The Rigging Of A Vatican Synod?: An Investigation Into Alleged Manipulation At The Extraordinary Synod On The Family by Edward Pentin

About the e-book: Intrigue or inexperience? 

Is it possible that key leaders of the recent Extraordinary Synod of Bishops try to manipulate the outcome to support a change in Catholic practice and perhaps in Catholic teaching on divorce, remarriage and same-sex relationships? 

Did they undermine Pope Francis’ vision of an “open” discussion? 

Critics claim Cardinal Baldissieri, the man Pope Francis trusted to oversee the Synod’s discussion of family issues, along with some of his associates, tried to predetermine the outcome of the Synod’s deliberations and its documents. 

Supporters say Cardinal Baldissieri was inexperienced at running a synod and any missteps were innocent mistakes. 

International reporter and analyst Edward Pentin investigates the allegations, accusations, and facts surrounding the controversial meeting (the 2014 synod on the family) of select bishops of the world only available as an e-book, The Rigging Of A Vatican Synod? (Ignatius Press, 2015).

The Rigging of a Vatican Synod? contains an analysis of the more serious charges of manipulation of the synod and lays out the various perceptions of the meeting, beginning with those of Pope Francis and showing what was at stake at the synod on both sides of the debate. Pentin also draws largely on Church historians to look at how the synod compares with the past, and presents an insightful chronology of the main evidence pertaining to accusations of manipulation during the meeting.

“An absolutely fascinating account of Synod 2014, especially the machinations surrounding it.” - Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier, Archbishop of Durban, co-president of 2015 Synod on the Family

About the author: With over 20 years’ experience providing in-depth coverage on a wide range of issues as a Rome correspondent, Edward Pentin has built up an invaluable combination of extensive contacts and expertise on the papacy, the Vatican and Catholic Church. Pentin has a BA in International Relations and a Masters in Applied Theology. He also has a diploma in journalism from the London School of Journalism and professional training in the art of speech writing. Pentin is now a senior correspondent for the National Catholic Register and a regular contributor to EWTN programmes. Beyond reporting, he has worked as a researcher and consultant to Lord Alton of Liverpool, one of the world’s foremost pro-life campaigners.

People In Glass Houses: An Insider's Story Of A Life In & Out Of Hillsong by Tanya Levin

About the book: The eighties were my formative years, and while other teenagers were gyrating to rock 'n' roll, we were praying for revival. We were taking communion, not cocaine. We treated virginity like a wedding present, not a cold sore.

And why wouldn't we? We were told we could be, we already were, anything we wanted to be. We were armed and dangerous. Armed with the power of God and dangerous in the eyes of Satan.

Tanya Levin grew up in the church that became Hillsong - the country's most ambitious, entrepreneurial and influential religious corporation.

People in Glass Houses (2007) tells how a small Assemblies of God church in a suburban school hall became a multi-million dollar tax-free enterprise and a powerful force in Australia today - and now the world.

Opening up the world of Christian fundamentalism, this is a powerful, personal and at times very funny exploration of an all-singing, all-swaying mega church.

About the author: Tanya Levin is an author and anti-social commentator. She has a Social Work degree from UNSW and over 15 years experience in the community services field. She possesses an unquenchable desire to see  justice and equality prevail. Her expertise is in gender issues and advocacy for the disadvantaged. 

Tanya has published two books. The first People In Glass Houses, is an investigation of Hillsong, the international pentecostal church that Tanya was raised in. The second, Crimwife (2012), is a look inside relationships where jail and crime are intermingled with love.

True Devotion To Mary by Saint Louis de Montfort

About the book: I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel. - Genesis 3. 15

A Treatise on the True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin or True Devotion to Mary (1863, 2013) is considered the greatest book on the Blessed Virgin Mary ever written and has been recommended and practiced by eight Popes.

This is the original "scrupulously faithful" translation by Father Frederick William Faber. The great Marian Pope, Blessed Pope John Paul II practised this Devotion to Mary, in his Letter to the Montfort Fathers he says: "A work destined to become a classic of Marian spirituality was published 160 years ago. St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort wrote the Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin at the beginning of the 1700s, but the manuscript remained practically unknown for more than a century. 

When, almost by chance, it was at last discovered in 1842 and published in 1843, the work was an instant success, proving extraordinarily effective in spreading the "true devotion" to the Most Holy Virgin. "When we praise her, love her, honour her or give anything to her, it is God who is praised, God who is loved, God who is glorified, and it is to God that we give, through Mary and in Mary (Treatise on True Devotion, n 225)."

Included is a supplementary 33-Dy Preparation for Total Consecration, 1958. Paintings are by Bartolome Esteban Murillo, a 17th-century Spanish Baroque artist and others. The work is published for the greater glory of Jesus Christ through His most holy mother Mary and for the sanctification of the Church militant.

True Devotion To Mary is translated from the original French by Reverend Frederick William Faber.

About the author: Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, TOSD (1673-1716) was a French Roman Catholic priest. He was known in his time as a preacher and was made a missionary apostolic by Pope Clement XI.

Montfort wrote a number of books which went on to become classic Catholic titles and influenced several popes. He is considered one of the notable writers in the field of Mariology. His most notable works regarding Marian devotions are contained in Secret of the Rosary and True Devotion to Mary. He is known for his particular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the practice of praying the rosary.

Pope Pius XII canonized him on 20 July 1947. A "founders statue" created by Giacomo Parisini is located in an upper niche of the south nave of St. Peter's Basilica. (Wikipedia)

Woke-Proof Your Life: A Handbook On Escaping Modern, Political Madness And Shielding Yourself And Your Family By Living A More Self-Sufficient, Fulfilling Life by Teresa Mull

About the book: Americans are burned-out, lonely, and nostalgic for a time before powerful progressives turned every aspect of our lives into a radical social cause. This book provides practical woke-proof ways the silenced majority, who feel overmatched, can stand up for themselves and restore America’s values and culture. If you are exhausted from the 24/7 doomsday news cycle, bleary-eyed consumerism, endless to-do lists, and omnipresent identity politics, this book is for you.

We are up to our eyeballs in labels, pronouns, microaggressions, triggers, TikToks, and guilt trips. We have less free time, more debt, and more anxiety than ever before. For all our technology and material wealth, we are left with higher depression and greater alienation than our parents’ or grandparents’ generations ever experienced.

Are you tired of being cowed, coerced, and canceled by tech giants, media conglomerates, and billion-dollar, multinational mega-corps forcing you to support the movement du jour?

We all need a break. In a single century, America has moved from a rural, agricultural, family-centered society to one that is urban, corporate, and hyper-individualistic. And it has made us miserable.

American society has lost something. But what? And how do we get it back? In a relatable style, you will find out:

- The actual definition of woke (Brace yourself!)    

- How to avoid “Toxic Empathy”    

- Seven ways to be truly NORMAL (Do you recall?)    

- Six major woke weapons and how to disarm them    

- Tips on growing in faith, educating children, and cultivating community    

- Three tenants to focus on when you feel trapped in the maze of woke culture    

In a lighthearted way, you will discover that you do not need to become survivalist preppers, live off-grid, and learn to tan beaver pelts. Somewhere between the Amish and the Pride Parades, there is a middle-ground to regain the Good Old Days and provide yourself and your family a wholesome, nurturing, throwback lifestyle.

Woke-Proof Your Life (2023) provides the blueprint traditional-minded Americans are looking for to regain their peace of mind, health, and happiness, and to re-steer our country toward the future we envisioned for ourselves and our families before progressive activists turned every aspect of our lives into some radical, sociopolitical cause. It is brimming with simple, easy, and practical steps ordinary people can take to resist the pervasive, woke mob. It also provides a step-by-step guide to reinventing your life with more radical - and even more rewarding - changes that will improve your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being - all while benefiting the society and natural world we share.

Filled with inspiring, first-person narratives and expert advice, Woke-Proof Your Life makes winning the culture war as enthralling and enjoyable as it is crucial to our civilization.

About the author: Teresa Mull's writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Baltimore Sun, the Miami Herald, the New York Post, the American Conservative, and many other publications. Teresa is currently an assistant editor of the Spectator World, a policy adviser for education at the Heartland Institute, and part-time editor of the Philipsburg Journal, where her beloved terrier, Pitkin, has a weekly advice column. Her pastimes include country drives, trap shooting, outdoor exercise, and befriending off-beat characters. She collects her writings at TheAmericanFrontPorch.com.

No Comment: What I Wish I'd Known About Becoming A Detective (Biography/Memoir) by Jess McDonald

About the book: Jess McDonald was a true crime junkie and Line of Duty sofa sleuth with a strong sense of justice. Under a year later, thanks to a controversial new initiative, she was a detective in the London Metropolitan Police Service.

The Met Police's Direct Entry Detective scheme was aimed at turning people with no experience of the police into detectives.

When it was launched, to tackle an unprecedented recruitment crisis, over 4,500 people, Jess included, applied.

But why, within just a year of qualifying, had the majority of Jess' cohort resigned?

No Comment (2023) is Jess' candid, eye-opening and often shocking account, exploring the reality of being a detective in the Met and responsible for 'keeping London safe for everyone'. 

In her incisive book she explores the challenges of life on the front line, dealing almost exclusively with serious crimes against women, and what that reveals about the Met Police now.

About the author: Jess McDonald grew up in Cheshire, attended Durham University and had a huge range of jobs before she turned 30. Then the big one. At the age of 31, Jess was one of the very first people to gain a place on the Met Police's controversial Direct Entry Detective scheme and, after just 5 months of training, started work as a Detective Constable tackling serious crime in a busy east London borough. She can be found on Instagram @jessiejmcd

Politics And The English Language

There Is No Climate Crisis by David Craig

About the book: What if there is no climate crisis? 

What if the Earth isn't overheating? 

What if sea levels aren't rising? 

What if the polar ice caps aren't melting? 

What if the polar bears are thriving? 

What if there is no need to reduce CO2 emissions as they have little to no effect on our planet's climate?

Using 150 years of newspaper reports, temperature charts which have been doctored or even deleted, CIA documents and letters to US presidents, There Is No Climate Crisis (2021) reveals that, in a futile attempt to fight the non-existent threat of man-made global warming or climate change or climate emergency or climate crisis or whatever it is called this month, we are about to commit the most expensive and disastrous scientific blunder in human history.

About the author: David Craig is a British author and management consultant for over twenty years. He has sold consulting in fifteen countries in Europe, US and Asia to almost 100 organizations, including Disney, Mobil, Dupont, Roche, Air France, Eurotunnel, The NHS, CapGemini, Unilever and many others. He is the author of four other books on management and organizations. 

Betsy Forgot The World Again

Gaslighting Recovery For Women by Amelia Kelley PhD

About the book: Gaslighting Recovery For Women (2023) is a complete gaslighting recovery guide for women to regain control and reclaim their lives.

Gaslighting is one of the most destructive forms of emotional abuse that women can experience, causing them to distrust their own realities and perceptions and even believe they have a mental illness. In Gaslighting Recovery for Women, trauma-informed therapist Amelia Kelley, PhD, offers evidence-based therapy and tools to help women detect and protect themselves from manipulation that can occur in all key areas of life—family, intimate relationships, work, academia, and healthcare. Her guided approach to healing from abuse helps survivors establish a greater sense of self-worth, self-esteem, and empowerment. 

This book features: 

• A THREE-PART RECOVERY PROGRAM designed for understanding gaslighting, healing from trauma, and reclaiming your reality.

• REAL-LIFE COVERT GASLIGHTING CASES from all aspects of a woman’s life that help validate realities and perceptions that have been otherwise distorted by a gaslighter.   

• ACCESSIBLE THERAPY EXERCISES, ACTIVITIES, AND TECHNIQUES rooted in DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy), mindfulness, and self-love, among others, to facilitate personal healing from past traumas and guide women to embrace who they truly are.  

• SIGNS OF MENTAL MANIPULATION FOR PREVENTION AND RECOVERY that enable women to be self-aware and fully trust their instincts when they sense something is wrong.

About the author: Amelia Kelley PhD is an integrative, trauma-informed therapist with 20 years of experience as an art therapist and certified meditation and yoga instructor. She is trained in EMDR, hypnotherapy, somatic thera­pies, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Brainspotting. She is a trainer, podcaster, and writer in the “science-help” field, focusing on motivation, women’s issues, empowering survivors of abuse and relationship trauma, Highly Sensitive Persons, healthy living, and adult ADHD.

Dr Kelley is an adjunct professor of counseling at Yorkville University and a nationally recognized relationship expert featured on the SiriusXM Doctor Radio program The Psychiatry Show, exploring the impact of gaslighting on our society. She is a coach and trainer for the SAS Work/Life Program and resident trainer for the Art Therapy Institute of North Carolina. Her private practice is part of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium at the Kinsey Institute. She is a co-author of What I Wish I Knew: Surviving and Thriving After an Abusive Relationship and a regular contributing writer for the world’s largest blog for HSPs, The Highly Sensitive Refuge. Her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, Scary Mommy, Yahoo! News, Well+Good, and Insider.

Follow her on Instagram @drameliakelley or visit ameliakelley.com.

The Synodal Process Is A Pandora's Box: 100 Questions & Answers by José António Ureta and Julio Loredo de Izcue

About the book: Heretical voices within the Catholic Church clamour for change.  

Their radical agenda at the Synod on Synodality is clear: Distort doctrine, subvert tradition, and dismantle the hierarchical nature of the Church.  

With refreshing clarity, authors José Antonio Ureta and Julio Loredo de Izcue explain the present crisis in their new book, The Synodal Process Is A Pandora’s Box: 100 Questions & Answers (2023).  Every page offers wisdom, insight, and truth. Every answer unmasks the sophistry, deliberate confusion, and heresy behind the Synod.

Cardinal Raymond Burke notes in his foreword, “My heartfelt congratulations on the publication of Il processo sinodale, un vaso di Pandora, which addresses clearly and comprehensively a most serious situation in the Church today. We are told that the Church we profess, in communion with our ancestors in the faith from the time of the Apostles, to be One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic is now to be defined by synodality, a term which has no history in the doctrine of the Church and for which there is no reasonable definition. Synodality and its adjective, synodal, have become slogans behind which a revolution is at work to change radically the Church’s self-understanding, in accord with a contemporary ideology which denies much of what the Church has always taught and practiced.”

The Synodal Process Is A Pandora’s Box is a cry of alarm. Find out why faithful Catholics have a moral duty to stand fast and resist the normalization of unnatural sin, women’s ordination, the reception of Holy Communion by adulterous "remarried" divorcees, and the egalitarian democratic levelling within the Catholic Church.

If you love the Catholic Church and its hierarchical form of government as established for all time by Our Lord Jesus Christ, this book is for you.

The Synodal Process Is A Pandora’s Box is translated from the Italian - Il processo sinodale, un vaso di Pandora: Cento domande e cento risposte - by José A Schelini for The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). Other TFPs and sister organisations are also publishing this book in Dutch, French, German, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish. 

About the authors: José Antonio Ureta was born in Chile in 1951. He is a founding member of Fundación Roma, one of Chile's most influential pro-life and pro-family organisations, a senior member and researcher of the French Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property, senior member of the Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira Institute in São Paulo, Brazil, and author of Pope Francis' "Paradigm Shift": Continuity or Rupture in the Mission of the Church? An Assessment of His Pontificate's First Five Years. He is also a member of the John Paul II Academy of Human Life and the Family.

Julio Loredo de Izcue was born in Lima, Peru, in 1955, and is a founding member of Tradición y Acción por un Perú Mayor. In 1974, at just 19 years of age, he and his Tradición y Acción colleagues went into exile, seeking asylum abroad, after receiving public and direct threats from the administration of the socialist director General Velasco Alvarado. He then helped spread the ideals of tradition, family and property in other countries of Latin America and Europe as a youth organiser, journalist, writer, speaker, and college professor. He has lived in Italy since 1994 and is the president of Tradizione Famiglia Proprietà. He is the author of Liberation Theology: How Marxism Infiltrated the Catholic Church.

Garabandal Message Of Hope: Recent Marian Apparitions by Father José Luis Saavedra

About the book: If anyone desires to know what really happened with the Apparitions of Garabandal and where these apparitions stand in the opinion of the Catholic Church, Garabandal Message of Hope (2017) is an absolute "must read".

Many have asked: Did the Virgin Mary really appear in Garabandal? 

Were the messages that the visionaries gave true? 

What happened to the official investigations? 

Has the Church given her definitive judgment with regards to the apparitions? 

Do the extraordinary happenings have any natural explanation? 

Is there any future for the apparitions of San Sabastian de Garabandal?

These are but a few of the questions that receive light thanks to this incredible work based on the first academic study ever realized on the supposed Marian Apparitions of San Sebastian de Garabandal in the University of Navarre, Spain. 

José Luis Saavedra meticulously unravels the story of Garabandal in its entirety, from the historical facts to the mystical theology behind the events; and from the private messages of the visionaries to some of the most well-known spiritual fruits of conversion and healing known to the public. What is more, he has managed to transform an academic study into an enjoyable and accessible read for all. If you are interested in the story of Garabandal, you need not look farther than this book.

About the author: Father José Luis Saavedra was born in Cuenca, Spain. He was ordained to the priesthood on 23 June 2012. Fr José Luis Saavedra has a doctorate in Theology from the University of Navarra. His doctoral thesis is the first ever to deal with the apparitions of Garabandal. This thesis was the primary source upon which the script for the movie “Garabandal, Only God Knows” is based. 

The Finest Teacher