Tuesday, December 1, 2020

CENTRAL AMERICA MIGRATION CARAVAN NEWS: WORLD NEWS...by Martin Barillas • ChurchMilitant.com • December 1, 2020 7 Comments Biden's 'open door' pledge a dilemma for Catholic bishops

CENTRAL AMERICA MIGRATION CARAVAN

by Martin Barillas • ChurchMilitant.com • December 1, 2020 7 Comments

Biden's 'open door' pledge a dilemma for Catholic bishops

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WASHINGTON (ChurchMilitant.com) - Should he be inaugurated in January, Democrat Joe Biden promises to offer a "pathway to citizenship" for the millions of illegal immigrants currently living in the United States and a mechanism for millions more to enter the country. While U.S. Catholic bishops have congratulated him and validated some of his plans, the professedly Catholic Biden's position on abortion presents the prelates with a dilemma.

Biden, who based his campaign largely on personal attacks on President Donald Trump rather than outlining the policies he would follow as president, told NBC News on Nov. 25, "I will send an immigration bill to the U.S. Senate with a pathway to citizenship for over 11 million undocumented people in America." Speaking with NBC's Lester Holt, he noted that he will need support from Congress to advance his pro-immigration posture.

One of many facilities used to
temporarily hold illegal aliens

Biden would eliminate many of Trump's executive orders (of which 400 dealt with immigration) but reinstate the Obama administration's Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that was created to shield so-called Dreamers: Illegal immigrants who arrived in the United States as children, who, in some cases, have been afforded access to free tuition at state universities. According to the Center for Migration Policy, there are some 2.2 million Dreamers now residing in the United States.

In 2018, Trump unveiled the "four pillars" of a plan to "protect Americans." This included building a border wall, eliminating the visa lottery, ending extended-family chain migration and, at the same time, legalizing 1.8 million illegal immigrants, including Dreamers. At the time, Bp. Joe Vásquez (who chaired the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' committee on migration) denounced Trump's plan, saying, "Upholding and protecting the family unit, regardless of its national origins, is vital to our Faith."

"In searching for a solution for Dreamers," Vásquez added, "we must not turn our backs on the vulnerable. We should not ... barter the well-being of unaccompanied children for the well-being of the Dreamers."

Rivers have burst their banks, and landslides are hampering access to affected people.Tweet

Biden would preserve "temporary protected status" (TPS) for immigrants who fled their countries following natural disasters or armed conflicts. The Trump administration began phasing out widespread TPS in 2018 for the 300,000+ immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan. Biden wants to extend TPS to exiles fleeing socialist Venezuela.

In addition, Biden has promised to reunite more than 500 minors currently detained at the southern U.S. border and would increase the number of refugee admissions to 125,000 from the ceiling of 15,000 set for fiscal year 2021 by the Trump administration.

Central America is home to some of the poorest people on the planet, people who have been beset by decades of misgovernment, foreign intervention, economic and social inequity, natural disasters and violent Marxist insurgencies. This year, the region was buffeted by Hurricane Eta, a category 4 storm that was followed by the category 5 Hurricane Iota, affecting some 3.4 million people, according to ReliefWeb. Humanitarian groups and government agencies are offering aid; meanwhile, reports are surfacing of violence, family separation, overcrowding and dire conditions in shelters, as well as limited access to food, water and security. Rivers have burst their banks, and landslides are hampering access to affected people.

Large, organized groups of emigrants began heading north in several waves in 2018 and 2019, challenging Trump's emphasis on border security. Thousands of migrants are waiting along the U.S.–Mexico border awaiting entry to the United States, pending the results of the election and court decisions. Even before the November hurricanes, Guatemala was preparing for thousands of migrants from neighboring Honduras, who planned to head to the United States. On Oct. 1, for instance, 4,000 Hondurans entered Guatemala after evading a military checkpoint and sanitary controls.

According to Americas Quarterly, a Council of the Americas publication founded by plutocrat David Rockefeller, "Heading north will continue to be seen as an option." Predicting that a Biden administration would treat "migrants and asylum-seekers with dignity," it acknowledged, "Recent experience has taught us that changing U.S. policies sends powerful signals to would-be migrants — and to their smugglers."

Recent experience has taught us that changing U.S. policies sends powerful signals to would-be migrants — and to their smugglers.Tweet

The article quoted Scalabrinian sister Nyzelle Juliana Dondé, who leads relief efforts by the bishops of Honduras. "Migrants will continue leaving Honduras because of the lack of work and the widespread violence," she suggested, calculating that 600,000 unemployed people will be the next migrants to hit the road. Before the two hurricanes hit, some 3,500 Hondurans entered Guatemala, prompting the Catholic Church there to respond with aid. However, most were deported after being stopped by Guatemalan authorities. According to Catholic News Service, Dondé said, "It's a matter of survival," adding, "So what people want and what they're anxious for is a better life, and [they] only look toward the United States."

As Hurricane Iota smashed into the Central American isthmus, Guatemalan president Alejandro Giammattei said on Nov. 17 that more foreign aid is needed to avoid further caravans: "If we don't want hordes of Central Americans heading toward countries with better living conditions, we have to create walls of prosperity in Central America."

"Physical walls cannot stop people's need," Giammattei added. "Human development cannot be achieved simply with speeches. It must be achieved with action that comes from the industrialized nations."

The U.S. Agency for International Development is providing some $35 million in relief to Central America in the wake of the hurricanes.

Mexican-born USCCB president José Horacio Gomez, archbishop of Los Angeles, said at the close of the bishops' annual meeting on Nov. 17 that having a Catholic in the White House "presents certain opportunities but also certain challenges." Gomez acknowledged that while Biden can be relied upon to pursue the bishops' emphases on immigration reform and poverty amelioration, the professedly Catholic former vice president's strong support of abortion and his opposition to the Hyde Amendment — which bars federal funding of abortion — is "against some fundamental values we hold dear as Catholics."

"The president-elect has given us reason to believe that his faith commitments will move him to support some good policies," Gomez said. "This includes policies of immigration reform, [for] refugees and the poor, and against racism, the death penalty and climate change."

"He has also given us reason to believe that he will support policies that are against some fundamental values that we hold dear as Catholics," he added. "These policies include the repeal of the Hyde Amendment and the preservation of Roe v. Wade. Both of these policies undermine our preeminent priority of the elimination of abortion."

Nonetheless, Gomez congratulated Biden, as did Pope Francis, following the Nov. 3 election. While some Catholic clerics and laity have suggested that Biden should be denied the Eucharist because of his support for abortion, Cdl. Wilton Gregory, who presides over the archdiocese of Washington, D.C., has remarked that he would not deny the sacrament to Biden. Likewise, Cdl. Timothy Dolan of New York said in 2019 that he would not have denied Biden the Eucharist. Notably, a priest in South Carolina denied Biden access that year.

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the Vortex...The Church Militant...FULL CONFESSION And restitution. December 1, 2020 50 Comments

the Vortex

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FULL CONFESSION

And restitution.

December 1, 2020 50 Comments

PODCAST AVAILABLE FOR PREMIUM SUBSCRIBERS

TRANSCRIPT

When a person or people have been utterly betrayed, only one remedy will suffice: A complete and very public confession. To the extent the betrayal was public, the admission of it must be at least as public, preferably more. Turning to the U.S. hierarchy, nothing less will suffice.

Additionally, reparation must be made since so much has been damaged. It won't undo the harm, but it will begin a course reversal that is more than necessary at this point. Imagine the impact that a public confession of sin would have had in England during those first years of the tyranny of Henry VIII — or even as late as Elizabeth.

Today, their lack of a confession has more than likely not only resulted in the loss of their souls, but the reality that the Church in England never recovered from their treachery — generations of Catholics lost for half a millennium and counting. That's why it's likely they were damned.

And yes, Bp. Barron, humans do go to Hell — because they choose against Christ in this life, and God always grants your heart's desire. If you desire not Him, as much as it pains Him, He grants you that. Now, beyond a public confession, the U.S. bishops must peer deeply into their souls and admit they need to resign en masse — a first act of reparation. But that's only the first act.

The level of betrayal rises to being worthy of a firing squad in the political arena. But since Pope Francis now believes he has changed Church teaching on the death penalty (he hasn't, no matter his fantasy — after all, he's only a pope, not God), it's immaterial.

The U.S. bishops have expressed such great joy over this phony change, and perhaps now we know why: In any other situation, they would be staring down the wrong end of a gun barrel for their treason. This feckless group of men, many of them merely willfully clueless cowards, some definitely wicked, but all motivated by self-preservation, have sat atop the greatest meltdown of the Church in Her 2000 years — quite a feat.

The invasion of homosexual men into seminaries on a large scale (starting in the 1960s and a little earlier) created an atmosphere where soft teaching and formation was happily embraced.Tweet

Even Martin Luther was unable to accomplish what they have done in 50 years. The invasion of homosexual men into seminaries on a large scale (starting in the 1960s and a little earlier) created an atmosphere where soft teaching and formation was happily embraced. The instruction these current bishops received 40 years ago in the 1970s was woefully inadequate but was happily embraced by these men (who were raised in the era of "flower power," college-campus protests and "women's lib").

Since many were more in touch with their feminine sides than authentic masculinity, they happily cozied up to the women's lib movement, which included looking the other way on the evils of contraception and abortion. That is the underlying reason why, even today, you hear nothing from them about either of those evils, except the perfunctory word every now and then — mostly then.

It's another reason they have so tacitly accepted — or have been very quiet about their opposition to — the idea of women's ordination, even though they are very coy about that. They can't tip their hand entirely. The fundamental issue, which the Church cannot recover from until it is sufficiently realized, is this: Faithful Catholics have a few hundred women biologically disguised as males for leaders.

They respond to truthful criticism of their evil like a dumped girlfriend instead of like a man (who would say, "okay, let's hammer this out"). The truth is, anything masculine terrifies them. Homosexuals and psychologically weak males are terrified of confrontation with authentic masculinity — and not because of being afraid of being beaten to a pulp, but because they know standing in that spotlight will expose their own psychological wounds and insufficiencies.

So they avoid confrontation at all costs. Like a spurned girlfriend, any criticism becomes personal and emotional. Why can't Bp. Barron, for example, sit down and have a public, logical discussion with Church Militant about his errant "everyone is saved" idiocy (which is essentially what it boils down to)? Even he calls that notion — his words now — "a kind of universalism," a heresy condemned from nearly the beginning of the Church.

Why can't Abp. Allen Vigneron here in Detroit sit down publicly with Church Militant and have a man-to-man discussion about his many, many errors managing the archdiocese of Detroit, up to and including protecting a homosexual inner circle? Why can't Wilton, Tobin or Cupich publicly engage with Church Militant on their heretical garbage about giving sacrilegious Holy Communion to pro-abortion politicians?

Why can't any of the bishops sit down and have a logical discussion about the overriding issue of homosexuality within their ranks (which has brought the Church to its knees)? It's an issue they will deny until their personal judgments. Yet they all know it's true — to a man, they all know it's true.

They never engage in meaningful public discussion on anything because the thought of honest, charitable confrontation cannot be stomached by them. They see challenging their positions as challenging them personally, which, given how much they are personally invested in their errors, might actually be a good reason.

It's all about their feelings and emotions. And of course it is. That's why they continue to produce so many weak, emasculated men for ordination. Like father, like son. There are certainly more good young men coming out of seminary these days, however insufficient they may be in number. But they are certainly there.

Why can't any of the bishops sit down and have a logical discussion about the overriding issue of homosexuality within their ranks (which has brought the Church to its knees)?Tweet

But like Trump walking into the D.C. swamp not totally realizing just how deep the putrification was and is, some of these good young men may not quite have grasped the depth of femininity present in the leaders they will be swearing obedience to. Nonetheless, it must be done.

Just as some brave young men had to be the first off the landing craft as the beaches of Normandy and Hitler's Fortress Europa were being stormed, so too there will be heavy casualties among many young men in seminary as well as some baby priests. Someone has got to pay the price and suffer for the cause more than others. It's the reality.

However, imagine for just a moment if at least some bishops stepped forward and admitted all this — that they were company men, content to get fat, manage the decline as long as they were not personally impacted by it and let the Church burn.

Imagine some of them admitting and necessarily exploding and condemning the myths around Cdls. Spellman, Dearden and Bernardin and the trainwreck they set in motion — which has created a massive falling-away from the Faith in this current day (that they did nothing to prevent and have even encouraged).

This collectively wicked crowd has thrown its lot in with the Marxist Biden camp, and whether Biden is actually taking the oath on Jan. 20 or not, nothing will alleviate their spiritual duty to confess and resign.

Unlike Biden, who if he takes the oath will be illegitimate, the bishops are legitimate, however sad that is. And like Judas, who never confessed or repented, they will share a common lot with him.

Restoring civil liberties in Canada post-pandemic a concern for legal experts

JOHN CHIDLEY-HILL

TORONTO

THE CANADIAN PRESS

PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 30, 2020UPDATED 17 HOURS AGO61 COMMENTS

00:00

People wearing face masks to help curb the spread of COVID-19 cross a street in downtown Vancouver, on Nov. 22, 2020.
DARRYL DYCK/THE CANADIAN PRESS

Canadians willingly, unwillingly and sometimes unknowingly gave up some of their civil liberties over the past eight months to try to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Legal experts who specialize in personal freedoms have spent most of 2020 making sure those public-health restrictions didn’t go too far and now they’re working to ensure those rights are restored when the pandemic finally comes to an end.

Abby Deshman, the director of the criminal justice program for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, said that a lot depends on how long COVID-19 remains a general health concern.

“After 9/11 things did not go back to pre-9/11 conditions in terms of civil liberties,” Ms. Deshman said. “We radically altered our expectations in terms of security at airports, court houses, government buildings, all kinds of places.

“Part of the reason that has such a long-term impact because there was still the idea that the threat was out there.”

COVID-19 will hopefully be different because its impact is measured provincially and regionally on a daily basis, Ms. Deshman said.

Experts agree that mandatory masks in public spaces, limits on the number of people that can attend public gatherings, restrictions for worship services, freedom of movement are among some of the public-health measures that most clearly infringe upon constitutional rights.

Christine Van Geyn, litigation director for the Canadian Constitution Foundation, said that although all those restrictions are unconstitutional, they are acceptable as long as they are clearly designed to protect Canadians’ right to life and security.

“It’s a really complicated question,” Ms. Van Geyn said. “We don’t know where the court would say these restrictions have gone too far, there’s not a bright line where we can say ‘aha! you’ve gone too far!’ ”

Ms. Van Geyn also pointed out that most provincial emergency orders have to be renewed every few months to keep them enforceable. When the pandemic is over, the orders will simply be allowed to lapse.

But just because orders are constitutionally acceptable or are temporary, doesn’t mean they haven’t been problematic.

Both Ms. Deshman and Ms. Van Geyn pointed to orders in Atlantic Canada as too restrictive. Ms. Deshman said that Nova Scotia’s original orders were so broad that they basically forbid people from gathering outside the home, even as it had been proven that limited gatherings in outdoor settings could be safe. Ms. Van Geyn pointed to Newfoundland and Labrador’s ban on travel, which was challenged in court and subsequently overturned.

Advocates said that the laws and policies created in the early days of the pandemic were more problematic because they were written hastily and were very broad. According to Ms. Deshman, that’s a concern because the more broadly written a law is, the more it’s open to interpretation.

“It enables discriminatory patterns of policing that disproportionately impact Indigenous Canadians, Black Canadians, people that are living on the streets, people with mental-health issues and addictions, communities that are already disproportionately policed,” she said.

The most notable example of this came in early April, when Ontario passed an emergency order that allowed police services to obtain the names, addresses and dates of birth of people who had tested positive for COVID-19. The portal was aimed at helping to protect first responders.

A legal challenge filed by a group of human-rights organizations put an end to the practice on Aug. 17.

A CCLA audit of the database’s usage found that more than 40 per cent of the 95,000 searches of the database were conducted by police in Thunder Bay and Durham Region.

Thunder Bay police accessed the personal health information in the database more than 14,800 times — a rate of access 10 times higher than the provincial average — even though the area reported a total of just 100 COVID-19 cases while the database was active.

Caitlyn Kasper, a lawyer with Aboriginal Legal Services, said that her organization is asking that police services that abused the database be penalized.

“There were widespread entire postal code area searches, there were searches done for individuals who did not call in for a service request, there were searches done by police services that were outside the jurisdiction of the service that accessed it,” Ms. Kasper said.

Fareeda Adam, staff lawyer at the Black Legal Action Centre, agreed with Ms. Kasper that emergency measures disproportionately affected racialized communities. However, she hoped that the use of online streaming platforms to broadcast high-profile court cases would continue after the pandemic.

Ms. Adam pointed to the thousands of people who watched the trial of a Toronto police officer convicted of assault in the brutal beating of a young Black teen in Oshawa, Ont.

“The number of people who accessed that broadcast, who watched what was happening in real time, the decision of the judge, that’s so important to participate in that,” Ms. Adam said. “To have it available and accessible at a widespread level, that’s so important.”

Ms. Kasper agreed that broadcasts of court proceedings helped elevate some cases, such as a continuing land dispute between residents of Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation and a land development corporation. But she also pointed out that Canada’s jump to online education and justice services has further disenfranchised remote Indigenous communities in the north that do not have reliable access to the internet.

“You don’t have a connection, you don’t even have a dial-up connection that is reliable and that you can access any kind of video feed,” Ms. Kasper said.

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