lifesitenews--2020-03-23--Cdl. Burke issues new statement about combatting the coronavirus

March 21 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Earlier today , Cardinal Raymond Burke released a statement on the coronavirus .
In his lengthy remarks , His Excellency described the virus as “ insidious ” and advised persons to take precautions againt spreading and contracting it .
He also stated that it ’ s “ essential ” for Catholics “ at all times and above all in times of crisis , to have access to our churches and chapels , to the Sacraments , and to public devotions and prayers.
” “ In combatting the evil of the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relationship with Christ through prayer and penance , and devotions and sacred worship , ” he stated .
“ We turn to Christ to deliver us from pestilence and from all harm.
” Echoing the remarks of Archbishop Carlo Viganò , who has previously called for churches to remain open , Burke states that , “ we must be able to pray in our churches and chapels , receive the Sacraments , and engage in acts of public prayer and devotion , so that we know God ’ s closeness to us and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon His help.
” “ Without the help of God , ” His Eminence contines , “ we are indeed lost.
” Burke also said that the spread of the coronavirus can not be understood apart from the world ’ s “ rebellious ” stance towards God .
Nor can it be viewed apart from the “ paganism ” that is being promoted from “ within the Church.
” “ [ A ] person of faith can not consider the present calamity in which we find ourselves without considering also how distant our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not only indifferent to His presence in our midst but openly rebellious toward Him and the good order with which He has created us and sustains us in being.
” “ We witness , too , even within the Church , a paganism which worships nature and the earth , ” he continued .
“ There are those within the Church who refer to the earth as our mother , as if we came from the earth , and the earth is our salvation .
But we come from the hand of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” For some time now , we have been in combat against the spread of the coronavirus , COVID-19 .
From all that we can tell – and one of the difficulties of the combat is that so much about the pestilence remains unclear – the battle will yet continue for some time .
The virus involved is particularly insidious , for it has a relatively long incubation period – some say 14 days and some say 20 days – and is highly contagious , much more highly contagious than other viruses we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural means to defend ourselves against the coronavirus is to avoid any close contact with others .
It is important , in fact , to keep always a distance – some say a yard ( meter ) and some say six-feet – away from each other , and , of course , to avoid group gatherings , that is gatherings in which a number of people are in close proximity of each other .
In addition , since the virus is transmitted by small droplets emitted when one sneezes or blows his or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wash our hands frequently with disinfectant soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds , and to use disinfectant handwash and handwipes .
It is equally important to disinfect tables , chairs , countertops , etc.
, on which these droplets may have landed and from which they are capable of transmitting the contagion for some time .
If we sneeze or blow our nose , we are counseled to use a paper facial tissue , to discard it immediately , and then to wash our hands .
Of course , those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be quarantined , and those who are not feeling well , even if it has not been determined that they suffer from the coronavirus , should , out of charity toward others , remain at home , until they are feeling better .
Living in Italy , in which the spread of the coronavirus has been particularly deadly , especially for the elderly and for those who are already in a state of delicate health , I am edified by the great care which the Italians are taking to protect themselves and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have already read , the healthcare system in Italy is severely tested in trying to provide necessary hospitalization and intensive-care treatment for the most vulnerable .
Please pray for the Italian people and especially for both those for whom the coronavirus can be fatal and those entrusted with their care .
Being a citizen of the United States , I have been following the situation of the spread of the coronavirus in my homeland and know that those living in the United States are becoming more and more concerned to stop its spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy be repeated at home .
The whole situation certainly disposes us to a profound sadness and also to fear .
No one wants to contract the illness connected with the virus or to have anyone else contract it .
We especially do not want our beloved elderly or others who are suffering in health to be put in danger of death through the spread of the virus .
To fight the spread of the virus , we are all on a kind of forced spiritual retreat , confined to quarters and unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ family and to friends .
For those in quarantine , the isolation is clearly even more severe , not being able to have contact with anyone , not even at a distance .
If the illness itself associated with the virus were not enough to worry us , we can not ignore the economic devastation which the spread of the virus has caused , with its grievous effects on individuals and families , and those who serve us in so many ways in our daily life .
Of course , our thoughts can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an even greater devastation of the population of our homelands and , indeed , of the world .
Certainly , we are right to learn about and employ all of the natural means to defend ourselves against the contagion .
It is a fundamental act of charity to use every prudent means to avoid contracting or spreading the coronavirus .
The natural means of preventing the spread of the virus must , however , respect what we need to live , for example , access to food , water and medicine .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imposition of ever greater restrictions on the movement of individuals , provides that individuals can visit the supermarket and the pharmacy , with the observance of the precautions of social distancing and of use of disinfectants on the part of all involved .
In considering what is needed to live , we must not forget that our first consideration is our relationship with God .
We recall the words of Our Lord in the Gospel according to John : “ If a man loves me , he will keep my word , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we come to him and make our home with him ” ( 14 , 23 ) .
Christ is the Lord of nature and of history .
He is not distant and disinterested in us and the world .
He has promised us : “ I am with you always , to the close of the age ” ( Mt 28 , 20 ) .
In combatting the evil of the coronavirus , our most effective weapon is , therefore , our relationship with Christ through prayer and penance , and devotions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deliver us from pestilence and from all harm , and He never fails to respond with pure and selfless love .
That is why it is essential for us , at all times and above all in times of crisis , to have access to our churches and chapels , to the Sacraments , and to public devotions and prayers .
Just as we are able to purchase food and medicine , while taking care not to spread the coronavirus in the process , so also we must be able to pray @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sacraments , and engage in acts of public prayer and devotion , so that we know God ’ s closeness to us and remain close to Him , fittingly calling upon His help .
Without the help of God , we are indeed lost .
Historically , in times of pestilence , the faithful gathered in fervent prayer and took part in processions .
In fact , in the Roman Missal , promulgated by Pope Saint John XXIII in 1962 , there are special texts for the Holy Mass to be offered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mass for the Deliverance from Death in Time of Pestilence ( Missae Votivae ad Diversa , n. 23 ) .
Likewise , in the traditional Litany of the Saints , we pray : “ From plague , famine , and war , O Lord , deliver us.
” Oftentimes , when we find ourselves in great suffering and even facing death , we ask : “ Where is God ?
” But the real question is : “ Where are we ?
” In other words , God is assuredly with us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time of severe trial or death , but we are too often far from Him because of our failure to acknowledge our total dependence upon Him and , therefore , to pray daily to Him and to offer Him our worship .
In these days , I have heard from so many devout Catholics who are deeply saddened and discouraged not to be able to pray and worship in their churches and chapels .
They understand the need to observe social distance and to follow the other precautions , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can easily enough do in their places of worship .
But , often enough , they have to accept the profound suffering of having their churches and chapels closed , and of not having access to Confession and the Most Holy Eucharist .
In the same light , a person of faith can not consider the present calamity in which we find ourselves without considering also how distant our popular culture is from God .
It is not only indifferent to His presence in our midst but openly rebellious toward Him and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created us and sustains us in being .
We need only think of the commonplace violent attacks on human life , male and female , which God has made in His own image and likeness ( Gn 1 , 27 ) , attacks on the innocent and defenseless unborn , and on those who have the first title to our care , those who are heavily burdened with serious illness , advanced years , or special needs .
We are daily witnesses to the spread of violence in a culture which fails to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need only to think of the pervasive attack upon the integrity of human sexuality , of our identity as man or woman , with the pretense of defining for ourselves , often employing violent means , a sexual identity other than that given to us by God .
With ever greater concern , we witness the devastating effect on individuals and families of the so-called “ gender theory.
” We witness , too , even within the Church , a paganism which worships nature and the earth .
There are those within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our mother , as if we came from the earth , and the earth is our salvation .
But we come from the hand of God , Creator of Heaven and Earth .
In God alone we find salvation .
We pray in the divinely-inspired words of the Psalmist : “ [ God ] alone is my rock and my salvation , my fortress ; I shall not be shaken ” ( Ps 62 [ 61 ] , 6 ) .
We see how the life of faith itself has become increasingly secularized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christ , God the Son Incarnate , King of Heaven and Earth .
We witness so many other evils which derive from idolatry , from the worship of ourselves and our world , instead of worshiping God , the source of all being .
We sadly see in ourselves the truth of Saint Paul ’ s inspired words regarding the “ ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth ” : “ they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever !
” ( Rom 1 , 18 .
25 ) .
Many with whom I am in communication , reflecting upon the present worldwide health crisis with all of its attendant effects , have expressed to me the hope that it will lead us – as individuals and families , and as a society – to reform our lives , to turn to God Who is surely near to us and Who is immeasurable and unceasing in His mercy and love towards us .
There is no question that great evils like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and of our actual sins .
God , in His justice , must repair the disorder which sin introduces into our lives and into our world .
In fact , He fulfills the demands of justice by His superabundant mercy .
God has not left us in the chaos and death , which sin introduces into the world , but has sent His only-begotten Son , Jesus Christ , to suffer , die , rise from the dead and ascend in glory to His right hand , in order to remain with us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inflaming us with His love .
In His justice , God recognizes our sins and the need of their reparation , while , in His mercy He showers upon us the grace to repent and make reparation .
The Prophet Jeremiah prayed : “ We recognize , O LORD , our wickedness , the guilt of our fathers ; that we have sinned against you , ” but he immediately continued his prayer : “ For your name ’ s sake spurn us not , disgrace not the throne of your glory ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ break it not ” ( Jer 14 , 20-21 ) .
God never turns His back on us ; He will never break His covenant of faithful and enduring love with us , even though we are so frequently indifferent , cold and unfaithful .
As the present suffering uncovers for us so much indifference , coldness and infidelity on our part , we are called to turn to God and to beg for His mercy .
We are confident that He will hear us and bless us with His gifts of mercy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our sufferings to the Passion and Death of Christ and thus , as Saint Paul says , “ complete what is lacking in Christ ’ s afflictions for the sake of his body , that is , the Church ” ( Col 1 , 24 ) .
Living in Christ , we know the truth of our Biblical prayer : “ The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD ; he is their refuge in the time of trouble ” ( Ps 37 [ 36 ] , 39 ) .
In Christ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the truth expressed in the prayer of the Psalmist : “ Mercy and truth have met together ; justice and peace have kissed ” ( Ps 85 [ 84 ] , 10 ) .
In our totally secularized culture , there is a tendency to view prayer , devotions and worship like any other activity , for example , going to the cinema or to a football game , which is not essential and therefore can be cancelled for the sake of taking every precaution to curb the spread of a deadly contagion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , above all , Confession and the Holy Mass , are essential for us to remain healthy and strong spiritually , and for us to seek God ’ s help in a time of great danger for all .
Therefore , we can not simply accept the determinations of secular governments , which would treat the worship of God in the same manner as going to a restaurant or to an athletic contest .
Otherwise , the people who already suffer so much from the results of the pestilence are deprived of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our midst to restore health and peace .
We bishops and priests need to explain publicly the necessity of Catholics to pray and worship in their churches and chapels , and to go in procession through the streets and ways , asking God ’ s blessing upon His people who suffer so intensely .
We need to insist that the regulations of the State , also for the good of the State , recognize the distinct importance of places of worship , especially in time of national and international crisis .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understood , above all , the importance of the faith , prayer and worship of the people to overcome a pestilence .
Even as we have found a way to provide for food and medicine and other necessities of life during a time of contagion , without irresponsibly risking the spread of the contagion , so , in a similar way , we can find a way to provide for the necessities of our spiritual life .
We can provide more opportunities for the Holy Mass and devotions at which a number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the spread of contagion .
Many of our churches and chapels are very large .
They permit a group of the faithful to gather for prayer and worship without violating the requirements of “ social distance.
” The confessional with the traditional screen is usually equipped with or , if not , can be easily equipped with a thin veil which can be treated with disinfectant , so that access to the Sacrament of Confession is possible without great difficulty and without danger of transmitting the virus .
If a church or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff to be able to disinfect regularly the pews and other surfaces , I have no doubt that the faithful , in gratitude for the gifts of the Holy Eucharist , Confession , and of public devotion , will gladly assist .
Even if , for whatever reason , we are unable to have access to our churches and chapels , we must remember that our homes are an extension of our parish , a little Church into which we bring Christ from our encounter with Him in the bigger Church .
Let @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis , reflect the truth that Christ is the guest of every Christian home .
Let us turn to him through prayer , especially the Rosary , and other devotions .
If the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus , together with the image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary , is not already enthroned in our home , now would be the time to do so .
The place of the image of the Sacred Heart is for us a little altar at home , at which we gather , conscious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into our hearts , and place our often poor and sinful hearts into His glorious pierced Heart – always open to receive us , to heal us of our sins , and to fill us with divine love .
If you desire to enthrone the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus , I commend to you the handbook , The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus , available through the Marian Catechist Apostolate .
It is also available in Polish and Slovak translations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Holy Mass and Holy Communion , I commend the devout practice of Spiritual Communion .
When we are rightly disposed to receive Holy Communion , that is , when we are in the state of grace , not conscious of any mortal sin which we have committed and for which we have not yet been forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance , and desire to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion but are unable to do so , we unite ourselves spiritually with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass , praying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Saint Alphonsus Liguori : “ Since I am unable now to receive Thee sacramentally , come at least spiritually into my heart.
” Spiritual Communion is a beautiful expression of love for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament .
It will not fail to bring to us abundant grace .
At the same time , when we are conscious of having committed a mortal sin and are unable to have access to the Sacrament of Penance or Confession , the Church invites us to make an act of perfect contrition , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which “ arises from a love by which God is loved above all else.
” .
An act of perfect contrition “ obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible ” ( Catechism of the Catholic Church , no .
1452 ) .
An act of perfect contrition disposes our soul for Spiritual Communion .
In the end , faith and reason , as they always do , work together to provide for the just and right solution to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , inspired by faith , to find the correct manner in which to deal with a deadly pandemic .
That manner must give priority to prayer , devotion and worship , to the invocation of God ’ s mercy upon His people who suffer so much and are in danger of death .
Made in God ’ s own image and likeness , we enjoy the gifts of intellect and free will .
Using these God-given gifts , united to the also God-given gifts of Faith , Hope and Love , we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of worldwide trial which is the cause of so much sadness and fear .
We can count upon the help and intercession of the great host of our heavenly friends , to whom we are intimately united in the Communion of Saints .
The Virgin Mother of God , the holy Archangels and Guardian Angels , Saint Joseph , True Spouse of the Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church , Saint Roch whom we invoke in times of epidemic , and the other saints and blessed to whom we regularly turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They guide us and constantly assure us that God will never fail to hear our prayer ; He will respond with His immeasurable and unceasing mercy and love .
Dear friends , I offer these few reflections to you , deeply conscious of how much you are suffering because of the pandemic coronavirus .
It is my hope that the reflections may be of help to you .
Above all , I hope that they will inspire you to turn to God in prayer and worship , each according to his or her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and peace .
With the reflections comes the assurance of my daily remembrance of your intentions in my prayer and penance , especially in the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass .
I ask you please to remember me in your daily prayers .
I remain yours in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary , and in the Purest Heart of Saint Joseph ,

March 21, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Earlier today, Cardinal Raymond Burke released a statement on the coronavirus. In his lengthy remarks, His Excellency described the virus as “insidious” and advised persons to take precautions againt spreading and contracting it. He also stated that it’s “essential” for Catholics “at all times and above all in times of crisis, to have access to our churches and chapels, to the Sacraments, and to public devotions and prayers.”
“In combatting the evil of the coronavirus, our most effective weapon is…our relationship with Christ through prayer and penance, and devotions and sacred worship,” he stated. “We turn to Christ to deliver us from pestilence and from all harm.”
Echoing the remarks of Archbishop Carlo Viganò, who has previously called for churches to remain open, Burke states that, “we must be able to pray in our churches and chapels, receive the Sacraments, and engage in acts of public prayer and devotion, so that we know God’s closeness to us and remain close to Him, fittingly calling upon His help.”
“Without the help of God,” His Eminence contines, “we are indeed lost.”
Burke also said that the spread of the coronavirus cannot be understood apart from the world’s “rebellious” stance towards God. Nor can it be viewed apart from the “paganism” that is being promoted from “within the Church.”
“[A] person of faith cannot consider the present calamity in which we find ourselves without considering also how distant our popular culture is from God. It is not only indifferent to His presence in our midst but openly rebellious toward Him and the good order with which He has created us and sustains us in being.”
“We witness, too, even within the Church, a paganism which worships nature and the earth,” he continued. “There are those within the Church who refer to the earth as our mother, as if we came from the earth, and the earth is our salvation. But we come from the hand of God, Creator of Heaven and Earth.”
Read the full statement below:
Dear Friends,
For some time now, we have been in combat against the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19. From all that we can tell – and one of the difficulties of the combat is that so much about the pestilence remains unclear – the battle will yet continue for some time. The virus involved is particularly insidious, for it has a relatively long incubation period – some say 14 days and some say 20 days – and is highly contagious, much more highly contagious than other viruses we have experienced.
One of the principal natural means to defend ourselves against the coronavirus is to avoid any close contact with others. It is important, in fact, to keep always a distance – some say a yard (meter) and some say six-feet – away from each other, and, of course, to avoid group gatherings, that is gatherings in which a number of people are in close proximity of each other. In addition, since the virus is transmitted by small droplets emitted when one sneezes or blows his or her nose, it is critical to wash our hands frequently with disinfectant soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, and to use disinfectant handwash and handwipes. It is equally important to disinfect tables, chairs, countertops, etc., on which these droplets may have landed and from which they are capable of transmitting the contagion for some time. If we sneeze or blow our nose, we are counseled to use a paper facial tissue, to discard it immediately, and then to wash our hands. Of course, those who are diagnosed with the coronavirus must be quarantined, and those who are not feeling well, even if it has not been determined that they suffer from the coronavirus, should, out of charity toward others, remain at home, until they are feeling better.
Living in Italy, in which the spread of the coronavirus has been particularly deadly, especially for the elderly and for those who are already in a state of delicate health, I am edified by the great care which the Italians are taking to protect themselves and others from the contagion. As you may have already read, the healthcare system in Italy is severely tested in trying to provide necessary hospitalization and intensive-care treatment for the most vulnerable. Please pray for the Italian people and especially for both those for whom the coronavirus can be fatal and those entrusted with their care. Being a citizen of the United States, I have been following the situation of the spread of the coronavirus in my homeland and know that those living in the United States are becoming more and more concerned to stop its spread, lest a situation like that in Italy be repeated at home.
The whole situation certainly disposes us to a profound sadness and also to fear. No one wants to contract the illness connected with the virus or to have anyone else contract it. We especially do not want our beloved elderly or others who are suffering in health to be put in danger of death through the spread of the virus. To fight the spread of the virus, we are all on a kind of forced spiritual retreat, confined to quarters and unable to show usual signs of affection to family and to friends. For those in quarantine, the isolation is clearly even more severe, not being able to have contact with anyone, not even at a distance.
If the illness itself associated with the virus were not enough to worry us, we cannot ignore the economic devastation which the spread of the virus has caused, with its grievous effects on individuals and families, and those who serve us in so many ways in our daily life. Of course, our thoughts cannot help but include the possibility of an even greater devastation of the population of our homelands and, indeed, of the world.
Certainly, we are right to learn about and employ all of the natural means to defend ourselves against the contagion. It is a fundamental act of charity to use every prudent means to avoid contracting or spreading the coronavirus. The natural means of preventing the spread of the virus must, however, respect what we need to live, for example, access to food, water and medicine. The State, for instance, in its imposition of ever greater restrictions on the movement of individuals, provides that individuals can visit the supermarket and the pharmacy, with the observance of the precautions of social distancing and of use of disinfectants on the part of all involved.
In considering what is needed to live, we must not forget that our first consideration is our relationship with God. We recall the words of Our Lord in the Gospel according to John: “If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we come to him and make our home with him” (14, 23). Christ is the Lord of nature and of history. He is not distant and disinterested in us and the world. He has promised us: “I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt 28, 20). In combatting the evil of the coronavirus, our most effective weapon is, therefore, our relationship with Christ through prayer and penance, and devotions and sacred worship. We turn to Christ to deliver us from pestilence and from all harm, and He never fails to respond with pure and selfless love. That is why it is essential for us, at all times and above all in times of crisis, to have access to our churches and chapels, to the Sacraments, and to public devotions and prayers.
Just as we are able to purchase food and medicine, while taking care not to spread the coronavirus in the process, so also we must be able to pray in our churches and chapels, receive the Sacraments, and engage in acts of public prayer and devotion, so that we know God’s closeness to us and remain close to Him, fittingly calling upon His help. Without the help of God, we are indeed lost. Historically, in times of pestilence, the faithful gathered in fervent prayer and took part in processions. In fact, in the Roman Missal, promulgated by Pope Saint John XXIII in 1962, there are special texts for the Holy Mass to be offered in times of pestilence, the Votive Mass for the Deliverance from Death in Time of Pestilence (Missae Votivae ad Diversa, n. 23). Likewise, in the traditional Litany of the Saints, we pray: “From plague, famine, and war, O Lord, deliver us.”
Oftentimes, when we find ourselves in great suffering and even facing death, we ask: “Where is God?” But the real question is: “Where are we?” In other words, God is assuredly with us to help us and save us, especially at the time of severe trial or death, but we are too often far from Him because of our failure to acknowledge our total dependence upon Him and, therefore, to pray daily to Him and to offer Him our worship.
In these days, I have heard from so many devout Catholics who are deeply saddened and discouraged not to be able to pray and worship in their churches and chapels. They understand the need to observe social distance and to follow the other precautions, and they will follow these prudent practices, which they can easily enough do in their places of worship. But, often enough, they have to accept the profound suffering of having their churches and chapels closed, and of not having access to Confession and the Most Holy Eucharist.
In the same light, a person of faith cannot consider the present calamity in which we find ourselves without considering also how distant our popular culture is from God. It is not only indifferent to His presence in our midst but openly rebellious toward Him and the good order with which He has created us and sustains us in being. We need only think of the commonplace violent attacks on human life, male and female, which God has made in His own image and likeness (Gn 1, 27), attacks on the innocent and defenseless unborn, and on those who have the first title to our care, those who are heavily burdened with serious illness, advanced years, or special needs. We are daily witnesses to the spread of violence in a culture which fails to respect human life.
Likewise, we need only to think of the pervasive attack upon the integrity of human sexuality, of our identity as man or woman, with the pretense of defining for ourselves, often employing violent means, a sexual identity other than that given to us by God. With ever greater concern, we witness the devastating effect on individuals and families of the so-called “gender theory.”
We witness, too, even within the Church, a paganism which worships nature and the earth. There are those within the Church who refer to the earth as our mother, as if we came from the earth, and the earth is our salvation. But we come from the hand of God, Creator of Heaven and Earth. In God alone we find salvation. We pray in the divinely-inspired words of the Psalmist: “[God] alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken” (Ps 62 [61], 6). We see how the life of faith itself has become increasingly secularized and thus has compromised the Lordship of Christ, God the Son Incarnate, King of Heaven and Earth. We witness so many other evils which derive from idolatry, from the worship of ourselves and our world, instead of worshiping God, the source of all being. We sadly see in ourselves the truth of Saint Paul’s inspired words regarding the “ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth”: “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever!” (Rom 1, 18. 25).
Many with whom I am in communication, reflecting upon the present worldwide health crisis with all of its attendant effects, have expressed to me the hope that it will lead us – as individuals and families, and as a society – to reform our lives, to turn to God Who is surely near to us and Who is immeasurable and unceasing in His mercy and love towards us. There is no question that great evils like pestilence are an effect of original sin and of our actual sins. God, in His justice, must repair the disorder which sin introduces into our lives and into our world. In fact, He fulfills the demands of justice by His superabundant mercy.
God has not left us in the chaos and death, which sin introduces into the world, but has sent His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer, die, rise from the dead and ascend in glory to His right hand, in order to remain with us always, purifying us of sin and inflaming us with His love. In His justice, God recognizes our sins and the need of their reparation, while, in His mercy He showers upon us the grace to repent and make reparation. The Prophet Jeremiah prayed: “We recognize, O LORD, our wickedness, the guilt of our fathers; that we have sinned against you,” but he immediately continued his prayer: “For your name’s sake spurn us not, disgrace not the throne of your glory; remember your covenant with us, and break it not” (Jer 14, 20-21).
God never turns His back on us; He will never break His covenant of faithful and enduring love with us, even though we are so frequently indifferent, cold and unfaithful. As the present suffering uncovers for us so much indifference, coldness and infidelity on our part, we are called to turn to God and to beg for His mercy. We are confident that He will hear us and bless us with His gifts of mercy, forgiveness and peace. We join our sufferings to the Passion and Death of Christ and thus, as Saint Paul says, “complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church” (Col 1, 24). Living in Christ, we know the truth of our Biblical prayer: “The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their refuge in the time of trouble” (Ps 37 [36], 39). In Christ, God has fully revealed to us the truth expressed in the prayer of the Psalmist: “Mercy and truth have met together; justice and peace have kissed” (Ps 85 [84], 10).
In our totally secularized culture, there is a tendency to view prayer, devotions and worship like any other activity, for example, going to the cinema or to a football game, which is not essential and therefore can be cancelled for the sake of taking every precaution to curb the spread of a deadly contagion. But prayer, devotions and worship, above all, Confession and the Holy Mass, are essential for us to remain healthy and strong spiritually, and for us to seek God’s help in a time of great danger for all. Therefore, we cannot simply accept the determinations of secular governments, which would treat the worship of God in the same manner as going to a restaurant or to an athletic contest. Otherwise, the people who already suffer so much from the results of the pestilence are deprived of those objective encounters with God Who is in our midst to restore health and peace.
We bishops and priests need to explain publicly the necessity of Catholics to pray and worship in their churches and chapels, and to go in procession through the streets and ways, asking God’s blessing upon His people who suffer so intensely. We need to insist that the regulations of the State, also for the good of the State, recognize the distinct importance of places of worship, especially in time of national and international crisis. In the past, in fact, governments have understood, above all, the importance of the faith, prayer and worship of the people to overcome a pestilence.
Even as we have found a way to provide for food and medicine and other necessities of life during a time of contagion, without irresponsibly risking the spread of the contagion, so, in a similar way, we can find a way to provide for the necessities of our spiritual life. We can provide more opportunities for the Holy Mass and devotions at which a number of faithful can participate without violating necessary precautions against the spread of contagion. Many of our churches and chapels are very large. They permit a group of the faithful to gather for prayer and worship without violating the requirements of “social distance.” The confessional with the traditional screen is usually equipped with or, if not, can be easily equipped with a thin veil which can be treated with disinfectant , so that access to the Sacrament of Confession is possible without great difficulty and without danger of transmitting the virus. If a church or chapel does not have a sufficiently large staff to be able to disinfect regularly the pews and other surfaces, I have no doubt that the faithful, in gratitude for the gifts of the Holy Eucharist, Confession, and of public devotion, will gladly assist.
Even if, for whatever reason, we are unable to have access to our churches and chapels, we must remember that our homes are an extension of our parish, a little Church into which we bring Christ from our encounter with Him in the bigger Church. Let our homes, during this time of crisis, reflect the truth that Christ is the guest of every Christian home. Let us turn to him through prayer, especially the Rosary, and other devotions. If the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, together with the image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, is not already enthroned in our home, now would be the time to do so. The place of the image of the Sacred Heart is for us a little altar at home, at which we gather, conscious of Christ’s dwelling with us through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit into our hearts, and place our often poor and sinful hearts into His glorious pierced Heart – always open to receive us, to heal us of our sins, and to fill us with divine love. If you desire to enthrone the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I commend to you the handbook, The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, available through the Marian Catechist Apostolate. It is also available in Polish and Slovak translations.
For those who cannot have access to the Holy Mass and Holy Communion, I commend the devout practice of Spiritual Communion. When we are rightly disposed to receive Holy Communion, that is, when we are in the state of grace, not conscious of any mortal sin which we have committed and for which we have not yet been forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance, and desire to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion but are unable to do so, we unite ourselves spiritually with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, praying to Our Eucharistic Lord in the words of Saint Alphonsus Liguori: “Since I am unable now to receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.” Spiritual Communion is a beautiful expression of love for Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. It will not fail to bring to us abundant grace.
At the same time, when we are conscious of having committed a mortal sin and are unable to have access to the Sacrament of Penance or Confession, the Church invites us to make an act of perfect contrition, that is, of sorrow for sin, which “arises from a love by which God is loved above all else.”. An act of perfect contrition “obtains forgiveness of mortal sins if it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1452). An act of perfect contrition disposes our soul for Spiritual Communion.
In the end, faith and reason, as they always do, work together to provide for the just and right solution to a difficult challenge. We must use reason, inspired by faith, to find the correct manner in which to deal with a deadly pandemic. That manner must give priority to prayer, devotion and worship, to the invocation of God’s mercy upon His people who suffer so much and are in danger of death. Made in God’s own image and likeness, we enjoy the gifts of intellect and free will. Using these God-given gifts, united to the also God-given gifts of Faith, Hope and Love, we will find our way in the present time of worldwide trial which is the cause of so much sadness and fear.
We can count upon the help and intercession of the great host of our heavenly friends, to whom we are intimately united in the Communion of Saints. The Virgin Mother of God, the holy Archangels and Guardian Angels, Saint Joseph, True Spouse of the Virgin Mary and Patron of the Universal Church, Saint Roch whom we invoke in times of epidemic, and the other saints and blessed to whom we regularly turn in prayer are at our side. They guide us and constantly assure us that God will never fail to hear our prayer; He will respond with His immeasurable and unceasing mercy and love.
Dear friends, I offer these few reflections to you, deeply conscious of how much you are suffering because of the pandemic coronavirus. It is my hope that the reflections may be of help to you. Above all, I hope that they will inspire you to turn to God in prayer and worship, each according to his or her possibilities, and thus experience His healing and peace. With the reflections comes the assurance of my daily remembrance of your intentions in my prayer and penance, especially in the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
I ask you please to remember me in your daily prayers.
I remain yours in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and in the Purest Heart of Saint Joseph,
Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke
21 March 2020
Feast of Saint Benedict, Abbot


lifesitenews--2020-03-23--Join other Christians to pray together during the coronavirus crisis

March 21 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – As the coronavirus spreads and infection rates and death increase across the world , Christians must take on a leading role at this crucial time in human history .
Now is the time for all of us to fully engage in this spiritual battle , and to do so armed with our greatest weapon of all : prayer .
We turn to Almighty God in prayer and ask that He intervene to alleviate the suffering of the sick and stop the further spread of this deadly disease .
Sign this pledge right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Click here to commit to praying the Holy Rosary daily .
We must now unite in prayer and community , asking Jesus , as the Divine Healer , to intervene .
We must ask Him to comfort those in mourning ; to heal those afflicted by the coronavirus ; and to help those affected by the economic crisis .
Once you sign the pledge , we invite you to join our livestream of prayer , every day , for the duration of the coronavirus crisis , using our social media app , LifeSite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only will you be able to easily access the livestream , you ’ ll be able to communicate with like-minded individuals all over the world .
Community with other believers is vital all the time , but especially during this time of global calls for sheltering-in-place and military-enforced quarantine .
Starting this Sunday , at 12:00 p.m. EDT , the Holy Rosary will be recited together with an American priest who is currently in Italy , “ Ground Zero ” of the coronavirus epidemic .
And starting on , at 5:00 p.m. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will offer intercessory prayer and a brief study of the Scriptures .
Once you sign the petition , we ’ ll send you instructions directly to your inbox on how to tune in to our livestreams of the Holy Rosary and intercessory prayer on LifeSite Connect .
PLEASE WATCH this short video to get acquainted with LifeSite Connect today !

A call to join Christians around the world in prayer for the coronavirus crisis.
March 21, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – As the coronavirus spreads and infection rates and death increase across the world, Christians must take on a leading role at this crucial time in human history.
Now is the time for all of us to fully engage in this spiritual battle, and to do so armed with our greatest weapon of all: prayer.
We turn to Almighty God in prayer and ask that He intervene to alleviate the suffering of the sick and stop the further spread of this deadly disease.
Sign this pledge right now to join our prayer army.
Click here to commit to praying the Holy Rosary daily.
We must now unite in prayer and community, asking Jesus, as the Divine Healer, to intervene. We must ask Him to comfort those in mourning; to heal those afflicted by the coronavirus; and to help those affected by the economic crisis.
Once you sign the pledge, we invite you to join our livestream of prayer, every day, for the duration of the coronavirus crisis, using our social media app, LifeSite Connect.
By joining LifeSite Connect, not only will you be able to easily access the livestream, you’ll be able to communicate with like-minded individuals all over the world.
Community with other believers is vital all the time, but especially during this time of global calls for sheltering-in-place and military-enforced quarantine.
Starting this Sunday, at 12:00 p.m. EDT, the Holy Rosary will be recited together with an American priest who is currently in Italy, “Ground Zero” of the coronavirus epidemic.
And starting on Monday , at 5:00 p.m. EDT, pastors of various Christian denominations will offer intercessory prayer and a brief study of the Scriptures.
Once you sign the petition, we’ll send you instructions directly to your inbox on how to tune in to our livestreams of the Holy Rosary and intercessory prayer on LifeSite Connect.
PLEASE SIGN THIS URGENT PLEDGE, TODAY!
PLEASE WATCH this short video to get acquainted with LifeSite Connect today!
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lifesitenews--2020-03-23--‘God demands sacrifices from us’: Pachamama destroyer reflects on his COVID-19 infection

PRAYER PLEDGE : Rally around the daily Rosary to stop the coronavirus Sign the petition here .
March 22 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Alexander Tschugguel is on the way to recovery and asks us all to accept this cross of the virus .
Tschugguel , the young man who became internationally known after having removed several Pachamama statues from a Catholic church in Rome and threw them into the Tiber River , is recovering in the hospital from the illness caused by the coronavirus .
He now calls upon us to accept the sacrifices that come with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things in the world ... in the Church.
” “ The virus strikes much harder than expected and hits all age groups , ” he says .
As LifeSiteNews reported , Tschugguel had been hospitalized on March 17 after contracting the coronavirus , suffering severely from it .
Hundreds and thousands of people across the world prayed for his recovery .
On March 21 , Tschugguel posted a tweet in which he indicated that he is finally feeling a little bit better , after two weeks into the illness .
“ So right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me having # corona , ” Alexander Tschugguel wrote .
“ My lungs are still very weak and the rest of the body is too .
Christ shows us here many possibilities of carrying our cross .
Let us use this opportunity .
Pray your # rosary daily and ask the Lord how to serve him best in these times.
” Today , Alexander asked LifeSite to share with our readers his message , in which he stresses the seriousness of this new virus and in which he asks us to accept it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sins of the world and of the Church .
Please see here his full statement : Thank you very much for all your prayers and encouragement during the last days .
I am now in the 15th day of my illness and slowly on the way to recovery .
The virus strikes much harder than expected and hits all age groups .
Now we have to learn to deal with it , which means to understand that God demands sacrifices from us .
He demands more from us this Lent than we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be very reserved , renounce many things and repent for all the bad things in the world and especially for all the bad things that have happened in the Church .
God in His abundant providence has imposed these restrictions upon us and we must see them as a cross to bear , especially for all those who are fatally ill with the virus , for all those families that are torn apart , for all aborted children , for the destruction of our homelands .
For all this suffering we must now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the lives we ’ re accustomed to living .
Let us do this together as believers .
We can rest assured that God will never abandon us .
As soon as I am healthy again , I will make a video and tell you how this virus feels and what it does to you .
I send you all my heartfelt greetings and wish you

Alexander Tschugguel is on the way to recovery and asks us all to accept this cross of the virus.
PRAYER PLEDGE: Rally around the daily Rosary to stop the coronavirus Sign the petition here.
March 22, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Alexander Tschugguel is on the way to recovery and asks us all to accept this cross of the virus.
Tschugguel, the young man who became internationally known after having removed several Pachamama statues from a Catholic church in Rome and threw them into the Tiber River, is recovering in the hospital from the illness caused by the coronavirus. He now calls upon us to accept the sacrifices that come with the virus, “for all the bad things in the world…in the Church.”
“The virus strikes much harder than expected and hits all age groups,” he says.
As LifeSiteNews reported, Tschugguel had been hospitalized on March 17 after contracting the coronavirus, suffering severely from it. Hundreds and thousands of people across the world prayed for his recovery.
On March 21, Tschugguel posted a tweet in which he indicated that he is finally feeling a little bit better, after two weeks into the illness.
“So right now it‘s day 14 of me having #corona,” Alexander Tschugguel wrote.
“My lungs are still very weak and the rest of the body is too. Christ shows us here many possibilities of carrying our cross. Let us use this opportunity. Pray your #rosary daily and ask the Lord how to serve him best in these times.”
Today, Alexander asked LifeSite to share with our readers his message, in which he stresses the seriousness of this new virus and in which he asks us to accept it as a suffering willed by God for the sins of the world and of the Church.
Please see here his full statement:
Dear friends and supporters,
Thank you very much for all your prayers and encouragement during the last days. I am now in the 15th day of my illness and slowly on the way to recovery. The virus strikes much harder than expected and hits all age groups. Now we have to learn to deal with it, which means to understand that God demands sacrifices from us. He demands more from us this Lent than we are used to. We have to be very reserved, renounce many things and repent for all the bad things in the world and especially for all the bad things that have happened in the Church.
God in His abundant providence has imposed these restrictions upon us and we must see them as a cross to bear, especially for all those who are fatally ill with the virus, for all those families that are torn apart, for all aborted children, for the destruction of our homelands. For all this suffering we must now sacrifice our freedom, our prosperity and the lives we’re accustomed to living.
Let us do this together as believers. We can rest assured that God will never abandon us. As soon as I am healthy again, I will make a video and tell you how this virus feels and what it does to you. I send you all my heartfelt greetings and wish you
God's blessing,
Alexander Tschugguel
Follow Maike Dr. Maike Hickson was born and raised in Germany. She holds a PhD from the University of Hannover, Germany, after having written in Switzerland her doctoral dissertation on the history of Swiss intellectuals before and during World War II. She now lives in the U.S. and is married to Dr. Robert Hickson, and they have been blessed with two beautiful children. She is a happy housewife who likes to write articles when time permits. Dr. Hickson published in 2014 a Festschrift, a collection of some thirty essays written by thoughtful authors in honor of her husband upon his 70th birthday, which is entitled A Catholic Witness in Our Time. Hickson has closely followed the papacy of Pope Francis and the developments in the Catholic Church in Germany, and she has been writing articles on religion and politics for U.S. and European publications and websites such as LifeSiteNews, OnePeterFive, The Wanderer, Rorate Caeli, Catholicism.org, Catholic Family News, Christian Order, Notizie Pro-Vita, Corrispondenza Romana, Katholisches.info, Der Dreizehnte, Zeit-Fragen, and Westfalen-Blatt.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-20--Coronavirus is threatening services worldwide. Will LifeSiteNews be here in three months?

EDINBURGH , Scotland , March 20 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) ― As I sit at home , writing articles for LifeSiteNews , I have to say I miss the gym .
Like so many other people around the world , I ’ m practising social distancing , which in my case means sticking close to home as much as possible , going only to the local supermarket and going for walks instead of spin classes .
Exercise is necessary to body and mind , as fighting for the cause of life in a hostile world over the web is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not going to the gym , I ’ m also praying that the gym is still in business by the time I go downtown again .
Right now so many businesses are fighting for their lives .
So far I ’ ve written two emails to my favorite café and our favorite special-occasion restaurant asking how we can support them without dropping by .
The café suggested I buy bags of their parent company ’ s coffee online .
I suggested to the restaurant that they start a delivery service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the café manager , I can ’ t imagine Edinburgh without them .
I don ’ t want to give you the impression that my husband and I dine out every month , but it seems that we have landed on a number of mailing lists over the years .
So far I have received appeals from a Polish restaurant in London and a French restaurant in Edinburgh to come and eat a meal or at least buy a gift certificate .
They say they ’ ve removed a third of the tables @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever … These are local treasures , well-reviewed , veteran institutions .
Will they be there in three months ?
Will everybody at LifeSiteNews be here in three months ?
It ’ s a gloomy question , but we ’ ve hit gloomy times .
Last night I went to the last public Mass permitted by the Scottish Bishops for goodness knows how long .
Never in my life have I imagined that I might not be able to go to Sunday Mass because the Bishops themselves had told priests to shut the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I thought maybe the Communists would invade and Catholics would have to go underground , but this pandemic was a contingency I never mentally prepared for .
Although I love Mass , I guess I took it for granted it would always be there .
We can ’ t take for granted that anything or anyone will always be there , and there are so many people I want to support right now .
My Latin Mass priest .
The crazy-fun instructors at my gym .
The mother-and-daughter beauticians who just opened a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff at the steakhouse where my husband and I had his birthday dinner .
The friendly American kid who started the café .
I ’ m going to continue to support them as much as I can .
The thing is , I ’ m scared of spending any money right now .
My husband , now working at home , is employed for a charity , too .
I ’ m almost tempted to regret dropping out of my government job all those years ago .
But we ’ re trusting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in LifeSiteNews ’ readers to support your favorite media team , the way that I ’ m going to support the local community that I love .
I ’ m proud and happy that I get to fight for life and freedom every day , especially as I see powerful people use the coronavirus epidemic to advance the culture of death , most recently with the outrageous pro-abortion legislation in New Zealand .
I ’ m also grateful that I ’ m part of such a great , faith-filled team and that every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together for each other , for our readers and allies , for our critics , and for those in most need of conversion .
The coronavirus pandemic and the loss to so many of us of public worship has only inspired us to pray harder and to work harder to get out the truth to our readers , ensuring that you get the news you won ’ t easily find anywhere else .
For some reason , the BBC was not as quick as we were to break the news of President Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has proven successful .
Thanks to your support , both our team and our outreach have grown so much , and with your continued support , we can continue our work fighting the culture of death to restore a culture of life .
We ’ re all afraid of what the pandemic will do , but the cause of life must be fought .
In a world that is so desperate for hope , I ask you to consider making a regular contribution to our daily battle to change the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ needs 100 of our most committed readers to pledge a monthly gift of $ 10 and 50 of you to pledge a monthly gift of $ 25 to keep fighting the good fight with our articles and commentary .
That works out to between 33 and 83 cents a day , which is a lot less than I have to pay for a MSM paper !
If you are able to generously support our mission with a financial gift today , please follow this link to donate : https : //give.lifesitenews.com .

'We’re all afraid of what the pandemic will do, but the cause of life must be fought.'
EDINBURGH, Scotland, March 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― As I sit at home, writing articles for LifeSiteNews, I have to say I miss the gym.
Like so many other people around the world, I’m practising social distancing, which in my case means sticking close to home as much as possible, going only to the local supermarket and going for walks instead of spin classes. Exercise is necessary to body and mind, as fighting for the cause of life in a hostile world over the web is both sedentary and stressful. So although I’m not going to the gym, I’m also praying that the gym is still in business by the time I go downtown again.
Right now so many businesses are fighting for their lives. So far I’ve written two emails to my favorite café and our favorite special-occasion restaurant asking how we can support them without dropping by. The café suggested I buy bags of their parent company’s coffee online. I suggested to the restaurant that they start a delivery service. To paraphrase what I said to the café manager, I can’t imagine Edinburgh without them.
I don’t want to give you the impression that my husband and I dine out every month, but it seems that we have landed on a number of mailing lists over the years. So far I have received appeals from a Polish restaurant in London and a French restaurant in Edinburgh to come and eat a meal or at least buy a gift certificate. They say they’ve removed a third of the tables and they’re cleaning more than ever … These are local treasures, well-reviewed, veteran institutions. Will they be there in three months?
Will everybody at LifeSiteNews be here in three months?
It’s a gloomy question, but we’ve hit gloomy times. Last night I went to the last public Mass permitted by the Scottish Bishops for goodness knows how long. Never in my life have I imagined that I might not be able to go to Sunday Mass because the Bishops themselves had told priests to shut the doors. When I was a kid I thought maybe the Communists would invade and Catholics would have to go underground, but this pandemic was a contingency I never mentally prepared for. Although I love Mass, I guess I took it for granted it would always be there.
We can’t take for granted that anything or anyone will always be there, and there are so many people I want to support right now. My Latin Mass priest. The crazy-fun instructors at my gym. The mother-and-daughter beauticians who just opened a salon on my street. The Argentinian staff at the steakhouse where my husband and I had his birthday dinner. The friendly American kid who started the café.
I’m going to continue to support them as much as I can. The thing is, I’m scared of spending any money right now. My husband, now working at home, is employed for a charity, too. I’m almost tempted to regret dropping out of my government job all those years ago.
But we’re trusting in God, and I’m trusting in LifeSiteNews’ readers to support your favorite media team, the way that I’m going to support the local community that I love. I’m proud and happy that I get to fight for life and freedom every day, especially as I see powerful people use the coronavirus epidemic to advance the culture of death, most recently with the outrageous pro-abortion legislation in New Zealand.
I’m also grateful that I’m part of such a great, faith-filled team and that every workday we have the opportunity to pray together for each other, for our readers and allies, for our critics, and for those in most need of conversion. The coronavirus pandemic and the loss to so many of us of public worship has only inspired us to pray harder and to work harder to get out the truth to our readers, ensuring that you get the news you won’t easily find anywhere else. For some reason, the BBC was not as quick as we were to break the news of President Trump’s backing of a coronavirus treatment that has proven successful.
Thanks to your support, both our team and our outreach have grown so much, and with your continued support, we can continue our work fighting the culture of death to restore a culture of life.
We’re all afraid of what the pandemic will do, but the cause of life must be fought. In a world that is so desperate for hope, I ask you to consider making a regular contribution to our daily battle to change the world.
The fundraising teams tell me that LifeSiteNews needs 100 of our most committed readers to pledge a monthly gift of $10 and 50 of you to pledge a monthly gift of $25 to keep fighting the good fight with our articles and commentary. That works out to between 33 and 83 cents a day, which is a lot less than I have to pay for a MSM paper!
If you are able to generously support our mission with a financial gift today, please follow this link to donate: https://give.lifesitenews.com.
Follow Dorothy Dorothy Cummings McLean is a Canadian journalist, essayist, and novelist. She earned an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Toronto and an M.Div./S.T.B. from Toronto’s Regis College. She was a columnist for the Toronto Catholic Register for nine years and has contributed to Catholic World Report. Her first book, Seraphic Singles, was published by Novalis (2010) in Canada, Liguori in the USA, and Homo Dei in Poland. Her second, Ceremony of Innocence, was published by Ignatius Press (2013). Dorothy lives near Edinburgh, Scotland with her husband.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-20--The importance of spiritual communion

The importance of spiritual communion

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

Watch Mother Miriam's Live show from 3.20.2020. Mother Miriam discusses the importance of making a spiritual communion while we cannot attend mass due to coronavirus closures.
You can tune in daily at 10 am EST/7 am PST on our Facebook Page.
Subscribe to Mother Miriam Live here.


lifesitenews--2020-03-24--Liberal media cannot be trusted to report accurately on Trump or coronavirus

March 23 , 2020 ( American Thinker ) — A few months ago , I saw a poll that Americans do not exactly trust the media : Yes , the poll is about six months old , but nothing has happened to improve the credibility of the media .
Another story just came out that President Trump is not taking the virus seriously .
This is the story : U.S. intelligence agencies were issuing ominous , classified warnings in January and February about the global danger posed by the coronavirus while President Donald Trump and lawmakers played down the threat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have slowed the spread of the pathogen , according to U.S. officials familiar with spy agency reporting .
And then comes the next paragraph : The intelligence reports did n't predict when the virus might land on U.S. shores or recommend particular steps that public health officials should take , issues outside the purview of the intelligence agencies .
But they did track the spread of the virus in China , and later in other countries , and warned that Chinese officials appeared to be minimizing the severity of the outbreak .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a virus out there but not much more specific than that .
They could n't say when it would hit the U.S. or make any specific recommendations to fight the spread .
I guess that 's like saying to the pilot : `` Hey friend , there is some turbulence out there but we do n't know where or if it will even hit your plane . ''
We do n't need a petty bunch of reporters looking to make the president look bad .
PS : You can listen to my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me on Twitter .
This article originally appeared at the American Thinker .
It is published here with the author ’ s permission .

We don't need a petty bunch of reporters looking to make the president look bad.
March 23, 2020 (American Thinker) — A few months ago, I saw a poll that Americans do not exactly trust the media:
Americans remain largely mistrustful of the mass media as 41% currently have “a great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in newspapers, television and radio to report the news “fully, accurately and fairly.”
Yes, the poll is about six months old, but nothing has happened to improve the credibility of the media.
Another story just came out that President Trump is not taking the virus seriously. This is the story:
U.S. intelligence agencies were issuing ominous, classified warnings in January and February about the global danger posed by the coronavirus while President Donald Trump and lawmakers played down the threat and failed to take action that might have slowed the spread of the pathogen, according to U.S. officials familiar with spy agency reporting.
And then comes the next paragraph:
The intelligence reports didn't predict when the virus might land on U.S. shores or recommend particular steps that public health officials should take, issues outside the purview of the intelligence agencies. But they did track the spread of the virus in China, and later in other countries, and warned that Chinese officials appeared to be minimizing the severity of the outbreak.
So the intelligence folks told President Trump there was a virus out there but not much more specific than that. They couldn't say when it would hit the U.S. or make any specific recommendations to fight the spread.
I guess that's like saying to the pilot: “Hey friend, there is some turbulence out there but we don't know where or if it will even hit your plane.”
We don't need a petty bunch of reporters looking to make the president look bad.
PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
This article originally appeared at the American Thinker. It is published here with the author’s permission.
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lifesitenews--2020-03-24--Canadian Conservative party bars another social conservative from leadership race

TORONTO , Ontario , March 23 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — A Conservative Party of Canada subcommittee has banned social conservative candidate Jim Karaholios from running for the leadership of the party .
This happened despite the fact that he had submitted the required signatures and funds to be eligible to run in the race .
In a March 20 statement , the Conservative Party of Canada ( CPC ) said the Dispute Resolution Appeals Committee ( DRAC ) had ruled that Karaholios , an Ontario lawyer , was officially disqualified from the race .
No reason was given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Leadership Election Organizing Committee ( LEOC ) of the CPC , which oversees candidates .
Its ruling reads : According to the CPC official statement , the party ’ s chief returning officer ( CRO ) reviewed a complaint made against Karaholios on March 9 .
The complaint against him was for “ statements made by Mr. Karahalios through email , mail , and social media earlier in the month.
” After reviewing testimony from both the unnamed complainant and Karaholios , the CRO made a ruling ( which has not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Karaholios after consultation with the LEOC .
Karaholios unsuccessfully appealed the March 17 decision the following day .
LifeSiteNews contacted the CPC for comment regarding Karaholios being disqualified but was told to refer to the official party statement .
The official CPC statement ends as follows : “ No further comment will be made by LEOC , the Co-Chairs , the CRO or DRAC.
” The banishment of Karaholios marks the second time in a month that a socially conservative candidate has been prohibited from running in the party leadership race .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richard Décarie was barred from running .
Karaholios has the support of Campaign Life Coalition ( CLC ) as one of three pro-life socially conservative approved candidates , alongside Derek Sloan and Leslyn Lewis .
Sloan and Lewis are now officially on the ballot .
In a March 20 statement about the matter , CLC said it was “ outraged ” that Karaholios is barred from running , going on to say he has every right to be there .
“ He has earned the right to be on the ballot , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CLC .
“ Accordingly , grassroots party members have a right to vote for him in this leadership race.
” Today , CLC launched a petition in support of Karaholios , which calls on the CPC ’ s National Council to reinstate him as an official candidate , saying his disqualification was “ illegitimate.
” “ His unlawful ‘ disqualification ’ at the hands of the party ’ s Dispute Resolution Appeals Committee ( DRAC ) is illegitimate , ” says the CLC petition .
“ According to the published leadership election rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on DRAC do not possess the authority to disqualify candidates.
” The petition ends with a call to action to “ demand that CPC National Council override DRAC , and reinstate Jim ’ s candidacy , effective immediately.
” In an email sent to his followers on March 22 , Karaholios said it was not LEOC that disqualified him ; rather , it “ was done by a small group of anonymous people who did not have the authority.
” He also said his disqualification was “ unlawful ” and “ not in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Election ‘ Rules.
’ ” He urged his followers to contact the party ’ s National Council in protest and provided names and emails of both the LEOC and the National Council members .
CLC ’ s political operations director , Jack Fonseca , said in the March 20 CLC statement that CLC is pleased to have at least half of the candidates be social conservatives , but “ [ i ] t should be three out of five , and LEOC can not be allowed to get away with this.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two other candidates are officially fully on the ballot : pro-abortion Peter MacKay and Ontario M.P .
Erin O ’ Toole .
There are two other approved candidates in the running , Marilyn Gladu and Rudy Husny , who have until March 25 to submit the remainder of $ 300,000 along with 3,000 signatures to the party to stay in the race .
Rick Peterson announced on Friday that he was withdrawing .
The CPC and the LEOC have come under fire from approved candidates for not postponing the leadership race considering the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this past Sunday for not delaying and moving forward all deadlines .
As it stands now , the leader will be announced at the June 27 party convention in Toronto .
The deadline to be eligible to vote in the CPC leadership race is April 17 , and one must be a member of the party to vote .
CLC is asking pro-life Canadians who are over the age of 14 to purchase Conservative Party memberships before the deadline .
Find CLC Petition in support of Jim Karahalios here : https : //www.campaignlifecoalition.com/petition/id/36

TORONTO, Ontario, March 23, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A Conservative Party of Canada subcommittee has banned social conservative candidate Jim Karaholios from running for the leadership of the party. This happened despite the fact that he had submitted the required signatures and funds to be eligible to run in the race.
In a March 20 statement, the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) said the Dispute Resolution Appeals Committee (DRAC) had ruled that Karaholios, an Ontario lawyer, was officially disqualified from the race. No reason was given.
The DRAC is a subcommittee of the Leadership Election Organizing Committee (LEOC) of the CPC, which oversees candidates. Its ruling reads:
After careful consideration of all the evidence and submissions of Mr. Karahalios and the complainant, and the findings and reasons for decision of the Chief Returning Officer, the Dispute Resolution Appeals Committee rules that Mr. Karahalios be disqualified as a candidate for Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.
According to the CPC official statement, the party’s chief returning officer (CRO) reviewed a complaint made against Karaholios on March 9. The complaint against him was for “statements made by Mr. Karahalios through email, mail, and social media earlier in the month.”
After reviewing testimony from both the unnamed complainant and Karaholios, the CRO made a ruling (which has not been made public) on March 17 regarding Karaholios after consultation with the LEOC. Karaholios unsuccessfully appealed the March 17 decision the following day.
LifeSiteNews contacted the CPC for comment regarding Karaholios being disqualified but was told to refer to the official party statement.
The official CPC statement ends as follows: “No further comment will be made by LEOC, the Co-Chairs, the CRO or DRAC.”
The banishment of Karaholios marks the second time in a month that a socially conservative candidate has been prohibited from running in the party leadership race. In late February, pro-life and pro-family advocate Richard Décarie was barred from running.
Karaholios has the support of Campaign Life Coalition (CLC) as one of three pro-life socially conservative approved candidates, alongside Derek Sloan and Leslyn Lewis. Sloan and Lewis are now officially on the ballot.
In a March 20 statement about the matter, CLC said it was “outraged” that Karaholios is barred from running, going on to say he has every right to be there.
“He has earned the right to be on the ballot,” said Jeff Gunnarson, National President of CLC. “Accordingly, grassroots party members have a right to vote for him in this leadership race.”
Today, CLC launched a petition in support of Karaholios, which calls on the CPC’s National Council to reinstate him as an official candidate, saying his disqualification was “illegitimate.”
“His unlawful ‘disqualification’ at the hands of the party’s Dispute Resolution Appeals Committee (DRAC) is illegitimate,” says the CLC petition.
“According to the published leadership election rules, this small group of anonymous people on DRAC do not possess the authority to disqualify candidates.”
The petition ends with a call to action to “demand that CPC National Council override DRAC, and reinstate Jim’s candidacy, effective immediately.”
In an email sent to his followers on March 22, Karaholios said it was not LEOC that disqualified him; rather, it “was done by a small group of anonymous people who did not have the authority.”
He also said his disqualification was “unlawful” and “not in accordance with the National Council's Leadership Election ‘Rules.’” He urged his followers to contact the party’s National Council in protest and provided names and emails of both the LEOC and the National Council members.
CLC’s political operations director, Jack Fonseca, said in the March 20 CLC statement that CLC is pleased to have at least half of the candidates be social conservatives, but “[i]t should be three out of five, and LEOC cannot be allowed to get away with this.”
In addition to Sloan and Lewis, only two other candidates are officially fully on the ballot: pro-abortion Peter MacKay and Ontario M.P. Erin O’Toole.
There are two other approved candidates in the running, Marilyn Gladu and Rudy Husny, who have until March 25 to submit the remainder of $300,000 along with 3,000 signatures to the party to stay in the race. Rick Peterson announced on Friday that he was withdrawing.
The CPC and the LEOC have come under fire from approved candidates for not postponing the leadership race considering the coronavirus epidemic. Sloan blasted the LEOC this past Sunday for not delaying and moving forward all deadlines.
As it stands now, the leader will be announced at the June 27 party convention in Toronto.
The deadline to be eligible to vote in the CPC leadership race is April 17, and one must be a member of the party to vote. CLC is asking pro-life Canadians who are over the age of 14 to purchase Conservative Party memberships before the deadline.
Find CLC Petition in support of Jim Karahalios here: https://www.campaignlifecoalition.com/petition/id/36
Contact information:
Conservative Party of Canada
1720-130 Albert St. Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4
1-866-808-8407
https://www.conservative.ca/contact/
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lifesitenews--2020-03-24--As Trump’s coronavirus response raises poll numbers, media demands to silence him

March 23 , 2020 ( American Thinker ) — Many people are regularly watching the now daily press briefings from the White House .
During these briefings , President Trump , Vice President Pence , and various members of the White House Chinese Virus team give updates and take questions from a continually shrinking pool of reporters .
( Even reporters have to practice social distancing , after all . )
Because the Trump administration has been so forthcoming , allowing people both to see what the federal government can and can not do and to understand the data and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show that Americans approve of how he is handling the coronavirus .
If you look at a Real Clear Politics snapshot from March 21 , which shows the consolidated polling data on the coronavirus , you can see that three major polls show Trump ’ s approval soaring : In addition to seeing Trump being serious , aggressive , and hopeful when handling the coronavirus situation , Americans also get to see what a terrible job the media are doing .
When reporters ask questions , they don ’ t seek information that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Instead , they ’ re only trying to push the narrative that Trump is a racist , ineffectual idiot .
The media may think they ’ re proving their point , but , through their mean-spirited questions , they end up giving Trump more opportunities to make his case before the American people .
No wonder , then , that a new trend is sweeping through the media world .
Media people are demanding that the outlets for which they work stop carrying Trump ’ s press conferences .
Stopping the leftists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because they pop up everywhere .
The first to demand censorship was Eric Boehlert , who insisted on March 13 that the media act as a “ principled ” gatekeeper to ensure that the American people can not hear from their president : On Friday , Rachel Maddow , doyenne of the Russia Hoax , called to silence the president : And on Saturday , Margaret Sullivan , in the Washington Post , also insisted on censoring Trump : More and more each day , President Trump is using his daily briefings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have been forced into extinction by the spread of the coronavirus .
These White House sessions — ostensibly meant to give the public critical and truthful information about this frightening crisis — are in fact working against that end .
Rather , they have become a daily stage for Trump to play his greatest hits to a captive audience… .
Trump is doing harm and spreading misinformation while working for his own partisan political benefit — a naked attempt to portray himself as a wartime president bravely leading the nation through a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 21st Century .
The press — if it defines its purpose as getting truthful , useful , non-harmful information to the public , as opposed to merely juicing its own ratings and profits — must recognize what is happening and adjust accordingly .
( And that , granted , is a very big “ if ” ) William Jacobson , of Legal Insurrection , put her in her place : Incidentally , Trump has not said that chloroquine is a cure .
He says he hopes it is and thinks it may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ except for off-label use , the FDA is dragging its heels while people die .
As for the hysteria about the drug ’ s ill effects , doctors have been using it for 20 years and know its toxicity .
Moreover , it ’ s a good alternative to death .
Leftists hate free speech .
The free flow of ideas always carries with it the risk that their ideas will be challenged and defeated .
That ’ s also why they love universities , where they have unparalleled access to absorbent minds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universities into this post ?
Because of this PragerU short video , which sums up the whole problem with the left and free speech : Published with permission from the American Thinker .

In addition to seeing Trump being serious, aggressive, and hopeful when handling the coronavirus situation, Americans also get to see what a terrible job the media are doing.
March 23, 2020 (American Thinker) — Many people are regularly watching the now daily press briefings from the White House. During these briefings, President Trump, Vice President Pence, and various members of the White House Chinese Virus team give updates and take questions from a continually shrinking pool of reporters. (Even reporters have to practice social distancing, after all.)
Because the Trump administration has been so forthcoming, allowing people both to see what the federal government can and cannot do and to understand the data and decisions affecting their lives, several polls show that Americans approve of how he is handling the coronavirus. If you look at a Real Clear Politics snapshot from March 21, which shows the consolidated polling data on the coronavirus, you can see that three major polls show Trump’s approval soaring:
In addition to seeing Trump being serious, aggressive, and hopeful when handling the coronavirus situation, Americans also get to see what a terrible job the media are doing. When reporters ask questions, they don’t seek information that will be useful to the American people. Instead, they’re only trying to push the narrative that Trump is a racist, ineffectual idiot. The media may think they’re proving their point, but, through their mean-spirited questions, they end up giving Trump more opportunities to make his case before the American people.
No wonder, then, that a new trend is sweeping through the media world. Media people are demanding that the outlets for which they work stop carrying Trump’s press conferences. Stopping the leftists’ censorship demands is like playing whack-a-mole, because they pop up everywhere. The first to demand censorship was Eric Boehlert, who insisted on March 13 that the media act as a “principled” gatekeeper to ensure that the American people cannot hear from their president:
re-upping my piece from 8 days ago when I urged news media to unplug Trump’s dangerous pandemic briefings; https://t.co/yyeWZk4fmj — Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) March 21, 2020
On Friday, Rachel Maddow, doyenne of the Russia Hoax, called to silence the president:
Maddow: If Trump is going to keep lying like he has been every day on stuff this important, we should, all of us, stop broadcasting it. Honestly, it's going to cost lives. pic.twitter.com/tMvyrE3YTK — Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) March 21, 2020
And on Saturday, Margaret Sullivan, in the Washington Post, also insisted on censoring Trump:
More and more each day, President Trump is using his daily briefings as a substitute for the campaign rallies that have been forced into extinction by the spread of the coronavirus. These White House sessions — ostensibly meant to give the public critical and truthful information about this frightening crisis — are in fact working against that end. Rather, they have become a daily stage for Trump to play his greatest hits to a captive audience…. Trump is doing harm and spreading misinformation while working for his own partisan political benefit — a naked attempt to portray himself as a wartime president bravely leading the nation through a tumultuous time, the FDR of the 21st Century. The press — if it defines its purpose as getting truthful, useful, non-harmful information to the public, as opposed to merely juicing its own ratings and profits — must recognize what is happening and adjust accordingly. (And that, granted, is a very big “if”)
William Jacobson, of Legal Insurrection, put her in her place:
This is a now theme in the mainstream media, that they should be the gatekeepers to information despite several years of lying and conspiracy theories. No thank you, we can watch and we can understand and we can make our own decisions. You are not as smart as you think you are. https://t.co/OG2xVIPLC1 — Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) March 21, 2020
Incidentally, Trump has not said that chloroquine is a cure. He says he hopes it is and thinks it may be — but the reality is that, except for off-label use, the FDA is dragging its heels while people die. As for the hysteria about the drug’s ill effects, doctors have been using it for 20 years and know its toxicity. Moreover, it’s a good alternative to death.
Leftists hate free speech. The free flow of ideas always carries with it the risk that their ideas will be challenged and defeated. That’s also why they love universities, where they have unparalleled access to absorbent minds. And why do I suddenly throw universities into this post? Because of this PragerU short video, which sums up the whole problem with the left and free speech:
Published with permission from the American Thinker.
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