lifesitenews--2020-09-09--Thieves break into Canadian cathedral, steal tabernacle, throw into canal

ST. CATHARINES , Ontario , September 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — A tabernacle stolen from a Canadian Catholic cathedral early Tuesday morning was found Wednesday lying in a canal — but the consecrated Hosts that had been in it were nowhere to be seen .
Two people were caught on surveillance cameras breaking into St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral about 4:30 A.M. on September 8 , Catholic News Agency reported .
A group of cathedral parishioners thereupon “ took it upon themselves to conduct a search , ” according to Margaret Jong , vice-chancellor of the diocese of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region .
They found the tabernacle in Centennial Park , “ partially submerged in the Old Welland Canal , ” Jong told LifeSiteNews in an email .
Parts of the ciborium , the sacred vessel that holds the consecrated Hosts , were not found , she said .
“ There was no Blessed Sacrament recovered , and our hopeful presumption is that the consecrated hosts dissolved naturally in the water where the tabernacle was found , ” Jong added .
According to the doctrines of the Catholic faith , the consecrated Hosts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are the literal Body and Blood , Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ .
During a radio interview Tuesday , Bishop Gerald Bergie pleaded with the thieves — believed to be a man and a woman — not to harm the consecrated Hosts , but to return them intact , along with the tabernacle .
“ The tabernacle can be replaced .
It ’ s the contents ... that is what is so precious to us .
That ’ s what ’ s irreplaceable , ” Bergie told NewsTalk 610 CKTB .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions asked ” if the thieves returned the Blessed Sacrament unharmed .
Cathedral rector Fr .
Donald Lizzotti told LifeSiteNews he was “ shocked ” when the tabernacle was stolen and relieved that it has been found , even though it has been “ badly damaged.
” “ The door was taken off it and all the inside stuff was ripped out of it , ” and only the lid of the ciborium was found , he said .
One of the doors has been returned , Jong said .
“ After Bishop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afternoon , a parishioner came to the rectory door with one of the broken-off tabernacle doors , ” she told LifeSiteNews .
“ He had been greeted by a man on the street who asked if he was a parishioner , then gave him the door , saying it had been handed to him by someone else in Centennial Park , ” Jong said .
“ Our hope is that the second door may yet be recovered.
” Fr .
Lizzotti told CNA he believed that the thieves cased the cathedral beforehand , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to which the pair went to steal the sacred container .
“ The tabernacle itself was mounted to wooden platform pieces that were screwed to the altar top itself , ” he said .
Moreover , the tabernacle had a covering of steel “ which looked like another tabernacle with brass doors ” over it .
The thieves removed this before they pried the tabernacle , which Lizzotti said is made of lead , from its platform .
“ It weighed lots .
It took two people to get off the altar , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showed the pair taking the tabernacle out of the cathedral and putting it in a shopping cart , he said .
Lizzotti told CNA that police couldn ’ t find fingerprints , and they believe that the thieves wiped the scene clean .
The trail was next picked up when the cathedral received a phone call Wednesday that the tabernacle had been found , he said .
Meanwhile , the 176-year-old church ’ s two “ most vulnerable doors , ” including the one through which the thieves had gained entry , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Bishop Bergie said Tuesday that perhaps the thieves thought the bronze doors were made of gold — or they may have had a more malicious intent .
“ Who knows what goes through the minds of these people ?
” he said .
He said the surveillance camera footage , taken in the dark of night , is “ kind of grainy ” and that it may be hard to get a clear picture of the suspects , CNA reported .
A number of people have been hanging around the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
“ Even yesterday , the man that ’ s our caretaker said he noticed two fellas that were staying around all day , outside sleeping and eating , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t know if they ’ re involved , it ’ s hard to tell.
” LifeSiteNews contacted the Niagara Regional Police , which has an office right across from the cathedral , for an update on the investigation .
However , the officer in charge did not respond by deadline .
Moreover , at press @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the incident on their website .
St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral also suffered a number of instances of theft and vandalism during its 2019 renovations , including thieves carrying off bronze and copper lamp posts outside the church last September , CNA reported .
Dr. Chrisian Elia , executive director of the Catholic Civil Rights League denounced the theft and desecration of the tabernacle and the terrible act of desecration of the Blessed Sacrament .
“ It is deplorable for our churches and places of worship to be the subject of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he told LifeSiteNews .
“ It points to a mounting disrespect in our society for religious spaces , and by implication , for the people who may worship inside.
” As well as the theft of the tabernacle in St. Catharines , other episodes of vandalism at Catholic churches in Canada since May 2020 include “ damages to eight statues at Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in Sudbury , vandalism to statues at St. Patrick ’ s Parish in Markham , Sacred Heart Church in Calgary , the Basilica of Our Lady in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Toronto , ” Elia recounted .
“ The frequency of such attacks is troubling , and continued vigilance is needed , ” he said .
Justin Trudeau ’ s Liberal government “ has pledged $ 4 million per year in matching grant money for extra security for places of worship , schools and community centres , ” Elia noted .
Anti-Catholic violence is also on the rise in the United States .
In June , vandals pulled down and desecrated statues of Catholic missionary St. Junípero Serra in San Francisco and Los Angeles @

The consecrated Hosts — the body of Jesus, according to the Catholic faith — were nowhere to be seen.
ST. CATHARINES, Ontario, September 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A tabernacle stolen from a Canadian Catholic cathedral early Tuesday morning was found Wednesday lying in a canal — but the consecrated Hosts that had been in it were nowhere to be seen.
Two people were caught on surveillance cameras breaking into St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral about 4:30 A.M. on September 8, Catholic News Agency reported.
A group of cathedral parishioners thereupon “took it upon themselves to conduct a search,” according to Margaret Jong, vice-chancellor of the diocese of St. Catharines in Ontario’s Niagara region.
They found the tabernacle in Centennial Park, “partially submerged in the Old Welland Canal,” Jong told LifeSiteNews in an email.
Parts of the ciborium, the sacred vessel that holds the consecrated Hosts, were not found, she said.
“There was no Blessed Sacrament recovered, and our hopeful presumption is that the consecrated hosts dissolved naturally in the water where the tabernacle was found,” Jong added.
According to the doctrines of the Catholic faith, the consecrated Hosts, also referred to as the Blessed Sacrament, are the literal Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.
During a radio interview Tuesday, Bishop Gerald Bergie pleaded with the thieves — believed to be a man and a woman — not to harm the consecrated Hosts, but to return them intact, along with the tabernacle.
“The tabernacle can be replaced. It’s the contents … that is what is so precious to us. That’s what’s irreplaceable,” Bergie told NewsTalk 610 CKTB.
He added there would be “no questions asked” if the thieves returned the Blessed Sacrament unharmed.
Cathedral rector Fr. Donald Lizzotti told LifeSiteNews he was “shocked” when the tabernacle was stolen and relieved that it has been found, even though it has been “badly damaged.”
“The door was taken off it and all the inside stuff was ripped out of it,” and only the lid of the ciborium was found, he said.
One of the doors has been returned, Jong said.
“After Bishop Bergie celebrated Mass at the Cathedral this afternoon, a parishioner came to the rectory door with one of the broken-off tabernacle doors,” she told LifeSiteNews.
“He had been greeted by a man on the street who asked if he was a parishioner, then gave him the door, saying it had been handed to him by someone else in Centennial Park,” Jong said.
“Our hope is that the second door may yet be recovered.”
Fr. Lizzotti told CNA he believed that the thieves cased the cathedral beforehand, and he described to LifeSiteNews the lengths to which the pair went to steal the sacred container.
“The tabernacle itself was mounted to wooden platform pieces that were screwed to the altar top itself,” he said.
Moreover, the tabernacle had a covering of steel “which looked like another tabernacle with brass doors” over it. The thieves removed this before they pried the tabernacle, which Lizzotti said is made of lead, from its platform.
“It weighed lots. It took two people to get off the altar,” Lizzotti said.
The video cameras showed the pair taking the tabernacle out of the cathedral and putting it in a shopping cart, he said.
Lizzotti told CNA that police couldn’t find fingerprints, and they believe that the thieves wiped the scene clean.
The trail was next picked up when the cathedral received a phone call Wednesday that the tabernacle had been found, he said.
Meanwhile, the 176-year-old church’s two “most vulnerable doors,” including the one through which the thieves had gained entry, have been “barricaded” with crossbars, he said.
“We’re putting in a surveillance system, and alarm system,” added Lizzotti.
Bishop Bergie said Tuesday that perhaps the thieves thought the bronze doors were made of gold — or they may have had a more malicious intent.
“Who knows what goes through the minds of these people?” he said.
He said the surveillance camera footage, taken in the dark of night, is “kind of grainy” and that it may be hard to get a clear picture of the suspects, CNA reported.
A number of people have been hanging around the cathedral in recent months, the bishop added.
“Even yesterday, the man that’s our caretaker said he noticed two fellas that were staying around all day, outside sleeping and eating,” he said.
“I don’t know if they’re involved, it’s hard to tell.”
LifeSiteNews contacted the Niagara Regional Police, which has an office right across from the cathedral, for an update on the investigation. However, the officer in charge did not respond by deadline. Moreover, at press time, police had posted no information about the incident on their website.
St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral also suffered a number of instances of theft and vandalism during its 2019 renovations, including thieves carrying off bronze and copper lamp posts outside the church last September, CNA reported.
Dr. Christian Elia, executive director of the Catholic Civil Rights League denounced the theft and desecration of the tabernacle and the terrible act of desecration of the Blessed Sacrament.
“It is deplorable for our churches and places of worship to be the subject of the current wave of violent attacks,” he told LifeSiteNews.
“It points to a mounting disrespect in our society for religious spaces, and by implication, for the people who may worship inside.”
As well as the theft of the tabernacle in St. Catharines, other episodes of vandalism at Catholic churches in Canada since May 2020 include “damages to eight statues at Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in Sudbury, vandalism to statues at St. Patrick’s Parish in Markham, Sacred Heart Church in Calgary, the Basilica of Our Lady in Guelph, Our Lady of Lebanon in Toronto,” Elia recounted.
“The frequency of such attacks is troubling, and continued vigilance is needed,” he said.
Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government “has pledged $4 million per year in matching grant money for extra security for places of worship, schools and community centres,” Elia noted.
Anti-Catholic violence is also on the rise in the United States. In June, vandals pulled down and desecrated statues of Catholic missionary St. Junípero Serra in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-09--Trump promises to provide school choice to every parent in America if reelected

PETITION : Support school choice and call on the U.S. Senate to pass the SCHOOL Act !
Sign the petition here .
WINSTON-SALEM , North Carolina , September 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – At a campaign rally where “ red hats outnumbered masks 100 to 1 , ” President Donald Trump promised that if reelected , he would provide school choice to every parent in America .
Trump contrasted his pro-school choice views with those of his Democrat opponent at a rally in Winston-Salem , North Carolina on Tuesday night .
“ Biden opposed school choice , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina opportunity scholarships and he has stated that if he is elected , charter schools are gone .
He said they ’ re gone.
” “ In a second term , I 'll provide school choice to every parent in America , ” he declared .
“ And we ’ ll also take good care of our teachers .
Our teachers are very , very important to me .
Very important .
Nothing more important.
” “ A vote for Republicans is a vote for safe communities , great jobs , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump was speaking in the Tar-Heel State , North Carolina Congressman Dan Bishop introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would fund students directly if their schools do n't reopen in person amid the ongoing Chinese coronavirus shutdowns .
Dubbed the “ CHOICE Act , ” H.R .
8182 would “ direct the Secretary of Education to establish a grant program to make grants to the parents of students served by local educational agencies that will not provide in-person instruction.
” “ The bill restricts the federal government from any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and admissions policy and forbids discrimination against private , religious or home education providers , ” according to a statement released by Rep. Bishop ’ s office .
Last month , Kentucky Senator Rand Paul introduced similar legislation .
S. 4432 , known as the “ Support Children Having Open Opportunities for Learning ( SCHOOL ) Act , ” would allow federal education funds to follow a child to the public school , private school , or homeschool program of their parents ’ choice .

PETITION: Support school choice and call on the U.S. Senate to pass the SCHOOL Act! Sign the petition here.
WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina, September 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – At a campaign rally where “red hats outnumbered masks 100 to 1,” President Donald Trump promised that if reelected, he would provide school choice to every parent in America.
Trump contrasted his pro-school choice views with those of his Democrat opponent at a rally in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Tuesday night.
“Biden opposed school choice,” said Trump. “He opposes North Carolina opportunity scholarships and he has stated that if he is elected, charter schools are gone. He said they’re gone.”
Trump asserted that charter schools “have been incredible.”
“In a second term, I'll provide school choice to every parent in America,” he declared. “And we’ll also take good care of our teachers. Our teachers are very, very important to me. Very important. Nothing more important.”
“A vote for Republicans is a vote for safe communities, great jobs, and a limitless future for all Americans.”
While President Trump was speaking in the Tar-Heel State, North Carolina Congressman Dan Bishop introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would fund students directly if their schools don't reopen in person amid the ongoing Chinese coronavirus shutdowns.
The funding could follow the child to a private school, homeschool, or microschool. It would be 10% of the next stimulus funding amount. This is called the CHOICE Act. — Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) September 9, 2020
Dubbed the “CHOICE Act,” H.R. 8182 would “direct the Secretary of Education to establish a grant program to make grants to the parents of students served by local educational agencies that will not provide in-person instruction.”
“The bill restricts the federal government from any influence over curriculum, creed, practices and admissions policy and forbids discrimination against private, religious or home education providers,” according to a statement released by Rep. Bishop’s office.
Last month, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul introduced similar legislation. S. 4432, known as the “Support Children Having Open Opportunities for Learning (SCHOOL) Act,” would allow federal education funds to follow a child to the public school, private school, or homeschool program of their parents’ choice.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-09--When are Catholics required to obey their bishops?

September 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Readers may be surprised , or scandalized , that Catholics like myself critical of bishops who appear to be pushing the practice of Communion in the hand during the COVID-19 epidemic are minimizing the importance of the virtue of obedience .
So having criticized one view of what obedience is about , I ’ d like to say something positive about obedience .
Obedience is indeed a wonderful virtue .
We should not see it as a passive or effeminate virtue , but as a primary virtue of the soldier .
Christians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christ , and it is the constant theme of traditional Catholic spirituality that we should overcome our self-will in order to conform ourselves to the will of God .
This , after all , is what the love of God is : “ If you love Me , obey my commandments ” ( John 14:15 ) .
Furthermore , our religious superiors exercise over us God ’ s authority , and for most of us our opportunity to obey God in specific matters comes in the form of obeying God in our superiors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with obedience is partly the result of spiritual writers of recent centuries taking it too much for granted that they are not talking about obeying our superiors in matters of sin , or about “ rash ” obedience when what we are commanded might be sin ; nor about matters that go beyond our superiors ’ competence , or about commands that fail to promote the common good .
St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas take such a strict line on the last of these issues that it appears commands that are well-intentioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any good would not count as valid commands at all , since for them the very definition of a command involves the promotion of the common good .
We can leave a little room for maneuver over matters where our judgment of what will promote the common good may be no better than that of a superior , but the point remains that for the great Fathers and Doctors of the Church what obedience is about is leaving aside our own interests for those of the community , under the direction of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common good , and not at all about enslaving ourselves to an alternative human will , however that will might be clothed in the dignity of office .
The second alternative would not be a proxy for obedience to God , but rather of obedience to Satan , who is the ruler of human tyrants , governed as they are by their passions .
The idea that the command of the superior is the command of God could be very dangerous unless it is remembered that it contains in itself this important limitation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than man ( Acts 5:29 ) .
If we regard our bishop — as we should — as exercising authority from God , and therefore undertake to obey him as a way of obeying God Himself , we could never imagine that this would involve disobeying God ’ s will .
This does not only mean that we should not obey the bishop in breaking the Ten Commandments , but that it is not true obedience to carry out the bishop ’ s desires , should he harbor them , to harm souls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter of great satisfaction to many of us Catholics in England and Wales in 2011 when our bishops reimposed the obligation of Friday abstinence : we are now obliged to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year , unless it is a Solemnity .
It was similarly gratifying in 2017 when our bishops reimposed the obligation to go to Mass on the traditional dates of the feasts of the Ascension and Epiphany , which had been moved to the nearest Sunday .
We should rejoice , similarly , at the authority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to give or withhold absolution , and to impose a penance on us .
These exercises of authority are for our spiritual good : it is easy to see how they benefit us , and the very inconveniences to which they might put us can be a source of grace when accepted with humility .
Obedience can be difficult , when we are asked to do something difficult or dangerous for the common good , such as when a priest is asked to serve a remote and impoverished community .
Obedience has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a favorite theme of spiritual writers — in relation to penance , since penances we choose for ourselves can be a source of spiritual pride , a problem which is mitigated if the penance is imposed on us by a superior .
However , the authority of bishops and priests over lay Catholics is actually extremely limited , and hardly goes beyond the kinds of examples just given .
They can not bend us to their human will , and they can not impose on us their opinions on non-spiritual matters , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are given power to do good , and never to do evil .

September 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Readers may be surprised, or scandalized, that Catholics like myself critical of bishops who appear to be pushing the practice of Communion in the hand during the COVID-19 epidemic are minimizing the importance of the virtue of obedience. So having criticized one view of what obedience is about, I’d like to say something positive about obedience.
Obedience is indeed a wonderful virtue. We should not see it as a passive or effeminate virtue, but as a primary virtue of the soldier. Christians are, after all, soldiers of Christ, and it is the constant theme of traditional Catholic spirituality that we should overcome our self-will in order to conform ourselves to the will of God. This, after all, is what the love of God is: “If you love Me, obey my commandments” (John 14:15). Furthermore, our religious superiors exercise over us God’s authority, and for most of us our opportunity to obey God in specific matters comes in the form of obeying God in our superiors.
The difficulty modern Catholics have had with obedience is partly the result of spiritual writers of recent centuries taking it too much for granted that they are not talking about obeying our superiors in matters of sin, or about “rash” obedience when what we are commanded might be sin; nor about matters that go beyond our superiors’ competence, or about commands that fail to promote the common good.
St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas take such a strict line on the last of these issues that it appears commands that are well-intentioned but are not actually going to do any good would not count as valid commands at all, since for them the very definition of a command involves the promotion of the common good. We can leave a little room for maneuver over matters where our judgment of what will promote the common good may be no better than that of a superior, but the point remains that for the great Fathers and Doctors of the Church what obedience is about is leaving aside our own interests for those of the community, under the direction of the person charged with the promotion of this common good, and not at all about enslaving ourselves to an alternative human will, however that will might be clothed in the dignity of office.
The second alternative would not be a proxy for obedience to God, but rather of obedience to Satan, who is the ruler of human tyrants, governed as they are by their passions.
The idea that the command of the superior is the command of God could be very dangerous unless it is remembered that it contains in itself this important limitation: that we should obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). If we regard our bishop — as we should — as exercising authority from God, and therefore undertake to obey him as a way of obeying God Himself, we could never imagine that this would involve disobeying God’s will. This does not only mean that we should not obey the bishop in breaking the Ten Commandments, but that it is not true obedience to carry out the bishop’s desires, should he harbor them, to harm souls in any way.
It was a matter of great satisfaction to many of us Catholics in England and Wales in 2011 when our bishops reimposed the obligation of Friday abstinence: we are now obliged to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year, unless it is a Solemnity. It was similarly gratifying in 2017 when our bishops reimposed the obligation to go to Mass on the traditional dates of the feasts of the Ascension and Epiphany, which had been moved to the nearest Sunday. We should rejoice, similarly, at the authority priests have over us in the confessional, to give or withhold absolution, and to impose a penance on us. These exercises of authority are for our spiritual good: it is easy to see how they benefit us, and the very inconveniences to which they might put us can be a source of grace when accepted with humility.
Obedience can be difficult, when we are asked to do something difficult or dangerous for the common good, such as when a priest is asked to serve a remote and impoverished community. Obedience has a special value — and this is a favorite theme of spiritual writers — in relation to penance, since penances we choose for ourselves can be a source of spiritual pride, a problem which is mitigated if the penance is imposed on us by a superior.
However, the authority of bishops and priests over lay Catholics is actually extremely limited, and hardly goes beyond the kinds of examples just given. They cannot bend us to their human will, and they cannot impose on us their opinions on non-spiritual matters, however good their intentions. Above all, they are given power to do good, and never to do evil.
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--2020-09-09--California leads nation in systemic sexualization of children

PETITION : Urge state legislatures to scrap universal mail-in ballots and help protect the vote !
Sign the petition here .
September 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Sure , let ’ s make it easier for adults to homosexually molest young teens .
This makes lots of sense .
And ignores thousands of years in the track record of child corruption .
Why are we even talking about this ?
There are sound reasons why adults with have same-sex attractions have historically been barred from access to children , and we ignore the time-honored rationale at our peril @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become the most self-destructive state in the union ( not counting Oregon , Washington , and New York ) , just passed a bill that weakens penalties for adults having homosexual sex with minors .
Senate Bill 145 is ready for Gov .
Gavin Newsom to sign , and by the time you read this , it may be law .
The reality is , this bill amends a bad law to make it worse .
Right now , a 23-year-old guy who has sex with a 15-year-old girl does not automatically become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ equality ” to make homosexual encounters on par with the current law .
Whether Newsom signs or not , this bill or one similar will return , because this isn ’ t the first time radicals have tried this in California .
It allows the judge to keep an adult offender off a sex offender registry , at his/her discretion , if the victim is 14 to 17 years of age and the adult is less than 10 years older , and anal and oral sex ( rather than vaginal sex ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the typical elements of homosexual conduct .
State Sen. Scott Wiener , the openly homosexual sponsor , said the bill , “ eliminates discrimination against LGBTQ youth in our criminal justice system.
” Wiener apparently believes there are young people born with an “ LGBTQ ” identity sticker tattooed on their infant bodies , rather than these being developed , deviant , avoidable desires .
Wiener also assumes that a 14-year-old is mature enough to give consent , also not true , but like many homosexuals , he may have little knowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t care .
Homosexual activists have pushed for many years to lower the age of consent for teens to have homosexual sex .
But why legitimize this behavior ?
Homosexual coupling will never be marriage in the eyes of God , if you believe Scripture .
And we can also point to the evidence of destruction clearly before us .
American children are the props for an alleged progressive utopia where , through the heartlessness of the left , they become victims of abortion , school brainwashing , child porn , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adults with homosexual attractions are interested in children , but enough are that historically , societies have kept such folks separated from kids .
Opposite-sex molestation is a concern as well , but there ’ s a key difference .
There are already built-in barriers to limit men from molesting girls compared to same-sex molestation , a big one being the potential for pregnancy and the disclosure that brings .
But overall , opportunities for same-sex sexual contact are greater .
Adult males can be camp counselors and sleep in the bunkhouse with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrooms as boys .
Adult females may be coaches of girls ’ teams .
The restroom/locker room access issue for gender-confused youth is one championed by “ LGBTQ ” activists because it opens up even more opportunities for sex in all directions .
It seems cynical , but given the amount of time and funding devoted to selling this to America , one can not help but conclude that there are big donors in the “ LGBTQ ” community fond of the idea of males ( dressed as females or males ) with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ girls .
All the barriers come down if they get their way .
Relative to childhood innocence and sexual integrity , there are several categories of adults with same-sex attractions : • A small group , mostly males , has a sexual interest in prepubescent same-sex children ( even as these men engage in same-sex relations with adults ) .
They violate a child ’ s innocence with no qualms .
• A larger group is interested in same-sex contact with pubescent/preteen children .
Again , a conscience doesn ’ t interfere with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , overlapping segment seeks young teens for sexual pleasure .
This common fantasy surfaces everywhere in homosexual media .
“ Gay ” icon Harvey Milk did this not coincidentally in California , where May 22 is designated as his special day to be observed in the state ’ s clueless public schools .
• Virtually all other homosexually-inclined adults may do none of this , but will look the other way .
They are tolerant of , or even regular consumers of adult porn and won ’ t put up much of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is why homosexual behavior should never have legitimacy , certainly not as marriage .
It ’ s not just what they do ( bad enough ) but what they support , or fail to protect .
Homosexuals virtually never protect children .
Why ?
Because most are still children emotionally themselves .
And our culture is critically damaged when adults with powerful political sway refuse to protect , and even endanger , children .
It ’ s also why those of us who have seen the evolution of this movement and its interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predicted is now happening .
And it never had to , if Christians would listen and be willing to speak out .
There are still way too many self-labeled ( but biblically illiterate ) Christians who have the following attitude : “ I know two ‘ gay ’ guys down the street and they would never hurt anyone !
I see no reason why they shouldn ’ t love whomever they want.
” Yes , and they probably fall into category 3 or 4 above .
Their behavior , and its legitimacy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of too many children .
And that ’ s why California is stupid and reckless with the welfare of its kids if they enact this law .
The state already requires porn-drenched “ CSE ” sex education in schools , a jaw-dropping reality just dawning on parents of public schoolchildren .
California also requires , by law , “ LGBTQ ” issues to be taught in schools as a positive option .
It ’ s completely insane .
I hate to say we told you so , but we told you so .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our churches will continue to be blind .
Let ’ s pray for hearts to change , for those corrupting children to repent , and for eyes to open so our kids can receive the protection they deserve from responsible adults .

PETITION: Urge state legislatures to scrap universal mail-in ballots and help protect the vote! Sign the petition here.
September 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Sure, let’s make it easier for adults to homosexually molest young teens. This makes lots of sense.
And ignores thousands of years in the track record of child corruption.
Why are we even talking about this? There are sound reasons why adults who have same-sex attractions have historically been barred from access to children, and we ignore the time-honored rationale at our peril.
California, on a track to become the most self-destructive state in the union (not counting Oregon, Washington, and New York), just passed a bill that weakens penalties for adults having homosexual sex with minors. Senate Bill 145 is ready for Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign, and by the time you read this, it may be law.
The reality is, this bill amends a bad law to make it worse. Right now, a 23-year-old guy who has sex with a 15-year-old girl does not automatically become a sex offender. This bill seeks “equality” to make homosexual encounters on par with the current law.
Whether Newsom signs or not, this bill or one similar will return, because this isn’t the first time radicals have tried this in California. It allows the judge to keep an adult offender off a sex offender registry, at his/her discretion, if the victim is 14 to 17 years of age and the adult is less than 10 years older, and anal and oral sex (rather than vaginal sex) are the sex practices involved. These are the typical elements of homosexual conduct.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, the openly homosexual sponsor, said the bill, “eliminates discrimination against LGBTQ youth in our criminal justice system.”
Wiener apparently believes there are young people born with an “LGBTQ” identity sticker tattooed on their infant bodies, rather than these being developed, deviant, avoidable desires. Wiener also assumes that a 14-year-old is mature enough to give consent, also not true, but like many homosexuals, he may have little knowledge of child development. And probably doesn’t care.
Homosexual activists have pushed for many years to lower the age of consent for teens to have homosexual sex. But why legitimize this behavior? Homosexual coupling will never be marriage in the eyes of God, if you believe Scripture. And we can also point to the evidence of destruction clearly before us.
American children are the props for an alleged progressive utopia where, through the heartlessness of the left, they become victims of abortion, school brainwashing, child porn, or sexual molestation.
Yes, not all adults with homosexual attractions are interested in children, but enough are that historically, societies have kept such folks separated from kids.
Opposite-sex molestation is a concern as well, but there’s a key difference. There are already built-in barriers to limit men from molesting girls compared to same-sex molestation, a big one being the potential for pregnancy and the disclosure that brings.
But overall, opportunities for same-sex sexual contact are greater. Adult males can be camp counselors and sleep in the bunkhouse with boys. They may use the same restrooms as boys. Adult females may be coaches of girls’ teams.
The restroom/locker room access issue for gender-confused youth is one championed by “LGBTQ” activists because it opens up even more opportunities for sex in all directions. It seems cynical, but given the amount of time and funding devoted to selling this to America, one cannot help but conclude that there are big donors in the “LGBTQ” community fond of the idea of males (dressed as females or males) with easy access to little boys or little girls. All the barriers come down if they get their way.
Relative to childhood innocence and sexual integrity, there are several categories of adults with same-sex attractions:
A small group, mostly males, has a sexual interest in prepubescent same-sex children (even as these men engage in same-sex relations with adults). They violate a child’s innocence with no qualms.
A larger group is interested in same-sex contact with pubescent/preteen children. Again, a conscience doesn’t interfere with obsessive desires. A substantially larger, overlapping segment seeks young teens for sexual pleasure. This common fantasy surfaces everywhere in homosexual media. “Gay” icon Harvey Milk did this not coincidentally in California, where May 22 is designated as his special day to be observed in the state’s clueless public schools. Virtually all other homosexually-inclined adults may do none of this, but will look the other way. They are tolerant of, or even regular consumers of adult porn and won’t put up much of a fuss over child porn.
And this is why homosexual behavior should never have legitimacy, certainly not as marriage. It’s not just what they do (bad enough) but what they support, or fail to protect.
Homosexuals virtually never protect children. Why? Because most are still children emotionally themselves. And our culture is critically damaged when adults with powerful political sway refuse to protect, and even endanger, children.
It’s also why those of us who have seen the evolution of this movement and its interest in children are heartbroken that everything we predicted is now happening.
And it never had to, if Christians would listen and be willing to speak out. There are still way too many self-labeled (but biblically illiterate) Christians who have the following attitude:
“I know two ‘gay’ guys down the street and they would never hurt anyone! I see no reason why they shouldn’t love whomever they want.”
Yes, and they probably fall into category 3 or 4 above. Their behavior, and its legitimacy, fosters the systemic sexualization destroying the lives of too many children.
And that’s why California is stupid and reckless with the welfare of its kids if they enact this law. The state already requires porn-drenched “CSE” sex education in schools, a jaw-dropping reality just dawning on parents of public schoolchildren. California also requires, by law, “LGBTQ” issues to be taught in schools as a positive option. It’s completely insane.
I hate to say we told you so, but we told you so. Many so-called “progressives” and many in our churches will continue to be blind. Let’s pray for hearts to change, for those corrupting children to repent, and for eyes to open so our kids can receive the protection they deserve from responsible adults.
Linda Harvey is president of Mission America.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-09--CS Lewis’ stepson reveals fascinating insights into father’s personal life

September 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — C.S .
Lewis lived an extraordinary life .
A penetrating author best known for The Chronicles of Narnia , Mere Christianity , and The Screwtape Letters , Lewis is widely regarded — alongside his friend J.R.R .
Tolkien — as one the most influential fiction writers of his era .
Canadian pro-life commentator Jonathon Van Maren had the privilege of sitting down with the last living person who knew C.S .
Lewis well , Douglas Gresham .
Gresham was born in 1945 to American writer Joy Davidman .
He became familiar with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Christian writer in 1956 .
He and his brother David were not yet teenagers .
“ I vividly recall my first time meeting him , ” Gresham told Van Maren .
“ Jack ” came to stay with him , his brother , and his mom possibly for Christmas one year , he couldn ’ t exactly recall when .
“ I remember walking through the back porch of the kitchen door .
And as I walked in…Jack appeared from the other side of the kitchen .
He was perhaps the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in my life…there was nothing particularly handsome looking about him.
” But , Gresham said , “ the way he approached me and talked to me and the way we had a conversation just completely eradicated any of the misgivings I might have had about the man .
I gained a very , very good friend very quickly.
” Gresham ’ s mother died from cancer in 1960 .
He , along with Lewis and his brother , a schizophrenic , mourned her death together .
But Gresham told Van Maren that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the same feather .
“ She was just a woman who was immensely powerful , mentally .
A huge brain , huge abilities in that area , and she was a very good writer…she had never met anyone on the same level as herself until she met Jack .
They just sort of clicked together .
It was inevitable , I think.
” Gresham shared other intimate details about growing up as well , including his strained relationship with his brother , who has since passed away .
Gresham is the author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a short biography of his stepfather , who dedicated The Horse and His Boy to Douglas and his brother David .
Gresham served as co-producer of the film adaptations of the Narnia book collection .
Van Maren recently wrote about his reflections on the interview , which was truly unique , for First Things .
Below is a portion of his essay : For decades , despite a booming cottage industry of Lewis biographies and endless academic theorizing about the last years of Lewis ’ s life , Douglas kept to himself the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his mentally ill stepson .
“ We didn ’ t tell anybody , ” he told me .
“ The only reason I ’ m releasing it now is because people should know what Jack put up with and what Warnie put up with and how heroic they were to do it at all.
” It is time , he added , “ that people understand what Jack and Warnie went through .
Jack and Warnie [ Lewis ’ brother ] didn ’ t know what the heck to do ” … .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sorts of difficulties in education and so forth , ” Douglas told me .
“ When my brother decided to become Jewish rather than Christian—he ’ d already been through Islam and tried Buddhism—Jack went out of his way to get special pots and pans for him so he could cook his own kosher food and get kosher food from the Jewish shop in the middle of the covered market in Oxford.
” “ Jack went out of his way to do everything he possibly could for that lad , and none of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Well , it was accepted , but he was never grateful about it .
He was just very badly damaged mentally and emotionally , and he stayed that way.
” In a letter to the boys ’ father , William Gresham , in America , Lewis was less than forthcoming about these difficulties : “ They ’ re a nice pair and easy to get on with—if only they got on better with one another.
” William—a veteran of the Spanish Civil War and an accomplished writer in his own right—came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortly after Joy ’ s death in 1960 , at Lewis ’ s urging .
But David had no interest in spending time with his father .
In the U.S. shortly thereafter , William killed himself after being diagnosed with tongue cancer .
With Lewis ’ s death on November 22 , 1963 , Douglas and David had lost their mother , their father , and their stepfather within three short years .
After Jack ’ s death , Douglas went to live with journalist Jean Wakeman .
( J.R.R .
Tolkien , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inklings meetings Lewis often took him to as a boy , also offered to take him in if he needed a place to stay . )
Warnie , grieving for Joy and his brother , finally succumbed to the alcoholism he had fought so long to defeat .
Gresham says that after Jack ’ s death he never saw Warnie sober again .
David struck off on his own , and his mental illness plagued him for his entire life .
“ Nobody seems to know that David was ever there , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have faded out of existence .
.
.
the biographies that I ’ ve encountered about Jack , for example , hardly mention my brother.
” For Gresham , it 's a signal that the biographers haven ’ t dug deep enough .
“ I grew up with him , and I can tell you a great deal more than any of the biographers.
” Perhaps it is time that Douglas Gresham put pen to paper and did just that .
To receive weekly emails when a new episode of the Van @ @ @ @ @ @ @ :

September 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — C.S. Lewis lived an extraordinary life. A penetrating author best known for The Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity, and The Screwtape Letters, Lewis is widely regarded — alongside his friend J.R.R. Tolkien — as one the most influential fiction writers of his era.
Canadian pro-life commentator Jonathon Van Maren had the privilege of sitting down with the last living person who knew C.S. Lewis well, Douglas Gresham.
Gresham was born in 1945 to American writer Joy Davidman. He became familiar with Lewis around the time his mom married the Christian writer in 1956. He and his brother David were not yet teenagers.
“I vividly recall my first time meeting him,” Gresham told Van Maren. “Jack” came to stay with him, his brother, and his mom possibly for Christmas one year, he couldn’t exactly recall when.
“I remember walking through the back porch of the kitchen door. And as I walked in…Jack appeared from the other side of the kitchen. He was perhaps the most shabby looking individual I've ever seen in my life…there was nothing particularly handsome looking about him.”
But, Gresham said, “the way he approached me and talked to me and the way we had a conversation just completely eradicated any of the misgivings I might have had about the man. I gained a very, very good friend very quickly.”
Gresham’s mother died from cancer in 1960. He, along with Lewis and his brother, a schizophrenic, mourned her death together. But Gresham told Van Maren that the pair was without a doubt two birds of the same feather.
“She was just a woman who was immensely powerful, mentally. A huge brain, huge abilities in that area, and she was a very good writer…she had never met anyone on the same level as herself until she met Jack. They just sort of clicked together. It was inevitable, I think.”
Gresham shared other intimate details about growing up as well, including his strained relationship with his brother, who has since passed away.
Gresham is the author of two books — Lenten Lands and a short biography of his stepfather, who dedicated The Horse and His Boy to Douglas and his brother David. Gresham served as co-producer of the film adaptations of the Narnia book collection.
Van Maren recently wrote about his reflections on the interview, which was truly unique, for First Things. Below is a portion of his essay:
For decades, despite a booming cottage industry of Lewis biographies and endless academic theorizing about the last years of Lewis’s life, Douglas kept to himself the fact that Lewis struggled mightily to help his mentally ill stepson. “We didn’t tell anybody,” he told me. “The only reason I’m releasing it now is because people should know what Jack put up with and what Warnie put up with and how heroic they were to do it at all.” It is time, he added, “that people understand what Jack and Warnie went through. Jack and Warnie [Lewis’ brother] didn’t know what the heck to do”…. “Jack helped my brother through all sorts of difficulties in education and so forth,” Douglas told me. “When my brother decided to become Jewish rather than Christian—he’d already been through Islam and tried Buddhism—Jack went out of his way to get special pots and pans for him so he could cook his own kosher food and get kosher food from the Jewish shop in the middle of the covered market in Oxford.” “Jack went out of his way to do everything he possibly could for that lad, and none of it was accepted,” Douglas said. “Well, it was accepted, but he was never grateful about it. He was just very badly damaged mentally and emotionally, and he stayed that way.” In a letter to the boys’ father, William Gresham, in America, Lewis was less than forthcoming about these difficulties: “They’re a nice pair and easy to get on with—if only they got on better with one another.” William—a veteran of the Spanish Civil War and an accomplished writer in his own right—came to visit the boys at The Kilns shortly after Joy’s death in 1960, at Lewis’s urging. But David had no interest in spending time with his father. In the U.S. shortly thereafter, William killed himself after being diagnosed with tongue cancer. With Lewis’s death on November 22, 1963, Douglas and David had lost their mother, their father, and their stepfather within three short years. After Jack’s death, Douglas went to live with journalist Jean Wakeman. (J.R.R. Tolkien, whom he’d met at the Inklings meetings Lewis often took him to as a boy, also offered to take him in if he needed a place to stay.) Warnie, grieving for Joy and his brother, finally succumbed to the alcoholism he had fought so long to defeat. Gresham says that after Jack’s death he never saw Warnie sober again. David struck off on his own, and his mental illness plagued him for his entire life. “Nobody seems to know that David was ever there,” Gresham told me. “He seems to have faded out of existence. . . the biographies that I’ve encountered about Jack, for example, hardly mention my brother.” For Gresham, it's a signal that the biographers haven’t dug deep enough. “I grew up with him, and I can tell you a great deal more than any of the biographers.” Perhaps it is time that Douglas Gresham put pen to paper and did just that.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-09--Trials of UK COVID vaccine derived from aborted baby cell line paused after participant falls ill

UNITED KINGDOM , September 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Trials for one of the leading potential coronavirus vaccines , which uses cell lines from an aborted baby , have been temporarily stopped after a trial participant was taken ill. Astrazeneca , a British pharmaceutical company that has been developing a coronavirus vaccine in collaboration with the University of Oxford , issued a statement yesterday announcing the “ voluntary pause of vaccination across all trials.
” While several outlets are describing the incident as a “ serious suspected adverse reaction , ” Astrazenca ’ s statement simply refers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unexplained illness that occurred in the UK Phase III trial.
” Large scale trials of the potential vaccine have also been happening in other parts of the world including South Africa and Brazil .
The New York Times has reported that an anonymous source “ familiar with the situation ” has told them that “ the individual “ had received a diagnosis of transverse myelitis , an inflammatory syndrome that affects the spinal cord and is often sparked by viral infections.
” The pharmaceutical company insists that the decision to pause the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that “ [ I ] n large clinical trials , illnesses will happen by chance and must be independently reviewed.
” AstraZeneca are using the HEK-293 cell line made from fetal cells harvested from an aborted baby decades ago in the production of their coronavirus vaccine .
The HEK-293 cell line was originally derived from kidney tissue taken from a healthy baby girl who was electively aborted in the Netherlands in 1972 .
Last month Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that his government made an agreement with the British pharmaceutical company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for free , providing that the vaccine passes clinical trials .
Shortly after announcing the agreement Morrison first said that a coronavirus vaccine will be made “ as mandatory as you can possibly make it ” before quickly walking back the comments somewhat and saying that the vaccine “ is not going to be compulsory ” and that “ we can ’ t hold someone down and make them take it.
” In May the US Federal government announced that it was giving $ 1.2 billion towards the development of Astrazeneca ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ‘ Operation Warp Speed ’ program .

The pharmaceutical company insists that the decision to pause the trials is a 'routine action
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UNITED KINGDOM, September 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Trials for one of the leading potential coronavirus vaccines, which uses cell lines from an aborted baby, have been temporarily stopped after a trial participant was taken ill.
AstraZeneca, a British pharmaceutical company that has been developing a coronavirus vaccine in collaboration with the University of Oxford, issued a statement yesterday announcing the “voluntary pause of vaccination across all trials.”
While several outlets are describing the incident as a “serious suspected adverse reaction,” AstraZeneca’s statement simply refers to it as “a single event of an unexplained illness that occurred in the UK Phase III trial.” Large scale trials of the potential vaccine have also been happening in other parts of the world including South Africa and Brazil.
The New York Times has reported that an anonymous source “familiar with the situation” has told them that “the individual “had received a diagnosis of transverse myelitis, an inflammatory syndrome that affects the spinal cord and is often sparked by viral infections.”
The pharmaceutical company insists that the decision to pause the trials is a “routine action” and that “[i]n large clinical trials, illnesses will happen by chance and must be independently reviewed.”
AstraZeneca is using the HEK-293 cell line made from fetal cells harvested from an aborted baby decades ago in the production of their coronavirus vaccine. The HEK-293 cell line was originally derived from kidney tissue taken from a healthy baby girl who was electively aborted in the Netherlands in 1972.
Last month Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that his government made an agreement with the British pharmaceutical company to supply Australians with their coronavirus vaccine for free, providing that the vaccine passes clinical trials. Shortly after announcing the agreement Morrison first said that a coronavirus vaccine will be made “as mandatory as you can possibly make it” before quickly walking back the comments somewhat and saying that the vaccine “is not going to be compulsory” and that “we can’t hold someone down and make them take it.”
In May the US Federal government announced that it was giving $1.2 billion towards the development of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine as part of President Trump’s ‘Operation Warp Speed’ program.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-09--BREAKING: Trump announces potential Supreme Court nominees, one of whom defended pro-life hero Dalei

BREAKING: Trump announces potential Supreme Court nominees, one of whom defended pro-life hero Daleiden

WASHINGTON , D.C. , September 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – President Donald Trump this afternoon released a list with 20 additional names of potential Supreme Court nominees , including three senators : Ted Cruz of Texas , Tom Cotton of Arkansas , and Josh Hawley of Missouri .
Another name on the new list was Sarah Pitlyk , who was part of the defense team for Center for Medical Progress head David Daleiden in Planned Parenthood ’ s case against him for exposing the abortion giant ’ s sale of organs from aborted babies .
Just in December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri , defying left-wing attacks on her pro-life public statements .
“ Ms .
Pitlyk is a towering intellect , a supremely capable lawyer , and a strong Constitutional conservative , ” Thomas More Society executive vice president Andrew Bath said at the time .
Pytlik had worked as special counsel for the Thomas More Society .
” She ’ s done terrific legal work over the years on some of the Thomas More Society ’ s biggest cases , and that , together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for now U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has prepared her well for her time on the bench , ” Bath continued .
“ Sarah Pitlyk will be a fair and wise federal judge who will bring honor and distinction to the federal judiciary and make the president who nominated her and the Senate that confirmed her proud.
” Trump said during today ’ s brief speech announcing the new names , “ Every one of these individuals will ensure equal justice , equal treatment , and equal rights for citizens of every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creed.
” He emphasized that all potential Supreme Court nominees would be justices like the late Antonin Scalia , Clarence Thomas , and Samuel Alito .
He did not , in that context , refer to the two justices he nominated himself , namely Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh .
Both Gorsuch and Kavanaugh have written opinions disappointing conservatives .
Trump had already released two lists with 21 names overall during his 2016 campaign for president .

Sarah Pitlyk was part of the defense team for Center for Medical Progress head David Daleiden in Planned Parenthood’s case against him for exposing the abortion giant’s sale of organs from aborted babies.
URGENT PETITION: Tell the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade! Sign the petition here.
WASHINGTON, D.C., September 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – President Donald Trump this afternoon released a list with 20 additional names of potential Supreme Court nominees, including three senators: Ted Cruz of Texas, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and Josh Hawley of Missouri.
Another name on the new list was Sarah Pitlyk, who was part of the defense team for Center for Medical Progress head David Daleiden in Planned Parenthood’s case against him for exposing the abortion giant’s sale of organs from aborted babies.
Just in December, the Senate confirmed her nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, defying left-wing attacks on her pro-life public statements.
“Ms. Pitlyk is a towering intellect, a supremely capable lawyer, and a strong Constitutional conservative,” Thomas More Society executive vice president Andrew Bath said at the time. Pitlyk had worked as special counsel for the Thomas More Society.
“She’s done terrific legal work over the years on some of the Thomas More Society’s biggest cases, and that, together with her service as a law clerk for now U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has prepared her well for her time on the bench,” Bath continued.
“Sarah Pitlyk will be a fair and wise federal judge who will bring honor and distinction to the federal judiciary and make the president who nominated her and the Senate that confirmed her proud.”
Trump said during today’s brief speech announcing the new names, “Every one of these individuals will ensure equal justice, equal treatment, and equal rights for citizens of every race, color, religion, and creed.”
He emphasized that all potential Supreme Court nominees would be justices like the late Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, and Samuel Alito. He did not, in that context, refer to the two justices he nominated himself, namely Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
Both Gorsuch and Kavanaugh have written opinions disappointing conservatives.
Trump had already released two lists with 21 names overall during his 2016 campaign for president.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-09--Half of Christians, majority of Catholics, say fornication is ‘sometimes or always’ acceptable

September 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Back in 2014 , a study conducted by the online dating website ChristianMingle.com revealed that 63 % of single Christians between the age of 18 to 59 indicated that they would be willing to have sex before marriage .
One commentator noted that these numbers prove something that many have been observing for some time : The rise of so-called “ sexual atheism , ” in which people profess belief in Christianity but ignore its teachings on sexuality and marriage .
That trend appears to be continuing .
In a survey recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 % of respondents identifying as Christian indicated that they believe extramarital sex is “ always ” or “ sometimes ” permissible .
A full 62 % of Roman Catholics surveyed stated that casual sex is “ sometimes ” or “ always ” acceptable , and 54 % of mainline Protestants concurred .
Those numbers are significantly lower than the percentage of “ unaffiliated ” people surveyed who believe casual sex to be permissible—84 % —but still indicative of an enormous disconnect amongst those claiming to hold to Christian teaching .
Of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attributed to the fact that many people use these categories as cultural identifiers rather than a description of their actual beliefs .
I was over twenty before I met a Catholic who attended church regularly , and many—if not most -- mainstream Protestant churches are as enthusiastic about celebrating Pride Month as Big Business .
Most of these churches have tried so desperately to stay culturally relevant that they have begun to empty out entirely—if you ’ re not offering anything solid or distinctive , why should anyone get up early Sunday morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of secular music ?
In fact , commentators such as Ross Douthat have pointed out that the rise of the so-called “ nones ” —those who identify with no religious tradition—in recent years can be largely attributed not to a decline in religiosity but to the collapse of cultural Christianity .
As Christianity becomes an increasingly despised worldview in the culture at large , people have less and less of a motivation to identify as Christians .
Many of these mainline Protestants and Catholics professing sexual atheism are probably the next generation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t fully dropped their cultural identification yet .
It is significant that the religious group with the strictest view on sexuality—evangelical Protestants—are still predominantly conservative .
Thirty-two percent of evangelicals surveyed stated that they believe extramarital sex is acceptable .
That number is obviously very high , but nowhere near as high as with self-identified Catholics , mainline Protestants , or the unaffiliated .
I ’ d be interested to know what these statistics would look like once religious practice such as regular church attendance was factored in .
I suspect that many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ casual sex is acceptable would be the of the “ Christmas and Easter ” variety .
Interestingly , some encouraging data was also revealed recently , with the Center for Disease Control ’ s 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicating that less than 40 % of American high schoolers have had sex , a drop of more than 15 % since the early 1990s .
According to the Institute for Family Studies , the YRBS provided some good news : “ Closer examination reveals that most teens are having less sex and delaying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have fewer lifetime sexual partners .
That confirms other data indicating that American teenagers are far more risk averse than their parents , challenging the popular media representation of an increasingly sexualized adolescent life.
” That statistical drop is not an indicator of better sexual behavior—digital pornography has ravaged this generation , contributed to the destruction of morality in Christian communities , and spawned the mainstreaming of all sorts of sexual practices amongst the young that would not be captured in a survey specifically asking about intercourse .
But still , less sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overall positive , especially as it means fewer abortions .
The data that matters the most , in my view , is the consistent evidence that those who wait until marriage to have sex are the happiest .
We all used to know this .
It ’ s time we remembered it .
Jonathon ’ s new podcast , The Van Maren Show , is dedicated to telling the stories of the pro-life and pro-family movement .
In his latest episode , he interviews Alessandra Bocchi , an Italian journalist well-known for her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She believes the mainstream media is driven by ideology rather than a desire for truth .
It ’ s “ hard to find a nuanced and informed view ” on current events , she says .
Journalism today is “ all about personalities and memes rather than substance.
” It ’ s more concerned with “ catering to [ the progressive elite ] as opposed to reporting the truth…they ’ ve lost their integrity and credibility in many respects.
” You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below :

The study highlights the rise of so-called 'sexual atheism,' in which people profess belief in Christianity but ignore its teachings on sexuality and marriage.
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September 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Back in 2014, a study conducted by the online dating website ChristianMingle.com revealed that 63% of single Christians between the age of 18 to 59 indicated that they would be willing to have sex before marriage. One commentator noted that these numbers prove something that many have been observing for some time: The rise of so-called “sexual atheism,” in which people profess belief in Christianity but ignore its teachings on sexuality and marriage.
That trend appears to be continuing. In a survey recently conducted by Pew Research Center, over 50% of respondents identifying as Christian indicated that they believe extramarital sex is “always” or “sometimes” permissible. A full 62% of Roman Catholics surveyed stated that casual sex is “sometimes” or “always” acceptable, and 54% of mainline Protestants concurred. Those numbers are significantly lower than the percentage of “unaffiliated” people surveyed who believe casual sex to be permissible—84%—but still indicative of an enormous disconnect amongst those claiming to hold to Christian teaching.
Of course, much of this can probably be attributed to the fact that many people use these categories as cultural identifiers rather than a description of their actual beliefs. I was over twenty before I met a Catholic who attended church regularly, and many—if not most–mainstream Protestant churches are as enthusiastic about celebrating Pride Month as Big Business. Most of these churches have tried so desperately to stay culturally relevant that they have begun to empty out entirely—if you’re not offering anything solid or distinctive, why should anyone get up early Sunday morning just to listen to a bad knock-off of secular music?
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In fact, commentators such as Ross Douthat have pointed out that the rise of the so-called “nones”—those who identify with no religious tradition—in recent years can be largely attributed not to a decline in religiosity but to the collapse of cultural Christianity. As Christianity becomes an increasingly despised worldview in the culture at large, people have less and less of a motivation to identify as Christians. Many of these mainline Protestants and Catholics professing sexual atheism are probably the next generation of “nones” but simply haven’t fully dropped their cultural identification yet.
It is significant that the religious group with the strictest view on sexuality—evangelical Protestants—are still predominantly conservative. Thirty-two percent of evangelicals surveyed stated that they believe extramarital sex is acceptable. That number is obviously very high, but nowhere near as high as with self-identified Catholics, mainline Protestants, or the unaffiliated. I’d be interested to know what these statistics would look like once religious practice such as regular church attendance was factored in. I suspect that many of those who stated their belief that casual sex is acceptable would be the of the “Christmas and Easter” variety.
Interestingly, some encouraging data was also revealed recently, with the Center for Disease Control’s 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicating that less than 40% of American high schoolers have had sex, a drop of more than 15% since the early 1990s. According to the Institute for Family Studies, the YRBS provided some good news: “Closer examination reveals that most teens are having less sex and delaying sex longer, and that sexually-active teens have fewer lifetime sexual partners. That confirms other data indicating that American teenagers are far more risk averse than their parents, challenging the popular media representation of an increasingly sexualized adolescent life.”
That statistical drop is not an indicator of better sexual behavior—digital pornography has ravaged this generation, contributed to the destruction of morality in Christian communities, and spawned the mainstreaming of all sorts of sexual practices amongst the young that would not be captured in a survey specifically asking about intercourse. But still, less sexual activity among young people is still an overall positive, especially as it means fewer abortions. The data that matters the most, in my view, is the consistent evidence that those who wait until marriage to have sex are the happiest. We all used to know this. It’s time we remembered it.
Jonathon’s new podcast, The Van Maren Show, is dedicated to telling the stories of the pro-life and pro-family movement. In his latest episode, he interviews Alessandra Bocchi, an Italian journalist well-known for her freelance reporting all over the world. She believes the mainstream media is driven by ideology rather than a desire for truth. It’s “hard to find a nuanced and informed view” on current events, she says. Journalism today is “all about personalities and memes rather than substance.” It’s more concerned with “catering to [the progressive elite] as opposed to reporting the truth…they’ve lost their integrity and credibility in many respects.”
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below:
Follow Jonathon Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer, and pro-life activist. His commentary has been translated into more than eight languages and published widely online as well as print newspapers such as the Jewish Independent, the National Post, the Hamilton Spectator and others. He has received an award for combating anti-Semitism in print from the Jewish organization B’nai Brith. His commentary has been featured on CTV Primetime, Global News, EWTN, and the CBC as well as dozens of radio stations and news outlets in Canada and the United States. He speaks on a wide variety of cultural topics across North America at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions. Some of these topics include abortion, pornography, the Sexual Revolution, and euthanasia. Jonathon holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from Simon Fraser University, and is the communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform. Jonathon’s first book, The Culture War, was released in 2016.
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lifesitenews--2020-09-09--Priest banned from posting videos after Catholic News Agency report on his anti-mask comment

PETITION : No to radical mandatory mask mandates !
Sign the petition here .
DENVER , Colorado , September 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – A Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter ( FSSP ) priest in the Archdiocese of Denver came under fire from Catholic News Agency ( CNA ) for saying Catholics needn ’ t follow draconian coronavirus mask mandates from their bishop or governor .
“ Disobey your bishop , disobey your governor , ” if they try to force you to wear a face covering , Father Daniel Nolan , FSSP quipped in a video that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he is no longer to post videos on the Internet , and the Archdiocese told LifeSiteNews it is satisfied with the way the issue has been addressed .
Nolan serves at Our Lady of Mt .
Carmel in Littleton , Colorado .
“ They can not tell you to wear a mask , ” Nolan had said .
“ This is a lie .
They are lying to all of us.
” “ Don ’ t wear a mask , ” Nolan continued .
“ If your bishop tells you , don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourage everybody not to wear a mask .
And I am telling you : disobey your bishop , disobey your governor .
That ’ s what I ’ m telling you.
” “ We ought to obey God rather than man , ” he emphasized .
“ And if the bishop tells you to do something that is contrary to your health , contrary to reason , and contrary to the common good , disobey it .
And it ’ s contrary to the common good to continue to go along with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is what ’ s happening.
” “ If you ’ re healthy , you have a 0.006 percent chance of dying from COVID , ” Nolan noted , adding , “ scamdemic , ” a phrase popular with those who believe the global response to the coronavirus outbreak has been overblown .
READ : Explosion in mandatory masking isn ’ t driven by science , but fear “ My next sermon is gon na get me , like , transferred , so enjoy me while you can , ” the priest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video , saying that “ Church officials ” were “ evaluating ” Fr .
Nolan .
Parishioners subsequently told Church Militant that they considered the CNA article a “ hit piece ” that “ hyped off-the-cuff remarks made by Fr .
Daniel Nolan that were inadvertently captured on video and posted briefly online Tuesday evening.
” The author of the article was J. D. Flynn , CNA ’ s editor-in-chief .
CNA journalist Kevin Jones , who said on Twitter that Our Lady of Mt .
Carmel is his home parish , called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfortunate and petty act of rebellion against the mask mandate aiming to limit coronavirus spread.
” Jones then suggested he was “ stay [ ing ] away ” from the parish because of “ yellow flags ” and “ anti-mask signaling.
” Issue ‘ has been addressed ... to the satisfaction of the Archdiocese of Denver ’ Mark Haas , Director of Public Relations for the Archdiocese of Denver , told LifeSiteNews earlier this week that the issue “ has been addressed internally by the pastor of the parish and religious order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Fr .
James Jackson FSSP , Nolan ’ s pastor , sent a short message to parishioners explaining CNA hadn ’ t given him adequate time to answer their inquiry .
He suggested that the matter is already essentially resolved .
In the message , which was obtained by LifeSiteNews , Jackson wrote , “ The title of the article says ‘ Church officials evaluating priest who told Catholics to ‘ disobey ’ bishop on mask wearing.
’ This is not correct .
It was published yesterday [ September 2 ] , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told his parishioners that when CNA contacted him , “ I hadn ’ t seen the video , and I asked for time to see it , to ask Fr .
Nolan about it , and to consult my superior and the Archdiocese .
Basically the reporter gave a couple of hours to accomplish all this , but I had other things which needed to be attended to , so I didn ’ t give a statement .
So , the reporter published his article without input from me , which by now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ The consequence to the video is that Fr .
Nolan is forbidden by our superiors from uploading things on the internet , ” wrote Fr .
Jackson .
“ The duration of this interdict has not been determined .
Other than that , no other consequences from the Church will be forthcoming.
” Meanwhile , the vicar general of the archdiocese , Fr .
Randy Dollins , “ was of good cheer , extremely helpful and supportive , ” reported Jackson .
“ I can ’ t tell you how much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priest : Mask mandates now but ‘ in the future , it ’ s going to be a vaccine ’ Fr .
Nolan , who was ordained in 2014 after serving in the Marine Corps as a Captain , said in early August that he was personally refusing to wear a mask anywhere .
During an interview with “ Restoring the Faith ” on YouTube , he said , “ I think it ’ s important .
I think this is where civil disobedience comes in , and we are absolutely within our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear a mask anywhere I go , ” he confirmed .
“ If I ’ m requested , ‘ you need to put on your mask , ’ I ’ m going to reply , ‘ Well , I ’ m exempt.
’ ” “ And I don ’ t have to disclose my medical information to you , ” Nolan explained .
“ I don ’ t have to disclose to you why I have a medical exemption .
If they push the issue , I ’ ll say , ‘ Look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the authorities , but I will not wear a mask.
’ ” READ : Explosion in mandatory masking isn ’ t driven by science , but fear - Part II Nolan drew a parallel between resisting mask mandates now , and having to resist a mandatory coronavirus vaccine in the future .
“ Now , it ’ s not wearing a mask ...
In the future , it ’ s going to be a vaccine with who knows what ’ s in there .
And it ’ s going to be jail time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from your kids , or taking your kids away from you .
That ’ s what [ is ] coming next if you don ’ t stand up now and say , ‘ I ’ m not going to wear a mask , I ’ m not going to submit to this fear and this control.
’ ” “ You will lose everything , ” Nolan warned .
“ This is our last chance to stand up and resist.
” At this point , the priest made it clear that he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That is not the decision of the Church , the Fraternity [ of St. Peter ] , or my parish .
That ’ s Father Dan Nolan , and I encourage everybody : Be bold .
Stand up .
It ’ s uncomfortable , but if you really don ’ t want to wear a mask , don ’ t wear it .
Make them ask you .
Be polite .
”

'We ought to obey God rather than man. And if the bishop tells you to do something that is contrary to your health, contrary to reason, and contrary to the common good, disobey it.'
PETITION: No to radical mandatory mask mandates! Sign the petition here.
DENVER, Colorado, September 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – A Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) priest in the Archdiocese of Denver came under fire from Catholic News Agency (CNA) for saying Catholics needn’t follow draconian coronavirus mask mandates from their bishop or governor.
“Disobey your bishop, disobey your governor,” if they try to force you to wear a face covering, Father Daniel Nolan, FSSP quipped in a video that was briefly posted online.
His superiors said he is no longer to post videos on the Internet, and the Archdiocese told LifeSiteNews it is satisfied with the way the issue has been addressed.
Nolan serves at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Littleton, Colorado.
“They cannot tell you to wear a mask,” Nolan had said. “This is a lie. They are lying to all of us.”
“Don’t wear a mask,” Nolan continued. “If your bishop tells you, don’t do it. And I encourage everybody not to wear a mask. And I am telling you: disobey your bishop, disobey your governor. That’s what I’m telling you.”
“We ought to obey God rather than man,” he emphasized. “And if the bishop tells you to do something that is contrary to your health, contrary to reason, and contrary to the common good, disobey it. And it’s contrary to the common good to continue to go along with an attempted communist takeover of the United States, which is what’s happening.”
“If you’re healthy, you have a 0.006 percent chance of dying from COVID,” Nolan noted, adding, “scamdemic,” a phrase popular with those who believe the global response to the coronavirus outbreak has been overblown.
READ: Explosion in mandatory masking isn’t driven by science, but fear
A FSSP priest says “Don’t wear a mask”: https://t.co/2aLRy2yKTD — Dr Taylor Marshall ������ (@TaylorRMarshall) September 2, 2020
“My next sermon is gonna get me, like, transferred, so enjoy me while you can,” the priest joked.
CNA first reported on the video, saying that “Church officials” were “evaluating” Fr. Nolan. Parishioners subsequently told Church Militant that they considered the CNA article a “hit piece” that “hyped off-the-cuff remarks made by Fr. Daniel Nolan that were inadvertently captured on video and posted briefly online Tuesday evening.”
The author of the article was J. D. Flynn, CNA’s editor-in-chief.
CNA journalist Kevin Jones, who said on Twitter that Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is his home parish, called his priest’s remarks “an unfortunate and petty act of rebellion against the mask mandate aiming to limit coronavirus spread.” Jones then suggested he was “stay[ing] away” from the parish because of “yellow flags” and “anti-mask signaling.”
Issue ‘has been addressed…to the satisfaction of the Archdiocese of Denver’
Mark Haas, Director of Public Relations for the Archdiocese of Denver, told LifeSiteNews earlier this week that the issue “has been addressed internally by the pastor of the parish and religious order to the satisfaction of the Archdiocese of Denver.”
Fr. James Jackson FSSP, Nolan’s pastor, sent a short message to parishioners explaining CNA hadn’t given him adequate time to answer their inquiry. He suggested that the matter is already essentially resolved.
In the message, which was obtained by LifeSiteNews, Jackson wrote, “The title of the article says ‘Church officials evaluating priest who told Catholics to ‘disobey’ bishop on mask wearing.’ This is not correct. It was published yesterday [September 2], but the evaluation is over.”
Jackson told his parishioners that when CNA contacted him, “I hadn’t seen the video, and I asked for time to see it, to ask Fr. Nolan about it, and to consult my superior and the Archdiocese. Basically the reporter gave a couple of hours to accomplish all this, but I had other things which needed to be attended to, so I didn’t give a statement. So, the reporter published his article without input from me, which by now a good number of you have read.”
“The consequence to the video is that Fr. Nolan is forbidden by our superiors from uploading things on the internet,” wrote Fr. Jackson. “The duration of this interdict has not been determined. Other than that, no other consequences from the Church will be forthcoming.”
Meanwhile, the vicar general of the archdiocese, Fr. Randy Dollins, “was of good cheer, extremely helpful and supportive,” reported Jackson. “I can’t tell you how much I was impressed by him.”
FSSP priest: Mask mandates now but ‘in the future, it’s going to be a vaccine’
Fr. Nolan, who was ordained in 2014 after serving in the Marine Corps as a Captain, said in early August that he was personally refusing to wear a mask anywhere.
During an interview with “Restoring the Faith” on YouTube, he said, “I think it’s important. I think this is where civil disobedience comes in, and we are absolutely within our rights.”
“I don’t wear a mask anywhere I go,” he confirmed. “If I’m requested, ‘you need to put on your mask,’ I’m going to reply, ‘Well, I’m exempt.’”
“And I don’t have to disclose my medical information to you,” Nolan explained. “I don’t have to disclose to you why I have a medical exemption. If they push the issue, I’ll say, ‘Look, you’re free to call the authorities, but I will not wear a mask.’”
READ: Explosion in mandatory masking isn’t driven by science, but fear – Part II
Nolan drew a parallel between resisting mask mandates now, and having to resist a mandatory coronavirus vaccine in the future.
“Now, it’s not wearing a mask…In the future, it’s going to be a vaccine with who knows what’s in there. And it’s going to be jail time, or censure, or taking you away from your kids, or taking your kids away from you. That’s what [is] coming next if you don’t stand up now and say, ‘I’m not going to wear a mask, I’m not going to submit to this fear and this control.’”
“You will lose everything,” Nolan warned. “This is our last chance to stand up and resist.”
At this point, the priest made it clear that he was only expressing his personal opinion.
“That is not the decision of the Church, the Fraternity [of St. Peter], or my parish. That’s Father Dan Nolan, and I encourage everybody: Be bold. Stand up. It’s uncomfortable, but if you really don’t want to wear a mask, don’t wear it. Make them ask you. Be polite.”
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lifesitenews--2020-09-09--Another Australian state passes law requiring priests to break seal of Confession, report child abus

Another Australian state passes law requiring priests to break seal of Confession, report child abuse

QUEENSLAND , Australia , September 9 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — The Australian of Queensland has passed a law requiring Catholic priests to violate the seal of the Confessional and report any instances of confessed child sex abuse , or face up to three years in prison .
The legislation arose as a result of recommendations from the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse , which recommended in 2017 that clergy and confession no longer be exempt from mandatory reporting .
Similar laws have already been passed in the states of Victoria and South Australia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australian Capital Territory .
Australian media reports that the legislation received bi-partisan political support but that one elected Queensland politician , Stephen Andrew an MP with the One Nation party , spoke out against the new law .
“ The bill poses a real danger for public trust and cohesion in our community , ” Mr Andrew said .
“ Many priests and bishops have publicly stated that they will go to jail before obeying these laws , ” he continued .
“ How confident can the people of Queensland be that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governed by the rule of law , where the state jails its bishops ?
” In January , Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge said in a submission to the Queensland Parliament that the legislation would make clergy “ agents of the state.
” “ The state would effectively be saying that there is some sin that can not be forgiven , that God has no part to play in this , that clergy should be agents of the state , that the Sacrament of Penance is outlawed , ” Coleridge said .
Coleridge has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not make a difference to the safety of young people ” and that enforcement of the law will be problematic .
Coleridge has made no statement since the passing of the legislation and no mention of the new law is made in the Queensland bishops ’ newly released statement on the upcoming state election in October .
Canon 984 of the 1973 Code of Canon Law states that a confessor is “ forbidden to use knowledge acquired in confession to the detriment of the penitent , while it also says that Church authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purpose of external governance , ” knowledge of sins that come from the hearing of confession .
Prior to the law passing on Tuesday the Brisbane Oratory in Formation , which leads a Catholic parish close to the centre of Brisbane , encouraged their community to join a Rosary Crusade and all-night vigil in response to the law .
In their 5/6th September newsletter the Oratory Fathers outline multiple reasons why they saw that the new law will not stop sex abuse .
The Oratory Fathers point out that because Confessions are anonymous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confession and hence there would be no basic facts to report.
” The newsletter points out that unrepentant perpetrators of sexual abuse generally do not go to Confession and that the charge against priests failing to report instances of confessed sexual abuse would be unenforceable “ except where persons with religious malice or police act as ‘ dummy penitents ’ leading to the imprisonment of priests for non-reporting of events that never occurred.
” The Oratory Fathers even suggest that the new law is likely to inhibit the repentant abusers from seeking Confession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of encouraging them to report themselves .
“ In the case that an abuser does confess the priest has the opportunity to encourage them to report themselves , the law may deter such offenders from going to confession and receiving this counsel , ” the newsletter states .
“ Priests can and do encourage victims of abuse to report it to a trusted adult outside of the confessional , this opportunity may be lost if the law deters a victim from talking about being abused during confession.
” Following the passing of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their efforts in prayer and in writing to their MPs and said that Queensland politicians are “ aware of a strong and faithful Catholic community in Brisbane.
” The Oratory Fathers are urging the Catholic faithful to pray for the protection of priests through the intercession of St John of Nepomuk , a fourteenth century priest and martyr who endured torture and suffered death by drowning rather than break the seal of the Confessional .

'Many priests and bishops have publicly stated that they will go to jail before obeying these laws'
PETITION: Demand CBS management stop Stephen Colbert's mockery of Jesus! Sign the petition here.
QUEENSLAND, Australia, September 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — The Australian of Queensland has passed a law requiring Catholic priests to violate the seal of the Confessional and report any instances of confessed child sex abuse, or face up to three years in prison.
The legislation arose as a result of recommendations from the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, which recommended in 2017 that clergy and confession no longer be exempt from mandatory reporting. Similar laws have already been passed in the states of Victoria and South Australia as well as in Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.
Australian media reports that the legislation received bi-partisan political support but that one elected Queensland politician, Stephen Andrew an MP with the One Nation party, spoke out against the new law.
“The bill poses a real danger for public trust and cohesion in our community,” Mr Andrew said.
“Many priests and bishops have publicly stated that they will go to jail before obeying these laws,” he continued.
“How confident can the people of Queensland be that they live in a free and open democracy governed by the rule of law, where the state jails its bishops?”
In January, Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge said in a submission to the Queensland Parliament that the legislation would make clergy “agents of the state.”
“The state would effectively be saying that there is some sin that cannot be forgiven, that God has no part to play in this, that clergy should be agents of the state, that the Sacrament of Penance is outlawed,” Coleridge said.
Coleridge has also said that the law will “not make a difference to the safety of young people” and that enforcement of the law will be problematic.
Coleridge has made no statement since the passing of the legislation and no mention of the new law is made in the Queensland bishops’ newly released statement on the upcoming state election in October.
Canon 984 of the 1973 Code of Canon Law states that a confessor is “forbidden to use knowledge acquired in confession to the detriment of the penitent, while it also says that Church authorities may not use, “for the purpose of external governance,” knowledge of sins that come from the hearing of confession.
Prior to the law passing on Tuesday the Brisbane Oratory in Formation, which leads a Catholic parish close to the centre of Brisbane, encouraged their community to join a Rosary Crusade and all-night vigil in response to the law.
In their 5/6th September newsletter the Oratory Fathers outline multiple reasons why they saw that the new law will not stop sex abuse.
The Oratory Fathers point out that because Confessions are anonymous “exact details are not required in confession and hence there would be no basic facts to report.”
The newsletter points out that unrepentant perpetrators of sexual abuse generally do not go to Confession and that the charge against priests failing to report instances of confessed sexual abuse would be unenforceable “except where persons with religious malice or police act as ‘dummy penitents’ leading to the imprisonment of priests for non-reporting of events that never occurred.”
The Oratory Fathers even suggest that the new law is likely to inhibit the repentant abusers from seeking Confession where the priest would have the opportunity of encouraging them to report themselves.
“In the case that an abuser does confess the priest has the opportunity to encourage them to report themselves, the law may deter such offenders from going to confession and receiving this counsel,” the newsletter states.
“Priests can and do encourage victims of abuse to report it to a trusted adult outside of the confessional, this opportunity may be lost if the law deters a victim from talking about being abused during confession.”
Following the passing of the law the Oratory Fathers thanked the faithful for their efforts in prayer and in writing to their MPs and said that Queensland politicians are “aware of a strong and faithful Catholic community in Brisbane.”
We had 170 people join us in our all-night Rosary Crusade before the Blessed Sacrament. Thank you to all of you who… Posted by The Brisbane Oratory in Formation on Tuesday, September 8, 2020
The Oratory Fathers are urging the Catholic faithful to pray for the protection of priests through the intercession of St John of Nepomuk, a fourteenth century priest and martyr who endured torture and suffered death by drowning rather than break the seal of the Confessional.
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