Satanic Temple opens Virginia center for ‘religious abortion’ rituals
The website for the Satanic Temple’s online abortion center, named the Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic, claims the procedure is a ‘religious ritual’ while founder Lucien Greaves has called abortion a ‘sacrament.’

Quote:Today marks the opening of TST Health’s second telehealth abortion clinic in Virginia, serving the state and surrounding region. Just like our New Mexico clinic, our services will be free of charge, with patients only needing to cover the cost of medication through a third party at a very low price. Our dedicated staff will again be available 24/7, ensuring that patients receive the care they need, when they need it.

At TST Health, we have been fighting back against the efforts to restrict abortion access in the years following the catastrophic Dobbs decision. While many clinics have been forced to shut down, we took a bold step forward by opening the world’s first religious abortion clinic on February 14th, 2023. Since then, we have proudly offered over 100 abortions in New Mexico at no cost to patients aside from the medication. With an average cost of $91 per procedure, we provide the lowest-cost option for pregnancy terminations in the entire state. We’ve also helped cover travel and medication costs for those facing financial hardship, and we’re honored to have made a positive impact on so many lives during what can be a difficult time.

Synod proposal could give ‘doctrinal authority’ to local bishops’ conferences
Bishops' conferences could essentially become the doctrine makers of their own local churches, thus completely undermining the unity of the Church.



Synod on Synodality members.
Michael Haynes

Quote:From all that has been gathered so far, during this synodal process, the following proposals emerge: (a) recognition of Episcopal Conferences as ecclesial subjects endowed with doctrinal authority, assuming socio-cultural diversity within the framework of a multifaceted Church, and favoring the appreciation of liturgical, disciplinary, theological, and spiritual expressions appropriate to different socio-cultural contexts; {emphasis added}

(b) evaluating the real experience of the functioning of the Episcopal Conferences and the Eastern hierarchical structures, and of the relations between Episcopates and the Holy See, to identify the concrete reforms to be implemented; the ad limina visits, which fall under Study Group 7, could be a fitting context for this evaluation; and

© ensuring that all Dioceses or Eparchies are assigned to an ecclesiastical Province and an Episcopal Conference or Eastern hierarchical Structure (cf. CD 40)

Quote:The desire that local synodal dialogue should continue and not come to an end and the need for effective inculturation of the faith in specific regions drives us towards a new appreciation of the institution of particular Councils, be they provincial or plenary, whose periodic celebration has been an obligation for a large part of the Church’s history.

Amazon cardinal ‘lays hands’ to confer ‘ministry’ on women going to ‘celebrate a sacrament’
Brazil’s Cardinal Ulrich Steiner told a press conference that he ‘lays hands’ on women who will baptize people in the Amazon region, asserting that 'in our reality, women exercise the deacon's ministries.’



Cardinal Ulrich Steiner in Fatima.
Santuário de Fátima/Facebook

• The deaconesses mentioned in the tradition of the ancient Church – as evidenced by the rite of institution and the functions they exercised – were not purely and simply equivalent to the deacons;
  
• The unity of the sacrament of Holy Orders, in the clear distinction between the ministries of the bishop and the priests on the one hand and the diaconal ministry on the other, is strongly underlined by ecclesial tradition, especially in the teaching of the Magisterium
  

Quote:“She celebrated [her birth] on the eighth of September, on the day on which she was born. She began on the evening before with the same prostrations and canticles as she made to honor the feast of her Conception. She gave thanks for having been born to life into the light of this world, and for the favor of having been raised to Heaven in the hour of her birth to look upon the Divinity intuitively, as I have narrated in the first part of this history.

“She resolved anew to spend her whole life in fulfilling the pleasure of the Lord, acknowledging that for this purpose alone it was given to her. … She asked the Lord to lend her His assistance, govern her in all her actions and lead her to the highest end proposed for His glory.

“As for the rest concerning this feast, although she was not raised to Heaven as on the day of her Conception, yet her Divine Son came down with many choirs of the Angels, with the Patriarchs and Prophets, and with St. Joachim, St. Anne and St. Joseph. With this company Christ our Savior descended in order to celebrate the birthday of His Most Blessed Mother upon earth.

“And this purest of creatures, in the presence of that celestial company, adored the Lord with wonderful reverence and worship, and again expressed her thankful acknowledgment for having been placed upon the earth and for the benefits connected therewith.” (pp. 524-532)

The Nativity of Our Lady

Quote:“On the day of your birth into the world, you should render special thanks to the Lord in imitation of me and perform some extra work in His service. Above all you should resolve thenceforth to amend thy life and to commence to labor in this anew. And all mortals, instead of spending the anniversary of their birth in demonstration of vain earthly joy, should make similar resolutions.” (p. 532)

The early Christians rejected the lavish birthday feasts, as Herod’s birthday above, & saw the true birthday of a Saint to be his death day when he entered the Eternal Kingdom

Medieval nobles celebrated birthdays with marvelous feasts

A worldly party without ceremony; below, a family’s simple but joyful celebration of the baby’s first birthday with cake & family