Fr. Altman responds after bishop dismisses him from parish
Summary
In this episode of the John Henry Weston Show, Father James Altman joins us to talk about his recent censure by his bishop, and why he has been asked to resign as pastor of the Archdiocese of Boston.
Transcript
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Welcome to this episode of the John Henry Weston Show, which is going to be just a blockbuster.
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We have with us Father James Altman, whom you all know and all love, and you've probably
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all heard that he is being censured by his bishop.
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He's the one who during the lockdown gave such hope, speaking openly, the voice of the
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people saying how horrific these lockdowns were, how unbelievable it was that many of
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our shepherds are locking us out of our churches right when we need them the most.
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You know, to share the holy sacrifice of the mass, I mean, that's what we live for.
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I don't understand how, well, I can tell you this, a lot of priests that I've talked to
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from around the country were heartbroken when they couldn't share that mass with all their
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I mean, they're our children, and when the churches were closed against the people, which
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was an abomination, but it was also closed against the priests and the people.
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I can't, I just, it wasn't, how about if I be polite?
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That was Father James Altman, and he is with us right now.
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Father Altman, thank you for joining us in this episode of the John Henry Weston Show.
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You know, I think the very first time, do I have this right?
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The very first time we met face to face like this, didn't I, I blessed your 10-year-old
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And that's what a priest lives for, to bring grace into people's lives.
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And if you wouldn't mind starting us off, as we always do, with the sign of the cross.
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In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
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Fill our hearts with the spirit of truth, and the spirit of fortitude to speak the truth.
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The gifts that we might be witnesses of our faith, even unto martyrdom.
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In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
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So, some very sad news, which we're going to actually play a clip from your Sunday homily,
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which revealed just what was so stunning to us.
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Yet now, I regret to inform you, some powerful prelates doing the bidding
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of civil powers and authorities, apparently want my head on a platter.
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I, a lowly priest, apparently have created enemies among some of the hierarchy.
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But to basically quote the great, great Cardinal Burke,
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when I die, I will stand in judgment before the Lord,
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Bishop Callahan has asked me to resign as pastor as of this past Friday.
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And what was the reaction of the faithful when you told them that on Sunday?
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Whatever else anybody says about me, and the left-wingers are like,
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You know, if you don't like me, don't listen to me.
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If you don't like the truth I speak, don't listen to it.
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But the faithful know one thing above all, that I love my people,
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and I will feed my people in word and in sacrament.
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And so, when I told them that I was being asked to resign,
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And some people over on the left were shouting no,
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when the meditation of the day for Pentecost was over,
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they spontaneously stood up and gave me an ovation,
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which I'm so uncomfortable being the center of attention.
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No, no, I like it when the Christmas crush is there
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but it was a spontaneous reflection of that they know I love them
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And that is the way it is supposed to be with the father and his children,
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which is why this entire last 14 months has been so godless
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and so anti-Catholic, so anti-father and children.
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I've got to mention some things that I'm going to mention
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throughout this program, which I normally don't do.
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One of the things is this has given the opportunity
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for the faithful to act, to act in a way they never have before.
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You are one of the faithful shepherds who has defended the faithful
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And that's, I think, what many of the bishops don't understand.
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This is about the hungry faithful who have been starving for the truth
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This one priest who has spoken out during the lockdowns,
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after the lockdowns, about all the insanity that's going on in the church
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and was able to give voice to what's in so many of our hearts.
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So what I'm going to ask you to do is to go to lifepetitions.com.
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There's a petition there we have for Father Altman.
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It's going to show how many faithful actually support Father.
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But also what we'd like you to do is support a fund for him set up in his name
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It's going to support his legal challenge to this.
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A canonical legal challenge actually does cost lots of money.
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Please speak to the bishop and tell him what you think about what he's doing to Father Altman.
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And that's not so much of a commercial as a real call to action, a call to arms.
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We're always looking for something that the faithful can actually do.
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If you don't feel like calling, write a letter, send it in.
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Those are easy, though, to file under G and to just delete.
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If you have the facts as well, you can do that.
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So, Father, tell us what's happened since Sunday.
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I should know by now because I've had to say it a few times.
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And then Monday night, I went to dinner with five other priests,
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and somebody was looking at the newspaper because the newspaper locally just really despises me.
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And so they were mentioning that the bishop had put out another press release.
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And so the press release indicated with clarity that he is taking his canonical steps to remove me as a pastor.
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I understand that this process takes a year, that I wouldn't serve as, I wouldn't have the functions and duties of a pastor here in St. James, which is a shame because people are entitled.
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They are a legitimate constituency, and they are entitled to have a pastor that meets their needs, as I do.
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But so in that period of time, I'll be like in limbo.
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I think that might be a way for me to understand it.
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And, yeah, so that's what I understand is coming down the pike.
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And, you know, it's just waiting for the sort of Damocles, I guess, to fall.
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What's truly amazing, Father, is, as you mentioned in your homily on Sunday, but Bishop Callahan has accused you of being ineffective.
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So you've been the most effective priest I know of in terms of preaching the truth and giving the faithful what they need to hear.
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I want to play another clip of what you said in a video that went totally viral.
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I think one of the first videos that many people would have first recognized you, you were talking about Democrats and being Catholic.
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Here's a memo to clueless, baptized Catholics out there.
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You cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat, period.
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Their party platform absolutely is against everything the Catholic Church teaches.
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So, Father, you've obviously ruffled feathers, not only because you spoke against lockdowns and the tragedy of depriving the faithful of the faith and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,
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but also you've spoken the truth, the plain truth that we all know.
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Everybody knows Catholics are supposed to be pro-life, that pro-abortion politicians, it makes no sense that they should be receiving the Holy Communion.
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But I guess for saying that you're pretty much on the outs.
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Literally, what I said was the truth and it's a no-brainer.
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I mean, as I've said many times, it was the Democratic Party itself that said you can't be Democrat and pro-life.
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So, I said it again, I said before and I'll say it again, you can't be Catholic and Democrat.
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Well, that throws people into a tizzy because, you know, here's how we can understand this, is that there's this, it's kind of a funny mean.
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There's a shortage of the vocation of the priesthood, but there's no shortage of the vocation of the papacy because everybody wants to be their own little pope.
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And so, everybody wants to decide for themselves what they can and cannot do and how dare I, you know, which is kind of convenient for them because they invoke that when we're talking about murdering babies.
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But when it comes time to the climate change hoax or any of these other things that they, social justice warrior things, oh, no, then you have to listen to the Catholic Church and they can tell you what to do.
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And so, the hypocrisy is staggering because 10,000 babies are going to be murdered again this Saturday.
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And so, no, you can't, listen, you can't be Catholic and be Democrat, period.
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If you don't like it tough, then get out of the Catholic Church.
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You know, show some personal integrity and realize the truth of the Catholic Church's teaching is that you can't be Catholic and be Democrat.
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And any shepherd who doesn't say that, get out of the Catholic Church.
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And I guess it's right there that is so uncomfortable.
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The mainstream of the bishops, unfortunately, has been sort of go along to get along.
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They've abandoned the idea of a discipline of people which seeks for their salvation.
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So, in fact, it's mean not to, because the consequence in the real world or in eternity is eternal.
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So, you have this set up, and now you're being asked to resign.
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So, now, again, is the time for the faithful to act, because you are, at least they're trying
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There's an opportunity for the faithful to act now.
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You can go to Life Petitions, sign on to our petition, which will be delivered to the bishop
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and made very public, so that the bishop's embarrassed.
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But also, you can go to LifeFunder.com and support Father's Canonical Challenge, because
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it actually costs a lot of money to do a canonical challenge, and that needs to be done.
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Pray for Father Altman, as he prays for us all the time.
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Bishop Callahan needs to recognize that in trying to shut down Father Altman, he's shutting
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down one of the few voices of truth left in the church that's willing to speak to truth.
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What are your thoughts right now, vis-a-vis your bishop, Bishop Callahan?
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You know, I like him, but he's, I actually think he likes me.
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I guess that the fullness of the gifts of the Spirit were such that he would say to these
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left-wing fascists, they're fascists, cancel culture people, listen, you may not agree with
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In fact, he did say this in that very first press release back on September 9th.
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And nobody has yet to say, with any validity at all, that I haven't.
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They might not like the truth, but they can't say I haven't spoken it.
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So, if he would have just, he could have put a stop to this in two seconds.
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All he had to do was say, listen, I don't, you know, I don't necessarily agree with him
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all the time, but he is entitled to, the people are a legitimate constituency.
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Whether you like it or not, then don't go to the parish.
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There's this guy out in, I think it's Massachusetts.
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He's some sort of a, I don't know, Anglican or Lutheran pastor.
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And he's the head of this thing called Freedom America or Faith America or something like
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It's no more faithful than the Dalai Lama, right?
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And I understand, I have been told that it's just one of those George Soros-backed places,
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So on the page, they have a picture of me and like, make sure Bishop fires me or terminates
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And right next to it, I guess, is a picture of a transgender person who's there lauding
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It's all you need to know, a picture's worth a thousand words to know they're not Catholic
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So when you see that they started in the La Crosse Tribune says that they started this
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grassroots petition to have me fired, basically.
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What makes you think you even have a voice in the Catholic Church?
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You're a bunch of left-wing fascists and cancel culture people.
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And, and, and, and we know where you're coming from because you're lauding this person
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that they, they're raving about this being a transgender Bishop.
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So, uh, but I wish you would just stand up to them and say what I just said.
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Listen, we're Catholic and we teach what the Catholic Church teaches unchanged, unchangeable.
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And that's exactly what Father Altman is doing.
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Uh, just one, if one Bishop would just do that.
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The other 259 aren't exactly getting in his corner.
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Bishop Strickland just did something though, that is truly remarkable.
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And I wanted to get your take on it because in the midst of this, in the midst of Bishop
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Callahan, uh, publicly wanting to take you down.
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Bishop Strickland tweets out that he supports you right now, knowing full well, he's going
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publicly against the brother Bishop, so-called.
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What did you say when you, when you saw the tweet from Bishop Strickland?
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I think there might be an account out there somewhere, but I'm not somebody up in Minneapolis
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set it up for me, but I, I don't even know how to, I don't even know how to get on it.
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So, um, so people have to tell me when somebody does something and I'm driving up to a dentist
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appointments and lo and behold, like I get these two different, I do get texts from people
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who know my phone number and, uh, and they, they text, they, they sent in a, like that,
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that, that thing that Bishop Strickland, I think it must be a Twitter or Facebook, something
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he put on there very thing, those that very supportive thing.
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And, and for the second time, cause he did it once before back in September, uh, just get
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all, uh, I don't want to say emotional, but really kind of choked up and thinking there
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That's why, that's why people are listening to me around the globe.
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And, and they hear this voice of somebody who is expressing exactly how they're feeling.
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Every one of those 200 other 59 bishops are making.
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And now apparently my own you, these people are a valid constituency.
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And, and, and, and then when somebody tries to, then you get all upset thinking, wow, no,
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I so deeply moved by what he did because, you know, he's the shepherd.
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You know, he came out and he said, I'm not taking any vaccine that came from an aborted
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So, uh, he got immediate harassment because of it.
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And did any of the other 259 bishops of this country, it's a rough number, um, stand up
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I believe exactly what Bishop Strickland said, because that is the Catholic way.
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What about these other 259, roughly cowards who didn't take, get his back.
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I mean, it's no wonder people are leaving the Catholic church in droves and they don't
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Cause they don't care because they don't believe they don't love the people.
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If they love the people, they would tell them the truth.
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It's at what price of our soul, uh, are they willing to sell out all these people's souls
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because they're afraid or won't, or don't believe in the truth?
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I just think that's really key to why there's so many people who love you.
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And so dearly because you're willing to say what the faithful know is the truth, which
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they almost feel guilty for thinking or believing because no one says it.
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And it's, it's always funny to me to know your background because you're a very late vocation.
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You were a lawyer for 12 years before becoming a priest.
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And, um, you have been through the world around the block, uh, many times in, in terms of having
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to deal with the garbage that's out there in the world.
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Uh, our video team did an incredible interview with you about, uh, you getting your vocation.
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Please go to lifesitenews.com and check out that video about, uh, Father Altman describing
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The, the, the faithful love that you actually just say the faith without fear, without worrying
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Like we never hear Bishop Strickland does that too.
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And so, can I ask you, listen, I'm willing to be informed.
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Does any other Bishop come out ahead of the curve and say like, say things like Bishop
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So, you know, I mean, oh, after the election, we get the president of the USCCB and well,
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maybe we, I'm a little bit concerned that Joe Biden has got these attitudes toward abortion.
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Don't come out after the fact and say, oh, I'm a bit concerned.
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If you weren't, if you're concerned now, you should have been concerned in the first 47
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years and you didn't do your job before the election.
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That USCCB voter guide isn't worth, well, toilet paper, I guess in need, that'd be what
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No, it's, it's, unfortunately, it's very silent out there.
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And Bishop Strickland, I would say in the United States, we have probably a dozen bishops who
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The difficulty is that number has actually gone down since the lockdowns.
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Something about this shutdown, cancel culture has, I think, cowed or made, you know, more
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concerned a bunch of the good bishops who would normally have spoken out, who have gone
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Bishop Strickland, though, it is sort of, if anything, picked up.
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Very much like you, Father, we got to know you during the lockdowns because my family
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was looking for, when we were forced into a no mass situation, looking for mass online
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Let us know what we can do from your opinion, you know, to help you, to support you.
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I think what you can do is you could, you can even support that priest near you.
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It might be near, might be two hours away, who wants to speak and teach and serve them
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like I try to do because they're picking this, you know, divide and conquer.
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Just like the one out in, where was it, Virginia?
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What do you care if one priest says, well, let's say I'm just close to the edge of, not
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Listen, if he's not telling the truth, it's just going to die out.
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The more you make him notorious, I should be thanking him.
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Thank you, La Crosse Tribune, because everybody had forgotten about me.
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I was more shocked than anybody that all of a sudden I show up on the front page of the
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So thank you, La Crosse Tribune, for spreading the message in a way I never could.
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Thank you, these other bishops who are against me that are afraid of the truth that I speak.
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You're only, watch this, they're only proving that I speak the truth when they try and shut
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Have you heard of that term before, the Streisand effect?
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Yeah, you'd fall off the edge of the earth if it were flat.
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Anyway, she got all upset about somebody had written some orthodox conservative book or
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So she went public and just ripped into it, right?
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The sales went through the roof, because now everybody knew about it.
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They wouldn't even have known about it until she opened her big mouth.
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And for, you know, they canceled you for crying out loud.
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And when the people of America didn't realize, left, right, I don't care where you are on
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the political spectrum, when they can take down the president of the United States because
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they don't like him, 140 million subscribers, that's as much as saying to those 140 million
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Look at the struggles you've had to go through now, unnecessarily, because these left-wing
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How many other, Father Heilman, they put in Facebook jail, I don't know how many times.
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And all we will hear is the lie that they keep feeding us.
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Well, I hope I didn't go off them too far of a tangent, but I get worked out.
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One thing I'd like, final parting thought, just about the situation of the church right
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now is very, very extreme while they are trying to shut you down.
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And not only de-platform, because that's not the worst thing.
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But the Lord has seen fit to broadcast you or make you sort of a flyover shepherd for many,
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many faithful all over the world, really, who don't feel fed, who are starving.
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And since this first started like a week or two ago, I've gotten maybe 800 letters or more
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New Zealand, I think, was the furthest one away.
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Like I said, what kind of father won't feed his child?
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Did I interrupt you in the middle of your question?
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I want to encourage people to go to lifepetitions.com, sign the petition for you, which we'll be making
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Go to lifefunder.com and support you in your canonical suit, because that costs lots of money.
00:27:53.660
You can call Bishop Callahan at 608-788-7700, because that way, that's much harder to delete
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like an email or throw in the trash bin like a letter.
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Call and insist to speak to the bishop or leave a message for him.
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Father, I need your parting thoughts and your parting blessing, if you wouldn't mind.
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But what I have to keep reminding myself constantly, because I don't know if it's that I'm impatient
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or I'm not faithful enough, but it's that Jesus is in the boat, right?
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What did he ask the apostles when they woke him up?
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Why did you, you know, so I hope that I have enough faith.
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Now, let's always remember that Jesus is in our boat.
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And he will wake up and he will take care of business in his time and in his way.
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We all know there's absolute rot in the church.
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And worse, they're in positions of power and they hate it when we call them out on it.
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No, they just try to silence the voice that exposed them.
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So, so I did say before, I'll, I'll put a big red D on my chest.
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Like a member in that hot Nathaniel Hawthorne novel of Hester Pryan, where she was a adulteress
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I'm going to put a scarlet D on my chest and I'm going to wear it proudly.
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Jesus came to defy sheep from the goats, the life from the tooth.
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And if we're not dividing, we're not doing our job.
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So I wear the D proudly and we should, because if we're not, you know, one day we're going
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to stand before that same Jesus and say, what'd you do?
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Remember, Jesus is in the boat with us and he'll wake up and he'll take care of business
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So then for a prayer, as always, we could call upon our blessed mother to intercede for
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Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to
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thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession was left unaided.
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Inspired by this confidence, I fly into thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother.
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To thee do I come before thee, I stand sinful and sorrowful.
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O mother of the word incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer
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And may Almighty God bless you all, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
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On behalf of all of LifeSite and our viewers and our readers, we love you.
00:30:49.140
Hi, this is John Henry Weston, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of LifeSite News.
00:30:53.600
I'm coming to you today because we want to be sure that we are communicating clearly with
00:31:00.920
Things are really heating up, as I'm sure you can see.
00:31:05.020
Christians, conservative truth-tellers are being targeted, are being banned from social
00:31:10.560
media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram at an alarmingly fast rate.
00:31:17.280
They are attempting to suppress any narrative that does not fit that of the mainstream media.
00:31:24.740
We have been warning everyone who would listen and attempting to build up alternative platforms
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We have established ourselves on all sorts of platforms I'm going to explain in a minute,
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but the most important thing to do is come direct to LifeSiteNews.com because there we
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But we've also established ourselves on platforms like Parler and MeWe, and our videos can be found
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We would love to see each of you on those platforms too, as they are not censoring or
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suppressing the truth that we are sharing every single day.
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More than these alternative social media platforms, we highly encourage you to subscribe to our email
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We have really built up a large list of loyal readers on our email marketing platform, and
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we have prepared several backup plans for, well, I want to say if, but it's really when, we
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Additionally, I really encourage you, as I said before, to make it a regular habit to go
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While all of these different platforms are an excellent way to curate your news, going
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directly to our website means that you will never encounter any censorship or sudden loss
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We founded this organization with the mission to be the life, family, and culture source for
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We have established a track record of honest reports, and this will never stop, even with
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Again, I'm encouraging you to join us on Parler, MeWe, Rumble, and on our email list.
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You can find all the direct links in the description of this video.
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May God bless you and keep you, and we are so thankful that you've chosen to follow and
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I'm John Henry Weston, co-founder and editor-in-chief of LifeSiteNews.