COVID deniers invoke Pope Benedict, burn image of Francis at Rome rally

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Motherwit

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In a sign of the times, I wasn’t sure if this belonged in World News or Catholic News. But as this event was endorsed by Archbishop Vigano, I’ve put it here.

During a demonstration in Rome on Saturday expressing opposition to restrictive measures to combat the COVID-19 coronavirus, a gathering endorsed by Italian Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, participants displayed a papal flag with the image of Pope emeritus Benedict XVI and burned a picture of Pope Francis.

The demonstration, which took place in Rome’s Piazza della Bocca della Verità, was supported by the Italian political party Forza Nuova, a neo-fascist movement best known for its opposition to immigrants. During the rally, participants burned facemasks promoted as a means of combating the coronavirus, denouncing them as a “symbol of slavery.”

Several signs also expressed affection for US President Donald Trump, described by one as a leader who “loves Italy.”

cruxnow.com

COVID deniers invoke Pope Benedict, burn image of Francis at Rome rally

According to local media reports, there was a significant presence of Catholic traditionalists and conservatives at the demonstration, including protesters who carried a version of the gold-and-white papal flag with an image of Benedict XVI. Another demonstrator who came dressed as a Catholic...
cruxnow.com cruxnow.com
 
What I’m having trouble wrapping my head around is that AB Vigano being Italian must be fully aware of the politics of the Forza Nuova. Pope Francis, in retrospect, was very discerning in removing him from any influential place in our Church.

www.counterextremism.com

Forza Nuova | Counter Extremism Project

Forza Nuova (New Force) is an Italian far-right political party. The party’s ideology is ultra-nationalist, conservative, and neofascist. Forza Nuova members have committed high-profile acts of violence, though Forza Nuova itself purports to be non-violent.
www.counterextremism.com www.counterextremism.com
 
Especially Pope Francis himself since the Forza Nuova use violence as part of their modus operandi. :pray:t2:
 
Foolishness, not being true to the Church and God, and counterproductive. While I might personally think Francis a poor Pope, he is still Pope and needs to treated with the respect due his office.

These people need prayers to become true Catholics. Their time would be better spent in prayer for Pope Francis to do the right actions.
 
The burning of the Pope’s picture is obviously out-of-line. However, just because Archbishop Vigano endorsed the event doesn’t mean that he endorsed this particular act.
 
All Covid deniers could benefit with a tour of a covid ward. Sometimes people have to see it to believe.
 
ThomasMT said:
The burning of the Pope’s picture is obviously out-of-line. However, just because Archbishop Vigano endorsed the event doesn’t mean that he endorsed this particular act.
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Entirely true, but only part of the problem.

The Archbishop should have a better grasp on what the WHO does, and does not do. Even if he was unaware of the neo-fascist intentions of this protest, or the anti-Pope intentions, it is inexcusable for a man of his background to be so insanely wrong about the WHO.

The WHO does NOT develop vaccines, it does NOT approve them, it does not get ANY meaningful revenue (if any at all) from corporations, and accusing the organization of “spreading pathologies [I guess he meant “pathogens?”] instead of eradicating them” without offering any evidence is unacceptable for anyone, especially a man of his background.

The Archbishop might want to stop sending letters. He’ll be arguing Qanon conspiracies soon.

From the article:

In the run-up to the event, Viganò sent a letter to organizers offering his support.

“The world health establishment, with the WHO in the lead role, has become a real multinational corporation with the aim of enriching its shareholders (pharmaceutical companies and so-called philanthropic foundations, and seeks to accomplish that by transforming citizens into chronically sick patients,” Viganò wrote.

“Pharmaceutical companies wants to make money by selling drugs and vaccines; if eliminating illnesses and producing effective drugs means reducing the number of sick people and thus profits, it’s logical that the drugs will be ineffective and the vaccines an instrument for spreading pathologies instead of eradicating them, and that’s what’s happening,” he wrote.
 
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Among the many other things wrong with this, it is an unspeakable defamation of Pope Emeritus Benedict to suggest that he supports their cause, or that he opposes the Pope.
 
billsherman . . .
The WHO does . . . not get ANY meaningful revenue (if any at all) from corporations . . .
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Admittedly not a “corporation” BUT . . .

From USA Today . . .

Gates Foundation Donations to WHO Nearly Match Those From U.S. Government​

President Donald Trump announced Friday that the U.S. would be ‘terminating’ its relationship with the World Health Organization.​

By Deidre McPhillips, Data Editor May 29, 2020

. . . The Gates Foundation has been a key donor to the WHO over the past decade, accounting for as much as 13% of the group’s budget for the 2016-17 period. In February, the foundation pledged $100 million to fight the coronavirus pandemic, and it upped that to $250 million in April . . .
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https://www.usnews.com/news/article...-to-who-nearly-match-those-from-us-government
 
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Cathoholic said:
Admittedly not a “corporation” BUT . . .
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Indeed. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is easily the largest health care non-profit (and probably the largest non-profit of any kind) in the world.

The WHO’s funding comes primarily from UN member states. They helpfully disclose their funding sources on their (extremely) helpful website:

http://open.who.int/2020-21/contributors/contributor

The Archbishop is wrong about everything he wrote about the WHO - or at least he provides no evidence for his salacious and conspiratorial accusations. He should cease doing things like that. He should also probably stop supporting neo-fascists.
 
billsherman . . .
The Archbishop is wrong about everything he wrote about the WHO . . .
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I am not commenting on what the Archbishop says, thinks, or what you allege of him.

Except . . .

The fact about what he alluded to regarding WHO funding.

Your big comment there was . . . .
The WHO does . . . not get ANY meaningful revenue (if any at all) from corporations . . .
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Aside from the business tax classification (“corporations”) Archbishop Vigano was right on this.

Your reply . . .
The WHO does . . . not get ANY meaningful revenue (if any at all) from corporations . . .
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was misleading.

The WHO gets plenty of “meaningful revenue” from The Gates Foundation.

That is just a fact, and your deflection (that I didn’t bite on) about other things you think about the Archbishop do not address my post (which I purposefully kept very narrow).

Aside from Archbishop Vigano getting a business classification wrong (petty to even bring up in the face of WHO getting enormous Gates Foundation monies),
contributions which surpasses all individual Governments in the world! (except ours),
Archbishop Vigano was right-on in his assessment here.

Why not just admit that? It is pretty obvious.

There IS “meaningful revenue” here.
(Despite your comment of . . . .)
The WHO does . . . not get ANY meaningful revenue (if any at all) from corporations . . .
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Archbishop Vigano was right and you were wrong (except on business tax classifications).

Here it is again . . .

“In February, the (Gates) foundation pledged $100 million to fight the coronavirus pandemic, and it upped that to $250 million in April” . . .​

Parenthetical mine.

This is very “meaningful revenue”!​

.

From USA Today . . .

Gates Foundation Donations to WHO Nearly Match Those From U.S. Government​

President Donald Trump announced Friday that the U.S. would be ‘terminating’ its relationship with the World Health Organization.​

By Deidre McPhillips, Data Editor May 29, 2020

. . . The Gates Foundation has been a key donor to the WHO over the past decade, accounting for as much as 13% of the group’s budget for the 2016-17 period. In February, the foundation pledged $100 million to fight the coronavirus pandemic, and it upped that to $250 million in April . . .
Click to expand...
https://www.usnews.com/news/article...-to-who-nearly-match-those-from-us-government
 
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It’s really despicable how some Catholics set up Benedict as some kind of true pope.

I hope that no one tells Benedict how some are using his name as I am sure it would deeply sadden him.
 
It looks like Francis is just going to allow Vigano to do and say whatever he wants.

I wonder how much damage Vigano can do in his time left.

Prayers for a conversion of heart.
 
Cathoholic said:
Why not just admit that? It is pretty obvious.
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OK, I freely admit that the WHO gets about 10% of its funding from the Gates Foundation . . .

I don’t get the big deal, though. The Gates Foundation isn’t a “pharmaceutical compan[y]” or a “so-called philanthropic” foundation as the Archbishop alleges. It’s an actual philanthropic foundation.

I’m not sure why you want to split this particular hair.
 
Billsherman . . .
OK, I freely admit that the WHO gets about 10% of its funding from the Gates Foundation . . .
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Thank you.
I don’t get the big deal, though.
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And I am fine with you not getting that.
 
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