security , false sense of confidence when you arrive and take a test.
” The figure given is based on modeling done by Public Health England ( PHE ) , which estimated that testing passengers only once upon arrival into the country would pick up just 7 percent of those who had the virus .
A second test , administered between five and 10 days later , would have an 85 percent or 98 percent chance , respectively , at identifying those who were supposedly infected .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scenario would be infected .
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also talked about the statistics but appeared to interpret the figures differently .
In an interview on Sky News , Raab stated that “ the false positive rate is very high .
It ’ s only 7 percent of tests that will be successful in identifying those who actually have the virus , so the truth is that you can ’ t just rely on that.
” While Johnson spoke of 7 percent accuracy relative to all tests performed , Raab seemed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only 7 percent would actually be accurate .
After the video was widely shared on social media , Reuters reported that Raab ’ s department clarified he meant that tests would only pick up 7 percent of positive cases of COVID-19 .
They referred back to PHE ’ s report as evidence .
However , more recently a study was published that disparaged PHE ’ s figures , as quoted by Johnson .
Commissioned by a group of airlines and airports , Edge Health and Oxera Consulting released a report in which they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assumption that 100 percent of the symptomatic as well as the asymptomatic passengers who are detectable at the time of boarding do not fly.
” Consequently , the report stated that the “ widely quoted 7 percent excludes anyone who is in theory detectable or symptomatic before the flight takes off .
This evidently isn ’ t the case , and it leads to an underestimation of the effectiveness of testing on arrival.
” Edge and Oxera said that “ up to 63 percent of infected passengers attempting to enter the UK could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing scheme.
” The conflicting figures regarding the effectiveness of airport testing , combined with calls to open up travel routes , has led to the development of the digital COVID passport , or “ CommonPass.
” The smartphone program is designed to provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test in order to allow the passenger freedom of travel .
CommonPass is promoted by , among others , the World Economic Forum and the Rockefeller Foundation .
A description on The Commons Project website states that the pass would allow “ individuals to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and consent to have that information used to validate their COVID status without revealing any other underlying personal health information.
” While only in a trial stage at London ’ s Heathrow Airport , the concept is being pushed in other countries , with Denmark releasing a version of the passport in July .
The Danish system allows passengers to download a document that gives proof of having tested negative for the virus within the last seven days .
Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair even suggested the use of digital IDs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s “ disease status , ” so as to determine who can travel based on whether they are infected , are immune , or have had any future vaccine .
The American Civil Liberties Union strongly warned against such concepts , as they present “ potential to harm public health , incentivize economically vulnerable people to risk their health by contracting COVID-19 , exacerbate racial and economic disparities , and lead to a new health surveillance infrastructure that endangers privacy rights.
” Johnson caught the coronavirus in April and was treated for it @ @ @ @

LONDON, England, October 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Prime Minister Boris Johnson of the United Kingdom said that only a small percentage of coronavirus tests performed at airports actually deliver accurate results.
During a BBC interview broadcast on September 4, the prime minister addressed the issue of airport testing replacing quarantines.
Johnson stated that “everyone thinks you can have some test at the airport that will answer whether you’ve got (the coronavirus) or not. Unfortunately, it only works in seven percent of the cases; 93 percent of the time you could have a real false sense of security, false sense of confidence when you arrive and take a test.”
The figure given is based on modeling done by Public Health England (PHE), which estimated that testing passengers only once upon arrival into the country would pick up just 7 percent of those who had the virus.
A second test, administered between five and 10 days later, would have an 85 percent or 98 percent chance, respectively, at identifying those who were supposedly infected. The model assumed that all the passengers in the scenario would be infected.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also talked about the statistics but appeared to interpret the figures differently. In an interview on Sky News, Raab stated that “the false positive rate is very high. It’s only 7 percent of tests that will be successful in identifying those who actually have the virus, so the truth is that you can’t just rely on that.”
While Johnson spoke of 7 percent accuracy relative to all tests performed, Raab seemed to imply that of all positive tests, only 7 percent would actually be accurate.
After the video was widely shared on social media, Reuters reported that Raab’s department clarified he meant that tests would only pick up 7 percent of positive cases of COVID-19. They referred back to PHE’s report as evidence.
However, more recently a study was published that disparaged PHE’s figures, as quoted by Johnson. Commissioned by a group of airlines and airports, Edge Health and Oxera Consulting released a report in which they claimed the PHE model “makes the assumption that 100 percent of the symptomatic as well as the asymptomatic passengers who are detectable at the time of boarding do not fly.”
Consequently, the report stated that the “widely quoted 7 percent excludes anyone who is in theory detectable or symptomatic before the flight takes off. This evidently isn’t the case, and it leads to an underestimation of the effectiveness of testing on arrival.”
Edge and Oxera said that “up to 63 percent of infected passengers attempting to enter the UK could be prevented from doing so with a testing scheme.”
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: No to mask mandates Show Petition Text 116233 have signed the petition. Let's get to 125000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition PETITION UPDATE (8/27/2020) Thank you for continuing to SIGN and SHARE this petition, which asks policymakers at all levels of government to reverse mandatory mask orders within their borders. Facebook has restored the share link for this petition, saying that the decision to block it was a 'mistake...' Please share with your Facebook friends, but we should all take heed of this warning: when an organization or individuals have to beg, plead and cajole just to express objective truths, it may be time to start looking for other social networking platforms. Facebook needs to treat its users with respect, no matter their political persuasion. Moreover, Facebook needs to treat objective reality and facts with more respect. One-size-fits-all oppressive government mask mandates must stop! Healthy adults and children should not be forced - by the state - to wear masks when the risk of infection is low and the benefit of wearing a mask is highly questionable. ________________________________________________________________________________________ PETITION UPDATE (8/25/2020) Facebook is actively censoring this petition, saying that some people find it 'abusive.' How anyone could find alternate facts about oppressive mask mandates 'abusive' is incredible...that is, impossible to believe. This is exactly the kind of censorship which Big Tech is getting a bad reputation for. The fact that Facebook calls differing opinion and objective reality "abusive" says a lot about Facebook and their agenda to silence reason and logic, not just conservatives and Christians. But, people are more intelligent than Facebook give them credit for. And, the more this continues, the more reasonable people will look alternate platforms to share their thoughts and connect with their friends and family. The more that happens, the less revenue Facebook will generate. All of us have a decision to make, and the time is coming where we might have to tell our Facebook friends that we are moving to another platform. We are encouraging people to continue SIGNING this petition and SHARING it via other platforms such as Parler and Gab, and to share the link below with your family and friends on Whatsapp, Telegram, Threema and Signal. Thank you! ________________________________________________________________________________________ One-size-fits-all oppressive government mask mandates must stop! Healthy adults and children should not be forced - by the state - to wear masks when the risk of infection is low and the benefit of wearing a mask is highly questionable. Please SIGN this petition which asks policymakers at all levels of government to reverse mandatory mask mandates within their borders. Public health policies should be based on science and logic, not on the type of political posturing and virtue-signaling which led Joe Biden to recently call for a national mask mandate. And, public health policies certainly shouldn't lead to a situation where more people could become sick. But, that is exactly what these mandatory mask mandates are doing. Here are four inconvenient facts about masks: 1) Masks** are largely ineffective at stopping the transmission of viruses. The vast majority of masks worn by the public are made from material which cannot filter-out viruses because virus particles are too small to catch or obstruct. Wearing cloth masks to stop a virus is like putting a bee in a bird cage to keep it from flying away. Wearing a mask for long periods of time ensures that the wearer has a warm and moist receptacle around his or her mouth, on which viruses and bacteria can land and accumulate. Thus, masks are actually likely to have little effect in stopping the spread of COVID-19 acting as a barrier, but could actually make things worse acting as a receptacle. 2) Mandates which call for masks to be worn outdoors are both absurd and oppressive. 3) There are clearly documented hazards of wearing masks for long periods of time. 4) And, since school is on everyone's mind... Notwithstanding the above information on the ineffectiveness of most masks against viruses, we don't know if asymptomatic children can even transmit the virus. But, it was a reported in an article in the July 21, 2020 Uk Times that: "There has been no recorded case of a teacher catching the coronavirus from a pupil anywhere in the world, according to one of the UK government's leading scientific advisers." And, we also know that children are extremely unlikely to get seriously ill or die from COVID infections. In any case, children cannot possibly be expected to wear a mask properly in a way that would cut transmission. There are still a lot of unknowns about COVID-19, but we have grown in our understanding of this disease since the beginning of the crisis. The knowledge we have gained should allow government and health authorities to make more nuanced policies than the current one-size-fits-all mask mandates. Where are the legislative hearings in county commissions, and state, provincial or federal legislatures before these drastic actions are mandated? Where are the open and transparent debates among experts that provide our representatives with the necessary information to make good policy decisions? The real pandemic is the panic and the resulting tyranny that is being caused by dictatorial governors, corporate media and the monopolistic Big Tech. The truth is that COVID-19 is like a bad cold for most people; this is not ebola or the plague. Of course, the very elderly and those with serious health conditions should take precautions or be quarantined, but the rest of society should begin the long process of returning to normality. The frenzy to force everyone to wear a mask, at all times, has gone beyond all comprehension, and goes against science and logic. Please SIGN this petition which asks policymakers at all levels of government to reverse any mandatory mask order within the borders of their county, state, province, or country. Thank you! FOR MORE INFORMATION: 'Explosion in mandatory masking isn’t driven by science, but fear', PART I - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/explosion-in-mandatory-masking-isnt-driven-by-science-but-fear 'Explosion in mandatory masking isn’t driven by science, but fear', PART II - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/explosion-in-mandatory-masking-isnt-driven-by-science-but-fear-part-ii OSHA Document on Surgical Masks and Respirators stating that surgical masks do NOT prevent airborne particles (e.g. viruses) from being inhaled - https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3219.pdf 'PETER HITCHENS: Face masks turn us into voiceless submissives - and it’s not science forcing us to wear them, it’s politics' - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-8537489/PETER-HITCHENS-Face-masks-turn-voiceless-submissives.html **Here, we are referring to the masks worn by the vast majority of the public, not to specialist masks or respirator-type masks. ***Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
The conflicting figures regarding the effectiveness of airport testing, combined with calls to open up travel routes, has led to the development of the digital COVID passport, or “CommonPass.” The smartphone program is designed to provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test in order to allow the passenger freedom of travel.
CommonPass is promoted by, among others, the World Economic Forum and the Rockefeller Foundation. A description on The Commons Project website states that the pass would allow “individuals to access their lab results and vaccination records, and consent to have that information used to validate their COVID status without revealing any other underlying personal health information.”
While only in a trial stage at London’s Heathrow Airport, the concept is being pushed in other countries, with Denmark releasing a version of the passport in July. The Danish system allows passengers to download a document that gives proof of having tested negative for the virus within the last seven days.
Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair even suggested the use of digital IDs as a means of assessing one’s “disease status,” so as to determine who can travel based on whether they are infected, are immune, or have had any future vaccine.
The American Civil Liberties Union strongly warned against such concepts, as they present “potential to harm public health, incentivize economically vulnerable people to risk their health by contracting COVID-19, exacerbate racial and economic disparities, and lead to a new health surveillance infrastructure that endangers privacy rights.”
Johnson caught the coronavirus in April and was treated for it in the ICU.
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lifesitenews--2020-10-23--Chaste same-sex attracted Catholics, feeling betrayed by Pope Francis, urge him to repent

October 23 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In the aftermath of Pope Francis ’ s pronouncement in a just-premiered documentary seemingly supporting the legalization of gay civil unions , chaste same-sex attracted Catholics are struggling to find the right words to express the sense of betrayal and outrage they ’ re now experiencing .
While conservative prelates and Catholic scholars have been quoted extensively in religious and secular media around the globe over the last 48 hours explaining the problematic nature of the pontiff ’ s troubling assertion , those who heroically reject homosexuality and choose day in and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now offering poignant commentary on the harm inflicted by Pope Francis ’ s infelicitous remarks .
“ Most of us are just depressed and humiliated by him , ” said Jeremy Schwab , speaking on behalf of many chaste same-sex attracted ( SSA ) Catholics After leaving homosexuality and returning to his Catholic faith , Schwab founded Joel 2:25 International , a Christian ministry supporting men , women , youths , and families affected by SSA .
It is possible for him as an individual to be heretic and to take those stances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church teaching .
It is still emotionally traumatizing to all of us .
Before I became Catholic , I had studied the history and knew about the scandals of medieval Popes and the worst sinners in Church history .
None of that disturbs me the way this Pope does .
“ My first thought upon reading Pope Francis ’ s words was , ‘ Oh , no !
’ ” Paul Darrow told LifeSiteNews .
Darrow is one of three chaste SSA Catholics featured in the movie Desire of the Everlasting Hills , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he was merely expressing his personal opinion .
But the Pope ’ s opinion was like a shot felt around the world , and that shot went straight to my heart .
As a Catholic with SSA , I was called to see the bigger picture and to turn away from my sex-addicted life .
In that picture I recognized the real purpose of sexual intimacy and discovered that my body truly is the temple of the Holy Spirit .
One of the saddest things a chaste , faith-filled Catholic like me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chair of Peter has just endorsed civil unions — the first stage of the rockets that brought gay “ marriage ” into being .
“ This story may be the straw that breaks the camel ’ s back that is my Catholic faith , ” Thomas Berryman told LifeSiteNews .
“ I do not think Pope Francis knows how much pain he ’ s causing because he doesn ’ t care.
” In 2013 and 2014 , when I was going through RCIA , I made a conscious effort to ignore all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what I would call a “ target-rich environment.
” Instead , I concentrated on being celibate , believing that is what Holy Mother Church wanted .
Over the past six years , I ’ ve ignored all kinds of things .
For example , I ’ ve ignored the moribund state of Courage and the robust state of Dignity in our Archdiocese .
I ignored Cardinal Tobin ’ s “ nighty night , baby ” text and his seemingly odd decision to invite a random guest student at Seton Hall University to live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ model with a penchant for appearing shirtless ) .
I sort of ignored Pope Francis when he invited a transgender man from Spain ( Diego Neria Lejarraga ) to the Vatican ( and paid for all the costs ) .
Then he sent money to trans sex workers who were having financial difficulties .
Pope Francis doesn ’ t merely preside over a church with a homosexual sub-culture and problems with its priests being unable to keep their hands off boys .
He is the gay leader of a gay church dominated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , privately , at least , James Martin mocks men with same-sex attraction who are celibate .
Is that the attitude of many ( or even most ) priests ?
I suspect that it is Pope Francis ’ s attitude .
“ Where does this leave me ?
Who can I trust ?
” asked Berryman .
“ Celibate priests and bishops in Detroit [ Berryman ’ s diocese ] are an endangered species.
” “ How do I go to anyone for counseling who probably thinks I ’ m a fool @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do I seek absolution from someone who thinks the sins I ’ m confessing are funny and thinks I ’ m a fool for believing them to be sins ?
” he wondered .
“ What is particularly galling is that most of us who have lived [ as homosexuals ] learned not to trust people .
In other words , most of us already have trust issues , ” lamented Berryman , who urged bishops to “ get off the fence and take a stand.
” “ Under the papacy of Francis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statements about homosexuality ... pro-gay priests and LGBT Catholic ministries are very much in the ascendancy and have become increasingly bold in their actions and public statements , ” Joseph Sciambra told LifeSiteNews .
A former gay porn star , Sciambra has become perhaps the most strident voice within the Church sounding the alarm over the persistent presence and influence of a powerful gay subculture within the ranks of Catholic clergy .
“ Myself , and my friends , to a certain degree , always felt rejected by the local parishes and diocese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rome as well , ” he declared .
Andrew Comisky , a same-sex attracted man who is married ( i.e.
, to a woman ) and is the founder of Desert Stream Ministries , who became a Catholic a decade ago , urged Pope Francis to repent in an open letter published yesterday :

Those who heroically reject homosexuality and choose day in and day out to live chaste lives are now offering poignant commentary on the harm inflicted by Pope Francis’s infelicitous remarks.
October 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – In the aftermath of Pope Francis’s pronouncement in a just-premiered documentary seemingly supporting the legalization of gay civil unions, chaste same-sex attracted Catholics are struggling to find the right words to express the sense of betrayal and outrage they’re now experiencing.
While conservative prelates and Catholic scholars have been quoted extensively in religious and secular media around the globe over the last 48 hours explaining the problematic nature of the pontiff’s troubling assertion, those who heroically reject homosexuality and choose day in and day out to live chaste lives are now offering poignant commentary on the harm inflicted by Pope Francis’s infelicitous remarks.
“Most of us are just depressed and humiliated by him,” said Jeremy Schwab, speaking on behalf of many chaste same-sex attracted (SSA) Catholics
After leaving homosexuality and returning to his Catholic faith, Schwab founded Joel 2:25 International, a Christian ministry supporting men, women, youths, and families affected by SSA.
It is possible for him as an individual to be heretic and to take those stances, but he can’t change Church teaching. It is still emotionally traumatizing to all of us. Before I became Catholic, I had studied the history and knew about the scandals of medieval Popes and the worst sinners in Church history. None of that disturbs me the way this Pope does.
“My first thought upon reading Pope Francis’s words was, ‘Oh, no!’” Paul Darrow told LifeSiteNews. Darrow is one of three chaste SSA Catholics featured in the movie Desire of the Everlasting Hills, produced by the Courage Apostolate.
Yes, he was merely expressing his personal opinion. But the Pope’s opinion was like a shot felt around the world, and that shot went straight to my heart. As a Catholic with SSA, I was called to see the bigger picture and to turn away from my sex-addicted life. In that picture I recognized the real purpose of sexual intimacy and discovered that my body truly is the temple of the Holy Spirit. One of the saddest things a chaste, faith-filled Catholic like me could hear is that the successor to the Chair of Peter has just endorsed civil unions — the first stage of the rockets that brought gay “marriage” into being.
“This story may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back that is my Catholic faith,” Thomas Berryman told LifeSiteNews. “I do not think Pope Francis knows how much pain he’s causing because he doesn’t care.”
Berryman explained:
In 2013 and 2014, when I was going through RCIA, I made a conscious effort to ignore all of the signs that I was entering what I would call a “target-rich environment.” Instead, I concentrated on being celibate, believing that is what Holy Mother Church wanted. Over the past six years, I’ve ignored all kinds of things. For example, I’ve ignored the moribund state of Courage and the robust state of Dignity in our Archdiocese. I ignored Cardinal Tobin’s “nighty night, baby” text and his seemingly odd decision to invite a random guest student at Seton Hall University to live with him (a wannabe actor and model with a penchant for appearing shirtless). I sort of ignored Pope Francis when he invited a transgender man from Spain (Diego Neria Lejarraga) to the Vatican (and paid for all the costs). Then he sent money to trans sex workers who were having financial difficulties. Pope Francis doesn’t merely preside over a church with a homosexual sub-culture and problems with its priests being unable to keep their hands off boys. He is the gay leader of a gay church dominated by a homosexual super-culture. I read somewhere that, privately, at least, James Martin mocks men with same-sex attraction who are celibate. Is that the attitude of many (or even most) priests? I suspect that it is Pope Francis’s attitude.
“Where does this leave me? Who can I trust?” asked Berryman. “Celibate priests and bishops in Detroit [Berryman’s diocese] are an endangered species.”
“How do I go to anyone for counseling who probably thinks I’m a fool and holds me in contempt? How do I seek absolution from someone who thinks the sins I’m confessing are funny and thinks I’m a fool for believing them to be sins?” he wondered.
“What is particularly galling is that most of us who have lived [as homosexuals] learned not to trust people. In other words, most of us already have trust issues,” lamented Berryman, who urged bishops to “get off the fence and take a stand.”
“Under the papacy of Francis, after a series of increasingly specific statements about homosexuality … pro-gay priests and LGBT Catholic ministries are very much in the ascendancy and have become increasingly bold in their actions and public statements,” Joseph Sciambra told LifeSiteNews.
A former gay porn star, Sciambra has become perhaps the most strident voice within the Church sounding the alarm over the persistent presence and influence of a powerful gay subculture within the ranks of Catholic clergy.
“Myself, and my friends, to a certain degree, always felt rejected by the local parishes and diocese, but now we feel rejected by Rome as well,” he declared.
— 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
Andrew Comisky, a same-sex attracted man who is married (i.e., to a woman) and is the founder of Desert Stream Ministries, who became a Catholic a decade ago, urged Pope Francis to repent in an open letter published yesterday:
How can we who die daily to the seduction of a global culture intent on fanning our vulnerabilities into an expanding list of fractured “selves” when you bless and advocate legal “cover” over them? Pope Francis, wake up. These forces are unseen robbers who are intent on destroying lives. We who through God’s mercy have repented of our sins and who now fight for the chaste dignity of our comrades are hindered, not helped, by the dissociation of your beliefs and pastoral application.
Comisky continued:
A true father fights for the dignity of his children, especially when they become worldly, conformed to other 'selves' and mastered by disordered desires. You have not fought for us. Instead, you have done us sinners a disservice, granting us false assurance in our divided states. I repeat: you have not fought for us. Love is more stern and splendid than mere acceptance. You have exhibited compromise and confusion in your pastoral care of persons with same-sex desires. Your merciful intentions are not trustworthy to me and to those I represent. As we have repented, so can you, Pope Francis.
Follow Doug Doug Mainwaring is a journalist for LifeSiteNews, an author, and a marriage, family and children's rights activist. He has testified before the United States Congress and state legislative bodies, originated and co-authored amicus briefs for the United States Supreme Court, and has been a guest on numerous TV and radio programs. Doug and his family live in the Washington, DC suburbs.
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lifesitenews--2020-10-23--UK priest: ‘I will be arrested’ before denying sacraments to the faithful again

NOTTINGHAM , England , October 23 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A priest in the United Kingdom vowed rather to be arrested than to stop offering Mass for the faithful during a potential second lockdown .
He also expressed regret over having stopped public Masses earlier this year .
“ Wales has decided to close the Churches again , ” Fr .
David Palmer tweeted .
“ I will be arrested before I deny the sacraments to the people of God again .
And I repent for having backed down before .
Eternal life comes before this life ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a priest of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham , is himself based in Nottingham , England , not in Wales , and is thus not directly affected by the prohibition of public Masses .
Some Twitter users objected to Palmer ’ s resolution , including a priest who said that “ a momentary abstention from the Eucharist will do no harm .
Especially when done for the sake of a good greater than our individual selves.
” However , many others have rallied to support his decision , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-religious tweeters .
The Real O ’ Neil tweeted , “ I ’ m an atheist and I still believe you ’ re correct to take this stance .
People should be free to observe their faith .
To deny people that right is a moral crime .
I believe we have a moral duty to breach immoral laws.
” Bishop Athanasius Schneider said earlier this year , “ If a priest observes in a reasonable manner all the necessary health precautions and uses discretion , he has not to obey the directives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspend Mass for the faithful .
Such directives are a pure human law ; however , the supreme law in the Church is the salvation of souls.
” “ Priests in such a situation have to be extremely creative in order to provide for the faithful , even for a small group , the celebration of Holy Mass and the reception of the sacraments .
Such was the pastoral behavior of all confessor and martyr priests in the time of persecution , ” Bishop Schneider said .
Palmer tweeted his message along with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that explained the Welsh government ’ s planned temporary lockdown .
“ The Welsh Cabinet have decided to enforce a ‘ short , sharp shock ' to slow down the virus , which will start at 6pm this Friday , ” the article stated .
The lockdown will close places of worship , except for funerals , wedding ceremonies , and to allow ministers to broadcast worship services to their congregations .
The BBC reported that the church closings are part of a shutdown of all “ non-essential ” businesses , including pubs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gathering indoors and outdoors with people other than those in one ’ s household will also be banned .
“ A total of 40,253 people have now tested positive and 1,756 are known to have died with the virus in Wales , ” according to recent numbers .
“ A total of 1,062,714 tests have been carried out in Wales , on 683,358 people , with 643,105 testing negative.
” The BBC reported , “ More men than normal are dying at home from heart disease in England and Wales , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alzheimer ’ s , figures show.
” “ In contrast , deaths in hospitals from these causes have been lower than usual .
The Covid epidemic may have led to fewer people being treated in hospital … ” In the U.S. , following restrictions on “ non-essential ” gatherings , including religious worship , during the COVID-19 crisis , many have argued , and some judges have ruled , that restrictions on group assembly , including assembly for worship , are a violation of the First Amendment .
Dr. George Delgado said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teams seeking to overturn restrictions in New York State , California , Illinois and Delaware .
So far , most judges are in agreement that states and counties have overstepped their bounds in placing unreasonable restrictions on religious bodies.
” Lockdowns are also being legally challenged in the U.K .

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


lifesitenews--2020-10-23--Canadian doctor calls out govt, blasts lockdowns: ‘Induce fear, create compliance’

BRITISH COLUMBIA , October 23 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A Canadian physician practicing family medicine for over 40 years has written to his province ’ s top doctor to blast the latter ’ s COVID-19 lockdown policy .
“ How is it possible that a doctor with your previous training and experience did not anticipate the collateral damage of your public health policies — the economic disruption , the psychological and physical health consequences , and the deaths from despair ?
” wrote Dr. Stephen Malthouse in a letter addressed to Dr. Bonnie Henry , British Columbia ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officer .
“ The mainstream media has created a religion out of public health , one based on superstition , not science , with the power to rule over an obedient public .
The news channels have raised you to almost saint-like status [ . ]
… Yet , your public directives do not make sense , contradict the research , and are causing people a great deal of harm .
As a fellow doctor , I appeal to you to re-examine your policies and change direction before Public Health causes irreparable damage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic well-being.
” In his letter , Malthouse states that there “ appears to be no scientific or medical evidence for ” the continuance of lockdowns , face masks , social distancing , the “ arbitrary ” closing of schools and businesses , and the “ the closing down of or restrictions on religious places of worship.
” “ According to the CDC Pandemic Severity Index , none of these measures have been warranted .
The Great Barrington Declaration , signed by more than 30,000 health scientists and medical doctors from around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” wrote Malthouse .
The Great Barrington Declaration blasts the harm caused by lockdowns .
Malthouse wrote that like most doctors in Canada , he was prepared for a “ COVID-19 tsunami , ” which he noted never materialized .
“ The early intent of mitigation measures to ‘ flatten the curve , when we knew very little about SARS-CoV-2 , its mode of transmission , and the severity of COVID-19 , was reasonable .
I believe that most physicians in Canada , myself included , whether active or retired , prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lines for the expected COVID-19 tsunami , ” wrote Malthouse .
“ Very soon it was apparent that the expected overwhelming of the hospital system was not going to occur , and now BC physicians have questions about the appropriateness of your public health policies.
” Malthouse has been in the “ family medical practice ” for over 40 years and has been a member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C .
since 1978 .
Currently , the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia lists Malthouse as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In his letter to Henry , Malthouse wrote that the “ epidemiological evidence clearly shows ” that the COVID-19 “ pandemic ” is indeed over .
“ No second wave will follow .
The evidence has been available for at least 4–5 months and is irrefutable .
Yet , in spite of this substantial body of research , your office is perpetuating the narrative that a pandemic still exists and a second wave is expected , ” wrote Malthouse , referencing a report noting a former Chief Science Officer for Pfizer who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to suggest a second wave should happen.
’ ” “ This false story is being used to justify public health policies that appear to have no health benefits , have already caused considerable harm , and threaten to create more harm in the future.
” As of today , B.C .
lists 254 deaths attributed to COVID-19 .
On Monday , despite 69 people listed as in hospital and 18 in the ICU due to COVID-19 , Henry sounded the alarm that her province is in its “ second wave.
” “ One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second wave here of our COVID-19 storm in B.C .
But we have control over what that wave looks like , '' said Henry to reporters Monday .
Currently , B.C .
is in Phase 3 of its re-opening regime , with restrictions still in place for many businesses such as restaurants and bars , which must close by 11:00 P.M .
Churches and other places of worship are still limited to only 50 attendees , far below the limit in the neighboring province of Alberta , which does not put a limit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In his letter to Henry , Malthouse mentioned the nation of Sweden , which did not have extreme lockdown measures , as a place that has “ largely escaped ” the mess caused by lockdowns .
“ As you are aware , Sweden took an entirely different approach … and has also largely escaped the financial ruin and catastrophic mental health problems experienced in other countries , including Canada and the U.S.A , ” wrote Malthouse .
Malthouse blasted the fact that promoting the use of vitamins and minerals as a way to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fight against sickness has been “ absent ” from published government information on COVID-19 .
“ Surprisingly , the recommendation for reducing COVID-19 morbidity and mortality by supplementing with vitamin D , a measure that is supported by high-quality research , has been absent from your frequent public broadcasts and professional bulletins , ” wrote Malthouse .
He then said that as far as he was aware , Henry has never noted something “ as simple as vitamin D supplements ” as a “ convenient ” way of improving one 's immune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to COVID-19 .
“ Optimizing nutrition is a convenient , inexpensive , and safe method of improving immune resistance and has been confirmed through numerous studies for both prevention and treatment of COVID-19 , ” wrote Malthouse .
In his letter , Malthouse also mentioned the controversy around the accuracy of PCR tests as the method to detect COVID-19 , bringing up a New York Times report that concluded that PCR testing can show up to 90 % false positives .
“ The PCR test was never designed , intended or validated to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” wrote Malthouse .
Regarding “ case counts ” of those who show a positive COVID-19 test result , Malthouse wrote that Henry should not use this as a means to cause “ panic ” in the public .
“ The public health definition of a ‘ case ’ is very broad .
As all experienced doctors know , a ‘ case ’ is a patient with significant symptoms who is often hospitalized .
A ‘ case ’ is not a person who simply has a questionably positive PCR test and presents with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” wrote Malthouse .
“ Nevertheless , your public announcements repeatedly emphasize that the “ case ” counts are rising and we are in big trouble [ . ]
...
It is your duty as the provincial health officer to provide facts , not propaganda , and make every effort to stop the public panic .
The only reason for emphasizing ‘ cases ’ is to induce more fear and thereby compliance in the name of promised safety .
”

BRITISH COLUMBIA, October 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A Canadian physician practicing family medicine for over 40 years has written to his province’s top doctor to blast the latter’s COVID-19 lockdown policy.
“How is it possible that a doctor with your previous training and experience did not anticipate the collateral damage of your public health policies — the economic disruption, the psychological and physical health consequences, and the deaths from despair?” wrote Dr. Stephen Malthouse in a letter addressed to Dr. Bonnie Henry, British Columbia (B.C.)’s provincial health officer.
“The mainstream media has created a religion out of public health, one based on superstition, not science, with the power to rule over an obedient public. The news channels have raised you to almost saint-like status[.] … Yet, your public directives do not make sense, contradict the research, and are causing people a great deal of harm. As a fellow doctor, I appeal to you to re-examine your policies and change direction before Public Health causes irreparable damage to our province’s health and economic well-being.”
In his letter, Malthouse states that there “appears to be no scientific or medical evidence for” the continuance of lockdowns, face masks, social distancing, the “arbitrary” closing of schools and businesses, and the “the closing down of or restrictions on religious places of worship.”
“According to the CDC Pandemic Severity Index, none of these measures have been warranted. The Great Barrington Declaration, signed by more than 30,000 health scientists and medical doctors from around the world, adds support for this statement,” wrote Malthouse. The Great Barrington Declaration blasts the harm caused by lockdowns.
Malthouse wrote that like most doctors in Canada, he was prepared for a “COVID-19 tsunami,” which he noted never materialized.
“The early intent of mitigation measures to ‘flatten the curve, when we knew very little about SARS-CoV-2, its mode of transmission, and the severity of COVID-19, was reasonable. I believe that most physicians in Canada, myself included, whether active or retired, prepared themselves to take part on the front lines for the expected COVID-19 tsunami,” wrote Malthouse.
“Very soon it was apparent that the expected overwhelming of the hospital system was not going to occur, and now BC physicians have questions about the appropriateness of your public health policies.”
Malthouse has been in the “family medical practice” for over 40 years and has been a member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. since 1978. Currently, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia lists Malthouse as an actively practicing family physician in Denman Island.
In his letter to Henry, Malthouse wrote that the “epidemiological evidence clearly shows” that the COVID-19 “pandemic” is indeed over.
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: No to mask mandates Show Petition Text 116233 have signed the petition. Let's get to 125000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition PETITION UPDATE (8/27/2020) Thank you for continuing to SIGN and SHARE this petition, which asks policymakers at all levels of government to reverse mandatory mask orders within their borders. Facebook has restored the share link for this petition, saying that the decision to block it was a 'mistake...' Please share with your Facebook friends, but we should all take heed of this warning: when an organization or individuals have to beg, plead and cajole just to express objective truths, it may be time to start looking for other social networking platforms. Facebook needs to treat its users with respect, no matter their political persuasion. Moreover, Facebook needs to treat objective reality and facts with more respect. One-size-fits-all oppressive government mask mandates must stop! Healthy adults and children should not be forced - by the state - to wear masks when the risk of infection is low and the benefit of wearing a mask is highly questionable. ________________________________________________________________________________________ PETITION UPDATE (8/25/2020) Facebook is actively censoring this petition, saying that some people find it 'abusive.' How anyone could find alternate facts about oppressive mask mandates 'abusive' is incredible...that is, impossible to believe. This is exactly the kind of censorship which Big Tech is getting a bad reputation for. The fact that Facebook calls differing opinion and objective reality "abusive" says a lot about Facebook and their agenda to silence reason and logic, not just conservatives and Christians. But, people are more intelligent than Facebook give them credit for. And, the more this continues, the more reasonable people will look alternate platforms to share their thoughts and connect with their friends and family. The more that happens, the less revenue Facebook will generate. All of us have a decision to make, and the time is coming where we might have to tell our Facebook friends that we are moving to another platform. We are encouraging people to continue SIGNING this petition and SHARING it via other platforms such as Parler and Gab, and to share the link below with your family and friends on Whatsapp, Telegram, Threema and Signal. Thank you! ________________________________________________________________________________________ One-size-fits-all oppressive government mask mandates must stop! Healthy adults and children should not be forced - by the state - to wear masks when the risk of infection is low and the benefit of wearing a mask is highly questionable. Please SIGN this petition which asks policymakers at all levels of government to reverse mandatory mask mandates within their borders. Public health policies should be based on science and logic, not on the type of political posturing and virtue-signaling which led Joe Biden to recently call for a national mask mandate. And, public health policies certainly shouldn't lead to a situation where more people could become sick. But, that is exactly what these mandatory mask mandates are doing. Here are four inconvenient facts about masks: 1) Masks** are largely ineffective at stopping the transmission of viruses. The vast majority of masks worn by the public are made from material which cannot filter-out viruses because virus particles are too small to catch or obstruct. Wearing cloth masks to stop a virus is like putting a bee in a bird cage to keep it from flying away. Wearing a mask for long periods of time ensures that the wearer has a warm and moist receptacle around his or her mouth, on which viruses and bacteria can land and accumulate. Thus, masks are actually likely to have little effect in stopping the spread of COVID-19 acting as a barrier, but could actually make things worse acting as a receptacle. 2) Mandates which call for masks to be worn outdoors are both absurd and oppressive. 3) There are clearly documented hazards of wearing masks for long periods of time. 4) And, since school is on everyone's mind... Notwithstanding the above information on the ineffectiveness of most masks against viruses, we don't know if asymptomatic children can even transmit the virus. But, it was a reported in an article in the July 21, 2020 Uk Times that: "There has been no recorded case of a teacher catching the coronavirus from a pupil anywhere in the world, according to one of the UK government's leading scientific advisers." And, we also know that children are extremely unlikely to get seriously ill or die from COVID infections. In any case, children cannot possibly be expected to wear a mask properly in a way that would cut transmission. There are still a lot of unknowns about COVID-19, but we have grown in our understanding of this disease since the beginning of the crisis. The knowledge we have gained should allow government and health authorities to make more nuanced policies than the current one-size-fits-all mask mandates. Where are the legislative hearings in county commissions, and state, provincial or federal legislatures before these drastic actions are mandated? Where are the open and transparent debates among experts that provide our representatives with the necessary information to make good policy decisions? The real pandemic is the panic and the resulting tyranny that is being caused by dictatorial governors, corporate media and the monopolistic Big Tech. The truth is that COVID-19 is like a bad cold for most people; this is not ebola or the plague. Of course, the very elderly and those with serious health conditions should take precautions or be quarantined, but the rest of society should begin the long process of returning to normality. The frenzy to force everyone to wear a mask, at all times, has gone beyond all comprehension, and goes against science and logic. Please SIGN this petition which asks policymakers at all levels of government to reverse any mandatory mask order within the borders of their county, state, province, or country. Thank you! FOR MORE INFORMATION: 'Explosion in mandatory masking isn’t driven by science, but fear', PART I - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/explosion-in-mandatory-masking-isnt-driven-by-science-but-fear 'Explosion in mandatory masking isn’t driven by science, but fear', PART II - https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/explosion-in-mandatory-masking-isnt-driven-by-science-but-fear-part-ii OSHA Document on Surgical Masks and Respirators stating that surgical masks do NOT prevent airborne particles (e.g. viruses) from being inhaled - https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3219.pdf 'PETER HITCHENS: Face masks turn us into voiceless submissives - and it’s not science forcing us to wear them, it’s politics' - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-8537489/PETER-HITCHENS-Face-masks-turn-voiceless-submissives.html **Here, we are referring to the masks worn by the vast majority of the public, not to specialist masks or respirator-type masks. ***Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
“No second wave will follow. The evidence has been available for at least 4–5 months and is irrefutable. Yet, in spite of this substantial body of research, your office is perpetuating the narrative that a pandemic still exists and a second wave is expected,” wrote Malthouse, referencing a report noting a former Chief Science Officer for Pfizer who said, ‘there is no science to suggest a second wave should happen.’”
“This false story is being used to justify public health policies that appear to have no health benefits, have already caused considerable harm, and threaten to create more harm in the future.”
As of today, B.C. lists 254 deaths attributed to COVID-19. On Monday, despite 69 people listed as in hospital and 18 in the ICU due to COVID-19, Henry sounded the alarm that her province is in its “second wave.”
“One can say that we are in our second wave here of our COVID-19 storm in B.C. But we have control over what that wave looks like,” said Henry to reporters Monday.
Currently, B.C. is in Phase 3 of its re-opening regime, with restrictions still in place for many businesses such as restaurants and bars, which must close by 11:00 P.M.
Churches and other places of worship are still limited to only 50 attendees, far below the limit in the neighboring province of Alberta, which does not put a limit on how many can attend church.
In his letter to Henry, Malthouse mentioned the nation of Sweden, which did not have extreme lockdown measures, as a place that has “largely escaped” the mess caused by lockdowns.
“As you are aware, Sweden took an entirely different approach … and has also largely escaped the financial ruin and catastrophic mental health problems experienced in other countries, including Canada and the U.S.A,” wrote Malthouse.
Malthouse blasted the fact that promoting the use of vitamins and minerals as a way to boost one’s immune system in the fight against sickness has been “absent” from published government information on COVID-19.
“Surprisingly, the recommendation for reducing COVID-19 morbidity and mortality by supplementing with vitamin D, a measure that is supported by high-quality research, has been absent from your frequent public broadcasts and professional bulletins,” wrote Malthouse.
He then said that as far as he was aware, Henry has never noted something “as simple as vitamin D supplements” as a “convenient” way of improving one's immune system, especially for those most vulnerable to COVID-19.
“Optimizing nutrition is a convenient, inexpensive, and safe method of improving immune resistance and has been confirmed through numerous studies for both prevention and treatment of COVID-19,” wrote Malthouse.
In his letter, Malthouse also mentioned the controversy around the accuracy of PCR tests as the method to detect COVID-19, bringing up a New York Times report that concluded that PCR testing can show up to 90% false positives.
“The PCR test was never designed, intended or validated to be used as a diagnostic tool,” wrote Malthouse.
Regarding “case counts” of those who show a positive COVID-19 test result, Malthouse wrote that Henry should not use this as a means to cause “panic” in the public.
“The public health definition of a ‘case’ is very broad. As all experienced doctors know, a ‘case’ is a patient with significant symptoms who is often hospitalized. A ‘case’ is not a person who simply has a questionably positive PCR test and presents with no symptoms or an unrelated diagnosis,” wrote Malthouse.
“Nevertheless, your public announcements repeatedly emphasize that the “case” counts are rising and we are in big trouble[.] … It is your duty as the provincial health officer to provide facts, not propaganda, and make every effort to stop the public panic. The only reason for emphasizing ‘cases’ is to induce more fear and thereby compliance in the name of promised safety.”
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lifesitenews--2020-10-23--Archbishop Viganò responds to reports Pope will skip Midnight Mass on Christmas

October 23 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – On October 19 , an article appeared in the Italian daily , Il Messaggero , entitled , “ Christmas , the Pope ’ s midnight Mass is skipped over ; restrictions on All Saints ’ Day celebrations : the bishops impose rigor.
” According to its author , Franca Giansoldati , the Midnight Mass on Christmas has not been included on the calendar of papal liturgical celebrations , while the December 25 Blessing Urbi et Orbi is indicated .
This news , insofar as it corresponds to the actual decisions of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Pontiff , suggests that the Holy See wants to replicate the unfortunate lockdown of past months , which deprived the faithful of the Mass and the Sacraments , even on Easter .
If this were the case , it would confirm the Holy See ’ s intention to support the “ pandemic ” media narrative .
Yet , according to recent statements made by the Italy ’ s Higher Institute of Health , the “ pandemic ” has a mortality rate equal to the normal seasonal flu .
This latest news has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandoned by a hierarchy that found a way to gather in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Cœli for a syncretistic rite presided by Jorge Mario Bergoglio , but which does not hesitate to suspend the celebration of Holy Mass on the Night in which the Church celebrates the Birth of the Savior .
The process of demolishing the faithful ’ s most beloved traditions , carried out by those to whom the Lord has entrusted the government of His Church , continues relentlessly .
On the one hand , through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human fraternity that is independent of God ’ s paternity , and on the other , through the methodical cancellation of liturgical solemnities , beginning with Holy Easter and continuing with Christmas .
I invite all Catholics to pray and do penance , imploring Heaven that this umpteenth outrage against the Majesty of God , the honor of the Church , and the souls of the faithful be averted .
I also exhort the Shepherds of the Church to raise their voices in defense of the flock entrusted to them , reminding them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

This latest news has left the faithful bewildered, scandalized and abandoned by a hierarchy that found a way to gather in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Cœli for a syncretistic rite presided by Jorge Mario Bergoglio, but which does not hesitate to suspend the celebration of Holy Mass on the Night in which the Church celebrates the Birth of the Savior.
October 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – On October 19, an article appeared in the Italian daily, Il Messaggero, entitled, “Christmas, the Pope’s midnight Mass is skipped over; restrictions on All Saints’ Day celebrations: the bishops impose rigor.” According to its author, Franca Giansoldati, the Midnight Mass on Christmas has not been included on the calendar of papal liturgical celebrations, while the December 25 Blessing Urbi et Orbi is indicated.
This news, insofar as it corresponds to the actual decisions of the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, suggests that the Holy See wants to replicate the unfortunate lockdown of past months, which deprived the faithful of the Mass and the Sacraments, even on Easter. If this were the case, it would confirm the Holy See’s intention to support the “pandemic” media narrative. Yet, according to recent statements made by the Italy’s Higher Institute of Health, the “pandemic” has a mortality rate equal to the normal seasonal flu.
This latest news has left the faithful bewildered, scandalized and abandoned by a hierarchy that found a way to gather in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Cœli for a syncretistic rite presided by Jorge Mario Bergoglio, but which does not hesitate to suspend the celebration of Holy Mass on the Night in which the Church celebrates the Birth of the Savior.
The process of demolishing the faithful’s most beloved traditions, carried out by those to whom the Lord has entrusted the government of His Church, continues relentlessly. On the one hand, through the utopian affirmation of a Masonic brand of human fraternity that is independent of God’s paternity, and on the other, through the methodical cancellation of liturgical solemnities, beginning with Holy Easter and continuing with Christmas.
I invite all Catholics to pray and do penance, imploring Heaven that this umpteenth outrage against the Majesty of God, the honor of the Church, and the souls of the faithful be averted. I also exhort the Shepherds of the Church to raise their voices in defense of the flock entrusted to them, reminding them of their grave responsibility before the Lord.
+ Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop
Official translation
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lifesitenews--2020-10-23--Australia: 4 babies dead after COVID-19 lockdowns prevent life-saving surgery

ADELAIDE , Australia , October 23 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Four babies with heart conditions have died in the Australian city of Adelaide within the last four weeks because coronavirus travel restrictions prevented them from being transferred to an out-of-state hospital capable of providing life-saving surgery .
The Women ’ s and Children ’ s Hospital of Adelaide , where the infants were born , was not equipped with a cardiac unit to save the babies ’ lives .
Normally , the hospital would have simply transferred the children to Melbourne ’ s Royal Children ’ s Hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the babies could not be brought to the clinic because of Victoria ’ s draconian lockdowns .
Dr. Catherine Lennon , New South Wales president of Doctors for Life , told LifeSiteNews , “ The tragic deaths of four infants in Adelaide who were unable to have lifesaving heart surgery needs urgent investigation by the government .
The border closures are so strict that lifesaving treatment in other states was not allowed .
The [ COVID-19 ] pandemic has caused lengthy unpredictable state border closures in Australia.
” “ However , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compassion for these families , ” continued Lennon .
“ This is causing unnecessary suffering such as the deaths of these four newborn babies .
Their heart problems should have been treated urgently at Melbourne or another specialised centre that provides Paediatric Cardiothoracic surgery.
” The cluster of deaths triggered a review by hea.th authorities .
John Svigos , an obstetrician and gynecologist at Women ’ s and Children ’ s Hospital , addressed a Select Committee of Health Services in Southern Australia in which he affirmed that Adelaide was the only mainland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surgery .
Infants and children in critical condition were transferred interstate .
Svigos told the South Australian parliament ’ s public health services committee , “ In our current COVID situation … the usual process of referral to the Melbourne cardiac unit is no longer tenable.
” It remains unclear why the government did not lift the very travel restrictions designed to save lives in these infants ’ life-or-death circumstances .
It is also not clear why the babies were not airlifted to a hospital with a cardiac unit geared towards newborns in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews denies any restrictions are to blame .
In an interview with ABC Radio Adelaide , the former chief executive of Royal Children 's Hospital in Melbourne , Dr. John de Campo , explained “ the practice over the past two decades had been to send severely ill infants from Adelaide to Melbourne for specialist treatment … I don ’ t know the reason these babies weren ’ t sent , nor the diseases they had and whether they were operable diseases or not — that ’ s all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underway and is expected to last a few weeks .
Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Mike Cusack had said that an internal investigation of the Adelaide hospital showed no signs of negligence on their part .

Draconian lockdowns in the state of Victoria made airlifting the babies from Adelaide to a hospital in Melbourne impossible.
ADELAIDE, Australia, October 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Four babies with heart conditions have died in the Australian city of Adelaide within the last four weeks because coronavirus travel restrictions prevented them from being transferred to an out-of-state hospital capable of providing life-saving surgery.
The Women’s and Children’s Hospital of Adelaide, where the infants were born, was not equipped with a cardiac unit to save the babies’ lives. Normally, the hospital would have simply transferred the children to Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital in the state of Victoria. However, the babies could not be brought to the clinic because of Victoria’s draconian lockdowns.
Dr. Catherine Lennon, New South Wales president of Doctors for Life, told LifeSiteNews, “The tragic deaths of four infants in Adelaide who were unable to have lifesaving heart surgery needs urgent investigation by the government. The border closures are so strict that lifesaving treatment in other states was not allowed. The [COVID-19] pandemic has caused lengthy unpredictable state border closures in Australia.”
“However, not enough medical exemptions are being considered nor compassion for these families,” continued Lennon. “This is causing unnecessary suffering such as the deaths of these four newborn babies. Their heart problems should have been treated urgently at Melbourne or another specialised centre that provides Paediatric Cardiothoracic surgery.”
The cluster of deaths triggered a review by hea.th authorities. John Svigos, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Women’s and Children’s Hospital, addressed a Select Committee of Health Services in Southern Australia in which he affirmed that Adelaide was the only mainland capital that did not perform pediatric cardiac surgery. Infants and children in critical condition were transferred interstate.
Svigos told the South Australian parliament’s public health services committee, “In our current COVID situation … the usual process of referral to the Melbourne cardiac unit is no longer tenable.”
It remains unclear why the government did not lift the very travel restrictions designed to save lives in these infants’ life-or-death circumstances. It is also not clear why the babies were not airlifted to a hospital with a cardiac unit geared towards newborns in a state other than Victoria.
Meanwhile, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews denies any restrictions are to blame.
— Article continues below Petition — PETITION: Reject totalitarianism - Australians pledge not to vote Labor! Show Petition Text 5114 have signed the petition. Let's get to 6000 ! Thank you for signing this petition! Add your signature: Show Petition Text Country... State... Sign this Petition ALP Premier Daniel Andrews Photo Credit: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images Although the Australian Labor Party (ALP) has been accused of government overreach on other issues, the COVID crisis has clearly demonstrated that Labor should not be in power again, for a very, very long time. Over the last six months, Victorians have endured an authoritarian abuse of power, and their ALP government has become the laughing-stock of western democracies. Premier Daniel Andrews simply cannot be trusted to govern ever again. Please SIGN this petition pledging not to vote Labor. Here is short list of laws, directives and proposals which show how the ALP have forfeited their right to govern: Allowing only 48 hours for public submissions, Labor's Omnibus Bill, now amended, would have authorised arbitrary arrest and indefinite detention for "pre-crime"
Victorian Labor hastily appointed private security firms to guard those in mandatory hotel quarantine. Some guards underwent diversity training but no Covid training, and ended up fraternizing with those in quarantine, thereby triggering the second wave which led to even harsher lockdowns measures. Premier Andrews had the audacity to deny knowledge of who appointed private security firms to the task, and then rolled his Health Minister to avoid responsibility.
Andrews' Labor Party imposed a nightly curfew, which was only just suspended last week when a private citizen was about to take out an injunction in court and in the process discovered that the curfew was not based on either medical, departmental or police advice – the ALP just thought this would be a good idea.
Churches remain closed and baptisms are forbidden under pain of a $10,000 penalty. The Last Rites were denied to dying Catholics, with the Health Department absurdly suggesting that anointing could somehow be done by teleconference instead
Meanwhile pubs and clubs are reopening across the state and the government is midway through a review looking at whether fully decriminalising sex work would achieve better public health outcomes. Think about it. Arbitrary arrest and detention for "pre-crime" read right out of a dystopian novel. But this is really happening, right now. However, your pledge not to vote Labor can help ensure that it doesn't happen again. Please SIGN now, and pledge to not vote Labor. Thank you! FOR MORE INFORMATION: '‘All this can be avoided if people don’t protest’: Politician after police stomp on man’s head' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/all-this-can-be-avoided-if-people-dont-protest-politician-after-police-stomp-on-mans-head 'New Australia COVID lockdown law empowers indefinite detention of citizens' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/new-australia-covid-lockdown-law-empowers-indefinite-detention-of-citizens '13 Australian doctors tell govt to end lockdowns: 'They’re causing unprecedented negative…outcomes'' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/13-australian-doctors-tell-govt-to-end-lockdowns-theyre-causing-unprecedented-negative-outcomes-1 Hide Petition Text Sign this Petition
In an interview with ABC Radio Adelaide, the former chief executive of Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Dr. John de Campo, explained “the practice over the past two decades had been to send severely ill infants from Adelaide to Melbourne for specialist treatment … I don’t know the reason these babies weren’t sent, nor the diseases they had and whether they were operable diseases or not — that’s all behind the curtain.”
A review is underway and is expected to last a few weeks. Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Mike Cusack had said that an internal investigation of the Adelaide hospital showed no signs of negligence on their part.
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