Imprisoned, made to do forced labor, deported to Siberia. The Lithuanian Cardinal Sigitas Tamkevičius,a former Soviet prisoner, shares with The Daily Compass the horror of the anti-Catholic persecution in the former USSR. But at the same time, he testifies to the miraculous hope that comes only from faith in Christ: “In the beginning it seemed to be a cross that was too big, but today I understand that this trial was a great gift of God.” “How did I succeed in resisting? The Eucharist was my only strength.”

In order to give one’s personal assent in matters of faith and morals, the believer must have a clear understanding of exactly what it is he is assenting to. All the rest is just literature. Just like Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonia uses a style of language that emphasises the use of images, the insertion of poetry, environmental slogans, expressions loaded with social-justice ideology, and drastic historical judgments. His magisterial documents consider it useless to teach the truth with precision, believing instead that the magisterium should inspire reflections, comparisons and the opening of “new paths.”

The post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Querida Amazonia, published February 12th, doesn't mention the long-awaited opening to married clergy, but pope Francis demands that the Amazon Synod’s Final Document be applied with all that it contains. And although the feeling is that of a text that has been “deflated” by criticisms, the Gospel and culture are excessively separated while a veiled defense of the Pachamama is made. Meanwhile, the “official interpreters” of this pontificate push forward in union with the German “Synodal Way.”

The next Archbishop of Hong Kong will be completely pro-China. We are talking about Msgr. Peter Choy, who has already been appointed even though the official announcement has been postponed: first, because of the awareness by the Vatican that this announcement will further fracture the church in Hong Kong, and now also because of the coronavirus crisis. The agreement between the Holy See and China – which remains secret even to this day – thus claims a new victim, the church in Hong Kong.

How should Christians react to the coronavirus? With a “symphony”: on the one hand by turning to doctors, who are a gift of God, and on the other hand by turning to prayer, asking the Most High to grant healing. But how should we pray? Here the Tradition comes to our aid: Mass formularies, blessing rituals, and public processions – why not? – to beg God for the end of epidemics. But today having a procession would be considered anthropologically, politically, culturally, and ecclesiastically incorrect.

Viri probati and deaconesses? “The Synod was disconcerting, the consequence of progressive ideology in the Church”. German schism? “Rome should intervene before it's too late, they're making scandalous plans”. Abuse of the clergy? “In the dioceses there are actual lobbies of gay priests”. Pachamama? “A pope like Leo the Great would never have allowed such aberration”. There's a bishop who speaks out openly and unreservedly about the crisis factors that grip the Church. He is Hector Aguer, Argentine archbishop who in this interview with the Daily Compass denounces all the consequences of post-Council over-progressivism.

He lived through the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and survived. Don Jean Claude tells the Daily Compass how his life has changed since his encounter with Our Lady. He tells us how the apparitions and prophecies of the Mother of Kibeho in Africa are not over, but speak to the people and the Church of today: “This is why we must all listen to Our Lady and put into practice what She says”.

A press release announcing the release of the Italian edition of "From the Depths of Our Hearts" for January 30th puts an end (or almost) to days and days of fierce controversy. The signatures will be "Robert Sarah with Joseph Ratzinger / Benedict XVI" to avoid further speculation. So the truth has been restored, but the wound of a media lynching against Cardinal Sarah and the pope emeritus remains, to which no one - for sure - will apologise. And there is also the "unsolved mystery" of a statement signed by Benedict XVI and Sarah last Friday: it should have been published by the Secretariat of State but all trace has been lost.

Full house at PIME, Milan, for the Daily Compass meeting with Sister Emmanuel Maillard. The nun’s words about our time: “Our Lady in Medjugorje said that ‘there will be trials’ and we will not be strong. The problem is that today we consider our time in this world as our only concern, forgetting that we have a soul. There are young people who don’t even know they have a soul. The world is in agony, because we are at war: but this means that the triumph of Mary’s Immaculate Heart is close and some are already experiencing it. However, Our Lady asks us to collaborate, by loving her Son Jesus, putting Mass and Eucharistic adoration at the centre of our lives. And, as Ratzinger had already foreseen, by forming many small prayer groups, open to God’s will.”

In the book From the Depths of Our Hearts, Cardinal Sarah deduces the consequences of the teachings of Benedict XVI, especially in the light of the Amazonian Synod which he was present at. By "weakening" priestly celibacy, Sarah says, it is primarily the faithful who would suffer the devastation, because they would be deprived of the visible sign that the priest belongs totally to God. The problem lies with some Western and South American bishops who live celibacy as a burden. And he condemns an alleged "right to the Eucharist": "A community that is formed with the idea of a" right to the Eucharist "will no longer be a disciple of Christ."

We need to prepare because the trials that await us will be very hard, Our Lady said: "Sin will reign" and souls are at risk. But greater than darkness, is the Hope Mary brings us: the place of Salvation is known, "it is the Heart of My Son." If we put Jesus in the Eucharist first, even in the storm we will be in peace and, in the end, we will triumph.

We read Benedict XVI’s part of the book From the Depths of Our Hearts, co-authored with Cardinal Sarah. It starts from the scriptures to demonstrate the need for priestly celibacy and ends with the New Covenant. Celibacy is concerned with dogma, because it is placed at the heart of the interpretation of the Scriptures. "We can say that the sexual abstinence that was functional was transformed automatically into an ontological abstinence."