BEIJING 7 May 2020 (ORCNS) -- Persecution against Chinese christians by the communist government took a turn for the worse recently, as Chinese government agents raided a Christian church and violently dragged its members outside in the middle of a service. This is one of the most egregious cases in the long history of anti-Christian persecution by the communist government in China.
Earlier today, H.H.E. Archfather Rutherford gave a brief statement on the matter while out hiking (video below). His Holy Eminence stated that the coronavirus pandemic has been exploited by the communist government in China to increase anti-Christian persecution. The Archfather also said that it was long past time for the governments of the world to take action on this human rights crisis.
The Global Coronavirus Pandemic and the Worldwide Government Response to the Pandemic have exposed profound cracks in the foundation of modern society.
In these challenging times, Nation of Christ will challenge you to grow. It confronts many of the widely-held ideas in the world today. In an era of secularism, traditional Christianity is radical indeed. Nation of Christ is an in-depth guide to applying the Word of God and the doctrine of His Holy Church to living a Christian life, even in the fact of secularization and opposition. It builds on Sacred Scripture and the words of Saints, Popes, and theologians to provide pastoral advice that is both timeless and relevant for the modern era.
Don Rutherford imparting an apostolic blessing to the Walsingham Guard.
PATRIARCHAL SEE 26 April 2020 (ORCNS) - Today the Archfather Rutherford sent a video message of thanks to the men and women of the Walsingham Guard and Naval Guard for all of their service to others during the current global pandemic. During the message, His Holy Eminence commended the members of the Guard for their service around the world "…to help those in need, to alleviate suffering, to protect the poor and vulnerable, and to preserve peace and security." His Holy Eminence also pointed out that members of the Guard regularly so above and beyond the call of duty, following the seven core values of the Guard, Faith, Honour, Service, Loyalty, Strength, Compassion, and Peace. The message ended with an apostolic blessing. The video of the complete message is below.
AQUILEIA 25 April 2020 (ORCNS) - The feast of St. Mark the Evangelist is celebrated on 25 April and is a particularly important feast day for the Anglo-Italian Imperial Patriarchate since it is the Custodian of the Apostolic See of St. Mark in Aquileia. The feast is also traditionally marked in Catholic custom by a special procession.
St. Mark with his symbol, the winged lion.
Believed to have been born in Cyrene, St. Mark was not one of the original twelve Apostles, but instead was one of the seventy sent out by Christ. According to the tradition of the Coptic Church, which was founded by St. Mark in Alexandria, he hosted the disciples in his house after the Crucifixion, and when Jesus came to see the Apostles after the Resurrection as detailed in the Gospel of John as well as when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles at the Pentecost, it was in the very same house of St. Mark. Coptic tradition also holds that St. Mark was one of those who poured out the water that Christ turned into wine during the wedding feast at Cana. He was sent by St. Peter the Apostle to Aquileia, where he founded an Apostolic See. Then he founded the Apostolic See in Alexandria. The pagans of Alexandria, in opposition to his efforts to convert people to the Christian faith, tied a rope around his neck and dragged him violently through the streets. Thus he met a martyr’s end. His symbol is a winged lion.
The Apostolic See in Aquileia founded by St. Mark became quite important, with its bishop quickly becoming a Metropolitan by the fourth century A.D. Western Illria (the modern-day coast of the Balkans on the Adriatic, including countries such as Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, and Greece) were under the jurisdiction of Aquileia, as were many key Roman cities in northeastern Italy. During the Ostrogothic and Lombard rule of Italy after the fall of th
Matilda, Margravine of Tuscany and Imperial Vice-Queen of Italy.
e Western Roman Empire, the new kings recognised the Archbishop of Aquileia as a Patriarch, with recognition of the Patriarchate's legitimacy of traditional apostolic independence from Rome.
During the Frankish establishment of the Imperial Kingdom of Italy, the Emperor Charlemagne also recognised the status of the Patriarch of Aquileia. In 1077, Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV established the Patriarch as a Prince-Bishop of the Empire, with temporal control over Friuli. The Emperor had the just made peace with the Pope due to the negotiations made by Matilda, Margravine of Tuscany and Imperial Vice-Queen of Italy. It was with this gift of the title of Duke of Friuli to the patriarch that the Imperial Patriarchate of Aquileia became a temporal as well as ecclesiastical state.
Clergy uniform insignia in the Walsingham Guard bearing the winged lions of St. Mark
The Imperial Patriarchate of Aquileia eventually came into conflict with Venice, which was within its territory, but was rising as a state power of its own. The patriarchate lasted as a functioning temporal power until the 15th century. In 1420, the last of its territories were taken by the Venetians. Today Aquileia is a titular Roman Catholic archbishopric rather than a regular archdiocese. The traditional Imperial Patriarchate of Aquileia is part of the patrimony of the Anglo-Italian Imperial Patriarchate in memory of St. Stephen as Custodians of the Apostolic See of St. Mark in Aquileia. The uniform insignia for clergy in the Walsingham Guard consists of a crowned Barcelona cross of St. George supported by two winged lions on either side in honour of St. Mark the Evangelist.
SEDE PATRIARCALE 24 Aprile 2020 (ORCNS) -- Sua Eminenza Santissima l'Arcipadre Don Rutherford ha scritto un nuovo enciclico patriarcale della tema della guerra contro la Chiesa e contro le tradizioni della società libera durante la pandemia di COVID-19. Il video ed il testo dell'enciclico di Sua Eminenza Santissima seguono:
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DON RVTHERFORDVS ARCHIPATER I
Siamo in Guerra
23 Aprile A.D. 2020
A tutti i Cristifideli nel Mondo:
Carissimi:
Siamo in guerra veramente, e questa guerra non è contro un virus, ma è le porte dell’inferno contro la Santa Chiesa e contro le tradizioni antiche della società libera. In verità questa guerra è una delle guerre le più importanti nella storia del mondo, poichè combattiamo per la continuazione della libertà della chiesa sul mondo e per la continuazione della nostra civiltà. Non possiamo avere dubiti che questa lotta adesso è molto dura e seguirà ad essere durissima nel prossimo futuro. Quanto tempo rimane Noi non sapiamo, e non possiamo saperlo. Di questa cosa non dobbiamo pensare. Solo dovremmo pensare dell’ultima vittoria, una vittoria solo possibile per nostro Signore. Veramente, Carissimi figli, voi siete soldati nell’esercito di Cristo. In questa lotta, le bandiere non valgono niente, eccetto solo la sacra bandiera di nostro Signore e della Santa Chiesa.
Le forze del diavolo nel mondo ha usato la situazione del virus stabilire una grande confusione nel popolo del mondo. Molta gente ha avuto paura, e questa paura fu il strumento del diavolo. Gli agenti diabolichi hanno sfruttato la situazione per rimuovere la libertà, non solo del popolo, ma anche della Santa Chiesa. La gente era rubata e continua essere rubata della sua dignità, della sua libertà, in un modo più forte e più completo del modo sovietico, e anche di quello dei nazisti. Sì, è un buon lavoro salvare le vite, ma questa situazione ancora non è una scelta di vite contro danari, ma vite contro vite. Ma gli agenti del diavolo hanno causato che molta gente pensa che la ragione veramente sia salvare le vite. Quelli agenti sfruttano questa per cambiare tutta la vita, tutte le ditte, tutta della società, ed anche i diritti della Santa Chiesa e la libertà religiosa del popolo. La ragione vera, l’unica ragione per gli azioni della maggior parte dei governi del mondo è cambiare radicalmente il vero cuore del popolo e di società. Vogliono che la società abbandone Cristo ed abbandone le tradizioni antiche e sacre e prenda un nuovo modo socio-fascisto.
In questi giorni il popolo è sotto la mano degli stati modernisti. I governi hanno forzato a chiudere le ditte, ma per qual delitto? Per niente. I governi hanno sceltato vincitori e perdenti in un modo arbitrario. Anche i governi hanno forzato una grande sezione della gente agli arresti domiciliari, ma anche per qual delitto? Per nessun delitto. È un’opera compita ancora in un modo più forte e più completo del modo sovietico, e anche di quello dei nazisti. Governi, vi accuso del delitto diabolico. Non vi importa la gente sotto la vostra protezione.
La protezione del popolo è un sacro incarico sotto Dio, ma i governi sono falliti. Loro modernisti contro Dio, sotto la bandiera del salvtataggio di qualche vite umane di questo nuovo virus, in verità pochi in confronto della populazione del mondo, hanno messo in pericolo al meno di centi di milioni di persone in tutti i luoghi del mondo – pericolo di fame, pericolo di privazione, percicolo di problemmi di salute, pericolo di bancarotta, di mancanza della capacità di provvedere alle loro famiglie. Quante di questi dovrebbero morire per salvare quelli? Non possono i governi dire che queste vite valono più di quelle vite, per i governi e gli ufficiali dei governi non sono Dio. Ma adesso giocano a Dio. In verità questi stati moderni vogliono essere Dio e vogliono che la gente genuflettersi umilmente al governo civile e solo al governo civile. Questa cosa è al cuore di questa battaglia, di questa guerra. Non possiamo lasciare che i governi sostituiscano Dio con loro stessi.
Il tempo è adesso. Dobbiamo vincere per la gloria di Dio. Adesso è il tempo nel cui i cristiani devono insorgere contro le forze moderne del diavolo. Non sono forze nuove, ma sono le stesse forze d’ogni tempo nella storia del mondo. Gli nostri antenati valorosi hanno combattuto contro le stesse forze. Adesso è tocca nostra.
GENERAL COMMAND 22 April 2020 (ORCNS) - The Walsingham Guard is an international humanitarian organisation with a long military heritage. Members of the Walsingham Guard and Walsingham Naval Guard are men and women from all walks of life who are concerned about the welfare of our world. Guards participate according to their interests and qualifications. For example, Mariners maintain their nautical traditions working together with Cavalrymen, Pilots, Historians, and others who use their skills to make a positive difference. And, the 2020 Global Pandemic is no exception. The Walsingham Guard members are involved in health and humanitarian efforts, including medical care, chaplaincy, COVID testing, food distributions, and high-level international policy work.
The Walsingham Guard is part of the Anglo-Italian Imperial Patriarchate, Anglican Rite Roman Catholic Church, which is an organisation in special consultative status with the United National Economic and Social Council since 2019.
Guard and Naval Guard members serve today in many ways. The one thing they all have in common is a passion to serve others in the example of Christ. In this current global pandemic and the humanitarian crisis accompanying it, the members of the Walsingham Guard and Naval Guard are truly making a difference.
PATRIARCHAL SEE 22 April 2020 (ORCNS) - Archfather Don Rutherford released a Patriarchal Encyclical today entitled Intentio Est ("Intent is") regarding the defrauding of worker wages due to economic shutdown resulting from global government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Archfather stated that this situation is pushing the world toward the serious possibility of one of the greatest humanitarian crises in history. Read the full text below:
DON RVTHERFORDVS ARCHIPATER I S. ANIMIAE CARD. COMES ET S. STEFANI EPISCOPVS
Intentio Est
Patriarchal Encyclical on the Defrauding of Worker Wages Due to Economic Shutdown Resulting from Global Government Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic
22 April A.D. 2020
To the Christian Faithful Around the World
Carissimi:
Intent is the most essential factor in determining whether an action is right or wrong. An act with a proposed good end that requires an evil act renders that act immoral. We speak in this case of the situation facing workers around the world due to economic shutdown imposed by governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. We spoke earlier regarding the humanitarian impact of such responses, which placed and continue to place hundreds of millions of people in severe peril, including risk to their lives through loss of wages. Indeed, defrauding workers of their just wages is counted among those sins crying to Heaven for vengeance. That is precisely what governments have done by forcefully shutting down large segments of their economies under the supposed justification of saving lives. However, as We have said before, it is not a question of lives versus money, but lives versus lives, for peoples’ lives are being robbed through artificially not being permitted to work. It is a basic right of mankind to provide for himself and for his family. To prevent workers from earning their just wages, particularly over a long period or indefinite period, under the stated purpose of saving lives may have a good stated end purpose, but nevertheless requires doing evil in the process, thereby rendering the overall act immoral.
The government responses around the world have divided workers into broad categories called “essential” and “non-essential,” arbitrarily defined by the state. These designations in this case wrongly imply that the right to work is justly held by one set of workers and not another. It wrongly permits one group to work for their daily bread and consigns another group to spend down what savings they may have and/or be dependent upon charity or payments from the public treasury. Such workers are robbed of the dignity of providing for themselves and the ability to carry out their just work in freedom.
The government responses around the world have furthermore divided workers into four main groups. The first are the upper-level executives, professionals, and major corporations. They have more resources and are more likely to weather the economic storm. Indeed, they may even profit from it. The second are the essential workers and essential businesses, as arbitrarily defined by the state, whom We have just mentioned previously. They can continue earning their wages and likewise may be able to profit from the situation. The third and fourth groups are small businesses deemed non-essential and workers deemed non-essential. Though all groups could easily be defrauded of just wages, it is the third and fourth groups who are in the most peril. They are the most vulnerable and most likely to suffer from the public choice to shut down the economy. The businesses are in serious risk of bankruptcy, lost of life savings of their owners, and loss of collateral property justly gained through free labour. Even if they are compensated and made reasonably whole by the state, which is highly unlikely and impracticable except perhaps for the shortest of shut downs, such compensation does not render a disordered act morally correct. Truly it is a sin committed against at least hundreds of millions of people around the world, a sin crying out to Heaven for vengeance!
Due to this situation as outlined here, the world is heading rapidly towards the strong possibility of the greatest humanitarian crisis in recent history. The time to act morally for good is now. We, therefore, call upon all the faithful of the world to work to encourage governments to end their forced economic shut down, but only through legitimate and moral means, for to do otherwise would likewise be of the same nature of morally disordered act of which We rightly accuse the governments. Similarly, We call upon the governments of the world to consider these matters and end their forced economic shut down, restoring the dignity and freedom to work for daily bread, to work for their very lives, that is the right of all men and women.
