Father James Altman resigns as Pastor in La Crosse<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Father James Altman of the Diocese of La Crosse, who was raised to the national spotlight last year for releasing a video titled \u201cYou cannot be a Catholic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2021\/05\/fatheraltmanresigns.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Father James Altman resigns as Pastor in La Crosse\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Father James Altman of the Diocese of La Crosse, who was raised to the national spotlight last year for releasing a video titled \u201cYou cannot be a Catholic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2021\/05\/fatheraltmanresigns.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Labyrinthine Mind\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-05-24T03:14:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-05-25T20:44:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/613\/2021\/05\/Screen-Shot-2020-09-10-at-10.09.37-AM.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"399\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Father Pablo Migone\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Father Pablo Migone\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2021\/05\/fatheraltmanresigns.html\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2021\/05\/fatheraltmanresigns.html\",\"name\":\"Father James Altman resigns as Pastor in La Crosse\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-05-24T03:14:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-05-25T20:44:32+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/#\/schema\/person\/35ce8464416a4368561caf8ed8c2ba1b\"},\"description\":\"Father James Altman of the Diocese of La Crosse, who was raised to the national spotlight last year for releasing a video titled \u201cYou cannot be a Catholic\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2021\/05\/fatheraltmanresigns.html#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2021\/05\/fatheraltmanresigns.html\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2021\/05\/fatheraltmanresigns.html#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Father James Altman resigns as Pastor in La Crosse\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/\",\"name\":\"Labyrinthine Mind\",\"description\":\"Seeking God in the labyrinth\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/#\/schema\/person\/35ce8464416a4368561caf8ed8c2ba1b\",\"name\":\"Father Pablo Migone\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/305296c2dd82f71369f8808eb07ace26?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/305296c2dd82f71369f8808eb07ace26?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Father Pablo Migone\"},\"description\":\"Born in Lima, Peru and raised in Augusta, Georgia, Father Pablo Migone was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 2009 after studying at the Pontifical North American College and earning a Masters in Dogmatic Theology at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy. 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{"id":6064,"date":"2021-05-23T22:14:18","date_gmt":"2021-05-24T03:14:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/?p=6064"},"modified":"2021-05-25T15:44:32","modified_gmt":"2021-05-25T20:44:32","slug":"fatheraltmanresigns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/labmind\/2021\/05\/fatheraltmanresigns.html","title":{"rendered":"Father James Altman resigns as Pastor in La Crosse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Father James Altman of the Diocese of La Crosse, who was raised to the national spotlight last year for releasing a video titled \u201cYou cannot be a Catholic and a Democrat<\/a>\u201d, has been asked by his Bishop to resign as Pastor of Saint James the Less Catholic Church in La Crosse.\u00a0 He announced this during his Sunday homily on May 23, 2021.<\/p>\n

His Pentecost homily includes a blasting of bishops for having denied the sacraments during the past 15 months. \u00a0He argues that bishops have disrespected their office by closing churches.\u00a0 He continues on an anti-COVID vaccine rampage.\u00a0 Toward the end of the homily, he makes reference to the rigged 2020 election.\u00a0 He openly defies his Bishop\u2019s words from the pulpit that he is divisive and ineffective.\u00a0 Father Altman appears to be more concerned with preaching the \u201ctruth\u201d about these issues, rather than the Gospel.<\/p>\n

\u201cI regret to inform you they want my head on a platter for speaking the truth.\u00a0 I apparently have created enemies in the hierarchy,\u201d Altman preached.<\/p>\n

Father Altman has consistently disobeyed COVID regulations set forth by the Diocese.\u00a0 In reference to the closing of churches last year, he said, \u201cthey [the Bishops] put your eternal souls at risk.\u00a0 They despise me for speaking that simple truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

The La Crosse newspaper, the La Crosse Tribune<\/em>, reported one month ago that \u201cOn Palm Sunday, Altman preached that COVID-19 health guidelines are \u2018godless, Nazi-esque controls,\u2019 telling parishioners, \u2018God damns every single one of those godless moves.\u2019 He also said Dr. Anthony Fauci\u2019s support for masks \u2018is damnable in the hottest fires of hell.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBishop Callahan has asked me to resign as Pastor as of last Friday because I am divisive and ineffective.\u00a0 In response, my canon lawyer asked for clarification as to the justification and a chance to review what as on my file\u2026 I am no expert on canon law, but understand that while we are contesting Bishop\u2019s request, he could in theory appoint a parish administrator while I remain a Pastor without duties.\u201d<\/p>\n

How can he argue that he is not divisive when he says that COVID-19 health guidelines are \u201cgodless, Nazi-esque controls?\u201d<\/p>\n

This homily is more about COVID, vaccines, the closure of churches, and his martyrdom for speaking the truth.\u00a0 Father Altman is proud to be divisive in the Church.\u00a0 He seems to forget that division, though at times present when the Gospel is preached, can also be the work of Satan.\u00a0 Father rightly points out that the Pope and Bishops are not infallible about COVID, but neither is he.\u00a0 Father Altman\u2019s tone and topics of conversation remind me of Father Sergio Mu\u00f1oz Fita<\/a> of Arizona who broadcast his Holy Thursday homily apologizing for the closure of churches last year.<\/p>\n

Bishop Callahan was a spiritual director during my time in seminary, and he ordained me a transitional deacon.\u00a0 He was a faithful and capable Franciscan friar.\u00a0 He is a man of communion.<\/p>\n

Pray for Father Altman and his parishioners.\u00a0 Pray for Bishop Callahan and the Diocese of La Crosse.\u00a0 We live in divisive times, both in society and in the Church.<\/p>\n

Today, on Pentecost, pray for unity.\u00a0 That the sin of Babel may truly be healed by the grace of Pentecost when all people understood the one Gospel message of the apostles.<\/p>\n

Picture: screen shot from Father Altman\u2019s video \u201cYou cannot be a Catholic and a Democrat\u201d<\/p>\n

UPDATE:<\/p>\n

In this post, I mistakenly stated that Father Altman had already resigned. \u00a0I listened to the whole homily, and wrongly concluded he had resigned in response to the request. \u00a0It has now become abundantly clear that he has not resigned and will fight the request from his Bishop.<\/p>\n

The Diocese of La Crosse, led by Bishop William Callahan, released a statement on the recent request made by the Bishop to Father James Altman to resign as Pastor of Saint James the Less Parish. \u00a0 You can read about it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"