Father Altman – the American priest who criticised the agenda and Covid-19 vaccines and is thus prohibited from celebrating Mass publicly.

Father James F. Altman is an American Catholic priest of the Diocese of La Crosse. Before he became priest, he was also an accomplished lawyer.

Father Altman received attention in August 2020 in the months before the 2020 United States presidential election in a YouTube video that went viral when he stated “You cannot be Catholic and be a Democrat” due to the fact that the Democratic Party’s support the legalization of abortion. He encouraged Catholic Democrats to “repent of your support of that party and its platform or face the fires of hell…There will be 60 million aborted babies standing at the gates of heaven barring your Democrat entrance.”

He had also criticised the Covid-19 vaccines and the effort of the governments to vaccinate everyone and restrictions on church gatherings which were imposed during Covid-19. In addition, he criticised the DACA immigration progam and referred to climate change as a hoax.

His comments and message were praised and endorsed by Bishop Strickland and Father Dwight D. Longenecker but critised by Father James Martin and Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville.

In May 2021, Father Altman announced that his superior, Bishop William P. Callahan had requested him to resign as pastor from St James the Less Parish. Callahan stated that Father Altman can remain a priest in the diocese, and continue to be paid, but he would no longer be allowed to preach publicly. He was later prohibited from celebrating mass publicly.

Father Strickland defended him again, stating that “Fr James Altman is in trouble for speaking the truth. I originally supported him when he spoke bold truth during the election. I continue to support him for speaking the truth in Jesus Christ…Let us pray for him.”

Actor Mel Gibson also spoke in support of “canceled” priests, endorsing a coalition which supported Altman, among several several other priests who faced similar circumstances. Gibson later met with Altman over dinner.

Father Altman made a video in which he claimed Pope Francis lost the papacy due to heresy. Since then, he has released a slightly more controversial video in which he essentially suggests Francis and his ilk deserve the proverbial “millstone” for scandalizing the children.

In June of 2023, Fr. Altman gave a public speech in which he said Pope Francis was an antipope and not the true pope of the Catholic Church.

Some think that Father Altman’s positions on the papacy and his more controversial view about millstones and Pope Francis to be merely emotional or reactionary. I support Father Altman because I believe it is time for priests to step up and his message is one of truth.

In future pieces, we will go through what he had to say about Pope Francis.

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