lifesitenews--2020-01-18--Sex abuse cover-up by UK police has startling similarities with clergy abuse cover-up

January 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — In my last article on LifeSiteNews , I explained how the reluctance of the U.K ’ .s police and social workers to apply the law on underage sex and on drugs created an environment in which girls , very often in the care of the state , could be targeted by gangs , who groomed , abused , and pimped them over years .
There is an ever-lengthening list of places where well established networks of abusers operated with apparent impunity , with victims in the thousands .
This may sound familiar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse cases .
I distinguished three layers to the problem : the cover-up ; the refusal to face the sociological reality of the gangs ; and , most fundamentally , the assumption that the crimes were not real , or not serious , because the victims must have consented .
These three layers are also at issue in clerical abuse .
On the cover-up aspect , what I ’ d draw attention to is the reason for it .
The problem with the rape gangs went much farther than the common or garden-variety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : it was a systematic cover-up taking place over decades and involving officers at all levels refusing to apply the law ; refusing to respond to victims ; and , now , refusing to testify about the issue .
They feel they can ’ t talk about it openly because it has gone too far : too many senior officers are implicated , and for that matter influential people outside the police , in social services and local government , not to mention prosecutors and politicians .
It wasn ’ t just some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a policy , which everyone went along with .
If going along with a long-term , systematic policy turns out to be dishonest , it will be difficult to find honest members of an organisation to deal with the dishonest ones .
This is where we are with the Church .
Sure , there are good priests and good bishops .
But they knew what was going on .
The ones who made a huge fuss about it the moment they became aware of the issue were thrown out of seminary for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make a positive difference .
We are left with the ones — to generalise — who kept their heads down .
I ’ m not saying they were completely wrong to do so : exactly what they knew and when varies .
My point is that the good guys , insofar as they exist , are impeded in their ability to act now because they did not act then .
They have the uncomfortable feeling that they are being hypocrites .
The second layer of the problem also manifests itself in the ecclesiastical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and still do not want to talk about the fact that the rape gangs are frequently united by a Islamic cultural background .
Since this is obvious when the names and mugshots of convicted members are published , the impression is created that the police are either completely out of touch with reality or deliberately allowing a particular cultural group a free pass on a hideous crime .
It creates a space , in fact , for the kind of backlash represented by Tommy Robinson , and it may yet create the very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of .
In the Church ’ s case , the reality about the nature of the perpetrators , which dare not speak its name , is homosexuality .
It is perfectly obvious that the vast majority of clerical abusers chose adolescent boys as their victims when , as has now happened , lists of perpetrators and victims appear in reports .
And yet , not only do bishops not want to talk about it , but the secular media can be relied on to play along .
Meanwhile , non-mainstream Catholic media have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is a problem because it looks as though bishops are either completely out of touch with reality or are carving out special protections for homosexuals .
How can one hope to cure a disease if the doctors refuse to notice the symptoms ?
The final aspect of the parallel is this .
Actually , Islam is not the fundamental issue in the grooming gangs , nor is homosexuality the fundamental issue with clerical abuse .
Non-Muslims have also got in on the rape gang opportunity , and many clerical abusers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girls and women .
When this happens , the response of the authorities remains the same .
After all , it is not really the case that the U.K. police wanted specifically to allow Muslims to commit these crimes , or that bishops wanted to allow only homosexuals to do so .
The fundamental issue is that they didn ’ t think they were really crimes .
They thought they were consensual , or were mere peccadillos , and that they needn ’ t get involved ... except to cover up .
Bishops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authority did not believe that sexual relationships were really bad for seminarians and priests , and they did not think victimised minors and other vulnerable people were seriously harmed .
They had imbibed these attitudes from fashionable secular psychological theories .
This is what will have to change if clerical abuse is to be curbed .

If going along with a long-term, systematic policy turns out to be dishonest, it will be difficult to find honest members of an organization to deal with the dishonest ones.
January 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — In my last article on LifeSiteNews, I explained how the reluctance of the U.K’.s police and social workers to apply the law on underage sex and on drugs created an environment in which girls, very often in the care of the state, could be targeted by gangs, who groomed, abused, and pimped them over years. There is an ever-lengthening list of places where well established networks of abusers operated with apparent impunity, with victims in the thousands.
This may sound familiar to readers who have been following clerical abuse cases.
I distinguished three layers to the problem: the cover-up; the refusal to face the sociological reality of the gangs; and, most fundamentally, the assumption that the crimes were not real, or not serious, because the victims must have consented. These three layers are also at issue in clerical abuse.
On the cover-up aspect, what I’d draw attention to is the reason for it. The problem with the rape gangs went much farther than the common or garden-variety police tendency to hush up embarrassing events: it was a systematic cover-up taking place over decades and involving officers at all levels refusing to apply the law; refusing to respond to victims; and, now, refusing to testify about the issue.
They feel they can’t talk about it openly because it has gone too far: too many senior officers are implicated, and for that matter influential people outside the police, in social services and local government, not to mention prosecutors and politicians. It wasn’t just some local policeman’s mistake: it was a policy, which everyone went along with. If going along with a long-term, systematic policy turns out to be dishonest, it will be difficult to find honest members of an organisation to deal with the dishonest ones.
This is where we are with the Church. Sure, there are good priests and good bishops. But they knew what was going on. The ones who made a huge fuss about it the moment they became aware of the issue were thrown out of seminary for “rigidity” long before they could make a positive difference. We are left with the ones — to generalise — who kept their heads down.
I’m not saying they were completely wrong to do so: exactly what they knew and when varies. My point is that the good guys, insofar as they exist, are impeded in their ability to act now because they did not act then. They have the uncomfortable feeling that they are being hypocrites.
The second layer of the problem also manifests itself in the ecclesiastical sphere. The British police did not and still do not want to talk about the fact that the rape gangs are frequently united by a Islamic cultural background. Since this is obvious when the names and mugshots of convicted members are published, the impression is created that the police are either completely out of touch with reality or deliberately allowing a particular cultural group a free pass on a hideous crime. It creates a space, in fact, for the kind of backlash represented by Tommy Robinson, and it may yet create the very community conflicts the police are so afraid of.
In the Church’s case, the reality about the nature of the perpetrators, which dare not speak its name, is homosexuality. It is perfectly obvious that the vast majority of clerical abusers chose adolescent boys as their victims when, as has now happened, lists of perpetrators and victims appear in reports. And yet, not only do bishops not want to talk about it, but the secular media can be relied on to play along. Meanwhile, non-mainstream Catholic media have understandably made this a central talking point.
This is a problem because it looks as though bishops are either completely out of touch with reality or are carving out special protections for homosexuals. How can one hope to cure a disease if the doctors refuse to notice the symptoms?
The final aspect of the parallel is this. Actually, Islam is not the fundamental issue in the grooming gangs, nor is homosexuality the fundamental issue with clerical abuse. Non-Muslims have also got in on the rape gang opportunity, and many clerical abusers, if still a minority, have targeted girls and women. When this happens, the response of the authorities remains the same. After all, it is not really the case that the U.K. police wanted specifically to allow Muslims to commit these crimes, or that bishops wanted to allow only homosexuals to do so. The fundamental issue is that they didn’t think they were really crimes. They thought they were consensual, or were mere peccadillos, and that they needn’t get involved…except to cover up.
Bishops, seminary rectors, and others in authority did not believe that sexual relationships were really bad for seminarians and priests, and they did not think victimised minors and other vulnerable people were seriously harmed. They had imbibed these attitudes from fashionable secular psychological theories. This is what will have to change if clerical abuse is to be curbed.
Follow Joseph Dr Joseph Shaw has a Doctorate in Philosophy from Oxford University, where he also gained a first degree in Politics and Philosophy and a graduate Diploma in Theology. He has published on Ethics and Philosophy of Religion and is the editor of The Case for Liturgical Restoration: Una Voce Position Papers on the Extraordinary Form (Angelico Press). He is the Chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales and Secretary of Una Voce International. He teaches Philosophy in Oxford University and lives nearby with his wife and nine children.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-18--Virginia becomes last state needed to add pro-abortion ‘Equal Rights Amendment’ to Constitution

RICHMOND , Virginia , January 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – The Virginia state legislature ratified the pro-abortion Equal Rights Amendment on Wednesday , making the state the 38th and final state ostensibly needed to add the measure to the U.S. Constitution .
The Equal Rights Amendment ( ERA ) has been a feminist goal for nearly a century .
If passed , the ERA would prohibit discrimination based on sex and become a part of the U.S. Constitution , but could also constitutionally protect abortion .
While opponents claim that Virginia ’ s ratification is merely symbolic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force its adoption to the Constitution .
The Democrat-controlled Virginia House passed the resolution in an 59-40 vote , with five Republicans voting with the majority , and it passed in the state senate 28-12 .
In the latter case , seven Republican senators voted for the measure .
In November , the Democrats took over as the majority party in the Virginia state legislature thanks to campaigning by feminist and pro-abortion activists .
But while feminists and liberals are celebrating their legislative victory , it is not yet clear whether the vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symbolic .
The executive director of the pro-life Eagle Forum , Anne Schlafly Cori , told LifeSiteNews that the real purpose of passing the ERA is to underscore abortion rights .
“ There is only one reason why the ERA is brought up for ratification today , and that it is to put abortion rights into the Constitution , ” she said .
Cori said ERA proponents are afraid that the current makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court “ will chip away at Roe v. Wade ( the 1973 decision allowing abortion nationwide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as an end-run around to secure abortion rights.
” As evidence , Cori cited state supreme court decisions in Connecticut and New Mexico that ruled similar ERA language in the constitutions of those states requires taxpayer-funded abortions .
She pointed out that the U.S. Department of Justice has resolved that the votes in favor of ERA in state legislatures and U.S. Congress nearly 50 years ago no longer apply .
Cori said , finally , that proponents of the bill know that the Virginia victory is purely symbolic .
In 1971 , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parties , the ERA proposal was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives , and the Senate approved the measure in 1972 .
It was then submitted to the state legislatures for ratification .
However , because of opposition from pro-life and conservative activists such as Phyllis Schlafly ( the mother of the current leader of the Eagle Forum ) , five state legislatures rescinded their ERA ratifications .
It was thus that the feminists ’ goal of ratification by the required two-thirds of the states was frustrated .
The Virginia vote , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and final state required for ratification , is probably not the last word on the controversial ERA .
While ERA proponents contend that the 1979 deadline and 1982 deadline extension for ratification need not be observed , the Trump administration disagrees .
The Office of Legal Counsel of the Justice Department opined that debate over the amendment should return to the political sphere .
In the opinion penned by Assistant Attorney General Steven A. Engel , `` The ERA Resolution has expired and is no longer pending before the States . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it said , is to restart the process from the beginning with votes in the U.S. House and Senate , and a constitutional convention sought by two-thirds of the states .
In addition , three states — Alabama , Louisiana and South Dakota — filed a lawsuit in Alabama in December to prevent the archivist of the United States from certifying the ratification of the ERA to the Constitution and to acknowledge that five states rescinded their ratifications and should not be counted .
In an interview with NPR , Alabama Attorney General @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to pass the Equal Rights Amendment has long since passed .
And if Congress wants to do it and the states want to do it , they need to restart that process again.
” Currently , the Archivist of the United States is David Ferriero , who was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2009 to manage the National Archives and Records Administration .
Democrats and feminists are apparently undeterred by findings made by the U.S. Department of Justice .
A pro-ERA advocacy group , for example , is suing in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1982 Congressional deadline that had been attached to the ERA , ignore the states that rescinded their ratifications , and force archivist Ferriero to certify the ERA as ratified .
The proposed Equal Rights Amendment reads as follows : '' Section 1 .
Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex .
`` Sec .
2 .
The Congress shall have the power to enforce , by appropriate legislation , the provisions of this article .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take effect two years after the date of ratification . ''

The director of a pro-life group called the vote a campaign to put abortion rights into the Constitution.
RICHMOND, Virginia, January 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The Virginia state legislature ratified the pro-abortion Equal Rights Amendment on Wednesday, making the state the 38th and final state ostensibly needed to add the measure to the U.S. Constitution.
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) has been a feminist goal for nearly a century. If passed, the ERA would prohibit discrimination based on sex and become a part of the U.S. Constitution, but could also constitutionally protect abortion. While opponents claim that Virginia’s ratification is merely symbolic, feminists are suing in federal court to force its adoption to the Constitution.
The Democrat-controlled Virginia House passed the resolution in an 59-40 vote, with five Republicans voting with the majority, and it passed in the state senate 28-12. In the latter case, seven Republican senators voted for the measure.
In November, the Democrats took over as the majority party in the Virginia state legislature thanks to campaigning by feminist and pro-abortion activists. But while feminists and liberals are celebrating their legislative victory, it is not yet clear whether the vote will have an effect beyond the merely symbolic.
The executive director of the pro-life Eagle Forum, Anne Schlafly Cori, told LifeSiteNews that the real purpose of passing the ERA is to underscore abortion rights.
“There is only one reason why the ERA is brought up for ratification today, and that it is to put abortion rights into the Constitution,” she said.
Cori said ERA proponents are afraid that the current makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court “will chip away at Roe v. Wade (the 1973 decision allowing abortion nationwide), and they see the ERA as an end-run around to secure abortion rights.”
As evidence, Cori cited state supreme court decisions in Connecticut and New Mexico that ruled similar ERA language in the constitutions of those states requires taxpayer-funded abortions. She pointed out that the U.S. Department of Justice has resolved that the votes in favor of ERA in state legislatures and U.S. Congress nearly 50 years ago no longer apply. Cori said, finally, that proponents of the bill know that the Virginia victory is purely symbolic.
In 1971, with support from three presidents and both major parties, the ERA proposal was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Senate approved the measure in 1972. It was then submitted to the state legislatures for ratification. However, because of opposition from pro-life and conservative activists such as Phyllis Schlafly (the mother of the current leader of the Eagle Forum), five state legislatures rescinded their ERA ratifications. It was thus that the feminists’ goal of ratification by the required two-thirds of the states was frustrated.
The Virginia vote, while it makes the state the 38th and final state required for ratification, is probably not the last word on the controversial ERA. While ERA proponents contend that the 1979 deadline and 1982 deadline extension for ratification need not be observed, the Trump administration disagrees.
The Office of Legal Counsel of the Justice Department opined that debate over the amendment should return to the political sphere. In the opinion penned by Assistant Attorney General Steven A. Engel, “The ERA Resolution has expired and is no longer pending before the States.” The only way forward for the ERA, it said, is to restart the process from the beginning with votes in the U.S. House and Senate, and a constitutional convention sought by two-thirds of the states.
In addition, three states — Alabama, Louisiana and South Dakota — filed a lawsuit in Alabama in December to prevent the archivist of the United States from certifying the ratification of the ERA to the Constitution and to acknowledge that five states rescinded their ratifications and should not be counted. In an interview with NPR, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall affirmed, “The opportunity to pass the Equal Rights Amendment has long since passed. And if Congress wants to do it and the states want to do it, they need to restart that process again.”
Currently, the Archivist of the United States is David Ferriero, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2009 to manage the National Archives and Records Administration.
Democrats and feminists are apparently undeterred by findings made by the U.S. Department of Justice. A pro-ERA advocacy group, for example, is suing in a federal court in Boston to invalidate the 1982 Congressional deadline that had been attached to the ERA, ignore the states that rescinded their ratifications, and force archivist Ferriero to certify the ERA as ratified.
The proposed Equal Rights Amendment reads as follows:
“Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
“Sec. 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
“Sec. 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.”
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lifesitenews--2020-01-18--Belgian retired archbishop proclaims strong support for Benedict, Cdl Sarah on celibacy

January 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The former primate of Belgium , Archbishop André Léonard , has issued a strong appeal to his “ brother bishops , ” asking them to join the pope emeritus ’ s and Cardinal Sarah ’ s “ supplication ” to Pope Francis not to create “ exceptions ” to the principle of priestly celibacy .
The archbishop emeritus of Mechelen-Brussels made his appeal in an open letter published on Friday by the French Catholic bimonthly , L ’ Homme nouveau , arguing that neither he himself nor Pope Benedict is “ interfering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of discretion when expressing “ theological and pastoral convictions.
” Archbishop Léonard does not only invoke the issue of priestly celibacy , which is at stake in view of the upcoming apostolic exhortation that Pope Francis is expected to publish shortly as his own conclusion to the Amazon Synod .
Instead , Léonard lists a number of “ ambiguities ” related to acts , writings , and declarations by the present pope , ranging from the possibility for divorced and illegitimately remarried Catholics to be allowed to receive absolution and Holy Communion to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that God “ willed ” the diversity of religions .
“ It is not enough orally to correct the ambiguity of this formulation , ” wrote Léonard .
He went on to regret the further “ ambiguities ” related to “ a form of veneration ” of the Pachamama at the Amazon Synod , hoping that the upcoming post-synodal exhortation penned by Francis will “ dispel ” those ambiguities .
In bringing his full support to Cardinal Sarah and the pope emeritus , which he hopes other bishops will share , Archbishop Léonard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created a parallel between their supplication and the formulation of “ dubia ” by four cardinals about Amoris Laetitia and its “ ambiguous aspects.
” He does not explicitly recall that those “ dubia ” never received an answer from Pope Francis .
Clearly , Archbishop Léonard hopes to impulse a wider movement of respectful interpellation of the pope in the hope of preventing any liberalization of the rule of celibacy for priests in the Latin Church .
Below is LifeSite ’ s full translation of Archbishop Léonard ’ s appeal , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ archbishop emeritus of Mechelen-Brussels , I refrain from any interference in the government of the dioceses of which I was pastor , Namur and Brussels .
But I remain a bishop and as such can express doctrinal or pastoral convictions , even if they may differ from one or the other position of my former work colleagues .
Even if the thing is new and of infinitely greater impact , a pope emeritus , Benedict XVI in this case , can similarly legitimately collaborate on a book planned by a cardinal and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theological and pastoral convictions without failing in his duty of discretion .
He does not necessarily express himself in it as the successor of Peter , and his position has no magisterial authority .
But his word is nevertheless of very great weight .
His active contribution to the book planned by Cardinal Sarah is in no way an “ attack ” on Pope Francis .
Neither Benedict XVI nor the cardinal criticizes his successor .
They address a “ supplication ” to him in a filial spirit , without taking anything away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They do this exactly like four cardinals who addressed themselves to Pope Francis , asking him in filial spirit to dispel their “ dubia , ” their “ doubts , ” their perplexity , concerning certain ambiguous aspects of chapter VIII of the exhortation Amoris Laetitia — namely , those that touch on the indissolubility of a valid sacramental marriage , with its repercussions regarding access to the sacraments of reconciliation and Eucharistic communion when one finds oneself in a permanent situation of conjugal cohabitation with a partner who is not one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Other ambiguities arose later .
It is perfectly relevant to answer a journalist ’ s question by stating in substance : “ If a homosexual person sincerely seeks to do God ’ s will , who am I to judge him ?
” But since it is not clear what this will of God consists of and what the moral consequences are , public opinion wrongly assumes from this ambiguous answer that homosexual practices are now legitimated by the Catholic Church .
This is not true .
Similarly , when one signs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representative of Islam , suggesting that the diversity of religions corresponds to the “ will ” of God , it is not enough orally to correct the ambiguity of this formulation ( the published text remaining unchanged ) by saying God simply “ permits ” this diversity .
It should also be positively stressed that interreligious dialogue can not undermine the absolute uniqueness of Christian Revelation , in which the one and triune God offers us His saving love in the person of Jesus .
This does not preclude hailing “ semina Verbi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God ) or even “ reliquia Verbi ” ( remnants of the Word ) in religions other than Judeo-Christianity .
Other ambiguities were introduced in the recent Synod on Amazonia , notably concerning a form of veneration of the “ Pachamama , ” of Mother Earth .
However , on this point we must await the publication of the post-synodal exhortation .
It is to be hoped that Pope Francis will dispel the ambiguities of this synod .
One of these ambiguities concerned precisely the question of priestly celibacy in the Latin Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communion with many other bishops , whom I fraternally invite to express their firm position as well , I fully agree with the plea that Cardinal Sarah , in close consultation with Benedict XVI , addressed to the Supreme Pontiff .
Our hope of being heard is great , since Pope Francis has clearly declared his attachment to priestly celibacy in the Latin Church .
But , even so , he is considering exceptions ... which , alas , as in other matters , are rapidly universalized !
The petition expressed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urgent , and perfectly legitimate .
One must never “ attack ” the pope .
On the contrary , we must always respect his person and his mission .
But sometimes he imposes himself , and it is always permitted to “ implore ” him and to ask him for “ clarifications.
” This is what we are doing .

PETITION: Support Cardinal Sarah's and Pope Emeritus Benedict's Defense of Priestly Celibacy” Sign the petition here.
January 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The former primate of Belgium, Archbishop André Léonard, has issued a strong appeal to his “brother bishops,” asking them to join the pope emeritus’s and Cardinal Sarah’s “supplication” to Pope Francis not to create “exceptions” to the principle of priestly celibacy.
The archbishop emeritus of Mechelen-Brussels made his appeal in an open letter published on Friday by the French Catholic bimonthly, L’Homme nouveau, arguing that neither he himself nor Pope Benedict is “interfering” or “failing” their duty of discretion when expressing “theological and pastoral convictions.”
Archbishop Léonard does not only invoke the issue of priestly celibacy, which is at stake in view of the upcoming apostolic exhortation that Pope Francis is expected to publish shortly as his own conclusion to the Amazon Synod. Instead, Léonard lists a number of “ambiguities” related to acts, writings, and declarations by the present pope, ranging from the possibility for divorced and illegitimately remarried Catholics to be allowed to receive absolution and Holy Communion to the statement in the Abu Dhabi Declaration that God “willed” the diversity of religions.
“It is not enough orally to correct the ambiguity of this formulation,” wrote Léonard.
He went on to regret the further “ambiguities” related to “a form of veneration” of the Pachamama at the Amazon Synod, hoping that the upcoming post-synodal exhortation penned by Francis will “dispel” those ambiguities.
In bringing his full support to Cardinal Sarah and the pope emeritus, which he hopes other bishops will share, Archbishop Léonard called on another example by which he created a parallel between their supplication and the formulation of “dubia” by four cardinals about Amoris Laetitia and its “ambiguous aspects.” He does not explicitly recall that those “dubia” never received an answer from Pope Francis.
Clearly, Archbishop Léonard hopes to impulse a wider movement of respectful interpellation of the pope in the hope of preventing any liberalization of the rule of celibacy for priests in the Latin Church.
Below is LifeSite’s full translation of Archbishop Léonard’s appeal, which was originally written in French.
* * *
As archbishop emeritus of Mechelen-Brussels, I refrain from any interference in the government of the dioceses of which I was pastor, Namur and Brussels. But I remain a bishop and as such can express doctrinal or pastoral convictions, even if they may differ from one or the other position of my former work colleagues.
Even if the thing is new and of infinitely greater impact, a pope emeritus, Benedict XVI in this case, can similarly legitimately collaborate on a book planned by a cardinal and, in consultation with him, express his theological and pastoral convictions without failing in his duty of discretion. He does not necessarily express himself in it as the successor of Peter, and his position has no magisterial authority. But his word is nevertheless of very great weight.
His active contribution to the book planned by Cardinal Sarah is in no way an “attack” on Pope Francis. Neither Benedict XVI nor the cardinal criticizes his successor. They address a “supplication” to him in a filial spirit, without taking anything away from their obedience to the present pope. They do this exactly like four cardinals who addressed themselves to Pope Francis, asking him in filial spirit to dispel their “dubia,” their “doubts,” their perplexity, concerning certain ambiguous aspects of chapter VIII of the exhortation Amoris Laetitia — namely, those that touch on the indissolubility of a valid sacramental marriage, with its repercussions regarding access to the sacraments of reconciliation and Eucharistic communion when one finds oneself in a permanent situation of conjugal cohabitation with a partner who is not one’s spouse “in the Lord.”
Other ambiguities arose later. It is perfectly relevant to answer a journalist’s question by stating in substance: “If a homosexual person sincerely seeks to do God’s will, who am I to judge him?” But since it is not clear what this will of God consists of and what the moral consequences are, public opinion wrongly assumes from this ambiguous answer that homosexual practices are now legitimated by the Catholic Church. This is not true.
Similarly, when one signs a joint declaration, with a senior representative of Islam, suggesting that the diversity of religions corresponds to the “will” of God, it is not enough orally to correct the ambiguity of this formulation (the published text remaining unchanged) by saying God simply “permits” this diversity. It should also be positively stressed that interreligious dialogue cannot undermine the absolute uniqueness of Christian Revelation, in which the one and triune God offers us His saving love in the person of Jesus. This does not preclude hailing “semina Verbi” (seeds of the Word of God) or even “reliquia Verbi” (remnants of the Word) in religions other than Judeo-Christianity.
Other ambiguities were introduced in the recent Synod on Amazonia, notably concerning a form of veneration of the “Pachamama,” of Mother Earth. However, on this point we must await the publication of the post-synodal exhortation. It is to be hoped that Pope Francis will dispel the ambiguities of this synod.
One of these ambiguities concerned precisely the question of priestly celibacy in the Latin Catholic Church. In this regard, in communion with many other bishops, whom I fraternally invite to express their firm position as well, I fully agree with the plea that Cardinal Sarah, in close consultation with Benedict XVI, addressed to the Supreme Pontiff. Our hope of being heard is great, since Pope Francis has clearly declared his attachment to priestly celibacy in the Latin Church. But, even so, he is considering exceptions…which, alas, as in other matters, are rapidly universalized!
The petition expressed in the book in question is therefore timely and urgent, and perfectly legitimate. One must never “attack” the pope. On the contrary, we must always respect his person and his mission. But sometimes it is a duty, and it is always permitted, to 'implore' him and to ask him for 'clarifications.' This is what we are doing.”
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lifesitenews--2020-01-18--Chinese bishop sleeping on street after refusing to join communist schismatic group

PETITION : Support Cardinal Zen 's plea to stop the `` murder of the Church in China '' Sign the petition here .
LUOJIANG , China , January 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — A Chinese Catholic bishop is homeless and sleeping on the doorstep of his former residence after he and the priests who work with him were evicted by communist authorities earlier this week , Asia News reported Thursday .
Chinese authorities evicted Msgr .
Vincenzo Guo Xijin , 61 , and an undisclosed number of priests from their curial house in Luojiang on the grounds that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reality , the action is a punitive measure against Guo and his priests for refusing to join the “ independent ” Catholic Church and is part of a wider crackdown in the Mindong diocese in Fujian province , which has become a “ pilot project ” for implementing the Vatican ’ s 2018 disastrous secret accord with China , Asia News reported .
Overseen by Cardinal Pietro Parolin , the Vatican-China agreement gives President Xi Jinping ’ s government a say in the appointment of bishops , among other concessions , and paves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association ( CPCA ) , which the communist government created in the 1950s , and the secret underground Church , whose members remained united to the Holy See despite the risk of being killed , imprisoned , and otherwise persecuted for their faith .
Hong Kong cardinal Joseph Zen condemned the Vatican-China accord as an “ incredible betrayal , ” and a U.S. congressional report released this month linked the secret deal to an “ intense ” spike in persecution of Christians not seen in China since the Cultural Revolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ membership in the “ independent Church ” a condition for Catholics to live in China , that ’ s unacceptable to underground Catholics because “ the Party intends this ‘ independence ’ also as a detachment from the Holy See and the universal Church , ” noted Asia News .
The Vatican asked underground Bishop Guo to step down in 2018 in favor of Bishop Vincenzo Zhan Silu , one of seven formerly excommunicated CPCA bishops whom Pope Francis readmitted to communion as part of the agreement .
Guo was told at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this “ sacrifice for the general situation of the Chinese Church , ” Asia News reported .
But while Guo agreed to step aside , the now-auxiliary bishop never signed on to the “ independent Church , ” and his eviction this week comes after ongoing and relentless harassment by authorities for him and fellow priests to do so .
“ For months , the Fujian authorities have been exerting pressure , blackmailing and threatening priests to push them to sign this accession in exchange for government recognition without which their ministry is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November .
Government-sanctioned Bishop Zhan is also pressuring the estimated 20 of 57 underground priests in his diocese who have so far refused to join the “ independent ” Church , telling them that doing so is indicated in the Holy See ’ s Guidelines published last June .
But the faithful priests say joining the government-run Church “ is only the beginning of greater persecution and control ” that will make them into “ party officials ” who “ agree not to evangelize young people under the age of 18 ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the supremacy of the Communist Party , ” Asia News reported .
Authorities have now closed down at least five Catholic parishes of resistant priests in the Mindong diocese , citing “ fire safety standards.
” Those include a huge parish in Fuan with more than 10,000 members and one in Saiqi with about 3,000 parishioners , according to Asia News .
Authorities evicted 71-year-old Fuan pastor Fr .
Liu Guangpin from his residence , although he remains in Fuan , and exiled 50-year-old Saiqi parish priest Fr .
Huang Jintong from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 , authorities shut down a home for about 30 indigent elderly near the Saiqi parish run by Little Sisters of Mercy and Charity .
While some former residents have been taken in by relatives , others are now homeless .
The Suanfeng parish was also closed for violating fire regulations , but after Bishop Zhan appointed a priest who is a member of the “ independent church , ” it was reopened without any repairs made , Asia News reported .
Meanwhile , there is no news of underground Bishop Agostino Cui @ @ @ @ @ @ @ province , who was arrested in March 2019 along with his episcopal vicar , Fr .
Zhang Jianlin , after a priest alleged he was not “ following Vatican instructions ” to merge underground and government-controlled parishes , Asia News reported at the time .
Catholics in China have asked Christians everywhere to pray for their safety .
The U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China ( CECC ) annual report , released January 8 , noted that subsequent to the Vatican-China secret deal in September 2018 , “ local Chinese authorities subjected Catholic believers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ churches , removing crosses , and continuing to detain underground clergy.
” Moreover , the “ Party-led Catholic national religious organizations also published a plan to ‘ sinicize ’ Catholicism in China.
” The report also documented China ’ s increased persecution of other Christians and unregistered churches .
Of the approximately 10 million Catholics in China , about 6 million are members of the state-controlled CPCA , it reported .
According to Asia News , Mindong diocese had more than 90 thousand Catholics .
“ Of these , at least 80 thousand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 57 priests , 200 nuns , 300 consecrated lay people and hundreds of lay catechists .
The priests of the official community were 12 , ” it reported .
Sign the petition to support Cardinal Zen ’ s plea to the cardinals to “ stop the murder of the Church in China ” here .

Msgr. Vincenzo Guo Xijin and an undisclosed number of priests were evicted from their curial house in Luojiang on the grounds that the building violated fire regulations.
PETITION: Support Cardinal Zen's plea to stop the “murder of the Church in China” Sign the petition here.
LUOJIANG, China, January 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A Chinese Catholic bishop is homeless and sleeping on the doorstep of his former residence after he and the priests who work with him were evicted by communist authorities earlier this week, Asia News reported Thursday.
Chinese authorities evicted Msgr. Vincenzo Guo Xijin, 61, and an undisclosed number of priests from their curial house in Luojiang on the grounds that the building violated fire regulations.
In reality, the action is a punitive measure against Guo and his priests for refusing to join the “independent” Catholic Church and is part of a wider crackdown in the Mindong diocese in Fujian province, which has become a “pilot project” for implementing the Vatican’s 2018 disastrous secret accord with China, Asia News reported.
Overseen by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican-China agreement gives President Xi Jinping’s government a say in the appointment of bishops, among other concessions, and paves the way for unification of the state-sanctioned Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA), which the communist government created in the 1950s, and the secret underground Church, whose members remained united to the Holy See despite the risk of being killed, imprisoned, and otherwise persecuted for their faith.
Hong Kong cardinal Joseph Zen condemned the Vatican-China accord as an “incredible betrayal,” and a U.S. congressional report released this month linked the secret deal to an “intense” spike in persecution of Christians not seen in China since the Cultural Revolution.
And while President Xi has made membership in the “independent Church” a condition for Catholics to live in China, that’s unacceptable to underground Catholics because “the Party intends this ‘independence’ also as a detachment from the Holy See and the universal Church,” noted Asia News.
The Vatican asked underground Bishop Guo to step down in 2018 in favor of Bishop Vincenzo Zhan Silu, one of seven formerly excommunicated CPCA bishops whom Pope Francis readmitted to communion as part of the agreement.
Guo was told at the time that the pope himself asked for this “sacrifice for the general situation of the Chinese Church,” Asia News reported.
But while Guo agreed to step aside, the now-auxiliary bishop never signed on to the “independent Church,” and his eviction this week comes after ongoing and relentless harassment by authorities for him and fellow priests to do so.
“For months, the Fujian authorities have been exerting pressure, blackmailing and threatening priests to push them to sign this accession in exchange for government recognition without which their ministry is forbidden,” Asia News reported in November.
Government-sanctioned Bishop Zhan is also pressuring the estimated 20 of 57 underground priests in his diocese who have so far refused to join the “independent” Church, telling them that doing so is indicated in the Holy See’s Guidelines published last June.
But the faithful priests say joining the government-run Church “is only the beginning of greater persecution and control” that will make them into “party officials” who “agree not to evangelize young people under the age of 18” and subject “every initiative of evangelization to the supremacy of the Communist Party,” Asia News reported.
Authorities have now closed down at least five Catholic parishes of resistant priests in the Mindong diocese, citing “fire safety standards.”
Those include a huge parish in Fuan with more than 10,000 members and one in Saiqi with about 3,000 parishioners, according to Asia News.
Authorities evicted 71-year-old Fuan pastor Fr. Liu Guangpin from his residence, although he remains in Fuan, and exiled 50-year-old Saiqi parish priest Fr. Huang Jintong from the city, it reported.
On January 13, authorities shut down a home for about 30 indigent elderly near the Saiqi parish run by Little Sisters of Mercy and Charity. While some former residents have been taken in by relatives, others are now homeless.
The Suanfeng parish was also closed for violating fire regulations, but after Bishop Zhan appointed a priest who is a member of the “independent church,” it was reopened without any repairs made, Asia News reported.
Meanwhile, there is no news of underground Bishop Agostino Cui Tai of the Xuanhua diocese in Hebei province, who was arrested in March 2019 along with his episcopal vicar, Fr. Zhang Jianlin, after a priest alleged he was not “following Vatican instructions” to merge underground and government-controlled parishes, Asia News reported at the time. Catholics in China have asked Christians everywhere to pray for their safety.
The U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) annual report, released January 8, noted that subsequent to the Vatican-China secret deal in September 2018, “local Chinese authorities subjected Catholic believers in China to increased persecution by demolishing churches, removing crosses, and continuing to detain underground clergy.”
Moreover, the “Party-led Catholic national religious organizations also published a plan to ‘sinicize’ Catholicism in China.” The report also documented China’s increased persecution of other Christians and unregistered churches.
Of the approximately 10 million Catholics in China, about 6 million are members of the state-controlled CPCA, it reported.
According to Asia News, Mindong diocese had more than 90 thousand Catholics. “Of these, at least 80 thousand belonged to the unofficial Church, served by 57 priests, 200 nuns, 300 consecrated lay people and hundreds of lay catechists. The priests of the official community were 12,” it reported.
Sign the petition to support Cardinal Zen’s plea to the cardinals to “stop the murder of the Church in China” here.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-18--44 profs at Catholic university demand school apologize for screening pro-life film Unplanned

LONDON , Ontario , January 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Forty-four faculty members from a Catholic university in Canada have demanded the school apologize for allowing campus ministry to show the wildly successful pro-life film “ Unplanned.
” “ Unplanned ” is a movie about the life of former Texas Planned Parenthood center manager Abby Johnson and recounts how she quit her job in 2009 after having a conversion and renouncing abortion .
Its debut across Canada , as well as the United States and worldwide , was met with protests , including two Canadian cinema owners receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
The film was screened at King ’ s University College on January 9 .
The demand for an apology came in a letter from faculty members this past Wednesday and was addressed to college Principal David Malloy .
It described what the faculty called the “ furor and fear ” expressed by the school community over the fact that the pro-life film was screened on campus .
`` The public endorsement of an anti-abortion stance at King 's University College by the Director of Campus Ministry is of great concern to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work to recruit and maintain excellent students , staff and faculty , '' the letter stated .
In response , Malloy said the school “ does not have any official position on abortion , ” despite the fact that it claims to be a Catholic institution .
In his statement , Malloy makes clear that King ’ s official position ( but not that of its campus ministry ) is indifferent and , ultimately , not full supportive of the pro-life cause .
“ The presentation of the film and the belief of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Campus Ministry and not of King ’ s as a whole .
King ’ s employees , faculty and students do not need to prescribe to the tenets of the Catholic Church .
King ’ s does not have a position on abortion , ” said Malloy in his statement .
Read in full here .
LifeSiteNews reached out to Diocese of London Bishop Ronald P. Fabbro but had not received a response .
LifeSiteNews inquired why a Catholic post-secondary institution associated with the diocese is not pro-life and does not follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortion .
Despite not receiving a response from the Diocese of London , LifeSiteNews did receive an email comment from Fr .
Michael Bechard , pastor and chaplain for King ’ s University Campus Ministry .
“ Campus Ministry , supports without reservation , the sanctity of life from conception until natural death , '' he said .
`` The movie screening last week was part of the Veritas Series for Faith and Culture and was attended by students , staff and members of the broader community .
Following the film , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals with varying points of view were allowed the opportunity to express their thoughts on the movie and on the complex realities surrounding abortion .
I am grateful to work in an institution that supports the Catholic intellectual tradition and the need to have critical conversations about uncomfortable truths.
” The faculty members in their letter also demanded an apology from Fr .
Bechard , stating he used his influence to promote the screening of `` Unplanned '' at the school .
King ’ s has a history dating to 1954 and bills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arts university college.
” It is listed on the Diocese of London ’ s website under the Catholic Colleges & Universities tab .
Recently , its Veritas Series for Faith and Culture hosted pro-LGBT Jesuit Fr .
James Martin , who presented “ Showing Respect and Welcome to LGBT People in the Church.
” Most Rev .
Ronald P. Fabbro , C.S.B .
Diocese of London 1070 Waterloo Street London , Ontario , N6A 3Y2 Phone : 519-433-0658 Online contact here

The school's principal responded by saying the college 'does not have an official position on abortion.'
January 20, 2020 update: Unplanned filmmakers made a statement to LifeSiteNews in which they criticize the 44 professors for needing to be told that “fetal dismemberment is intrinsically evil.” The full comment has now been included in this report.
LONDON, Ontario, January 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Forty-four faculty members from a Catholic university in Canada have demanded the school apologize for allowing campus ministry to show the wildly successful pro-life film “Unplanned.”
“Unplanned” is a movie about the life of former Texas Planned Parenthood center manager Abby Johnson and recounts how she quit her job in 2009 after having a conversion and renouncing abortion. Its debut across Canada, as well as the United States and worldwide, was met with protests, including two Canadian cinema owners receiving death threats, as reported by LifeSiteNews here.
The film was screened at King’s University College on January 9.
The demand for an apology came in a letter from faculty members this past Wednesday and was addressed to college Principal David Malloy. It described what the faculty called the “furor and fear” expressed by the school community over the fact that the pro-life film was screened on campus.
“The public endorsement of an anti-abortion stance at King's University College by the Director of Campus Ministry is of great concern to the viability of our institution as we work to recruit and maintain excellent students, staff and faculty,” the letter stated.
In response, Malloy said the school “does not have any official position on abortion,” despite the fact that it claims to be a Catholic institution.
In his statement, Malloy makes clear that King’s official position (but not that of its campus ministry) is indifferent and, ultimately, not full supportive of the pro-life cause.
“The presentation of the film and the belief of life beginning at conception is the stance of Campus Ministry and not of King’s as a whole. King’s employees, faculty and students do not need to prescribe to the tenets of the Catholic Church. King’s does not have a position on abortion,” said Malloy in his statement. Read in full here.
Unplanned filmmakers Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman told LifeSiteNews that only one apology is necessary.
“The professors of Kings University College have asked for an apology, and here is one from the filmmakers. We are sorry that it has to be explained to the professors of a Catholic University that fetal dismemberment is intrinsically evil. We sincerely hope that among the professors calling for the apology, there are none from the theology or philosophy departments,” they said.
LifeSiteNews reached out to Diocese of London Bishop Ronald P. Fabbro but had not received a response. LifeSiteNews inquired why a Catholic post-secondary institution associated with the diocese is not pro-life and does not follow Church teaching about the grave evil of abortion.
Despite not receiving a response from the Diocese of London, LifeSiteNews did receive an email comment from Fr. Michael Bechard, pastor and chaplain for King’s University Campus Ministry.
“Campus Ministry, supports without reservation, the sanctity of life from conception until natural death,” he said. “The movie screening last week was part of the Veritas Series for Faith and Culture and was attended by students, staff and members of the broader community. Following the film, we had a challenging but necessary conversation where individuals with varying points of view were allowed the opportunity to express their thoughts on the movie and on the complex realities surrounding abortion. I am grateful to work in an institution that supports the Catholic intellectual tradition and the need to have critical conversations about uncomfortable truths.”
The faculty members in their letter also demanded an apology from Fr. Bechard, stating he used his influence to promote the screening of “Unplanned” at the school.
King’s has a history dating to 1954 and bills itself as “a Catholic, liberal arts university college.” It is listed on the Diocese of London’s website under the Catholic Colleges & Universities tab. Recently, its Veritas Series for Faith and Culture hosted pro-LGBT Jesuit Fr. James Martin, who presented “Showing Respect and Welcome to LGBT People in the Church.”
Contact information:
Most Rev. Ronald P. Fabbro, C.S.B.
Diocese of London
1070 Waterloo Street
London, Ontario, N6A 3Y2
Phone: 519-433-0658
Online contact here
Dr. David C. Malloy
Principal – King's University College
at Western University Canada
266 Epworth Avenue
London Ontario, Canada N6A 2M3
519-433-3491
Email: [email protected]
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lifesitenews--2020-01-18--Michigan attorney general using secretive ‘hate crime unit’ to harass pro-marriage group

ANN ARBOR , Michigan , January 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Watching , listening , tracking , and compiling secret dossiers on dissidents until they are finally accused and prosecuted — these are the police-state tactics one might associate with an authoritarian regime in a World War II movie .
Yet , these are the very methods the Thomas More Law Center ( TMLC ) has found are being used by Michigan attorney general Dana Nessel acting in concert with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Center .
On February 19 , 2019 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SPLC ) , a notorious and discredited radical left-wing anti-Christian organization , published its annual Hate Map report , which listed 31 “ hate ” groups operating in Michigan in 2018 .
Listed in that group as “ ANTI-LGBT ” was Church Militant , a nonprofit Michigan-based religious media organization that advocates the traditional Catholic belief that marriage as instituted by God is for one man and one woman .
Three days later , on February 22 , 2019 , a disturbing joint news release by Attorney General Nessel and the director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued referencing and linking to SPLC ’ s Hate Map .
The joint release contained Nessel ’ s promise to establish a hate crimes unit to fight hate crimes and hate groups that have been allowed to proliferate in Michigan .
Nessel ’ s spokeswoman , Kelly Rossman-McKinney , noted that SPLC is a good place to start when investigating hate and bias .
The director of the Civil Rights Department told a Detroit News reporter that the department is creating a database which would document hate and bias incidents that don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime or civil infraction .
Additional damning evidence of A.G. Nessel ’ s hostility toward traditional marriage was provided by the findings of chief judge Robert Jonker of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan .
In a published 2019 legal opinion , Buck v. Gordon , Judge Jonker found that Nessel attempted to stop St. Vincent Catholic Charities from performing adoption and foster placement services because it professes the Catholic belief on marriage .
Judge Jonker said past statements by Nessel “ raise a strong inference of hostility toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ St .
Vincent was targeted based on its religious belief , and it was Defendant Nessel who targeted it.
” Concerned that A.G. Nessel is continuing to weaponize the attorney general ’ s office to suppress religious beliefs in traditional marriage by threats of investigation and prosecution , the Thomas More Law Center , a national nonprofit public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor , Michigan , filed a request for records under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act ( FOIA ) .
Using sham excuses , Nessel refused to supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her use of her law enforcement powers to target organizations that opposed her personal ideology supporting same-sex “ marriage.
” TMLC filed a lawsuit in the Michigan Court of Claims on January 9 , 2020 , against Nessel for her refusal to comply with Michigan ’ s FOIA .
Richard Thompson , president and chief counsel of TMLC , which represents Church Militant and its founder and president , Michael Voris , commented : “ This lawsuit is about the right of the people to know what their public officials are doing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Church Militant because of its stance on traditional marriage as she had done in the case involving St. Vincent.
” Continued Thompson : “ The combination of actions by the Attorney General Nessel , the Department of Civil Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Center have a chilling effect on the freedom of speech and religion not only of Church Militant , but every religious group in Michigan that stands for traditional marriage.
” Astonishingly , Nessel ’ s office admitted in its response to Thomas More Law Center ’ s FOIA request @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place to safeguard the constitutional rights of individuals who committed no crime but are being investigated for espousing traditional marriage .
• It has no clear definitions of “ bias incidents ” or “ hate crimes ” against LGBT persons that are backed up by Michigan statutes or court decisions .
• The A.G. ’ s office failed in its FOIA response to provide any clear policies or parameters governing the prosecution of hate crimes .
Nor does it have a clear definition of what constitutes a “ hate group.
” Without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Hate Crime Unit , it is free to roam about launching secret investigations against any organization based solely on the fact that it supports traditional marriage .
Consequently , it was easy for the attorney general ’ s office to claim that Church Militant was under investigation to avoid turning over records and to escape public scrutiny .
“ Nessel has single-handedly turned the Attorney General ’ s Office into an instrument of thought control by intimidation , using its law enforcement powers to police the speech of Michigan residents .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppress the religious definition of marriage that does not conform to her opinions on same-sex marriage , ” Thompson said .
Church Militant , headquartered in Ferndale , Michigan , reports on current events around the world from a Catholic perspective .
Defending the institution of marriage as between one man and one woman has always been a major theme of its video broadcasts and written reports , which are viewed by millions of people throughout the world via its website and YouTube channel .

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, January 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Watching, listening, tracking, and compiling secret dossiers on dissidents until they are finally accused and prosecuted — these are the police-state tactics one might associate with an authoritarian regime in a World War II movie.
Yet, these are the very methods the Thomas More Law Center (TMLC) has found are being used by Michigan attorney general Dana Nessel acting in concert with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Center.
On February 19, 2019, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a notorious and discredited radical left-wing anti-Christian organization, published its annual Hate Map report, which listed 31 “hate” groups operating in Michigan in 2018. Listed in that group as “ANTI-LGBT” was Church Militant, a nonprofit Michigan-based religious media organization that advocates the traditional Catholic belief that marriage as instituted by God is for one man and one woman.
Three days later, on February 22, 2019, a disturbing joint news release by Attorney General Nessel and the director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights was issued referencing and linking to SPLC’s Hate Map. The joint release contained Nessel’s promise to establish a hate crimes unit to fight hate crimes and hate groups that have been allowed to proliferate in Michigan.
Nessel’s spokeswoman, Kelly Rossman-McKinney, noted that SPLC is a good place to start when investigating hate and bias.
The director of the Civil Rights Department told a Detroit News reporter that the department is creating a database which would document hate and bias incidents that don’t rise to the level of a crime or civil infraction.
Additional damning evidence of A.G. Nessel’s hostility toward traditional marriage was provided by the findings of chief judge Robert Jonker of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan. In a published 2019 legal opinion, Buck v. Gordon, Judge Jonker found that Nessel attempted to stop St. Vincent Catholic Charities from performing adoption and foster placement services because it professes the Catholic belief on marriage. Judge Jonker said past statements by Nessel “raise a strong inference of hostility toward a religious viewpoint.”
Jonker concluded that “St. Vincent was targeted based on its religious belief, and it was Defendant Nessel who targeted it.”
Concerned that A.G. Nessel is continuing to weaponize the attorney general’s office to suppress religious beliefs in traditional marriage by threats of investigation and prosecution, the Thomas More Law Center, a national nonprofit public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, filed a request for records under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Using sham excuses, Nessel refused to supply crucial records that would shed light on her use of her law enforcement powers to target organizations that opposed her personal ideology supporting same-sex “marriage.”
TMLC filed a lawsuit in the Michigan Court of Claims on January 9, 2020, against Nessel for her refusal to comply with Michigan’s FOIA.
Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel of TMLC, which represents Church Militant and its founder and president, Michael Voris, commented: “This lawsuit is about the right of the people to know what their public officials are doing. We believe that Attorney General Nessel targeted Church Militant because of its stance on traditional marriage as she had done in the case involving St. Vincent.”
Continued Thompson: “The combination of actions by the Attorney General Nessel, the Department of Civil Rights and the Southern Poverty Law Center have a chilling effect on the freedom of speech and religion not only of Church Militant, but every religious group in Michigan that stands for traditional marriage.”
Astonishingly, Nessel’s office admitted in its response to Thomas More Law Center’s FOIA request that:
It had no policies in place to safeguard the constitutional rights of individuals who committed no crime but are being investigated for espousing traditional marriage.
It has no clear definitions of “bias incidents” or “hate crimes” against LGBT persons that are backed up by Michigan statutes or court decisions.
The A.G.’s office failed in its FOIA response to provide any clear policies or parameters governing the prosecution of hate crimes. Nor does it have a clear definition of what constitutes a “hate group.”
Without policies to adequately guide the actions of the Hate Crime Unit, it is free to roam about launching secret investigations against any organization based solely on the fact that it supports traditional marriage.
Consequently, it was easy for the attorney general’s office to claim that Church Militant was under investigation to avoid turning over records and to escape public scrutiny.
“Nessel has single-handedly turned the Attorney General’s Office into an instrument of thought control by intimidation, using its law enforcement powers to police the speech of Michigan residents.
“One of her primary goals is to suppress the religious definition of marriage that does not conform to her opinions on same-sex marriage,” Thompson said.
Church Militant, headquartered in Ferndale, Michigan, reports on current events around the world from a Catholic perspective. Defending the institution of marriage as between one man and one woman has always been a major theme of its video broadcasts and written reports, which are viewed by millions of people throughout the world via its website and YouTube channel.
Click here to read TMLC’s full complaint.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-17--Leadership candidate for UK pro-abortion party opposes killing disabled babies at birth

WASHINGTON , D.C. , January 17 , 2020 ( Society for the Protection of Unborn Children ) — A Labour leadership contender has come under fire after she revealed that she disagreed with killing disabled children in late-term abortions .
John Smeaton , SPUC Chief Executive said : “ The clear implication of such laws is that unborn children with disabilities , and by extension , all people with disabilities , are thought to be of less value than other human beings.
” In an election questionnaire for the deanery of Salford , Ms Long-Bailey revealed that she disagreed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to birth in the case of possible foetal anomaly .
Ms Long-Bailey said : “ It is currently legal to terminate a pregnancy up to full-term on the grounds of disability while the upper limit is 24 weeks if there is no disability .
I personally do not agree with this position and agree with the words of the Disability Rights Commission that ‘ the context in which parents choose whether to have a child should be one in which disability and non-disability are valued equally.
’ ” Whilst Ms Long-Bailey has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regarding abortion time-limits in the UK , she has made clear that this is a personal opinion and she is not currently seeking any change in law .
The UK ’ s 1967 Abortion Act permits abortion until birth if the unborn baby is suspected of having a foetal anomaly .
In 2019 in the United Kingdom , 3,428 unborn children were killed by abortion after being diagnosed with a possible disability .
Reports from the Department of Health and Social Care describe how disabled children had their heart stopped via lethal injection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ SPUC opposes the legalised destruction of innocent human life at any stage of pregnancy for any reason .
It is barbaric .
However , it is no surprise to find that disabled infants are being specifically targeted by abortion advocates .
The movement for abortion and the movement for eugenics have in fact always been closely associated.
” Published with permission from the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children .

Rebecca Long-Bailey revealed that she disagrees with the current U.K. law, which allows abortion up to birth in the case of possible fetal anomaly.
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 17, 2020 (Society for the Protection of Unborn Children) — A Labour leadership contender has come under fire after she revealed that she disagreed with killing disabled children in late-term abortions. John Smeaton, SPUC Chief Executive said: “The clear implication of such laws is that unborn children with disabilities, and by extension, all people with disabilities, are thought to be of less value than other human beings.”
In an election questionnaire for the deanery of Salford, Ms Long-Bailey revealed that she disagreed with the current UK law which allows abortion up to birth in the case of possible foetal anomaly.
Ms Long-Bailey said: “It is currently legal to terminate a pregnancy up to full-term on the grounds of disability while the upper limit is 24 weeks if there is no disability. I personally do not agree with this position and agree with the words of the Disability Rights Commission that ‘the context in which parents choose whether to have a child should be one in which disability and non-disability are valued equally.’”
Whilst Ms Long-Bailey has confirmed that she would support tighter regulations regarding abortion time-limits in the UK, she has made clear that this is a personal opinion and she is not currently seeking any change in law.
Eradicating Disabled Children In The UK
The UK’s 1967 Abortion Act permits abortion until birth if the unborn baby is suspected of having a foetal anomaly.
In 2019 in the United Kingdom, 3,428 unborn children were killed by abortion after being diagnosed with a possible disability. Reports from the Department of Health and Social Care describe how disabled children had their heart stopped via lethal injection during the abortion.
Mr Smeaton added: “SPUC opposes the legalised destruction of innocent human life at any stage of pregnancy for any reason. It is barbaric. However, it is no surprise to find that disabled infants are being specifically targeted by abortion advocates. The movement for abortion and the movement for eugenics have in fact always been closely associated.”
Published with permission from the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-17--Dem rep details how Congress is pushing population control agenda on Trump admin

WASHINGTON , D.C. , January 17 , 2020 ( C-Fam ) — U.S .
Congressman Ami Bera said population control is a national security issue and that USAID and Congress are working together to get Republicans to spend more on contraception overseas .
“ Let ’ s go in an area that we talk a lot about : the youth bulge .
That is [ a ] national security issue in sub-Saharan Africa .
You can play off of that , ” Bera said in the interview with the online development news site Devex.com .
“ If you want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is empowering women and girls .
Part of that , at a minimum , is providing voluntary family planning and so forth , ” he explained .
Bera said Democrats should “ educate the President and folks in the administration about the value ” of U.S. foreign aid in order to continue the same funding as in the past , including for family planning .
The Northern California Democrat said he spoke to President Trump ’ s daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump about this issue .
“ I was pretty blunt with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is important to make that point , ” he emphasized .
Ivanka ’ s women ’ s economic empowerment program has been criticized by Democrat lawmakers and abortion rights groups for not including family planning .
“ We ’ ve gone backwards , the Republican party has gone backwards on this issue from where they were in the 1980s , ” Bera lamented .
In the 1980s the Republican Party funded family planning largely out of concern within the U.S. foreign policy establishment about overpopulation and the security threats it might pose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts were famously captured in the Kissinger Report .
These fears contributed to government sponsored coercive population control programs that resulted in forced sterilizations and abortions in India and other countries in Asia during the 1970s and 1980s .
In recent years , security experts have re-evaluated the links between demography and security that were taken for granted in previous generations .
In a 2012 book , Population Decline and the Remaking of Great Power Politics , Susan Yoshihara and Douglas Sylva , along with demographers , economists , and security experts demonstrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more unstable in many ways .
The U.S. Congress has enacted laws to avoid coercion in U.S. funded family planning efforts .
Implementation has been difficult to track , and global family planning aid meant to empower women to make their own decisions is still focused on convincing women to have fewer children , even if they desire large families .
The market for contraceptives in Sub-Saharan and East Asian countries is saturated , according to USAID and HHS surveys analyzed in research by Rebecca Oas , associate director of research for C-Fam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family planning programs are not being used to meet actual needs or demands for contraception .
Congressman Bera said upcoming appropriations battles would be about “ holding the line ” and convincing Republicans to maintain foreign aid funding levels the same as prior years .
This way , he said , when Democrats hopefully take control of the White House and Congress in January 2021 , “ we are actually ready to kick things into high gear fairly quickly.
” Bera , a physician , identified Senator Lindsey Graham who chairs the Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Director Mark Green as Republicans whom Democrats have been able to work with to preserve the status quo .
International pro-abortion lobby group CHANGE rates the performance of U.S. government entities based on their financial support for “ sexual and reproductive health ” internationally , including abortion .
CHANGE gave passing grades to both Congress and USAID because of their continued support for family planning groups .
The White House and the State Department received a “ D ” because of the Trump administration ’ s pro-life policies .

Democrat Rep. Ami Bera related in a recent interview that Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has been helpful in maintaining the 'status quo' on U.S. pro-abortion international funding.
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 17, 2020 (C-Fam) — U.S. Congressman Ami Bera said population control is a national security issue and that USAID and Congress are working together to get Republicans to spend more on contraception overseas.
“Let’s go in an area that we talk a lot about: the youth bulge. That is [a] national security issue in sub-Saharan Africa. You can play off of that,” Bera said in the interview with the online development news site Devex.com.
“If you want to address the youth bulge, part of that is empowering women and girls. Part of that, at a minimum, is providing voluntary family planning and so forth,” he explained.
Bera said Democrats should “educate the President and folks in the administration about the value” of U.S. foreign aid in order to continue the same funding as in the past, including for family planning.
The Northern California Democrat said he spoke to President Trump’s daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump about this issue. “I was pretty blunt with them,” Bera said. “It is important to make that point,” he emphasized. Ivanka’s women’s economic empowerment program has been criticized by Democrat lawmakers and abortion rights groups for not including family planning.
“We’ve gone backwards, the Republican party has gone backwards on this issue from where they were in the 1980s,” Bera lamented.
In the 1980s the Republican Party funded family planning largely out of concern within the U.S. foreign policy establishment about overpopulation and the security threats it might pose. Fears about overpopulation among national security experts were famously captured in the Kissinger Report. These fears contributed to government sponsored coercive population control programs that resulted in forced sterilizations and abortions in India and other countries in Asia during the 1970s and 1980s.
In recent years, security experts have re-evaluated the links between demography and security that were taken for granted in previous generations.
In a 2012 book, Population Decline and the Remaking of Great Power Politics, Susan Yoshihara and Douglas Sylva, along with demographers, economists, and security experts demonstrated how fertility decline has made the world more unstable in many ways.
The U.S. Congress has enacted laws to avoid coercion in U.S. funded family planning efforts. Implementation has been difficult to track, and global family planning aid meant to empower women to make their own decisions is still focused on convincing women to have fewer children, even if they desire large families.
The market for contraceptives in Sub-Saharan and East Asian countries is saturated, according to USAID and HHS surveys analyzed in research by Rebecca Oas, associate director of research for C-Fam. The U.S. taxpayer funds spent on family planning programs are not being used to meet actual needs or demands for contraception.
Congressman Bera said upcoming appropriations battles would be about “holding the line” and convincing Republicans to maintain foreign aid funding levels the same as prior years. This way, he said, when Democrats hopefully take control of the White House and Congress in January 2021, “we are actually ready to kick things into high gear fairly quickly.”
Bera, a physician, identified Senator Lindsey Graham who chairs the Senate sub-committee for U.S. foreign assistance and USAID Director Mark Green as Republicans whom Democrats have been able to work with to preserve the status quo.
International pro-abortion lobby group CHANGE rates the performance of U.S. government entities based on their financial support for “sexual and reproductive health” internationally, including abortion. CHANGE gave passing grades to both Congress and USAID because of their continued support for family planning groups. The White House and the State Department received a “D” because of the Trump administration’s pro-life policies.
Published with permission from C-Fam.
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lifesitenews--2020-01-17--‘Kids are a handful’: leftist storyteller’s ‘quite simple’ way to explain abortion to children

January 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A pro-abortion activist is under fire for her suggestion of how to discuss abortion in an “ age-appropriate way ” for small children , by essentially telling them that children are sometimes too burdensome to let live .
Renee Bracey Sherman is senior public affairs manager for the National Network of Abortion Funds and bills herself as the “ Beyonce of Abortion Storytelling ” for her work promoting the positive testimony of post-abortive women .
“ I 've talked to my 5-year-old niece about my work and abortion in an age-appropriate way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She understands that kids are a handful and sometimes people do n't want to be pregnant .
She gets it because it 's quite simple.
” Sherman ’ s tweet was promoting an article at the far-left website Rewire , in which Paige Alexandria argues that “ Having the Abortion Talk With Children Is Easier Than You Think.
” The piece calls for impressing the legitimacy of abortion on children at an early age , citing several mothers ’ accounts of such discussions ( all of which were supposedly accepted by their born @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the testimony simply ignores ( or omits ) the obvious questions most children would have about discovering they had a new brother or sister who had just been ( or was about to be ) killed .
One mother , “ Kathi , ” says she told her 10-year-old daughter that her abortion ended a “ nine-week fetus , and that it had no functioning brain , heart , or ability to sense pain like her and I have.
” In fact , the heart and brain begin developing well before nine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 ( at which point the heart also begins to pump blood ) .
“ Kids are naturally pro-life , ” the group Radiance Foundation responded .
“ They have to be misled to believe that it 's OK to violently end the life of an unborn baby .
Better to teach children , in an age-appropriate way , that every human life has equal and irrevocable worth .
”

An article titled 'Having the Abortion Talk With Children Is Easier Than You Think' urges legitimizing abortion to kids at an early age.
January 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A pro-abortion activist is under fire for her suggestion of how to discuss abortion in an “age-appropriate way” for small children, by essentially telling them that children are sometimes too burdensome to let live.
Renee Bracey Sherman is senior public affairs manager for the National Network of Abortion Funds and bills herself as the “Beyonce of Abortion Storytelling” for her work promoting the positive testimony of post-abortive women.
“I've talked to my 5-year-old niece about my work and abortion in an age-appropriate way,” Sherman tweeted Wednesday. “She understands that kids are a handful and sometimes people don't want to be pregnant. She gets it because it's quite simple.”
I've talked to my 5-year-old niece about my work and abortion in an age-appropriate way. She understands that kids are a handful and sometimes people don't want to be pregnant. She gets it because it's quite simple.https://t.co/w4Rq6JrUP3 — Renee Bracey Sherman (@RBraceySherman) January 15, 2020
Sherman’s tweet was promoting an article at the far-left website Rewire, in which Paige Alexandria argues that “Having the Abortion Talk With Children Is Easier Than You Think.” The piece calls for impressing the legitimacy of abortion on children at an early age, citing several mothers’ accounts of such discussions (all of which were supposedly accepted by their born children with little-to-no trouble).
Most of the testimony simply ignores (or omits) the obvious questions most children would have about discovering they had a new brother or sister who had just been (or was about to be) killed. One mother, “Kathi,” says she told her 10-year-old daughter that her abortion ended a “nine-week fetus, and that it had no functioning brain, heart, or ability to sense pain like her and I have.”
In fact, the heart and brain begin developing well before nine weeks, and are formed by week 10 (at which point the heart also begins to pump blood).
Sherman’s tweet was met with widespread disgust:
“Small child, let me explain: kids are a handful, and sometimes we have to get rid of them because they are a handful. Any questions? ANY QUESTIONS?!” pic.twitter.com/54VgRmmtmW — Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 16, 2020
No she doesn’t. She doesn’t understand because you didn’t give her the truth. Tell her that abortion kills a baby growing in a mommy’s tummy and see what she says. I dare you. No child believes in abortion. — Abby Johnson (@AbbyJohnson) January 16, 2020
I’ve typed and deleted so many responses because I can’t wrap my head around “we can kill babies because they’re inconveniences.” — becky mayo (@justanurse25) January 17, 2020
This is how you end up raising co-dependent, emotionally repressed children. “Thank you mommy for not aborting me, I'm sorry for being such a bother.” — Jay (@OneFineJay) January 16, 2020
WOW WHAT?! What in the actual eff. Let’s teach our small children that because “sometimes kids are a handful” it’s ok to kill them before they are born. Start that brainwashing at an early age, huh? Disgusting. Can we not normalize abortion talks with toddlers?! #prolife #sahm https://t.co/EsdTkGozQN — Angela Godbey (@agodbeyplus3) January 15, 2020
“Kids are naturally pro-life,” the group Radiance Foundation responded. “They have to be misled to believe that it's OK to violently end the life of an unborn baby. Better to teach children, in an age-appropriate way, that every human life has equal and irrevocable worth.”
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lifesitenews--2020-01-17--Transgender ‘safe sex’ guide promotes group, ‘transactional’ sex

This article contains graphic content .
Reader discretion is advised .
January 17 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Yet another display of the radical values behind the “ gender fluidity ” movement has surfaced , this time in the form of a “ safe sex ” brochure released by the left-wing Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) .
The contents of “ Safer Sex for Trans Bodies ” were developed by Bianca Palmisano , a controversial activist who has previously attracted headlines for conducting lesbian pole-dancing classes for teens and who champions minors exploring “ polyamourous relationships , homsexuality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , anal sex , etcetera.
” The guide covers communicating one ’ s preferred terminology to sex partners , information about sexually transmitted infections , navigating the effects of hormone treatments and sex-obscuring surgery , and more .
It opens with a discussion of language to accommodate the “ huge variety of identities and bodies that are part of the trans community , ” stressing that there ’ s “ no one right way to refer to our bodies.
” The guide uses crude , gender-neutral terms to distinguish genitalia on the basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or “ external ” rather than male or female .
“ Use the words you would use for any other guy , ” says “ Cole , ” a woman who identifies as a man who demands that partners not “ hesitate ” in referring to her female organs by male terms .
The guide treats as normal and acceptable the ideas of engaging in not only “ casual , ” but also “ transactional ” sex and of having “ many ” partners .
“ STIs can and do happen , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embarrassed about if you contract one , ” it states .
It also speaks matter-of-factly about people in “ long-term relationships ” setting rules for “ safe sex ” with individuals outside the relationship .
“ Some people in a relationship may commit to using protection with partners outside the relationship or not having partners outside the relationship at all , ” it continues .
“ Some polyamorous people only sleep within an exclusive group of partners who do not have sexual relationships outside of the group , which is called closed-group polyamory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to encourage experimentation with sexual practices that don ’ t necessarily use one ’ s sex organs , such as BDSM ( Bondage , Discipline/Domination , Submission/Sadism , Masochism ) .
“ There are some higher-risk BDSM activities that may expose you and your partner ( s ) to bodily fluids , including blood , ” it adds , so it recommends “ mentorship or supervision by a more experienced person in the BDSM community.
” The guide also touches on hormone treatments and “ gender reassignment ” surgery , which it claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lack of confidence in the way our bodies look ” as well as “ help align our external appearance with how we feel internally.
” It adds that “ all of the effects of hormones are totally normal , but they may take some getting used to.
” In fact , multiple studies have found significant medical risks to transgender hormone therapy .
More broadly , a body of scientific literature indicates that reinforcing a patient ’ s gender confusion rather than helping him to overcome it fails to prevent significant emotional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with or without surgery .
Lastly , the brochure explains the meaning of the “ Trans Pride ” flag with a quote from its creator , Monica Helms .
“ The stripes at the top and bottom are light blue , the traditional color for baby boys .
The stripes next to them are pink , the traditional color for baby girls .
The stripe in the middle is white , for those who are intersex , transitioning or consider themselves having a neutral or undefined gender , ” Helms says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter which way you fly it , it is always correct , signifying us finding correctness in our lives.
” Responding to the HRC brochure , ClashDaily associate editor K. Walker called it the “ height of misogyny to label the genitals of biological men who have had gender reassignment surgery as a ‘ vagina ’ but the sex organ of a biological woman a ‘ front hole [ . ]
’ ...
It ’ s getting more and more difficult to successfully satirize the gender theory activists because yesterday ’ s ridiculous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
”

'STIs can and do happen,' the brochure reads, 'which means there's nothing to be embarrassed about if you contract one.'
This article contains graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.
January 17, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Yet another display of the radical values behind the “gender fluidity” movement has surfaced, this time in the form of a “safe sex” brochure released by the left-wing Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
The contents of “Safer Sex for Trans Bodies” were developed by Bianca Palmisano, a controversial activist who has previously attracted headlines for conducting lesbian pole-dancing classes for teens and who champions minors exploring “polyamourous relationships, homsexuality, prostitution, drug use, swingers, anal sex, etcetera.”
The guide covers communicating one’s preferred terminology to sex partners, information about sexually transmitted infections, navigating the effects of hormone treatments and sex-obscuring surgery, and more.
It opens with a discussion of language to accommodate the “huge variety of identities and bodies that are part of the trans community,” stressing that there’s “no one right way to refer to our bodies.” The guide uses crude, gender-neutral terms to distinguish genitalia on the basis of whether it is “internal” or “external” rather than male or female.
“Use the words you would use for any other guy,” says “Cole,” a woman who identifies as a man who demands that partners not “hesitate” in referring to her female organs by male terms.
The guide treats as normal and acceptable the ideas of engaging in not only “casual,” but also “transactional” sex and of having “many” partners. “STIs can and do happen, which means there’s nothing to be embarrassed about if you contract one,” it states. It also speaks matter-of-factly about people in “long-term relationships” setting rules for “safe sex” with individuals outside the relationship.
“Some people in a relationship may commit to using protection with partners outside the relationship or not having partners outside the relationship at all,” it continues. “Some polyamorous people only sleep within an exclusive group of partners who do not have sexual relationships outside of the group, which is called closed-group polyamory or polyfidelity.”
The document goes on to encourage experimentation with sexual practices that don’t necessarily use one’s sex organs, such as BDSM (Bondage, Discipline/Domination, Submission/Sadism, Masochism). “There are some higher-risk BDSM activities that may expose you and your partner(s) to bodily fluids, including blood,” it adds, so it recommends “mentorship or supervision by a more experienced person in the BDSM community.”
The guide also touches on hormone treatments and “gender reassignment” surgery, which it claims “can sometimes relieve gender dysphoria or a lack of confidence in the way our bodies look” as well as “help align our external appearance with how we feel internally.” It adds that “all of the effects of hormones are totally normal, but they may take some getting used to.”
In fact, multiple studies have found significant medical risks to transgender hormone therapy. More broadly, a body of scientific literature indicates that reinforcing a patient’s gender confusion rather than helping him to overcome it fails to prevent significant emotional harm up to and including attempted suicide, with or without surgery.
Lastly, the brochure explains the meaning of the “Trans Pride” flag with a quote from its creator, Monica Helms. “The stripes at the top and bottom are light blue, the traditional color for baby boys. The stripes next to them are pink, the traditional color for baby girls. The stripe in the middle is white, for those who are intersex, transitioning or consider themselves having a neutral or undefined gender,” Helms says. “The pattern is such that no matter which way you fly it, it is always correct, signifying us finding correctness in our lives.”
Responding to the HRC brochure, ClashDaily associate editor K. Walker called it the “height of misogyny to label the genitals of biological men who have had gender reassignment surgery as a ‘vagina’ but the sex organ of a biological woman a ‘front hole[.]’ … It’s getting more and more difficult to successfully satirize the gender theory activists because yesterday’s ridiculous satire has become today’s reality.”
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