Clinton campaign sought to stimulate ‘revolution’ within Catholic Church, leaked emails show
October 12, 2016
Leaked email messages show that top officials of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign worked to plant the “seeds of revolution” within the Catholic Church in the US.
The email messages, made public by Wikileaks, demonstrate that liberal Democrats were involved in setting up at least two organizations that have lobbied for change in Church teaching and defended politicians who have supported abortion and same-sex marriage in defiance of Church leaders.
In answer to a suggestion that the “seeds of revolution” should be planted within the Church, to “demand the end of a middle ages dictatorship,” John Podesta, the chairman of the Clinton presidential campaign, replied: “We created Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good to organize for a moment like this.” He added: “Likewise Catholics United.” Both groups have taken public stands that consistently match the objectives of the Clinton campaign.
The email exchanges made public by Wikileaks also show the scorn of Clinton campaign staff members for Church teachings. Jennifer Palmieri, the campaign’s communications director, suggested that prominent Catholics who are associated with conservative political causes choose to be Catholic only bcause “they think it is the most socially acceptable politically conservative religion.” She went on to say: “Their rich friends wouldn’t understand if they became Evangelicals.”
(Both Podesta and Palmieri identify themselves as Catholics.)
Catholic groups not associated with the Clinton campaign denounced the attitudes betrayed by the leaked emails, and called upon Hillary Clinton to renounce them. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights issued a statement saying that the leaked email messages “make one wonder what else Clinton’s cheifs and others associated with the campaign are saying about Catholics and Catholicism.”
“Had Palmier spoken with way about other groups she would be dismissed,” said Brian Burch, the president of Catholic Vote. “Catholics will be watching Hillary Clinton to see whether she thinks our religious faith should be respected, or whether it’s fair game to mock us.”
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Further information:
- Catholic group demands top Clinton aide resign over leaked emails (The Hill)
- Clinton campaign chief helped start Catholic organisations to create ‘revolution’ in the Church (Catholic Herald)
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Posted by: unum -
Oct. 13, 2016 4:48 PM ET USA
Bill Donohue has commented on Hillary Clinton and John Podesta that "given the latest revelations—her (Hillary's) campaign chairman, John Podesta, admits to being actively engaged in sabotaging the Catholic Church—she cannot escape culpability any longer. She now owns this issue. What Podesta admits to doing is far more serious than any disparaging comments made by the Clinton team about Catholicism.
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Posted by: DanS -
Oct. 13, 2016 12:41 PM ET USA
We can speculate what a Pres Trump may or may not do, or we can consider what Sec Clinton has actually done: tirelessly promoted global "population control." How many lives have been lost in that endeavor? She is also personally responsible for destroying Libya, tens of thousands killed, a terror state in its place, oh, and 4 Americans including a US ambassador dead. She accomplished all that death as SoS. What will she do as CIC?
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Posted by: [email protected] -
Oct. 13, 2016 12:07 AM ET USA
No surprise here. Hillary hates Christians despite what she says publicly. Her actions and support for planned parenthood is a good example. Also she is a big eugenics supporter. These so called Catholics need to be publicly exposed from our pulpits and by our bishops. Will see!
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Posted by: bnewman -
Oct. 12, 2016 10:05 PM ET USA
Isn't this just classic Alinsky?
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Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Oct. 12, 2016 9:07 PM ET USA
Oh, it's fair game to mock us. The Culture's principal aim, since Voltaire, has been the eradication of the Church. The Clintons are just the most recent manifestation of a line of petty dictators going all the way past Robespierre.
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Posted by: DanS -
Oct. 12, 2016 7:08 PM ET USA
Trump might be the crudest, most cretinous, and offensive presidential candidate in history, and he is still preferable to Clinton by a wide margin. Her list of lies and malfeasance as a "public servant" is too long to post here, to which we can now add proactively poisoning the Catholic Church. She's already on record that "retrograde" beliefs, like those of the Catholic Faith, must be changed.
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Posted by: Terri11 -
Oct. 12, 2016 7:06 PM ET USA
Oh good! So nice to know what I always suspected--that these groups weren't created by real, well-meaning, but errant, Catholics, but by people who aren't serious about practicing Catholicism at all.
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Posted by: rpp -
Oct. 12, 2016 6:43 PM ET USA
There can, no longer, be any doubt at all that a Catholic who strives to be faithful and devout CANNOT support the Democratic party, Democratic ballot initiatives and even candidates for minor offices. Likewise, there is also no doubt that people supporting The Democratic Party, Ballot initiatives and, yes, Democratic candidates for even the most minor office are imperiling their immortal souls.
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Posted by: hartwood01 -
Oct. 12, 2016 6:29 PM ET USA
OOOh,I guess by that,I'm to vote for Trump.I can't vote for a man who will blow the world up in a fit of pique. As long as I have been voting,I always have had to vote for the lesser of two evils. BTW,these so-called Catholic organizations of course are not legitimately Catholic,and should not fool a practicing Catholic.
