lifesitenews--2020-06-10--Trump tweets Archbishop Viganò’s open letter published by LifeSiteNews: ‘I hope everyone…reads it’

WASHINGTON , D.C. , June 10 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – President Donald Trump has responded to Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò ’ s open letter to him , published June 6 by LifeSiteNews .
“ So honored by Archbishop Viganò ’ s incredible letter to me , ” wrote the President in a Tweet .
“ I hope everyone , religious or not , reads it !
” he added .
In his powerful letter , Archbishop Viganò , who rose to international prominence in 2018 as a Vatican whistleblower , warned the President that the current crises over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riots are a part of the eternal spiritual struggle between the forces of good and evil .
The Archbishop encouraged the president to continue the fight on behalf of the “ children of light.
” The letter has been viewed nearly 2.5 million times on LifeSiteNews .
Within a half-hour , the president ’ s Tweet had already been liked nearly 30,000 times .
Viganò , who served as Papal Nuncio to the United States from 2011 to 2016 , made headlines around the world when he published an explosive testimony in LifeSiteNews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several senior prelates in covering up Archbishop Theodore McCarrick ’ s alleged sexual abuse of seminarians and priests .
Although the Archbishop found it necessary for his own safety to go into hiding , he has continued to be an important voice in the church , offering insights into the inner workings of the Catholic hierarchy — including the Vatican — that only a man who has reached such a high stature in the Church could offer .
In his letter to the president , Archbishop Viganò interpreted recent events facing the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in spiritual terms , calling attention to the ancient biblical battle between “ children of light ” and the “ children of darkness.
” He explained to the President that forces of darkness are now clearly revealing themselves : In society , Mr. President , these two opposing realities co-exist as eternal enemies , just as God and Satan are eternal enemies .
And it appears that the children of darkness – whom we may easily identify with the deep state which you wisely oppose and which is fiercely waging war against you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show their cards , so to speak , by now revealing their plans .
They seem to be so certain of already having everything under control that they have laid aside that circumspection that until now had at least partially concealed their true intentions .
The investigations already under way will reveal the true responsibility of those who managed the Covid emergency not only in the area of health care but also in politics , the economy , and the media .
We will probably find that in this colossal operation of social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fate of humanity , arrogating to themselves the right to act against the will of citizens and their representatives in the governments of nations .
The Archbishop also praised the President for standing up for the unborn and religious liberty : For the first time , the United States has in you a President who courageously defends the right to life , who is not ashamed to denounce the persecution of Christians throughout the world , who speaks of Jesus Christ and the right of citizens to freedom of worship .
Your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and more recently your proclamation of the month of April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month , are actions that confirm which side you wish to fight on .
And I dare to believe that both of us are on the same side in this battle , albeit with different weapons .
Archbishop Viganò also drew attention to the presence of a deep church working hand in hand with the deep state to create a new world order .
He wrote : “ There are Bishops ... who , by their words , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposing side .
They are subservient to the deep state , to globalism , to aligned thought , to the New World Order which they invoke ever more frequently in the name of a universal brotherhood which has nothing Christian about it , but which evokes the Masonic ideals of those who want to dominate the world by driving God out of the courts , out of schools , out of families , and perhaps even out of churches.
” The former nuncio to the United States concluded : Mr. President , my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American nation , where I had the privilege and honor of being sent by Pope Benedict XVI as Apostolic Nuncio .
In this dramatic and decisive hour for all of humanity , I am praying for you and also for all those who are at your side in the government of the United States .
I trust that the American people are united with me and you in prayer to Almighty God .
United against the Invisible Enemy of all humanity , I bless you and the First Lady , the beloved American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of good will .
Editor ’ s note : Archbishop Vigano discusses the spiritual battle that is raging on in his letter .
You are not alone in your beliefs on life , faith , family and freedom .
Join LifeSiteNews on the Frontlines of the battlefield as we work to expose the darkness and transform our culture through news media .
Donate now through this secure link .

PETITION: Ask Archbishop Gregory to apologize to President Trump and the Knights of Columbus! Sign the petition here.
UPDATED: July 14, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 10, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – President Donald Trump has responded to Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s open letter to him, published June 6 by LifeSiteNews.
“So honored by Archbishop Viganò’s incredible letter to me,” wrote the President in a Tweet.
“I hope everyone, religious or not, reads it!” he added.
So honored by Archbishop Viganò’s incredible letter to me. I hope everyone, religious or not, reads it! https://t.co/fVhkCz89g5 — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 10, 2020
In his powerful letter, Archbishop Viganò, who rose to international prominence in 2018 as a Vatican whistleblower, warned the President that the current crises over the coronavirus pandemic and the George Floyd riots are a part of the eternal spiritual struggle between the forces of good and evil.
The Archbishop encouraged the president to continue the fight on behalf of the “children of light.”
The letter has been viewed nearly 4.1 million times on LifeSiteNews.
Within a half-hour, the president’s Tweet had already been liked nearly 30,000 times.
By July 14, the tweet has been “liked” more than 140,000 times and the John-Henry Weston show video on the letter to Trump has so far received 332,786 views.
The letter and Trump’s tweet about it was covered by numerous national and international media such as Fox News, The Washington Post (in its typically slanted manner), the UK Daily Mail, the Sun in the UK, the Daily Caller, the Gellerreport,Glennbeck.com and many of the most prominent and other Catholic media such as the US bishops’ CNS News service, the giant Catholic EWTN network, the National Catholic Register, Catholic World Report magazine, the CruxNow news service, The Catholic Herald in the UK, Italy’s prominent Marco Tosatti blog, Complicit Clergy, the Edward Pentin blog, Catholic on line, a Remnant TV video, a Taylor Marshal video and very many more. The NY Times has ignored the story about the letter.
Viganò, who served as Papal Nuncio to the United States from 2011 to 2016, made headlines around the world when he published an explosive testimony in LifeSiteNews in August 2018 implicating Pope Francis and several senior prelates in covering up Archbishop Theodore McCarrick’s alleged sexual abuse of seminarians and priests. Although the Archbishop found it necessary for his own safety to go into hiding, he has continued to be an important voice in the church, offering insights into the inner workings of the Catholic hierarchy — including the Vatican — that only a man who has reached such a high stature in the Church could offer.
In his letter to the president, Archbishop Viganò interpreted recent events facing the nation, the Church, and the Presidency in spiritual terms, calling attention to the ancient biblical battle between “children of light” and the “children of darkness.”
He explained to the President that forces of darkness are now clearly revealing themselves:
In society, Mr. President, these two opposing realities co-exist as eternal enemies, just as God and Satan are eternal enemies. And it appears that the children of darkness – whom we may easily identify with the deep state which you wisely oppose and which is fiercely waging war against you in these days – have decided to show their cards, so to speak, by now revealing their plans. They seem to be so certain of already having everything under control that they have laid aside that circumspection that until now had at least partially concealed their true intentions. The investigations already under way will reveal the true responsibility of those who managed the Covid emergency not only in the area of health care but also in politics, the economy, and the media. We will probably find that in this colossal operation of social engineering there are people who have decided the fate of humanity, arrogating to themselves the right to act against the will of citizens and their representatives in the governments of nations.
The Archbishop also praised the President for standing up for the unborn and religious liberty:
For the first time, the United States has in you a President who courageously defends the right to life, who is not ashamed to denounce the persecution of Christians throughout the world, who speaks of Jesus Christ and the right of citizens to freedom of worship. Your participation in the March for Life, and more recently your proclamation of the month of April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, are actions that confirm which side you wish to fight on. And I dare to believe that both of us are on the same side in this battle, albeit with different weapons.
Archbishop Viganò also drew attention to the presence of a deep church working hand in hand with the deep state to create a new world order. He wrote: “There are Bishops … who, by their words, prove that they are aligned on the opposing side. They are subservient to the deep state, to globalism, to aligned thought, to the New World Order which they invoke ever more frequently in the name of a universal brotherhood which has nothing Christian about it, but which evokes the Masonic ideals of those who want to dominate the world by driving God out of the courts, out of schools, out of families, and perhaps even out of churches.”
The former nuncio to the United States concluded:
Mr. President, my prayer is constantly turned to the beloved American nation, where I had the privilege and honor of being sent by Pope Benedict XVI as Apostolic Nuncio. In this dramatic and decisive hour for all of humanity, I am praying for you and also for all those who are at your side in the government of the United States. I trust that the American people are united with me and you in prayer to Almighty God. United against the Invisible Enemy of all humanity, I bless you and the First Lady, the beloved American nation, and all men and women of good will.
Editor’s note: Archbishop Vigano discusses the spiritual battle that is raging on in his letter. You are not alone in your beliefs on life, faith, family and freedom. Join LifeSiteNews on the Frontlines of the battlefield as we work to expose the darkness and transform our culture through news media. Donate now through this secure link.
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lifesitenews--2020-06-10--Harry Potter star criticized for mansplaining women to pro-reality JK Rowling

HOLLYWOOD , California , June 10 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― Daniel Radcliffe , who played the main character in all eight Harry Potter movies , has been criticized for lecturing the woman whose books made him world-famous on the definition of “ woman.
” Radcliffe , 30 , was jettisoned to stardom after he was selected at age 11 to play the title role in movies based on J.K. Rowling ’ s Harry Potter series .
On Monday , the English actor contracted the female author ’ s recent tweets underscoring that only biological females are women .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Radcliffe wrote in a June 8 blogpost for an LGBT organization named The Trevor Project .
“ Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo [ Rowling ] or I.
” He went on to apologize to fans of Rowling ’ s books for her remarks and to separate the best-selling works from their author .
“ If these books taught you that love is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capable of overcoming anything ; if they taught you that strength is found in diversity , and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups ; if you believe that a particular character is trans , nonbinary , or gender fluid , or that they are gay or bisexual ; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read , and it is sacred , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion nobody can touch that .
It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much.
” Critics were swift to point out that Rowling certainly knows more about being a woman than Radcliffe .
Caroline Farrow , Citizen GO ’ s Campaign Director for the UK and Ireland , told LifeSiteNews that Racliffe ’ s arrogance is “ staggering.
” “ The arrogance of Daniel Radcliffe , a young man who has just hit thirty , telling a woman old enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he owes his entire wealth , career and platform , that she is not qualified to know what it means to be a woman , is simply staggering , ” Farrow said via social media .
“ Radcliffe not only lacks critical thinking skills and common sense , but also it seems , loyalty , humility and respect in disregarding JK Rowling 's own personal experience of womanhood , including experiences of miscarriage and life as a single mother.
” Farrow , whose pro-life , pro-family activism has led to her ongoing abuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointed out that J.K. Rowling was advised to use her initials instead of her given name to disguise her sex .
The campaigner , a married mother of five , also observed that Radcliffe is merely one of a number of celebrities capitalizing on his fame to push a liberal agenda .
“ It ought to be remembered that Radcliffe is just another young woke celebrity male whose opinion carries no more or less weight than any other member of the general public , ” Farrow said .
“ If he wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listen to the voices of those women from all walks of life , including survivors of rape and sexual assault and women from religious minorities who face being forced out of public life , thanks to the introduction of men in their intimate spaces.
” Kellie-Jay Keen , also known as Posie Parker , is well-known in the UK for her posters defining “ woman ” as a “ adult human female.
” Yesterday , after reading Radcliffe ’ s blog post , Keen filmed a video in which she underscored that biological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ m so angry and despairing that I literally could cry , and I don ’ t think it 's just because I ’ m perimenopausal , ” Keen said .
“ Oh , that ’ s something that happens to women .
I ’ m not sure that we can talk about women , ” she continued sarcastically .
“ It ’ s almost like we live in a deeply sexist , misogynist environment created by people on the left.
” Keen suggested that saying “ transgender women are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all lives matter ” to someone who is trying to explain why “ black lives matter.
” She explained that women need female-only spaces when they are most vulnerable : when menstruating , when taking refuge in a women ’ s shelter , when sick in hospital .
Picking up on J.K. Rowling ’ s original controversial tweet , Keen stated that the “ embarrassing nature of periods ” is something that Radcliffe will never understand .
Saying “ transwomen are women ” is tantamount to saying that “ women aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or valid enough to actually have our own identity , ” Keen said .
Women were not the only people who objected to the former child star ’ s intervention .
Dr. Debbie Hayton , a self-described transexual and “ trans realist , ” has written Tweets and articles supporting Rowling and the traditional definition of woman .
“ By Dan Radcliffe : ‘ Transgender women are women .
Any statement to the contrary … , ’ ” Hayton tweeted .
“ Any statement to the contrary is more likely to be consistent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women !
” he added .
“ Children are being told lies .
No wonder their mental health is suffering.
” Hayton has been accused of “ hate ” for wearing a T-shirt reading “ Transwomen are men .
Get over it.
” On Saturday , J.K. Rowling caused a firestorm when she mocked the headline of an article in online charity magazine Devex.com .
The headline reads “ Opinion : Creating a more equal post-Covid 19 world for people who menstruate.
” “ I 'm sure there used to be a word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 54 , wrote in what is now a viral tweet .
“ Someone help me out .
Wumben ?
Wimpund ?
Woomud ?
” She also wrote a tweet underscoring the reality of biological sex and its important in shaping lived experience .
“ If sex isn ’ t real , the lived reality of women globally is erased .
I know and love trans people , but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives .
It isn ’ t hate to speak the truth.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ every trans person ’ s right to live any way that feels authentic to them ” but also that her own life had “ been shaped by being female.
” “ I do not believe it is hateful to say so , ” she insisted .

HOLLYWOOD, California, June 10, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― Daniel Radcliffe, who played the main character in all eight Harry Potter movies, has been criticized for lecturing the woman whose books made him world-famous on the definition of “woman.”
Radcliffe, 30, skyrocketed to stardom after he was selected at age 11 to play the title role in movies based on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. On Monday, the English actor contradicted the female author’s recent tweets underscoring that only biological females are women.
“Transgender women are women,” Radcliffe wrote in a June 8 blogpost for an LGBT organization named The Trevor Project.
“Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo [Rowling] or I.”
He went on to apologize to fans of Rowling’s books for her remarks and to separate the best-selling works from their author.
“If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming anything; if they taught you that strength is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred,” he wrote.
“And in my opinion nobody can touch that. It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much.”
Critics were swift to point out that Rowling certainly knows more about being a woman than Radcliffe. Caroline Farrow,Citizen GO’s Campaign Director for the UK and Ireland, told LifeSiteNews that Radcliffe's arrogance is “staggering.”
“The arrogance of Daniel Radcliffe, a young man who has just hit thirty, telling a woman old enough to be his mother and to whom he owes his entire wealth, career and platform, that she is not qualified to know what it means to be a woman, is simply staggering,” Farrow said via social media.
“Radcliffe not only lacks critical thinking skills and common sense, but also it seems, loyalty, humility and respect in disregarding JK Rowling's own personal experience of womanhood, including experiences of miscarriage and life as a single mother.”
Farrow, whose pro-life, pro-family activism has led to her ongoing abuse at the hands of transgender activists, pointed out that J.K. Rowling was advised to use her initials instead of her given name to disguise her sex.
The campaigner, a married mother of five, also observed that Radcliffe is merely one of a number of celebrities capitalizing on his fame to push a liberal agenda.
“It ought to be remembered that Radcliffe is just another young woke celebrity male whose opinion carries no more or less weight than any other member of the general public,” Farrow said.
“If he wants to educate himself then perhaps he ought to listen to the voices of those women from all walks of life, including survivors of rape and sexual assault and women from religious minorities who face being forced out of public life, thanks to the introduction of men in their intimate spaces.”
Kellie-Jay Keen, also known as Posie Parker, is well-known in the UK for her posters defining “woman” as a “adult human female.” Yesterday, after reading Radcliffe’s blog post, Keen filmed a video in which she underscored that biological realities define what being a woman is.
“I’m so angry and despairing that I literally could cry, and I don’t think it's just because I’m perimenopausal,” Keen said.
“Oh, that’s something that happens to women. I’m not sure that we can talk about women,” she continued sarcastically.
“It’s almost like we live in a deeply sexist, misogynist environment created by people on the left.”
Keen suggested that saying “transgender women are women” is akin to saying “all lives matter” to someone who is trying to explain why “black lives matter.” She explained that women need female-only spaces when they are most vulnerable: when menstruating, when taking refuge in a women’s shelter, when sick in hospital. Picking up on J.K. Rowling’s original controversial tweet, Keen stated that the “embarrassing nature of periods” is something that Radcliffe will never understand.
Saying “transwomen are women” is tantamount to saying that “women aren’t special enough, or important enough, or valid enough to actually have our own identity,” Keen said.
Women were not the only people who objected to the former child star’s intervention. Dr. Debbie Hayton, a self-described transexual and “trans realist,” has written Tweets and articles supporting Rowling and the traditional definition of woman.
“By Dan Radcliffe: ‘Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary …,’” Hayton tweeted.
“Any statement to the contrary is more likely to be consistent with the truth: we aren't women!” he added.
“Children are being told lies. No wonder their mental health is suffering.”
Hayton has been accused of “hate” for wearing a T-shirt reading “Transwomen are men. Get over it.”
On Saturday, J.K. Rowling caused a firestorm when she mocked the headline of an article in online charity magazine Devex.com. The headline reads “Opinion: Creating a more equal post-Covid 19 world for people who menstruate.”
“I'm sure there used to be a word for those people,” Rowling, 54, wrote in what is now a viral tweet. “Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
She also wrote a tweet underscoring the reality of biological sex and its important in shaping lived experience.
“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction,” she wrote.
“If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”
The author asserted that she respects “every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic to them” but also that her own life had “been shaped by being female.”
“I do not believe it is hateful to say so,” she insisted.
Share


lifesitenews--2020-06-10--Experts warn ‘new class system’ could be based on COVID-19 immunity: Live updates

LifeSite ’ s previous ( and future ) live updates on the coronavirus crisis and how it relates to issues our readers care about can be viewed HERE .
Immunity to the coronavirus could be “ a new class system , ” warns an article in The Guardian .
“ Experts predict that if [ coronavirus ] survivors are found to be immune , they could perform a range of jobs and services – such as volunteering in hospitals and nursing homes , caring for coronavirus patients and working in shops and food processing plants – risk-free , ” Miranda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on how authorities , business and society at large respond , they could also be entitled to greater freedoms.
” Bryant pointed to Chile issuing “ release certificates ” to people who “ complete quarantine after testing positive ” for the coronavirus and comments from Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Ezekiel J Emanuel supporting the idea of immunity “ certificates ” or “ passports.
” Emanuel is advising former Vice President and 2020 candidate Joe Biden .
Fauci has been director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for decades and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump ’ s coronavirus response .
June 10 , 2020 , 6:22 p.m. EST : At the National Catholic Register , pro-life social scientist and data expert Dr. Michael New analyzed coronavirus-related abortion data .
“ Has the coronavirus increased the U.S. abortion rate ?
” New asked .
“ Certainly the economic slowdown and the sharp increase in the U.S. unemployment rate have led to widespread economic hardship .
Additionally , research has steadily indicated that a significant percentage of women seeking abortions do so for financial reasons.
” New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortion during the pandemic , as well as the “ only hard data ” available , which comes from Florida .
Abortions in the Sunshine State during the coronavirus have increased by about 3.5 percent .
Medical effectiveness is irrelevant .
Severe indoctrination begins : Your face must be covered .
To decline to wear the Mask means that you don ’ t care about anyone but yourself .
You are selfish .
Next thing you know , someone will declare it a hate crime .
Listen , they say with forked tongue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to wear the Mask -- a small act of charity , an expression of kindness .
You could wear a bandana or a lace scarf or a surgical mask .
No problem .
It ’ s the symbol that counts , the badge of caring .
In preparation for this final unification , something that can only be described as a cult is emerging among the people .
Shall we call it the Cult of the Mask ?
It would fit .
In the same way that we reveal our Catholic Faith by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rosary around our wrist , or wearing a mantilla , so the Mask-wearers signal their belonging to the new consensus by covering their faces .
Some don ’ t like it ; others relish it .
Most of them don ’ t even think about it—sort of like fastening your seatbelt .
It ’ ll keep them safe It would be bad enough if the Maskians just kept to themselves and left the rest of us alone .
But they don ’ t .
Mask-wearing has become a pathological obsession .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a threat to their safety and , more significantly , to their sense of commitment to a great cause .
They fight the phantom danger .
For now , most of their weapons are psychological—shame , ostracism , calumny .
But there are other , more serious attacks on the rise .
Calls to the police , video postings on social media , foul-mouthed confrontations ...
The Archdiocese of Toronto has released a timeline and guidelines for the re-opening of its churches .
They state : Upon the strong recommendation of medical authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hand at this time .
( Since each communicant has the right to receive communion either on the tongue or in the hand , the traditional practice of the option of receiving on the tongue will be restored as soon as the public health situation allows for that ) .
Communicants are instructed to remove their masks , using the straps and without touching the front of their masks , while the person ahead of them is receiving Holy Communion .
June 10 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Dr. Anthony Fauci @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ worst nightmare.
” “ We ’ re still at the beginning of it , ” said Fauci , who has faded from frontpage headlines as the country focuses on protests and civil unrest over the killing of George Floyd .
Fauci ’ s remarks come as the World Health Organization once again flip-flopped its position on whether the coronavirus can be spread through asymptomatic people .
A study by researchers from Harvard medical school , Boston University of Public Health , and Boston Children ’ s Hospital suggests “ coronavirus may have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ early as August last year , ” The Guardian reported yesterday .
The study analyzed satellite imagery of parking lots outside major hospitals and search engine data .
“ In the past few weeks , state officials across the country have blatantly violated the free exercise and free speech rights of religious Americans , ” Senator Josh Hawley , R-MO , wrote to Attorney General Bill Barr in a June 9 letter .
Hawley urged Barr to “ launch a full civil rights investigation ” about the violation of Americans ’ First Amendment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under the coronavirus .
“ As our Constitution allows , Americans have the right to peaceably protest .
Millions of people are rightly angry about the death of George Floyd , and they should be able to protest peacefully , ” Hawley wrote ( emphasis added ) .
“ Now , after two weeks of nationwide protests , no uncertainty remains .
Many jurisdictions across the nation are imposing extraordinarily strict caps on religious gatherings—such as restricting religious gatherings to 10 or fewer people—even as those jurisdictions allow thousands of people to gather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow one but prohibit the other.
” “ Hawley ’ s request to Barr follows a controversial 5–4 Supreme Court decision on May 29 in which the majority upheld California ’ s restrictions on church gatherings as long as they were equally applied to other “ non-essential ” entities , ” the Epoch Times explained .
“ Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority in defending broad state authority in public health matters.
” First Liberty Institute and the Massachusetts Family Institute today sent a letter to Somerville , Massachusetts Mayor Joseph @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city will immediately resume in-person church services on June 14 , 2020 .
The letter was sent on behalf of four churches : Igreja Comunidade Batista Shalom Internacional , Christian Fellowship of Boston , International Church , and Safe House Baptist Church , each represented by First Liberty .
“ Mayor Curtatone ’ s restrictions on churches would prevent even Jesus and the twelve disciples from lawfully gathering in Somerville , ” commented Jeremy Dys , Special Counsel for Litigation and Communications for First Liberty Institute .
“ If thousands of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the First Amendment , certainly churches are able to safely resume in-person religious gatherings.
” In a win for pro-life activists , the New York Times reports : • Are Christians being persecuted under guise of protecting public health ?
• Texas bishop reminds Catholics of Vatican doc affirming right to receive Communion on tongue

Live updates on the coronavirus crisis and how it relates to pro-life issues, faith, and freedom.
LifeSite’s previous (and future) live updates on the coronavirus crisis and how it relates to issues our readers care about can be viewed HERE.
The Western Journal reports that Liberty University “says it finished its semester without any coronavirus cases despite receiving sharp criticism over its president’s decision to keep the campus open for students.”
“Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. was widely condemned for his decision to reopen his campus to students who had nowhere else to go in March,” the outlet explained. Falwell said 1,200 students “came back to stay in the dorms for seven weeks and they were students who either didn’t have high-speed internet, had elderly relatives living at home or were international students.”
June 12, 2020, 11:06 a.m. EST: The conferencing app Zoom, which has been used all around the world to connect people during the coronavirus lockdowns, has admitted to helping the Chinese communist government by suspending the accounts of human rights activists who were virtually commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre or discussing the Hong Kong freedom protests.
June 12, 2020, 10:19 a.m. EST: “Two Catholic priests – Steven Soos and Nicholas Stamos – and a trio of Orthodox Jewish congregants – Elchanan Perr, Daniel Schonborn, and Mayer Mayerfeld – in Brooklyn, represented by the Thomas More Society, filed the suit in the Northern District of New York after mass protests and looting occurred in the Big Apple following George Floyd's death,” Fox News reported an hour ago.
The priests are part of the Society of St. Pius X.
June 10, 2020, 6:22 p.m. EST: At the National Catholic Register, pro-life social scientist and data expert Dr. Michael New analyzed coronavirus-related abortion data.
“Has the coronavirus increased the U.S. abortion rate?” New asked. “Certainly the economic slowdown and the sharp increase in the U.S. unemployment rate have led to widespread economic hardship. Additionally, research has steadily indicated that a significant percentage of women seeking abortions do so for financial reasons.”
New explored the anecdotal and self-reported data about abortion during the pandemic, as well as the “only hard data” available, which comes from Florida. Abortions in the Sunshine State during the coronavirus have increased by about 3.5 percent.
At The Remnant, Susan Claire Potts, Ph.D. wrote today:
Medical effectiveness is irrelevant. Severe indoctrination begins: Your face must be covered. To decline to wear the Mask means that you don’t care about anyone but yourself. You are selfish. Next thing you know, someone will declare it a hate crime. Listen, they say with forked tongue. It’s a little thing to wear the Mask–a small act of charity, an expression of kindness. You could wear a bandana or a lace scarf or a surgical mask. No problem. It’s the symbol that counts, the badge of caring. … In preparation for this final unification, something that can only be described as a cult is emerging among the people. Shall we call it the Cult of the Mask? It would fit. In the same way that we reveal our Catholic Faith by wearing crosses or medals, by twining a rosary around our wrist, or wearing a mantilla, so the Mask-wearers signal their belonging to the new consensus by covering their faces. Some don’t like it; others relish it. Most of them don’t even think about it—sort of like fastening your seatbelt. It’ll keep them safe … It would be bad enough if the Maskians just kept to themselves and left the rest of us alone. But they don’t. Mask-wearing has become a pathological obsession. The freedom of the open-faced is seen as a threat to their safety and, more significantly, to their sense of commitment to a great cause. They fight the phantom danger. For now, most of their weapons are psychological—shame, ostracism, calumny. But there are other, more serious attacks on the rise. Calls to the police, video postings on social media, foul-mouthed confrontations…
The Archdiocese of Toronto has released a timeline and guidelines for the re-opening of its churches. They state:
Upon the strong recommendation of medical authorities, Holy Communion is received only in the hand at this time. (Since each communicant has the right to receive communion either on the tongue or in the hand, the traditional practice of the option of receiving on the tongue will be restored as soon as the public health situation allows for that). Communicants are instructed to remove their masks, using the straps and without touching the front of their masks, while the person ahead of them is receiving Holy Communion.
June 10, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Immunity to the coronavirus could be “a new class system,” warns an article in The Guardian.
“Experts predict that if [coronavirus] survivors are found to be immune, they could perform a range of jobs and services – such as volunteering in hospitals and nursing homes, caring for coronavirus patients and working in shops and food processing plants – risk-free,” Miranda Bryant wrote. “And, depending on how authorities, business and society at large respond, they could also be entitled to greater freedoms.”
Bryant pointed to Chile issuing “release certificates” to people who “complete quarantine after testing positive” for the coronavirus and comments from Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Ezekiel J Emanuel supporting the idea of immunity “certificates” or “passports.”
Emanuel is advising former Vice President and 2020 candidate Joe Biden. Fauci has been director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for decades and is one of the top people leading President Donald Trump’s coronavirus response.
Fauci said Tuesday that the coronavirus is his “worst nightmare.”
“We’re still at the beginning of it,” said Fauci, who has faded from frontpage headlines as the country focuses on protests and civil unrest over the killing of George Floyd.
Fauci’s remarks come as the World Health Organization once again flip-flopped its position on whether the coronavirus can be spread through asymptomatic people.
A study by researchers from Harvard medical school, Boston University of Public Health, and Boston Children’s Hospital suggests “coronavirus may have been present and spreading in Wuhan as early as August last year,” The Guardian reported yesterday. The study analyzed satellite imagery of parking lots outside major hospitals and search engine data.
“In the past few weeks, state officials across the country have blatantly violated the free exercise and free speech rights of religious Americans,” Senator Josh Hawley, R-MO, wrote to Attorney General Bill Barr in a June 9 letter.
Hawley urged Barr to “launch a full civil rights investigation” about the violation of Americans’ First Amendment rights to freedom of assembly and religion under the coronavirus.
“As our Constitution allows, Americans have the right to peaceably protest. Millions of people are rightly angry about the death of George Floyd, and they should be able to protest peacefully,” Hawley wrote (emphasis added). “Now, after two weeks of nationwide protests, no uncertainty remains. Many jurisdictions across the nation are imposing extraordinarily strict caps on religious gatherings—such as restricting religious gatherings to 10 or fewer people—even as those jurisdictions allow thousands of people to gather closely in protests. States cannot allow one but prohibit the other.”
“Hawley’s request to Barr follows a controversial 5–4 Supreme Court decision on May 29 in which the majority upheld California’s restrictions on church gatherings as long as they were equally applied to other “non-essential” entities,” the Epoch Times explained. “Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority in defending broad state authority in public health matters.”
First Liberty Institute and the Massachusetts Family Institute today sent a letter to Somerville, Massachusetts Mayor Joseph Curtatone informing him that several churches in the city will immediately resume in-person church services on June 14, 2020. The letter was sent on behalf of four churches: Igreja Comunidade Batista Shalom Internacional, Christian Fellowship of Boston, International Church, and Safe House Baptist Church, each represented by First Liberty.
“Mayor Curtatone’s restrictions on churches would prevent even Jesus and the twelve disciples from lawfully gathering in Somerville,” commented Jeremy Dys, Special Counsel for Litigation and Communications for First Liberty Institute. “If thousands of people can peacefully protest in the streets under the First Amendment, certainly churches are able to safely resume in-person religious gatherings.”
In a win for pro-life activists, the New York Times reports:
Connecticut’s top health official on Tuesday ordered hospitals that were barring visitors because of the coronavirus to make exceptions for patients with disabilities, after a complaint that the policy violated the civil rights of people who were unable to obtain adequate care for themselves. A family member or care provider, the order says, may now accompany a patient who has a mental, intellectual or physical impairment and requires special assistance. The change came after disability groups filed a complaint with the federal Office for Civil Rights, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, saying that the lack of visitation rights deprived some patients “of their right to make informed decisions and provide informed consent,” and subjected others “to the unnecessary use of physical and chemical restraints.”
Recent LifeSiteNews coverage of the coronavirus crisis includes:
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lifesitenews--2020-06-10--US appeals court mulls whether Hillary Clinton must testify about email scandal

PETITION : Yes to reform .
No to riots & revolution !
Sign the petition here .
June 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Former First Lady and failed Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is back in court , this time arguing that she should not be forced to give a deposition in the Obama-era scandal about her use of a private server for classified emails pertaining to her official business as then-U.S. Secretary of State .
In March , U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth granted a request by conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch to depose Clinton ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cheryl Mills ) on the matter .
At issue is whether the setup was an innocent lapse in judgment , as she has claimed , or a deliberate attempt to flout federal Freedom of Information Act requests and cover up controversial material pertaining to her tenure , most notably her handling of the 2012 terrorist attack on a U.S. embassy in Benghazi , Libya .
Clinton appealed the decision to the D.C .
Circuit Court of Appeals , a three-judge panel of which heard oral arguments last week , the Washington Examiner reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ real purpose ” of deposing the former Secretary of State is “ harassment.
” “ It is certainly within the authority of the district court to hear from the agency head herself about whether there was intent , '' argued Judicial Watch attorney Ramona Cotca , who alleges that Clinton ’ s intent was to “ short-circuit this process by using the most potent weapon in the judicial arsenal to prevent the district court from ever being able to reach a determination of whether there was ever an adequate search.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requested that the court issue a writ of mandamus , which would directly instruct Lamberth to reverse his March decision .
Two of the three judges considering the Clinton team ’ s request ( one Democrat appointee and one Republican ) reportedly expressed concern that granting it would be an “ extraordinary ” move .
The third judge , Robert Wilkins ( also an Obama appointee ) , appeared receptive to Judicial Watch ’ s case , asking , “ Why wouldn ’ t it be relevant to depose Secretary Clinton or Ms. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with either of them or in general about the Benghazi talking points ? ''
On Wednesday , Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton criticized the Trump Justice Department for not taking a more active stance in the case beyond its initial statement that it did not support issuing a writ of mandamus .
Paraphrasing the DOJ ’ s stance as “ we just want to get through these Clinton email cases , we just want to end them and keep it behind us , ” Fitton lambasted the Department for not displaying “ one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the accountability.
” “ Why on earth would you allow your attorneys to come into court and basically dismiss the concerns of tens of millions of Americans about the misconduct of Hillary Clinton ?
” Fitton asked U.S. Attorney General William Barr .
Despite no longer holding or running for public office , Clinton remains an active voice in Democrat circles .
In April , she told former Vice President and 2020 Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden that the COVID-19 outbreak “ would be a terrible crisis to waste , ” as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election ” for ( among other issues ) “ reproductive health care ” ( a euphemism for abortion ) .

PETITION: Yes to reform. No to riots & revolution! Sign the petition here.
June 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Former First Lady and failed Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is back in court, this time arguing that she should not be forced to give a deposition in the Obama-era scandal about her use of a private server for classified emails pertaining to her official business as then-U.S. Secretary of State.
In March, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth granted a request by conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch to depose Clinton (along with her former chief of staff Cheryl Mills) on the matter. At issue is whether the setup was an innocent lapse in judgment, as she has claimed, or a deliberate attempt to flout federal Freedom of Information Act requests and cover up controversial material pertaining to her tenure, most notably her handling of the 2012 terrorist attack on a U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya.
Clinton appealed the decision to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, a three-judge panel of which heard oral arguments last week, the Washington Examiner reported. Clinton’s attorneys contend that the “real purpose” of deposing the former Secretary of State is “harassment.”
“It is certainly within the authority of the district court to hear from the agency head herself about whether there was intent,” argued Judicial Watch attorney Ramona Cotca, who alleges that Clinton’s intent was to “short-circuit this process by using the most potent weapon in the judicial arsenal to prevent the district court from ever being able to reach a determination of whether there was ever an adequate search.”
Specifically, Clinton’s attorneys have requested that the court issue a writ of mandamus, which would directly instruct Lamberth to reverse his March decision.
Two of the three judges considering the Clinton team’s request (one Democrat appointee and one Republican) reportedly expressed concern that granting it would be an “extraordinary” move. The third judge, Robert Wilkins (also an Obama appointee), appeared receptive to Judicial Watch’s case, asking, “Why wouldn’t it be relevant to depose Secretary Clinton or Ms. Mills to clarify who may have corresponded with either of them or in general about the Benghazi talking points?”
On Wednesday, Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton criticized the Trump Justice Department for not taking a more active stance in the case beyond its initial statement that it did not support issuing a writ of mandamus.
Paraphrasing the DOJ’s stance as “we just want to get through these Clinton email cases, we just want to end them and keep it behind us,” Fitton lambasted the Department for not displaying “one wit of concern about the misconduct, about the accountability.”
“Why on earth would you allow your attorneys to come into court and basically dismiss the concerns of tens of millions of Americans about the misconduct of Hillary Clinton?” Fitton asked U.S. Attorney General William Barr.
Despite no longer holding or running for public office, Clinton remains an active voice in Democrat circles. In April, she told former Vice President and 2020 Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden that the COVID-19 outbreak “would be a terrible crisis to waste,” as it makes 2020 a “really high-stakes election” for (among other issues) “reproductive health care” (a euphemism for abortion).
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lifesitenews--2020-06-10--New Catholic book publisher releases out-of-print titles to re-establish Social Kingship of Christ

June 10 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — There ’ s not a lot of book publishers that have a firm grip on the most pressing questions facing Catholics in the modern , post-liberal age .
One that does is Arouca Press .
In my estimation , Arouca Press has taken the lead on a crucially important niche that blends political theory , Thomistic theology , and practical Catholic wisdom that can help laity save their souls from a world and Church gone mad .
One of the most unique books Arouca has released since its founding on October 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obscure , 1940s American Catholic , lay-run periodical called Integrity magazine .
The essays in Integrity are hard hitting and un-ecumenical .
Any conservative or traditional Catholic living in the U.S. who has an interest in political affairs ought to read them .
Read my reviews of it here and here .
Other titles Arouca has for sale include the memoirs of the late Antonio Cardinal Bacci , a long-time Vatican official who served under multiple popes in the 20th century .
They have also released a book critiquing liberalism by French Cardinal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collected works of Carol Robinson , a lay woman who wrote for Integrity .
Arouca also offers many books on spirituality .
So impressive are Arouca ’ s titles that Bishop Athanasius Schneider , Fr .
Gerald Murray , Dr. John Rao and others have written blurbs that appear on the back of several of them .
Earlier this week I interviewed Alex Barbas , a former seminarian turned family man who lives in Ontario , Canada , to learn about why he does what he does and what he hopes to accomplish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is quite simply to publish works which will challenge Catholics to think about the Faith so that they can make a concrete application of the Faith in their daily lives , ” he told me in an email ( read full interview below ) .
Barbas , who sometimes relies on help from volunteers to transcribe manuscripts , tells me his primary aim is to re-publish out-of-print books in order to help “ guide Catholics through the fog of modernity by equipping them with integrity , intelligence , true piety , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 21st century presses on , Catholics stand at the intersection of a changing world .
Globalism itself is not only being called into question but so is the Church ’ s decision to make peace with liberalism .
A growing number of articles and books on topics like “ integralism ” and the Church ’ s teachings on Church-State relations are appearing .
And that ’ s a good thing .
Catholics involved in these debates , as well as those who aren ’ t and who simply want good , quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Arouca Press as a guide in the years ahead .
LifeSite : Why did you start Arouca Press and what would you like to accomplish with it ?
Barbas : Ever since I received the gift of Faith over 20 years ago , I ’ ve had a love for books .
I think this love of books stems – partly at least – from my realization at how little I really know .
I remain a student of the Faith longing for greater clarity yet delighting in the mystery of faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grab my attention .
If I may , let me quote the theologian , Matthias Scheeben : “ …the truths of Christianity would not stir us as they do , nor would they draw us or hearten us , and they would not be embraced by us with such love and joy , if they contained no mysteries….A truth that is easily discovered and quickly grasped can neither enchant nor hold ” ( The Mysteries of Christianity , B. Herder , 1946 ) .
I am continuously stirred .
It was only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put a dream of mine into fruition .
I thought that even though there were countless Catholic publishers who were doing a wonderful job of publishing contemporary works and treasures of the past , there was still room for yet another publisher .
My goal is quite simply to publish works which will challenge Catholics to think about the Faith so that they can make a concrete application of the Faith in their daily lives .
I have often reflected that there can be a danger in making piety a purely abstract concept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to flow from a robust and firm knowledge of the Faith .
Good books can help with this pursuit .
Now , it would be an error to view the Faith as an intellectual plaything to be used and abused through rationalistic inquiry .
The Faith is rational but to have the Faith means to fully embrace Divine Revelation without diminution with all our heart , mind , and soul ( i.e.
, in a holistic manner ) .
Additionally , if we read history honestly we will realize that the Catholic Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interplay between faith and reason ( e.g.
, St. Thomas ’ Summa Theologiae ) avoiding the errors of rationalism and fideism .
Modernity , as a set of imbibed principles orienting all of society – the “ air we breathe , ” so to speak – and having roots going back centuries , does present obstacles to the Catholic who wishes to take the Faith seriously .
Many of our published books , in one way or another , deal with this struggle .
We hope Arouca Press can guide Catholics through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrity , intelligence , true piety , and a deep love for the Faith .
Speaking personally , founding Arouca Press has allowed me to come into contact with ideas and thinkers who have themselves challenged me with their works and discussions and whom I think will challenge others .
What has the feedback been from other Catholics ?
Positive ?
It has been a joy to read all the good feedback received .
Many readers have expressed their appreciation for re-discovering older works or the new books we have published .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are publishing are bearing some fruit and that the time invested has not been in vain !
I always look forward to what the readers have to say regarding our books .
I welcome all comments !
Which Arouca books are your personal favorites ?
That ’ s a difficult question to answer !
Every book we published has a special place in our apostolate .
The first book we published , Meditations for Each Day by Antonio Cardinal Bacci , takes pride of place being the book that started it all .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Rao , Christian Browne , Fr .
Sebastian Walshe ) who have decided to publish their books through Arouca Press , I am most proud of beginning two large projects : 1 ) republishing all of the Integrity periodicals ( 1946-1956 ) , and 2 ) publishing the collected works of Carol Jackson Robinson ( 1911-2002 ) .
These two projects reflect ideas and considerations which I think are still relevant , and as I shall explain later , strike to the heart of the clash between Modernity and Catholicism , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States , have attempted to reconcile the two .
It is quite the drama !
Tell me more about Carol Robinson and how her writings are relevant today ... Where do I even begin !
?
Due to the many gaps in my education , I can not fully explain why I think her writings represent such an interesting and profound analysis of Modernity ’ s grip on the Catholic mind – for that was one of the themes the Integrity writers and Carol Robinson tried to analyze .
However awkwardly , let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few things .
In 1941 , Carol Robinson became a Catholic .
There were two major influences in her life : Paul McGuire ( 1903-1978 ) , an Australian diplomat , author , and Catholic Action lecturer , and the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas as presented to her by the Dominican Order .
Fr .
Francis Wendell , the head of the Third Order Dominicans in the United States , became her mentor , and was instrumental in helping her found the intrepid Catholic periodical , Integrity .
St. Thomas was always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal letter from the 70s ( I believe ) , she states that she used to wake up early in the morning to read the Summa rapt for hours in its brilliance .
She is relatively unknown as an American Catholic author but when I stumbled upon her writings years ago , I was enthralled by her ability to get to the root of the problems assailing a Catholic vision of life .
She is one of the most quotable Catholic authors I have ever read combining wit and wisdom with a fierceness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not motivated by any sort of animus but out of a deep charity informed as she was by a profound faith .
In her first article for Integrity ( October 1946 ) she writes : There is , I think , a tendency in the American context , to make this separation , whether consciously or not .
She was convinced that it was only through the Church ’ s ideals and their concrete implementation in society that any sort of restoration or return to sanity was possible .
She says in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quote her ad nauseam !
It is all the more interesting to read these articles given the on-going debate today regarding the nature and success/failure of the liberal order in society .
Carol Robinson ’ s analysis then becomes quite prescient !
We are in the process of publishing all of these Integrity articles , book reviews , and editorials in a book titled , Thy Faith Hath Made Thee Whole .
Her writings not only reflect social concerns but also the necessity and duty to develop the interior life as opposed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writes with a charm and urgency that is remarkable to read .
Let me quote her again !
The following passage is from a series of essays that I unearthed on the Beatitudes and the Gifts of the Holy Ghost written between 1962 and 1963 ( The Eightfold Kingdom Within ) : In the mid-60s , when society was undergoing such changes and the Church was confronting the enormous pressure to adapt , Carol Robinson decided to pursue a Master ’ s degree in theology at St. John ’ s University .
Afterwards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an all-girls college in upstate New York .
In 1971 , she became a columnist for The Wanderer , and it was there that she tried to make sense of all the new ideas being introduced into the Church .
Her Wanderer articles do retain the earlier wit and vitality from her Integrity years .
However , a stronger insistence is given on the importance of St. Thomas Aquinas , whose abandonment or relegation to irrelevance , she claims , was part of the problem afflicting the clergy after the Council .
Let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Readers may disagree with her insistence on the thought of St. Thomas ( I know the issues are complex ) but she writes as one who had studied him since the 1940s and was convinced St. Thomas couldn ’ t be abandoned without danger .
This collection of articles has been tentatively titled , An Embattled Mind : In Defence of St. Thomas .
We hope to publish this book later in the year .
All of her works do not suffer from a sort of “ abstraction ” but involve a real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reader in 2020 .
We plan on publishing seven books as part of her collected works series .
We are also in possession of many of her personal letters spanning nearly fifty years !
That would be a project requiring years of planning and editing !
We think readers will come to appreciate the rigor and liveliness of her thinking which can contribute something of substance to the often sterile polemics of modern discourse .
What has been the most enlightening aspect of your work ?
Another good question !
The creative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( or receiving good manuscripts ! )
has given me a great source of joy .
Carol Robinson often talked about having a vocation in the wider sense as opposed to merely working at a job .
I think Providence has moved me towards this vocation .
I also would add that the conversations I have had with all those who have helped me with publishing these books ( there are so many to name ! )
have opened up areas of thought that I would have never encountered .
I can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the things I have learned and continue to learn through these discussions .
What books are you working on now and what titles can we expect in the future ?
We are currently working on publishing the memoirs of Antonio Cardinal Bacci which the translator , Dr. Anthony Lo Bello , first translated privately between 1989-1990 and originally published in Italian in 1964 .
This book gives us a tremendous insight into the Cardinal 's thoughts on the Latin language and his service under four popes ( Pius XI , Pius XII @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
We are also working on publishing for the first time in English , A Pilgrimage to Jasna Góra , by Władysław St. Reymont ( 1867-1925 ) , the Nobel-Prize winning Polish author , whose works are sorely unknown in the English-speaking world .
The translator , Filip Mazurczak , is also slated to translate a major work on Catholic social teaching by Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński under condition that we can raise the appropriate funds .
We are waiting for a decision on our grant application .
We have so many other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book on the spirituality of the Premonstratensians in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries , a book on the priesthood , a reprint of a major work on the Sacred Liturgy , and a fascinating book on one of R.A. Lafferty 's works .
The list is seemingly endless .
May the good Lord give us enough strength to complete all these projects !
Do you have any advice for other Catholics living through these confusing times right now ?
I am not comfortable in offering any advice – who am I really ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ publish good books .
All I can say is that it seems to be of even greater importance today to really study the faith and live it integrally in these strange times which see so many rapid changes in society and the Church .
We must cling to the sacraments as much as we can ( it is a great tragedy that these channels of grace are withheld from the faithful ) ; we must pray ; we must develop a deep interior life with a real and infectious joy ; and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a set of ideas born in conflict with the Church , has made tremendous inroads in how Catholics view the world .
The Church offers a counter-vision ( see Billot 's Liberalism ) that is as old as the moment it was founded .
This vision rises above the disagreements between “ conservatives ” and “ liberals ” ; it rises above party politics ; it rises above certain economic theories ; it rises above ideologies serving not the common good or the supernatural end of man , but offers a comprehensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the only remedy for true peace .
If only more people would realize this .
May the reader forgive such verbosity !

June 10, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — There’s not a lot of book publishers that have a firm grip on the most pressing questions facing Catholics in the modern, post-liberal age. One that does is Arouca Press.
In my estimation, Arouca Press has taken the lead on a crucially important niche that blends political theory, Thomistic theology, and practical Catholic wisdom that can help laity save their souls from a world and Church gone mad.
One of the most unique books Arouca has released since its founding on October 13, 2018 is a reprint of an obscure, 1940s American Catholic, lay-run periodical called Integrity magazine.
The essays in Integrity are hard hitting and un-ecumenical. Any conservative or traditional Catholic living in the U.S. who has an interest in political affairs ought to read them. Read my reviews of it here and here.
Other titles Arouca has for sale include the memoirs of the late Antonio Cardinal Bacci, a long-time Vatican official who served under multiple popes in the 20th century. They have also released a book critiquing liberalism by French Cardinal Louis Billot (1846-1931) and the collected works of Carol Robinson, a lay woman who wrote for Integrity. Arouca also offers many books on spirituality.
So impressive are Arouca’s titles that Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Fr. Gerald Murray, Dr. John Rao and others have written blurbs that appear on the back of several of them.
Earlier this week I interviewed Alex Barbas, a former seminarian turned family man who lives in Ontario, Canada, to learn about why he does what he does and what he hopes to accomplish with Arouca Press.
“My goal is quite simply to publish works which will challenge Catholics to think about the Faith so that they can make a concrete application of the Faith in their daily lives,” he told me in an email (read full interview below).
Barbas, who sometimes relies on help from volunteers to transcribe manuscripts, tells me his primary aim is to re-publish out-of-print books in order to help “guide Catholics through the fog of modernity by equipping them with integrity, intelligence, true piety, and a deep love for the Faith.”
As the 21st century presses on, Catholics stand at the intersection of a changing world. Globalism itself is not only being called into question but so is the Church’s decision to make peace with liberalism.
A growing number of articles and books on topics like “integralism” and the Church’s teachings on Church-State relations are appearing. And that’s a good thing. Catholics involved in these debates, as well as those who aren’t and who simply want good, quality Catholic books on spirituality, should look to Arouca Press as a guide in the years ahead.
LifeSite: Why did you start Arouca Press and what would you like to accomplish with it?
Barbas: Ever since I received the gift of Faith over 20 years ago, I’ve had a love for books. I think this love of books stems – partly at least – from my realization at how little I really know. I remain a student of the Faith longing for greater clarity yet delighting in the mystery of faith. It is a juxtaposition which continues to grab my attention. If I may, let me quote the theologian, Matthias Scheeben: “…the truths of Christianity would not stir us as they do, nor would they draw us or hearten us, and they would not be embraced by us with such love and joy, if they contained no mysteries….A truth that is easily discovered and quickly grasped can neither enchant nor hold” (The Mysteries of Christianity, B. Herder, 1946). I am continuously stirred.
It was only in 2018 that I was able to put a dream of mine into fruition. I thought that even though there were countless Catholic publishers who were doing a wonderful job of publishing contemporary works and treasures of the past, there was still room for yet another publisher.
My goal is quite simply to publish works which will challenge Catholics to think about the Faith so that they can make a concrete application of the Faith in their daily lives. I have often reflected that there can be a danger in making piety a purely abstract concept. Piety – I think – has to flow from a robust and firm knowledge of the Faith. Good books can help with this pursuit.
Now, it would be an error to view the Faith as an intellectual plaything to be used and abused through rationalistic inquiry. The Faith is rational but to have the Faith means to fully embrace Divine Revelation without diminution with all our heart, mind, and soul (i.e., in a holistic manner). Additionally, if we read history honestly we will realize that the Catholic Church has always been an advocate of the interplay between faith and reason (e.g., St. Thomas’ Summa Theologiae) avoiding the errors of rationalism and fideism.
Modernity, as a set of imbibed principles orienting all of society – the “air we breathe,” so to speak – and having roots going back centuries, does present obstacles to the Catholic who wishes to take the Faith seriously. Many of our published books, in one way or another, deal with this struggle.
We hope Arouca Press can guide Catholics through the fog of modernity by equipping them with integrity, intelligence, true piety, and a deep love for the Faith. Speaking personally, founding Arouca Press has allowed me to come into contact with ideas and thinkers who have themselves challenged me with their works and discussions and whom I think will challenge others.
What has the feedback been from other Catholics? Positive?
It has been a joy to read all the good feedback received. Many readers have expressed their appreciation for re-discovering older works or the new books we have published. It gives us encouragement that the books we are publishing are bearing some fruit and that the time invested has not been in vain! I always look forward to what the readers have to say regarding our books. I welcome all comments!
Which Arouca books are your personal favorites?
That’s a difficult question to answer! Every book we published has a special place in our apostolate. The first book we published, Meditations for Each Day by Antonio Cardinal Bacci, takes pride of place being the book that started it all. Other than all the authors (Dr. John Rao, Christian Browne, Fr. Sebastian Walshe) who have decided to publish their books through Arouca Press, I am most proud of beginning two large projects: 1) republishing all of the Integrity periodicals (1946-1956), and 2) publishing the collected works of Carol Jackson Robinson (1911-2002). These two projects reflect ideas and considerations which I think are still relevant, and as I shall explain later, strike to the heart of the clash between Modernity and Catholicism, and how Catholics, especially in the United States, have attempted to reconcile the two. It is quite the drama!
Tell me more about Carol Robinson and how her writings are relevant today…
Where do I even begin!? Due to the many gaps in my education, I cannot fully explain why I think her writings represent such an interesting and profound analysis of Modernity’s grip on the Catholic mind – for that was one of the themes the Integrity writers and Carol Robinson tried to analyze. However awkwardly, let me at least try to say a few things.
In 1941, Carol Robinson became a Catholic. There were two major influences in her life: Paul McGuire (1903-1978), an Australian diplomat, author, and Catholic Action lecturer, and the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas as presented to her by the Dominican Order. Fr. Francis Wendell, the head of the Third Order Dominicans in the United States, became her mentor, and was instrumental in helping her found the intrepid Catholic periodical, Integrity. St. Thomas was always by her side, and in a personal letter from the 70s (I believe), she states that she used to wake up early in the morning to read the Summa rapt for hours in its brilliance.
She is relatively unknown as an American Catholic author but when I stumbled upon her writings years ago, I was enthralled by her ability to get to the root of the problems assailing a Catholic vision of life. She is one of the most quotable Catholic authors I have ever read combining wit and wisdom with a fierceness that is sorely needed today. She is not motivated by any sort of animus but out of a deep charity informed as she was by a profound faith. In her first article for Integrity (October 1946) she writes:
The situation is reflected in the Church by an artificial separation by the faithful of the supernatural order and the natural order; a separation of their sacramental lives from their daily lives and work. It is the true contemporary schizophrenia.
There is, I think, a tendency in the American context, to make this separation, whether consciously or not.
She was convinced that it was only through the Church’s ideals and their concrete implementation in society that any sort of restoration or return to sanity was possible. She says in a 1949 Integrity article:
It is sad, then, to observe that so many Catholics think they defend the Church by defending liberal economics departed from fundamental Christian ideas about justice, property, usury and the common good, that it has sired such an unlovely child as Marxism. To an intolerable and unstable economic situation there are two alternative answers: either supersede the errors with worse ones which look like correctives (as Marxism does), or return to Christian principles (as is the platform of Christian “radicals”).
I could quote her ad nauseam! It is all the more interesting to read these articles given the on-going debate today regarding the nature and success/failure of the liberal order in society. Carol Robinson’s analysis then becomes quite prescient! We are in the process of publishing all of these Integrity articles, book reviews, and editorials in a book titled, Thy Faith Hath Made Thee Whole.
Her writings not only reflect social concerns but also the necessity and duty to develop the interior life as opposed to accepting worldly principles and maxims. She writes with a charm and urgency that is remarkable to read. Let me quote her again! The following passage is from a series of essays that I unearthed on the Beatitudes and the Gifts of the Holy Ghost written between 1962 and 1963 (The Eightfold Kingdom Within):
Those who desire the things of this world are not made happy by possessing them; only unhappy by their absence. It is God who makes men happy, but even if God is present in our souls we cannot enjoy Him while we are attached to a thousand material and physical goods. So the process of detachment brings with it not only freedom but also joy, the true light-heartedness that made St. Francis sing as he walked barefoot in the snow.
In the mid-60s, when society was undergoing such changes and the Church was confronting the enormous pressure to adapt, Carol Robinson decided to pursue a Master’s degree in theology at St. John’s University. Afterwards she taught for a few years at an all-girls college in upstate New York. In 1971, she became a columnist for The Wanderer, and it was there that she tried to make sense of all the new ideas being introduced into the Church. Her Wanderer articles do retain the earlier wit and vitality from her Integrity years. However, a stronger insistence is given on the importance of St. Thomas Aquinas, whose abandonment or relegation to irrelevance, she claims, was part of the problem afflicting the clergy after the Council. Let me quote from a 1979 article:
A paralyzed cleric is one who, while himself a believer, cannot reassure his flock that the Church has not changed her essential discipline and doctrine because he cannot meet the challenges of the progressives head on – either to point out their errors or ridicule their premises. He is not sufficiently well grounded in the philosophy of St. Thomas to know why and where to go wrong. So he keeps his mouth shut. During many years we sat in the pews waiting for reassurance and it almost never came.
Readers may disagree with her insistence on the thought of St. Thomas (I know the issues are complex) but she writes as one who had studied him since the 1940s and was convinced St. Thomas couldn’t be abandoned without danger. This collection of articles has been tentatively titled, An Embattled Mind: In Defence of St. Thomas. We hope to publish this book later in the year.
All of her works do not suffer from a sort of “abstraction” but involve a real grounding in reality and hence relevance to the reader in 2020. We plan on publishing seven books as part of her collected works series. We are also in possession of many of her personal letters spanning nearly fifty years! That would be a project requiring years of planning and editing!
We think readers will come to appreciate the rigor and liveliness of her thinking which can contribute something of substance to the often sterile polemics of modern discourse.
What has been the most enlightening aspect of your work?
Another good question! The creative process of finding good books to publish (or receiving good manuscripts!) has given me a great source of joy. Carol Robinson often talked about having a vocation in the wider sense as opposed to merely working at a job. I think Providence has moved me towards this vocation. I also would add that the conversations I have had with all those who have helped me with publishing these books (there are so many to name!) have opened up areas of thought that I would have never encountered. I cannot fully express my gratitude and appreciation for all the things I have learned and continue to learn through these discussions.
What books are you working on now and what titles can we expect in the future?
We are currently working on publishing the memoirs of Antonio Cardinal Bacci which the translator, Dr. Anthony Lo Bello, first translated privately between 1989-1990 and originally published in Italian in 1964. This book gives us a tremendous insight into the Cardinal's thoughts on the Latin language and his service under four popes (Pius XI, Pius XII, John XXIII, and Paul VI).
We are also working on publishing for the first time in English, A Pilgrimage to Jasna Góra, by Władysław St. Reymont (1867-1925), the Nobel-Prize winning Polish author, whose works are sorely unknown in the English-speaking world. The translator, Filip Mazurczak, is also slated to translate a major work on Catholic social teaching by Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński under condition that we can raise the appropriate funds. We are waiting for a decision on our grant application.
We have so many other projects in the works such as a book on the spirituality of the Premonstratensians in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, a book on the priesthood, a reprint of a major work on the Sacred Liturgy, and a fascinating book on one of R.A. Lafferty's works. The list is seemingly endless. May the good Lord give us enough strength to complete all these projects!
Do you have any advice for other Catholics living through these confusing times right now?
I am not comfortable in offering any advice – who am I really? I am simply a Catholic trying to publish good books. All I can say is that it seems to be of even greater importance today to really study the faith and live it integrally in these strange times which see so many rapid changes in society and the Church. We must cling to the sacraments as much as we can (it is a great tragedy that these channels of grace are withheld from the faithful); we must pray; we must develop a deep interior life with a real and infectious joy; and we must never get disoriented.
Liberalism, as a set of ideas born in conflict with the Church, has made tremendous inroads in how Catholics view the world. The Church offers a counter-vision (see Billot's Liberalism) that is as old as the moment it was founded. This vision rises above the disagreements between “conservatives” and “liberals”; it rises above party politics; it rises above certain economic theories; it rises above ideologies serving not the common good or the supernatural end of man, but offers a comprehensive view of man and society. It is the only remedy for true peace. If only more people would realize this.
May the reader forgive such verbosity!
Follow Stephen Stephen Kokx is a journalist for LifeSiteNews. He previously worked for the Archdiocese of Chicago under the late Francis Cardinal George. A former community college instructor, Stephen has written and spoken extensively about Catholic social teaching and politics. His essays have appeared in a variety of outlets, including Catholic Family News, CatholicVote, and Alpha News.
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