Pope Pius XII on the 'Patriotic' Church in China. @Pontifex would do well to revisit. "For under an appearance of patriotism, which in reality is just a fraud, this association aims primarily at making Catholics gradually embrace the tenets of atheistic materialism, by which God Himself is denied and religious principles are rejected.... However, if Christians are bound in conscience to render to Caesar (that is, to human authority) what belongs to Caesar, then Caesar likewise, or those who control the state, cannot exact obedience when they would be usurping God's rights or forcing Christians either to act at variance with their religious duties or to sever themselves from the unity of the Church and its lawful hierarchy... Under such circumstances, every Christian should cast aside all doubt and calmly and firmly repeat the words with which Peter and the other Apostles answered the first persecutors of the Church: 'We must obey God rather than men.'" Ad Apostolorum Principis, 1958 Reflecting today on on #JimmyLai#, 78, an innocent British citizen, suffering in solitary confinement in Stanley prison, in 40 degree heat, and thinking about the worsening persecution of the underground Church in China. The Sino-Vatican pact is a strategic and ecclesiological disaster. Pius XII had his own struggles with authoritarianism. His private heroism has not erased questions about his public diplomacy regarding contemporary fascism, but he was clear-eyed and prescient about China nearly 70 years ago. 📸 is of a patriotic Church in China where the Ten Commandments have been replaced with quotes from Xi Jinping. Source: @zh_bitterwinter

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It’s been said throughout history that crisis reveals the character of people and nations. For us, the darkness of 9/11 was contrasted by the unity of America. That's what we remember and memorialize today — not just the tremendous, profound, unspeakable losses wrought by terrorists, but the light that the darkness could not overcome. Our local communities came together today to remember the victims and their families, and to honor them by working to maintain America's greatness, hope, and opportunity.

25 years later, the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001 seem both raw and distant. On the one hand, the news reports that day have been seared into the American consciousness like few, if any, events in American history. The heroism displayed by the civilians and first responders who risked — and in some instances gave — their lives to rescue others from burning towers represents the American spirit at its finest. This is also true of the selfless actions of the passengers on United Flight 93, who spared hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent civilians from a similar fate that befell those killed in the WTC. On the other hand, the unity displayed following those attacks seems like a distant memory. America has since been chastened by suboptimal outcomes in foreign conflicts, has foolishly imported foreigners who hate the US, and has largely forgotten the lessons of 9/11. We don’t commemorate today’s 25th anniversary because “somebody people did something,” as one member of Congress has claimed. The US was attacked by foreign Islamic jihadists who were willing to kill as many civilians as possible in furtherance of their religious and ideological agenda. That agenda is as present today throughout the world as it was in 2001. Indeed, it is much stronger within the borders of the United States than it was on the day of the terrorist attacks. Honoring the memory of those killed on 9/11 requires us to be clear-eyed about the belief system that precipitated the terrorist attacks and the ongoing threat posed by that belief system. Never forget should mean never forget

Never forget. September 11, 2001. We remember the nearly 3,000 souls taken that morning — and the first responders who ran toward the fire. 25 years later, we still honor their courage, their families, and the unity that followed. May their memory be a blessing. 🇺🇸

On September 11th, we remember the innocent lives that were stolen, the first responders who showed extraordinary courage and the families that were changed forever. 25 years later, we must continue to support those still suffering from illnesses and renew the unity and hope that brought Americans together—building a future worthy of those we lost.

This @CFTC seal, recovered from the ruins of the Twin Towers following the September 11th attacks, hangs with honor in our New York office as a solemn reminder of the lives lost 25 years ago. Today we remember their lives, the courage of our first responders, and the unity and resolve of our nation in the days that followed. Let us never forget.