Letter to the Catholic Bishops in America

I understand the policies expressed by the Church in regards to not taking partisan positions in elections. However, standing against evil isn’t a partisan position. It only seems to be a political statement when evil is sponsored by a political party—but that is even more dangerous. We don’t inject the Church into politics, the politicians have injected themselves into issues of life and death. We would be derelict to not respond.

Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: 58. The Church is involved in the political process but is not partisan. The Church cannot champion any candidate or party. Our cause is the defense of human life and dignity and the protection of the weak and vulnerable. Our cause is on the ballot again this year.

The Democratic Party supports all five intrinsic evils of abortion, homosexual marriage, embryonic stem cell research, euthanasia, and human cloning in their platforms or through public policy. On page 32 of their 2020 National Platform, they promise to remove all Federal and State restrictions on abortion. Pages 82-83 lays out their plan to remove every impediment to tax-funding of abortion. Nancy Pelosi (Catholic?!) has promised to undo the Hyde Amendment in 2021. What does someone have to do to receive a rebuke from the bishops? Politicians are campaigning for a job, nothing more. We should not hire those who stand against our moral and religious values to make laws for us. I ask you to call them out in the model of our Lord Who decried the leadership of the Scribes and Pharisees (Matt 23). Call out these five woes against the Democratic Party as Christ called down the seven woes on Jewish leaders. Although political from their perspective, this is our moral and religious duty as the Church.

Scripture tells us there are four sins that cry out to God for vengeance: murder (Gen 4:10), sodomy (Gen 17:20-21), oppression of orphans and widows (Ex 2:23), and cheating laborers of their due (James 5:4). The first two of these are dealt with in my book—they are fundamentally in conflict with the moral law and always wrong no matter how they are conducted. There is no “right” way to do either of them. The latter two are subjects for public policy debates. No political party has a plank in their platform advocating for the oppression of orphans and widows or the cheating of laborers. These sins are only an issue in any election to the extent of conflicting perspectives on public policy. We may disagree how a party or politician goes about caring for orphans, widows, and laborers—but these are public policy debates, not intrinsic evil. Those in the Church arguing for the “Seamless Garment” approach err in giving equal weight to all of these issues.

Catholics represent about 20% of the electorate overall—down 5% from a few years ago! No politician should be able to advocate for intrinsic evil and expect Catholic votes—no politician can be elected without Catholic acquiescence in a national or state election. Yet, Catholics have split our vote down the middle for a number of election cycles. No one respects our priorities because we don’t stand for them ourselves, as a group. Unfortunately, most bishops have done next to nothing to correct this problem. Too many bishops waste political bandwidth explaining the priorities of the Church regarding immigration reform, publicly-funded healthcare, and climate change. The Church must speak as one about real and threatening evil to human life and dignity!

Most responses I receive from dissenting bishops and priests regarding my efforts quote the need to maintain the Church’s tax-exempt status. How free are we when our Church considers Herself subject to the rules of government? The Church isn’t tax-exempt because of 501c3. She was tax-exempt before churches were added to the code in 1954. The Church is tax-exempt because she pre-dates the government and our Founding Fathers did not want to have government control of churches. It’s that simple. The 501c3 code is a primary example of the way government takes control… government says it is merely codifying an existing relationship and nothing will change. However, once codified, the government holds the threat to rescind the code. What should exist after the rescission is what existed for 200+ years before that… churches are still tax-exempt. That is not what the government says will happen, though, so the Church complies.

Churches were added to the 501c3 code as a tool of control and specifically to silence the Church and other non-profits. Sen. Lyndon Johnson did not like such organizations having a significant influence in shaping public policy. What we have become is direct result of this action. The Church has a greatly reduced influence in public life and intrinsic evil has become a staple of public policy. Are you aware that churches do not have to apply for 501c3 qualification? Almost all qualifying organizations must fill out IRS Forms 1023 and 1024. Churches are not required to file form 1023 because they are considered covered by 501c3 automatically. Donations to churches are automatically tax-deductible. Churches have a mandatory exception to filing tax returns. IRS code automatically exempts churches from its requirements.

In short, the Catholic Church in America is voluntarily silent… and misguided. It is not an endorsement of the GOP to point out the evil supported by the Democratic Party. We don’t compromise our impartiality by opposing the sponsors of evil in positions of public authority. We have compromised our authority by our failure to do so. Will the GOP benefit from such condemnation in a two-party system? Yes. Should this potential benefit silence us? No.

Unfortunately, the reality is that many of our bishops and priests are publicly supporting the Democratic Party. While the Democrats vow in their national platform to cut every barrier to taxpayer funding of abortion, Bishop Stowe of Lexington, KY, called President Trump “anti-life”… because he’s selfish. Bishops have called for canonical penalties for those enforcing immigration laws under President Trump. When President Trump advocated for religious liberty at the John Paul II Shrine, Archbishop Gregory called his visit “reprehensible.” Just the other day, Bishop Seitz came out with a message that praised communists and law-breakers… and was just short of an endorsement of the Biden-Harris campaign! Can there be any wonder at the confusion sown among the faithful?

Our liberal Catholic neighbors don’t listen to us. They listen to the biased Press and the lying politicians. In the absence of truth coming from the bishops, they are acting on those lies. They have been taught to believe that they should form their own consciences and the USCCB’s voting guide has been written vaguely enough to give cover to any position and rationale. Buried near the end of the guide is the statement, “Abortion, the deliberate killing of a human being before birth, is never morally acceptable and must always be opposed.” In my opinion, this should be in the front of the guide as the first hurdle any candidate or party must cross before soliciting Catholic votes. Readers should only go past page one for any political party not supporting abortion and other intrinsic evils. The Democratic Party is the greatest advocate for abortion outside of China and they should be opposed by Catholic voters according to the guide published by the bishops. It’s true! You should teach it—or at least not silence those who do!

The Democrats have made it clear that their number one priority is preserving Roe v Wade through the Supreme Court. To that end, they oppose anyone proposed by a GOP president—even before the name has been released. When the name is released, it’s axiomatic that the nominee will be mercilessly vilified in Senate confirmation hearings and the Press. Kamala Harris even made issue of a nominee’s membership in the Knights of Columbus! If they take the Senate, they will prevent any more pro-life judges—and try to block faithful Catholic nominees. The nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett openly exposes the fact that Democrats give lip-service to faith through “Catholics” like Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden while seeking to destroy those who actually live their faith.

For their support of intrinsic evil, the Democrats should lose elections—and lose badly. My hope is that you and your fellow bishops will make support for evil the next “third-rail” of politics that no politician or party would ever dare touch again. It isn’t enough that abortion be narrowly defeated in its next Supreme Court challenge. The challenges will simply continue until the court is sympathetic again. The sponsors of the culture of death must know that the Church will stand against them as long as they promote abortion and other intrinsic evils. They must know this will doom any campaign. This is a lasting message to them and any other party seeking power. That is a pro-life legacy for generations. How sad it will be for the Church if President Trump deserves more credit than you for his courage in standing against the culture of death in America.

Some bishops have spoken out—but none have done so directly. The most direct statement so far was by Fr James Altman who made it very clear that being a Catholic is incompatible with being a Democrat. His message was endorsed by Bishop Strickland of Tyler, TX and “corrected” by his own bishop… for his tone. I don’t know of another instance where a priest was publicly reprimanded for his tone in speaking the truth—a truth acknowledged by his bishop! Fr John Lankeit of the diocese of Phoenix, during his homily at EWTN in the Fall of 2016, laid out the issues and the Catholic position firmly and clearly as the voice of his Bishop. His example in every diocese of America would end State sponsorship of abortion. I pray it may serve as a template to your own contemplations. Let Christ, Who is Truth personified, go forth in defense of His Bride!

It’s good to have priests speaking out but their views lack authority. When a bishop speaks from the authority of his See, then the Church will have spoken… and I pray that bishop won’t have to speak alone. Abortion ends in America the moment the bishops say it ends. The most direct statement from the bishops as a group was published by Archbishop Naumann yesterday on the USCCB website. In it, he recognizes the pre-eminence of the issues of life in this election. It’s a good and powerful statement that is only lacking in one thing… a target. While it admonishes Catholics to vote with the issues of life forefront in our thoughts, it fails to tell us how we do that. The culture of death has a sponsor in American politics. Catholics must be rallied to stand for life by standing against the Democratic Party until they give up their evil ambitions.

I look forward to discussing this with you further and will pray for our efforts as a Church to stand firmly against those who advocate for evil in public policy. If I am in error, I respectfully request your correction. If I am not in error, I urgently request your support. I am at your service to discuss the issues, conduct voter education in your diocese, and support your efforts.

In every election cycle since 2016, I have sent a copy of my book (updated with new platform information) with a cover letter to every bishop, archbishop, and cardinal. Early this week, I finished this year's mailing to nearly 300 bishops nationwide.

Demographics:

14.5% Hispanic
13% Black
4.5% LGBTQ
60% Christian (in general)
20% Catholic (in particular)

They say a shift in the top three would spell disaster for the Democrats. What about a shift in the bottom two? Reach out to your priests, bishops, ministers, and all those who teach the faith... it's time we stood as one against real and threatening evil.

I am a "cradle Catholic." Mass every Sunday. Regular Communicant. Married in the Church and raised my children as Catholics, including sacrificing to see that they all attended Catholic schools and colleges.

So far as I am concerned, the majority of bishops, including my own, are not worth the powder to blow them to Hell. They betray their offices in all kinds of ways, including pandering to left-wing politicians, even making excuses for pro-abortion politicians.

However, they, as well as I, will eventually have to answer for their behavior. On Judgement Day, I will be quaking in my own shoes. I pray for them now, but then they will be on their own. We'll see how it goes.

Those bishops will have all the babies they helped abort by their inaction testifying againat them in their final judgement.

“Who is going to save our Church? Do not look to the priests. Do not look to the bishops. It’s up to you, the laity, to remind our priests to be priests and our bishops to be bishops.” – Archbishop Fulton

In accord with the knowledge, competence, and preeminence which they possess, [lay people] have the right and even at times a duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church, and they have a right to make their opinion known to the other Christian faithful, with due regard to the integrity of faith and morals and reverence toward their pastors, and with consideration for the common good and the dignity of persons. (CCC 907)

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