In two parts:

The Vatican’s Response to the Olympic Scandal Rewards the Mental Gymnastics of Conservative Catholics

Quote:“If it is desirable to offer a diagnosis of the text [Gaudium et Spes] as a whole, we might say that (in conjunction with the texts on religious liberty [Dignitatis Humanae] and world religions [Nostra Aetate]) it is a revision of the Syllabus of Pius IX, a kind of countersyllabus. . . Let us be content to say that the text serves as a countersyllabus and, as such, represents, on the part of the Church, an attempt at an official reconciliation with the new era inaugurated in 1789.” (Principles of Catholic Theology, 1987, pp. 381-2)

Quote:* 15. Every man is free to embrace and profess that religion which, guided by the light of reason, he shall consider true.

* 16. Man may, in the observance of any religion whatever, find the way of eternal salvation, and arrive at eternal salvation.

* 17. Good hope at least is to be entertained of the eternal salvation of all those who are not at all in the true Church of Christ.

* 79. Moreover, it is false that the civil liberty of every form of worship, and the full power, given to all, of overtly and publicly manifesting any opinions whatsoever and thoughts, conduce more easily to corrupt the morals and minds of the people, and to propagate the pest of indifferentism.

* 80. The Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism and modern civilization.

Quote:“. . . this National Assembly has arrogated to itself the power of the Church, going so far as to establish so many strange things, which are contrary both to the Dogma and to ecclesiastical discipline, forcing the Bishops and all the Ecclesiastics to swear to carry out what it has decreed. Furthermore, anyone who notes from the Constitution of the Assembly itself should not be surprised by this fact that it aims at nothing else and seeks nothing else other than the abolition of the Catholic Religion and, with this, also of the obedience due to Kings. With this plan precisely establishes as a principle of natural law that man living in Society must be fully free, that is to say that in matters of Religion he must not be disturbed by anyone, and can freely think as he pleases, and write and even publish by means of print anything related to Religion.”

Quote:“The Assembly itself has declared that these statements . . . derive from the equality of men among themselves and from natural freedom. But what greater foolishness can be imagined than to consider all men equal and free in such a way that nothing is accorded to reason, with which man has mainly been provided by nature and by which he distinguishes himself from beasts? When God created the first man and placed him in the earthly Paradise, did he not at the same time impose the death penalty on him if he tasted the fruits of the tree of the science of good and evil? Didn't he immediately put a brake on his freedom with this first precept? And after man had made himself guilty by his disobedience, did not God add many other precepts, which were promulgated by Moses? . . . Where then is that freedom to think and act, which the decrees of the Assembly attribute to man living in society as an immutable right of nature? Therefore, for what results from these decrees, according to them it will be necessary to contradict the right of the Creator, through whom we exist, and from whose liberality everything that we are and that we have must be recognized.”

Quote:“We certainly do approve your endeavor to defend and explain the decisions of our Syllabus, especially those points which condemn the so-called ‘Catholic Liberalism,’ which has a large number of adherents among honest men. This error seems to be close to the truth and thus becomes very dangerous since it so easily deceives those who are not on their guard, and, because it unperceivebly and secretly destroys the Catholic mind, it greatly reduces Catholic strength while increasing that of the enemy’s.” (quoted by Fr. A. Roussel in Liberalism & Catholicism, p. 122)

Quote:“The Holy See was saddened by certain scenes during the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games and can only join the voices that have been raised in recent days to deplore the offence caused to many Christians and believers of other religions. At a prestigious event where the whole world comes together to share common values, there should be no allusions ridiculing the religious convictions of many people. The freedom of expression, which is clearly not called into question here, is limited by respect for others.”

Quote:“The social nature of man, however, itself requires that he should give external expression to his internal acts of religion: that he should share with others in matters religious; that he should profess his religion in community. Injury therefore is done to the human person and to the very order established by God for human life, if the free exercise of religion is denied in society, provided just public order is observed.”

Quote:"The freedom of expression, which is clearly not called into question here, is limited by respect for others.”

Quote:“As for me, I will not resign; I will not content myself with being present, my arms dangling, at the death-throes of my Mother the Holy Church. . . If this is how things are, you will understand that, in spite of everything, I am not a pessimist. The Holy Virgin will have the victory. She will triumph over the great apostasy, the fruit of Liberalism. One more reason not to twiddle our thumbs! We have to fight more than ever for the social Reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In this battle, we are not alone: we have with us all the Popes up through Pius XII inclusively. All of them combatted Liberalism in order to deliver the Church from it. God did not grant that they succeed, but this is no reason to lay down our weapons! We have to hold on. We have to build, while the others are demolishing.” (pp. 250-251)

Hotez Calls For Police Deployment Against "Anti-Vaxxers"

Quote:What I’ve said to the Biden administration is, the health sector can’t solve this on its own. We’re going to have to bring in Homeland Security, the Commerce Department, Justice Department to help us understand how to do this.

I’ve said the same with…I met with [WHO general director] Dr. Tedros last month…to say, I don’t know that the World Health Organization can solve this on our own. We need the other United Nations agencies—NATO. This is a security problem, because it’s no longer a theoretical construct or some arcane academic exercise. Two hundred thousand Americans died because of anti-vaccine aggression, anti-science aggression.

And so, this is now a lethal force…and now I feel as a pediatric vaccine scientist…it’s important, just as important for me to make new vaccines, to save lives. The other side of saving lives is countering this anti-vaccine aggression.

Quote:The problem is the disinformation empire is so vast and pervasive that until we do something more definitive to get to the source of the disinformation and stop it, it’s not going to have that much of an impact. And that’s where everybody moves away from me.

And I tend to be out on a…out on my own here.

Quote:Dear brother,

Thank you very much for your [10 July] e-mail.

I am happy that Cardinal Gregory will preside over a Eucharist; I will be spiritually with him and with all of you, united in prayer.

Thank you for praying for me. I do the same for you. May Jesus bless you and the Blessed Virgin protect you.