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  Catholic church burns down just 2 days after priest attacked
Posted by: Stone - 07-30-2021, 05:48 AM - Forum: Anti-Catholic Violence - No Replies

Catholic church burns down just 2 days after priest attacked
Local fears destruction of 163-year-old church another manifestation of anti-Catholic sentiment

GLASGOW, Scotland, July 29, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) – Just two days after a priest was attacked with a bottle in Edinburgh’s Catholic cathedral, a 163-year-old Catholic church in nearby Glasgow was engulfed in flames.

At around 2:40 a.m. on Wednesday morning, a team of 30 firefighters was dispatched to the parish church of St. Simon’s in Partick, a district within Glasgow’s leafy west end, where a large fire was consuming the building, the third oldest Catholic church in the city.

After evacuating the residents of neighboring buildings, the firefighters tackled the blaze. The historic landmark, however, was completely gutted within half an hour, according to a report in The Scotsman. One person was saved from inside the church before it was destroyed; no one was injured during the incident.

A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the details of the incident in a statement: “We were alerted at 2.40 a.m. on Wednesday, July 28 to reports of a fire within a church on Partick Bridge Street, Partick, Glasgow.”

“Operations Control mobilised six fire appliances including two height appliances and more than 30 firefighters are in attendance and working to extinguish the fire.”

“One person was assisted from the property and given precautionary treatment at the scene. Adjacent properties have been evacuated as a precautionary measure and nearby residents are advised to keep windows and doors closed due to smoke.”

Police Scotland also commented on the incident, noting that “the fact that the building is unsafe, at this time neither Police nor Scottish Fire and Rescue officers have been able to get in to the church to establish how the fire started.”

"Enquiries are very much at an early stage and we cannot speculate at this time as to the cause,” the police continued. 

A spokeswoman added that the police does not currently suppose that the fire is part of a “sectarian” [i.e. anti-Catholic] or hate-crime related offence. 

St. Simon's has been home to a large Polish community since the Second World War when “soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces who had escaped the Nazis and who were based in Yorkhill Barracks needed a church,” the parish website reads. Until the fire, Masses in Polish were celebrated in the church twice a week, including Sundays, by a local Polish priest.

The church building, originally opened in 1858, was subject to a thorough restoration project between 2005 and 2008, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the church. Around £400,000 was raised for the project, half of which come from the efforts of the congregation, and the other half courtesy of a grant from Heritage Scotland.

A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Glasgow, in which St. Simon’s is situated, said that the demise of the church “will be a blow to people far beyond the west end of Glasgow.”

“Though small in size, St. Simon’s was well-frequented and was the spiritual home of the Polish community in the west of Scotland who had established a shrine there.”

He added that the church acted as “a focal point for the local community, and especially the homeless who benefited from a café on site which had to be suspended during the pandemic.”

“The church of St Simon’s is linked to the larger parish of St Peter’s in Partick and worshippers will be accommodated there,” the spokesman stated.

“The cause of the blaze is not immediately apparent, but we will work with the Fire Service as they investigate the site. Structural engineers are on site to advise on the necessary measures to make the remains of the building safe," he continued.

“St. Simon’s was a much-loved landmark at Partick Cross and its loss is a heavy blow.”

LifeSiteNews reached out to Sancta Familia Media, a Catholic video apostolate based in Lanarkshire, near Glasgow. A spokesman for the company said that the church’s destruction “was very sad news.”

The spokesman for Sancta Familia Media, who asked not to be named, stressed that the cause of the fire was as yet unknown.  However, he added that “against a backdrop of increasingly anti-Catholic sentiment in Scotland, including a priest attacked at the weekend and other incidents, one can only wonder whether there is a connection.”

“It just increases worries for us Scottish Catholics that this will continue, especially in light of some Scottish government policies on hate crimes which could marginalise us,” the spokesman explained, in reference to the controversial Scottish Hate Crime Bill.

The bill was proposed in 2020 by Scotland’s Health Minister Humza Yousaf, and later passed by the Scottish Parliament in March 2021. The bill has refined the law around hate speech, including a new provision for “stirring up hatred,” which criminalizes behaving “in a manner that a reasonable person would consider to be threatening or abusive.” The law extends to conversations and materials kept in the privacy of one’s own home.

A proposal for criminalizing “possession of inflammatory material,” which could include the Catechism of the Catholic Church for its teaching that homosexual acts are “intrinsically disordered,” was dropped after strong opposition from the Catholic bishops.

A few hours after the fire had destroyed St. Simon’s, Yousaf posted a tweet expressing his sympathies with local Catholics devastated by both the fire and the assault upon the Edinburgh priest. 

“What a devastating couple of days for Catholics in Scotland. First a cowardly attack on a priest in his place of worship, followed by this. I know St. Simon’s had a special place in the Polish community's heart,” the Health Minister wrote. 

“Solidarity with our Catholic community in Scotland.” 



The burning of St. Simon’s is not the first tragedy to strike the Glasgow church. In 2019, the church suffered an attack from vandals who invaded the sanctuary, damaging it in the process, and breaking a statue of Our Lady of Czestochowa.

Though police stated at the time that they found no evidence of anti-Catholic sectarianism, many commentators took to social media to point out a worrying pattern of anti-Catholic sentiment in the country, which has been reportedly on the increase within the last few years.

On July 29, 31-year-old Jason Irvine, described of no-fixed-address, appeared in court, charged with both the assault of the 35-year-old Edinburgh priest and the assault of another individual in the Scottish capital's Princes Street Gardens. The attacks are said to have occurred within ten minutes of each other.

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  July 30th – Sts Abdon and Sennen
Posted by: Stone - 07-30-2021, 05:41 AM - Forum: July - No Replies

July 30 – Sts Abdon and Sennen
Taken from The Liturgical Year by Dom Prosper Guéranger  (1841-1875)

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The decrees of Eternal Wisdom ordained that the West should be honored before the East with the glory of martyrdom. Yet when the hour had come, Jesus was to have, beyond the Tigris, millions of witnesses by no means inferior to their forerunners, astonishing heaven and earth by new forms of heroism. Impatient of the delay, two noble Persians won their palm on this day by the command of Rome. By shedding their blood they paid tribute for their native land to the eternal City; and now they protect our Latin Churches, and receive the prayers and praise of the West. France received a goodly portion of their sacred relics; and the city of Arles-sur-Tech, in Roussillon, can show to an incredulous generation the sarcophagus, from which flows a mysterious liquor, a symbol of the continual benefits bestowed on us by these holy martyrs.

Quote:During the reign of Decius, two Persians, Abdon and Sennen, were accused of burying on their own estate the bodies of the Christians which had been exposed. By order of the Emperor they were apprehended and commanded to sacrifice to the gods. As they refused to obey, and moreover with the greatest constancy proclaimed Jesus Christ to be God, whey were placed in close confinement, and when later, Decius returned to Rome, they were led in chains in his triumphal march. They were dragged to the Roman idols, but to show their hatred of the demons, they spat upon them. Upon this they were exposed to the fury of lions and bears, but the beasts did not dare to touch them; at length they were put to death by the sword. Their bodies were dragged by the feet before the statue of the Sun, but they were secretly carried away and buried by Quirinus the deacon in his own house.

Hearken to our earnest prayers, O blessed martyrs! May the faith at length triumph in that land of Persia whence so many flowers of martyrdom have been culled for heaven. Before the time appointed for the struggle to begin in your native land, ye went to meet death elsewhere, and thus ye gained a new fatherland whereon to bestow your love. Bless us, the fellow citizens of your choice, and bring us all to the eternal fatherland of all the children of God.

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  Gov. Cuomo: ‘Knock on doors,’ ‘put [people] in a car,’ ‘get that vaccine in their arm
Posted by: Scarlet - 07-29-2021, 07:59 PM - Forum: COVID Vaccines - No Replies

NY Gov. Cuomo: ‘Knock on doors,’ ‘put [people] in a car,’ ‘get that vaccine in their arm.’

Andrew Cuomo raised eyebrows this week with particularly aggressive
rhetoric aimed at getting the unvaccinated to take the shot.

ALBANY, New York, July 28, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s community outreach plans have some Americans concerned. The New York governor this week described a “mission” to put unvaccinated New Yorkers in cars and “get that vaccine in their arm.” 

“We have to get in those communities, and we have to knock on those doors, and we have to convince people, and put them in a car, and drive them, and get that vaccine in their arm,” Cuomo said during a COVID briefing at Yankee Stadium on Monday. “That is the mission.” 


“In other words, he’s basically admitting that his administration would all but force New Yorkers to get an injection they’d otherwise be hesitant to get,” wrote Isa Cox in a commentary for the Western Journal. 
“This is essentially what’s happening there,” Cox added. “We’re only a hair away from this degree of utter and total fascism.” 

Cuomo made the startling comments even as 75% of New Yorkers are reportedly “fully vaccinated.”  
The remaining 25% who haven’t gotten the jab account for about 3.5 million residents. 
“These numbers can be hard to put into context, but 3.5 million is larger than 21 other states’ total population,” Cuomo said. “When you put this COVID delta variant — which is transmitted much easier than the normal COVID virus — you put that variant with 3.5 million people, that spells ‘spread of COVID.’” 
The governor’s aggressive comments give life to the concerns many conservatives voiced when the Biden administration announced its controversial initiative to go door to door to convince Americans to get the jab. 
“I won’t buy a magazine subscription door to door,” tweeted retired Major League Baseball player Aubrey Huff. “What makes you think I’d take a free poison into my body?”

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  Cdl. Burke: There are ‘many in the Church’ who are in ‘practical apostasy’
Posted by: Deus Vult - 07-29-2021, 07:08 PM - Forum: In Defense of Tradition - No Replies

Cdl. Burke: There are ‘many in the Church’ who are in ‘practical apostasy’
The former head of the Vatican’s highest court declared that many in the Church
‘contradict the most fundamental truths of the faith’ by their lives.


ASHBURY, New Jersey, July 27, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — In a fiery homily, Cardinal Raymond Burke described the events to which the third secret of Fatima is referring as occurring currently, pointing to the “practical apostasy of our time, that is, the going away from Christ by many in the Church.”

The American cardinal delivered his homily at the National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima on July 13.
The prelate noted how the third secret of Fatima, entrusted to Sr. Lucia by Our Lady in 1917, was “about the practical apostasy of our time, that is, the going away from Christ by many in the Church.”
These “many,” continued Burke, might not be formally heretical, but would “reject” the truth in their actions and through their very lives: “While they may not directly espouse heretical teachings, in practice they reject the truth and love which flows unceasingly and immeasurably from the glorious pierced Heart of Jesus, in order to embrace the falsehood and violence of contemporary culture. Their lives contradict the most fundamental truths of the faith.”
Abortion and LGBT ideology
Cardinal Burke highlighted the many aspects of the rejection of the “truths of the faith” which are exhibited by those falling away from Christ. He pointed first to abortion, decrying the “daily and widespread attack on innocent and defenseless human life with the resulting unprecedented violence in family life and in society, in general.”
In addition to this, the former Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the Church’s highest court, mentioned the “ever more virulent gender ideology.” This ideology has led to “total confusion” about even the human identity as “male and female,” added Burke.
With even just these first two points, Cardinal Burke might have referred to President Joe Biden, a self-professed “Catholic” who openly supports abortion as well as gender ideology. Biden’s promotion of abortion as an “essential health service” and wish to enshrine abortion into federal law, is in addition to his promotion of homosexuality and LGBT ideology.
A current ‘denial’ of freedom of religion
Burke further pointed to modern society’s attacks on “freedom of religion,” describing the “denial” of this freedom as an attempt to “snuff out completely, any public discourse about God and our necessary relationship with Him.”
Concomitant with such a societal change is the move to “force God-fearing individuals to act against their well-formed conscience, that is, against God’s law written upon the human heart.” Taking aim at the “supposedly free countries,” the cardinal commented how such a title was inaccurate.
[T]he government forces upon society practices of abortion, sterilization, contraception, euthanasia, and lack of respect for human sexuality, even to the point of indoctrinating small children in the iniquitous “gender theory.”
Meanwhile, as such promotion of policies contrary to “God’s law” sweep through society, “the embrace of atheistic materialism and relativism leads to the unscrupulous pursuit of wealth, pleasure and power, while the rule of law, dictated by justice, is trampled underfoot.”
Such a situation Burke described as “a pervasively disordered cultural condition” in which “the faith is abandoned, hope is lost, and love grows cold or is even extinguished.”
Catholic’ politicians give ‘scandal’ for violating ‘fundamental truths’
Once more, the 73-year-old American prelate took aim at Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and indeed any self-professed Catholic politician who does not adhere to Catholic teaching, noting the “scandal of Catholic legislators rebuking the Bishops of our country for seeking to apply the universal law of the Church regarding the worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist.”
His words come in light of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) proposed Eucharistic document, which Biden pre-emptively declared would not deal with the issue of pro-abortion politicians receiving Communion. Indeed, days later, the USCCB’s head of the Doctrine Committee, Bishop Kevin Rhoades, announce that the planned document would indeed not be instituting a “national policy on withholding Communion from politicians.”

Cardinal Burke defended bishops who seek to prevent the unworthy reception of Holy Communion, saying that by doing so, they “rightly seek to safeguard the sanctity of the Holy Eucharist, to prevent the faithful from committing sacrilege by the unworthy reception of the Holy Eucharist, and to stop the scandal caused by Catholic politicians presenting themselves to receive Holy Communion, while they obstinately persist in promoting legislation in violation of the most fundamental truths of the moral law.”
“These politicians, while grievously violating divine law, make themselves the law,” continued Burke. “Thus, they are offended by their Bishops, when they exercise their office of teachers of the faith and guardians of sacred discipline.”
Only the Faith … can save man from the spiritual chastisements’
Returning once more to the description provided by Sr. Lucia of the not fully published third secret, Cardinal Burke highlighted the “martyrdom of those remaining true to Our Lord.”
He noted how “only the Faith,” by which man is united with the “Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the mediation of her Immaculate Heart, can save man from the spiritual chastisements which rebellion against God necessarily brings upon its perpetrators and upon the whole of society.”
Practicing this Faith in today’s “totally secularized culture,” entails a “readiness to accept ridicule, misunderstanding, persecution, exile and even death,” warned the prelate, if one is to “remain one with Christ in the Church under the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
However, the cardinal, known for his prominent defense of traditional Catholic doctrine and the traditional Mass, also offered encouragement to the faithful. Urging them to remain close to Our Lady of Fatima, he recalled how “the intercession of the Virgin Mother of God and of all the saints will give us the strength and courage in what seems an impossible battle.”
Despite the hardships of which he warned for those wishing to remain true to the “Faith,” Burke closed by asking people to be “confident” and “trusting in the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.”
The cardinal has previously issued vocal calls for Russia to be consecrated to Our Lady, according to the manner she requested in the apparitions at Fatima. At the 2017 Fatima Centennial Summit, in Irving, Texas, Burke stated: “Recognizing the necessity of a total conversion from atheistic materialism and communism to Christ, the call of Our Lady of Fatima to consecrate Russia to Her Immaculate Heart in accord with Her explicit instruction remains urgent.”
Adding that he did “not doubt for a moment the intention of Pope St. John Paul II to carry out the consecration on March 25, 1984,” the cardinal nevertheless stated that the “explicit instructions” remain uncompleted. As such, Burke declared, “It is evident that the consecration (of Russia) was not carried out in the manner requested by Our Lady.”


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  July 29th - St. Martha
Posted by: Stone - 07-29-2021, 06:04 AM - Forum: July - Replies (1)

July 29 – St Martha, Virgin
Taken from The Liturgical Year by Dom Prosper Guéranger  (1841-1875)

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Magdalene this time was the first to meet our Lord. Scarcely a week had elapsed since her glorious passage, when she repaid her sister’s former kind office and came in her turn saying: “The Beloved is here and calleth for thee.” And Jesus preventing her, appeared himself and said: “Come, my hostess; come from exile, thou shalt be crowned.” Hostess of the Lord, then, is to be Martha’s title of nobility in heaven, as it was her privileged name on earth.

Into whatever city or town you shall enter, said the Man-God to his disciples, inquire who in it is worthy, and there abide. Now St. Luke relates that as they went, our Lord himself entered into a certain town, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. How could we give greater praise to Magdalene’s sister than by bringing together these two texts of the holy Gospel?

This certain town, where she was found worthy to give Jesus a lodging, this village, says St. Bernard, is our lowly earth, hidden like an obscure borough in the immensity of our Lord’s possessions. The Son of God had come down from heaven to seek the lost sheep; he had come into the world he had made, and the world knew him not; Israel, his own people, had not given him so much as a stone whereon to lay his head, and had left him in his thirst to beg water from the Samaritan. We, the Gentiles, whom he was thus seeking amid contradictions and fatigues, ought we not, like him, to show our gratitude to her who, braving present unpopularity and future persecution, paid our debt to him?

[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3...%3DApi&f=1]

Glory, then, be to this daughter of Sion, of royal descent who, faithful to the traditions of hospitality handed down from the patriarchs and early fathers, was blessed more than all of them in the exercise of this noble virtue! These ancestors of our faith, pilgrims themselves and without fixed habitation, knew more or less obscurely that the Desired of Israel and the Expectation of the nations was to appear as a wayfarer and a stranger on the earth; and they honored the future Savior in the person of every stranger that presented himself at their tent door; just as we, their sons, in the faith of the same promises now accomplished, honor Christ in the guest whom his goodness sends us. This relation between him that was to come and the pilgrim seeking shelter made hospitality the most honored handmaid of divine charity. More than once did God show his approval by allowing Angels to be entertained in human form. If such heavenly visitations were an honor of which our earth was not worthy, how much greater was Martha’s privilege in rendering hospitality to the Lord of Angels! If before the Coming of Christ it was a great thing to honor him in those who prefigured him, and if now to shelter and serve him in his mystical members deserves an eternal reward, how much greater and more meritorious was it to receive in Person that Jesus, the very thought of whom gives to virtue its greatness and its merit. Again, as the Baptist excelled all the other Prophets by having pointed out as present the Messias whom they announced as future, so Martha, by having ministered to the Person of the Word made Flesh, ranks above all others who have ever exercised the works of mercy.

While Magdalene, then, keeps her better part at our Lord’s feet, we must not think that Martha’s lot is to be despised. As in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office, so each of us has a different work to perform in Christ, according to the grace we have received, whether it be to prophesy or to minister. And the Apostle explaining this diversity of vocations, says: I say, by the grace that is given me, to all that are among you, not to be more wise than it behoveth to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety, and according as God hath divided to every one the measure of faith. How many losses in souls, how many shipwrecks even, might be prevented by discretion, the guardian of doctrine and the mother of virtues.

“Whoever,” says St. Gregory with his usual discernment, “gives himself entirely to God must take care not to pour himself out wholly in works, but must stretch forward also to the heights of contemplation. Nevertheless, it is here very important to notice that there is a great variety of spiritual temperaments. One who could give himself peacefully to the contemplation of God would be crushed by works and fall; another, who would be kept in a good life by all the ordinary occupations of men, would be mortally wounded by the sword of a contemplation above his powers: either for want of love to prevent repose from becoming torpor, or for want of fear to guard him against the illusions of pride or of the senses. He who would be perfect must therefore first accustom himself on the plain to the practice of the virtues, in order to ascend more securely to the heights, leaving behind every impulse of the senses which can only distract the mind from its purpose, every image whose outline cannot adapt itself to the figureless light he desires to behold. Action first then, contemplation last. The Gospel praises Mary, but does not blame Martha, because the merit of the active life is great, though that of contemplation is greater.”

If we would penetrate more deeply into the mystery of the two sisters, let us notice that, though the preference is given to Mary, nevertheless it is not in her house, nor in that of their brother Lazarus, but in Martha’s house that the Man-God takes up his abode with those he loves. Jesus, says St. John, loved Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus. Lazarus, a figure of the penitents whom his all-powerful mercy daily calls from the death of sin to divine life; Mary, giving herself up even in this life to the occupation of the next; and Martha, who is here mentioned first as being the eldest, as first in order of time mystically, according to what St. Gregory says, and also as being the one upon whom the other two depend in that home of which she has the care.

Here we recognize a perfect type of the Church wherein, with the devotedness of fraternal love, and under the eye of our heavenly Father, the active ministry takes the precedence, and holds the place of government over all who are drawn by grace to Jesus. We can understand the Son of God showing a preference for this blessed house; he was refreshed from the weariness of his journeys by the devoted hospitality he there received, but still more by the sight of so perfect an image of that Church for whose love he had come on earth.

Martha, then, understood by anticipation, that he who holds the first place must be the servant, as the Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister; and as, later on, the Vicar of Jesus, the Prince of Prelates in the holy Church, was to call himself the Servant of the servants of God. But in serving Jesus, as she served also with him and for him her brother and her sister, who can doubt that she had the greatest share in these promises of the Man-God: “He that ministers to me shall follow me, and where I am, there also shall my minister be, and my Father will honor him.”

And that beautiful rule of ancient hospitality which created a link like that of relationship between the host and a guest once received, could not have been passed over by our Emmanuel on this occasion, since the Evangelist says: As many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God. And he himself declares that whoever receives him, receives also the Father who sent him.

The peace promised to every house deemed worthy of receiving the apostolic messengers, that peace which cannot be without the Spirit of adoption of sons, rested on Martha with surpassing fulness. The too human impetuosity she at first showed in her eager solicitude, had given our Lord an opportunity of showing his divine jealousy for the perfection of a soul so devoted and so pure. The sacred nearness of the King of peace stripped her lively nature of the last remnants of restless anxiety; while her service grew even more active and was well pleasing to him, her ardent faith in Christ, the Son of the living God, gave her the understanding of the one thing necessary, the better part which was one day to be hers. What a master of the spiritual life Jesus here showed himself to be; what a model of discreet formness, of patient sweetness, of heavenly wisdom in leading souls to the highest summits!

As he had counselled his disciples to remain in one house, the Man-God himself, to the end of his earthly career, continually sought hospitality at Bethania: it was from thence he set out to redeem the world by his dolorous Passion; and when leaving this world, it was from Bethania that he ascended into heaven. Then did this dwelling, this paradise on earth, which had given shelter to God himself, to his Virgin Mother, to the whole college of Apostles, seem too lonely to its inmates. Holy Church will tell us presently how the Spirit of Pentecost, in loving kindness to us Gentiles, led into Gaul this blessed family of our Lord’s friends.

On the banks of the Rhone, Martha was still the same: full of motherly compassion for every misery, spending herself in deeds of kindness. Always surrounded by the poor, says the ancient historian of the two sisters, she fed them with tender care, with food which heaven abundantly supplied to her charity, while she herself, the only one she forgot, was contended with herbs; and as in the glorious past she had served the Head of the Church in Person, she now served him in his members, and was full of loving kindness to all. Meantime she delighted in practices of penance that would frighten us. Martyred thus a thousand times over, Martha with all the powers of her holy soul yearned for heaven. Her mind lost in God, she spent whole nights absorbed in prayer. Ever prostrate, she adored him reigning gloriously in heaven, whom she had seen without glory in her own house. Often, too, she would travel through towns and villages, announcing to the people Christ the Savior.

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Avignon and other cities of the province of Vienne were thus evangelized by her. She delivered Tarascon from the old serpent, who in the shape of a hideous monster not content with tyrannizing over the souls of men, devoured even their bodies. It was here at Tarascon, in the midst of the community of virgins she had founded, that she heard our Lord inviting her to receive hospitality from him in heaven, in return for that which she had given him on earth. Here she still rests, protecting her people of Provence, and receiving strangers in memory of Jesus. The peace of the blessed, which seems to breathe from her noble image, fills the heart of the pilgrim as he kisses her apostolic feet; and coming up from the holy crypt to continue his journey in this land of exile, he carries away with him, like a perfume of his fatherland, the remembrance of her simple touching epitaph: sollicita non turbatur; ever zealous, she is no longer troubled.

Quote:Martha was born of noble and wealthy parents, but she is still more illustrious for the hospitality she gave to Christ our Lord. After his Ascension into heaven, she was seized by the Jews, together with her brother and sister, Marcella her handmaid, and Maxima, one of the seventy-two disciples of our Lord, who had baptized the whole family, and many other Christians. They were put on board a ship without sails or oars, and left helpless on the open sea, exposed to certain shipwreck. But God guided the ship, and they all arrived safely at Marseilles.

This miracle, together with their preaching, brought the people of Marseilles, of Aix, and of the neighborhood to believe in Christ. Lazarus was made Bishop of Marseilles and Maximin of Aix. Magdalene, who was accustomed to devote herself to prayer and to sit at our Lord’s feet, in order to enjoy the better part, which she had chosen, that is, contemplation of the joys of heaven, retired into a deserted cave on a very high mountain. There she lived for thirty years, separated from all human intercourse; and every day she was carried to heaven by the Angels to hear their songs of praise.

But Martha, after having won the love and admiration of the people of Marseilles by the sanctity of her life and her wonderful charity, withdrew in the company of several virtuous women to a spot remote from men, where she lived for a long time, greatly renowned for her piety and prudence. She foretold her death long before it occurred; and at length, famous for miracles, she passed to our Lord on the 4thof the Calends of August. Her body which lies at Tarascon is held in great veneration.

Now that, together with Magdalene, thou hast entered forever into possession of the better part, thy place in heaven, O Martha, is very beautiful. For they that have ministered well, says St. Paul, shall purchase to themselves a good degree, and much confidence in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. The same service which the deacons, here alluded to by the Apostle, performed for the Church, thou didst render to the Church’s Head and Spouse; thou didst rule well thine own house, which was a figure of that Church so dear to the Son of God. But God is not unjust, that he should forget your work and the love which you have shown in his name, you who have ministered and do minister to the souls. And the Saint of saints himself, thy indebted guests, gave us to understand something of thy greatness when, speaking merely of a faithful servant set over the family to distribute food in due season, he cried out: Blessed is that servant whom when his lord shall come, he shall find so doing. Amen I say to you, he shall place him over all his goods. O Martha, the Church exults on this day, whereon our Lord found thee thus continuing to serve him in the persons of those little ones in whom he bids us seek him. The moment had come for him to welcome thee eternally. Henceforth the Host most faithful of all to the laws of hospitality, makes thee sit at his table in his own house, and girding himself, ministers to thee as thou didst minister to him.

From the midst of thy peaceful rest, protect those who are now carrying on the interests of Christ on earth, in his mystical Body, which is the entire Church, and in his wearied and suffering members the poor and the afflicted. Bless and multiply the works of holy hospitality; may the vast field of mercy and charity yield ever-increasing harvests. May the zeal displayed by so many generous souls lose nothing of its praiseworthy activity; and for this end, O sister of Magdalene, teach us all as our Lord taught thee, to place the one thing necessary above all else, and to value at its true worth the better part. After the word spoken to thee, for our sake as well as thine own, whosoever would disturb Magdalene at the feet of Jesus, or forbid her to sit there, would deserve to have his works frustrated by offended heaven.

Let us, in union with the Church, make a commemoration of Saints Simplicius and Faustinus, martyred in the persecution of Diocletian, together with their sister Viatrice, whose name was gracefully changed into Beatrice after she had gone to heaven. The sisters had time to bury her brothers; and after her own combat she was laid to rest beside them, by the last of the celebrated Lucinas. The hour for the triumph of the Church had not yet arrived; nevertheless the tomb of this illustrious trio, in the very grove of the Dea Dia of the Arvales, proclaims the victory of Christ over the most ancient superstitions of Rome. The holy Pontiff Felix, who shares the honors paid to this glorious company, suffered in the time of the Arians.

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Prayer

Præsta, quæsumus Comine, ut sicut populus christianus martyrum tuorum Felicis, Simplicii, Faustini, et Beatricis temporali solemnitate congandet: ita perfruatur æterna; et quod votic celebrat, comprehendat effectu. Per Dominum.
Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that as thy Christian people rejoice together in the temporal solemnity of thy martyrs Felix, Simplicius, Faustinus, and Beatrice, they may enjoy it in eternity, and may effectually attain to what they celebrate in desire. Through our Lord, &c.

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  Police Lose Control of Massive Freedom Rally in Australia
Posted by: Stone - 07-29-2021, 05:56 AM - Forum: General Commentary - No Replies

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  A Tale Of Two COVID Narratives
Posted by: Stone - 07-29-2021, 05:54 AM - Forum: Pandemic 2020 [Secular] - No Replies

A Tale Of Two COVID Narratives

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Burning Platform [Authored by Raul Ilargi Meijer via The Automatic Earth blog] | July 28, 2021


This is a double list from longtime Automatic Earth regular commenter ‘TAE Summary’, posted in yesterday’s Debt Rattle thread. It’s too useful, and nice, and well-done, to leave it there, it should -and deserves to- be seen by more people…


The Mainstream Narrative

– It is not known where Covid 19 originated but the most likely origin is the transmission from an animal to humans

– Covid 19 has killed 600K people in the US

– Trump botched the Covid 19 response costing many lives

– Many deaths were preventable if we’d tested, masked, tracked and locked down better

– Vaccines are good and have eradicated polio, measles, whooping cough and other diseases

– Vaccines against Covid 19 are safe and effective and have saved many lives with only minor, acceptable adverse reactions

– There are no effective treatments for Covid 19 besides the vaccines

– Covid is spread by droplets and aerosols from infected people, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, and can be spread through momentary casual contact both indoors and outdoors

– Children and young adults are at risk form Covid 19 and can spread the disease and should take the same precautions and measures as adults

– We need to do whatever it takes to defeat Covid 19 including frequent testing, mass vaccination, continued lockdowns and wearing masks

– The best information comes from the CDC, FDA and NIH

– The mainstream media warns us of the dangers of Covid 19 but unfortunately many do not take these warnings seriously

– As usual, conspiracy theorists and nut-jobs abound

– Antivaxxers are against all vaccines and now also against the Covid 19 vaccines

– Antivaxxers have believed phony information disseminated by scurrilous, right wing charlatans

– These people cost many lives and are the reason Covid still spreads and mutates

– They are responsible for continued lockdowns and the further decimation of the economy

– They are selfish, evil and anti-science

– The Covid 19 response is all about trying to get us back to normal as quickly as possible



The Counter Narrative

– Covid 19 was most likely created in a lab in China or the US

– Covid 19 kills people but far fewer than the official count

– Almost all officials in government have botched the Covid 19 response, costing many lives

– Most deaths were preventable if we had investigated and deployed early treatments including vitamin D, zinc, hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin

– Vaccines are good and have eradicated polio, measles, whooping cough and other diseases

– The Covid 19 vaccines however are not actually vaccines but gene therapy and have not been adequately tested

– The Covid 19 vaccines have serious side effects including death and other as yet unknown consequences which are not being investigated and are suppressed by the media

– We need to defeat Covid 19 and the best way to do this is through early outpatient treatment with known, effective drugs and known drug protocols for hospitalized patients

– Covid 19 is primarily spread by aerosols from symptomatic and pre-symptomatic people, mostly in indoor situations with poor ventilation where peoples spend a long time together

– Children and young adults are at low risk from Covid 19 and need take fewer precautions and measures but should be treated with drug protocols if infected

– Masks, distancing and lockdowns are mostly ineffective

– The best information comes from front line doctors who actually treat patients and experienced researchers who have no financial interest in big pharma

– The CDC, FDA and NIH are largely compromised because of their association with and funding by drug companies

– The mainstream media is also compromised by their association with big pharma and the government

– The truth about Covid 19 is suppressed and labeled conspiracy theory in order to support the mainstream narrative

– People who insist that the vaccines are the only way to fight Covd 19 have believed lies told to them by the MSM from big pharma and a corrupt medical establishment

– The vaccine narrative has cost many lives and ineffective vaccines are responsible for the continued spread and mutation of Covid 19

– The fallacious mainstream narrative is responsible for all lock downs and the decimation of the economy

– The people who push the mainstream narrative are evil and anti-science; The people who believe this narrative are naive, dogmatic and anti-science

– The Covid 19 response is all about money, power and control

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  The DOJ is not the court THEY CANNOT MANDATE ANYTHING
Posted by: Scarlet - 07-28-2021, 11:14 AM - Forum: COVID Vaccines - No Replies

The DOJ - Dept. of Justice, IS NOT THE COURT.  These are not courts and what they write is opinion only.  Their opinion papers are not a court ruling.  Their opinion papers do not mean they are accurate or that it's the truth or that it can hold up in court.   What the DOJ writes is not a judge's ruling.   What the DOJ writes is not law.

DON'T GET CONFUSED.  
The DOJ is actually in the executive branch of the government.  Remember only the legislative branch can make laws, not the executive branch.  The DOJ is not the judicial branch either, it's a department under the executive branch of the government.  The executive branch cannot make laws and mandates are not laws.

IT IS BY DESIGN TO MAKE THINGS LOOK CONFUSING.
Basically they are taking this law of the FDA and twisting the words around to make it appear as though YOUR RIGHT  to accept or refuse does not mean you have the right to accept or refuse.  It's only going to get worse folks.  Just as in our faith, it's up to us to know our rights and defend them.
Bottom line= get educated or be enslaved!!

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  July 28th – Sts. Nazarius, Celsus, and Victor, Martyrs, and Saint Innocent, Pope and Confessor
Posted by: Stone - 07-28-2021, 05:56 AM - Forum: July - No Replies

July 28 – Sts. Nazarius, Celsus, and Victor, Martyrs, and Saint Innocent, Pope and Confessor
Taken from The Liturgical Year by Dom Prosper Guéranger  (1841-1875)

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Nazarius and Celsus bring glory to the Church of Milan, by appearing on the cycle today. After lying forgotten for three centuries in the obscure tomb that had received their precious remains in the time of Nero, they now receive the united homage of East and West. It was nine years since the triumphal day when Gervase and Protase, no less forgotten by the city once witness of their combat, had come to console and strengthen an illustrious Bishop who was persecuted for his profession of the Divine consubstantiality of the same Christ who had had all their love and faith. Ambrose, loved by the martyrs, though denied their palm, was soon to receive the white wreath of confession in reward for his holy works, when heaven revealed to him a new treasure, the discovery of which was again “to illustrate the times of his episcopate.” Theodosius was no more; Ambrose was about to die; the barbarians were at the gates. But as if, simultaneous with the threat of imminent destruction of the ancient world, the hour for the first resurrection spoken of by St. John had sounded, the martyrs rose from their tombs to reign a thousand years with Christ on the renovated earth.Nazarius-etal

That great nation Babylon is fallen, is fallen, which made all nations to drink of the wine of the wrath for her fornication; and in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. The great Pope Innocent I, whose memory seems to have been purposely united with that of the martyrs, bears witness to the deluge, wherein, during his Pontificate, pagan Rome at length perished utterly, and made way for the new Jerusalem come down from heaven. Like the ancient Sion, the Rome of the Cæsars would not yield to the offers of that God, who alone could fulfil her desires of immortality. Even since the triumph of the Cross under Constantine, no city of the empire had remained so obstinately given to the worship of idols, or shed so much of that noble blood which might have renewed her youth. And yet after the defeat of her vain idols, God, in his patience, determined to wait a century longer, the last decade of which was a series of salutary threats and merciful interventions, the evident work of the Christ whom she still obstinately repulsed. The incursions of the Goths, allies one day, enemies the next, everywhere spreading anarchy, gave her an opportunity of returning to superstitions which the Christian Emperors had not tolerated; and in her dotage she welcomed the Tuscan soothsayers who had come to help her against Alaric, and allowed them to re-establish the worship of idols. Terrible was her awakening when, on the morning of August 24th, 410, the true God of armies took his revenge; and while the barbarians were engaged in wholesale massacre and pillage, lightning set fire to the town and destroyed the statues in which she had so long placed her confidence and her glory.

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The avengers of God, destroying Babylon, spared the tombs of the two founders of the eternal Rome. On these Apostolic foundations Innocent began to rebuild the holy City. Soon on her seven hills, purified by fire, she rose again, more brilliant than ever, the destined center of the world of mind. It was in the year 417, the last of Innocent’s Pontificate, that St. Augustine, hearing that the Pelagian heresy was condemned, cried out: “Letters have arrived from Rome; the dispute is at an end.” The Councils of Carthage and Milevum, which on this occasion had requested the confirmation of their decree by the Apostolic See, did in this but continue the uninterrupted tradition of the Churches with regard to the supremacy of their Mother and Mistress. This fact is eloquently attested by the holy Pope Victor, who shares with the martyrs the honors of today. His great name calls to mind the Councils of the second century, held by his orders throughout the Church to treat of the celebration of Easter; the condemnation he pronounced, or intended to pronounce, against the Churches of Asia, without any one questioning his right to do so; lastly, the uncontroverted anathemas he hurled against Montanus and the precursors of Arius.

Let us read the notice of our four Saints given in today’s Office:

Quote:Nazarius was baptized by the blessed Pope, Linus. He went into Gaul, and there baptized a child named Celsus whom he had instructed in the Christian doctrine. Together they went to Treves, and in Nero’s persecution were both thrown into the sea, but were saved by a miracle. They proceeded to Milan, where they spread the faith of Christ; and as they with great constancy confessed Christ to be God, the prefect, Anolinus, condemned them to death. Their bodies were buried outside the roman gate, and for a long time remained unknown. But through a divine revelation they were found by St. Ambrose, sprinkled with fresh blood, as if they had but just suffered martyrdom. They were translated to the city and buried in an honorable tomb.

Victor, an African by birth, governed the Church in the time of the Emperor Severus. He confirmed the decree of Pius I, which ordered Easter to be celebrated on a Sunday. Later on, Councils were held in many places in order to bring this rule into practice, and finally the first Council of Nicea commanded that the feast of Easter should be always kept after the 14th day of the moon, lest the Christians should seem to imitate the Jews. Victor ordained that in case of necessity, baptism could be given with any water, provided it were natural. He expelled from the Church the Byzantine, Theodosius the Currier, who taught that Christ was only man. He wrote on the question of Easter, and some other small works. In two ordinations which he held in the month of December, he made four priests, seven deacons, and twelve bishops for different places. He was crowned with martyrdom, and buried on the Vatican on the 5th of the Calends of August, after having sat nine years, one month, and twenty-eight days.

Innocent, by nation an Albanian, lived at the time of Saints Jerome and Augustine. Jerome, writing to the virgin Demetrias, says of him: “Hold fast to the faith of holy Innocent, who is the son of Anastasius of blessed memory and his successor on the Apostolic throne; receive no strange doctrine, however shrewd and prudent you may think yourself.” Orosius writes that like the just Lot, he was withdrawn by God’s providence from Rome, and preserved in safety at Ravenna, that he might not be a witness of the ruin of the Roman people. After the condemnation of Pelagius and Celestinus, he decreed, contrary to their heretical teaching, that children, even though born of a Christian mother, must be born again by water, in order that their second birth may cleanse away the stain they have contracted by the first. He also approved the observance of fasting on the Saturday in memory of the burial of Christ our Lord. He sat fifteen years, one month, and ten days. He held four ordinations in the month of December, and made thirty priests, fifteen deacons, and fifty-four bishops for divers places. He was buried in the cemetery called ad ursum Pileatum.

Glorious Saints, who, either by shedding your blood in the arena or by promulgating decrees from the Apostolic Chair, have exalted the faith of the Lord, bless our prayers. Give us to understand the teaching conveyed by your meeting today on the sacred cycle. We, who are neither martyrs nor pontiffs, may, nevertheless, merit to share in your glory; for the motive which explains your union today must be for us, each in his degree, the cause of salvation: the Apostle tells us that in Christ Jesus nothing availeth but faith that worketh by charity. It is only by that faith for which you labored or suffered that we we wait for the hope of justice, and expect the crown.

O Nazarius, who, leaving all things, didst carry the name of Christ to countries that knew him not; and thou Celsus, who, though a mere child, didst not fear to sacrifice, like him, for Jesus’ sake, thy family, thy country, and thy very life: obtain for us the right appreciation of the treasure of faith, which every Christian is called upon to show to advantage by the confession of good works and of praise. Victor, jealous guardian of that divine praise with regard to the Solemnity of solemnities, and avenger of the Man-God in his divine nature; Innocent, infallible teacher concerning the grace of Christ, and witness, too, of his inexorable justice, teach us to unite confidence with fear, uprightness of belief with the susceptibility a Christian ought to have with regard to his faith, the only foundation of justice and love. Martyrs and Pontiffs, may your united attraction draw us along the straight road which leads to heaven.

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  US Department of Justice Declares COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates Legal
Posted by: Stone - 07-28-2021, 05:49 AM - Forum: General Commentary - Replies (1)

Department of Justice Declares COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates Legal
Federal law doesn't prohibit public agencies, private business from requiring vaccines for employees


Epoch Times [adapted] | July 27, 2021

The Department of Justice concluded in an opinion that federal law doesn’t prohibit public agencies and private businesses from requiring COVID-19 vaccines under the Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization.

On July 26, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, California, and New York City said they would require some of their government workers to get the COVID-19 shot or be tested weekly. Veterans Affairs, with the move, became the first federal agency to mandate the vaccine.

The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel on July 26 wrote (pdf) that because access to COVID-19 vaccines is more commonplace, “numerous educational institutions, employers, and other entities across the United States” have said they will require some individuals to be vaccinated against the virus as a condition of employment, participation, benefit, service, or relationship.

“For instance,” it wrote, “certain schools will require vaccination in order for students to attend class in person, and certain employers will require vaccination as a condition of employment.”

The opinion, which noted that some have questioned the legality of such mandates, concluded that federal law concerning the FDA’s emergency use authorizations (EUA) on COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson doesn’t “prohibit public or private entities from imposing vaccine requirements, even when the only vaccines available are those authorized under EUAs.”

With the Justice Department’s statement and the July 26 Veterans Affairs mandate, it appears to leave the door open for other federal agencies to make COVID-19 vaccines a requirement for employees.

Rutgers University became the first university to mandate them for both employees and students earlier this year. And last week, Carnegie Hall in Manhattan announced that it will require audience members, staff, and performers to provide proof of vaccination before entering the building.

The Justice Department’s opinion comes as messaging from mainstream media outlets, some government officials, and world leaders around vaccines has become increasingly forceful in recent days. Amid reports of an increase in “Delta” variant cases, authorities in France and Italy have recently introduced vaccine passport-type systems for entering private businesses, including restaurants, gyms, theaters, and more, a move that triggered widespread demonstrations across Europe over the weekend.

Responding to the vaccine opinion, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told MSNBC: “Public sector entities need to move as quickly as possible. This DOJ decision is important. I think that will be helpful. We have got to put pressure on this situation.”

Throughout the pandemic, the federal government has implemented few COVID-19-related restrictions and namely has targeted travel and public transportation. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidance—not mandates—around mask-wearing.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki, who has given conflicting statements around whether the administration supports vaccine passports, told reporters during a briefing last week that the administration isn’t requiring officials to get vaccinated.

“No, we have not mandated it,” Psaki in response to a question about whether the White House has made COVID-19 shots mandatory. She appeared to say that the White House offered the vaccines to every employee.

Some Republican-led states, meanwhile, have passed laws that forbid the usage of vaccine passports in government agencies and offices. Florida went a step further in May after Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed a law that prohibits all private businesses from using vaccine passports in his state.

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  Catholic family banned from farmer’s market for their religious beliefs to go to trial
Posted by: Stone - 07-28-2021, 05:42 AM - Forum: General Commentary - No Replies

Catholic family banned from farmer’s market for their religious beliefs to go to trial
Country Mill Farms was banned from their local farmer’s market because of their belief in traditional marriage in 2016 finally will have their day in court.

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Steve and Bridget Tennes and their family

DETROIT, Michigan, July 27, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) – This week, a federal district court will finally hear the case of a Catholic organic farmer who was banned from a Michigan farmer’s market over his belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

On Wednesday, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) will represent Country Mill Farms in a case against the City of East Lansing, which in 2017 prohibited its owners, Steve and Bridget Tennes, from attending the East Lansing, Michigan farmer’s market over a 2016 Facebook post in which Steve Tennes expressed his view that marriage is between one man and one woman.

City officials reacted by telling Tennes they didn't want his farm at the next scheduled market the following Sunday. However, the Tennes refused to back down and attended the market.

After Tennes posted another pro-marriage comment, city officials bypassed jurisdictional limits under Michigan law to craft a policy to exclude him from being able to sell at the farmers' market.

Tennes sells fruit and vegetables to all interested buyers and says he employs a variety of people, including those who identify as part of the “LGBT community.” But the city refused to allow him to participate in the farmers' market unless he agreed to host same-sex “weddings” at his orchard.

For a while, the Tennes family decided to stop hosting all weddings on their farm. However, they have since determined to hold traditional weddings, maintaining their right to deny services that contradict their religious beliefs. 

ADF's lawsuit says the city policy violated the Constitution’s guarantees of free speech, freedom of religion, and equal protection. It is asking the court to restore Country Mill Farms’ "constitutionally protected freedoms and prevent a violation of Michigan’s law governing cities." 

The suit also asks the court to halt the discriminatory city policy, to declare it unlawful and unconstitutional, and to award nominal and compensatory damages. 

“This lawsuit simply asks the court to uphold that freedom for a Catholic farmer, who should be free to sell his produce without coercion, discrimination, or intimidation by the government because of his beliefs about marriage,” said ADF Senior Counsel Jeremy Tedesco. “The city must respect Steve’s constitutionally protected freedom to express his religious beliefs on social media sites without being forced to surrender his right to participate in the marketplace.”

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  Priest attacked in Catholic cathedral in Scotland as he sat quietly praying
Posted by: Stone - 07-28-2021, 05:36 AM - Forum: Anti-Catholic Violence - No Replies

Priest attacked in Catholic cathedral in Scotland as he sat quietly praying
The priest defended himself against the attack using a chair, successfully resisting his assailant who then fled the premises.

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St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland


EDINBURGH, Scotland, July 27, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — A priest quietly praying in the pews of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland, was assaulted by an unidentified man with a glass bottle Monday morning.

The priest, who remains unnamed, defended himself against the attack using a chair, successfully resisting his assailant who then fled the premises, seemingly evading arrest. The attacker was said to have asked the priest to confirm that he was indeed a clergyman before launching his vicious assault. The priest was left unharmed by the incident.

The Archdiocese of St. Andrew’s and Edinburgh, in which St. Mary’s Cathedral is the central church, released a statement Tuesday, announcing the events of the morning prior. “Yesterday morning (Monday 26 July) a priest sitting alone praying in a pew at St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh was subject to a violent and unprovoked assault by a man carrying a glass bottle.”

“Just prior to the attack the man had asked him if he was a priest. When the priest replied that he was, the man attempted to hit him on the head with the bottle, before chasing him to the back of the Cathedral,” the statement continued.

“The bottle broke on the ground and the man continued using it in his assault. The priest managed to fend him off with a chair before the attacker ran out of the Cathedral. The priest escaped without injury.”

A spokesman for Police Scotland confirmed that a “35-year-old man” had been assaulted “within a church in York Place, Edinburgh,” at roughly 9:25 a.m. on Monday morning.

“Officers attended and the victim did not require hospital treatment,” the spokesman said, adding that although the identity of the attacker is yet unknown, “[e]nquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident and anyone with information is urged to contact Police Scotland.”

LifeSiteNews contacted the Archdiocese of St. Andrew’s and Edinburgh for further information, but was unable to reach anyone for comment before publication.

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  Viganò: The West is on the verge of ruin due to ‘apostasy,’ ‘cancel culture’
Posted by: Stone - 07-27-2021, 01:10 PM - Forum: Archbishop Viganò - No Replies

Viganò: The West is on the verge of ruin due to ‘apostasy,’ ‘cancel culture’
Never as in this era have we seen that the destiny of the whole world, and in particular of Europe and Western nations,
 is irremediably marked by all these elements which are a prelude to its fall and its ruin.

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Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò addresses the Venice Document conference

July 26, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) – The following was Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s opening speech for the Venice Document conference.

Dear friends,

Praised be Jesus Christ.

This conference has the privilege of being based in a city with a glorious past, in which its rulers were able to apply with wisdom the good government of every temporal reign that finds its inspirational and informant principles in religion.

The “Serenissima” Republic unified all the positive aspects of monarchy, aristocracy and democracy, in a system intended and conceived to favor the practice of religion, the honest welfare of its citizens, the development of arts and crafts, the promotion of trades and of cultural exchanges, the careful management of public affairs and the prudent administration of justice.


As long as Venice was observant of its high vocation it thrived in all fields. When the last of its Doges (governors) allowed himself to be bribed by Freemasonry and by the false philosophy of the Enlightenment movement, it sank in few years, condemn to be invaded, plundered and stripped of its treasures.

From the story of the Serenissima we can draw a great lesson for the present times and a severe warning for the fate of our country and of nations in general. What indicates the forfeiture of an empire is the betrayal of ideals that made it great, the perversion of authority, the corruption of power, the resignation of the people.

Never as in this era have we seen that the destiny of the whole world, and in particular of Europe and Western nations, is irremediably marked by all these elements which are a prelude to its fall and its ruin.

The betrayal of ideals, of culture, of civilization, of knowledge, and of the arts finds its cause in the apostasy of faith, in having rejected two millennia of Christianity and in wanting to remove even the historical memory of it with the “cancel culture.”

What was shaped in the Christian era from the martyrs’ blood, from the confessors’ testimony, from the teaching of the doctors of the Church, from the Magisterium of the popes and from a whole system of industrious charity that permeated every area of life is today rejected with the annoyed embarrassment of those bound in power.

The perversion of authority has meant that the rulers, both in the civil and in the religious sphere, fail to fulfill the purpose for which it exists, deviating from the common good so that, after having rejected the divine right of the sovereigns and claimed the popular origin of power of the republican state, in the name of alleged human and citizen rights, the new revolutionary political class has proved ready to sell itself to the highest bidder, rebellious to God and those it claims to represent.

The amazing promises of democracy, freedom, and popular sovereignty have been broken in the absence of civic morality, a sense of duty or a spirit of service. Born as a social application of the revolutionary principles inspired by Freemasonry, the notion of the "modern state" has proved to be another colossal deception against the masses from which the consolation of a divine justice that would moderate the excesses of the tyrant has also been snatched. This is the wicked cry of the “Crucifige” (condemnation) perpetuated in time.

After 200 years we understand how that fraud was hatched to make the masses believe that they can determine, on the basis of the mere numerical majority, what is good and what is bad regardless of the natural law and the commandments of which the Lord is the wise author.

This impious tower of Babel shows the collapse of its foundations just at the moment when it seems most powerful and destructive, and this is a source of hope for us.

The idol of equality is also collapsing, a blasphemous denial of the individuality and uniqueness of every man in the name of a flattening down where diversity is regarded with suspicion, autonomy of judgment is stigmatized as antisocial, intellectual skills are a fault, professional excellence is a threat, and the sense of duty is a hateful obstacle.

In this gray prison without tangible bars, freedom of expression is recognized only to sin, vice, crime, ignorance and ugliness, because what is unique in every man, what makes him special, what elevates him above the shapeless mass is an intolerable demonstration of the omnipotence of God, of the infinite wisdom of his creation, of the power of his grace, of the matchless beauty of his work.

The myth of false science also collapses, rebellious as its inspirer to the harmony of the divine cosmos. The humble search for the rules that govern creation has been replaced by the Luciferian presumption of demonstrating on the one hand the non-existence of God and his uselessness for the salvation of humanity, and on the other the insane divinization of the man who considers himself master of the world while he can only be its guardian, according to the eternal rules established by the Creator. Where the wise awareness of one's own fragility had allowed great discoveries for the good of humanity, today the pride of reason gives birth to monsters thirsty for power and money, even at the cost of decimating the world population.

The false ideologies of liberalism and communism collapse, already languishing with enormous political, social and economic disasters and today, united and allied as ghosts of themselves in the crazy project of the new world order. The prophetic words of the Popes on these plagues of the nations are confirmed by the observation that both were two sides of the same coin, the coin of inequality under the guise of equity, and the coin of impoverishment of peoples under the species of the just distribution of wealth, of enrichment of the few with the promise of greater opportunities for the many.

The political parties also collapse, as does the alleged opposition between right and left, children of the Revolution and both instrumental to the exercise of power. Having renounced the ideals that still inspired them, at least nominally, until the last few decades of the twentieth century, the parties have transformed into companies, ending up creating an unbridgeable gap between the agenda that wants them and the real needs of citizens. In the absence of inspiring principles and non-negotiable values, those parties have turned to their new masters, to those who finance them, to those who decide their candidates and orient them to action, impose their choices and, if the rhetoric attributed to the sovereign people the power to appoint whoever represented them in parliaments and recognized the highest expression of democracy in the vote, today those who govern look with suspicion and annoyance on those who would like to oust and drive them out just with the vote.

The illusion collapses that there can be a justice where the laws of the states are not inspired by the common good but by the maintenance of a corrupt power and the dissolution of the social state, and where the law of God is banned by the courts, injustice is in force, honesty is punished, crime and misdemeanor are rewarded. Where justice is not administered in the name of God, magistrates can legislate against the good by making themselves enemies of those they should protect and accomplices of those they should condemn.

The deception of freedom of information collapses, showing the desolating multitude of servants and courtiers ready to silence the truth, to censor reality, to subvert the criteria of objective judgment in the name of partisan interest, the desire to enrich themselves, the intoxication of an ephemeral visibility. But if the journalist, the editor, and the essayist no longer have an immutable principle that inspires them that finds in the living and true God the infallible parameter for understanding and interpreting what is transient, freedom becomes license, subservience to power becomes the rule and falsehood becomes the universal norm.

A whole world of untruths collapses, of deceptions, dishonesty, horrors and ugliness, that for over two centuries has imposed on us everything that is anti-human, anti-divine and anti-Christic as a model. It is the kingdom of the antichrist where transhumanism challenges heaven and nature, in the eternal cry of the enemy, “Non serviam” (I will not serve). But what today we see taking place before our eyes constitutes the essence of a crazy and infernal project, ontologically doomed to failure, and it is not just a decline, as has happened many times throughout history to many empires now buried under the ashes and rubble of time, it is the end of an age that has rebelled against the first principle of the universe, against the nature of things, against the ultimate goal of man. An age that has rebelled against God, that has presumed to be able to overrule and overthrow Him, which has claimed and still demands today to be able to blaspheme Him, to eliminate Him, not only from the present and the future, but also from the past. An era shaped by the servants of the enemy of God and of mankind from Masonic sects, from power lobbies subservient to evil.

You might think that this is a decidedly apocalyptic vision of the present and of what awaits us, a vision of the last times, in which the few who remain faithful to good will be banished, persecuted and killed, just as our Lord was persecuted and killed, and the countless host of martyrs at the beginning of the Christian era. In the face of this madness the responses of human ideologies are not enough, just as a gaze devoid of transcendence is not enough.

The epithet of “apocalyptic” that is addressed to us by those who also attribute to us the label of “denier” or “conspiracy theorist”, denotes an earthly vision in which redemption represents one option among many, together with Marxism or other philosophies. But what should I preach as a bishop, if not Jesus Christ and Himself crucified?

But my words on this occasion do not want to be words of despair nor instill fear for the future that seems to be preparing for us. It is true, this rebellious world and enslaved to the devil, especially in those who govern it with power and money, is waging war on us and is preparing for a fierce and ruthless battle, while he intends to gather around himself as many allies as possible, even among those who prefer not to fight, out of fear or interest. To each of them he promises a reward, assures a reward that repays their enslavement to the cause or at least the abstention from fighting on the opposite side. Promises of success, of wealth, of power that have always enticed and corrupted many throughout history.

There is always 30 silver pieces ready for the traitor, and what is more significant is that while the enemy openly declares his hostility, those who should be our allies and even our generals persist in ignoring it, denying it, laying down their arms in the face of the looming threat. In the name of a senseless pacifism, they undermine true peace, which is tranquility of order and not cowardly and rebellious surrender to those who want to destroy us.

In this, as I said earlier, the true perversion of authority consists. Having failed in the purpose for which there exists, with the complicity of the so-called moderates, of the lukewarm, that Our Lord will vomit from his mouth.

Allow me to urge you not to give up, not to let yourselves be seduced by those who, driven by the desire not to see their role as alleged mediators in the perpetuation of a corrupt and corrupting system compromised, insist on not wanting to recognize the gravity of the present situation and de-legitimize anyone who denounces it as a “conspiracy theorist”.

If there is a concrete threat to the salvation of individuals and of mankind, if there is a mind behind this articulated and organized project, if the action of those who put it into practice is clearly aimed at doing evil, reason and faith urge us to discover their authors, to denounce their purposes, to prevent their execution because, if in the face of this threat we remain inert and indeed we try to deny it, we would become accomplices and co-operators of evil and we would fail in our duty of truth and charity towards our brothers.

But if it is true that there is indisputably this threat that hangs over the good, the honest, the people who still remain faithful to Our Lord, it is also true that this threat, by its very nature, is destined for the most blatant and devastating defeat because it does not call into question only men, but God himself, the entire celestial court, the hosts of angels and saints, and all creation.

Yes, even nature, the marvelous work of God, rebels against this violence and between the final victory of good, which is most certain, and this present of darkness we stand with our choices and will allow God to count his good servants.

Let us not think that during this epochal conflict we must only organize ourselves with human means; let us not be convinced that the impressive power of our enemy is reason enough to let us be defeated and annihilated. Dear brothers and sisters, we are not alone, precisely because this is a war against the majesty of God, He will not refuse to take the field alongside us, leaving us alone to fight against an adversary who dared to challenge none other than the Almighty, the Lord of hosts lined up in battle, at whose name the foundations of the universe tremble.

Rather, let's place ourselves at His side, under the glorious banner of the cross, very certain of an unimaginable victory, of a reward that makes all the riches of the earth pale. Because the prize we are entitled to is immortal and eternal, the glory of heaven, eternal bliss, endless life and the presence of the Holy Trinity. A reward that in the realization of the purpose for which we were created – to give glory to God – recomposes the disorder of sin in the economy of redemption.

The weapons that we must sharpen in this time to be ready for the battle that looms are living in the grace of God, the frequency of the sacraments, faithfulness to the immutable "depositum fidei", prayer, especially the Holy Rosary, constant exercise of the virtues, the practice of penance and fasting, and corporal and spiritual works of charity, to win our distant or lukewarm brothers for God.

Let’s listen to the Apostle's admonition: "Put on the armor of God so that you can withstand the wicked day and remain standing after passing all the tests. Stand firm, gird your waist with truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness and having as footwear on your feet the zeal to spread the gospel of peace. Always hold the shield of faith in your hand, with which you can extinguish all the fiery darts of the evil one. Take also the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, that is, the word of God".

These words, which St. Paul addresses to the faithful of the city of Ephesus, are also and above all valid for us in this time when we must understand that our battle is not against creatures made of blood and flesh but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the spirits of evil who live in the celestial regions.

This event in Venice was desired by its organizers as a moment of reflection and a founding act of a movement of spiritual and social rebirth. A spiritual call to arms, so to speak, in which to count and get to know each other but above all to give courageous witness to that faith which alone is a necessary and indispensable premise for the peace and prosperity of our dear homeland.

I said it, I say it now, and I repeat it, "Pax Christi in Regno Christi."

Just as in celebrating the victory of Lepanto over the Turks, the Venetian Senate paid public honors to the Virgin Queen of Victories, to whom it recognized the merit of the defeat of the enemy of Christianity, so today we must have the courage to rediscover in the Gospel of Christ and in fidelity to his commandments the founding element of every action, personal and collective, social and ecclesial that wants to aspire to success and be blessed by God.

The ruins of the anti-human and anti-Christic society that has smeared the last centuries of history are a severe warning to those who delude themselves into building a house without placing it under the protection of the Lord:

Nisi Dominus ædificaverit domum, in vanum laboraverunt qui ædificant eam. Nisi Dominus custodierit civitatem, frustra vigilat qui custodit eam” (Psalm 126:1).

This house, this city can only be reborn and resurrected if that divine King and that omnipotent Queen reign there by grace, they who were the true Sovereigns of the glorious Republic of Venice, before whom the Doge and the Magistrates are depicted on their knees, a devoted testimony of the Christian religious and social order.

May this awareness of yours be the engine of all your and our future actions.

To all of you, and to all those who will know how to gather under the insignia of Christ and the Virgin, I wholeheartedly impart my paternal Blessing:

In nomine + Patris, et + Filii, et Spiritus + Sancti. Amen.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò

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  July 27th - St. Panteleon
Posted by: Stone - 07-27-2021, 12:59 PM - Forum: July - Replies (2)

July 27 – St. Pantaleon, Martyr
Taken from The Liturgical Year by Dom Prosper Guéranger  (1841-1875)

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The East celebrates today one of her greater martyrs, who was both a healer of bodies and a conqueror of souls. His name, which recalls the strength of the lion, was changed by heaven at the time of his death into Panteleemon, or all-merciful; a happy presage of the gracious blessings our Lord would afterwards bestow on the earth through his means. The various translations and the diffusion of his sacred relics in our West have made his cultus widespread, together with his renown as a friend in need, which has caused him to be ranked among the saints called helpers.

Quote:Pantaleon was a nobleman of Nicomedia and a physician. He was instructed in the faith and baptized by the priest Hermolaus, and soon persuaded his father Eustorguis to become a Christian. Afterwards he freely preached the faith of our Lord Christ in Nicomedia, and encouraged all to embrace his doctrine. This was in the reign of Diocletian. He was tortured on the rack and red-hot plates were applied to his body. He bore the violence of these tortures calmly and bravely, and being finally beheaded obtained the crown of martyrdom.

What is stronger than a lion, and what is sweeter than honey? Greater than Samson, thou, O Martyr, didst in thy own person propose and solve the riddle: Out of the strong came forth sweetness. O lion, who didst follow so fearlessly the Lion of Juda, thou didst imitate his ineffable gentleness; and as he deserved to be called eternally the Lamb, so did he will his Divine Mercy to shine forth in the everlasting heavenly name, into which he changed thy earthly name. Justify that title more and more for the honor of him who gave it to thee. Be merciful to those who call on thee: to the sufferers whom a weary consumption brings daily nearer to the tomb; to physicians, who, like thee, spend themselves in the care of their brethren: assist them in giving relief to physical suffering, in restoring corporal health; teach them still better to heal mortal wounds, and lead souls to salvation.

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  Bishop: Priests who refuse coronavirus vaccine ‘may find themselves limited in their ministry’
Posted by: Stone - 07-27-2021, 12:37 PM - Forum: Pandemic 2020 [Spiritual] - No Replies

Canadian bishop: Priests who refuse coronavirus vaccine ‘may find themselves limited in their ministry’
LifeSiteNews has obtained Bishop Douglas Crosby’s letter stating that unvaccinated priests ‘may not be permitted entrance’ to hospitals and schools. In ‘order that all clergy can carry out their ministries effectively, including celebrating Mass and the other Sacraments, it is imperative that they get fully vaccinated,’ he wrote.

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Hamilton Bishop Douglas Crosby gives a homily at the dioceses' Cathedral of Christ the King.http://http://christthekingcathedral.org/

HAMILTON, Ontario, July 26, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — In a letter obtained by LifeSiteNews, a Canadian bishop warned priests that their ministry may be restricted if they don’t receive an experimental coronavirus vaccine.

“Anyone who does not receive the vaccines may find themselves limited in their ministry,” wrote Hamilton’s Bishop Douglas Crosby in a July 20 letter addressed to his priests and deacons (click HERE to access a PDF of the letter). Crosby urged clergy in his diocese to “continue observing the wise counsel of the health authorities.”

Priest who don’t take a coronavirus shot “may not be permitted entrance to health care facilities (hospitals and nursing homes) and schools,” he continued.

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Crosby’s threat to bar unvaccinated priests from visiting health care facilities could hinder priests’ ability to administer the Sacrament of the Sick, sometimes known as the Last Rites, which includes confession, extreme unction (anointing), and the reception of Holy Communion by the sick and dying.

The Bishop of Hamilton did not state definitively that he would restrict priests’ ability to say Mass and perform other sacraments elsewhere. However, he wrote that in “order that all clergy can carry out their ministries effectively, including celebrating Mass and the other Sacraments, it is imperative that they get fully vaccinated.”

Crosby is also pressuring laity to get jabbed: “Similarly, parish ministers and staff members who are fully vaccinated will be able to carry out their respective roles more effectively,” he wrote.

While his letter doesn’t say the vaccine is required for priests or lay ministers, noting that “vaccines are not mandatory at this time,” Crosby invoked Pope Francis to frame COVID vaccination as a “moral imperative.”

“Pope Francis reminds us that it is a moral imperative that everyone get vaccinated in order to prevent the potential infection and spread of COVID-19 and its variants,” he wrote.

Crosby referred here to Pope Francis’s remarks in a January interview, when he said, “I believe that, ethically, everyone should take the vaccine,” and that it’s "an ethical choice, because you are playing with health, life, but you are also playing with the lives of others.”

Pope Francis has not mentioned the fact that the currently available coronavirus vaccines are developed using material from aborted babies, leading many pro-lifers to conscientiously object to taking them. A chart detailing which vaccines use cell lines from aborted babies, and at what stage the cell lines are used, was published by the Charlotte Lozier Institute.

Crosby echoed Pope Francis’s sentiments on vaccines, writing, “We are morally obligated to do all that we know is possible lest the health of our parishioners be jeopardized.”

Nowhere in his letter does Crosby mention the possibility that some of his priests may have natural immunity from prior coronavirus infection, which also puts them at an elevated risk of having an adverse reaction to one of the vaccines. His letter also does not account for the possibility of some of his priests having allergies or other contraindications that medically prevent receiving one of the shots; some of his priests conscientiously objecting to the use of abortion-tainted vaccines; and “parish ministers and staff members” who may be pregnant or of childbearing age and avoiding the vaccine because of worries about miscarriage, birth defects, or fertility.

Some American bishops have already begun to order that laity involved in certain parish activities receive the coronavirus vaccine. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of Little Rock, Arkansas – the first bishop in the United States to cancel all public Masses at the beginning of the coronavirus – has barred lay people from delivering Communion to the sick and choir members from singing at Mass unless they are “fully vaccinated” with an experimental coronavirus vaccine.

The Catholic Archdiocese of New York, led by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, announced in May 2021 that it would begin segregating vaccinated and unvaccinated parishioners. Only people who have received the abortion-tainted injections will be permitted to sing in the choir or serve on the altar. How to enforce this, or whether to actually look at and possibly store people’s medical records, is up to each parish.

Cardinal Blase Cupich of the Archdiocese of Chicago, meanwhile, declared that those who are “full vaccinated” may enter the church doors without masks, but only if they provide proof of their “vaccination status.”

When Pope Francis visits Slovakia in September, only people who have received a coronavirus vaccine will be allowed at the papal Mass, Slovakian health minister Vladimír Lengvarský announced during a press conference on July 20. That decision was made in cooperation with the Slovakian bishops’ conference.


Crosby’s Diocese of Hamilton has history of LGBT activism

Under Crosby, the Diocese of Hamilton argued in favor of flying the “gay pride” flag at Catholic schools, in the form of a document submitted by Episcopal Vicar for Education for the Catholic Partners of the Diocese of Hamilton, Father Cornelius O’Mahony. At the same time, the Chancellor for the Diocese of Hamilton forbade parish priests within the diocese from petitioning against the proposal, or speaking out about the matter in homilies.

On May 6, the Toronto Catholic School District Board passed motions proclaiming June to be observed as Pride Month and mandating the Pride flag be flown at all schools and the school board office. Social media posts later displayed the raising of the Pride flag at several Catholic schools in Ontario.

Largely in response to this move, which scandalized faithful Catholics, laymen of the Diocese of Hamilton have set up a website calling on fellow parishioners to “defund the diocese.”

Father Janusz Roginski, who argued that the LGBT “pride” flag does not reflect the Catholic faith, was asked to leave the Diocese of Hamilton in April because of his “pastoral approach towards the pandemic.”

LifeSiteNews reached out to the Communications team of the Diocese of Hamilton but was referred to the bishop’s secretary, who has not yet replied. 

Contact information for respectful communications:
Diocese of Hamilton
Bishop Douglas Crosby
700 King St W
Hamilton, ON L8P 1C7
+1 (905) 528-7988 ext. 2222
bishopsoffice@hamiltondiocese.com

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