lifesitenews--2020-05-04--The China Virus was engineered in the Wuhan lab

May 4 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Dr. Shi Zhengli , known as China ’ s batwoman , was in the business of creating new and deadly coronaviruses .
Some of her work she published in scholarly journals , such as her 2008 article in the Journal of Virology .
There she described how she and her team were taking harmless coronaviruses from horseshoe bats and then genetically engineering them to be able to infect human beings just like the original SARS virus does .
But some of her research in her lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had isolated the bat coronavirus now known as RaTG-13 and was using it for Gain-of-Function research .
The results of this research were not published , although Communist leaders , like Maj. Gen. Chen Wei , were undoubtedly briefed on it .
We may never know how many times , or how many ways , she tried to “ enhance ” it to make it even more infectious and deadly than it was in its natural state .
But , at the end of the day , she managed to create , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Using her secret bat coronavirus as the “ backbone , ” she had inserted a receptor binding domain ( RBD ) from another coronavirus to make it more infectious .
It was another Chinese virologist , Dr. Yong-Zhen Zhang , who first pointed out that this RBD was an exact genetic match with the RBD from another known Pangolin ( anteater ) coronavirus .
( The Chinese government has since imposed strict controls on what can be published . )
The scientific name of the resulting chimera coronavirus is SARS-CoV-2 , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China Virus .
The worst fear of many scientists , that Gain-of-Function research would create a “ Pathogen of Pandemic Potential , ” or PPP , had been realized .
But because Dr. Shi had kept her reckless lab experiments secret , the world had no idea that such a dangerous man-made virus even existed .
A virus as infectious as SARS-CoV-2 would have required the strict adherence to the rigorous safety protocols of a BSL-4 “ high containment ” lab to stay contained .
But so lax was the training and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Health Organization ( ! )
refused to grant it certification .
The lab was an accident waiting to happen .
Sometime in the fall of 2019 , it did .
A lab worker became infected , either from handling an infected animal or from handling the coronavirus isolate directly .
From there the China Virus spread like wildfire through the densely populated city of Wuhan .
By late December 2019 , the Wuhan Institute of Virology was growing desperate to cover up its complicity .
They had never divulged the genome of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Center for Biotechnology Information ( NCBI ) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health , the customary repository for such information .
What if it were traced back to their lab ?
What were they to do ?
They finally decided they had no choice but to register their virus with the NCBI under the name of RaTG-13 , but to add a few intentional mis-codings .
That way they could plausibly deny that their virus was the “ backbone ” of the SARS-CoV-2 virus .
The registration took place on January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had first isolated it .
By then the epidemic in China had been spread to the rest of the world .
By now the original samples of RaTG-13 , along with the original research records , have been destroyed .
Dr. Shi Zhengli has assured the world that she has carefully checked all of the genomic sequences in her lab and not a single one of them matched the new SARS-CoV-2 .
She insists that her lab had nothing to do with the origins of the coronavirus pandemic .
The truth is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything to do with it .
So did the Chinese Communist Party , which was undoubtedly directing and funding Dr. Shi ’ s research the entire time , and is now desperate to cover up its culpability from an angry world .

Not only was the pandemic 'Made in China,' the coronavirus was too. Here’s how.
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May 4, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Dr. Shi Zhengli, known as China’s batwoman, was in the business of creating new and deadly coronaviruses.
Some of her work she published in scholarly journals, such as her 2008 article in the Journal of Virology. There she described how she and her team were taking harmless coronaviruses from horseshoe bats and then genetically engineering them to be able to infect human beings just like the original SARS virus does.
But some of her research in her lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology she kept secret.
By 2013 she had isolated the bat coronavirus now known as RaTG-13 and was using it for Gain-of-Function research. The results of this research were not published, although Communist leaders, like Maj. Gen. Chen Wei, were undoubtedly briefed on it. We may never know how many times, or how many ways, she tried to “enhance” it to make it even more infectious and deadly than it was in its natural state. But, at the end of the day, she managed to create, in her lab, a dangerously infectious pathogen.
Using her secret bat coronavirus as the “backbone,” she had inserted a receptor binding domain (RBD) from another coronavirus to make it more infectious. It was another Chinese virologist, Dr. Yong-Zhen Zhang, who first pointed out that this RBD was an exact genetic match with the RBD from another known Pangolin (anteater) coronavirus. (The Chinese government has since imposed strict controls on what can be published.)
The scientific name of the resulting chimera coronavirus is SARS-CoV-2, but it is known to the world—correctly–as the China Virus.
The worst fear of many scientists, that Gain-of-Function research would create a “Pathogen of Pandemic Potential,” or PPP, had been realized. But because Dr. Shi had kept her reckless lab experiments secret, the world had no idea that such a dangerous man-made virus even existed.
A virus as infectious as SARS-CoV-2 would have required the strict adherence to the rigorous safety protocols of a BSL-4 “high containment” lab to stay contained. But so lax was the training and the practices of the WIV that even the World Health Organization (!) refused to grant it certification. The lab was an accident waiting to happen. Sometime in the fall of 2019, it did. A lab worker became infected, either from handling an infected animal or from handling the coronavirus isolate directly.
From there the China Virus spread like wildfire through the densely populated city of Wuhan. By late December 2019, the Wuhan Institute of Virology was growing desperate to cover up its complicity. They had never divulged the genome of the original 2013 bat coronavirus to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the customary repository for such information. What if it were traced back to their lab? What were they to do?
They finally decided they had no choice but to register their virus with the NCBI under the name of RaTG-13, but to add a few intentional mis-codings. That way they could plausibly deny that their virus was the “backbone” of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The registration took place on January 27, 2020, seven years after they had first isolated it. By then the epidemic in China had been spread to the rest of the world.
By now the original samples of RaTG-13, along with the original research records, have been destroyed. Dr. Shi Zhengli has assured the world that she has carefully checked all of the genomic sequences in her lab and not a single one of them matched the new SARS-CoV-2. She insists that her lab had nothing to do with the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
The truth is that the Wuhan Institute of Virology had everything to do with it.
So did the Chinese Communist Party, which was undoubtedly directing and funding Dr. Shi’s research the entire time, and is now desperate to cover up its culpability from an angry world.
Steven W. Mosher (@StevenWMosher) is the President of the Population Research Institute and the author of Bully of Asia: Why China’s Dream is the New Threat to World Order.
Follow Steven Steven Mosher is an internationally recognised authority on China and population issues as well as an acclaimed author and speaker and founder and head of the Population Research Institute. He was the first American social scientist to visit mainland China in 1979 where he witnessed women being forced to have abortion under the new “one-child-policy” which he then exposed to the world. Mr. Mosher was a pro-choice atheist at the time, but witnessing these traumatic abortions led him to reconsider his convictions and to eventually become a practicing, pro-life Roman Catholic. Mosher has appeared numerous times before the US Congress as an expert in world population, China and human Rights abuses. He has also made TV appearances on Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, The Today Show, 20/20, FOX and CNN news, as well as being a regular guest on talk radio shows across the nation. He is the author of the best-selling A Mother’s Ordeal: One woman’s Fight Against China’s One-Child-Policy. His latest book is Bully of Asia, exposing the threat of China to the entire world at this time. Articles by Steve have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, The New Republic, The Washington Post, National Review, Reason, The Asian Wall Street Journal, Freedom Review, Linacre Quarterly, Catholic World Report, Human Life Review, First Things, and numerous other publications. Steven Mosher lives in Virginia with his wife, Vera, and their nine children.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-04--Pope distorts basic Christian teaching in homily

May 4 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In his homily at Mass on May 4 , 2020 , Pope Francis , starting from the consoling truth that Christ died for all men , somehow reached a doubly false conclusion : that we are not to convert unbelievers and that His death “ justifies ” everyone : There are some rather basic problems with these off-the-cuff statements , which do not appear in the Vatican ’ s official transcript .
First , it seems that the Pope has confused redemption with justification .
Redemption is Christ ’ s paying of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Father .
This He accomplishes in His bloody sacrifice on the Cross , which is the one and only acceptable sacrifice of atonement .
This objective redemption must be applied to the soul of each human being : this is what we call the subjective redemption , that is , the sharing of individuals in Christ ’ s redemption through faith and the sacraments .
In other words , the fact that Christ has given to the Father all that humanity owes Him does not automatically cancel out the debt each individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal sins .
The individual must freely enter into the death and resurrection of Christ to be fully redeemed .
Justification , also known as regeneration , describes the application of the fruits of Christ ’ s Passion to individual men by the power of the Holy Spirit .
That is why we can truly say that Christ died for all , but not all will be saved , not all will be justified—only those who are united to Christ in faith , hope , and charity .
This , moreover , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary .
As St. Paul teaches : “ Every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
” But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed ?
And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard ?
And how are they to hear without a preacher ?
And how can men preach unless they are sent ?
As it is written , “ How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news !
” But they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Isaiah says , “ Lord , who has believed what he has heard from us ?
” So faith comes from what is heard , and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ .
( Rom 10:13–17 ) In other words , we must call on the Lord ’ s name to be saved , we must believe the Gospel .
For St. Paul , who was the greatest missionary in the history of the Church and who tirelessly sought the conversion of every Jew and Gentile with whom he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to salvation is hearing the Gospel and assenting to it—which means not just saying that one assents to it , but endeavoring to live in accordance with the teaching of Christ .
The most authoritative exposition of the Catholic teaching on justification is the one given in the Sixth Session of the Council of Trent , by far the most ample and detailed teaching of the Magisterium on the question , prompted by heretical distortions prevalent in the sixteenth century .
Chapter 1 reaffirms that in Adam all have sinned ; all are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; all are in the power of sin , the devil , and death .
Chapter 2 states that Christ came precisely to rescue us from this abject slavery .
Chapters 3 and 4 then speak directly contrary to the preaching of Pope Francis : But though “ He died for all ” ( 2 Cor 5:15 ) , yet all do not receive the benefit of His death , but those only to whom the merit of His Passion is communicated , because…if they were not born again in Christ , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that new birth there is bestowed upon them , through the merit of His Passion , the grace by which they are made just… .
This translation [ from wrath to adoptive sonship ] can not , since the promulgation of the Gospel , be effected except through the laver of regeneration [ baptism ] or the desire for it , as it is written : “ Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost , he can not enter into the kingdom of God ” ( Jn 3:5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to say in Chapter 6 that adults are prepared for justification by hearing the preaching of the Gospel and responding with repentance and a desire for baptism .
Chapter 7 furnishes a clear definition : This same chapter teaches what the causes of justification are : • the final cause ( purpose ) is “ the glory of God and of Christ and life everlasting ” ; • the efficient cause ( origin of action ) is “ the merciful God who washes and sanctifies ” ; • the meritorious cause is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lord Jesus Christ , who , ‘ when we were enemies , for the exceeding charity wherewith he loved us ’ ( Eph 2:4 ) , merited for us justification by His most holy Passion on the wood of the Cross and made satisfaction for us to God the Father ” ; • the instrumental cause is “ the sacrament of baptism , which is the sacrament of faith , without which no man was ever justified ” ( emphasis added ) ; • the formal cause ( that which makes the soul @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice of God.
” In light of the foregoing , the pope ’ s words “ He justified everyone ” could , with some squinting , be given an orthodox interpretation if we took them to mean : “ He was the meritorious cause of the justification of everyone who is justified.
” Nevertheless , the words as they stand—particularly adjacent to the statement about not going out to convert unbelievers , which implicitly calls into question the instrumental cause of baptism—seem to suggest a view more akin to universalism , i.e.
, @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their faith or lack thereof , because Christ simply justifies everyone , tout court .
Trent reminds us also in Chapter 14 that those who fall into mortal sin lose sanctifying grace— “ forfeit the received grace of justification ” —and are restored to justification by the sacrament of penance , which Christ instituted precisely to give us a “ second plank after the shipwreck of grace lost.
” In other words , unlike the Protestant view “ once saved , always saved , ” the Catholic Church teaches that we must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and persevere in it until death ; that we can indeed fall away ; and that we can be restored to spiritual life .
As Augustine says : “ He who created you without you , will not save you without you.
” It is not some sort of mechanized automated process .
In his Dictionary of Theology , the eminent Oratorian theologian Louis Bouyer adds valuable precisions : As for the faith whereby we receive justification , it is the faith of Christ ( Rom 3:22 ; cf .
Gal 2:16 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to be justified in him ( Gal 2:17 ) , justified in his blood ( Rom 5:9 ) .
The fifth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans sheds light on this latter verse by showing us the Cross of Jesus as the root of our justification , just as the sin of Adam had been the root of our sin .
We must further see it in connection with the following chapter , where St. Paul shows us how it is through baptism that the faith takes possession of God ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insofar as we are baptized ( i.e.
, immersed ) in his death , “ so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father , we too might walk in newness of life ” ( v. 4 ) .
The whole context shows how justification by faith in the grace of God in Christ , quite far from excusing us from living in the holiness of Christ , requires and enables us to do so .
( 255 ) Bouyer notes that the Sixth Session of Trent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delicately worded doctrine of the different aspects inherent in justification ” : The dogmatic teaching of Trent summarized above has been expressed innumerable times in other documents of the Church ’ s Magisterium and expounded by reputable theologians of all periods .
Readers may consult , for example , the systematic index of magisterial teachings in Denzinger ’ s Enchiridion symbolorum , definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum ( 43rd ed.
, Ignatius Press ) , 1255–59 and the thorough presentation in Ludwig Ott ’ s Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When listening to or reading transcripts of the homilies of Pope Francis , one often gets the sense of a man who , as soon as he speaks off the cuff , reveals the inadequacy of his own theological training and the sloppiness of his thinking .
He seldom sounds like someone deliberately trying to dismantle traditional theology with the cleverness of a Karl Rahner ; rather , he comes across as an embarrassing witness to the collapse of sound dogmatic and moral theology in the mid- to late twentieth century .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak only when their thoughts have been correctly formulated—it was not for any trivial reason that papal speeches and documents of any kind were always carefully reviewed by house theologians—and only on occasions when public speaking is pastorally necessary , rather than doing it day after day like a radio talk show or a tear-off calendar with affirming sentiments .
If popes limited themselves in this way , their statements would have a greater resonating force and a greater possibility of fruitful ecclesial reception .

May 4, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – In his homily at Mass on May 4, 2020, starting from the consoling truth that Christ died for all men, Pope Francis appears to have stated a doubly false conclusion: that we are not to convert unbelievers and that His death “justifies” everyone:
Big, small, rich, poor, good and bad. All. This “all” is the vision of the Lord who died for all. “But did he die for that wretch who made my life impossible?” He died for him too. “And for that brigand?”: He died for him. For everyone” The Lord died for all. And also for people who do not believe in Him or are of other religions: he died for everyone. That does not mean that proselytism must be done: no. But He died for everyone, He justified everyone.
There are some rather basic problems with these off-the-cuff statements, which do not appear in the Vatican’s official transcript but may be heard in the video.
First, it seems that the Pope has confused redemption with justification. Redemption is Christ’s paying of humanity’s debt of justice to the Father. This He accomplishes in His bloody sacrifice on the Cross, which is the one and only acceptable sacrifice of atonement. This objective redemption must be applied to the soul of each human being: this is what we call the subjective redemption, that is, the sharing of individuals in Christ’s redemption through faith and the sacraments. In other words, the fact that Christ has given to the Father all that humanity owes Him does not automatically cancel out the debt each individual incurs from Adam and from his own personal sins. The individual must freely enter into the death and resurrection of Christ to be fully redeemed.
Justification, also known as regeneration, describes the application of the fruits of Christ’s Passion to individual men by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why we can truly say that Christ died for all, but not all will be saved, not all will be justified—only those who are united to Christ in faith, hope, and charity. This, moreover, is precisely why missionary and evangelistic efforts are necessary. As St. Paul teaches:
“Every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!” But they have not all heeded the gospel; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ. (Rom 10:13–17)
In other words, we must call on the Lord’s name to be saved, we must believe the Gospel. For St. Paul, who was the greatest missionary in the history of the Church and who tirelessly sought the conversion of every Jew and Gentile with whom he came into contact, the only path to salvation is hearing the Gospel and assenting to it—which means not just saying that one assents to it, but endeavoring to live in accordance with the teaching of Christ.
The most authoritative exposition of the Catholic teaching on justification is the one given in the Sixth Session of the Council of Trent, by far the most ample and detailed teaching of the Magisterium on the question, prompted by heretical distortions prevalent in the sixteenth century. Chapter 1 reaffirms that in Adam all have sinned; all are unclean and under God’s wrath; all are in the power of sin, the devil, and death. Chapter 2 states that Christ came precisely to rescue us from this abject slavery. Chapters 3 and 4 then speak directly contrary to the preaching of Pope Francis:
But though “He died for all” (2 Cor 5:15), yet all do not receive the benefit of His death, but those only to whom the merit of His Passion is communicated, because…if they were not born again in Christ, they would never be justified, since in that new birth there is bestowed upon them, through the merit of His Passion, the grace by which they are made just…. This translation [from wrath to adoptive sonship] cannot, since the promulgation of the Gospel, be effected except through the laver of regeneration [baptism] or the desire for it, as it is written: “Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (Jn 3:5).
The Council of Trent goes on to say in Chapter 6 that adults are prepared for justification by hearing the preaching of the Gospel and responding with repentance and a desire for baptism. Chapter 7 furnishes a clear definition:
Justification…is not only a remission of sins but also the sanctification and renewal of the inward man through the voluntary reception of the grace and gifts whereby an unjust man becomes just and from being an enemy becomes a friend, that he may be “an heir according to hope of life everlasting” (Tit 3:7).
This same chapter teaches what the causes of justification are:
the final cause (purpose) is “the glory of God and of Christ and life everlasting”;
the efficient cause (origin of action) is “the merciful God who washes and sanctifies”;
the meritorious cause is “His most beloved Only-Begotten, Our Lord Jesus Christ, who, ‘when we were enemies, for the exceeding charity wherewith he loved us’ (Eph 2:4), merited for us justification by His most holy Passion on the wood of the Cross and made satisfaction for us to God the Father”;
the instrumental cause is “the sacrament of baptism, which is the sacrament of faith, without which no man was ever justified” (emphasis added);
the formal cause (that which makes the soul to be just) is “the justice of God.”
In light of the foregoing, the pope’s words “He justified everyone” could, with some squinting, be given an orthodox interpretation if we took them to mean: “He was the meritorious cause of the justification of everyone who is justified.” Nevertheless, the words as they stand—particularly adjacent to the statement about not going out to convert unbelievers, which implicitly calls into question the instrumental cause of baptism—seem to suggest a view more akin to universalism, i.e., that all men will be saved regardless of their faith or lack thereof, because Christ simply justifies everyone, tout court.
Trent reminds us also in Chapter 14 that those who fall into mortal sin lose sanctifying grace—“forfeit the received grace of justification”—and are restored to justification by the sacrament of penance, which Christ instituted precisely to give us a “second plank after the shipwreck of grace lost.” In other words, unlike the Protestant view “once saved, always saved,” the Catholic Church teaches that we must freely remain in the grace of God and persevere in it until death; that we can indeed fall away; and that we can be restored to spiritual life. As Augustine says: “He who created you without you, will not save you without you.” It is not some sort of mechanized automated process.
In his Dictionary of Theology, the eminent Oratorian theologian Louis Bouyer adds valuable precisions:
As for the faith whereby we receive justification, it is the faith of Christ (Rom 3:22; cf. Gal 2:16), i.e., the faith which leads us to be justified in him (Gal 2:17), justified in his blood (Rom 5:9). The fifth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans sheds light on this latter verse by showing us the Cross of Jesus as the root of our justification, just as the sin of Adam had been the root of our sin. We must further see it in connection with the following chapter, where St. Paul shows us how it is through baptism that the faith takes possession of God’s gift, which brings us justification insofar as we are baptized (i.e., immersed) in his death, “so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (v. 4). The whole context shows how justification by faith in the grace of God in Christ, quite far from excusing us from living in the holiness of Christ, requires and enables us to do so. (255)
Bouyer notes that the Sixth Session of Trent “set forth a particularly detailed and delicately worded doctrine of the different aspects inherent in justification”:
In conformity with the must more unified conception of St. Paul, the Council affirmed that there is only one justification, which comes entirely from the merits of the crucified Christ alone, but which is realized in the positive justification that grace engenders in us, the principle of good works that will be its fruit, and, immediately, the principle of charity that is inseparable from the state of grace. (257)
The dogmatic teaching of Trent summarized above has been expressed innumerable times in other documents of the Church’s Magisterium and expounded by reputable theologians of all periods. Readers may consult, for example, the systematic index of magisterial teachings in Denzinger’s Enchiridion symbolorum, definitionum et declarationum de rebus fidei et morum (43rd ed., Ignatius Press), 1255–59 and the thorough presentation in Ludwig Ott’s Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma (Baronius Press ed.), 269–89.
When listening to or reading transcripts of the homilies of Pope Francis, one often gets the sense of a man who, as soon as he speaks off the cuff, reveals the inadequacy of his own theological training and the sloppiness of his thinking. He seldom sounds like someone deliberately trying to dismantle traditional theology with the cleverness of a Karl Rahner; rather, he comes across as an embarrassing witness to the collapse of sound dogmatic and moral theology in the mid- to late twentieth century.
Popes in general would do well to speak only when their thoughts have been correctly formulated—it was not for any trivial reason that papal speeches and documents of any kind were always carefully reviewed by house theologians—and only on occasions when public speaking is pastorally necessary, rather than doing it day after day like a radio talk show or a tear-off calendar with affirming sentiments. If popes limited themselves in this way, their statements would have a greater resonating force and a greater possibility of fruitful ecclesial reception.
Peter Kwasniewski, Thomistic theologian, liturgical scholar, and choral composer, is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College in California (B.A. Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy). He taught at the International Theological Institute in Austria and the Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Austria Program, then helped establish Wyoming Catholic College in 2006. There he taught theology, philosophy, music, and art history and directed the choirs until leaving in 2018 to devote himself full-time to writing and lecturing. Today he contributes regularly to many websites and publications, including New Liturgical Movement, OnePeterFive, LifeSiteNews, Rorate Caeli, The Remnant, and Catholic Family News, and has published thirteen books, including four on traditional Catholicism: Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis (Angelico, 2014, also available in Czech, Polish, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Belarusian), Noble Beauty, Transcendent Holiness (Angelico, 2017), Tradition and Sanity (Angelico, 2018), and Reclaiming Our Roman Catholic Birthright: The Genius and Timeliness of the Traditional Latin Mass (Angelico, 2020). His work has been translated into at least eighteen languages. Kwasniewski is a scholar of The Aquinas Institute in Green Bay, which is publishing the Opera Omnia of the Angelic Doctor, a Fellow of the Albertus Magnus Center for Scholastic Studies, and a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center. He has published over a thousand articles on Thomistic thought, sacramental and liturgical theology, the history and aesthetics of music, and the social doctrine of the Church. For news, information, article links, sacred music, and the home of Os Justi Press, visit his personal website, www.peterkwasniewski.com.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-04--NYC Councilman: ‘Continued presence’ of Christian charity saving pandemic patients is ‘painful’ for

NYC Councilman: ‘Continued presence’ of Christian charity saving pandemic patients is ‘painful’ for LGBTs

May 4 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Over the weekend , former president George W. Bush released a call for unity , reminding his fellow Americans of the days following 9/11 , when the entire nation seemed to speak with one voice .
For a brief moment , political divides vanished in the face of a common enemy and a shared tragedy , and in the face of the coronavirus pandemic , Bush stated , it is time for Americans to come together .
But it has been a very long 19 years since 2001 , and 2020 is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not the same people they were two decades ago , and I don ’ t need to rehash the details of the ongoing political polarization here .
One particular example of America ’ s inability to bridge divides comes immediately to mind : The attacks by LGBT activists on the Christian charity Samaritan ’ s Purse , which set up a field hospital in Central Park to assist Mt .
Sinai Hospital in treating victims of the pandemic .
My cousin was one of the nurses working at the field hospital , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ensure that LGBT protestors ( yes , there were people protesting a field hospital during a pandemic because the organization funding the field hospital has a different view of sexual ethics ) didn ’ t get rowdy .
At one point , she said , an LGBT activist jumped the fence to plant a flag .
The activists , working with a group called the Reclaim Pride Coalition , unironically waved signs that read “ help not hate.
” “ How was this group ever considered to bring their hatred and their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of crisis when our people are fighting a pandemic ?
” demanded Jay .
W. Walker of Reclaim Pride .
He did not explain how a medical organization quite literally saving lives as hospitals were packed to the overflowing was “ bringing hate and vitriol , ” or how the medical professionals risking their lives to save strangers were “ hateful ” while he , in protesting the help being given to the sick and dying , is somehow “ loving.
” This is a person so blinded by hate he can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And now that the curve has been flattened and the pandemic appears ( at least for the moment ) to be under control , progressives are immediately going on the attack again .
The volunteers with Samaritan ’ s Purse risked their own lives to save the lives of strangers , but now that the immediate danger seems to have passed , LGBT activists are again demanding that they get evicted .
Corey Johnson , the speaker of the New York City Council , released a statement to Twitter on May 1 : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s unironic use of the phrase “ in good conscience.
” Imagine how schizophrenic you have to be to make the case that the presence of people who do not agree with you on sexual ethics is “ an affront to our values of inclusion ” and that these undesirables must therefore be excluded .
More : I 'm aware that our battle against COVID-19 is still ongoing , and that our health care system—and the amazing workers who have been the heroes of this unprecedented time in our history—still needs support .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ those workers and protecting our city 's public health .
But as a city that values diversity and compassion for all , we ca n't continue allowing a group with their track record to remain here when we 're past the point they 're needed .
Mount Sinai must sever its relationship with Samaritan ’ s Purse .
Its leader calls the LGBTQ community `` detestable '' and `` immoral . ''
He says being gay is `` an affront to God , '' and refers to gay Christians as `` the enemy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteers to agree to a written affirmation “ that marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female.
” Hate has no place in our beautiful city .
Got that ?
Now that the Christian volunteers have risked their lives to successfully save others , they can be thrown out as hateful trash .
Thanks for nothing , bigots .
It is the attitude of men like Corey Johnson and his fellow activists that are a cancer on the American Republic .
There can be no unity as long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who disagree with them or hold a different moral worldview .
There can be no unity when Christians doing what Christians have always done for the past 2,000 years—nursed the sick and the dying when few others would—are seen as a threat because they believe , as most humans for all of history have , that marriage is between a man and a woman .
And there can be no unity as long as even the willingness of young Christian women and men to sacrifice for others is rejected .
Corey Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spout off about love and inclusiveness , but it is a joke .
They do not want to share the city , the state , and the country with anyone who disagrees with them—and they will break the country to make sure they do n't have to .
In this week ’ s episode of The Van Maren Show , Anne Schlafly Cori , daughter of legendary conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly , joins Jonathon to set the record straight in the wake of a new Hulu TV show spitting on her mother ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , selfless things Phyllis accomplished in her life , including helping to elect Ronald Reagan .
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below :

'It is time for Samaritan's Purse to leave NYC...Their continued presence here is an affront to our values of inclusion,' Corey Johnson, the speaker of the New York City Council, said May 1.
May 4, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Over the weekend, former president George W. Bush released a call for unity, reminding his fellow Americans of the days following 9/11, when the entire nation seemed to speak with one voice. For a brief moment, political divides vanished in the face of a common enemy and a shared tragedy, and in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, Bush stated, it is time for Americans to come together.
But it has been a very long 19 years since 2001, and 2020 is a much different year. Americans are not the same people they were two decades ago, and I don’t need to rehash the details of the ongoing political polarization here. One particular example of America’s inability to bridge divides comes immediately to mind: The attacks by LGBT activists on the Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse, which set up a field hospital in Central Park to assist Mt. Sinai Hospital in treating victims of the pandemic.
My cousin was one of the nurses working at the field hospital, and she told me that police were posted to ensure that LGBT protestors (yes, there were people protesting a field hospital during a pandemic because the organization funding the field hospital has a different view of sexual ethics) didn’t get rowdy. At one point, she said, an LGBT activist jumped the fence to plant a flag. The activists, working with a group called the Reclaim Pride Coalition, unironically waved signs that read “help not hate.”
“How was this group ever considered to bring their hatred and their vitriol into our city at a time of crisis when our people are fighting a pandemic?” demanded Jay. W. Walker of Reclaim Pride. He did not explain how a medical organization quite literally saving lives as hospitals were packed to the overflowing was “bringing hate and vitriol,” or how the medical professionals risking their lives to save strangers were “hateful” while he, in protesting the help being given to the sick and dying, is somehow “loving.” This is a person so blinded by hate he cannot even understand how ludicrous he sounds.
And now that the curve has been flattened and the pandemic appears (at least for the moment) to be under control, progressives are immediately going on the attack again. The volunteers with Samaritan’s Purse risked their own lives to save the lives of strangers, but now that the immediate danger seems to have passed, LGBT activists are again demanding that they get evicted. Corey Johnson, the speaker of the New York City Council, released a statement to Twitter on May 1:
My statement on Samaritan's Purse: It is time for Samaritan's Purse to leave NYC. This group, led by the notoriously bigoted, hate-spewing Franklin Graham, came at a time when our city couldn't in good conscience turn away any offer of help. That time has passed.
I pause here to note Johnson’s unironic use of the phrase “in good conscience.”
Their continued presence here is an affront to our values of inclusion, and is painful for all New Yorkers who care deeply about the LGBTQ community.
Imagine how schizophrenic you have to be to make the case that the presence of people who do not agree with you on sexual ethics is “an affront to our values of inclusion” and that these undesirables must therefore be excluded. More:
I'm aware that our battle against COVID-19 is still ongoing, and that our health care system—and the amazing workers who have been the heroes of this unprecedented time in our history—still needs support. The @NYCCouncil is committed to supporting those workers and protecting our city's public health. But as a city that values diversity and compassion for all, we can't continue allowing a group with their track record to remain here when we're past the point they're needed. Mount Sinai must sever its relationship with Samaritan’s Purse. Its leader calls the LGBTQ community “detestable” and “immoral.” He says being gay is “an affront to God,” and refers to gay Christians as “the enemy.” Samaritan's Purse requires its volunteers to agree to a written affirmation “that marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female.” Hate has no place in our beautiful city.
Got that? Now that the Christian volunteers have risked their lives to successfully save others, they can be thrown out as hateful trash. Thanks for nothing, bigots.
It is the attitude of men like Corey Johnson and his fellow activists that are a cancer on the American Republic. There can be no unity as long as they seethe with hatred for all those who disagree with them or hold a different moral worldview. There can be no unity when Christians doing what Christians have always done for the past 2,000 years—nursed the sick and the dying when few others would—are seen as a threat because they believe, as most humans for all of history have, that marriage is between a man and a woman. And there can be no unity as long as even the willingness of young Christian women and men to sacrifice for others is rejected.
Corey Johnson and Jay Walker and their ilk can spout off about love and inclusiveness, but it is a joke. They do not want to share the city, the state, and the country with anyone who disagrees with them—and they will break the country to make sure they don't have to.
In this week’s episode of The Van Maren Show, Anne Schlafly Cori, daughter of legendary conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, joins Jonathon to set the record straight in the wake of a new Hulu TV show spitting on her mother’s memory. Anne shares the wonderful, selfless things Phyllis accomplished in her life, including helping to elect Ronald Reagan.
You can subscribe here and listen to the episode below:
Follow Jonathon Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer, and pro-life activist. His commentary has been translated into more than eight languages and published widely online as well as print newspapers such as the Jewish Independent, the National Post, the Hamilton Spectator and others. He has received an award for combating anti-Semitism in print from the Jewish organization B’nai Brith. His commentary has been featured on CTV Primetime, Global News, EWTN, and the CBC as well as dozens of radio stations and news outlets in Canada and the United States. He speaks on a wide variety of cultural topics across North America at universities, high schools, churches, and other functions. Some of these topics include abortion, pornography, the Sexual Revolution, and euthanasia. Jonathon holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history from Simon Fraser University, and is the communications director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform. Jonathon’s first book, The Culture War, was released in 2016.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-04--Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

Join our daily worldwide rosary HERE

May 4 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – In response to the coronavirus crisis , LifeSite is offering Catholics throughout the world a chance to be united in praying the rosary together , at the same time , every day at 12:00 noon EST .
The rosary is led by Father Anthony Pillari , an American priest currently in Italy .
To date , Catholics from Israel , Uganda , Italy , France , Germany , Ireland , the United Kingdom , the U.S. , Canada , Mexico , Chile , Brazil , Australia , New Zealand , the Philippines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as other countries , have been joining in .
The whole world – including the Church – has been thrown into chaos because of the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) .
Thousands of people have passed away as a result of the viral outbreak , while thousands more have been sickened .
And , across the world , business has come to a grinding halt , resulting in sudden job loss and threatening economic recession .
If there ever was a time for prayer , this is it .
Catholics around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Sacraments , but in many places are unable to access them because of bishops ’ orders or government restrictions .
We know that community with other believers is vital all the time , but especially during this time of global calls for “ sheltering-in-place ” and quarantine .
“ The rosary is the weapon for these times , ” St. Padre Pio said .
Through prayer , we can shape history , change the world , and bring this painful crisis to an end .
Join us today !
Send photos or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rosary with Father Pillari to [ email protected ]

(LifeSiteNews) — In response to the crisis unfolding in our world and in the Church, LifeSite is happy to promote Regina Angelorum Press’s Daily Rosary, which is offering Catholics throughout the world the chance to be united daily in prayer, in the Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Crusade.
Catholics from all over the world — from Israel, Uganda, Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Pakistan, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and other countries — are gathering daily to pray the Rosary, led by Father Pillari, JCL, MCL, STL, an American priest currently studying in Italy.
The Daily Rosary is being offered each day at 12noon EST through Regina Angelorum Press’ YouTube Channel to which you can subscribe HERE.
The goal is, by means of this Daily Rosary and by embracing and living out the message given by the Virgin Mary at Fatima, the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart.
To help obtain that goal, Bishop Athanasius Schneider graciously composed the following prayer for this worldwide Rosary crusade:
O Immaculate Heart of Mary, you are the holy Mother of God and our tender Mother. Look upon the distress in which the Church and the whole of humanity are living because of the spread of materialism and the persecution of the Church. In Fatima you warned against these errors, as you spoke about the errors of Russia. You are the Mediatrix of all graces. Implore your Divine Son to grant this special grace for the Pope: that he might consecrate Russia to your Immaculate Heart, so that Russia will be converted, a period of peace will be granted to the world, and your Immaculate Heart will triumph, through an authentic renewal of the Church in the splendor of the purity of the Catholic Faith, of the sacredness of Divine worship and of the holiness of the Christian life. O Queen of the holy Rosary and our sweet Mother, turn your merciful eyes to us and graciously hear this our trusting prayer. Amen. + Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana
To learn more about the urgency of responding to Our Lady’s message at Fatima, and about what you can do, please read Cardinal Burke’s 2017 address at the Rome Life Forum.
As St. Padre Pio once said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times.” Through prayer, God can shape history, change the world, and bring about a great time of renewal and peace for the Church and for the world, through the triumph of Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. Join us today!
If you would like to follow along with the prayers said during this Rosary, you can access them HERE. The document also includes a brief F.A.Q. pertaining to the daily Rosary.
You can send your prayer requests to https://reginangelorumpress.com/prayer-intentions/
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lifesitenews--2020-05-04--How the coronavirus is forever changing pro-life efforts to end abortion

May 4 , 2020 ( Personhood Alliance ) — As states in the South and Midwest seek to temporarily ban abortion as “ non-essential ” surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic , abortion providers are warning of “ an emerging public health crisis.
” These states are attempting short-term bans on surgical abortions through governors ’ emergency orders and lawsuits directed at pro-abortion governors and health department officials , like the one against Minnesota governor Tim Walz by the Thomas More Society .
Courts have blocked most states ’ efforts to deem abortion a “ non-essential medical procedure , ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out specific exceptions .
In all the confusion , women are traveling across state lines to obtain surgical abortions , just like they will if Roe v. Wade is ever overturned .
At the same time , leaders of a new wave in the abortion rights movement are scrambling to shift this post-Roe future to the present .
The Personhood Alliance first exposed this new wave in our groundbreaking analysis , “ Game-Changer Questions Every Pro-Lifer Should Ask About the Guttmacher Report.
” In that report , we told you about the dangerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortions via the abortion pill .
This trend , along with a steady increase in chemical abortions — which now make up 39 % of all abortions and half of first trimester ones — is a phenomenon that much of the pro-life movement is ignoring at its own peril , especially during the COVID-19 crisis .
As shown in the chart above , chemical abortions ( through the abortion pill ) now make up 39 % of the total abortions performed .
As illustrated above , of total abortions performed , 88 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of that 88 % , almost half are done via the abortion pill .
Don ’ t be fooled by the abortion industry ’ s inflammatory rhetoric that the pro-life movement is creating “ a health crisis within a health crisis ” by attempting to ban most surgical abortions .
Chemical abortions will increase beyond 50 % of those in the first trimester , because the abortion industry is specifically working to increase them .
Here ’ s how : • Abortion advocacy groups are diligently working to expand telemedicine abortions so women @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pill .
Whether abortion is deemed “ essential ” or not has no bearing at all .
• The World Health Organization ( WHO ) has created official protocols to guide women in aborting their children throughout the first trimester using misoprostol alone ( the first drug in the two-drug abortion pill cocktail ) .
Both drugs are on the WHO ’ s list of “ essential medicines.
” • Women on Waves , the organization that drops abortion pills by drone into countries where abortion is illegal , released dangerous guidelines on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks and hiding self-abortions from emergency physicians .
Women on Waves deleted most of the guidelines , but an archived version can be found here .
• There are now websites , legal firms , campaigns , and even whole books dedicated to instructing women in self-managed abortions , even though online purchasing of the abortion pill is illegal .
• Efforts are already underway by abortion activists , the ACLU , the American Medical Association , and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to lift FDA restrictions on selling the abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through the mail .
And COVID-19 just gave all of this a big shot in the arm .
On March 30th , 20 state attorneys general sent a letter to FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn and HHS Secretary Alex Azar urging them to loosen the “ onerous and medically unnecessary ” restrictions on mail-order access to the abortion pill so that women and girls can abort their children without leaving their homes .
“ No woman should be forced to risk her life while exercising her constitutional right to an abortion , ” noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed the letter .
Government leaders in many other countries , notably those in the UK , are allowing DIY abortions on “ a temporary basis ” while social distancing and stay-at-home orders remain in place .
It may not be long before abortion-friendly states in America follow their lead .
But , like every other aspect of American society , COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the abortion industry .
The International Planned Parenthood Federation reports widespread facility closures throughout the world .
In America , Planned Parenthood facilities have been decimated in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where dozens of facilities have closed and hundreds of staff have been laid off or furloughed .
What ’ s more , the national Planned Parenthood Federation of America was excluded from receiving funds as part of the Emergency Small Business Loan program of the Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security ( CARES ) Act .
We should certainly celebrate when a facility that kills pre-born children is closed or denied taxpayer funding , but in the context of the new wave of DIY abortions , this may actually help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our pro-life efforts in the context of COVID-19 ?
This pandemic has dramatically impacted our health care system , our economy , our schools , our families , and our mental and spiritual welfare .
COVID-19 is being used to inject more panic and fear into an already desperate situation for women and girls .
At the same time , abortion pill reversal efforts are continuously demonized , even though a record number of calls have come in to the Abortion Pill Rescue Network ’ s national hotline during the COVID-19 crisis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the month of March alone , 105 mothers started the process of halting their chemically-induced at-home abortions after they called the hotline .
Yet , pro-abortion organizations like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists are using our current healthcare crisis to further embed into the public mind the idea that abortion is a fundamental reproductive right that must not be infringed .
This is why we must refuse to concede to any argument that allows abortion to remain in the realm of legitimate health care .
Arguing that abortion facilities should cease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is needed more urgently by other healthcare workers keeps abortion in the realm of legitimate health care .
Arguing that abortion facilities should cease performing surgical abortions only if they aren ’ t “ medically necessary ” also keeps it there .
Arguing that abortion facilities should cease performing surgical abortions because the abortion pill is still readily available helps it stay there , too .
Remember , 88 % of abortions occur in the first trimester .
Half of those are chemical , and they ’ re increasing through the abortion industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we must refocus once again on carrying forward this critical message : Abortion is not health care .
It is the violent destruction of innocent human life , no matter how it ’ s done or at what stage of development .
Abortion is not essential .
It is , in fact , never medically necessary .
Any treatment during pregnancy directed toward saving the life of the mother that unintentionally results in the unfortunate death of the pre-born child is a tragedy , not an abortion .
We must never allow incremental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to end up making our task to end all abortion more difficult .
All abortion must be stopped , everywhere , permanently .
Sarah Quale is president of Personhood Alliance Education , founder of Educe® online learning , and author of the Foundations online pro-life curriculum .
She is an award-winning curriculum and instructional designer who has worked for over 20 years in corporate , academic , and ministerial environments .
Published with permission from the Personhood Alliance .

We must never allow incremental steps, no matter how well-intentioned, to end up making our task to end all abortion more difficult.
PETITION: Urge state governors to stop abortions during coronavirus crisis Sign the petition here.
May 4, 2020 (Personhood Alliance) — As states in the South and Midwest seek to temporarily ban abortion as “non-essential” surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic, abortion providers are warning of “an emerging public health crisis.” These states are attempting short-term bans on surgical abortions through governors’ emergency orders and lawsuits directed at pro-abortion governors and health department officials, like the one against Minnesota governor Tim Walz by the Thomas More Society.
Courts have blocked most states’ efforts to deem abortion a “non-essential medical procedure,” and some judges have forced states to carve out specific exceptions. In all the confusion, women are traveling across state lines to obtain surgical abortions, just like they will if Roe v. Wade is ever overturned. At the same time, leaders of a new wave in the abortion rights movement are scrambling to shift this post-Roe future to the present.
The new wave
The Personhood Alliance first exposed this new wave in our groundbreaking analysis, “Game-Changer Questions Every Pro-Lifer Should Ask About the Guttmacher Report.” In that report, we told you about the dangerous push for “self-managed,” do-it-yourself abortions via the abortion pill. This trend, along with a steady increase in chemical abortions — which now make up 39% of all abortions and half of first trimester ones — is a phenomenon that much of the pro-life movement is ignoring at its own peril, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.
As shown in the chart above, chemical abortions (through the abortion pill) now make up 39% of the total abortions performed.
As illustrated above, of total abortions performed, 88% happen in the first 12 weeks. Of that 88%, almost half are done via the abortion pill.
Don’t be fooled by the abortion industry’s inflammatory rhetoric that the pro-life movement is creating “a health crisis within a health crisis” by attempting to ban most surgical abortions. Chemical abortions will increase beyond 50% of those in the first trimester, because the abortion industry is specifically working to increase them. Here’s how:
Abortion advocacy groups are diligently working to expand telemedicine abortions so women and girls have access to the abortion pill. Whether abortion is deemed “essential” or not has no bearing at all.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has created official protocols to guide women in aborting their children throughout the first trimester using misoprostol alone (the second drug in the two-drug abortion pill cocktail). Both drugs are on the WHO’s list of “essential medicines.”
Women on Waves, the organization that drops abortion pills by drone into countries where abortion is illegal, released dangerous guidelines on using the abortion pill up to 20 weeks and hiding self-abortions from emergency physicians. Women on Waves deleted most of the guidelines, but an archived version can be found here.
There are now websites, legal firms, campaigns, and even whole books dedicated to instructing women in self-managed abortions, even though online purchasing of the abortion pill is illegal.
Efforts are already underway by abortion activists, the ACLU, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to lift FDA restrictions on selling the abortion pill online, at pharmacies, and through the mail.
And COVID-19 just gave all of this a big shot in the arm.
The COVID-19 agenda
On March 30th, 20 state attorneys general sent a letter to FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn and HHS Secretary Alex Azar urging them to loosen the “onerous and medically unnecessary” restrictions on mail-order access to the abortion pill so that women and girls can abort their children without leaving their homes. “No woman should be forced to risk her life while exercising her constitutional right to an abortion,” noted NY attorney general Letitia James, who signed the letter.
Government leaders in many other countries, notably those in the UK, are allowing DIY abortions on “a temporary basis” while social distancing and stay-at-home orders remain in place. It may not be long before abortion-friendly states in America follow their lead.
But, like every other aspect of American society, COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the abortion industry. The International Planned Parenthood Federation reports widespread facility closures throughout the world. In America, Planned Parenthood facilities have been decimated in areas hardest hit, like New York, where dozens of facilities have closed and hundreds of staff have been laid off or furloughed. What’s more, the national Planned Parenthood Federation of America was excluded from receiving funds as part of the Emergency Small Business Loan program of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
We should certainly celebrate when a facility that kills pre-born children is closed or denied taxpayer funding, but in the context of the new wave of DIY abortions, this may actually help raise the tide.
And what of our pro-life efforts in the context of COVID-19?
COVID-19 in a pro-life context
This pandemic has dramatically impacted our health care system, our economy, our schools, our families, and our mental and spiritual welfare. COVID-19 is being used to inject more panic and fear into an already desperate situation for women and girls. At the same time, abortion pill reversal efforts are continuously demonized, even though a record number of calls have come in to the Abortion Pill Rescue Network’s national hotline during the COVID-19 crisis. The Christian Post reports that, in the month of March alone, 105 mothers started the process of halting their chemically-induced at-home abortions after they called the hotline.
Yet, pro-abortion organizations like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists are using our current healthcare crisis to further embed into the public mind the idea that abortion is a fundamental reproductive right that must not be infringed.
This is why we must refuse to concede to any argument that allows abortion to remain in the realm of legitimate health care.
Arguing that abortion facilities should cease performing surgical abortions because personal protective equipment is needed more urgently by other healthcare workers keeps abortion in the realm of legitimate health care. Arguing that abortion facilities should cease performing surgical abortions only if they aren’t “medically necessary” also keeps it there. Arguing that abortion facilities should cease performing surgical abortions because the abortion pill is still readily available helps it stay there, too.
Remember, 88% of abortions occur in the first trimester. Half of those are chemical, and they’re increasing through the abortion industry’s intentional efforts.
Instead, we must refocus once again on carrying forward this critical message:
Abortion is not health care. It is the violent destruction of innocent human life, no matter how it’s done or at what stage of development.
Abortion is not essential. It is, in fact, never medically necessary. Any treatment during pregnancy directed toward saving the life of the mother that unintentionally results in the unfortunate death of the pre-born child is a tragedy, not an abortion.
We must never allow incremental steps, no matter how well-intentioned, to end up making our task to end all abortion more difficult. All abortion must be stopped, everywhere, permanently.
Sarah Quale is president of Personhood Alliance Education, founder of Educe® online learning, and author of the Foundations online pro-life curriculum. She is an award-winning curriculum and instructional designer who has worked for over 20 years in corporate, academic, and ministerial environments.
Published with permission from the Personhood Alliance.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-04--Bp. Schneider thanks Pope Benedict for saying homosexuality, abortion inspired by Anti-Christ

May 4 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Astana , Kazakhstan has thanked Pope Benedict XVI for his words on the current situation , in which people are being “ excommunicated by society ” when they oppose abortion or homosexual “ marriage.
” Pope Benedict had added that prayers are needed in order to “ resist ” the “ fear of this spiritual power of the Antichrist.
” “ The promotion and justification of abortion and homosexuality or the gender ideology , ” Schneider now comments , “ contain in itself the spirit of a revolt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it reveals to have the characteristic of the Anti-Christ.
” In comments to LifeSiteNews , Bishop Schneider further explains that he sees in the promotion of this pro-abortion and pro-homosexuality agenda “ the operation of a kind of hidden ‘ One World Government ’ , which in [ its ] ideological program is essentially atheist anti-Christian , and even blasphemous.
” The prelate sees in this modern agenda a twofold rejection : first , the rejection of “ the truth of Christ , ” but then also a rejection of the “ order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and life .
“ The killing of innocent babies in the womb of their mothers and the turning upside down the created order of the two biological sexes and of marriage and family , ” Schneider goes on to say , “ are an expression of the attitude of the Anti-Christ , an attitude which is called in the Bible also revolt and apostasy.
” The prelate adds : “ The most characteristic attitude of the Anti-Christ is to put himself in the place of God.
” Pope Benedict XVI had answered in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Peter Seewald , who then attached these “ final answers ” in an appendix to his new more than 1,000 page-long biography Benedict XVI : a Life ( in German published by Droemer Verlag ) .
In one of these answers , Benedict speaks of the real challenges to the Church and the papacy today , and he says that they do not mainly come from such incidents as the Vatileaks affair , but , rather , from the “ world-wide dictatorship of seemingly humanistic ideologies.
” Here , he explicitly mentions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in-vitro fertilization as elements of this new ideology .
“ Today , one is being excommunicated by society if one opposes it , ” the retired Pope adds .
“ Modern society is in the middle of formulating an anti-Christian creed , and if one opposes it , one is being punished by society with excommunication , ” he goes on to say .
It is here that Benedict puts this modern ideology in the context of the Anti-Christ : “ The fear of this spiritual power of the Anti-Christ is then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really needs the help of prayers on the part of an entire diocese and of the Universal Church in order to resist it.
” We might remember here that Sister Lucia , one of the three seers of Fatima , told Cardinal Carlo Caffarra in the 1980s that the “ final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about marriage and the family.
” “ Do not be afraid , ” she added , “ because anyone who works for the sanctity of marriage and the family will always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because this is the decisive issue.
” She then concluded : “ However , Our Lady has already crushed his head.
” Below is the full statement of Bishop Athanasius Schneider regarding the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the current situation in the world : I thank Pope Benedict XVI for having raised this important topic , and I agree with his words concerning our current situation .
The promotion and justification of abortion and homosexuality or the gender ideology contains in itself the spirit of a revolt against God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have the characteristic of the Anti-Christ .
The advocates of abortion and homosexuality say that God ’ s prohibition of murdering innocent human beings as in the case of abortion , is wrong , is evil .
And likewise they say that the creation of the two biological sexes is evil , and that the contrary of it is good , i.e .
the abolition of the distinction of the biological sexes is good .
So , the ideology of abortion and homosexuality reveals to be a revolt against God and thus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The systematic promotion of abortion and homosexuality or the gender ideology on a world-wide scale is an indication of the operation of a kind of hidden “ One World Government ” , which in [ its ] ideological program is essentially atheist anti-Christian , and even blasphemous , because of their revolt against the created order of God .
The Anti-Christ is not only the one , who denies the order of salvation , i.e .
the truth of the Divine Incarnation , the truth that Christ , the Son of God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the order of creation , and concretely the order of the two biological sexes and of the absolute prohibition of killing of innocent human beings .
The killing [ of ] innocent babies in the womb of their mothers and the turning upside down the created order of the two biological sexes and of marriage and family , is an expression of the attitude of the Anti-Christ , an attitude which is called in the Bible also revolt and apostasy , and the Anti-Christ is called also the man of the iniquity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the opposer of God and of the order God created in the level of nature and of redemption .
The most characteristic attitude of the Anti-Christ is to put himself in the place of God .
In this occurs in the case of abortion where man is in practice declaring himself as a kind of god , by declaring to have an unlimited right over human life and over the order of human sexuality .
Therefore , the practice and the ideology of abortion and of homosexuality have true signs of the @ @ @ @ @

Promotion and justification of abortion, homosexuality, and gender ideology, contain 'the spirit of a revolt against God, and in this sense it reveals to have the characteristic of the Anti-Christ.'
May 4, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Astana, Kazakhstan has thanked Pope Benedict XVI for his words on the current situation, in which people are being “excommunicated by society” when they oppose abortion or homosexual “marriage.” Pope Benedict had added that prayers are needed in order to “resist” the “fear of this spiritual power of the Antichrist.”
“The promotion and justification of abortion and homosexuality or the gender ideology,” Schneider now comments, “contain in itself the spirit of a revolt against God, and in this sense it reveals to have the characteristic of the Anti-Christ.”
In comments to LifeSiteNews, Bishop Schneider further explains that he sees in the promotion of this pro-abortion and pro-homosexuality agenda “the operation of a kind of hidden ‘One World Government’, which in [its] ideological program is essentially atheist anti-Christian, and even blasphemous.”
The prelate sees in this modern agenda a twofold rejection: first, the rejection of “the truth of Christ,” but then also a rejection of the “order of creation” with regard to marriage and life.
“The killing of innocent babies in the womb of their mothers and the turning upside down the created order of the two biological sexes and of marriage and family,” Schneider goes on to say, “are an expression of the attitude of the Anti-Christ, an attitude which is called in the Bible also revolt and apostasy.”
The prelate adds: “The most characteristic attitude of the Anti-Christ is to put himself in the place of God.”
Pope Benedict XVI had answered in written form several questions of his biographer, Peter Seewald, who then attached these “final answers” in an appendix to his new more than 1,000 page-long biography Benedict XVI: a Life (in German published by Droemer Verlag).
In one of these answers, Benedict speaks of the real challenges to the Church and the papacy today, and he says that they do not mainly come from such incidents as the Vatileaks affair, but, rather, from the “world-wide dictatorship of seemingly humanistic ideologies.” Here, he explicitly mentions abortion, homosexual “marriage,” and in-vitro fertilization as elements of this new ideology.
“Today, one is being excommunicated by society if one opposes it,” the retired Pope adds.
“Modern society is in the middle of formulating an anti-Christian creed, and if one opposes it, one is being punished by society with excommunication,” he goes on to say.
It is here that Benedict puts this modern ideology in the context of the Anti-Christ: “The fear of this spiritual power of the Anti-Christ is then only more than natural, and it really needs the help of prayers on the part of an entire diocese and of the Universal Church in order to resist it.”
We might remember here that Sister Lucia, one of the three seers of Fatima, told Cardinal Carlo Caffarra in the 1980s that the “final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about marriage and the family.”
“Do not be afraid,” she added, “because anyone who works for the sanctity of marriage and the family will always be fought and opposed in every way, because this is the decisive issue.” She then concluded: “However, Our Lady has already crushed his head.”
Below is the full statement of Bishop Athanasius Schneider regarding the words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on the current situation in the world:
I thank Pope Benedict XVI for having raised this important topic, and I agree with his words concerning our current situation.
The promotion and justification of abortion and homosexuality or the gender ideology contains in itself the spirit of a revolt against God, and in this sense it reveals to have the characteristic of the Anti-Christ.
The advocates of abortion and homosexuality say that God’s prohibition of murdering innocent human beings as in the case of abortion, is wrong, is evil. And likewise they say that the creation of the two biological sexes is evil, and that the contrary of it is good, i.e. the abolition of the distinction of the biological sexes is good. So, the ideology of abortion and homosexuality reveals to be a revolt against God and thus to have the characteristics of the Anti-Christ.
The systematic promotion of abortion and homosexuality or the gender ideology on a world-wide scale is an indication of the operation of a kind of hidden “One World Government”, which in [its] ideological program is essentially atheist anti-Christian, and even blasphemous, because of their revolt against the created order of God.
The Anti-Christ is not only the one, who denies the order of salvation, i.e. the truth of the Divine Incarnation, the truth that Christ, the Son of God truly incarnated, but also who denies the order of creation, and concretely the order of the two biological sexes and of the absolute prohibition of killing of innocent human beings.
The killing [of] innocent babies in the womb of their mothers and the turning upside down the created order of the two biological sexes and of marriage and family, is an expression of the attitude of the Anti-Christ, an attitude which is called in the Bible also revolt and apostasy, and the Anti-Christ is called also the man of the iniquity and the son of perdition, the adversary and the opposer of God and of the order God created in the level of nature and of redemption. The most characteristic attitude of the Anti-Christ is to put himself in the place of God. In this occurs in the case of abortion where man is in practice declaring himself as a kind of god, by declaring to have an unlimited right over human life and over the order of human sexuality.
Therefore, the practice and the ideology of abortion and of homosexuality have true signs of the spirit of the Anti-Christ.
Follow Maike Dr. Maike Hickson was born and raised in Germany. She holds a PhD from the University of Hannover, Germany, after having written in Switzerland her doctoral dissertation on the history of Swiss intellectuals before and during World War II. She now lives in the U.S. and is married to Dr. Robert Hickson, and they have been blessed with two beautiful children. She is a happy housewife who likes to write articles when time permits. Dr. Hickson published in 2014 a Festschrift, a collection of some thirty essays written by thoughtful authors in honor of her husband upon his 70th birthday, which is entitled A Catholic Witness in Our Time. Hickson has closely followed the papacy of Pope Francis and the developments in the Catholic Church in Germany, and she has been writing articles on religion and politics for U.S. and European publications and websites such as LifeSiteNews, OnePeterFive, The Wanderer, Rorate Caeli, Catholicism.org, Catholic Family News, Christian Order, Notizie Pro-Vita, Corrispondenza Romana, Katholisches.info, Der Dreizehnte, Zeit-Fragen, and Westfalen-Blatt.
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lifesitenews--2020-05-04--WHO China representative blames China for coronavirus cover-up

May 4 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – After his April 30 interview with Britain ’ s Sky News , WHO ’ s man in China , Dr. Gauden Galea , may find that he is no longer welcome there .
The fact that he couched his complaints about China ’ s continuing cover-up in diplomatic niceties will not save him .
China Communist leaders bristle at the mere hint of a rebuke , and rebuke them he did .
“ We know that some national investigation is happening , ” Dr. Galea complained , “ but at this stage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
… WHO is making requests of the health commission and of the authorities .
The origins of [ the ] virus are very important , the animal-human interface is extremely important and needs to be studied.
” Asked if there were any grounds to exclude the WHO from that investigation , Dr. Galea replied : “ Not from our point of view.
” It was bad enough that Dr. Galea complained that WHO was shut out of the investigation , but he went on from there to say exactly what I and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beginning of the outbreak : the China authorities must release the research records of the two Wuhan biolabs doing bat coronavirus research .
In the WHO China representative ’ s own words , “ a comprehensive investigation should include the logs of two laboratories in Wuhan , namely the logs of the ‘ Wuhan Institute of Virology ’ and the ‘ Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention ’ , but WHO personnel can not access the logs.
” Nevertheless , he continued , the laboratory logs “ would need to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full look at the story of the origins.
” WHO ’ s biggest mistake—one which has cost millions of infections and deaths–was taking China ’ s word that there was no human-to-human transmission .
By mid-December , according to The Lancet , evidence was accumulating in China that such transmission was occurring , enabling the disease to spread like wildfire .
Yet for weeks the Chinese authorities kept this fact hidden , insisting to Dr. Galea that no such transmission was occurring .
WHO dutifully followed the Party line , tweeting on January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.
” There has been only “ limited ” human-to-human transmission , a Geneva-based WHO official parroted the same day .
So what does Dr. Galea have to say about this now ?
He and his colleagues were “ increasingly worried and convinced , suspecting strongly there would be human-to-human transmission .
But as yet the cases that had been presented to us and the investigations had not yet confirmed that 100 % .
” When he was finally allowed to visit Wuhan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ground immediately told him the truth .
“ We simply asked [ about human-to-human transmission ] as one of the first questions .
And immediately we got that answer … two healthcare workers that were infected.
” That same day , the Communist authorities finally announced what they had known for weeks , that the Wuhan Virus was transmissible human to human .
That was about a month too late to save the world from a deadly pandemic .
The sheer infectiousness of the Wuhan Virus was not the only thing China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It also grossly underreported the number of new infections .
By January 3 , the authorities had reported a total of only 41 cases .
But even more absurd was what followed : For the next 12 days , the authorities reported exactly zero new cases .
“ Is it likely that there were only 41 cases for that period of time ?
” Dr. Galea asked .
“ I would think not .
… obviously some growth would have occurred .
… That is something that China will have to answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defending the idea that the Wuhan Virus “ is a naturally occurring , not a manufactured virus.
” But he torpedoes the CCP ’ s claim that the coronavirus originated in the U.S. “ From all available evidence , WHO … .
[ is ] convinced that the origins are in Wuhan … ” All in all , Dr. Galea ’ s interview reads like an effort to absolve WHO from responsibility for the pandemic by suggesting that WHO was just as misled by China ’ s cover-up as was the rest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , “ We only knew what China was reporting to us at that period in time.
” The timing of Dr. Galea ’ s defense of WHO is telling .
It comes just a week after President Trump ordered U.S. spy agencies to investigate whether the WHO was engaged in a cover-up of its own .
A specific “ tasking ” was sent to the National Security Agency , the Defense Intelligence Agency , and the Central Intelligence Agency to look into what WHO officials , including Galea , knew about early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they hid this information from the world .
Based on evidence he has seen , President Trump is convinced , as he told reporters in the Oval Office on April 29 , that the WHO “ misled us.
” “ They must have known more than they knew .
We knew things that they didn ’ t know , and either they didn ’ t know [ or ] they didn ’ t tell us , ” he said .
“ Right now , they ’ re literally a pipe organ for China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view it.
” As far as China itself , the cover-up continues .
The Communist authorities continue to publish laughably low numbers of infections and deaths , all the while denying the reality that Wuhan Virus outbreaks continue in a number of Chinese cities .
They continue to propagate the narrative that China is the world ’ s most successful country in containing the Wuhan Virus and a “ model ” for other countries to follow .
Tellingly , Dr. Galea does not dispute either China ’ s numbers or its claims .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ epidemic has been brought under control and lockdowns have been lifted in China , the WHO is studying the country 's current epidemic prevention .

He admitted that WHO has been shut out of the investigation into the origins of the Wuhan Virus.
May 4, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – After his April 30 interview with Britain’s Sky News, WHO’s man in China, Dr. Gauden Galea, may find that he is no longer welcome there. The fact that he couched his complaints about China’s continuing cover-up in diplomatic niceties will not save him. China Communist leaders bristle at the mere hint of a rebuke, and rebuke them he did.
“We know that some national investigation is happening,” Dr. Galea complained, “but at this stage we have not been invited to join. … WHO is making requests of the health commission and of the authorities. The origins of [the] virus are very important, the animal-human interface is extremely important and needs to be studied.”
Asked if there were any grounds to exclude the WHO from that investigation, Dr. Galea replied: “Not from our point of view.”
It was bad enough that Dr. Galea complained that WHO was shut out of the investigation, but he went on from there to say exactly what I and many other people have been saying since the beginning of the outbreak: the China authorities must release the research records of the two Wuhan biolabs doing bat coronavirus research.
In the WHO China representative’s own words, “a comprehensive investigation should include the logs of two laboratories in Wuhan, namely the logs of the ‘Wuhan Institute of Virology’ and the ‘Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention’, but WHO personnel cannot access the logs.” Nevertheless, he continued, the laboratory logs “would need to be part of any full report, any full look at the story of the origins.”
WHO’s biggest mistake—one which has cost millions of infections and deaths–was taking China’s word that there was no human-to-human transmission. By mid-December, according to The Lancet, evidence was accumulating in China that such transmission was occurring, enabling the disease to spread like wildfire. Yet for weeks the Chinese authorities kept this fact hidden, insisting to Dr. Galea that no such transmission was occurring.
WHO dutifully followed the Party line, tweeting on January 14 that “Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.” There has been only “limited” human-to-human transmission, a Geneva-based WHO official parroted the same day.
So what does Dr. Galea have to say about this now? He and his colleagues were “increasingly worried and convinced, suspecting strongly there would be human-to-human transmission. But as yet the cases that had been presented to us and the investigations had not yet confirmed that 100%.”
When he was finally allowed to visit Wuhan on January 20, healthcare workers on the ground immediately told him the truth. “We simply asked [about human-to-human transmission] as one of the first questions. And immediately we got that answer … two healthcare workers that were infected.”
That same day, the Communist authorities finally announced what they had known for weeks, that the Wuhan Virus was transmissible human to human. That was about a month too late to save the world from a deadly pandemic.
The sheer infectiousness of the Wuhan Virus was not the only thing China hid from the WHO and the world. It also grossly underreported the number of new infections. By January 3, the authorities had reported a total of only 41 cases. But even more absurd was what followed: For the next 12 days, the authorities reported exactly zero new cases.
“Is it likely that there were only 41 cases for that period of time?” Dr. Galea asked. “I would think not. … obviously some growth would have occurred. … That is something that China will have to answer for.”
The WHO official is still defending the idea that the Wuhan Virus “is a naturally occurring, not a manufactured virus.” But he torpedoes the CCP’s claim that the coronavirus originated in the U.S. “From all available evidence, WHO …. [is] convinced that the origins are in Wuhan …”
All in all, Dr. Galea’s interview reads like an effort to absolve WHO from responsibility for the pandemic by suggesting that WHO was just as misled by China’s cover-up as was the rest of the world. Or as he puts it, “We only knew what China was reporting to us at that period in time.”
The timing of Dr. Galea’s defense of WHO is telling. It comes just a week after President Trump ordered U.S. spy agencies to investigate whether the WHO was engaged in a cover-up of its own. A specific “tasking” was sent to the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Central Intelligence Agency to look into what WHO officials, including Galea, knew about early spread of the Wuhan Virus and whether they hid this information from the world.
Based on evidence he has seen, President Trump is convinced, as he told reporters in the Oval Office on April 29, that the WHO “misled us.”
“They must have known more than they knew. We knew things that they didn’t know, and either they didn’t know [or] they didn’t tell us,” he said. “Right now, they’re literally a pipe organ for China, that’s the way I view it.”
As far as China itself, the cover-up continues. The Communist authorities continue to publish laughably low numbers of infections and deaths, all the while denying the reality that Wuhan Virus outbreaks continue in a number of Chinese cities. They continue to propagate the narrative that China is the world’s most successful country in containing the Wuhan Virus and a “model” for other countries to follow.
Tellingly, Dr. Galea does not dispute either China’s numbers or its claims. Rather he says that, since the epidemic has been brought under control and lockdowns have been lifted in China, the WHO is studying the country's current epidemic prevention.
One might say that China’s “pipe organ” continues to pipe, although perhaps not quite as loudly. Steven W. Mosher (@StevenWMosher) is the President of the Population Research Institute and the author of Bully of Asia: Why China’s Dream is the New Threat to World Order.
Follow Steven Steven Mosher is an internationally recognised authority on China and population issues as well as an acclaimed author and speaker and founder and head of the Population Research Institute. He was the first American social scientist to visit mainland China in 1979 where he witnessed women being forced to have abortion under the new “one-child-policy” which he then exposed to the world. Mr. Mosher was a pro-choice atheist at the time, but witnessing these traumatic abortions led him to reconsider his convictions and to eventually become a practicing, pro-life Roman Catholic. Mosher has appeared numerous times before the US Congress as an expert in world population, China and human Rights abuses. He has also made TV appearances on Good Morning America, 60 Minutes, The Today Show, 20/20, FOX and CNN news, as well as being a regular guest on talk radio shows across the nation. He is the author of the best-selling A Mother’s Ordeal: One woman’s Fight Against China’s One-Child-Policy. His latest book is Bully of Asia, exposing the threat of China to the entire world at this time. Articles by Steve have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, The New Republic, The Washington Post, National Review, Reason, The Asian Wall Street Journal, Freedom Review, Linacre Quarterly, Catholic World Report, Human Life Review, First Things, and numerous other publications. Steven Mosher lives in Virginia with his wife, Vera, and their nine children.
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