Joshua Bennett
The Catholic Church has historically been involved in American politics, with members participating in elections since the mid-19th century. Catholics have often aligned with the Democratic Party, especially Irish and German Catholics in the late 19th century. However, in recent times, there has been a shift, with Catholics becoming more divided between the two major parties. This division is evident in their diverse political opinions, even on issues where the Catholic Church has taken a clear stance, such as abortion. In terms of infiltration, WikiLeaks revealed that Democrats and their allies, including John Podesta and George Soros, have influenced the Catholic Church to advance their social agenda. Additionally, there have been allegations of communist infiltration of the Church, with claims that Bella Dodd helped place communist men in Catholic seminaries.
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What You'll Learn
- John Podesta, an extremely liberal Catholic, is a key player in the infiltration
- George Soros, an atheist, is another key player
- Democrat strategist John Halpin attacked Republican Catholics
- Catholics have historically voted for Democratic presidential candidates
- The modern Democratic Party is seen as the enemy of Catholicism
John Podesta, an extremely liberal Catholic, is a key player in the infiltration
John Podesta, a self-proclaimed liberal Catholic, has been a key figure in various Democratic administrations. Podesta has held several influential positions, including serving as White House Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton and as a Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama. In 2022, President Joe Biden appointed him as a senior advisor for clean energy innovation and implementation, overseeing the disbursement of billions of dollars in clean energy tax credits and incentives.
Podesta has been open about his Catholic faith and its influence on his political views. In a conversation with the Pew Research Center, he reflected on the challenges faced by Catholic Democrats, particularly on issues like abortion and communion. Podesta has been criticised by some Catholics who accuse him of disregarding the Church's social and moral teachings, particularly on abortion and same-sex marriage. They argue that he conforms his understanding of Church teachings to fit his political agenda.
However, defenders of Podesta, like E.J. Dionne, attest to his affection for the Church and his self-identification as a "lifelong practising Catholic". In emails revealed by WikiLeaks, Podesta stated that he takes "very seriously the social and moral teachings of the church". While critics argue that this statement contradicts his political stances, it is clear that Podesta navigates a complex relationship between his faith and his political responsibilities.
As a prominent Catholic within the Democratic Party, Podesta's influence extends beyond his own political appointments. He founded the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, and served as its president and CEO until 2011. He has also been a columnist for The Washington Post and sits on the steering committee of the China-United States Exchange Foundation. Podesta's role in advising Democratic presidents and shaping policy decisions solidifies his key player status in the intersection of Democratic politics and Catholic faith.
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George Soros, an atheist, is another key player
Soros's actions are part of a broader historical context of the Democratic Party's relationship with the Catholic Church. Since the mid-19th century, members of the Catholic Church have been active participants in American elections. In the late 19th century, 75% of Irish and German Catholics in America voted for Democratic presidential candidates. This political alignment was driven by cultural issues, particularly prohibition and foreign language schools, which were sharply divided along religious lines.
The Democratic Party also offered protection from pietistic moralism, especially regarding prohibition. Additionally, the Democrats were more heavily supported by the lower economic classes, which aligned with the economic status of many Catholic immigrants. The Irish Catholics, in particular, took controlling positions in the Catholic Church, labor unions, and Democratic organizations in big cities.
However, the relationship between Catholics and the Democratic Party has evolved over time. With the decline of unions and the increase in suburbanization, Catholics began to drift away from the liberalism of the Democratic Party and towards conservatism on economic issues. The election of John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic president, in 1960, marked a significant shift. Since then, Catholics have been split between the two major parties in national elections.
In more recent times, the Democratic Party has become increasingly secular and ideological, abandoning its former blue-collar, pro-life, and religious constituencies. This transformation has resulted in a growing tension between the Democratic Party and the Catholic Church, particularly on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, where the Church takes strong positions.
Despite these tensions, individual Catholics continue to hold diverse political opinions and affiliations. Catholic voters are split between the Democratic and Republican parties, and their voting decisions are influenced by a range of factors beyond their religious beliefs.
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Democrat strategist John Halpin attacked Republican Catholics
In 2016, WikiLeaks released emails from 2011 between Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton's communications director, and John Halpin, a Democrat strategist and senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank. In the emails, Halpin attacked Republican Catholics, criticising their involvement in the American conservative movement, which he deemed a "bastardization of the faith". He questioned how Catholics could support a movement that contradicted Catholic political traditions.
Halpin's comments sparked outrage from conservative Catholics and Donald Trump, who denounced them as "anti-Catholic". Trump's campaign surrogate and former US Ambassador to the Vatican, Jim Nicholson, expressed his offence at the emails, and other Trump supporters called for Clinton to fire Palmieri. However, it is important to note that Halpin himself is Catholic, and the majority of American Catholics hold progressive views on many issues. Halpin later clarified that his intention was not to insult Catholics but to point out the perceived hypocrisy of prominent conservative leaders in flaunting their faith while promoting policies that contradicted Catholic values.
The emails also revealed discussions about "plant [ing] the seeds of a revolution" within the Catholic Church. This involved driving a wedge between the US Catholic bishops, who opposed Obama on contraception, and ordinary Catholics. Organisations such as "Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good", founded by Clinton campaign members, and "Catholics United", founded by Democrat activists, aimed to change the Church's stance on social issues. These organisations received funding from left-wing billionaire philanthropist George Soros, who is an atheist.
The infiltration of the Catholic Church by Democrats caused concern among right-wing Americans, who saw it as a liberal conspiracy to advance their social agenda. However, it is worth noting that the Catholic Church has a long history of political involvement in the United States, with Catholics holding positions in both Democratic and Republican parties.
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Catholics have historically voted for Democratic presidential candidates
Catholics have historically been a large and important voting bloc in the United States, with Catholic voters comprising 25% to 27% of the national electorate. However, the notion of a single "Catholic vote" is disputed, as Catholics are evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, and their voting behaviour is influenced by various factors such as ethnicity, geographic location, and personal political beliefs.
Historically, Catholics tended to vote for Democratic presidential candidates. In the late 19th century, 75% of Irish and German Catholics in America voted for Democratic candidates. This trend continued into the 20th century, with Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal and Harry Truman's Fair Deal attracting many Catholics to the Democratic Party. John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, won the 1960 election with strong support from Catholic voters, becoming America's first Catholic president.
However, since the 1960s, the Catholic vote has become more bipartisan, with Catholics splitting their votes between the two major parties in national elections. This shift can be attributed to various factors, including the decline of unions and urban racial issues, as well as economic and social issues. For example, in 1972, many Catholics opposed George McGovern's candidacy and supported Richard Nixon due to his appeal to "peripheral urban ethnics," which was largely seen as a synonym for white Catholics.
In recent years, the Catholic vote has continued to be divided between the two major parties, with some Catholics defecting from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party during election years. In the 2016 election, 52% of Catholics supported Donald Trump, while 45% backed Hillary Clinton. Similarly, in the 2004 election, Catholics narrowly chose George W. Bush over John Kerry. However, it is worth noting that Hispanic Catholics, who constitute a large and growing segment of the Catholic electorate, tend to lean toward the Democratic Party.
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The modern Democratic Party is seen as the enemy of Catholicism
Catholicism and the Democratic Party have had a long and complex history in the United States. While there has never been an official Catholic religious party in the US, Catholics have been active in American elections since the mid-19th century. In the 1840s, a wave of Irish immigration brought hundreds of thousands of Catholics to the US, with further immigration from traditionally Catholic regions of Germany and other parts of Europe. These immigrants often joined local Catholic churches and became a significant voting bloc for the Democratic Party.
In the late 19th century, 75% of Irish and German Catholics in America voted for Democratic presidential candidates. This political alignment continued into the 20th century, with Catholics supporting Democratic candidates such as Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, beginning in the 1960s, a shift began to occur. With the rise of a new type of Democrat—wealthy, secular, and ideological—many Catholics felt that the party was abandoning its former blue-collar, pro-life, and religious constituencies.
The modern Democratic Party is often seen as embracing secularism and progressive social agendas, which can be at odds with traditional Catholic teachings. For example, the Catholic Church takes strong positions against abortion and same-sex marriage, while many Democrats support abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights. This divide is reflected in the voting patterns of Catholic Americans, who are split down the middle politically. According to Pew Research Center polls from 2018 and 2019, around half of Catholic registered voters (48%) identify as Republicans or lean Republican, while the other half (47%) identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party.
In recent years, there have been allegations of Democratic Party infiltration of Catholic organizations to advance their social agenda. Leaked documents from WikiLeaks revealed exchanges between top-level Democrats, including John Podesta and George Soros, discussing influencing the Catholic Church. While the Democratic Party and Catholicism have historically had some alignment, the modern Democratic Party is viewed by some as being at odds with Catholic teachings and values, leading to a perception of the party as an enemy of Catholicism.
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Frequently asked questions
Through Clinton supporters energising religious activists and working through 'Catholic' front organisations. WikiLeaks revealed that key players in this infiltration were John Podesta, chairman of the Hillary Clinton campaign, and George Soros, a left-wing billionaire philanthropist.
The Democrats aimed to advance their social agenda and drive a wedge between the US Catholic bishops and ordinary Catholics on issues such as contraception, abortion, gay marriage, and birth control.
The infiltration was discovered through WikiLeaks' release of batches of documents, including emails hacked from Podesta's Gmail account. Additionally, whistleblower Kyle Seraphin revealed the existence of the "Richmond memorandum," which outlined plans by the FBI to target Catholic Americans as potential domestic terrorists and infiltrate Catholic churches.
