lifesitenews--2020-05-12--Police scrutinizing Spanish cardinal for blessing city, showing image of Mary outside basilica

VALENCIA , May 12 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — A Spanish cardinal has found himself under police scrutiny for having given a blessing and briefly exposing an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the front entrance of a basilica on the occasion of the city ’ s annual feast day .
City authorities claim that Cardinal Antonio Cañizares broke strict coronavirus lockdown regulations when he stood at the entrance to the Basilica de la Virgen de los Desamparado displaying the image and blessing the city of Valencia on the feast of Our Lady of the Forsaken , patroness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second Sunday of May .
People practice social distancing as the briefly venerate image of Our Lady of the Forsaken in Valencia .
Photo : eldiario.com Under normal circumstances , observance of the feast day brings huge crowds to the city for a range of events .
The celebration climaxes when the image of Our Lady is carried in procession from the basilica , around the Plaza de la Virgen to St. Catherine ’ s Cathedral , surrounded by throngs of people .
Because of the pandemic , all events were canceled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dedicated to Our Lady of the Forsaken was said in the basilica with empty pews .
Afterward , a few dozen people wearing masks stood in the nearly empty square to venerate the image and receive the Cardinal ’ s blessing .
One member of the Valencia City Council accused those who conducted the brief feast day observance of having acted in “ premeditation and malice ” since a television crew was on hand to film the event .
As a result , police have closed the basilica .
The archdiocese disputes the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directives were ignored .
A short video of Sunday ’ s sparse gathering shared via Twitter seems to support assertions by the archdiocese that no social distancing rules were broken .
This becomes even more apparent when compared with a photo showing the normal crowd gathered for the feast day procession .
Valencia ’ s pre-pandemic annual procession of Our Lady of the Forsaken Photo : Valencia official website “ The Feast of Our Lady of the Forsaken has been celebrated with a single Mass at 10:30 am in the Royal Basilica , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the faithful , ” said a statement released by the Archdiocese of Valencia on Sunday , according to a report by Crux .
Cañizares said in his homily : “ We are in a very difficult situation of pandemic with dead and sick people ; we have a great economic crisis , with companies and jobs being destroyed ... we have multiple poverties.
” “ Jesus asks us to remain in love , that we do not depart from love , that we love each other with the same love with which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the multitude who suffer , ” continued the Cardinal , according to Crux .
“ The Valencian people [ are ] energized by the Virgin of love , mercy and forgiveness .
The faith in her by the Valencian people does not die .
Hope is the answer to helplessness , remaining attentive to the pain of the sick , of the elderly , of those who are lonely , of those who are threatened in their lives , ” added Cañizares .
Responding to civil authorities who accused the Church of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules , Cardinal Cañizares said , “ This archdiocese has applied [ them ] more strictly than anyone .
”

VALENCIA, May 12, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — A Spanish cardinal has found himself under police scrutiny for having given a blessing and briefly exposing an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the front entrance of a basilica on the occasion of the city’s annual feast day.
City authorities claim that Cardinal Antonio Cañizares broke strict coronavirus lockdown regulations when he stood at the entrance to the Basilica de la Virgen de los Desamparado displaying the image and blessing the city of Valencia on the feast of Our Lady of the Forsaken, patroness of the the city, celebrated on the second Sunday of May.
People practice social distancing as the briefly venerate image of Our Lady of the Forsaken in Valencia.
Photo: eldiario.com
Under normal circumstances, observance of the feast day brings huge crowds to the city for a range of events. The celebration climaxes when the image of Our Lady is carried in procession from the basilica, around the Plaza de la Virgen to St. Catherine’s Cathedral, surrounded by throngs of people.
Because of the pandemic, all events were canceled, and the traditional Sunday morning Mass dedicated to Our Lady of the Forsaken was said in the basilica with empty pews.
Afterward, a few dozen people wearing masks stood in the nearly empty square to venerate the image and receive the Cardinal’s blessing.
One member of the Valencia City Council accused those who conducted the brief feast day observance of having acted in “premeditation and malice” since a television crew was on hand to film the event.
As a result, police have closed the basilica.
The archdiocese disputes the charge by civil authorities that social distancing directives were ignored.
A short video of Sunday’s sparse gathering shared via Twitter seems to support assertions by the archdiocese that no social distancing rules were broken.
El cardenal Cañizares se salta el estado de alarma y abre la basílica de la Virgen de los Desamparados ante una aglomeración de gente https://t.co/ZMpReB5DUW En @eldiariocv pic.twitter.com/o9PEKmyjTb — eldiario.es (@eldiarioes) May 10, 2020
This becomes even more apparent when compared with a photo showing the normal crowd gathered for the feast day procession.
Valencia’s pre-pandemic annual procession of Our Lady of the Forsaken
Photo: Valencia official website
“The Feast of Our Lady of the Forsaken has been celebrated with a single Mass at 10:30 am in the Royal Basilica, behind closed doors without the presence of the faithful,” said a statement released by the Archdiocese of Valencia on Sunday, according to a report by Crux.
Cañizares said in his homily: “We are in a very difficult situation of pandemic with dead and sick people; we have a great economic crisis, with companies and jobs being destroyed … we have multiple poverties.”
“Jesus asks us to remain in love, that we do not depart from love, that we love each other with the same love with which he and the Virgin love all the helpless, the multitude who suffer,” continued the Cardinal, according to Crux.
“The Valencian people [are] energized by the Virgin of love, mercy and forgiveness. The faith in her by the Valencian people does not die. Hope is the answer to helplessness, remaining attentive to the pain of the sick, of the elderly, of those who are lonely, of those who are threatened in their lives,” added Cañizares.
Responding to civil authorities who accused the Church of not having respected the pandemic social distancing rules, Cardinal Cañizares said, “This archdiocese has applied [them] more strictly than anyone.”
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lifesitenews--2020-05-12--Fatima shrine scrubbed of pilgrims on bishops’ COVID orders

May 11 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — For the first time in 103 years , at the Cova de Iria where Our Lady appeared for the first time to three little shepherds on May 13 , in 1917 , there will be no pilgrims present on the gigantic esplanade where thousands , and then hundreds of thousands of Portuguese and foreign Catholics usually have gathered at that time of year in order to commemorate the extraordinary event , to thank the Virgin Mary for graces received or to present her with their supplications .
Because of the lockdown against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Republic ( GNR ) started deploying hundreds of military personnel all over the country on Saturday morning in charge of offering “ pedagogic ” advice to would-be pilgrims in order to dissuade them from trying to access the sanctuary on foot or by car .
According to the Portuguese media , 3,500 members of the GNR will be operating on Tuesday and Wednesday , May 12 and 13 , around Fatima and on the ways of access from different parts of the country in order to prevent Catholics from reaching the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , will be closed to the public and “ protected ” by barriers .
Should there still be a large public accumulation , more “ heavy-handed ” measures will be employed , according to the Civil Protection unit of Santarém some 100 km south of Fatima , which recalled last Friday that the sanctuary can not offer any of the usual assistance it affords to the faithful who join the large pilgrimages that take place every month from May to October on the 12th and 13th ( and August 15th ) .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before proceeding on foot to the basilica , the esplanade , and the tiny chapel that marks the place where Our Lady visited the three shepherds so many years ago will also be closed .
There is no question of placing Fatima under a “ siege , ” nor is the operation a “ demonstration of force , ” stated a spokesman for the GNR .
However , as the left-wing daily O Público remarked , “ the desired effect will be the same : the absence of pilgrims in Fatima.
” Strangely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government that required Fatima to stay closed in these , its most important days of the year , but the bishop of Leiria-Fatima himself , as well as those directly in charge of sanctuary .
Cardinal Antonio Marto was named by Pope Francis and is considered to be close to Francis .
The mobilization of the Armed Forces appears as a response to the requirements of the religious authorities who are being helped to keep the zone free from believers who want to pray , give thanks , and do penance , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lady ’ s explicit and repeated calls .
Contrary to many Marian sanctuaries , such as Lourdes , Fatima is not primarily known for graces of physical healing .
Instead , it is a place where many experience spiritual conversion .
Large numbers of Portuguese walk the difficult routes toward Fatima , high in the mountains , walking tens or hundreds of kilometers over days and weeks in order to celebrate one of the major ceremonies there .
They are truly penitential pilgrimages , which some end on their knees to cover the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Capelinha ” or small chapel of the apparitions .
All those who were hoping to come and deposit their offering of faith , prayer , and penance and to ask graces from Our Lady of Fatima on the 12th and 13th of May must now cope with the realization that it is the local hierarchy of the Catholic Church that is leaving them out in the cold .
On May 2 , the Portuguese health minister , Marta Temido , went on record saying it would be “ a possibility ” to allow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of May 12 and 13 , if the sanctuary leaders so desired , as long as sanitary rules were observed .
The sanctuary of Fatima had announced one month earlier , on April 6 , that the international anniversary pilgrimage of May would be celebrated this year “ without the physical presence of pilgrims ” because of COVID-19 , although the main religious ceremonies will take place .
The minister ’ s offer to allow the sanctuary to organize the presence of faithful actually shocked those in charge , who said that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The sanctuary considered options but went on to confirm that the faithful would not be welcome .
On May 3 , the cardinal-patriarch of Lisbon , Don Manuel Clemente , asked for there to be no going back on the first decision .
He had only just sent a letter to all the priests of his diocese warning them that all public ceremonies remain prohibited “ for the good of public health , ” adding that the government will authorize no celebrations until the end of this month .
Despite Marta Temido ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events to decide for themselves whether they can take measures to avoid risk of contamination , the Catholic Church in Portugal did not take advantage of the possibility to let the Portuguese people honor their Queen .
It is in the same spirit that the demonstration of the Portuguese communist workers ’ union CGTP was allowed to take place on May 1 in Lisbon , with participants announcing their presence beforehand and being assigned a spot that would ensure “ social distance.
” Temido commented after the event that that celebration “ was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the presidential decree under the condition that distancing rules would be respected.
” Portugal has been largely preserved from the effects of the Chinese coronavirus , which hit neighboring Spain particularly hard .
To date , less than 30,000 Portuguese have been contaminated by the virus , and the total number of deaths in the country is 1,144 .
Confinement measures are slowly being lifted as the contamination curve continues to follow the same model as in other countries — that chose confinement or not — having remarkably slowed since more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invited to celebrate “ Fatima at home , ” and in their hearts , and to place candles in their windows on Tuesday at nightfall in order to mark their spiritual presence in the sanctuary of Fatima .
The rector of the sanctuary , Fr .
Carlos Cabecinhas , made this appeal , adding : “ This is a sorrowful moment : the sanctuary exists to welcome pilgrims and not being able to do that is a cause for great sadness ; but this decision is also an act of responsibility for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-being.
” But in an interview with 70X7 , a medium of the Portuguese bishops ’ conference , he also recalled the deep economical distress many businesses and workers are experiencing in Fatima as a disastrous side-effect of the coronavirus lockdown .
He has made clear that he hopes for a return to normal — that is , massive pilgrimages to Fatima — by October .
For the moment , this question has not been answered by the local Catholic hierarchy : does the physical well-being of hundreds of thousands of Portuguese require @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , let alone their spiritual well-being ?
Many Portuguese have spoken touchingly of the sadness they feel at not being able to “ thank our Lady for the graces received during the past year.
” “ I prayed more and I have offered up this sorrow , ” said Noémia dos Anjos , explaining that the pain of “ not being able to thank Our Lady for the many graces received ” during the year is worse than the pain associated with the physically demanding walk to the sanctuary .
Both Francisco and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Fatima , died of the Spanish flu that immediately followed the First World War from which Portugal had been spared .
The illness killed many young people , while children and the elderly were protected , claiming between 40 million and perhaps even 100 million victims all over the world — many times more than the present count of victims of the Chinese coronavirus — and between 60,000 and 118,000 victims in Portugal alone , one of the worst hit countries .
But the Spanish flu did not stop pilgrimages to Fatima @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shepherds , it truly opened the gates of Heaven and was accepted in a spirit of penance and supernatural hope .

The Portuguese health minister allowed for the nation's bishops to come up with a way to accommodate pilgrims, but the bishops insisted against it.
May 11, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — For the first time in 103 years, at the Cova de Iria where Our Lady appeared for the first time to three little shepherds on May 13, in 1917, there will be no pilgrims present on the gigantic esplanade where thousands, and then hundreds of thousands of Portuguese and foreign Catholics usually have gathered at that time of year in order to commemorate the extraordinary event, to thank the Virgin Mary for graces received or to present her with their supplications. Because of the lockdown against the Chinese coronavirus, the National Guard of the Republic (GNR) started deploying hundreds of military personnel all over the country on Saturday morning in charge of offering “pedagogic” advice to would-be pilgrims in order to dissuade them from trying to access the sanctuary on foot or by car.
According to the Portuguese media, 3,500 members of the GNR will be operating on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 12 and 13, around Fatima and on the ways of access from different parts of the country in order to prevent Catholics from reaching the sanctuary, which, in any case, will be closed to the public and “protected” by barriers.
Should there still be a large public accumulation, more “heavy-handed” measures will be employed, according to the Civil Protection unit of Santarém some 100 km south of Fatima, which recalled last Friday that the sanctuary cannot offer any of the usual assistance it affords to the faithful who join the large pilgrimages that take place every month from May to October on the 12th and 13th (and August 15th). The large parks where pilgrims leave their cars before proceeding on foot to the basilica, the esplanade, and the tiny chapel that marks the place where Our Lady visited the three shepherds so many years ago will also be closed.
There is no question of placing Fatima under a “siege,” nor is the operation a “demonstration of force,” stated a spokesman for the GNR. However, as the left-wing daily O Público remarked, “the desired effect will be the same: the absence of pilgrims in Fatima.”
Strangely enough, it is not the Portuguese government that required Fatima to stay closed in these, its most important days of the year, but the bishop of Leiria-Fatima himself, as well as those directly in charge of sanctuary. Cardinal Antonio Marto was named by Pope Francis and is considered to be close to Francis.
The mobilization of the Armed Forces appears as a response to the requirements of the religious authorities who are being helped to keep the zone free from believers who want to pray, give thanks, and do penance, especially in these difficult times, answering Our Lady’s explicit and repeated calls.
Contrary to many Marian sanctuaries, such as Lourdes, Fatima is not primarily known for graces of physical healing. Instead, it is a place where many experience spiritual conversion. Large numbers of Portuguese walk the difficult routes toward Fatima, high in the mountains, walking tens or hundreds of kilometers over days and weeks in order to celebrate one of the major ceremonies there. They are truly penitential pilgrimages, which some end on their knees to cover the last few hundred meters to the “Capelinha” or small chapel of the apparitions.
All those who were hoping to come and deposit their offering of faith, prayer, and penance and to ask graces from Our Lady of Fatima on the 12th and 13th of May must now cope with the realization that it is the local hierarchy of the Catholic Church that is leaving them out in the cold.
On May 2, the Portuguese health minister, Marta Temido, went on record saying it would be “a possibility” to allow the public to join the religious ceremonies of May 12 and 13, if the sanctuary leaders so desired, as long as sanitary rules were observed.
The sanctuary of Fatima had announced one month earlier, on April 6, that the international anniversary pilgrimage of May would be celebrated this year “without the physical presence of pilgrims” because of COVID-19, although the main religious ceremonies will take place.
The minister’s offer to allow the sanctuary to organize the presence of faithful actually shocked those in charge, who said that they had been “taken by surprise.” The sanctuary considered options but went on to confirm that the faithful would not be welcome. On May 3, the cardinal-patriarch of Lisbon, Don Manuel Clemente, asked for there to be no going back on the first decision. He had only just sent a letter to all the priests of his diocese warning them that all public ceremonies remain prohibited “for the good of public health,” adding that the government will authorize no celebrations until the end of this month.
Despite Marta Temido’s willingness to allow organizers of public events to decide for themselves whether they can take measures to avoid risk of contamination, the Catholic Church in Portugal did not take advantage of the possibility to let the Portuguese people honor their Queen.
It is in the same spirit that the demonstration of the Portuguese communist workers’ union CGTP was allowed to take place on May 1 in Lisbon, with participants announcing their presence beforehand and being assigned a spot that would ensure “social distance.” Temido commented after the event that that celebration “was in line with the exceptional measures allowed by the presidential decree under the condition that distancing rules would be respected.”
Portugal has been largely preserved from the effects of the Chinese coronavirus, which hit neighboring Spain particularly hard. To date, less than 30,000 Portuguese have been contaminated by the virus, and the total number of deaths in the country is 1,144. Confinement measures are slowly being lifted as the contamination curve continues to follow the same model as in other countries — that chose confinement or not — having remarkably slowed since more than a week.
The Portuguese have been invited to celebrate “Fatima at home,” and in their hearts, and to place candles in their windows on Tuesday at nightfall in order to mark their spiritual presence in the sanctuary of Fatima.
The rector of the sanctuary, Fr. Carlos Cabecinhas, made this appeal, adding: “This is a sorrowful moment: the sanctuary exists to welcome pilgrims and not being able to do that is a cause for great sadness; but this decision is also an act of responsibility for the pilgrims, defending their health and their well-being.” But in an interview with 70X7, a medium of the Portuguese bishops’ conference, he also recalled the deep economical distress many businesses and workers are experiencing in Fatima as a disastrous side-effect of the coronavirus lockdown. He has made clear that he hopes for a return to normal — that is, massive pilgrimages to Fatima — by October.
For the moment, this question has not been answered by the local Catholic hierarchy: does the physical well-being of hundreds of thousands of Portuguese require that they be deprived of the sacraments, let alone their spiritual well-being?
Many Portuguese have spoken touchingly of the sadness they feel at not being able to “thank our Lady for the graces received during the past year.” “I prayed more and I have offered up this sorrow,” said Noémia dos Anjos, explaining that the pain of “not being able to thank Our Lady for the many graces received” during the year is worse than the pain associated with the physically demanding walk to the sanctuary.
Both Francisco and Jacinta Marto, the two youngest seers of Fatima, died of the Spanish flu that immediately followed the First World War from which Portugal had been spared. The illness killed many young people, while children and the elderly were protected, claiming between 40 million and perhaps even 100 million victims all over the world — many times more than the present count of victims of the Chinese coronavirus — and between 60,000 and 118,000 victims in Portugal alone, one of the worst hit countries. But the Spanish flu did not stop pilgrimages to Fatima. For the two now canonized little shepherds, it truly opened the gates of Heaven and was accepted in a spirit of penance and supernatural hope.
Follow Jeanne Jeanne Smits has worked as a journalist in France since 1987 after obtaining a Master of Arts in Law. She formerly directed the French daily Présent and was editor-in-chief of an all-internet French-speaking news site called reinformation.tv. She writes regularly for a number of Catholic journals (Monde & vie, L’Homme nouveau, Reconquête…) and runs a personal pro-life blog. In addition, she is often invited to radio and TV shows on alternative media. She is vice-president of the Christian and French defense association “AGRIF.” She is the French translator of The Dictator Pope by Henry Sire and Christus Vincit by Bishop Schneider, and recently contributed to the Bref examen critique de la communion dans la main about Communion in the hand. She is married and has three children, and lives near Paris.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-11--Now’s the time to make sure we’re ready to receive communion once public Masses resume

May 11 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) -- As the Easter season proceeds , the liturgy begins to prepare us for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost .
Last Sunday , the fourth after Easter , in the Extraordinary Form lectionary that I follow , the Gospel contains Christ ’ s promise to send the Paraclete , the Holy Spirit , to the Apostles after he is finally taken from them at the Ascension .
Public Masses are still impossible in England and I have been reading liturgical commentaries with particular attention during this time .
Dom Proper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his monumental The Liturgical Year ( which is available online ) : The coming of the Holy Ghost will be a bad thing , for some ?
We are more used to stressing the gifts and graces He will bring on the nascent Church , which are passed on to all members throughout the ages , particularly in the Sacrament of Confirmation .
But as our Lord emphasizes , the Holy Spirit ’ s arrival will be a moment of vindication for the Apostles , and by that very fact it will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You can ’ t have one without the other .
The condemnation , to be sure , is ultimately a self-condemnation , in the sense that those who rejected Christ condemned themselves by their choices .
This condemnation will be made final and public at the Last Judgment .
Like the coming of the Holy Spirit , the coming of Jesus Christ in the Incarnation , and his coming again at the Last Judgment , are moments at which what is a blessing for some , will be a disaster for others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God is a two-edged sword .
It forces us to make a decision , or reveals a decision already made .
God ’ s proximity makes it harder for us to maintain the moral ambiguity of our lives .
This lesson is also applicable to the reception of Holy Communion .
As the ancient chant for the feast of Corpus Christi , attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas , expresses it : Those who present themselves for Holy Communion in a state of serious sin are incapable of receiving graces from it : on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in words that echo those quoted above from St. John ’ s Gospel : “ he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself , not discerning the body of the Lord ” ( 1 Cor 11:29 ) .
There has been a lot of discussion of this issue over recent years , especially in the context of Pope Francis ’ call for those who are sinners to be assisted by the sacraments .
Any response to a call that contradicts St. Paul and the entire tradition of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even a Pope can make it right .
It is not a matter of restricting the reception of Holy Communion to the perfect ( or to the smug ) .
We are all sinners .
From time to time , we may be aware of grave sin , the “ mortal sin ” that excludes spiritual life , God ’ s grace , from our souls .
We may have the misfortune to fall into a way of life that regularly involves such sins .
We are not thereby excluded from anything permanently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready for Holy Communion by sacramental Confession , and , if necessary , a conversion of life .
The confusion caused by Pope Francis ’ words on this subject builds on a problem that has been developing for many years .
As Pope John Paul II explained in 1980 : Not only do people go up to Holy Communion without thinking about whether they are in a state of grace or not , but those who have thought about it and hesitate to go can feel humiliated by being left out .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Holy Communion during the coronavirus epidemic .
Let us resolve to return to it , when that is possible , with a greater sense of reverence , and with the spiritual preparation necessary to receive from it , not condemnation , but abundant graces .

May 11, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — As the Easter season proceeds, the liturgy begins to prepare us for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Last Sunday, the fourth after Easter, in the Extraordinary Form lectionary that I follow, the Gospel contains Christ’s promise to send the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, to the Apostles after he is finally taken from them at the Ascension.
And when he is come, he will convince the world of sin and of justice and of judgment. Of sin: because they believed not in me. And of justice: because I go to the Father: and you shall see me no longer. And of judgment: because the prince of this world is already judged. (John 16:8-11)
Public Masses are still impossible in England and I have been reading liturgical commentaries with particular attention during this time. Dom Proper Guéranger comments on this passage, in his monumental The Liturgical Year (which is available online):
By these words, which were spoken shortly before his passion, our Savior does more than tell us of the coming of the Holy Ghost; he also shows us how terrible this coming will be to them that have rejected the Messias.
The coming of the Holy Ghost will be a bad thing, for some? We are more used to stressing the gifts and graces He will bring on the nascent Church, which are passed on to all members throughout the ages, particularly in the Sacrament of Confirmation. But as our Lord emphasizes, the Holy Spirit’s arrival will be a moment of vindication for the Apostles, and by that very fact it will be a moment of condemnation for their opponents. You can’t have one without the other.
The condemnation, to be sure, is ultimately a self-condemnation, in the sense that those who rejected Christ condemned themselves by their choices. This condemnation will be made final and public at the Last Judgment. Like the coming of the Holy Spirit, the coming of Jesus Christ in the Incarnation, and his coming again at the Last Judgment, are moments at which what is a blessing for some, will be a disaster for others. The confrontation between sinful mankind and God is a two-edged sword. It forces us to make a decision, or reveals a decision already made. God’s proximity makes it harder for us to maintain the moral ambiguity of our lives.
This lesson is also applicable to the reception of Holy Communion. As the ancient chant for the feast of Corpus Christi, attributed to St. Thomas Aquinas, expresses it:
Both the wicked and the good
Eat of this celestial Food:
But with ends how opposite!
Here tis life: and there tis death:
The same, yet issuing to each
In a difference infinite.
Those who present themselves for Holy Communion in a state of serious sin are incapable of receiving graces from it: on the contrary, as St Paul explains, in words that echo those quoted above from St. John’s Gospel: “he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:29).
There has been a lot of discussion of this issue over recent years, especially in the context of Pope Francis’ call for those who are sinners to be assisted by the sacraments. Any response to that call that contradicts St. Paul and the entire tradition of the Church is obviously problematic, and not even a Pope can make it right.
It is not a matter of restricting the reception of Holy Communion to the perfect (or to the smug). We are all sinners. From time to time, we may be aware of grave sin, the “mortal sin” that excludes spiritual life, God’s grace, from our souls. We may have the misfortune to fall into a way of life that regularly involves such sins. We are not thereby excluded from anything permanently: we simply need to make ourselves ready for Holy Communion by sacramental Confession, and, if necessary, a conversion of life.
The confusion caused by Pope Francis’ words on this subject builds on a problem that has been developing for many years. As Pope John Paul II explained in 1980:
Sometimes, indeed quite frequently, everybody participating in the Eucharistic assembly goes to Communion; and on some such occasions, as experienced pastors confirm, there has not been due care to approach the sacrament of Penance so as to purify one’s conscience. (Dominicae Cenae 11)
Not only do people go up to Holy Communion without thinking about whether they are in a state of grace or not, but those who have thought about it and hesitate to go can feel humiliated by being left out.
Many of us have experienced an enforced fast from Holy Communion during the coronavirus epidemic. Let us resolve to return to it, when that is possible, with a greater sense of reverence, and with the spiritual preparation necessary to receive from it, not condemnation, but abundant graces.
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--2020-05-11--If trans healthcare bill passes, California will fund hormone therapy and gender assignment surgery

May 11 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) -- On May 18 , the California legislature will vote on AB 2218 , a bill that seeks to establish a $ 15 million government fund for “ gender-affirming healthcare services , such as hormone therapy or gender assignment surgery.
” The contents of this bill should concern everyone because the medical treatments covered under it are harmful to both minors and adults .
No one should want taxpayer dollars to be used for “ creating or funding existing programs focused on coordinating trans-inclusive health care , as defined , for people that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or intersex ” as the bill states .
The statistics stated in the bill itself raise red flags : “ One in five transgender adults in California have attempted suicide ” and “ transgender adults are significantly more likely to report having a disability due to a physical , mental , or emotional condition , 60 percent compared to 27 percent ” of non-transgender adults .
Are the statistics related to a lack of funding for transgender health care , or are the high number of suicide attempts and higher disability reports related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical treatments this bill seeks to fund ?
Consider these sobering facts presented by Drs .
Michelle Cretella , Quentin Van Meter and Paul McHugh of the American College of Pediatricians : • Puberty-blocking hormones “ induce a state of disease — the absence of puberty — and inhibit growth and fertility in a previously biologically healthy child.
” • “ According to the DSM-5 , as many as 98 percent of gender-confused boys and 88 percent of gender-confused girls eventually accept their biological sex after naturally passing through puberty.
” • Children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ will never be able to conceive any genetically related children even via artificial reproductive technology.
” • For both children and adults , cross-sex hormones ( testosterone and estrogen ) are associated with dangerous health risks including but not limited to cardiac disease , high blood pressure , blood clots , stroke , diabetes , and cancer .
Why would any taxpayer want to fund treatments that introduce disease into a child ’ s healthy body or that increase the risk of cardiac disease and other illnesses in healthy children and adults @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funds will be available only in partnership with “ trans-led organizations.
” No funds will be available to organizations that attempt to dissuade children and adults from undergoing these treatments , which can cause severe emotional , physical , and mental disabilities .
According to the bill , healthcare providers must “ partner ” with and “ consult ” a “ trans-led organization throughout the process of creating and implementing its trans-inclusive health care program.
” In other words , it seems the “ trans-led organization ” would have equal if not greater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for an individual — not the medical professionals .
How can that be wise ?
Act now to voice your objection to AB 2218 .
Write a brief letter and upload it into the California Assembly portal no later than Tuesday , May 12 , at 12 p.m. ( Pacific Time ) .
The harmful effects of puberty blockers to children should not be minimized or ignored .
Neither should the dangerous physical , mental , and emotional effects on both children and adults who take cross-sex hormones be discounted .
Let your @ @ @ @

May 11, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — On May 18, the California legislature will vote on AB 2218, a bill that seeks to establish a $15 million government fund for “gender-affirming healthcare services, such as hormone therapy or gender assignment surgery.”
The contents of this bill should concern everyone because the medical treatments covered under it are harmful to both minors and adults. No one should want taxpayer dollars to be used for “creating or funding existing programs focused on coordinating trans-inclusive health care, as defined, for people that identify as transgender, gender nonconforming, or intersex” as the bill states.
The statistics stated in the bill itself raise red flags: “One in five transgender adults in California have attempted suicide” and “transgender adults are significantly more likely to report having a disability due to a physical, mental, or emotional condition, 60 percent compared to 27 percent” of non-transgender adults.
Are the statistics related to a lack of funding for transgender health care, or are the high number of suicide attempts and higher disability reports related to the damage caused by undergoing the medical treatments this bill seeks to fund?
Consider these sobering facts presented by Drs. Michelle Cretella, Quentin Van Meter and Paul McHugh of the American College of Pediatricians:
Puberty-blocking hormones “induce a state of disease — the absence of puberty — and inhibit growth and fertility in a previously biologically healthy child.”
“According to the DSM-5, as many as 98 percent of gender-confused boys and 88 percent of gender-confused girls eventually accept their biological sex after naturally passing through puberty.”
Children who take puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones “will never be able to conceive any genetically related children even via artificial reproductive technology.”
For both children and adults, cross-sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen) are associated with dangerous health risks including but not limited to cardiac disease, high blood pressure, blood clots, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.
Why would any taxpayer want to fund treatments that introduce disease into a child’s healthy body or that increase the risk of cardiac disease and other illnesses in healthy children and adults?
This bill also states that the funds will be available only in partnership with “trans-led organizations.” No funds will be available to organizations that attempt to dissuade children and adults from undergoing these treatments, which can cause severe emotional, physical, and mental disabilities.
According to the bill, healthcare providers must “partner” with and “consult” a “trans-led organization throughout the process of creating and implementing its trans-inclusive health care program.” In other words, it seems the “trans-led organization” would have equal if not greater authority in determining what is medically best for an individual — not the medical professionals. How can that be wise?
Act now to voice your objection to AB 2218. Write a brief letter and upload it into the California Assembly portal no later than Tuesday, May 12, at 12 p.m. (Pacific Time). The harmful effects of puberty blockers to children should not be minimized or ignored. Neither should the dangerous physical, mental, and emotional effects on both children and adults who take cross-sex hormones be discounted.
Let your voice be heard.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-11--U.S. Democrats propose ominous ‘6666’ bill for coronavirus tracing

PETITION : Urge your governor to reject mandatory government surveillance post COVID-19 !
Sign the petition here .
May 11 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In a bizarre story that seems so much like a conspiracy theory that you need to check it out for yourself , House Democrats have proposed a measure to fund tracing of individuals believed to have been in contact with anyone who has tested positive for coronavirus and require them to quarantine .
What makes the story seem so far-fetched is that the bill number is H.R .
6666 .
No joke !
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intentional , the shortened title of the bill is , “ COVID–19 Testing , Reaching , And Contacting Everyone ( TRACE ) Act.
” H.R .
6666 was introduced May 1 , 2020 by 39 House Democrats , led by Illinois Representative Bobby Rush .
The bill authorizes the Health and Human Services department to give out $ 100 billion dollars for fiscal year 2020 alone “ to eligible entities to conduct diagnostic testing for COVID–19 , and related activities such as contact tracing , through mobile health units and , as necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for other purposes.
” The bill also seems to suggest an unlimited amount for 2021 and for as long as the Coronavirus looms .
In the words of H.R.6666 : “ sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2021 and any subsequent fiscal year during which the emergency period continues.
” And the funding is not for something only speculated about .
Ventura County California has already rolled out the program , announcing on May 4 , 2020 that they were launching a pilot “ community contact tracing program.
” The initial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since it seemed to indicate that county officials would be forcing people infected with COVID ( even if they had no symptoms ) out of their homes in certain cases .
Dr. Robert Levin , the director of Ventura County Public Health , said the county would be hiring large numbers of contact tracers and isolating every one of the people who test positive for COVID , and find every one of their contacts and make sure they were quarantined and check on them every day .
Dr. Levin also noted that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought on to be contact investigators .
Perhaps most controversially , Dr. Levin spoke of removing people from their homes .
His words : “ We also realize that as we find more contacts some of the people we find are going to have trouble being isolated for instance if they live in a home where there 's only one bathroom and there are three or four other people living there and those people do n't have COVID infection we 're not going to be able to keep the person in that home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for instance needs to have their own bathroom and so we 'll be moving people like this into other kinds of housing.
” To watch Dr. Levin ’ s full remarks , click here to see the full original video .
Dr. Levin ’ s comments caused a stir with some personalities who have been questioning the lockdown measures to sound alarm bells over possible state abduction of people from their homes .
Dr. Rashid Ali Buttar , an American osteopathic physician who has gained a major audience for his questioning of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combat Coronavirus , lambasted the proposals for removing people from their homes relating it directly also to H.R .
6666 .
“ We have no idea if people are going to be testing positive have false positives based upon those tests , ” he said .
“ So the point is that the chance of them testing someone and then being high and then being positive is pretty doggone high even if the person does n't have COVID 19 but they 're going to use that to pull you or your loved ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public safety.
” “ They 're going to say that your child has to be removed from you because you have COVID 19 and so to protect your child we 're going to take that child or we 're gon na take your grandmother or your father or you and put you into quarantine , ” he continued .
“ This is a load of rubbish because if you 're in your home isolated who are you going to expose alright ?
And if they 're gon na try to take you away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having infected your family even if you did really have COVID 19 it 's about 99.9 percent so this is a bunch of BS .
They 're using this as an attempt to further divide us as individuals it divided us from our friends from our social circles now they 're dividing us from our own family units.
” Following criticism , Ventura county health PR officials were telling media that the removal of infected persons from their homes is totally voluntary .
Ventura county ’ s Natalie Hernandez told Fox News last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forcibly removing people , ” adding that the county was offering a “ completely optional service.
” Dr. Levin himself apologized for creating confusion .
“ I either misspoke or it was misinterpreted – I ’ ll take the blame of having misspoke , ” Levin saidin a press conference reported by Fox News .
“ I gave people the impression that if you were isolated , you would be taken out of your home and put into a hotel room or a motel room or sequestered in some other way.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am very sorry , '' he said .
Despite the apologies and the claim of misspeaking , another Ventura county health official let slip the non-voluntary side of the program in another newscast .
Chris Ornelas , a contact tracing nurse in Ventura county , said that should someone refuse isolation a health officer would be consulted for “ next steps.
” “ If it ’ s someone that is refusing , we will definitely consult with our health officer to look into the next steps , ” he remarked .
I called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask what Ornelas meant by “ next steps ” but have not yet had a response .
As the program ramps up and gets more and more serious about contact tracing and quarantine confinement of those who may have been exposed to the infection , symptomatic or not , that ’ s where a perceived connection to the prophesied ‘ mark of the beast ’ known by the number 666 comes into play , which is precisely why the name of the Democrat bill to fund massive contact tracing being H.R.6666 is so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the contact tracing program in effect in China where all residents are required to have a mobile phone app that marks them as either green , yellow , or red .
Green enables them to enter public places such as stores , public transit and restaurants while yellow forbids them to enter public places and red means police enforced stay at home .
If you ’ re thinking something like this will never happen in the West , think again .
Just this month Alberta became the first Canadian province to launch a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the app is voluntary and as of Friday only had 120,000 or 3 percent of the province ’ s population of four million download the app .
The province is now pushing for more people to voluntarily download the app .
It only makes sense if they ’ re serious about contact tracing to insist on use of the app the way they are in China .
And it would also make sense to somehow ensure that people can ’ t leave their tracing devices at home when they leave the house , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And in case you ’ re wondering if such microchips has ever moved beyond the tracking of pets , one U.S. company rolled out micro-chipping of its employees already in 2018 .
Since then 11 states have banned companies from microchipping their employees .
Moreover , just a few months ago , Bill Gates ’ company Microsoft patented microchip technology for cryptocurrency , but that ’ s another story .
PETITION : No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus !
Sign the petition here .
To stay on top of the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subscribed to LifeSiteNews.com .
We 're doing more breaking news than ever before in our 23-year history .
The current reports relating to the governmental and international response to the coronavirus directly affect life , faith , family , and freedom .
But we need more reporters to stay on top of what ’ s happening .
As a reader-funded news organization , your support is the only thing that can ensure that we can continue bringing you these top stories that directly affect you and your family .
Discover how you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Frontlines and DOUBLE your impact today by visiting www.lifesitenews.com

PETITION: No to mandatory contact tracing and government surveillance for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
May 11, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – In a bizarre story that seems so much like a conspiracy theory that you need to check it out for yourself, House Democrats have proposed a measure to fund tracing of individuals believed to have been in contact with anyone who has tested positive for coronavirus and require them to quarantine. What makes the story seem so far-fetched is that the bill number is H.R. 6666. No joke!
In another strange twist that has to be intentional, the shortened title of the bill is, “COVID–19 Testing, Reaching, And Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act.” H.R. 6666 was introduced May 1, 2020 by 39 House Democrats, led by Illinois Representative Bobby Rush.
The bill authorizes the Health and Human Services department to give out $100 billion dollars for fiscal year 2020 alone “to eligible entities to conduct diagnostic testing for COVID–19, and related activities such as contact tracing, through mobile health units and, as necessary, at individuals’ residences, and for other purposes.”
The bill also seems to suggest an unlimited amount for 2021 and for as long as the Coronavirus looms. In the words of H.R.6666: “sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2021 and any subsequent fiscal year during which the emergency period continues.”
And the funding is not for something only speculated about. Ventura County California has already rolled out the program, announcing on May 4, 2020 that they were launching a pilot “community contact tracing program.”
The initial announcement on May 4 caused an uproar since it seemed to indicate that county officials would be forcing people infected with COVID (even if they had no symptoms) out of their homes in certain cases.
Dr. Robert Levin, the director of Ventura County Public Health, said the county would be hiring large numbers of contact tracers and isolating every one of the people who test positive for COVID, and find every one of their contacts and make sure they were quarantined and check on them every day. Dr. Levin also noted that the program would likely be nation-wide with thousands brought on to be contact investigators.
Perhaps most controversially, Dr. Levin spoke of removing people from their homes. His words: “We also realize that as we find more contacts some of the people we find are going to have trouble being isolated for instance if they live in a home where there's only one bathroom and there are three or four other people living there and those people don't have COVID infection we're not going to be able to keep the person in that home. Every person who we're isolating for instance needs to have their own bathroom and so we'll be moving people like this into other kinds of housing.”
To watch Dr. Levin’s full remarks, click here to see the full original video.
Dr. Levin’s comments caused a stir with some personalities who have been questioning the lockdown measures to sound alarm bells over possible state abduction of people from their homes.
Dr. Rashid Ali Buttar, an American osteopathic physician who has gained a major audience for his questioning of the lockdown and related measures being utilized to combat Coronavirus, lambasted the proposals for removing people from their homes relating it directly also to H.R. 6666.
“We have no idea if people are going to be testing positive have false positives based upon those tests,” he said. “So the point is that the chance of them testing someone and then being high and then being positive is pretty doggone high even if the person doesn't have COVID 19 but they're going to use that to pull you or your loved ones especially your children away under pretense of public safety.”
“They're going to say that your child has to be removed from you because you have COVID 19 and so to protect your child we're going to take that child or we're gonna take your grandmother or your father or you and put you into quarantine,” he continued. “This is a load of rubbish because if you're in your home isolated who are you going to expose alright? And if they're gonna try to take you away from your family the chances of you having infected your family even if you did really have COVID 19 it's about 99.9 percent so this is a bunch of BS. They're using this as an attempt to further divide us as individuals it divided us from our friends from our social circles now they're dividing us from our own family units.”
Following criticism, Ventura county health PR officials were telling media that the removal of infected persons from their homes is totally voluntary. Ventura county’s Natalie Hernandez told Fox News last week, “we’re not forcibly removing people,” adding that the county was offering a “completely optional service.”
Dr. Levin himself apologized for creating confusion. “I either misspoke or it was misinterpreted – I’ll take the blame of having misspoke,” Levin saidin a press conference reported by Fox News. “I gave people the impression that if you were isolated, you would be taken out of your home and put into a hotel room or a motel room or sequestered in some other way.”
“If I did do that, I am very sorry,” he said.
Despite the apologies and the claim of misspeaking, another Ventura county health official let slip the non-voluntary side of the program in another newscast. Chris Ornelas, a contact tracing nurse in Ventura county, said that should someone refuse isolation a health officer would be consulted for “next steps.”
“If it’s someone that is refusing, we will definitely consult with our health officer to look into the next steps,” he remarked.
I called the Ventura County health department Saturday to ask what Ornelas meant by “next steps” but have not yet had a response.
As the program ramps up and gets more and more serious about contact tracing and quarantine confinement of those who may have been exposed to the infection, symptomatic or not, that’s where a perceived connection to the prophesied ‘mark of the beast’ known by the number 666 comes into play, which is precisely why the name of the Democrat bill to fund massive contact tracing being H.R.6666 is so uncanny.
Last month CNN reported on the contact tracing program in effect in China where all residents are required to have a mobile phone app that marks them as either green, yellow, or red. Green enables them to enter public places such as stores, public transit and restaurants while yellow forbids them to enter public places and red means police enforced stay at home.
If you’re thinking something like this will never happen in the West, think again.
Just this month Alberta became the first Canadian province to launch a coronavirus contact tracing app. However, the app is voluntary and as of Friday only had 120,000 or 3 percent of the province’s population of four million download the app. The province is now pushing for more people to voluntarily download the app.
It only makes sense if they’re serious about contact tracing to insist on use of the app the way they are in China. And it would also make sense to somehow ensure that people can’t leave their tracing devices at home when they leave the house, hence the thoughts of implantable tracing microchips.
And in case you’re wondering if such microchips has ever moved beyond the tracking of pets, one U.S. company rolled out micro-chipping of its employees already in 2018. Since then 11 states have banned companies from microchipping their employees. Moreover, just a few months ago, Bill Gates’ company Microsoft patented microchip technology for cryptocurrency, but that’s another story.
PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
To stay on top of the latest news developments be sure you’re subscribed to LifeSiteNews.com. We're doing more breaking news than ever before in our 23-year history. The current reports relating to the governmental and international response to the coronavirus directly affect life, faith, family, and freedom. But we need more reporters to stay on top of what’s happening. As a reader-funded news organization, your support is the only thing that can ensure that we can continue bringing you these top stories that directly affect you and your family. Discover how you can join our growing army of supporters on the Frontlines and DOUBLE your impact today by visiting www.lifesitenews.com
Follow John-Henry John-Henry is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of LifeSiteNews.com. He and his wife Dianne and their eight children live in the Ottawa Valley in Ontario, Canada. He has spoken at conferences and retreats, and appeared on radio and television throughout North America, Europe and Asia. John-Henry founded the Rome Life Forum an annual strategy meeting for pro-life leaders worldwide. He co-founded Voice of the Family and serves on the executive of the Canadian National March for Life Committee, and the annual National Pro-Life Youth Conference. He is a consultant to Canada’s largest pro-life organization Campaign Life Coalition, and serves on the executive of the Ontario branch of the organization. He has run three times for political office in the province of Ontario representing the Family Coalition Party. John-Henry earned an MA from the University of Toronto in School and Child Clinical Psychology and an Honours BA from York University in Psychology.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-11--Canada’s Virtual National March for Life kicks off with a bang

OTTAWA , Ontario , May 11 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Campaign Life Coalition ’ s 22nd annual Canadian March for Life kicked off yesterday , this time with a virtual twist because of the ongoing coronavirus crisis .
At the first event , more than 3,100 tuned in to view a free screening of global pro-life advocate Obianuju Ekeocha ’ s documentary Strings Attached .
The Virtual National March for Life kick-off event last night saw such a high demand that for a brief time , the site , marchforlife.ca , crashed .
“ It ’ s great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also because of the crash and the 30 minutes it took to fix the issue , we lost a lot of viewers , ” said CLC vice-president Matt Wojciechowski to LifeSiteNews .
“ We decided to keep up the film over night for those who weren ’ t able to access it and for our friends on the west coast , and by the time we took the film offline this morning , we had more than 3100 viewers .
Amazing stuff.
” CLC became aware of the crash and were immediately on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CLC YouTube channel had the video feed and worked fine for the entire kick-off event .
CLC decided in April to hold this year ’ s March for Life virtually , as the coronavirus health restrictions on public gatherings made it impossible to hold the event as usual in Ottawa .
CLC will be uploading last night ’ s National March for Life Kick-Off program today ( without the film Strings Attached ) on the March for Life Canada ’ s YouTube channel .
Wojciechowski also noted that if you missed the free-screening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a small fee at stringsattachedfilm.com .
Ekeocha , who is the film 's executive producer , said via Twitter today that she was amazed at the film 's view rate .
“ Wow !
Over 3000 joined us for last night ’ s online screening of Strings Attached .
Thank you so much !
” said Ekeocha .
CLC is the largest leading national pro-life and pro-family political lobbying group in Canada .
The CLC virtual Canadian March for Life started yesterday and will continue until May 15 .
This year ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
” Despite being in a virtual format , the 2020 March for Life will replicate many of the March ’ s usual mainstays , such as the candlelight vigil , Masses and services taking place the morning of the event , as well as a rally before the March .
The “ virtual ” march will take place this Thursday on May 14 .
This day is chosen for the March as it is the same day 51 years ago in 1969 when abortion was legalized in Canada .
This was the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pierre Trudeau ( Justin Trudeau ’ s father ) , passed a heavily criticized Omnibus Bill , which amended the Criminal Code to allow abortions to be done in hospitals .
This law remained in effect until the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the 1969 law as unconstitutional in the 1988 Morgentaler decision .
The law was removed on a technicality , however .
The court ruled that it violated a woman ’ s Charter right to security of the person since the law could not be applied equally across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come up with replacement abortion legislation .
This effort failed when then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney ’ s draft law failed in a Senate tie vote .
Canada has since had no abortion law at all , and thus abortion is permitted up through all nine months of pregnancy .
Today is the second day of the 2020 Virtual National March for Life and will feature two pro-life movies , Crescendo and Sing a Little Louder .
Additionally , there will be a conversation with the pro-life activist , film producer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jason Jones .
Tuesday ’ s film is titled Fatal Flaws : Legalizing Assisted Death .
It will be followed by a conversation with Alex Schadenberg , who is the executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition .
All films will be streamed live at marchforlife.ca starting at 8:00 p.m. EST .
One can also tune into CLC ’ s YouTube channel to watch as well .
The pro-life Mass in memory of Fr .
Alphonse de Valk C.S.B at will take place on Wednesday at 6 p.m. EST , followed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which starts at 8:00 p.m. EST .

A film screening on the first night got so much interest that the website crashed.
OTTAWA, Ontario, May 11, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Campaign Life Coalition’s 23rd annual Canadian March for Life kicked off yesterday, this time with a virtual twist because of the ongoing coronavirus crisis. At the first event, more than 3,100 tuned in to view a free screening of global pro-life advocate Obianuju Ekeocha’s documentary Strings Attached.
The Virtual National March for Life kick-off event last night saw such a high demand that for a brief time, the site, marchforlife.ca, crashed.
“It’s great that so many people tuned in but also because of the crash and the 30 minutes it took to fix the issue, we lost a lot of viewers,” said CLC vice-president Matt Wojciechowski to LifeSiteNews.
“We decided to keep up the film overnight for those who weren’t able to access it and for our friends on the west coast, and by the time we took the film offline this morning, we had more than 3100 viewers. Amazing stuff.”
CLC became aware of the crash and were immediately on a fix, said Wojciechowski.
The CLC YouTube channel had the video feed and worked fine for the entire kick-off event.
CLC decided in April to hold this year’s March for Life virtually, as the coronavirus health restrictions on public gatherings made it impossible to hold the event as usual in Ottawa.
CLC will be uploading last night’s National March for Life Kick-Off program today (without the film Strings Attached) on the March for Life Canada’s YouTube channel.
Wojciechowski also noted that if you missed the free-screening, the film can be viewed for a small fee at stringsattachedfilm.com.
Ekeocha, who is the film's executive producer, said via Twitter today that she was amazed at the film's view rate.
“Wow! Over 3000 joined us for last night’s online screening of Strings Attached. Thank you so much!” said Ekeocha.
CLC is the largest leading national pro-life and pro-family political lobbying group in Canada. The CLC virtual Canadian March for Life started yesterday and will continue until May 15. This year’s theme is “Be not afraid Canada!”
Despite being in a virtual format, the 2020 March for Life will replicate many of the March’s usual mainstays, such as the candlelight vigil, Masses and services taking place the morning of the event, as well as a rally before the March.
The “virtual” march will take place this Thursday on May 14. This day is chosen for the March as it is the same day 51 years ago in 1969 when abortion was legalized in Canada. This was the day when then Prime Minister of Canada Pierre Trudeau (Justin Trudeau’s father), passed a heavily criticized Omnibus Bill, which amended the Criminal Code to allow abortions to be done in hospitals.
This law remained in effect until the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the 1969 law as unconstitutional in the 1988 Morgentaler decision. The law was removed on a technicality, however. The court ruled that it violated a woman’s Charter right to security of the person since the law could not be applied equally across the country.
The court encouraged the Canadian Parliament to come up with replacement abortion legislation. This effort failed when then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney’s draft law failed in a Senate tie vote. Canada has since had no abortion law at all, and thus abortion is permitted up through all nine months of pregnancy.
Today is the second day of the 2020 Virtual National March for Life and will feature two pro-life movies, Crescendo and Sing a Little Louder. Additionally, there will be a conversation with the pro-life activist, film producer, and founder of Movie to Movement, Jason Jones.
Tuesday’s film is titled Fatal Flaws: Legalizing Assisted Death. It will be followed by a conversation with Alex Schadenberg, who is the executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.
All films will be streamed live at marchforlife.ca starting at 8:00 p.m. EST. One can also tune into CLC’s YouTube channel to watch as well.
The pro-life Mass in memory of Fr. Alphonse de Valk C.S.B at will take place on Wednesday at 6 p.m. EST, followed by the virtual Candlelight Vigil for victims of abortion which starts at 8:00 p.m. EST.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-11--Lawyers can’t call male athletes ‘males,’ judge rules in transgender track case

May 11 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Attorneys representing a trio of Connecticut high-school girls athletes are calling for the replacement of the judge overseeing the case after he tipped his hand by forbidding them from referring to biologically-male athletes as “ male.
” The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference ’ s ( CIAC ’ s ) official handbook says the conference “ shall defer to the determination of the student and his or her local school regarding gender identification , ” without any conditions pertaining to physical transitions or testosterone levels , on the grounds that it “ would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a student from participation on a gender specific sports team that is consistent with the public gender identity of that student for all other purposes.
” Thanks to the CIAC policy , biologically male competitors have consistently outperformed actual females , according to a complaint filed by Alliance Defending Freedom ( ADF ) on behalf of runners Selina Soule , Alana Smith , and Chelsea Mitchell .
This in turn deprives girls not only of opportunities to advance in competition but of recognition that impacts their academic future via lost college recruitment consideration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ District Judge Robert Chatigny lectured ADF ’ s attorneys not to refer to the girls ’ transgender competitors – who are , in fact , male – as “ males , ” National Review reported .
Chatigny claimed the terminology “ transgender females ” was “ consistent with science , common practice and perhaps human decency ” without conceding any of ADF ’ s “ legitimate interest or position , ” and that “ males ” was “ needlessly provocative.
” “ This isn ’ t a case involving males who have decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ events , ” the judge went on .
“ This is a case about girls who say that transgender girls should not be allowed to run in girls ’ events .
So going forward , we will not refer to the proposed intervenors as ‘ males ’ ; understood ?
” “ The entire focus of the case is the fact that the CIAC policy allows individuals who are physiologically , genetically male to compete in girls ’ athletics , ” lead ADF attorney Roger Brooks responded , noting that ADF was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ names , ” but the fact remained that the “ point of this case is physiology of bodies driven by chromosomes and the documented athletic advantage that comes from a male body , male hormones , and male puberty in particular.
” “ So if you feel strongly that you and your clients have a right to refer to these individuals as ‘ males ’ and that you therefore do not want to comply with my order , then that ’ s unfortunate , ” Chatigny replied .
“ But I ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it and you can let me know if it ’ s a problem .
If it is , gosh , maybe we ’ ll need to do something .
I don ’ t want to bully you , but at the same time , I don ’ t want you to be bullying anybody else .
Maybe you might need to take an application to the Court of Appeals .
I don ’ t know .
But I certainly don ’ t want to put civility at risk in this case.
” On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Chatigny recuse himself from the case .
“ A disinterested observer would reasonably believe that the Court ’ s order and comments have destroyed the appearance of impartiality in this proceeding .
That requires recusal , ” the motion argues .
“ To be sure , the public debate over gender identity and sports is a heated and emotional one .
This only increases the urgency that court preserve their role as the singular place in society where all can be heard and present facts before an impartial tribunal.
” LGBT activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Transgender Equality ( NCTE ) have assailed the suit as a “ desperate attempt ” to “ strip transgender students of the rights every student deserves and policies that provide them the same opportunities as every other student.
” But science backs up the plaintiffs ’ concerns .
Last June , the Journal of Medical Ethics published a paper by researchers in New Zealand finding that “ healthy young men ( do ) not lose significant muscle mass ( or power ) when their circulating testosterone levels were reduced to ( below International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” and “ indirect effects of testosterone ” on factors such as bone structure , lung volume , and heart size “ will not be altered by hormone therapy ” ; therefore “ the advantage to transwomen ( men ) afforded by the ( International Olympic Committee ) guidelines is an intolerable unfairness.
” LifeSiteNews is currently running a petition in support of ADF ’ s complaint , which has so far collected more than 186,000 signatures .

May 11, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Attorneys representing a trio of Connecticut high-school girls athletes are calling for the replacement of the judge overseeing the case after he tipped his hand by forbidding them from referring to biologically-male athletes as “male.”
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference’s (CIAC’s) official handbook says the conference “shall defer to the determination of the student and his or her local school regarding gender identification,” without any conditions pertaining to physical transitions or testosterone levels, on the grounds that it “would be fundamentally unjust” to “preclude a student from participation on a gender specific sports team that is consistent with the public gender identity of that student for all other purposes.”
Thanks to the CIAC policy, biologically male competitors have consistently outperformed actual females, according to a complaint filed by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) on behalf of runners Selina Soule, Alana Smith, and Chelsea Mitchell. This in turn deprives girls not only of opportunities to advance in competition but of recognition that impacts their academic future via lost college recruitment consideration and scholarship opportunities.
Last month, District Judge Robert Chatigny lectured ADF’s attorneys not to refer to the girls’ transgender competitors – who are, in fact, male – as “males,” National Review reported.
Chatigny claimed the terminology “transgender females” was “consistent with science, common practice and perhaps human decency” without conceding any of ADF’s “legitimate interest or position,” and that “males” was “needlessly provocative.”
“This isn’t a case involving males who have decided that they want to run in girls’ events,” the judge went on. “This is a case about girls who say that transgender girls should not be allowed to run in girls’ events. So going forward, we will not refer to the proposed intervenors as ‘males’; understood?”
“The entire focus of the case is the fact that the CIAC policy allows individuals who are physiologically, genetically male to compete in girls’ athletics,” lead ADF attorney Roger Brooks responded, noting that ADF was already “happy to use their preferred names,” but the fact remained that the “point of this case is physiology of bodies driven by chromosomes and the documented athletic advantage that comes from a male body, male hormones, and male puberty in particular.”
“So if you feel strongly that you and your clients have a right to refer to these individuals as ‘males’ and that you therefore do not want to comply with my order, then that’s unfortunate,” Chatigny replied. “But I’ll give you some time to think about it and you can let me know if it’s a problem. If it is, gosh, maybe we’ll need to do something. I don’t want to bully you, but at the same time, I don’t want you to be bullying anybody else. Maybe you might need to take an application to the Court of Appeals. I don’t know. But I certainly don’t want to put civility at risk in this case.”
On Saturday, ADF filed a motion requesting that Chatigny recuse himself from the case.
“A disinterested observer would reasonably believe that the Court’s order and comments have destroyed the appearance of impartiality in this proceeding. That requires recusal,” the motion argues. “To be sure, the public debate over gender identity and sports is a heated and emotional one. This only increases the urgency that court preserve their role as the singular place in society where all can be heard and present facts before an impartial tribunal.”
Outrageous that judge would insist that attorneys for plaintiffs challenging males in girls' races refer to the males as females. Rather like a judge in an abortion case insisting that those defending an abortion restriction refer to the unborn human being as a blob of tissue. https://t.co/czzHuA3v82 — Ed Whelan (@EdWhelanEPPC) May 11, 2020
Males who identify as women do not become females, despite what this judge and “science” may say. But the power to define reality is real, and the judge is trying to exercise it. The lawyers at @AllianceDefends are right to exercise it as well https://t.co/HMghPzSaGL — Ryan T. Anderson (@RyanTAnd) May 11, 2020
LGBT activist groups such as the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) have assailed the suit as a “desperate attempt” to “strip transgender students of the rights every student deserves and policies that provide them the same opportunities as every other student.” But science backs up the plaintiffs’ concerns.
Last June, the Journal of Medical Ethics published a paper by researchers in New Zealand finding that “healthy young men (do) not lose significant muscle mass (or power) when their circulating testosterone levels were reduced to (below International Olympic Committee guidelines) for 20 weeks,” and “indirect effects of testosterone” on factors such as bone structure, lung volume, and heart size “will not be altered by hormone therapy”; therefore “the advantage to transwomen (men) afforded by the (International Olympic Committee) guidelines is an intolerable unfairness.”
LifeSiteNews is currently running a petition in support of ADF’s complaint, which has so far collected more than 186,000 signatures.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-11--Cardinal Müller defends global appeal decrying loss of basic freedoms over coronavirus

ROME , May 11 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – German Cardinal Gerhard Müller has defended signing the appeal “ for the Church and the world ” warning that the COVID-19 pandemic is being used as a “ pretext ” by world leaders to “ control ” people and strip them of their fundamental rights , providing a “ disturbing prelude to the realization of a world government beyond all control.
” Müller said , “ Of course , interested circles within the Church have used this Viganò text in order to use it to make indignant capital against their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò , and signed , among others , by Cardinal Joseph Zen , former bishop of Hong Kong , and Cardinal Janis Pujats , former archbishop of Riga , Latvia .
Cardinal Robert Sarah , Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments , withdrew his signature early on .
The only prelates from North America to sign the appeal were Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler , Texas , and Bishop René Henry Gracida , former head of the diocese of Corpus Christi , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , told Catholic newspaper Die Tagespost that at this point , people “ call everybody who thinks differently a conspiracy theorist.
” One example he mentioned sarcastically was that of “ dark conservative forces ” who “ thwarted the Pope at the Amazon Synod.
” The President of the German Bishops ’ Conference , Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg , had said that his organization “ does in principle not comment on appeals by individual bishops outside Germany.
” PETITION : No to mandatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ petition here .
Nevertheless , he commented that “ the assessment of the coronavirus pandemic by the German Bishops ’ Conference is fundamentally different from the appeal published yesterday.
” Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer , who succeeded Müller as bishop of Regensburg , only said he was “ adopting as his own ” the statement by Bätzing .
Bishop Gebhard Fürst tweeted , “ As bishop of the [ diocese of Rottenburg Stuttgard ] I strongly dissociate myself from the dangerous theories of the group around Archbishop Viganò .
Whoever reinterprets the efforts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ coronavirus ] into a dubious world conspiracy is playing with fire !
” Msgr .
Klaus Pfeffer , Vicar General of the diocese of Essen , which is headed by liberal Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck , declared he was “ simply stunned by what is being spread in the name of the Church and Christianity.
” He called the appeal by Archbishop Viganò a document of “ crude conspiracy theories without facts or proof , coupled with right-wing populist rhetoric that sounds frightening.
” According to Pfeffer , the appeal “ must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which stir up fears , pursue black and white thinking , draw evil enemy images , and poison the coexistence in our societies , have nothing to do with Jesus Christ , to whom the signatories refer.
” Pfeffer did not address , cast doubt on , or disprove any of the concerns brought forward by Cardinal Müller and the other signatories .
Müller accused his critics of presenting the appeal as a text that claimed the pandemic was an invention “ in order to cause a panic ” – an insinuation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I , as a cardinal , was somehow seen as the most prominent person of this text , the perception was focused on me , ” Müller said .
The cardinal explained he had done nothing more than generally agree with the text as a call for handling carefully the journalistic and political side effects the coronavirus pandemic could have in some non-democratic countries .
He said he had not considered the text as a scientific analysis .
At the same time , the fact that he was the only German prelate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks in German media , as well .
“ It is wrong to always polarize everything , ” he continued .
“ Those who know better can use objective arguments to calmly and serenely correct real or alleged errors .
What is important for us is the connection of faith and reason for coping with the consequences in bodily , social and spiritual regard.
” RELATED : Three cardinals join global appeal decrying crackdown on basic freedoms over coronavirus

The cardinal decried critics who are lumping the signatories in with ‘conspiracy theorists.’
ROME, May 11, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – German Cardinal Gerhard Müller has defended signing the appeal “for the Church and the world” warning that the COVID-19 pandemic is being used as a “pretext” by world leaders to “control” people and strip them of their fundamental rights, providing a “disturbing prelude to the realization of a world government beyond all control.”
Müller said, “Of course, interested circles within the Church have used this Viganò text in order to use it to make indignant capital against their supposed opponents.”
The appeal was initiated by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, and signed, among others, by Cardinal Joseph Zen, former bishop of Hong Kong, and Cardinal Janis Pujats, former archbishop of Riga, Latvia.
Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, withdrew his signature early on. The only prelates from North America to sign the appeal were Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, and Bishop René Henry Gracida, former head of the diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas.
Müller, the former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, told Catholic newspaper Die Tagespost that at this point, people “call everybody who thinks differently a conspiracy theorist.” One example he mentioned sarcastically was that of “dark conservative forces” who “thwarted the Pope at the Amazon Synod.”
The President of the German Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, had said that his organization “does in principle not comment on appeals by individual bishops outside Germany.”
PETITION: No to mandatory vaccination for the coronavirus! Sign the petition here.
Nevertheless, he commented that “the assessment of the coronavirus pandemic by the German Bishops’ Conference is fundamentally different from the appeal published yesterday.”
Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer, who succeeded Müller as bishop of Regensburg, only said he was “adopting as his own” the statement by Bätzing.
Bishop Gebhard Fürst tweeted, “As bishop of the [diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart] I strongly dissociate myself from the dangerous theories of the group around Archbishop Viganò. Whoever reinterprets the efforts of politics to protect human life from the [coronavirus] into a dubious world conspiracy is playing with fire!”
Msgr. Klaus Pfeffer, Vicar General of the diocese of Essen, which is headed by liberal Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck, declared he was “simply stunned by what is being spread in the name of the Church and Christianity.”
He called the appeal by Archbishop Viganò a document of “crude conspiracy theories without facts or proof, coupled with right-wing populist rhetoric that sounds frightening.”
According to Pfeffer, the appeal “must be contradicted!”
“Such confused theses, which stir up fears, pursue black and white thinking, draw evil enemy images, and poison the coexistence in our societies, have nothing to do with Jesus Christ, to whom the signatories refer.”
Pfeffer did not address, cast doubt on, or disprove any of the concerns brought forward by Cardinal Müller and the other signatories.
Müller accused his critics of presenting the appeal as a text that claimed the pandemic was an invention “in order to cause a panic” – an insinuation he called “absurd.”
“Because I, as a cardinal, was somehow seen as the most prominent person of this text, the perception was focused on me,” Müller said.
The cardinal explained he had done nothing more than generally agree with the text as a call for handling carefully the journalistic and political side effects the coronavirus pandemic could have in some non-democratic countries. He said he had not considered the text as a scientific analysis.
At the same time, the fact that he was the only German prelate to sign the document certainly contributed to the attacks in German media, as well.
“It is wrong to always polarize everything,” he continued. “Those who know better can use objective arguments to calmly and serenely correct real or alleged errors. What is important for us is the connection of faith and reason for coping with the consequences in bodily, social and spiritual regard.”
RELATED: Three cardinals join global appeal decrying crackdown on basic freedoms over coronavirus
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lifesitenews--2020-05-11--US bishop says he’ll ban faithful from Mass if they ‘make scene’ to receive Communion on tongue

KNOXVILLE , Tennessee , May 11 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville , Tennessee , has confirmed in a tweet that the priests of his diocese “ will not give Communion on the tongue as per my instruction.
” Taking it further , he says that if the person wanting to receive Holy Communion on the tongue “ makes a scene , ” then “ they will be asked to leave and not permitted to return [ until ] this passes.
” In his May 6 decree on the resumption of public Masses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) ” procedure for distributing and receiving Holy Communion .
“ Once you leave your pew/chair you will proceed single file ( maintaining 6 feet apart ) to the distribution point , ” Stika wrote .
“ Immediately before you reach the distribution point you will remove your protective face mask placing it in your pocket and sanitize your hands with 70 % alcohol-based sanitizing gel/solution ( which will be on a small table directly in front of the distribution point ) .
” “ Standing on the floor-marked X ( or kneeling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communion rail ) , you will extend your arms and hands toward the priest/deacon with the palm of your non-writing hand facing up and completely flat supported by your writing hand , ” he continued .
Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world : Feed your flock .
Sign the petition here .
The priest , in turn , is to wear “ a protective face mask and safety glasses.
” Stika added a diagram illustrating the reception of the Eucharist according to coronavirus rules in the diocese of Knoxville .
Stika @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a user sent him an article on the guidelines prepared by the Thomistic Institute , which is part of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington , D.C. , and recommended by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops .
According to those guidelines , receiving Holy Communion directly on the tongue is possible “ without unreasonable risk.
” “ Opinions on this point are varied within the medical and scientific community : some believe Communion on the tongue involves an elevated and , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unreasonable risk ; others disagree , ” the document pointed out .
“ If Communion on the tongue is provided , one could consider using hand sanitizer after each communicant who receives on the tongue.
” The guidelines specifically referred to Redemptionis Sacramentum , an Instruction published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in 2004 .
According to the document , “ each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue.
” The article sent to Stika , published by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US Bishops Approve Communion on the Tongue.
” Stika responded , “ Actually , the bishops did not .
A group made some recommends , actually three for the reception of the Eucharist .
But bishops must follow their own conscience .
The headline is a distortion of the reality of what a committee stated.
” “ You are dispensed from Mass or you may attend Mass and not receive the Eucharist , ” he wrote .
“ You have two options .
You have not option to possibility [ sic ] spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenging times and my ministry is not to keep everyone happy but to do what I judge to be right .
If I would do anything else , I would be violating my own conscience and the advice I seek from others , ” Stika concluded .
The bishop of Knoxville was subsequently attacked on Twitter for his decision not to allow the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue , as well as not permitting Catholics who insist on that manner of receiving the Eucharist to come back to Mass before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to make decisions based on my conscious [ sic ] and protecting my flock , ” he said .
“ I prefer to side with caution .
I make no decision arbitrarily , but seek advice and then bring it to prayer .
”

'If the person makes a scene, they will be asked to leave and not permitted to return [until] this passes.'
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, May 11, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, Tennessee, has confirmed in a tweet that the priests of his diocese “will not give Communion on the tongue as per my instruction.” Taking it further, he says that if the person wanting to receive Holy Communion on the tongue “makes a scene,” then “they will be asked to leave and not permitted to return [until] this passes.”
Yes. They will not give Communion on the tongue as per my instruction. And if the person makes a scene, they will be asked to leave and not permitted to return unlike this passes. Reception of the Eucharist is NOT to be used as a statement of personal piety. Protection of others — Bishop Rick Stika (@BishopStika) May 8, 2020
In his May 6 decree on the resumption of public Masses, Stika described the “mandatory (non-negotiable)” procedure for distributing and receiving Holy Communion.
“Once you leave your pew/chair you will proceed single file (maintaining 6 feet apart) to the distribution point,” Stika wrote. “Immediately before you reach the distribution point you will remove your protective face mask placing it in your pocket and sanitize your hands with 70% alcohol-based sanitizing gel/solution (which will be on a small table directly in front of the distribution point).”
“Standing on the floor-marked X (or kneeling at the 6-foot marked locations along the communion rail), you will extend your arms and hands toward the priest/deacon with the palm of your non-writing hand facing up and completely flat supported by your writing hand,” he continued.
Urgent appeal to the bishops of the world: Feed your flock. Sign the petition here.
The priest, in turn, is to wear “a protective face mask and safety glasses.”
Stika added a diagram illustrating the reception of the Eucharist according to coronavirus rules in the diocese of Knoxville.
Stika’s comments on Twitter came after a user sent him an article on the guidelines prepared by the Thomistic Institute, which is part of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., and recommended by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
According to those guidelines, receiving Holy Communion directly on the tongue is possible “without unreasonable risk.”
“Opinions on this point are varied within the medical and scientific community: some believe Communion on the tongue involves an elevated and, in the light of all the circumstances, an unreasonable risk; others disagree,” the document pointed out. “If Communion on the tongue is provided, one could consider using hand sanitizer after each communicant who receives on the tongue.”
The guidelines specifically referred to Redemptionis Sacramentum, an Instruction published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in 2004. According to the document, “each of the faithful always has the right to receive Holy Communion on the tongue.”
The article sent to Stika, published by Church Militant, was titled, “US Bishops Approve Communion on the Tongue.”
Stika responded, “Actually, the bishops did not. A group made some recommends, actually three for the reception of the Eucharist. But bishops must follow their own conscience. The headline is a distortion of the reality of what a committee stated.”
“You are dispensed from Mass or you may attend Mass and not receive the Eucharist,” he wrote. “You have two options. You have not option to possibility [sic] spread the infection.”
“These are very challenging times and my ministry is not to keep everyone happy but to do what I judge to be right. If I would do anything else, I would be violating my own conscience and the advice I seek from others,” Stika concluded.
The bishop of Knoxville was subsequently attacked on Twitter for his decision not to allow the reception of Holy Communion on the tongue, as well as not permitting Catholics who insist on that manner of receiving the Eucharist to come back to Mass before the coronavirus pandemic is over.
“I have to make decisions based on my conscious [sic] and protecting my flock,” he said. “I prefer to side with caution. I make no decision arbitrarily, but seek advice and then bring it to prayer.”
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