CV NEWS FEED // The Archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico recently praised Biden’s newly-appointed climate diplomat John Podesta for “listening” to religious leaders, despite Podesta’s controversial actions in recent years against the U.S. Catholics and their bishops.
On January 31 the White House announced that Podesta, an environmentally-focused politician, would be the next U.S. Special Presidential Climate Envoy. Podesta, a Catholic, founded the pro-abortion and pro-LGBT organization Center for American Progress in 2003.
Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, NM praised Podesta on February 2 in an article featured in Earthbeat, an environment-focused extension of left-wing news outlet National Catholic Reporter.
In a November White House meeting about climate change, Earthbeat reported that Podesta “listened attentively to the Catholic contingent as they cited Pope Francis’ new apostolic exhortation ‘on the climate crisis,’ Laudate Deum, in urging strong limits on pollutants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.”
“The 45-minute encounter left Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, not only impressed by Podesta’s grasp of climate and environmental matters, but with the Catholic politician’s knowledge of church teaching on the subject,” Earthbeat wrote.
Wester told Earthbeat, “For him to take that much time I thought was very indicative of his care to hear what we had to say as religious leaders, and the subject in general.”
“I think he’ll listen to faith leaders and moral arguments. So I’m encouraged to hear that news,” Wester added.
Earthbeat highlighted that “Stephen Schneck, a Catholic political philosopher and board member for the Catholic Climate Covenant, [called] the selection of Podesta ‘a great, great appointment by President Biden.’”
Earthbeat continued:
“John is a serious Catholic” and supportive of Francis, Schneck said in an email.
“[Podesta] is committed to the vision of Laudato Si’, and utterly gets the social justice core of our church’s social magisterium,” he said.
Podesta previously served as a climate counselor for former President Barack Obama. Earthbeat noted that Podesta “[previously] promoted environmental policies as President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff, and later chaired Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.”
But during his time as chairman of Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016, Wikileaks released a large number of confidential emails from Podesta. The emails, among other things, appeared to show that Podesta was significantly involved in undermining the teaching of the U.S. Catholic Bishops and convincing U.S. Catholics to vote en masse for the Democratic candidate despite its open pro-abortion stand.
Catholic News Agency reported:
In a leaked email hacked from a private account, [Podesta] appears to discuss with a progressive figure whether it is possible to “plant the seeds of the revolution” against the U.S. bishops and their stance.
Sandy Newman, then-president of organization Voices for Progress, allegedly emailed Podesta “asking if contraceptive coverage and the then-newly announced HHS mandate could be used as a wedge issue to place between Catholics and the bishops,” CNA reported:
…In the email, Newman went on to say, “Of course, this idea may just reveal my total lack of understanding of the Catholic church… Even if the idea isn’t crazy, I don’t qualify to be involved and I have not thought at all about how one would ‘plant the seeds of the revolution,’ or who would plant them. Just wondering…”
Podesta responded to the inquiry by saying, “We created Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good to organize for a moment like this. But I think it lacks the leadership to do so now. Likewise Catholics United. Like most Spring movements, I think this one will have to be bottom up.”
Alexia Kelley founded Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good in 2005, and the non-profit disputed Podesta’s leaked email statement. According to CNA, “Christopher Hale, the current executive director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, told CNA that ‘the emails that were written in 2011… do not reflect the mission of the organization.’”
First Things published an article in 2016 about Podesta’s previous claim that he “[takes] very seriously the social and moral teachings of the church.”
This claim “is patently false,” Matthew Franck wrote for First Things:
Podesta is for abortion, on demand, and its public financing (his candidate advocates disposing of the Hyde Amendment)… Podesta and the candidate for whom he works think same-sex marriage is not only a constitutional right but a morally sound policy to embody in the law…
….Podesta and his candidate want to force a religious order of Catholic women to cooperate in the provision of contraceptives and abortifacients; they want to compel small businesses to cater to same-sex marriage ceremonies; and they want physicians to refer troubled patients for “transgender” treatment….
CNA reported that in the controversial emails, “Podesta also suggested Newman consult Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former Lt. Governor of Maryland and daughter of Robert F. Kennedy.”
Townsend “gave a 2008 keynote address to the national conference of Call to Action, which dissents from Church teaching on issues of sexuality and women’s ordination,” CNA reported:
In the speech, she further criticized the bishops’ teachings on same-sex “marriage,” stem cell research, abortion, and called the election of President Barack Obama “a wonderful rebuke to the hierarchy.”
In 2004, PBS interviewed Podesta to discuss the beliefs of Catholic American voters. Podesta said that “Catholics pretty much mirror the U.S. population in general” in regards to abortion.
“It is a moral question for people, but when you get down to the question of do you want to make abortion illegal and make it criminal again in the United States, a majority of Catholics don’t agree with that position,” Podesta said.
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