CNN Reported in October of 2020 that - - (CNN)The Vatican says it has extended its controversial agreement with China over the appointment of bishops for another two years. Details of the agreement, which was struck in 2018, have never been made public. It has been criticized by some Catholic officials as well as by US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. But the Vatican said on Thursday that the deal "is of great ecclesial and pastoral value" and said it "intends to pursue an open and constructive dialogue for the benefit of the life of the Catholic Church and the good of Chinese people." Officially, there are about 6 million Catholics in China. Prior to 2018, Beijing had long insisted on having the final say on all bishop appointments in mainland China, while the Holy See maintained that only the Pope has such authority. The eventual agreement brought to an end decades of tension between the Vatican and China, which severed diplomatic ties with the Holy See in 1951 after an alleged, and often discredited, assassination plot against Chinese leaders involving a Catholic priest. The ruling and officially atheist Communist Party had long portrayed foreign religious institutions such as the Catholic Church as hostile forces responsible for the country's suffering and humiliation during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The deal, which is part of Pope Francis's vision to expand the Catholic Church's following across the world, would help the Vatican gain access to potentially millions of converts across China, the world's most populous nation. But critics have questioned why the church, historically a defender of human rights and Christian values, would willingly join forces the increasingly authoritarian Chinese government, which is officially atheist.
In October, Secretary Pompeo said in an article in a conservative Catholic magazine that the agreement with China compromised the moral authority of the Vatican. The Vatican's statement said there had been "good communication and cooperation" with China and that they intended "to pursue an open and constructive dialogue for the benefit of the life of the Catholic Church and the good of the Chinese people." The future of the deal had appeared murky earlier this year, when a report said China was suspected of hacking the Vatican.
The Catholic Church and its priests cannot bless same-sex unions because God "cannot bless sin," the Vatican said Monday. The Vatican's orthodoxy office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, said it was responding to questions about gay unions. The two-page statement published in seven languages was approved by Pope Francis.
Vandals destroyed gravestones at the. Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia this weekend. The targeted gravestones were in the cemetery’s Presidents Circle section. This is the final resting place of Presidents James Monroe and John Tyler. From Mike: THIS is what happens when you have criminal sympathizer Democrats like Mayor Levar Stoney, Commonwealth Attorney Collete McEachin, Mark Herring, and Jennifer McClellan running the city and state. 70% of those Arrested in the Richmond riots in 2020got off scott free- they probably think if they can riot and get away with it why not vandalize the gravesites. This is why we need aggressive confrontational Republican leaders who will stand up to the criminal mob.  this is why I have been on the front lines of fighting for law and order since day one. Put the criminals in jail! Via Mike Dickinson in Virginia
(CNN) -- Lawyers from the National Center for Youth Law say children haven't been able to shower or call their parents.
The team interviewed a dozen children in the government-run tent facility last week.
The border patrol blocked the group from touring the facility. But the center's director said the children were terrified, crying, and worried about not being able to talk with the family. Some said they hadn't seen daylight in days. The allegations come as concerns mount over the growing number of children in customs and border protection custody. A CBP spokesman said border patrol officials quote, "do everything they can to take care of unaccompanied children in their care." However, a Homeland Security official said last week that the facility in Donna was 'significantly over-crowded.' On Saturday, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security announced he is directing FEMA to join HHS in helping the border patrol.
Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas believes the combined federal agencies can help provide emergency shelter for unaccompanied minors crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
The announcement comes in response to the surge in unaccompanied children which has overwhelmed border facilities.
By New York Post - Former President Donald Trump made a surprise appearance at a campaign event for Sarah Huckabee Sanders, his former press secretary and current Republican candidate for governor in Arkansas. Sanders on Sunday tweeted a photo of her and Trump. ”Great weekend on the campaign trail featuring a surprise appearance at one of my events by President Trump!” she said in the post.
It’s unclear when or where the campaign event was held. Sanders served as the White House spokeswoman, replacing Sean Spicer, until 2019. Trump endorsed her run for governor in January, calling her a “warrior who will always fight for the people of Arkansas.” - - “Sarah is strong on Borders, tough on Crime, and fully supports the Second Amendment and our great law enforcement officers,” Trump said in a statement. “She loves our Military and Veterans – and her home state of Arkansas. Sarah will be a GREAT Governor, and she has my Complete and Total Endorsement.”