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FDA to warn of COVID vaccine link to rare nerve disorder that can cause paralysis |
Posted by: Stone - 07-13-2021, 07:53 AM - Forum: Pandemic 2020 [Secular]
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FDA to warn of COVID vaccine link to rare nerve disorder that can cause paralysis
WND.com | July 12, 2021
The Food and Drug Administration is adding a new warning for Americans who get the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine based on reports of a rare nerve disease in those who received the shots.
"Reports of adverse events following use of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine under emergency use authorization suggest an increased risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome during the 42 days following vaccination," the FDA said in a letter dated Monday to Janssen Biotech, the division of Johnson & Johnson that developed the vaccine.
About 100 preliminary reports of Guillain-Barré have been reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Washington Post reported.
Of those, 95 were serious and required the patient to be hospitalized, the FDA said. One person has died.
The FDA will stop short of saying the vaccine caused the disease.
Existing evidence “is insufficient to establish a causal relationship,” the FDA said, according to The Post.
The FDA said it "continues to find the known and potential benefits clearly outweigh the known and potential risks" of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
In its reporting, The New York Times said that incidence of the rare nerve disorder "appear to be three to five times higher among recipients of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine than among the general population in the United States."
According to the FDA letter sent to Janssen, "Guillain Barré syndrome (a neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system damages nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis) has occurred in some people who have received the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. In most of these people, symptoms began within 42 days following receipt of the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine. "
The FDA said symptoms of having Guillain-Barré include weakness or tingling sensations, especially in the legs or arms; difficulty walking or with facial movements; and difficulty with bladder control or bowel functions.
Most of those affected have been men aged 50 and older, according to the CDC.
The Post report said no such issues have been found with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.
This is the second major stumbling block for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Three months ago, it was put on pause amid concerns the vaccine caused severe blood clots. The pause in its use ended after a warning was attached to the drug.
The Astra Zeneca vaccine, which is given in Europe and has not been approved for use in the U.S., has also been examined for a possible link to Guillain Barré.
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Fauci Calls For 'More Vaccine Mandates At The Local Level' |
Posted by: Stone - 07-13-2021, 07:42 AM - Forum: COVID Vaccines
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Fauci Calls For 'More Vaccine Mandates At The Local Level', Slams Alex Berenson For Spreading Facts At CPAC
Zero Hedge [emphasis mine] | JUL 12, 2021
The nation's highest-paid employee in the US government, Anthony Fauci, has gone full-throttle on vaccines - this time with a Sunday appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," where he pushed for vaccine mandates at the local level, and slammed a guest speaker at CPAC (Alex Berenson) for applauding young people for researching vaccine side-effects.
Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases Director appeared on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday to give his opinion on vaccine mandates. He agrees with the White House and President Biden himself, saying vaccination mandates should be the next step.
“I have been of this opinion, and I remain of that opinion, that I do believe at the local level, Jake, there should be more mandates,” Fauci told host Jake Tapper. “There really should be.”
For fear of more people dying, Fauci strongly supports mandates. “We’re talking about life and death situation. We have lost 600,000 Americans already, and we’re still losing more people,” Fauci said. “There have been 4 million deaths worldwide. This is serious business. So I am in favor of that.”
Meanwhile, at the Conservative Political Action Conference, author Alex Berenson called out the vaccination efforts as a scam. “The government was hoping that they could sort of sucker 90% of the population into getting vaccinated,” Berenson said. “And it isn’t happening.” People in the audience cheered when they heard that. On the other hand, Fauci called the reaction “horrifying.”
As a result, the NIAID director says the solution to vaccine hesitancy is official approval from the Food and Drug Administration. “One of the things that will happen, and I think the hesitancy at the local level of doing mandates is because the vaccines have not been officially fully approved,” Fauci said.
Quote:“But people need to understand that the amount of data right now that shows a high degree of effectiveness and a high degree of safety is more than we’ve ever seen with the emergency use authorization, so these vaccines are as good as officially approved with all the I’s dotted and T’s crossed. It hasn’t been done yet because the FDA has to do certain things. But it’s as good as done. So people should really understand that. But they are waiting now until you get an official approval before. And I think when you do see the official approval, you’ll see a lot more mandates.”
Meanwhile, Steve Watson of Summit News notes Fauci's shock at the 'horrifying' facts presented by Berenson.
Appearing on CNN Sunday, Anthony Fauci described it “horrifying” that a crowd at the CPAC gathering applauded when a guest speaker declared that young people are educating themselves about the side effects of the COVID vaccine.
Conservative writer Alex Berenson was speaking about the government’s attempts to indiscriminately push the vaccine on people of all ages, including young people who are statistically more at risk from the vaccine than from the virus.
“They were hoping, the federal government was hoping, they could sucker 90 percent of the population into getting vaccinated,” Berenson said, adding “younger people are well aware of what the risks really are and they are well aware of the side effect profile of the vaccines.”
The comments drew applause from sections of the crowd. Watch:
When asked for his thoughts by CNN host Jake Tapper, Fauci responded “It’s horrifying…I just don’t get that. I mean, and I don’t think that anybody who is thinking clearly can get that.”
“We’ve got to put aside this ideological difference or differences thinking that somebody is forcing you to do something,” Fauci continued.
“The public health officials, like myself and my colleagues, are asking you to do something that will ultimately save your life and that of your family, and that of the community,” he continued.
“I don’t know. I really don’t have a good explanation, Jake, about why this is happening. I mean, it’s ideological rigidity, I think. There’s no reason not to get vaccinated,” Fauci further proclaimed.
Watch:
The government has failed to reach its targets on fully vaccinating 70 percent of the population, with the White House suggesting “herd immunity is kind of an outdated term,” and vowing to send “strike forces” to people’s homes in an effort to get more vaccinated.
Meanwhile, the Vaers report continues to monitor deaths from side effects of the vaccine, which are at time of writing approaching 10,000 in the U.S. alone, with in excess of 438,000 adverse reactions also reported.
The likes of CNN are declaring that it is “time to start mandating” coronavirus vaccines for all Americans to counter people opting not to take the shots because of hesitancy over potential side effects.
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Up to 40% of 'Delta CV hospital patients' admitted w/ diff. illness |
Posted by: Stone - 07-13-2021, 07:28 AM - Forum: Pandemic 2020 [Secular]
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Up to 40% of 'Covid hospital patients' infected with Delta variant may have been admitted for a different illness, official figures suggest
Daily Mail | 9 July 2021
Four out of 10 patients hospitalised with the Indian Covid variant in England may have been admitted for something else, MailOnline analysis of official data suggests.
Public Health England's fortnightly report on the 'Delta' strain showed a total of 1,904 people had spent at least one night in hospital with the mutant virus by June 21.
But the agency admits 739 (39 per cent) of these patients may have gone to hospital for a different condition or injury and tested positive through routine NHS testing.
Experts said the findings show that a significant number of the Covid admissions reported by the Government every day will be 'incidental cases'.
Cambridge University epidemiologist Dr Raghib Ali and Dr Simon Clarke, a microbiologist at Reading University, told MailOnline that this will become more common as the outbreak grows. Officials expect there to be at least 100,000 Covid infections per day by next month.
There are still some patients who fall gravely ill with the virus and do not get tested until they arrive at hospital, Dr Raghib said, but this is happening less often now that testing is so widespread.
Fewer people are becoming severely ill thanks to the vaccines. Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in medicine at the University of East Anglia, said that by next winter 'most cases admitted with a positive test will not be admitted because of Covid'.
PHE's figures also show that of the Indian variant patients who presented at A&E by June 21, just over three in 10 spent the night in hospital, with the rest sent home on the same day.
The promising stats come amid growing anecdotal reports of hospital Covid patients having milder symptoms than in previous waves, due to vaccines and the fact younger people now make up a greater proportion of cases.
Overall, cases of the ultra-infectious Indian variant have risen by 54,000 in a week - up by a third - and the strain now makes up 99 per cent of all new cases in England. There have been 215,000 Indian variant cases in total but this is an underestimate because not every positive sample is analysed for mutations.
Since the strain was first detected in April, the most cases have been discovered in Manchester (6,818), Bolton (5,984), Leeds (5,353), Birmingham (4,777) and Blackburn (3,918).
Public Health England's fortnightly report on the 'Delta' strain showed a total of 1,904 people had spent at least one night in hospital with the mutant virus by June 21. But the agency admits 739 (39 per cent) of these patients may have gone to hospital for a different condition or injury and tested positive through routine NHS testing
PHE's figures also show that of the Indian variant patients who presented at A&E by June 21, just over three in 10 spent the night in hospital, with the rest sent home on the same day
Professor Clarke said MailOnline's analysis highlighted the need to be wary of using general hospital admission figures as an indicator of how much severe disease is being caused by Covid.
'It's detecting the proportion of Covid in society, but what it's doing is meaning the total number of admissions is not a good indicator of the disease burden.
'And that is reflected in the low number of people who are going into intensive care [compared to general admissions].'
There are currently about 450 Covid patients being admitted to hospital every day in the UK and the number appears now to be growing rapidly after more than doubling in a month.
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Democrat Groups Plan to ‘Fact Check’ Private SMS Messages |
Posted by: Stone - 07-13-2021, 07:19 AM - Forum: Socialism & Communism
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Democrat Groups Plan to ‘Fact Check’ Private SMS Messages
To counter “misinformation about vaccines.”
Summit News [emphasis mine]| 12 July, 2021
Groups allied with the Biden administration are planning on working directly with cellphone network providers to ‘fact check’ private SMS messages if they contain “misinformation about vaccines.”
The revelation is made in a Politico article which explains how the White House is preparing to characterize “conservative opponents of its Covid-19 vaccine campaign as dangerous and extreme.”
The decision to ramp up the information war against vaccine skeptics was made after conservatives showed resistance to the Biden administration’s plan to go “door-to-door” to increase vaccination rates.
“Biden allied groups, including the Democratic National Committee, are also planning to engage fact-checkers more aggressively and work with SMS carriers (i.e. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, etc. - The Catacombs) to dispel misinformation about vaccines that is sent over social media and text messages,” states the report. “The goal is to ensure that people who may have difficulty getting a vaccination because of issues like transportation see those barriers lessened or removed entirely.”
The prospect of the DNC and other government-affiliated groups having access to Americans’ private text messages represents a chilling surveillance dystopia.
Interfering with and trying to ‘fact check’ people’s personal conversations is also utterly demented.
Recall that ‘fact-checkers’ infamously declared the Wuhan lab leak hypothesis to be a “debunked conspiracy theory” at the start of the pandemic, only to be forced into a humiliating reversal later on.
In doing so, they may have helped facilitate one of the biggest cover-ups in modern history, so what business such groups have in snooping on people’s private SMS messages is anyone’s guess.
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FBI Asks Americans To Spy On Own Families And Friends To Prevent ‘Extremism’ |
Posted by: Stone - 07-13-2021, 07:11 AM - Forum: Socialism & Communism
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FBI Asks Americans To Spy On Own Families And Friends To Prevent ‘Extremism’
Meanwhile, real extremists are ignored
Summit News [slightly adapted] | 12 July, 2021
The FBI fired out a tweet Sunday afternoon urging Americans to check on their own family members and make sure they aren’t planning any ‘extremism’, prompting a wave of comparisons to authoritarian communist governments.
The wording of the tweet, which links to a Department of National Intelligence (DNI) “booklet” about “homegrown violent extremism” is clear.
Yet there is a distinct ‘Hey Americans, spy on your families for the government’ vibe in the FBI tweet, as numerous detractors noted:
Others noted that real homegrown extremists are being ignored:
The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of the FBI concerning its role in the events at the Capitol on January 6th, and the subsequent treatment of those it has detained.
As it turns out, the Lego set of the Capitol recently seized by the FBI wasn’t “fully constructed” after all:
Thank God for that.
The FBI’s ‘turn in your family and friends’ plea comes in the wake of Facebook rolling out it’s own version:
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July 12th – St John Gualbert, Abbot |
Posted by: Stone - 07-12-2021, 12:49 PM - Forum: July
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July 12 – St John Gualbert, Abbot
Never, from the day when Simon Magus was baptized at Samaria, had hell seemed so near to conquering the Church, as at the period brought before us by today’s feast. Rejected and anathematized by Peter, the new Simon had said to the princes, as the former had said to the apostles: “Sell me this power, that upon whomsoever I shall lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.” And the princes, ready enough to supplant Peter and fill their coffers at the same time, had taken upon themselves to invest men of their own choice with the government of the churches; the bishops in their turn had sold to the highest bidders the various orders of the hierarchy; and sensuality, ever in the wake of covetousness, had filled the sanctuary with defilement.
The tenth century had witnessed the humiliation of the supreme Pontificate itself; early in the eleventh, simony was rife among the clergy. The work of salvation was going on in the silence of the cloister; but Peter Damian had not yet come forth from the desert; nor had Hugh of Cluny, Leo IX, and Hildebrand brought their united efforts to bear upon the evil. A single voice was heard to utter the cry of alarm and rouse the people from their lethargy: it was the voice of a monk, who had once been a valiant soldier, and to whom the crucifix had bowed its head in recognition of his generous forgiveness of an enemy. John Gualbert, seeing simony introduced into his own monastery of San Miniato, left it and entered Florence, only to find the pastoral staff in the hands of a hireling. The zeal of God’s House was devouring his heart; and going into the public squares, he denounced the Bishop and his own Abbott, that thus he might at least deliver his own soul.
At the sight of this monk confronting single-handed the universal corruption, the multitude was for a moment seized with stupefaction; but soon surprise was turned into rage, and John with difficulty escaped death. From this day his special vocation was determined: the just, who had never despaired, hailed him as the avenger of Israel, and their hope was not to be confounded. But, like all who are chosen for a divine work, he was to spend a long time under the training of the Holy Spirit. The athlete had challenged the powers of this world; the holy war was declared: one would naturally have expected it to wage without ceasing until the enemy was entirely defeated. And yet, the chosen soldier of Christ hastened into solitude to “amend his life,” according to the truly Christian expression used in the foundation-charter of Vallombrosa. The promoters of the disorder, startled at the suddenness of the attack, and then seeing the aggressor as suddenly disappear, would laugh at the false alarm; but, cost what it might to the once brilliant soldier, he knew how to abide, in humility and submission, the hour of God’s good pleasure.
Little by little other souls, disgusted with the state of society, came to join him; and soon the army of prayer and penance spread throughout Tuscany. It was destined to extend over all Italy, and even to cross the mountains. Settimo, seven miles from Florence, and San Salvi at the gates of the city, were the strongholds whence the holy war was to recommence in 1063. Another simoniac, Peter of Pavia, had purchased the succession to the episcopal see. John, with all his monks, was resolved rather to die than to witness in silence this new insult offered to the Church of God. His reception this time was to be very different from the former, for the fame of his sanctity and miracles had caused him to be looked upon by the people as an oracle. No sooner was his voice heard once more in Florence, than the whole flock was so stirred, that the unworthy pastor, seeing he could no longer dissemble, cast off his disguise and showed what he really was: a thief who had come only to rob and kill and destroy. By his orders a body of armed men descended upon San Salvi, set fire to the monastery, fell upon the brethren in the midst of the Night-Office, and put them all to the sword; each monk continuing to chant till he received the fatal stroke. John Gualbert, hearing at Vallombrosa of the martyrdom of his sons, intoned a canticle of triumph. Florence was seized with horror, and refused to communicate with the assassin bishop. Nevertheless four years had yet to elapse before deliverance could come; and the trials of St. John had scarcely begun.
St. Peter Damian, invested with full authority by the Sovereign Pontiff, had just arrived from the Eternal City. All expected that no quarter would be given to simony by its sworn enemy, and that peace would be restored to the afflicted Church. The very contrary took place. The greatest saints may be mistaken, and so become to one another the cause of sufferings by so much the more bitter as their will, being less subject to caprice than that of other men, remains more firmly set upon the course they have adopted for the interests of God and His Church. Perhaps the great bishop of Ostia did not sufficiently take into consideration the exceptional position in which the Florentines were placed by the notorious simony of Peter of Pavia, and the violent manner in which he put to death, without form of trial, all who dared to withstand him. Starting from the indisputable principle that inferiors have no right to depose their superiors, the legate reprehended the conduct of the monks, and of all who had separated themselves from the bishop. There was but one refuge for them, the Apostolic See, to which they fearlessly appealed; a proceeding which no one could call uncanonical. But there, says the historian, many who feared for themselves, rose up against them, declaring that these monks were worthy of death for having dared to attack the prelates of the Church; while Peter Damian severely reproached them before the Roman Council. The holy and glorious Pope Alexander II took the monks under his own protection, and praised the uprightness of their intention. Yet he dared not comply with their request and proceed further, because the greater number of the bishops sided with Peter of Pavia; the archdeacon Hildebrand alone was entirely in favor of the Abbott of Vallombrosa.
Nevertheless the hour was at hand when God Himself would pronounce the judgment refused them by men. While overwhelmed with threats and treated as lambs amongst wolves, John Gualbert and his sons cried to heaven with the Psalmist: “Arise, O Lord, and help us; arise, why dost Thou sleep, O Lord; arise, O God, and judge our cause.” At Florence the storm continued to rage. St. Savior’s at Settimo had become the refuge of such of the clergy as were banished from the town by the persecution; the holy founder, who was then residing in that monastery, multiplied in their behalf the resources of his charity. At length the situation became so critical, that one day in Lent of the year 1067 the rest of the clergy and the whole population left the simoniac alone in his deserted palace, and fled to Settimo. Neither the length of the road, deep in mud from the rain, nor the rigorous fast observed by all, says the narrative written at that very time to the Sovereign Pontiff by the clergy and people of Florence, could stay the most delicate matrons, women about to become mothers, or even children. Evidently the Holy Ghost was actuating the crowd; they called for the judgment of God. John Gualbert, under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit, gave his consent to the trial; and in testimony of the truth of the accusation brought by him against the Bishop of Florence, Peter, one of his monks, since known as Peter Igneus, walked slowly before the eyes of the multitude through an immense fire, without receiving the smallest injury. Heaven had spoken: the Bishop was deposed by Rome, and ended his days a happy penitent in that very monastery in Settimo.
In 1073, the year in which his friend Hildebrand was raised to the Apostolic See, John was called to God. His influence against simony had reached far beyond Tuscany. The Republic of Florence ordered his feast to be kept as a holiday, and the following words were engraved upon his tomb-stone:
To John Gualbert, Citizen of Florence, Deliverer of Italy.
Let us read the notice which the Church consecrates to his blessed memory, though with a few differences in detail.
Quote:John Gualbert was born at Florence of a noble family. While, in compliance with his father’s wishes, he was following the career of arms, it happened that his only brother Hugh was slain by a kinsman. On Good Friday, John, at the head of an armed band, met the murderer alone and unarmed, in a spot where they could not avoid each other. Seeing death imminent, the murderer, with arms outstretched in the form of a cross, begged for mercy, and John, through reverence for the sacred sign, graciously spared him. Having thus changed his enemy into a brother, he went to pray in the church of San Miniato, which was near at hand; and as he was adoring the image of Christ crucified, he saw it bend its head towards him. John was deeply touched by this miracle, and determined thenceforward to fight for God alone, even against his father’s wish; so, on the spot he cut off his own hair and put on the monastic habit. Very soon his pious and religious manner of life shed abroad so great a luster that he became to many a living rule and pattern of perfection. Hence on the death of the Abbot of the place he was unanimously chosen superior. But the servant of God, preferring obedience to superiority, and moreover being reserved by the divine Will for greater things, betook himself to Romuald who was then living in the desert of Camaldoli, and who, inspired by heaven, announced to him the institute he was to form; whereupon he laid the foundations of his Order under the Rule of St. Benedict at Vallombrosa.
Soon afterwards many, attracted by the renown of his sanctity, flocked to him from all sides. He received them into his society, and together with them he zealously devoted himself to rooting out heresy and simony, and propagating the Apostolic faith; on account of which devotedness both he and his disciples suffered innumerable injuries. Thus, his enemies in their eagerness to destroy him and his brethren, suddenly attacked the monastery of San Salvi by night, burned the church, demolished the building, and mortally wounded all the monks. The man of God, however, restored them all forthwith to health by a single sign of the Cross. Peter, one of his monks, miraculously walked unhurt through a huge blazing fire, and thus John obtained for himself and his sons the peace they so much desired. From that time forward every stain of simony disappeared from Tuscany; and faith, throughout all Italy, was restored to its former purity.
John built many entirely new monasteries, and restored many others both as to their material buildings and as to regular observance, strengthening them all with the bulwark of holy regulations. In order to feed the poor he sold the sacred vessels of the Altar. The elements were obedient to his will when he sought to check evil-doers; and the sign of the Cross was the sword he used whereby to conquer the devils. At length worn out by abstinence, watchings, fasting, prayer, maceration of the flesh and finally old age, he fell into a grievous malady, during which he repeated unceasingly the words of David: “My soul hath thirsted after the strong living God: when shall I come and appear before the face of God?” When death drew near, calling together his disciples, he exhorted them to preserve fraternal union. Then he caused these words to be written on a paper which he wished should be buried with him: “I, John, believe and confess the faith which the holy Apostles preached, and the holy Fathers in the four Councils have confirmed.” At length having been honored during three days with the gracious presence of Angels, in the seventy-eighth year of his age, he departed to the Lord at Passignano, where he is honored with the highest veneration. He died in the year of salvation 1073 on the 4th of the Ides of July; and having become celebrated by innumerable miracles, was enrolled by Celestine III in the number of Saints.
![[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Falchetron.com%2Fcdn%2Fj...f=1&nofb=1]](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Falchetron.com%2Fcdn%2Fjohn-gualbert-0a3e2fe5-d69b-4543-9be4-bb652feeb70-resize-750.jpeg&f=1&nofb=1)
O true disciple of the New Law, who didst know how to spare an enemy for the love of the Holy Cross! teach us to practice, as thou didst, the lessons conveyed by the instrument of our salvation, which will then become to us, as to thee, a weapon ever victorious over the powers of hell. Could we look upon the Cross, and then refuse to forgive our brother an injury, when God Himself not only forgets our heinous offenses against His Sovereign Majesty, but even died upon the Tree to expiate them? The most generous pardon a creature can grant is but a feeble shadow of the pardon we daily obtain from our Father in heaven. Still, the Gospel which the Church sings in thy honor, may well teach us that the love of our enemies is the nearest resemblance we can have to our heavenly Father, and the sign that we are truly His children.
Thou hadst, O John, this grant trait of resemblance. He who in virtue of His eternal generation is the true Son of God by nature, recognized in thee the mark of nobility which made thee His brother. When He bowed His sacred Head to thee, He saluted in thee the character of a child of God, which thou hadst just so beautifully maintained: a title a thousand times more glorious than those of thy noble ancestry. What a powerful germ was the Holy Ghost planting at that moment in thy heart! And how richly does God recompense a single generous act! Thy sanctification, the glorious share thou didst take in the Church’s victory, the fecundity whereby thou livest still in the Order sprung from thee: all these choice graces for thy own soul and for so many others, hung upon that critical moment. Fate, or the Justice of God, as thy contemporaries would have said, had brought thy enemy within thy power: how wouldst thou treat him? He was deserving of death; and in those days every man was his own avenger. Hadst thou then inflicted due punishment upon him, thy reputation would have rather increased than diminished. Thou wouldst have obtained the esteem of thy comrades; but the only glory which is of any worth before God, indeed the only glory which lasts long even in the sight of men, would never have been thine. Who would have known thee at the present day? Who would have felt the admiration and gratitude with which thy very name now inspires the children of the true Church?
The Son of God, seeing that thy dispositions were conformable to those of His Sacred Heart, filled thee with His own jealous love of the holy City for whose redemption He shed His Blood. O thou that wert zealous for the beauty of the Bride, watch over her still; deliver her from hirelings who would fain receive from men the right of holding the place of the Bridegroom. In our days venality is less to be feared than compromise. Simony would take another form; there is not so much danger of bribery, as of fawning, paying homage, making advances, entering into implicit contracts; all which proceedings are as contrary to the holy Canons, as are pecuniary transactions. And after all, is the evil any the less for taking a milder form, if it enables princes to bind the Church again in fetters such as thou didst labor to break? Suffer not, O John Gualbert, such a misfortune, which would be the forerunner of terrible disasters. Continue to support with thy powerful arm the common Mother of men. Save thy fatherland a second time, even in spite of itself. Protect, in these sad times, the Order of which thou art the glory and the father; give it strength to outlive the confiscations and the cruelties it is suffering from that same Italy which once hailed thee as its deliverer. Obtain for Christians of every condition the courage for the warfare in which all are bound to engage.
On this same day the whole Church unites in the solemn homage which Milan continues to pay, after a lapse of sixteen centuries, to two valiant witnesses of Christ. “Our martyrs Felix and Nabor,” says St. Ambrose, “are the grain of mustard-seed mentioned in the Gospel. They possessed the good odor of faith, though it did not appear to men; persecution arose, they laid down their arms, and bowed their heads to the sword, and immediately the grace that was hidden within them was shed abroad even to the ends of the world; so that we can now in all truth say of them: Their sound has gone forth into all the earth.”
![[Image: ?u=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-lsI...f=1&nofb=1]](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-lsIF_44kCT4%2FThopUAVjy9I%2FAAAAAAAAAlU%2FMaHYtQ1s3eI%2Fw1200-h630-p-k-no-nu%2Fnabor_felix.jpg&f=1&nofb=1)
Let us honor them and ask their intercession by the prayer which the Church addresses to God in commemoration of their glorious combat.
Collect
Præsta, quæsumus Domine: ut, sicut nos sanctorum Martyrum tuorum Naboris et Felicis natalitia celebranda non deserunt, ita jugiter suffragiis comitentur. Per Dominum.
Grant, we beseech thee, O Lord, that as the festival of thy holy Martyrs, Nabor and Felix, returns for us to celebrate, it may always be accompanied by their intercession. Through our Lord, &c.
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Pope Francis Touts Free Universal Health Care |
Posted by: Stone - 07-12-2021, 07:19 AM - Forum: Pope Francis
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Pope Francis Touts Free Universal Health Care
![[Image: Pope-Francis-Prays-640x480.jpg]](https://media.breitbart.com/media/2021/05/Pope-Francis-Prays-640x480.jpg)
Pope Francis prays during an ordination mass on April 25, 2021 at St. Peter's Basilica in The Vatican, during which he is to ordain nine priests for his diocese as bishop of Rome.
Breitbart | 11 Jul 20210
ROME — Pope Francis made an appeal for free universal health care Sunday, urging nations to follow the example of those that provide it.
“In these days of being hospitalized, I have experienced once again how important good health care is, accessible to all, as it is in Italy and in other countries,” the pope said during his Angelus address, delivered from the Gemelli Hospital where he is currently recovering from colon surgery.
“Free health care, that assures good service, accessible to everyone,” the pontiff continued. “This precious benefit must not be lost. It needs to be kept!”
In his address, the pope went on to assert that such health care requires the commitment of all, just as all are beneficiaries of it.
“I would like to express my appreciation and my encouragement to the doctors and all the healthcare workers and staff of this and of other hospitals. They work so hard!” he added.
Pray for all those who are sick, the pope urged, “especially for those in the most difficult conditions: may no one be left alone, may everyone receive the anointing of listening, closeness, tenderness and care.”
“All of us, everyone, sooner or later, we all need this ‘anointing’ of closeness and tenderness,” he proposed, “and we can all give it to someone else, with a visit, a phone call, a hand outstretched to someone who needs help.”
Francis also underscored the importance of healthcare work for the mission of the Catholic Church.
“In the Church it also happens at times that some healthcare institution, due to poor management, does not do well economically, and the first thought that comes to mind is to sell it,” he said. “But the vocation, in the Church, is not to have money; it is to offer service, and service is always freely given.”
“Do not forget this: to save free institutions,” he insisted.
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July 11th – St Pius I, Pope & Martyr |
Posted by: Stone - 07-11-2021, 08:52 AM - Forum: July
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July 11 – St Pius I, Pope & Martyr
A holy Pope of the second century, the first of the nine hitherto graced with the name of Pius, rejoices us today with his mild and gentle light. Although Christian society was in a precarious condition under the edicts of persecution, which even the best of the pagan emperors never abrogated, our Saint profited by the comparative peace enjoyed by the Church under Antoninus Pius, to strengthen the foundations of the mysterious tower raised by the divine Shepherd to the honor of the Lord God. He ordained by his supreme authority that, notwithstanding the contrary custom observed in certain places, the feast of Easter should be celebrated on a Sunday throughout the entire Church. The importance of this measure and its effects upon the whole Church will be brought before us on the feast of St. Victor, who succeeded Pius at the close of the century.
The ancient legend of St. Pius I, which has lately been altered, made mention of the decree, attributed in the Corpus juris to our Pontiff, concerning those who should carelessly let fall any portion of the Precious Blood of our Lord. The prescriptions are such as evince the profound reverence the Pope would have to be shown towards the Mystery of the Altar. The penance enjoined is to be of forty days if the Precious Blood have fallen to the ground; and wheresoever It fell, It must if possible be taken up with the lips, the dust must be burned, and the ashes thereof thrown into a consecrated place.
Quote:Pius, the first of this name, a citizen of Aquileia, and son of Rufinus, was priest of the holy Roman Church. During the reign of Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius he was chosen Sovereign Pontiff. In five ordinations which he held in the month of December, he ordained twelve bishops of eighteen priests. Several admirable decrees of his are still extant; in particular that which ordains that the Resurrection of our Lord is always to be celebrated on a Sunday. He changed the house of Pudens into a Church, and because it surpassed the other titles in dignity, inasmuch as the Roman Pontiffs had made it their dwelling-place, he dedicated it under the title of Pastor. Here he often celebrated the holy Mysteries, baptized many who had been converted to the faith, and enrolled them in the ranks of the faithful. While he was thus fulfilling the duties of a good shepherd, he shed his blood for his sheep and for Christ the Supreme Pastor, being crowned with martyrdom on the 5th of the Ides of July. He was buried in the Vatican.
We call to mind, O glorious Pontiff, those words written under thine eye, which seem to be a commentary on thy decree concerning the Sacred Mysteries: “We receive not,” cried Justin the Philosopher to the world of that second century: “We receive not as common bread, nor as common drink, the food which we call the Eucharist; but just as Jesus Christ our Savior, being made flesh by the word of God, had both flesh and blood for our salvation, so have we been taught that the food made Eucharist by the prayer formed of His own word, is both the Flesh and the Blood of this Jesus who is made flesh.” This doctrine, and the measures it so fully justifies, found, towards the close of the same century, other authentic witnesses who, in their turn, would almost seem to be quoting from the prescriptions attributed to thee. “We are in the greatest distress,” said Tertullian, “if the least drop from our chalice, or the least crumb of our Bread fall to the ground.” And Origen appealed to the initiated to bear witness to “the care and veneration with which the sacred gifts were surrounded, for fear the smallest particle should fall; which, if it happened through negligence, would be considered a crime.” And yet in our days heresy, as destitute of knowledge as of faith, pretends that the Church has departed from her ancient traditions by paying exaggerated homage to the divine Sacrament. Obtain for us, O Pius, the grace to return to the spirit of our fathers; not indeed with regard to their faith, for that we have kept inviolate; but as to the veneration and love with which that faith inspired them for the Chalice of Inebriation, that richest treasure of earth. May the Pasch of the Lamb unite, as thou didst desire, in one uniform celebration, all who have the honor to bear the name of Christian!
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Seventh Sunday after Pentecost |
Posted by: Stone - 07-11-2021, 08:04 AM - Forum: Pentecost
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INSTRUCTION ON THE SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.
From Fr. Leonard Goffine's Explanations of the Epistles and Gospels for the Sundays, Holydays, and Festivals throughout the Ecclesiastical Year 36th edition, 1880
The Introit the Church invites us to give praise to God in the following words: Oh, clap your hands, all ye nations: shout unto God with the voice of joy. For the Lord is most high, he is terrible; he is a great
King over all the earth. (Ps. xlvi.) Glory, &c.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH. O God, whose providence is unerring- in what it ordains, we humbly beseech Thee to put away from us all hurtful things, and to give us all things which will profit us. Thro'.
EPISTLE. (Rom. vi. 19 — 23.) Brethren, I speak a human thing, because of the infirmity of your flesh:
for as you have yielded your members to serve uncleanness and iniquity unto iniquity, so now yield your members to serve justice unto sanctification. For when you were the servants of sin , you were free from justice. What fruit therefore had you then in those things, of which you are now ashamed? For the end of them is death. But now, being made free from sin, and become servants to God , you have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end life everlasting. For the wages of sin is death. But the grace of God, life everlasting, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
EXPLANATION. St. Paul here admonishes the Romans who had been converted to Christianity, but were still sensual and weak, that they ought to be much more zealous in serving God and mastering their passions. He demands of them that they should at least strive now as hard to save their souls as they once did to destroy them. This certainly is but right, for many a man would become just and holy if he would do as much for heaven, as he does for sin and hell. But to know how wholesome it is to consecrate themselves to justice and sanctity, he wishes them to consider what advantage they derived from sin. Nothing is gained from it but shame, confusion, sorrow, and death, but by a pious life, God's grace and eternal life. — Often consider this, Christian soul, and do not defile yourself by sins, which profit nothing, but bring shame, grief, and the retributive wrath of God.
GOSPEL. (Matt. vii. 15 — 21.) At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves: by their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down , and shall be cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them. Not every one that saith to me: Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.
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Who are the false prophets?
Those seducers who under an appearance of virtue and honesty lure innocent, simple souls from the right path, and lead them to vice and shame; who by sweet words. such as: "God is full of love, and will not be severe on sin, He does not require so very much of us, He knows we are weak, and if a person sins, he can be converted," seek to steal from soul sail modesty and fear of God. Guard against such hypocrites, for they have the poison of vipers on their tongues. By the false prophets are also understood those who propagate error, who by superficial words degrade the true faith, who speak always of love and liberty, and who under the pretence of making people free and happy, bring many a soul to doubt and error, depriving it of true faith and peace of heart.
How can we know the false prophets?
By their works; for evil, corrupted men can produce only bad fruit. If we look into their life we will find that at heart they are immoral hypocrites who observe external propriety only that they may the more easily spread their poison. The false teachers and messengers of error may be known by their lives, but especially by their intentions, which are to subvert all divine order, and to put the unrestrained lust of the flesh and tyranny in its place.
Who else are understood by the false prophets?
Those who under pretence of making men happy and rich, induce the credulous to make use of superstition, of wicked arts, deceit, and injustice; especially those who under the deceiving appearance of liberty and equality, independence and public good, incite them to open or secret revolt against civil and ecclesiastical authority. Be not deceived by these so-called public benefactors who look always to their own advantage, but trust in God, support yourself honestly, live like a Christian, and you will find true liberty and happiness here and hereafter.
Why does Christ say: “Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down and shall be cast into the fire?"
He warns us that faith without good works is not sufficient for salvation; and he therefore adds; Not every one that saith: Lord, Lord (who outwardly professes himself my servant, but is not really such) shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who, (by the fulfilment of the duties of his state of life and by the practice of good works), does the will of my Father, merits heaven. Strive then, Christian soul, to fulfil God's will in all things, perform your daily duties with a good intention, and. you will certainly obtain the kingdom of heaven.
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INSTRUCTION ON GOOD WORKS.
What are good works?
ALL the actions of man which are performed according to the will of God, while in the state of grace, for the love of God.
Which are the principal good works?
Prayer, fasting, and alms-deeds. These are especially inculcated in Holy Scripture. (Tab. xiii. 8.) By prayer is here understood all religious services; by fasting all mortification of soul and body; by alms-deeds all works of charity.
How many kinds of charitable works are there?
Two kinds: spiritual and corporal.
Which are the spiritual works of mercy?
Those that are performed for the good of the soul: to admonish sinners; to teach the ignorant; to counsel the doubtful; to console the afflicted; to suffer injustice patiently: to forgive all injuries, and to pray for the living and the dead.
Which are the corporal works?
Those which are performed for the good of the body: to feed the hungry; to give drink to the thirsty; to clothe the naked; to visit and ransom the captives; to harbor the harborless; to visit the sick; and to bury the dead.
Can we be saved with out good works?
No, for Christ expressly says: Every tree that bringeth forth not good fruit, shall be cut down and shall be cast into the fire. The servant in the gospel who did not even waste the talent received, but only hid it in the ground, was therefore cast into outer darkness. How greatly do those err who hope to reach heaven, simply because they do no evil! Of this great mistake St. Chrysostom plainly says: "If you had a servant who was in truth no robber, no glutton or drunkard, but who sat at home idle, neglecting every thing for which you had employed him, would you not pay him with the whip and send him off? Is it not bad enough to neglect that which duty demands?" Such a servant is the Christian who, doing neither good nor evil, makes himself thereby unfit for heaven which is the reward of work performed, and if no work has been done, no reward is to be expected.
SUPPLICATION. O Lord, guard me from false prophets, heretics, and seducers, and grant me the grace, that according to St. Paul's instructions I may become fruitful in all good works. Inflame my heart, that I may adorn my faith with them, thus do the will of the Heavenly Father, and render myself worthy of heaven.
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Man lights Cross on fire atop bell tower of St. Mary's Catholic Church |
Posted by: Stone - 07-11-2021, 07:50 AM - Forum: Anti-Catholic Violence
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Man Wearing Only Boxers and One Sock Climbs Los Angeles Church Bell Tower and Lights Cross on Fire (VIDEOS)
GP | July 9, 2021
A man has been detained after climbing a church bell tower and lighting the cross on fire in Los Angeles — wearing only boxer shorts and one sock.
The Los Angeles Police Department has not revealed the identity of the 25-year-old man who was captured on film lighting the fire at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Wednesday evening.
A witness told KCBS-TV the man threw his clothes off the top of the church.
“The man, who appeared to be clad in only boxers and socks, was on top of a bell tower trying to start a fire when Sky5 arrived above the scene around 8:45 p.m. However, the flames failed to spread past the apex of the roof,” KTLA reports. “He eventually scaled down scaffolding surrounding the tower shortly after 9 p.m., heading across the church’s main roof before jumping across to other roofs in the neighborhood. At one point, he was even seen climbing an electrical wire.”
The LAPD tracked the man and eventually took him into custody around 10 p.m.
The half-naked man was taken to the hospital, but it was unclear if he required treatment or was being evaluated.
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