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| For Homeschoolers: How to Teach Virtue |
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Posted by: Stone - 09-17-2021, 02:47 PM - Forum: General Commentary
- Replies (1)
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Why Telling Stories to Our Children is the Best Kind of Character Education …
by Williams Kilpatrick
In After Virtue, Alasdair MacIntyre observes that in all classical and heroic societies, “the chief means of moral education is the telling of stories.” In a real sense the heroes of the Iliad and the Odyssey were the moral tutors of the Greeks. Likewise Aeneas was the model of heroic piety on which young Romans were nurtured. Icelandic and Irish children were suckled on sagas. And the Christian world, which reaped the inheritance of both classical and heroic societies, carried on this tradition of moral education with Bible stories, stories from the lives of saints, and stories of chivalry. To be educated properly was to know of Achilles and Odysseus, Hector and Aeneas, and later to know of Beowulf and Arthur and Percival and the Christian story of salvation.
The telling of stories does not seem to hold a place of much importance in contemporary attempts at moral education. In most American and Canadian schools, the favored methods for developing moral awareness are the moral reasoning approach of Harvard psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg and the values clarification approach developed by University of Massachusetts psychologist Sidney Simon and his colleagues. These models rely heavily on group discussion, analysis of competing claims, and the development of decision-making skills. The closest approximation to a story is the presentation of a moral dilemma: a man contemplates stealing a drug for his dying wife; passengers on a foundering lifeboat decide whether to toss their fellows overboard and who should be sacrificed; survivors in a fallout shelter debate whether to admit outsiders to their sanctuary.
It will be apparent at once that there are important differences between these modern “fables” and the old ones. And the differences give us, in turn, a clue to the differences in thinking that animate the modern as opposed to the classical and Christian approaches to moral education. The first difference is that no attempt is made to delineate character in the moral dilemma, whereas character is everything in the heroic story. In the saga or epic, everything revolves around the character of the hero—whether he exercises, or fails to exercise, the virtues. But the characters in the dilemmas have no characters, only decisions to make. Both Heinz (the man in the purloined drug dilemma) and Ulysses must aid their wives, but there the comparison ends. Heinz is no Ulysses. He is a blank, a cipher. He is there because he is needed to present a dilemma. We have no interest in him, only in his case. One cannot imagine parents passing down to their children the saga of Heinz and the stolen drug.
The second difference is this: The actors in the dilemmas are not tied to any social particularities—traditions, loyalties, locations, or histories. True, Heinz is attached to his wife, but there is no indication why he should be. We know why Ulysses is loyal to Penelope, since her virtues are carefully enumerated. As in all the old stories the hero’s deeds are rooted in loyalty, not only to homeland and tribe, but also to hearth—essential details that are absent from the dilemmas.
What is implied in this approach is that particular loves and loyalties—the kind that make for a good story—are largely irrelevant to moral issues. One can somehow dispense with the prelude of moral particularities and leap right into the arena of universal principles. The assumption is that the kernel of good moral judgment lies in abstract devotion to abstract principles. In Kohlberg’s scheme, where justice is the sole guiding principle, one must leave mother and father, wife and husband, and cleave to the principle of Justice with a capital J. Moreover, there is the suggestion that devotion to father and mother or attachment between wife and husband may have nothing to do with the pursuit of justice. As in so much contemporary psychology, the central concern is with the autonomous individual.
The third difference between the old stories and the new dilemmas is that the new stories, properly speaking, do not have endings. They are open-ended, unfinished. They await your judgment. What should the shelter survivors do next? You decide. Was Heinz right to steal the drug? You decide. There is, in short, no sense that the story is ever complete or definitive. It’s up for grabs and will be again next year with the next class. You can do what you want with these stories; you cannot with the Odyssey. There is no sense of a life fully lived or a mission completed. All of which amounts to saying that they are not stories after all. The old storytelling approach to moral education has been replaced with something new. Spring1.indd
The new approach is one from which the concepts of character and virtue are entirely missing. From its point of view, the life of a man is envisioned not as a personal story in which accumulated habits and actions may eventually harden into virtue or vice, but as a disconnected series of ethical and other dilemmas—all amenable to rational solution. If we return to the heroic, classical, and Christian stories, we can see how stark this contrast is and how radically novel the new approach is. And although the current techniques of moral education are largely the offspring of psychologists, we may note that the ancients had a more profound grasp of the psychology underlying moral education.
The telling of stories—as opposed to the presentation of open-ended dilemmas—implies first of all that adults have something to pass on to children, a valuable inheritance that children might not come by on their own. This is easy enough to accept about other cultures. “If we were anthropologists observing members of a tribe,” writes Andrew Oldenquist, “it would be the most natural thing in the world to expect them to teach their morality and culture to their children and, moreover, to think that they had a perfect right to do so . . . ” If we observed, he continues, that a society failed to do these things, we would conclude that they were “ruined, pitiable, alienated from their own values, and on the way out.” As I say, this is easy enough to see for other cultures, but when it comes to our own, a certain inhibition against cultural transmission sets in. A pervasive mentality of nondirectiveness and subjectiveness dictates that we don’t have the right to impose our values on our children. And consequently, we are forced to create the fiction that each child is in his own right a miniature Socrates—a moral philosopher, as Kohlberg would have it.
The traditional view is that adults do possess a moral treasure, and that to deprive children of it would in itself show a lack of virtue. We do not, to draw a rough analogy, wait until our children have reached the age of reason before suggesting that they brush their teeth. But sooner or later children will be able to figure out for themselves that brushing is a prudent practice. This is not necessarily true of moral practices. The moral treasure can be acquired only in a certain way. And if it is not obtained in that way, it is not possessed at all. This is why Aristotle said that only those who have been well brought up can usefully study ethics. And why Plato maintained that the well-bred youth is nurtured from his earliest days to love the Good and the Beautiful “so that when Reason at length comes to him, then bred as he has been, he will hold out his hands in welcome and recognize her because of the affinity he bears to her.”
What, then, is the proper form of education in regard to morality? It is, necessarily, an initiation, “men transmitting manhood to men,” as C. S. Lewis puts it. And this is best accomplished not by direct moral exhortation but indirectly through example and practice. One cannot have classes in moral education. It is, rather, more like an apprentice learning from a master. “
Yet, even in the most virtuous of societies, adults, recognizing their own shortcomings, have seen the need to point to examples of moral wisdom and moral courage beyond themselves. Hence the reliance on heroic stories as the embodiment of cultural ideals. When virtues have fallen into desuetude, the need for stories about virtuous and courageous men, women, and children becomes more acute. Aware of this, Lewis created in The Chronicles of Narnia literature of virtue of the type that can be considered both exemplar of and preparation for a mature morality. The Narnia Chronicles certainly seem to embody Aristotle’s dictum that the aim of education is to make the pupil like and dislike what he ought.
But if the heroic stories provide examples, we need to ask, examples of what? It would be a mistake to look upon the heroes of myth and epic as examples of autonomous moral agents or inventors of new moralities (as Nietzsche did), just as it would be a mistake to look upon them as stoic rule-abiders. The heroes of such stories are not moral philosophers, nor are they stoic. They are virtuous, or they strive to be virtuous. For classical and heroic societies and for those that sustain those traditions, morality is not a matter of following rules or making rules; it has to do with acquiring virtue. The virtues displayed by Achilles are what hold our attention, not any set of maxims he may expound. It is his loyalty to his friends that matters, not his loyalty to principle. Virtues are displayed in his actions, not only in what he says. The heroic man is not a moral pioneer who charts new ethics; rather, he is someone who does what ought to be done.
Even in the Gospel stories, the heroic theme is predominant. As I have written elsewhere, “there is nothing in Christ’s attitude about himself to suggest that he saw himself mainly as a teacher. There is a strong suggestion that Jesus looked upon himself as someone who had a job to do. And the quality of that task was not unlike the quest of a Greek or Roman hero.” Christ does what is required. He comes to do the will of Him by whom He was sent. He lays down his life for his friends, not for the sake of a principle.
Indeed, in the heroic literature there is usually very little question about what has to be done (most of the moral dilemmas in the Gospels are posed by the Pharisees); the question is whether the hero can resist temptation and do what he ought to do. Will his training in the virtues see him through?
Stories of virtue, courage, and justice can and should play a central part in the formation of good habit, that is, in the formation of character. Stories provide a way of habituating children to virtue. They help to instill proper sentiments. They reinforce indirectly the more explicit moral teaching of family, church, and school. They provide also a defense against the relentless process of desensitization that goes on in modern societies. And they provide a standard against which erosion of standards can be measured.
In addition, stories expand the imagination. Moral development is not simply a matter of becoming more rational or acquiring decision-making skills. It has to do with vision, the way one looks at life. Indeed, moral evil and sin are sometimes described by theologians as an inability to see rightly. Conversely, moral improvement is often described (by very ordinary people as well as theologians) as the result of seeing things in a different light or seeing them for the first time. “I was blind but now I see” is more than a line from an old hymn; it is the way a great many people look at their moral growth. The transformation of the moral life is rarely effected without a transformation of imagination. It follows that one of the central tasks of moral education is to nourish the imagination with rich and powerful images of the kind found in stories, myths, poems, biography, and drama. If we wish our children to grow up with a deep and adequate vision of life, we must provide a rich fund for them to draw on.
What’s more, stories appeal to the child’s normal need for identification, which is a need not for finding others just like himself (the mistake of so much contemporary children’s literature) but for finding others who are better than himself—who are just like he might become if he fulfills his potential for goodness. Identification, therefore, is built on pretense, but there is such a thing as good pretense. C. S. Lewis, in writing about his own development, admits to a certain hypocrisy when in the company of an army friend, a man of deep conscience. He then says, “The distinction between pretending you are better than you are and beginning to be better in reality is finer than moral sleuthhounds conceive.”
But we must also be clear about what we mean by a hero. Heroic stories link strength or cunning or resourcefulness with virtue. Galahad’s strength is as the strength of ten because his heart is pure. Beowulf, who has the strength of thirty men in his grip, is also renowned as “the kindest of worldly kings.” The cunning of Ulysses is used in the service of loyalty to his men. In the old epics the superheroes’ qualities do not end with raw power. But that seems to be a current trend. Consider the popularity of The Hulk—a television series spun off the comic book of the same name. The Hulk, hardly human, is more like a force of nature; he appears to be, for the most part, amoral.
Moral literature need not be of epic proportions. There is also a place for stories of manners and duty, decency and virtue, loyalty and friendship on a less epic scale—stories that say, in effect: However ordinary people actually behave toward one another, this is how they ought to behave. The Little House on the Prairie, The Wind in the Willows, and The Hobbit (a combination of heroism and hominess) come to mind as examples of this type of literature. Younger children need stories that are similar but much shorter and can be told orally.
It might be a mistake to inundate a child with too many stories. But it is important that the right kind of stories be repeated over and over until they are nearly learned by heart. After all, if repetition were not such an effective technique in the education of habits, we can be certain that the advertisers would long since have ceased to employ it.
- Originally published in The Classical Teacher Late Summer 2012.
William Kirk Kilpatrick is the author of several books, including Psychological Seduction and Why Johnny Can’t Tell Right From Wrong. His commentary on cultural and educational topics have appeared in First Things, Policy Review, American Enterprise, American Educator, The Los Angeles Times, and various scholarly journals. His articles on Islam have appeared in Investor’s Business Daily, FrontPage Magazine, Jihad Watch, Catholic World Report, The National Catholic Register, World, and other publications.
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| Two senior FDA officials resign over Biden administration booster shot plan |
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Posted by: SAguide - 09-17-2021, 10:57 AM - Forum: COVID Vaccines
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President Biden’s administration’s plan calls for a third dose of the Pfizer or
Moderna vaccine eight months after recipients’ second jab.
The two officials are allegedly leaving their positions because they are frustrated with White House pressures to move forward with booster vaccines without FDA approval, as well as with the CDC’s involvement in the vaccine approval process.
Indeed, the FDA has only approved booster vaccines for those who are immunocompromised, but the Biden Administration announced it is expected to have booster shots for most Americans beginning around September 20.
Link
Two senior officials have resigned from their positions within the US Food and Drug Administration over frustrations with the Biden administration’s plans to move forward with recommending COVID-19 booster shots without their prior approval, according to a report.
Marion Gruber, director of the FDA’s Office of Vaccines Research & Review, and deputy director Phil Krause are set to leave the agency this fall, with sources telling Politico that the two officials were at odds with the FDA’s top vaccine official, Peter Marks, and were discontented over the roles of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in decisions that they believed should be handled by the FDA.
According to trade publication Endpoints, the officials felt they were sidelined on major decisions, that the administration’s plan for boosters was jumping the gun, and that Marks should have pushed for the FDA to have more autonomy on the matter.
Marks played a leading role in helping the administration craft its August announcement of calls for an additional vaccine for most adults after eight months.
Marks announced the resignations in a letter to colleagues obtained by Endpoints.
“The administration’s booster plan; it wasn’t the FDA’s booster plan,” University of Pennsylvania infectious disease expert Paul Offit, who serves on the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee, told Politico. “The administration has kind of backed themselves up against the wall a little bit here.”
Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock sent a memo to regulators Tuesday standing by the booster timeline, stating, “The issues are complex and the days are long, but please know the work you all have done to date and will continue to do in the days, weeks and months ahead, will hopefully one day allow us to fully put Covid-19 behind us and better prepare us for future challenges.”
Jeff Zients, the Biden administration’s coronavirus czar, also defended the booster timeline.
Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock sent a memo to regulators Tuesday standing by the booster timeline, stating, “The issues are complex and the days are long, but please know the work you all have done to date and will continue to do in the days, weeks and months ahead, will hopefully one day allow us to fully put Covid-19 behind us and better prepare us for future challenges.”
Jeff Zients, the Biden administration’s coronavirus czar, also defended the booster timeline.
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| New FDA records show purchases of fetal organs, heads and tissue for ‘humanized mice’ project |
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Posted by: Stone - 09-17-2021, 10:11 AM - Forum: Abortion
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New FDA records show purchases of fetal organs, heads and tissue for ‘humanized mice’ project
The records are from a March 2019 Freedom of Information Act.
![[Image: Mice-810x500.jpeg]](https://www.lifesitenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Mice-810x500.jpeg)
Lab scientist performing tests on a mouse.
Thu Sep 16, 2021 - 6:30 am EDT
(Judicial Watch) – Judicial Watch announced Tuesday that it received 198 pages of records and communications from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) involving “humanized mice” research with human fetal heads, organs and tissue, including communications and contracts with human fetal tissue provider Advanced Bioscience Resources (ABR). Most of the records are communications and related attachments between Perrin Larton, a procurement manager for ABR, and research veterinary medical officer Dr. Kristina Howard of the FDA.
Judicial Watch received the records through a March 2019 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, of which the FDA is a part (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department Health and Human Services (No. 1:19-cv-00876)). The lawsuit asks for all contracts and related documentation on disbursement of funds, procedural documents and communications between FDA and ABR for the provision of human fetal tissue to be used in humanized mice research. After successfully opposing the FDA’s redaction of certain information from its records, a federal court ordered HHS to release additional information about its purchases of organs harvested from aborted human fetuses – including “line item prices,” or the price per organ the government paid to ABR.
The court also found “there is reason to question” whether the transactions violate federal law barring the sale of fetal organs. Documents previously uncovered in this lawsuit show that the federal government demanded the purchased fetal organs be “fresh and never frozen.”
The records include an FDA generated contract with ABR, based on a “requisition” it issued on July 27, 2012, for $12,000 worth of “tissue procurement for humanized mice,” indicates the requisition was for a “non-competitive award.” Although the initial award was for $12,000, the total estimated amount of funds allocated for the requisition was $60,000. Under “Justification for Other than Full and Open Competition,” the FDA writes:
Quote:Scientists within the FDA and in the larger field of humanized mouse research have searched extensively over the past several years and ABR is the only company in the U.S. capable of supplying tissues suitable for HM research. No other company or organization is capable of fulfilling the need.
***
Costs are estimated [for the fetal parts] at $230 per tissue x two tissues per shipment = $460 plus $95 shipping = $555 per shipment. A total of 21 shipments = $11,655.00.
An April 1, 2013, “Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract” form that shows the FDA purchased fetal livers and thymuses from ABR going back to at least October 2012, billing $580 per liver/thymus set, but later paying a unit price of $685.
A January 1, 2013, “Fees for Services Schedule” provided by ABR to the FDA includes:
FETAL CADAVEROUS PROCUREMENT SERVICE FEE
2nd trimester D&E [Dilation and Evacuation abortion] (13-24 weeks) per specimen $275
1st trimester aspiration [abortion] (8-12 weeks) per specimen $515
Intact Calvarium [baby’s skull] (8-24 weeks)” per specimen $515
The fees for services schedule also includes “Special Processing/Preservation” of the fetal parts, such as “Tissue ‘Cleaning,’” “Snap freezing” and “Passive freezing (Dry ice).”
In a September 9, 2014, “Order for Supplies or Services,” the FDA writes regarding a $9,900 order:
The Contractors shall ship 2nd Trimester thymus $325, 2nd Trimester liver $325. Overnight deliver $150 and EFT wire transfer fee $25, for a total per delivery of $825. Total of this contract not to exceed $9,900.00.
As the result of an August 21, 2015, “Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract,” ABR bumped up the price of baby livers and thymuses from $325 each to $340 each.
A “Tissue Acquisition Quote” sent by ABR to Howard on July 5, 2017, provided a quote of $5,440 each to provide 16 sets of second trimester (16-24 weeks) livers and 16 sets of second trimester (16-24 weeks) thymuses at $340 per “sample.” The request for the quote notes that “tissue known to be positive for HIV, HepA, HepB, HepC or chromosomal abnormalities are not acceptable.”
On June 28, 2017, a redacted FDA contract specialist sends Larton at ABR a request for a quote (RFQ) of pricing for human fetal tissue, aged “16-24 weeks,” including a “Statement of Needs”:
Quote:The HM [humanized mice] are created by surgical implantations of human tissue into mice that have multiple genetic mutations that block the development of the mouse immune system at a very early stage. The absence of the mouse immune system allows the human tissues to grow and develop into functional human tissues…. In order for the humanization to proceed correctly we need to obtain fetal tissue with a specific set of specialized characteristics.
A May 2018, report from a company named “LABS,” which was employed by ABR to test fetal parts and their mothers for hepatitis and HIV, notes in its “methodology description” that they are approved by the FDA “for living and cadaveric donor screening.”
The records include a recitation of requirements by the FDA for “Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer,” in which ABR must adhere to regulations relating to “Convict Labor” and “Child Labor-Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies.”
On September 24, 2018, the Trump FDA terminated its contract with ABR for human tissue purchases and began an audit of its acquisitions of baby body parts. The records include the FDA’s letter terminating the contract:
Quote:Based on the terms and conditions of the Purchase Order as awarded to Advanced Bioscience Resources, Inc. (“ABR”) on July 27, 2018, the Government is not sufficiently assured that the human tissue provided to the Government to humanize the immune systems of mice will comply with the prohibitions set forth under 42 U.S.C. § 289g- 2. Furthermore, the Government has concerns with the sufficiency of the sole-source justification. Therefore, pursuant to FAR [Federal Acquisition Regulation] clause 52.213-4(f), the Purchase Order is being terminated effective September 24, 2018.
“Chopping up aborted human beings for their organs and tissue is a moral and legal outrage,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “This issue should be front and center in any debate about America’s barbaric abortion industry.”
In February 2020, Judicial Watch first uncovered through this lawsuit hundreds of pages of records from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) showing that the agency paid thousands of dollars to a California-based firm to purchase organs from aborted human fetuses to create “humanized mice” for HIV research.
In May 2021, this lawsuit uncovered FDA records showing the agency spent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to buy human fetal tissue from ABR. The tissue was used in creating “humanized mice” to test “biologic drug products.” The records indicated the FDA wanted tissue purchases “Fresh; shipped on wet ice.”
On August 3, 2021, Judicial Watch announced that it and The Center for Medical Progress (CMP), through a separate lawsuit, received 252 pages of new documents from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that reveal nearly $3 million in federal funds were spent on the University of Pittsburgh’s quest to become a “Tissue Hub” for human fetal tissue ranging from 6 to 42 weeks’ gestation. The Pitt scientists note that, “All fetal tissue is collected through a collaborative process including Family Planning, Obstetrics and Pathology.” Pitt anticipated “being able to harvest and distribute quality tissue and cells … [and] do not anticipate any major problems related to the acquisition and distribution of the tissues.” Pitt’s target goal “is to have available a minimum of 5 cases (tissues and if possible other biologicals) per week of gestational age for ages 6-42 weeks.”
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| Mapped: Afghan refugees headed to 46 states |
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Posted by: Stone - 09-17-2021, 09:43 AM - Forum: General Commentary
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Mapped: Afghan refugees headed to 46 states
[Note this is only the first wave of 37,000 Afghan refugees.]
Axios [liberal news media outlet - slightly adapted] | September 16, 2021
![[Image: Capture.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/YqJmvHzx/Capture.png)
Screenshot - 9/17/21
The Biden administration notified governors and mayors on Wednesday of the number of Afghan evacuees their state is expected to receive in the coming weeks, two senior administration officials told Axios.
Why it matters: Although their exact immigration pathway is still unclear, an initial group of 37,000 Afghans will soon be headed to states across the country after many faced harrowing journeys from Afghanistan.
- Former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell (D), who President Biden appointed on Friday to oversee Afghan resettlement, made calls to state and local leaders notifying them on the number of Afghans to expect.
- In conversations with nearly every state on Wednesday, not one official declined to take in Afghans, one senior administration official told Axios. "I have to say it was a very warm conversation with state and local leaders."
By the numbers: California is projected to receive the largest number of Afghans at 5,255. Next is Texas, at 4,481, according to State Department data obtained by Axios.
- Hawaii, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wyoming are the only states not slated to receive anyone from the first group of evacuees, along with Washington, D.C.
- AP first reported on the numbers.
The big picture: The 37,000 is just the first group of Afghans who will be making new homes in American communities. Because they are not coming through the usual refugee process, caring for this population has come with numerous legal and logistical hurdles for groups in charge of their resettlement.
- Even the housing crunch has had an impact. The administration has been assured by refugee resettlement agencies that the evacuees in the initial group have places to live, an official said.
- The administration is also looking at launching new resettlement sites in places that have more affordable housing and job opportunities.
Of note: The group of refugees includes some Afghans who helped the U.S. in Afghanistan and applied for the Special Immigrant Visa, but officials declined to provide the exact numbers.- More than half of Afghans who have been brought to the states helped the U.S. government or are related to someone who did — that includes both SIV applicants and those who did not apply to the program, an official said.
- Thousands of others who do not have U.S. citizenship, green cards or Special Immigrant Visas will remain in shelters on military bases across the country, for now.
- More evacuees are waiting in third countries. Flights from these countries to the U.S. have been suspended due to a handful of measles cases among recently-arrived Afghans, senior officials told reporters on Tuesday.
What to watch: The Biden administration is depending on Congress to unlock additional resources for Afghans brought to the U.S. on "parole." The proposed legislation would also provide them an expedited path to a green card.
- One senior administration official noted there has been strong bipartisan support for caring for Afghans, especially those who aided the U.S. While legislation is the priority, the administration has also explored potential back-up plans — including ways to expedite the asylum process for Afghans, the official confirmed.
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| Mother of rescued boy believes police video shows the Virgin Mary kept him safe |
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Posted by: Stone - 09-17-2021, 09:31 AM - Forum: General Commentary
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[Australian] Mother of rescued boy Anthony ‘AJ’ Elfalak believes police video shows the Virgin Mary kept him safe
The mother of a toddler who was rescued after being lost in bushland believes a police video shows the Virgin Mary next to her son protecting him.
See here for video of rescue
NCA NewsWire | September 16, 2021
The family of young Anthony “AJ” Elfalak, who was found alive after being lost in bushland for three days, believe a blurry image taken from a police helicopter proves he was being cared for by the Virgin Mary.
AJ, who has autism and is non-verbal, was missing in an extremely rugged part of the NSW Hunter Valley before crew on a helicopter spotted him drinking muddy water at a creek on September 6.
His mother Kelly said she firmly believed saints, angels and the Virgin Mary played a role in keeping the boy safe.
![[Image: 1a4fc976d04f8b78438c9425153b5ed8]](https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/1a4fc976d04f8b78438c9425153b5ed8)
Anthony “AJ” Elfalak survived three days lost in bushland. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Peter Lorimer
“We’re a religious family ... I always say that the Virgin Mary and all the saints and the angels are with my kids every day,” she recently said in a social media video.
“The Virgin Mary is always with us and I knew she was always with AJ.
“If you saw the picture of AJ in the creek, you can actually see the Virgin Mary next to him.”
![[Image: d03be8d1a733e28316f445df9409f8e8]](https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/d03be8d1a733e28316f445df9409f8e8)
The boy’s mother says the Virgin Mary can be seen the police helicopter footage.
Ms Elfalak said she believed strongly in the power of prayer.
“I prayed one hour before ... I took the holy communion ... I just had that feeling. I said to myself ‘I’m going to see him soon’,” she said.
A short time later, she learnt he had been found and she collapsed.
“I was in shock. It was such a relief. I can’t describe it. I just couldn’t believe that they found my baby,” she said.
“I’m just so blessed and I’m so grateful.”
Ms Elfalak said her son was doing well after his harrowing ordeal.
“He’s healthy, he’s happy, he only has a few cuts — nothing serious, so he’s doing really well,” she said.
Ms Elfalak said AJ had been “very distraught” when he was found.
“He was scared. He knew something was wrong ... he was holding onto me really tightly,” she said.
“He looked at me and with his eyes ... he just thought ‘Oh my God, my mum’s here’ ... and then he fell asleep.”
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| COVID-19 Vaccine Passport Mandatory In Italy For All Private Sector Workers: Officials |
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Posted by: Stone - 09-17-2021, 07:51 AM - Forum: COVID Passports
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COVID-19 Vaccine Passport Mandatory In Italy For All Private Sector Workers: Officials
ZH | SEP 17, 2021
Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times
The Italian government on Thursday approved among the strictest COVID-19 rules in the world by mandating that all private and public sector employees get the vaccine and show proof of vaccination, a negative test, or a recent recovery from infection, officials said.
The rules will go into effect on Oct. 15, which would penalize any worker with a suspension from their job with no pay. However, the mandate stipulates that they cannot get terminated from their job, according to provisions of the measure.
The country’s Council of Ministers, during a Thursday evening meeting, voted to approve the rules, Minister of Health Roberto Speranza said after the government approved the mandate, reported Il Gazettino.
Quote:“We will also make the network of active pharmacies more widespread” that are “capable of administering swabs [and] rapid antigen tests in our country,” Speranza said, adding that the government decree will likely boost vaccination rates in Italy.
Individuals who go to work and cannot present a so-called “green pass,” a type of vaccine passport, will face a fine of between 600 and 1,500 euros ($705 to $1,175), according to the provisions.
The provisions also stipulate that private-sector employees who don’t have a green pass will not receive a salary starting Oct. 15, when the rule goes into effect.
While some European Union states have ordered their health workers to get vaccines, none have made the vaccine passports mandatory for all employees, making Italy the first to do so on the continent. Other countries like France have mandated vaccine passports to enter restaurants, gyms, some forms of travel, and other venues.
Over the past weekend, protests erupted in Italy over the green pass rule with reports saying that there were demonstrations in 120 cities.
Italy in March ordered health workers to get vaccinated or face suspension.
As of today, 728 doctors have been suspended, the doctors’ federation said on Thursday.
It was not immediately clear how many nurses or carers had refused to comply.
A similar measure in France came into force on Wednesday. Health Minister Olivier Veran said on Thursday that around 3,000 health workers had been suspended.
President Joe Biden, meanwhile, announced last week that he will direct the federal government to penalize private-sector employees and businesses to force workers to either submit to weekly COVID-19 testing or get the vaccine. The announcement drew significant criticism from Republican governors and attorneys general, who have threatened to file lawsuits against the administration.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich became the first state official to sue the Biden administration earlier this week, arguing that the government violates the Constitution by mandating that U.S. citizens get the vaccine while illegal immigrants don’t have to.
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| Alberta premier makes it illegal for ‘unvaccinated’ to gather, introduces vaccine passport |
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Posted by: Stone - 09-17-2021, 07:46 AM - Forum: Pandemic 2020 [Secular]
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Alberta premier makes it illegal for ‘unvaccinated’ to gather, introduces vaccine passport
‘I had already committed not to introduce proof of vaccination because of concerns I had around privacy rights. But we must deal with the reality that we are facing.’
![[Image: JasonKenneyReopen-810x500.jpg]](https://www.lifesitenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/JasonKenneyReopen-810x500.jpg)
Jason Kenney
Thu Sep 16, 2021
EDMONTON, Alberta (LifeSiteNews - slightly adapted) — Despite promising his province would be open “for good,” Premier of Alberta Jason Kenney introduced a COVID-19 vaccine passport Wednesday, as well as new rules banning “unvaccinated” people from gathering in their private homes.
“The decision not to get vaccinated is not just a personal choice, it has real consequences for our whole society and the ability of our hospitals to cope,” said Kenney Wednesday while announcing new restrictions.
“That is why the government has reluctantly decided to adopt the ‘Restriction Exemption Program,’ a proof of vaccination program for participation in certain discretionary activities that have a higher risk of viral transmission.”
Kenney began his press conference by declaring a state of emergency in Alberta due to high ICU rates. As of yesterday, there were 218 people in ICU in Alberta in relation to COVID-19.
Kenney’s harsh words for the “unvaccinated” also came with a note that “no one will be compelled to get vaccinated against their wishes.”
Alberta law was recently changed under Bill 66 to remove previous powers allowing the government to force people to get a vaccine.
Under the new rules, “unvaccinated” Albertans are banned from indoor social gatherings starting Thursday. Those who have been jabbed are allowed to gather indoors, however, they are limited to a single household plus one more household, at a maximum of 10 people. Kids under 12 are exempt.
Both those who have been jabbed and those who have chosen not to be will be allowed to gather outdoors, at a maximum of 200 people.
Kenney’s announcement Wednesday is a flip-flop regarding an earlier promise that he would not introduce vaccine passports in Alberta. He acknowledged this Wednesday.
“I had already committed not to introduce proof of vaccination because of concerns I had around privacy rights,” said Kenney. “But we must deal with the reality that we are facing.”
Alberta’s new “Restriction Exemption Program” will apply to restaurants, certain retail stores, adult sports, bars, pubs, entertainment, and recreation facilities. The vaccine passport will take effect on September 20.
Essential services such as grocery stores, pharmacies, and hospitals are exempt from the new rules.
Under the new vaccine passport, businesses that fall under the restrictions have two options: They can either take part in the program which will require proof of vaccination or a negative rapid test result and operate as “usual,” or they must restrict their capacity size.
However, only COVID tests from a pharmacy will be allowed to be used as proof, which cost $40 each on average.
Restaurants that choose not to go along with the program are banned from having in-person dining. Churches are now limited to one-third capacity, and masks and social distancing are mandatory. Masks are also mandatory in schools for grades 4 and up.
Kenney’s announcement comes only two weeks after directly blaming the “unvaccinated” for a rise in new COVID-19 cases while introducing the first round of restrictions.
Alberta introduced a COVID-19 vaccine incentive program two weeks ago. Every Albertan aged 18 and over who gets a COVID-19 jab between September 3 and October 13 is eligible for a $100 pre-paid debit card.
Only weeks before introducing new COVID-19 restrictions in September, a secretly recorded video shows Kenney swearing “to God” that his province would be open “for good.”
Leader of the People’s Party of Canada Maxime Bernier blasted Kenney’s new restrictions, tweeting, “Jason Kenney has just declared war on our Charter of rights and freedoms.”
“I will be in Alberta this weekend for the last stretch of the election campaign to join Albertans in their fight against this despot,” said Bernier.
A federal election will be held on September 20. Some polls have the PPC at 20 percent in Alberta.
Lawyer blasts Kenney for going on the attack against the “unvaccinated”
President of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) John Carpay said that by “virtue” of the Kenney government limiting the fully jabbed to “indoor social interactions of no more than ten people,” the government “acknowledges that vaccinated people are spreaders of viruses.”
“What evidence does the government rely on for its belief that unvaccinated people are worse spreaders of viruses than vaccinated people,” said Carpay in a statement sent to LifeSiteNews. “Premier Kenney has joined Prime Minister Trudeau in scapegoating, demonizing and vilifying the minority of unvaccinated individuals.”
Carpay also blasted Kenney for his government’s failure to not increase hospital bed capacity.
“Premier Jason Kenney has been fearmongering for 18 months about Alberta running out of intensive care beds and staff to manage Covid patients, yet his government continues to fail to increase health care capacity,” he said. “Seventeen months after announcing the increase of ICU capacity, the government has still failed to do so, instead crippling the economy with lockdowns and by incurring tens of billions in new debt that our children and grandchildren will need to repay.”
Carpay added that Kenney “complains about the unvaccinated people in the hospital” but “ignores the fact that everyone, including vaccinated individuals, can spread the virus.”
“There have been outbreaks in heavily vaccinated countries like Israel and Iceland, and the new vaccine is not effective against the Delta variant,” added Carpay.
The province’s health authority, Alberta Health Services (AHS), announced that all staff and contractors must be fully vaccinated by October 16.
The city of Calgary has mandated jabs for all city employees. The city of Edmonton is considering mandating COVID jabs but has not done so at this time. Employees were asked to disclose jab status by September 10.
As a result, frontline workers in Calgary recently stood in unison in silent protest of the city mandate requiring all employees to get the COVID-19 jabs or lose their jobs.
Also, on Saturday a large silent protest, estimated at more than 2,000 people, took place in Calgary in support of AHS nurses, doctors, and first responders opposed to jab mandates.
On Monday, protests against vaccine mandates were held outside hospitals in Calgary and Edmonton.
Kenney called the protestors an “outrageous small minority” and threatened to bring the full extent of the law on them should they block roadways.
Health Canada has authorized four COVID-19 injections for adults and one for kids age 12 and up (Pfizer), all with connections to cells derived from aborted babies. All four have also been associated with severe side effects such as blood clots, rashes, miscarriages, and even heart attacks in young, healthy men.
LifeSiteNews has put together a resource guide called “How to resist COVID jab mandates in Canada — a comprehensive guide.”
To make your views respectfully known, contact:
Premier of Alberta Jason Kenney
Office of the Premier
307 Legislature Building
10800 – 97 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2B6
Email: premier@gov.ab.ca
Phone: 780-427-2251
To contact your local MLA, click here.
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| UK unveils winter COVID plans, including ‘plan B’ to mandate face masks, vaccine passports |
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Posted by: Stone - 09-17-2021, 07:40 AM - Forum: Pandemic 2020 [Secular]
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UK unveils winter COVID plans, including ‘plan B’ to mandate face masks, vaccine passports
Plan B: Although the settings in which vaccination would be required are to be limited to 'large gatherings,'
the government added that extending the requirement more broadly 'cannot be entirely ruled out.'
Thu Sep 16, 2021 - 11:25 am EDT
LONDON (LifeSiteNews - slightly adpated) — The British government on Tuesday announced plans for the upcoming winter months, including implementing COVID-19 booster shots and the possibility of launching vaccine passports and reintroducing a mask mandate.
As part of a “winter COVID plan,” U.K. Health Secretary Sajid Javid has laid out a dual set of plans, A and B, outlining a strategy aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 during the upcoming winter months, including the implementation of booster shots and the possibility of vaccine passports becoming a requirement in “certain settings.”
Javid announced his “plan A” strategy to the House of Commons Tuesday morning, explaining that “there are five pillars to this plan” and emphasizing in the first place “the importance of our vaccination programme.”
According to Javid, “[t]he latest statistics from the ONS [Office for National Statistics] show that almost 99 percent of COVID-19 deaths in the first half of this year were people who had not received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.”
But according to an analysis of the data presented by the ONS in the Daily Sceptic, the ONS research period from January 1 to July 2 does not account for the fact that the Alpha variant was dominant at the time, nor does it account for the low number of jabs administered at the beginning of the year. Accordingly, the Daily Sceptic concluded that taking the ONS data as confirming anything about the achievement of the jabs is “meaningless” and “misleading.”
In fact, Public Health England data published at the beginning of September show that, in the last month alone, around 70 percent of deaths among COVID-positive individuals was in the double jabbed.
Although Javid touted the supposed success of the jabs based on ONS data, he subsequently announced that booster jabs will be made available to over 50s and, indeed, those with underlying health complications who are under 50 years of age, describing the top-up shots as “an important way” to keep the virus at bay. In an interview on Good Morning Britain, Javid said that the booster program would commence “next week,” targeting “30 million people.”
During the same interview, Javid determined that the restrictive measures being introduced “will not be behind us” by 2022. “COVID is with us for years, it’s probably with us forever,” the minister said. “I think vaccination is with us for a long time … we will learn to live with it,” he added.”
12–15-year-olds are also set to be offered the shot, which is part of Javid’s promise to “renew our [the government’s] efforts to maximise uptake” of the abortion-tainted shots.
Additionally, in his address to Commons, Javid suggested that “it is highly likely that frontline NHS staff” will be required to receive the experimental jab as a condition of their employment, although he did not confirm this.
Secondary measures of testing for the virus and tracing those who have tested positive, enforcing isolation of those individuals, will form part of the government’s COVID “plan A.” Javid underscored the testing and isolation of COVID-positive asymptomatic individuals, despite numerous experts and researchers debunking asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 as “more myth than reality.”
Prefacing his announcement of “contingency measures,” to be “call[ed] upon only if they are needed,” the health secretary argued that “we’ve seen how quickly this virus can adapt and change, so we have prepared a plan B.”
Javid announced to Parliament that, despite his promise just two days earlier that vaccine passports would not be introduced in the U.K., “we’ll be holding that power in reserve,” opening up the possibility of restricting unvaccinated individuals in “certain settings.”
The supposed backup plan makes provisions for “legally mandating face coverings in certain settings,” as well as “a further measure of asking people to work from home, if they can, for a limited time, if that is supported by the data.” Many businesses that cannot support work-from-home arrangements, such as the hospitality industry, will receive limited financial support from the government if the order is implemented.
An accompanying document to Javid’s announcement, “COVID-19 Response: Autumn and Winter Plan,” outlines the conditions under which “plan B” would be enacted. If “the NHS is likely to come under unsustainable pressure,” and that the “data suggests further measures are necessary to protect the NHS,” then the additional restrictions will come into force. The exact figures which constitute “unsustainable pressure” were not clearly elucidated by the government.
LifeSiteNews contacted the Department of Health and Social Care for clarification on what specific conditions would trigger the enactment of “plan B” measures. A department spokesman told LifeSite that the determination is “complex” and that the government will be monitoring hospitalizations “and various other things” to assess the level of pressure. There is no one measurement, such as hospital bed capacity, that will force the introduction of the government’s contingency plan, he said.
Regarding the settings in which face coverings would become legally mandatory, the spokesman told LifeSiteNews that “close indoor settings” would require mask wearing. Vaccination would be required before entry into “large events,” which would likely include nightclubs, the spokesman confirmed. When pressed on specific venues, the spokesman suggested that details would only be revealed closer to the time in which “plan B” would be implemented.
Until the extra measures are imposed, the government is encouraging “the voluntary use of the NHS COVID Pass,” which will “certify individuals based on vaccination, testing or natural immunity status.”
However, if “plan B” is enforced, “at that point the NHS COVID Pass will change to display full vaccination only,” offering no opt-out through natural immunity or presentation of a negative COVID test for entry to those venues where the mandate applies. Those under 18 and “those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons” will be afforded an exemption to this rule under the proposed guidelines. No mention of moral or religious exemptions was made.
Although the settings in which vaccination would be required are to be limited to “large gatherings,” the government added that extending the requirement more broadly “cannot be entirely ruled out.”
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| September 16th – St Cornelius, Pope & Martyr and St Cyprian, Bishop & Martyr |
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Posted by: Stone - 09-16-2021, 08:05 PM - Forum: September
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September 16 – St Cornelius, Pope & Martyr and St Cyprian, Bishop & Martyr
There is a peculiar beauty in the meeting of these two Saints upon the sacred Cycle. Cyprian, in a famous dispute, was once opposed to the Apostolic See: Eternal Wisdom now offers to the homage of the world, in company with one of the most illustrious successors of St. Peter.
Cornelius was, by birth, of the highest nobility; witness his tomb, lately discovered in the family crypt, surrounded by the most honorable names in the patrician ranks. The elevation of a descendant of the Scipios to the sovereign Pontificate linked the past grandeurs of Rome to her future greatness. Decius, who “would more easily have suffered a competitor in his empire than a Bishop in Rome,” had just issued the edict for the seventh general persecution. But the Cæsar bestowed upon the world’s capital by a village of Pannonia, could not stay the destinies of the Eternal City. Beside this blood-thirsty emperor, and others like him whose fathers were known in the city only as slaves or conquered enemies, the true Roman, the descendant of the Cornelii, might be recognized by his native simplicity, by the calmness of his strength of soul, by the intrepid firmness belonging to his race and wherewith he first triumphed over the usurper, who was soon to surrender to the Goths on the borders of the Danube. And yet, O holy Pontiff, thou art even greater by the humility which Cyprian, thy illustrious friend, admired in thee, and by that purity of thy virginal soul, through which, according to him, thou didst become the elect of God and of his Christ.
At thy side, how great is Cyprian himself! What a path of light is traced across the heavens of holy Church by this convert of the priest Cœcilius! In the generosity of his soul, when once conquered to Christ, he relinquished honors and riches, his family inheritance, and the glory acquired in the field of eloquence. All marvelled to see in him, as his historian says, the harvest gathered before the seed was sown. By a justifiable exception, he became a pontiff while yet a neophyte. During the ten years of his episcopate, all men, not only in Carthage and Africa, but in the whole world, had their eyes fixed upon him; the pagans crying: Cyprian to the lions! the Christians only awaiting his word of command in order to obey. Those ten years represent one of the most troubled periods of history. In the empire, anarchy was rife; the frontiers were the scene of repeated invasions; pestilence was raging everywhere: in the Church, a long peace, which had lulled men’s souls to sleep, was followed by the persecutions of Decius, Gallus, and Valerian. The first of these, suddenly bursting like a thunderstorm, caused the fall of many; which evil, in its turn, led to schisms, on account of the too great indulgence of some, and the excessive rigor of others, towards the lapsed.
Who, then, was to teach repentence to the fallen, the truth to the heretics, unity to the schismatics, and to the sons of God prayer and peace? Who was to bring back the virgins to the rules of a holy life? Who was to turn back against the Gentiles their blasphemous sophisms? Under the sword of death, who would speak of future happiness, and bring consolation to souls? Who would teach them mercy, patience, and the secret of changing the venom of envy into the sweetness of salvation? Who would assist the martyrs to rise to the height of their divine vocation? Who would uphold the confessors under torture, in prison, in exile? Who would preserve the survivors of martyrdom from the dangers of their regained liberty.
Cyprian, ever ready, seemed in his incomparable calmness to defy the powers of earth and of hell. Never had a flock a surer hand to defend it under a sudden attack, and to put to flight the wild boar of the forest. And how proud the shepherd was of the dignity of that Christian family which God had entrusted to his guidance and protection! Love for the Church was, so to say, the distinguishing feature of the Bishop of Carthage. In his immortal letters to his most brave and most happy brethren, confessors of Christ, and the honor of the Church, he exclaims: “Oh! truly blessed is our mother the Church, whom the divine condescension has so honored, who is made illustrious in our days by the glorious blood of the triumphant martyrs; formerly white by the good works of our brethren, she is now adorned with purple from the veins of her heroes; among her flowers, neither roses nor lilies are wanting.”
Unfortunately this very love, this legitimate, though falsely applied, jealousy for the noble Bride of our Savior, led Cyprian to err on the serious question of the validity of heretical baptism. “The only one,” he said, “alone possesses the keys, the power of the Spouse; we are defending her honor, when we repudiate the polluted water of the heretics.” He was forgetting that, although through our Lord’s merciful liberality, the most indispensable of the Sacraments does not lose its virtue when administered by a stranger, or even by an enemy of the Church; nevertheless it derives its fecundity, even then, from and through the Bride; being valid only through union with what she herself does. How true it is that neither holiness nor learning confers upon man that gift of infallibility, which was promised by our Lord to none but the successor of St. Peter. It was, perhaps, as a demonstration of this truth that God suffered this passing cloud to darken so lofty an intellect as Cyprian’s. The danger could not be serious, nor the error lasting, in one whose ruling thought is expressed in these words: “He that keeps not the unity of the Church, does he think to keep the faith? He that abandons the See of Peter whereon the Church is founded, can he flatter himself that he is still in the Church?”
Great in his life, Cyprian was still greater in death. Valerian had given orders for the extermination of the principal clergy; and in Rome, Sixtus II, followed by Laurence, had led the way to martyrdom. Galerius Maximus, proconsul of Africa, was then holding his assizes at Utica, and commanded Thascius Cyprian to be brought before him. But the bishop would not allow the “honor of his Church to be mutilated” by dying at a distance form his episcopal city. He therefore waited till the proconsul had returned to Carthage, and then delivered himself up by making a public entrance into the town.
In the house which served for a few hours as his prison, Cyprian, calm and unmoved, gathered his friends and family for the last time round his table. The Christians hastened from all parts to spend the night with their pastor and father. Thus, while he yet lived, they kept the first vigil of his future feast. When, in the morning, he was led before the proconsul, they offered him an arm-chair draped like a bishop’s seat. It was indeed the beginning of an episcopal function, the pontiff’s own peculiar office being to give his life for the Church, in union with the eternal High Priest. The interrogatory was short, for there was no hope of shaking his constancy; and the judge pronounced sentence that Thascius Cyprian must die by the sword. On the way to the place of execution, the soldiers formed a guard of honor to the bishop, who advanced calmly, surrounded by his clergy as on days of solemnity. Deep emotion stirred the immense crowd of friends and enemies who had assembled to assist at the sacrifice. The hour had come. The pontiff prayed prostrate upon the ground; then rising, he ordered twenty-five gold pieces to be given to the execution, and, taking off his tunic, handed it to the deacons. He himself tied the bandage over his eyes; a priest, assisted by a subdeacon, bound his hands; while the people spread linen cloths around him to receive his blood. Not until the bishop himself had given the word of command did the trembling executioner lower his sword. In the evening, the faithful came with torches and with hymns to bury Cyprian. It was the 14th of September, in the year 258.
Let us read first the lines consecrated by the holy Liturgy to the Bishop of Rome.
Quote:Cornelius, a Roman by birth, was Sovereign Pontiff during the reign of the Emperors Gallus and Volusianus. In concert with a holy lady named Lucina, he translated the bodies of St. Peter and St. Paul from the catacombs to a more honorable resting place. St. Paul’s body was entombed by Lucina on an estate of hers on the Ostian Way, close to the spot where he had been beheaded; while Cornelius laid the body of the Prince of the Apostles near the place of his crucifixion. When this became known to the emperors, and they were moreover informed that, by the advice of the Pontiff, many became Christians, Cornelius was exiled to Centumcellæ where Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, wrote to him to console him.
The frequency of this christian and charitable intercourse between the two Saints gave great displeasure to the emperors; and accordingly, Cornelius was summoned to Rome, where, as if guilty of treason, he was beaten with scourges tipped with lead. He was next dragged before an image of Mars, and commanded to sacrifice to it; but, indignantly refusing to commit such an act of impiety, he was beheaded on the eighteenth of the Calends of October. The blessed Lucina, aided by some clerics, buried his body in a sandpit on her estate, near to the cemetery of Callixtus. His pontificate lasted about two years.
The Church borrows from St. Jerome her eulogy on St. Cyprian.
From the book of St. Jerome, priest, on Ecclesiastical writers.
Quote:Cyprian was a native of Africa, and at first taught rhetoric there with great applause. The priest Cæcilius, from whom he adopted his surname, having persuaded him to become a Christian, he thereupon distributed all his goods among the poor. Not long afterwards, having been made priest, he was chosen Bishop of Carthage. It would be useless to enlarge upon his genius, since his works outshine the sun. He suffered under the emperors Valerian and Gallienus, in the eighth persecution, on the same day as Cornelius was martyred at Rome, but not in the same year.
Holy Pontiffs, united now in glory as you once were by friendship and in martyrdom preserve within us the fruit of your example and doctrine. Your life teaches us to despise honors and fortune for Christ’s sake, and to give to the Church all our devotedness, of which the world is unworthy. May this be understood by those countless descendants of noble races, who are led astray by a misguided society. May they learn form you gloriously to confound the impious conspiracy that seeks to exterminate them in shameful oblivion and enforced idleness. If their fathers deserved well of mankind, they themselves may now enter upon a higher career of usefulness, where decadence is unknown, and the fruit once produced is everlasting. Remind the lowly as well as the great in the city of God, that peace and war alike have flowers to crown the soldier of Christ: the white wreath of good works is offered to those who cannot aspire to the rosy diadem of martyrdom.
Watch, O Cyprian, over thy church of Carthage, now at length renewing her youth. And do thou, O Cornelius, restore to Rome her glorious past. Put down the foreigner from her throne; for the mistress of the world must obey no ruler by the Vicar of the King of kings. May her speedy deliverance be the signal to her people for a complete renovation, which cannot now be far distant, unless the end of the world be approaching.
The fourth Ecumenical Council was held at Chalcedon in the church of St. Euphemia; beside the tomb of this holy Virgin, the impious Eutyches was condemned, and the twofold nature of the God-Man was vindicated. The great martyr seems to have shown a predilection for the study of sacred doctrine: the faculty of theology in Paris chose her for its special patroness, and the ancient Sorbonne treasured with singular veneration a notable portion of her blessed relics. Let us recommend ourselves to her prayers, and to those of the holy widow Lucy and the noble Geminian, whom the Church associates with her.
Prayer
Præsta, Domine, precibus nostris cum exsultatione proventum: ut sanctorum Martyrum Euphemiæ Luciæ et Geminiani, quorum diem passionis annua devotione recolimus, etiam fidei constantiam subsequamur. Per Dominum.
Grant, O Lord, a joyful issue to our prayers, that we may imitate the constancy in faith of the holy martyrs Euphemia, Lucy, and Geminian, the day of whose sufferings we commemorate with annual devotion. Through.
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| Mayor demands school board members resign or face charges over ‘pornographic’ high school mater |
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Posted by: Stone - 09-16-2021, 07:42 AM - Forum: Against the Children
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Ohio mayor demands school board members resign or face charges over ‘pornographic’ high school material
A book of writing prompts distributed to high school seniors included disturbing and sexually inappropriate suggestions which raised the ire of parents and the city’s mayor.
HUDSON, Ohio (LifeSiteNews - slightly adpated) — An Ohio mayor has advised an entire school board to quit or face criminal charges for distributing materials for high school students which a judge called “child pornography.”
The controversy stemmed from a book of writing prompts entitled “642 Things to Write About,” which was distributed to high school seniors at Hudson High School in northeast Ohio.
As reported by The Daily Wire, writing prompts from the book included “sexual content like, ‘write a [omitted] scene you wouldn’t show your mom,’ and ‘rewrite the [omitted] scene from above into one that you’d let your mom read.’”
Other disturbing prompts in the book, which was provided to students enrolled in a senior-level college credit course entitled “Writing in the Liberal Arts II”, offered in conjunction with Hiram College, included “You have a dream that you’ve murdered someone. Who is it, how and why did the murder happen, and what happens afterward?”
Another prompt asked writers to “Choose how you will die.”
In a school board meeting Monday, Mayor Craig Shubert, a Catholic who attends St. Mary Catholic Church in Hudson, told board members, “I’m going to give you a simple choice: either choose to resign from this board of education or you will be charged.”
Schubert, who kicked off his mayoral campaign in 2019 with an appeal to “common sense governance,” said at the board meeting that it had come to his attention “that your educators are distributing essentially what is child pornography in the classroom.”
The mayor added that he spoke with a judge that evening who “already confirmed” the characterization of the material as “pornography.”
Shubert’s ultimatum to the five members of the school board was met with enthusiastic applause from parents and others in attendance.
Although many of the “642” prompts appear to be innocuous, some are blatantly sexual or otherwise inappropriate.
Former teacher of 11 years Monica Havens, the mother of a high school senior who was provided with the material, listed off some of the objectionable prompts.
The book suggests writers choose to “write a letter from the point of view of a drug addict,” “write an X-rated Disney scenario,” describe “the first time you had [omitted],” or come up with “ten euphemisms for [omitted],” among other prompts which Havens suggested were inappropriate for high school age children.
“I can’t even wrap my brain around a teacher … I don’t care if it’s for college credit; these are minors,” Havens said.
Hudson High School Principal Brian Wilch admitted that the school made a mistake by distributing the material, saying that authorities within the school failed to “exercise our due diligence,” Cleveland.com reported.
“There are times we need to take a step back, reflect and get better,” Wilch said in the meeting, telling parents and other attendees that the school will do better moving forward to appropriately vet curriculum provided to high school students.
“We did not exercise our due diligence when we reviewed this resource and we overlooked several prompts that were not appropriate,” he said.
As reported by Cleveland.com, Hudson High School officially apologized to parents for the offensive material and said it is “working to collect the prompt books.”
Wilch said the school “felt terrible” about the incident, remarking that “you can’t unsee” the inappropriate prompts.
As reported by USA Today, Hudson High School Superintendent Phil Herman described the book as a “supplemental resource” and said it was quickly pulled after the district became aware of its racier content.
In a prepared statement, Herman said “[t]he district immediately determined this writing resource should not be in the hands of our students, and on Monday collected the books from the students enrolled in the course.”
Herman explained that the “inappropriate and offensive writing prompts” in the book were never selected to be “assigned as part of the class.”
With the offensive material now pulled from the classroom, the school board’s president of education David Zuro said in a statement that none of the school board members plan to resign following the mayor’s threat.
“While we respect the Mayor’s position within the City of Hudson, in accordance with the State laws of Ohio, the supervision of the public schools of this District is the responsibility of the Board of Education,” Zuro said in a statement obtained by ABC-5 Cleveland.
“At this time, no Board of Education member has indicated any intention to resign.”
It remains to be seen whether Mayor Shubert will follow through on his threat and ask for the school board members to be charged for distributing the offensive material.
Shubert made the comments to the school board just over a week after his wife of nearly 22 years tragically passed away at age 60 on September 3 after a 9-month battle with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
According to her obituary, Sherri and her husband were married at Saint Dominic Church in Shaker Heights, Ohio. The obituary states that Sherri followed “in the footsteps of Saint Dominic, and after five years of study became a fully-professed Third Order Dominican, taking the religious name, Sister Catherine of Sienna.”
School boards have frequently been the nexus of controversy this year as parents and board members have clashed over hot-button issues like critical race theory and mandatory masking.
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| Pope Francis on Communion for pro-abortion politicians: ‘Don’t go condemning’ |
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Posted by: Stone - 09-16-2021, 07:32 AM - Forum: Pope Francis
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Pope Francis on Communion for pro-abortion politicians: ‘Don’t go condemning’
‘If you say you can give or not give [the Eucharist], this is casuistry,’ the Pope said.
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Wed Sep 15, 2021
(LifeSiteNews) – In the midst of an in-flight interview Wednesday following his visit to Eastern Europe, Pope Francis said that distributing the Eucharist to pro-abortion politicians must be determined in the “pastoral dimension,” without “condemning,” and that he has never denied the Eucharist to anyone.
On his return flight from Bratislava, Slovakia, to Rome, Pope Francis spoke with journalists, answering questions on vaccination, abortion, and the issue of distributing Holy Communion to Catholic politicians who openly support abortion.
Though the Pope was able to outline the Church’s clear position on abortion that “it’s murder, whoever has an abortion kills,” he subsequently said that when it comes to denying pro-abortion politicians Communion, “the problem is not theological, it is pastoral, how we bishops manage this principle pastorally.”
Prefacing his remarks on distributing Communion to pro-abortion politicians by repeating an oft used phrase of his that “Communion is not a prize for the perfect,” Francis later described a “hypothesis” by which priests may give the Eucharist to such people, suggesting that priests might be “close, tender, and give Communion.”
The Pope criticized priests who “go beyond the pastoral dimension” and “become a politician” on the issue of distributing Communion to opponents of the Faith, asking: “What must the pastor do? Be a pastor, don’t go condemning. Be a pastor because he is a pastor also for the excommunicated. Pastors with God’s style, which is closeness, compassion and tenderness.”
The Pope drew a comparison with the controversy that was ignited upon the release of Amoris Laetitia, between “that chapter on accompanying separated, divorced couples” and the current discussion in the U.S. over withholding the Eucharist from pro-abortion politicians like President Joe Biden.
Though the Pope did not want to comment directly on denying the Eucharist in the U.S., he said that he would comment “on the principle.”
After thanking Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, whom he called “a great theologian,” for clarifying the controversy in Amoris Laetitia after charges of heresy were raised against him, Francis noted that, like divorced and remarried couples, pro-abortion politicians are “children of God and they need our pastoral closeness, then the pastor resolves things as the Spirit indicates to him.”
“If you say you can give or not give [the Eucharist], this is casuistry,” he added.
Asked if he had ever given the Eucharist to a pro-abortion politician, the Pope revealed that he has never denied the Eucharist to anyone since becoming a priest, adding that “I don’t know if anyone has come in these conditions.” Instead, he related an occasion when he inadvertently distributed Holy Communion to a Jewish woman while visiting a nursing home.
Describing the occasion as “a nice thing [to] happen,” Francis told the woman, who revealed she was Jewish only after having received Communion, that “[w]hat I gave you is Jewish too,” and suggested that “the Lord wanted to reward her” by allowing the Pope to accidentally administer the host, despite his recognition that “those who are not in the community cannot take communion.”
LifeSiteNews spoke with Dr. Peter Kwasniewski, a liturgical expert and author of “Reclaiming Our Roman Catholic Birthright: The Genius and Timeliness of the Traditional Latin Mass.”
Kwasniewski expressed disbelief that the Pope has “not only never refused Communion but has never met someone who deserved to be refused communion (as per Canon 915).” Although the Jewish woman did receive Communion, “the Pope makes it clear he didn’t know and so he was not deliberately giving the Lord to a non-Christian.”
“However,” Kwasniewski continued, “his explanation of it makes it sound like ‘no big deal,’ like something one laughs off. Obviously, he wasn’t going to berate the old lady, but he shouldn’t describe it as rewarding her. There has never been any doubt that it is objectively gravely evil for an unbeliever to receive the Eucharist, just as it evil for a non-practising Catholic to receive.”
Asked about the divisions between Christians on taking the COVID jabs, the Pope said that the issue is “a bit strange,” arguing that “humanity has a history of friendship with vaccines.” Francis suggested that the “diversity of the vaccines” developed against COVID, some of which he described as “a little more than distilled water,” has “created fear” about taking them.
In an apparent reference to Cardinal Raymond Burke, who was recently hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19, Pope Francis suggested that “in the college of cardinals, there are some deniers,” but he did not say exactly what it is these cardinals deny, only adding that “one of them, poor man, is in hospital with the virus. It’s an irony of life.”
Kwasniewski told LifeSiteNews that the Pope’s comments on the COVID shots “show him to be profoundly ignorant — or incapable of reasoning — about the issues that are involved,” and that his reference to Cardinal Burke “is dripping with contempt.” Explaining, Kwasniewski said that Francis’ apparent jibe against Burke is “not surprising, considering that he has held him in contempt from the moment the still-unanswered Dubia were submitted.”
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| Two Important Stories from the latest Remnnt.tv video: Monica Smit and RFK Jr |
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Posted by: Stone - 09-16-2021, 07:05 AM - Forum: General Commentary
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Excerpt from the video description - September 10, 2021:
Quote:Why is Big Tech trying to cancel us, unless it’s because we’re speaking truth and they can’t handle the truth?
Plus, Michael shows a heartbreaking clip from an appeal made by Mr. and Mrs. Smit, an Australian couple whose daughter was just sent to prison for standing up against COVID lockdowns. Monica Smit is now the only political prisoner on Australian soil. And for WHAT?! By the way, Michael also points out that Monica Smit is a traditional Catholic who is a big promoter of the Christus Rex Pilgrimage in Australia.
Michael closes out his show by turning it over to Robert F. Kennedy, whose latest talk rips the mask off the COVIDIACS and exposes them as the same globalist madmen who were behind the military industrial complex 60 years ago.
This one’s not for the faint of heart. If you can’t handle the awful truth of what’s really going on here, you may wish to go back to YouTube where you’ll be safely shielded from all of it.
Video can be viewed here.
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| Narrative Nuked: Nearly Half Of 'COVID Hospitalizations' This Year Have Been Mild Or Asymptomatic |
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Posted by: Stone - 09-15-2021, 12:36 PM - Forum: Pandemic 2020 [Secular]
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Narrative Nuked: Nearly Half Of 'COVID Hospitalizations' This Year Have Been Mild Or Asymptomatic Cases
ZH | SEP 14, 2021
A brand new study is calling into question how reliable and meaningful of a number of "patients hospitalized with Covid-19" in the U.S. is.
Covid hospitalizations - the most common metric heard when discussing the seriousness of the pandemic - may not be nearly as meaningful of a number as many once thought. And don't take it from us: The Atlantic published a stunning piece on Tuesday citing a new study that suggests "almost half of those hospitalized with COVID-19 have mild or asymptomatic cases".
The Atlantic had formerly called Covid hospitalizations “the most reliable pandemic number,” last winter. Now, after a nationwide study of hospitalization records was release, the publication is walking back its fervor on that statement.
Researchers from Harvard Medical School, Tufts Medical Center, and the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System took on the task of trying to figure out how serious Covid cases were in those hospitalized, and how many people counted as Covid hospitalizations were actually in the hospital for Covid, versus getting a Covid test after being admitted for something else.
The study "analyzed the electronic records for nearly 50,000 COVID hospital admissions at the more than 100 VA hospitals across the country," The Atlantic wrote. It "checked to see whether each patient required supplemental oxygen or had a blood oxygen level below 94 percent" in order to try and determine if cases met the NIH's threshold for "severe COVID".
What the study found was that from March 2020 to January 2021, 36% of Covid cases in the hospital were mild or asymptomatic. From January 2021 to June 2021, during the Delta variant's spread, that number rose all the way to 48%. For vaccinated hospital patients, the number rose to a stunning 57%.
As The Atlantic put it in their own words: "The study suggests that roughly half of all the hospitalized patients showing up on COVID-data dashboards in 2021 may have been admitted for another reason entirely, or had only a mild presentation of disease."
The limitations of the study obviously included the fact that the VA isn't representative of the total U.S. population:
Quote:Among the limitations of the study is that patients in the VA system are not representative of the U.S. population as a whole, as they include few women and no children. (Still, the new findings echo those from the two pediatric-admissions studies.) Also, like many medical centers, the VA has a policy to test every inpatient for COVID, but this is not a universal practice. Lastly, most of the data—even from the patients admitted in 2021—derive from the phase of the pandemic before Delta became widespread, and it’s possible that the ratios have changed in recent months. The study did run through June 30, however, when the Delta wave was about to break, and it did not find that the proportion of patients with moderate to severe respiratory distress was trending upward at the end of the observation period.
Graham Snyder, the medical director of infection prevention and hospital epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, says the study buries the lede of how effective the vaccine is: “It’s underreported how well the vaccine makes your life better, how much less sick you are likely to be, and less sick even if hospitalized. That’s the gem in this study.”
Daniel Griffin, an infectious-disease specialist at Columbia University, concurred: “People ask me, ‘Why am I getting vaccinated if I just end up in the hospital anyway?’ But I say, ‘You’ll end up leaving the hospital.’”
"We should refine the definition of hospitalization," said Shira Doron, an infectious-disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center and co-author of the study. "Those patients who are there with rather than from COVID don’t belong in the metric.”
What does the study as a whole conclude? Again, in the words of The Atlantic: "...the study also demonstrates that hospitalization rates for COVID, as cited by journalists and policy makers, can be misleading, if not considered carefully."
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