The John-Henry Westen Show - HOT MIC： Vatican using 'mafia' tactics to stop public support of Bishop Strickland

00:00:00.000 You said we couldn't use it because there was Bishop Strickland, we remember that.

00:00:04.160 On the flag, yeah, it's Bishop Strickland, that was a problem.

00:00:07.080 It's a problem.

00:00:08.460 From the Vatican, it's a problem.

00:00:10.000 Why is Bishop Strickland?

00:00:11.800 It's a problem.

00:00:18.700 What if I told you that there was a group from Slovakia that went to St. Peter's Square

00:00:23.800 with a large poster supporting Bishop Strickland right after he was cancelled

00:00:27.240 to plead with the Pope to restore America's bishop to his diocese, but they were forbidden

00:00:33.040 by police after the police checked with the Vatican from entering St. Peter's.

00:00:38.740 Not only that, their poster was stolen by the police, their photos and video were erased

00:00:46.600 by the police, and they were detained by the police for hours.

00:00:51.280 Oh no, not arrested, no charges, no nothing, just detained.

00:00:54.880 And actually, we've got all the proof right here for you to show you that this went down

00:01:02.600 because it was made with hidden recorders.

00:01:05.860 You're going to want to stay tuned to this episode of the John Henry Weston Show.

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00:01:31.740 God bless you.

00:01:33.900 Anna Kulanova is a journalist with Christianitas, a Catholic news agency in Slovakia, and she is

00:01:40.220 also the main anchor for Fatima TV in Slovakia.

00:01:44.080 She, with her husband and crew from Slovakia, traveled to Rome for LifeSite's Rome Life

00:01:49.060 Forum at the beginning of November, and they were still there when Pope Francis deposed Bishop

00:01:54.740 Strickland, so they decided to go to St. Peter's Square.

00:01:58.140 And, well, let me let Anna tell you the rest of the story.

00:02:02.480 Anna, welcome to the program.

00:02:04.000 Hi, John Henry.

00:02:05.000 Thank you for having me.

00:02:06.580 Let's begin as you always do with the sign of the cross.

00:02:09.020 In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

00:02:13.060 Amen.

00:02:13.800 So, Anna, if you can tell us, please, what were you planning to do on November the 19th

00:02:18.440 in St. Peter's Square?

00:02:19.220 We were planning to express our support of Bishop Strickland and what he stands for, what

00:02:24.460 he represents.

00:02:25.980 He is in unity with true magisterium, does not want to change our faith to fit with the new

00:02:31.300 globalist ideology and LGBT standards.

00:02:34.680 He stands firm for Christ and his church and respects the Pope.

00:02:39.200 So, we got a huge banner ready saying Slovakia stands with Bishop Strickland.

00:02:45.560 There was a Slovak sign and Strickland's photo on it.

00:02:48.800 Nothing else.

00:02:50.060 We wanted to spread it in the square as so many people do during Sunday's Angelus Day,

00:02:56.060 so the Pope could read the message.

00:02:58.060 He always talks so much about dialogue and dialoguing and welcoming todos, not excluding anyone, right?

00:03:05.520 So, then what stopped you from accomplishing your mission?

00:03:07.640 Well, the Italian police at the entry noticed a huge banner folded under my arm and asked

00:03:14.340 to see it.

00:03:15.200 I unfolded it, of course, and they said at first, maybe it was fine, and asked each other

00:03:19.820 and me who was the man in the picture on the poster.

00:03:23.340 I said, a bishop, a holy man, but they did not know him, and they started calling higher places

00:03:31.940 to see if it was fit to enter the Vatican square with Bishop Strickland's photo.

00:03:37.540 I asked what the problem was, and they said they just needed to find out who the man was,

00:03:42.940 but maybe I could go in, no problem, just wait a second, right?

00:03:45.960 In the meanwhile, I was asked for an ID, which they took pictures of, and at first assured me

00:03:54.500 over and over again I would not miss Angelus Day with the Pope.

00:03:58.440 Well, of course, I missed it.

00:03:59.980 As soon as they got the answer from the higher places, they panicked.

00:04:04.500 They threw my banner away in the corner.

00:04:07.720 I tried to look for my friends for support now, and call my husband, who had all gone to the

00:04:14.780 St. Peter's Square earlier, and with Slavic flags.

00:04:19.180 At this point, I was yet free, allowed to move around and look for them, but I could not find them.

00:04:27.300 Later, I learned they did not want any problems.

00:04:30.840 However, my husband noticed our banner in the corner, started filming, he came, he lifted it,

00:04:38.800 put it in his bag, and wanted to get back in.

00:04:41.200 Lots of people were going in with bags too, so why not?

00:04:45.800 Of course, they asked him to take out the insides, recognized it, and I came to join him now with a camera on too.

00:04:54.080 And this was very important.

00:04:56.240 We started asking questions with cameras on, such as what was the problem with Bishop Strickland in Vatican, etc.

00:05:04.220 The police got a little bit nervous, they refused entry for us both.

00:05:09.520 I was filming what was happening with one of our cameras, my husband too.

00:05:13.260 I mean, we both had cameras on.

00:05:16.420 That is when one of the policemen confirmed that Bishop Strickland was indeed a problem in the Vatican.

00:05:22.980 Another one told me yet later on, very silently, that this banner was a problem in the Vatican.

00:05:30.400 And you can hear it in the recording very clearly.

00:05:33.040 That was when they took away my camera.

00:05:35.980 Another one later said the reason for all this trouble was political.

00:05:40.640 Okay, so to get back to where I was, I asked my husband to give the banner to me, which he did, but this time the police were running out of patience, they took it away from me by force, stripped me of it, even though I said this was my property and I wanted to keep it.

00:05:57.960 They put it in their van.

00:05:59.540 So, you never actually got it back?

00:06:02.020 They promised they would give it to me later at the police station.

00:06:06.180 We were both recording this event with our cameras now and that was the problem for them.

00:06:11.140 We had the footage.

00:06:12.380 I wanted to leave.

00:06:14.180 From this point on, they limited our freedom.

00:06:17.500 We had their statement on the camera.

00:06:19.940 The police even tried to take our cameras by force, but I screamed, of course.

00:06:25.820 I had filmed their faces, the way they would be limiting us, their behavior.

00:06:30.080 So, they asked me to go in the car with them, but I said I would go to the police station on my own, not in their car.

00:06:39.900 Of course, I thought I would go to the police station to get the banner back, but you see, I did not want to go with them because I was worried, and rightfully so, they would take the cameras and the footage away.

00:06:52.760 And as it turned out, I was right.

00:06:54.700 Now, they physically surrounded me, harassed me, and did not allow me to leave.

00:07:01.260 I kept asking for the reason I was not allowed to move freely.

00:07:05.580 Why they were limiting my freedom in this way?

00:07:08.760 And what I did wrong?

00:07:10.840 They had the banner now.

00:07:13.300 Wow, what did they want with me?

00:07:15.480 Why did they keep me?

00:07:16.600 And they kept changing answers, such as they needed to do more checking up on me.

00:07:21.500 I said, what for?

00:07:22.680 What was I suspicious of?

00:07:24.700 Then they said, they wanted me to sign something.

00:07:27.940 They wanted to file a report.

00:07:30.040 So, I asked if I was arrested, and they said no.

00:07:33.440 Okay, I said, I'm a free person.

00:07:35.800 I want to leave.

00:07:36.680 Again, they said, I was not arrested, not suspicious of any wrongdoing whatsoever, so why more checking up?

00:07:44.780 I mean, why go in their car right this minute?

00:07:49.260 Naturally, it was because they wanted to get their hands on the footage right away, but they could not tell me that.

00:07:55.700 You see, they would not let me leave with the camera, since the point was to delete what was on it, and in this way, not let the world see it.

00:08:09.240 I was also told the police could do whatever they wanted, keep me for however long they wanted.

00:08:14.780 They would only tell me the reasons for my detainment at the police station.

00:08:19.160 I said this was illegal.

00:08:21.580 Eventually, they used a lot of physical force to put me in the car.

00:08:25.700 Locked the doors, took all my stuff away.

00:08:30.100 You see, me and my husband had been holding each other.

00:08:33.100 They separated us.

00:08:34.260 Basically, it looked like abduction by mafia in broad daylight.

00:08:38.780 They forced us apart.

00:08:40.640 Several of them lifted my body from the ground.

00:08:43.240 I still had bruises.

00:08:44.780 I had them checked with the doctor, too, in the places where they held me, and forced me in the car.

00:08:50.760 They took all my possessions away and locked the car.

00:08:54.080 And when my husband saw what had happened, he followed into their other car.

00:09:00.240 Now, they had all our cameras and kept us for hours.

00:09:04.820 They detained you for six hours?

00:09:06.440 Is that correct?

00:09:07.160 Well, yeah.

00:09:07.800 I mean, between five to six hours.

00:09:09.640 I had a small microphone on under my blouse, which I was able to hide.

00:09:14.180 So, I have the whole recording of what happened.

00:09:17.780 I was originally gonna go to do some interviews with people asking them why they liked Bishop Strickland.

00:09:24.260 So, I had the mic.

00:09:25.320 I switched it on, so this is how I know for sure that the first bite, I mean, if I call it that, the scene in the street that took almost two hours, and after they abducted me until the release, it took over three more hours, close to three, between three to four.

00:09:42.760 They had plenty of time to work on deleting those files.

00:09:46.620 At first, they took me not even inside the police station.

00:09:52.100 Remember how they had promised they would explain everything there?

00:09:56.040 We only stopped there for close to half an hour.

00:09:59.200 But I was not allowed to step out of the car, even though I kept begging them to let me go to the toilet.

00:10:04.500 The answer was always, later, they took us away to a place where they incarcerate criminals, and took our fingerprints, our photos, you know, pictures of our faces.

00:10:15.660 All the while, their people were diligently working on deleting all our precious files concerning this event.

00:10:23.900 But, wait a minute, we've got lots of evidence of what did go on.

00:10:28.740 And we're looking now at what you gave us as the evidence that they deleted files.

00:10:35.380 Can you tell us about that?

00:10:36.260 What are we looking at now?

00:10:37.340 The first screenshot, the dark one, shows the order of the files on the card in the camera.

00:10:43.620 It is obvious that some numbers are missing in the sequence.

00:10:47.380 They were deleting from the memory card at that time, I mean, while we were detained by the police.

00:10:52.980 The second screenshot is from a professional data recovery software program, where an IT expert analyzed the memory card from the mirrorless camera and found that those files were indeed deleted in a very sophisticated and professional way.

00:11:10.780 In such a way that the physical raw data on the card belonging to the deleted files were physically damaged, overwritten and bypassed several times, and thus definitely devalued so that they would not be restorable.

00:11:29.280 The police apparently used a professional for this job.

00:11:32.660 We were only able to recover four photos from that card, one of which captures that banner thrown away in the corner.

00:11:41.860 That was an unprecedented police intervention in our journalistic work.

00:11:48.100 How is it that we have some of these files?

00:11:50.520 We were able to restore some photographs, but even an expert could not restore all of what they had deleted from the cameras.

00:11:57.700 So a lot got lost.

00:11:58.580 However, my husband is a smart man, and he also had a camera.

00:12:03.440 He managed to put the card from his camera into his shoe, so we saved some of the footage.

00:12:09.940 He also put another card in his pocket, where they could see it for a bait.

00:12:14.720 So they would think they got everything.

00:12:17.500 Well, they did not.

00:12:18.900 And I also had a tiny mic on, which was hidden under my blouse.

00:12:23.840 So I had the sound of everything I experienced, and I can prove it.

00:12:28.580 I want to play for you some of the evidence that Anna has.

00:12:36.800 Brilliantly, you saved Anna the evidence by hiding one of the SD cards your husband did.

00:12:45.220 And you had the information or the audio recordings from a hidden microphone that you were wearing.

00:12:54.960 So let's play some of that evidence now, just so that you know.

00:12:58.080 These are video that was able to be recovered from the one hidden SD card.

00:13:03.160 Overlaying it is some of the audio that you'll hear from Anna's abduction, from their explanation.

00:13:11.640 And a key piece of evidence is noted that the police are actually admitting that it is the poster that was deemed illegal by people in the Vatican.

00:13:23.220 Absolutely stunning.

00:13:24.360 Listen to this.

00:13:24.800 She told me yes.

00:13:30.480 Why not?

00:13:32.620 It's my personal stuff.

00:13:37.540 It's my property.

00:13:38.740 I can't lose it.

00:13:39.900 Why can't we go?

00:13:41.220 You can't tell us the reason on camera?

00:13:44.540 Okay, why can't we go in?

00:13:46.900 This is heresy.

00:13:47.800 We are on public place and they are not allowing us to take pictures here.

00:13:56.180 It's not possible.

00:13:57.800 How is it?

00:13:58.200 Obmedzowanie tlače.

00:13:59.220 Harassment.

00:14:00.240 Obmedzowanie.

00:14:00.860 Censorship.

00:14:01.980 Censorship.

00:14:02.800 Yeah, from Italian policy.

00:14:04.000 Directly in Vatican.

00:14:05.380 We are already in Vatican.

00:14:07.120 So can we go in?

00:14:08.260 Why?

00:14:08.600 Here.

00:14:09.200 Okay, why can we?

00:14:10.640 Wait here.

00:14:11.780 Why can we go?

00:14:13.100 Why?

00:14:14.680 Do you?

00:14:15.140 You can wait here.

00:14:16.720 Just a moment.

00:14:18.260 Why?

00:14:19.440 Angelo's is already beginning.

00:14:21.540 You said we couldn't use it because there was Bishop Strickland.

00:14:25.100 We remember that.

00:14:25.780 On the flag, yeah.

00:14:26.600 It's Bishop Strickland.

00:14:27.520 That's what's the problem.

00:14:28.700 It's a problem.

00:14:30.080 Why is it?

00:14:32.320 Why is Bishop Strickland?

00:14:33.440 It's a problem.

00:14:34.400 Okay.

00:14:34.700 You stole.

00:14:36.100 You took the banner away.

00:14:38.200 We haven't got the banner.

00:14:39.580 It cost us 500 euro.

00:14:40.840 You want it back?

00:14:42.820 When you come.

00:14:45.600 It's our property.

00:14:46.820 You stole it.

00:14:47.520 Yeah.

00:14:47.760 I think you can.

00:14:48.320 We don't.

00:14:49.040 We don't stole it.

00:14:50.360 You did.

00:14:51.160 I don't have it.

00:14:51.880 I didn't want to give it to you.

00:14:53.160 You took it away.

00:14:54.020 And they did it by force.

00:14:56.280 They were very violent with me.

00:14:57.580 And the men...

00:14:58.620 People were looking.

00:15:00.060 He attacked me.

00:15:00.680 I put it all around my body and they took it away by force.

00:15:04.140 Camera on off, please.

00:15:05.580 It's not possible.

00:15:06.200 You have to switch off.

00:15:07.580 We're not going.

00:15:08.560 No, we're on the public place.

00:15:10.000 I can't...

00:15:10.540 You can't...

00:15:10.860 In the car.

00:15:11.920 It's not public in the car.

00:15:13.880 I'm not in the car.

00:15:15.440 You have to enter the car, okay?

00:15:17.560 But until now I said yes.

00:15:18.920 No, I said no.

00:15:19.800 You can enter the...

00:15:21.080 You both.

00:15:22.480 You can enter the...

00:15:23.540 In the car, okay?

00:15:25.780 What is the reason why you arrest us?

00:15:29.060 We are not arresting you.

00:15:30.980 So let us go.

00:15:32.660 So let us go.

00:15:33.940 It's not legal what are you doing.

00:15:35.620 Just a report, okay?

00:15:37.040 Just a report.

00:15:37.860 Okay.

00:15:38.440 Do it here.

00:15:39.120 We cannot do it here.

00:15:41.400 We cannot do it here.

00:15:42.500 We can speak here publicly with many to 300 people here.

00:15:46.380 We can do it here.

00:15:47.660 Tony.

00:15:47.940 We cannot do it.

00:15:49.080 He's not going.

00:15:50.040 I'm not letting you.

00:15:50.840 Off the camera.

00:15:51.820 Off the camera and go inside.

00:15:52.400 You can go.

00:15:52.520 You can go.

00:15:53.120 You both.

00:15:53.980 Right.

00:15:54.600 This is all you can do.

00:15:55.700 You are harassing us because you know you will support me.

00:15:58.620 Who told you to do it?

00:16:00.620 Who told you to do it?

00:16:02.440 It's from Vatican.

00:16:03.620 It's from Vatican to deny it us.

00:16:05.960 Yes?

00:16:06.520 No parlo in italiano, I should go.

00:16:07.900 Hey, don't touch me.

00:16:09.420 Hey! 0.99

00:16:09.700 Don't lock him.

00:16:10.520 Don't lock him.

00:16:11.220 Don't lock him.

00:16:11.760 Don't lock him.

00:16:12.900 Don't lock him.

00:16:13.640 Don't lock him.

00:16:14.340 Don't lock him.

00:16:14.840 Don't lock him.

00:16:15.240 Don't lock him.

00:16:15.340 Don't lock him.

00:16:15.840 Don't lock him.

00:16:16.340 It's not possible.

00:16:16.840 Why?

00:16:16.940 I came here for one girl.

00:16:17.780 Because it's a gate.

00:16:18.400 Yes, yes.

00:16:18.840 Don't lock him.

00:16:19.840 Don't lock him.

00:16:20.840 No, no.

00:16:23.400 Anna, may I ask your final thoughts for us?

00:16:26.740 Okay, so I will finish the story really fast now.

00:16:29.660 They drove us to the police station eventually, where we were told to sit and wait in the corridor.

00:16:34.480 We prayed the rosary together, I mean, to get our possessions back.

00:16:39.780 We prayed the rosary while they were panicking, running around, slamming the doors.

00:16:44.260 They did not talk to us or explain anything.

00:16:47.160 In the end, they returned with documents and asked us to sign them.

00:16:51.620 My husband asked them to correct the appalling lies.

00:16:54.460 For example, the documents said that we refused to show our IDs.

00:16:59.100 Oh, and we asked for our banner back and to see their chief to file a report for harassing foreign reporters.

00:17:06.700 They got so angry, they threw us out that instant, I mean physically, without giving us any documents

00:17:14.860 or our banner back and even locked the door behind us.

00:17:20.060 This is mafia style big time, and so much for Vatican dialogue, where anyone is welcome to express their opinions.

00:17:27.020 The funny part was, we rang the bell at the station again to report theft because our banner got stolen that day.

00:17:33.500 It was an expensive banner.

00:17:35.580 They rushed out in a big hurry and told us to go bother someone else.

00:17:40.060 We experienced some persecution for one day.

00:17:42.560 Now imagine what pressure Bishop Strickland has to face.

00:17:45.800 This is why he prays so much.

00:17:48.800 He has been persecuted by modernists and their attacks for forever. 1.00

00:17:53.360 And his only crime is defending the faith and being faithful to Christ and Magisterium.

00:17:59.780 I remember very well how he said at the Rome Lifesite Forum,

00:18:03.900 we were made for these times.

00:18:06.440 And if we have to face persecution, just because we do not accept attacks on our faith,

00:18:13.100 we will pray for strength.

00:18:15.060 It's all worth it.

00:18:16.340 It's all about eternal life.

00:18:18.780 They will persecute us, just like they persecute Catholics in China. 1.00

00:18:22.900 Expect that.

00:18:24.100 We oppose formation of a new world order with its godless agenda,

00:18:28.720 its inclusive false religion and diabolical ideologies, 1.00

00:18:32.620 which will no longer be Christ's church,

00:18:35.680 which no longer wants to talk about even hell or acceptance of daily cross and doing penance.

00:18:41.340 But when you stand firmly for something worthwhile,

00:18:44.440 it gives you strength, courage and inner peace in spite of the discomfort.

00:18:49.940 They had a lot of trouble putting me in that car.

00:18:53.000 And believe it or not, I saw some of the policemen worried and one was even shaking.

00:18:58.840 We, on the other hand, were not fearful at all.

00:19:03.060 I count with many bombs on the road.

00:19:05.820 We might even get killed.

00:19:07.400 But Virgin Mary promised us a victory in the end, and she will keep that promise.

00:19:13.200 I just pray to obey.

00:19:15.620 Anna Kulanova, that is absolutely beautiful.

00:19:18.080 For you and for all of your crew from Slovakia, Christianitas, and Fatima TV, thank you.

00:19:26.680 God bless you for your courage.

00:19:28.060 God bless you for your willingness to sacrifice and to suffer for the sake of Christ and His church.

00:19:34.320 May God bless you.

00:19:36.360 And God bless all of you.

00:19:39.060 And we'll see you next time.

00:19:39.860 Hi, everyone.

00:19:51.140 This is John Henry Weston.

00:19:52.300 We hope you enjoyed this program.

00:19:53.880 To see more like it, be sure to hit the subscribe button below to get all the latest content from LifeSite News.

00:19:59.420 Check the links in the description to read more and connect with us on social media

00:20:02.980 so that you can stay up to date with all the latest life, family, faith and freedom news.

00:20:07.460 Thanks for watching, and may God bless you.

00:20:09.860 Thank you.

The John-Henry Westen Show - December 01, 2023

HOT MIC： Vatican using 'mafia' tactics to stop public support of Bishop Strickland

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