“For the record, through my efforts at preaching the truth … somehow the truth has gone viral over the past eleven months and people all over the globe — as far away as Borneo — have written over 4,000 letters and cards — even more than that in emails — all saying the same thing: ‘We are starving out here!’” — Father James Altman
What are people starving for?
Are they starving for this?
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saying bishops enforcing pandemic restrictions would burn in the “lowest, hottest levels” of hell,
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defending or offering justifications for the lynching of Black people in the Jim Crow era,
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suggesting that women are not permitted to preach liturgically “because we need the truth,”
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claiming coronavirus vaccines are a massive experiment designed for social control.
And are people starving for this?
He claimed that abortions were common in the Jewish community in Warsaw, Poland before World War II. He implied that the eventual destruction of the city – which included mass deportations of the city’s Jewish population to Nazi concentration camps as part of the Holocaust – was punishment for abortion.- From the Catholic World Report
Besides all these things mentioned, he is also known for condemning a whole group of Catholics to hell because they didn’t share his political opinions. I can understand why people didn’t want to vote for Biden. I didn’t.
I agree with this statement from Catholic Youtuber Brian Holdsworth
The debate about communion is simple: if you believe it should be available to all, then that’s your position, but it has never been the belief of the Church. The belief that it should be withheld from those who do not believe/practice the faith is not weaponizing it; it’s following scripture/tradition and it is done so in the interest of the individual from which it is being withheld. Scripture says that to receive communion unworthily is to eat and drink damnation (1 Corinthians 11:29). So to not govern its reception would be a major dereliction of duty on the part of the clergy. If you agree that it should be withheld in some instances but not in the case of politicians because that would “politicize the sacraments”, then you are arguing that politicians are a privileged class for whom the rules do not apply. I can’t imagine many people signing on to that.
The type of mentality that encouraged this insurrection is very prominent among a good amount of Trump supporters. Hang Mike Pence was shouted by the supporters of the most pro-life president in the history of ever. I must say that not all Trump voters are crazy as I know some who have denounced this terrible assault on our democracy.
Besides what I have mentioned above what else is Fr. Altman known for?
Disobeying, insulting, and condemning his bishop and other bishops. Here is an example of this disrespect on full display.
Fr. Gordon J. MacRae says this… “Instead of silencing Father Altman, the bishops might ask themselves why so many are listening to him so intently.”
I think that OnePeterFive founder Steve Skojec answers that question in a post called, Negativity is a Drug, And We’re Hooked (March 5, 2021)
Last night, I complained (on social media; where else?) about how we published a fantastic, moving, uplifting story about an incredible saint — St. Marianne Cope — who took the awful lives of lepers and turned them into something full of beauty and wonder, but that it only had 27 shares.
Meanwhile, my snarky post about Cardinal Wuerl getting millions of dollars in retirement hit 500 shares right out of the gate.
In theory, we want to know about the good stuff. The stuff that’s positive and motivating and helps us to live better, more virtuous lives. The stuff that helps us to be inspired to make changes in the right direction.
But the minute someone drops a nasty, negative, outrageous story in front of us, we swarm like flies.
Fr. Altman offers a verbal smackdown on those Catholics who are not as holy as himself and his followers. It’s interesting to note that when St. Padre Pio was asked to step down, he didn’t try to raise money to hire a canon lawyer to defend himself. He didn’t call down angels to tear his bishop apart. He simply obeyed.
Fr. Altman is no Padre Pio.
Besides disobeying his bishop what else is Fr. Altman known for? What are Fr. Altman’s teachings on Catholic spiritual things? Teachings on Mary, the Eucharist, The Trinity? Is there any compassion in his talks or is it all ‘These people are going to hell.”
Fr. Alman is often compared to Fr. James Martin. Why do people flock to Fr. Martin? One reason is because of what seems to be respect and compassion for others. I think he may be off track in his approach to certain issues. I don’t think that his theology is 100% perfect and problem free. Here is a fair critique of his teachings by Trent Horn. But even if you disagree with Fr. Martin on this one issue that he is most known for, he still has teachings and writings about Jesus, Prayer, The Saints, and Catholic Social teaching. Fr. Martin is pro-life also.
But acknowledging that women’s bodies are their own does not diminish my own reverence for the living body in a woman’s womb. Thus, I cannot deny that I see the child in the womb, from the moment of his or her conception, as a creation of God, deserving of our respect, protection and love. Mysterious, precious, unique, infinite, made in the image and likeness of God. Holy. Father James Martin: Why I Am Pro-Life | America Magazine
Fr. Martin is not just about his LGTBQ stuff even if that is the main thing he is known for. There are plenty of other things in his resume of Catholic teachings.
Fr. Altman teaches about what else …….
I honestly think if people are starving for Catholic teaching there are plenty of food available.
- Word on Fire is rich in spiritual stuff to chew upon with no condemnations of individual Catholics.
- Catholic Answers with the likes of great Catholic apologists Tim Staples, Trent Horn and the Legendary Jimmy Akin.
- SQPN has lots of great podcasts that reach out to people of all faiths including the legendary Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World and American Catholic History.
- My former employers CatholicTV with great spiritual content including Daily Mass, The Divine Office and other spiritual education and edification.
- Ascension Presents with Fr. Mike’s Bible in a Year Podcast.
- Catholic woman have speakers out there them also. 24 Catholic Women Doing Wonderful Things for God (catholic-link.org)
- Fellowship & Fairydust gives artistic souls a chance to satisfy their longing for creativity and God at the same time.
- Black Catholic Messenger was formed among a group of Black Catholic laypeople and allies who agreed that the Catholic media landscape was missing something: an online publication for Black Catholics. They decided to change that. White Catholics are not the only ones hungering for Catholic truth.
- There are organizations like Catholic Charities where people can satisfy their hunger by helping satisfying Christs’ hunger in other people. Listening to Catholic teaching is great, but at some point you need to put that teaching into action.
- Going to Mass, engaging in the sacraments and in prayer. Their is no shortage of online masses adoration and prayers online for people to watch, listen and participate in. Divine Office and Come Pray the Rosary and the Magnificat are good examples.
- Of course, maybe listening to the Pope to see what the victor of Christ has to say might be a good thing.
Be careful around those who are rigid. Be careful around Christians – be they laity, priests, bishops – who present themselves as so “perfect,” rigid. Be careful. There’s no Spirit of God there. They lack the spirit of liberty. And let us be careful with ourselves, because this should lead us to consider our own life. Do I seek to look only at appearance, and not change my heart? Do I not open my heart to prayer, to the liberty of prayer, the liberty of almsgiving, the liberty of works of mercy? Pope at Mass: Be careful around rigid Christians – Vatican News
And of course there are more resources that I have not mentioned. But you can click on here to find more. Surfing the Catholic Web.
Also if people are starving for the type of negativity that Fr. Altman gives, Taylor Marshal and Church Militant have plenty of material for people to gather up virol against other Catholics, so there is no shortage for starving people. I mean that is if that is what you think the Catholic faith is all about. Which it isn’t. That is if condemnation of other people satisfies your palate. There is also 1 PeterFive which can be negative but is also trying to some other things as well. So besides creating controversy what is Fr. Altman actually contributing to the Catholic World?
Steve Skojec offers a good summary of Fr. Altman and his Catholic popularity.
“I hate to say it but the entire Altman thing is a disgrace. He rose to viral fame through a slick, highly-produced video in which he took easy political pot shots that told his target audience exactly what they wanted to hear. The fact that Fr. Altman presents himself as a martyr and a prophet only bolsters my impression that it’s pride, not genuine concern for souls, that animates his 15 minutes of fame. Time will tell. Either way, we should not be so desperate for heroes, especially not political messiahs.”
To conclude, some people are fed up with all the negativity Fr. Alman and his ilk are contributing to the Catholic World.
Michael Warren Davis writes…
“I’ve attended the Latin Mass on two continents and interacted with thousands of trads around the world. I can say without hesitation that most are not rigid, defensive neo-Pelagians. But if your only exposure to the Latin Mass community came via the internet—and bear in mind that Westerners’ experience of everything is mediated by the Almighty Screen—I can see why you might take a rather low view of the traditionalist movement.
The fact is that no other “clique” within the Church shares our reputation for disobedience and uncharity. Whether it’s the Eastern Catholics, or the Anglican Ordinariate, or the JPII fanatics, or the mommy bloggers who are really into Tolkien and essential oils…trads are in a league of our own here.
And this “trad fatigue” is affecting traditionalists as well. I’ve talked to so many trads over the last few months who are walking away from the Latin Mass, maybe forever. They can’t muster enough hatred for the bishops to fit in with the scene. They can’t stomach any more twaddle about “Antipope Bergoglio,” the “Lavender Mafia,” and the “African Queen.” They can’t sit through another rant about Cardinal Cupich or Fr. Martin. That’s not what they signed up for.”
I wrote this post because Fr. Altman’s name keeps popping up on facebook. And people continue to sing his praises about how great he is. And I haven’t seen anything but negativity issued from his videos. So I thought I should say something. But it shouldn’t end with just complaints against a complainer. We should all pray for Fr. Altman that he has the grace to humble himself and listen to his bishop who is trying to do his best to shepherd his church. So I pray for Fr. Altman and his bishop and all of us.
For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion. Have Mercy on us and on the Whole World.
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