Minnesota Priest Apologizes for Homily on Islam after CAIR Hissy Fit

02/01/2020 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ 13 Comments

His Bishop made him apologize for remarks that the Catholic hierarchy says are not “reflective of the Catholic Church’s teaching on Islam.”

From KMSP Fox 9:

(Be sure to watch the video too! H/T Jacqueline)

Lonsdale priest apologizes for anti-Muslim remarks made during homily

LONSDALE, Minn. (FOX 9) – A Minnesota priest has apologized for comments he made about the Muslim faith during a service in Lonsdale.

Wednesday it was calm and quiet outside of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Lonsdale, but what happened inside the doors during a recent Sunday homily has some people incredibly upset.

Jaylani Hussein pounced!

Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR-Minnesota, spoke out after audio of that Sunday sermon was shared on a blog and picked up steam online.

The priest’s comments about Muslims were the focal point.

“More specifically, we should not allow large numbers of Muslims asylum or immigration into our country,” said Fr. Nick VanDenBroeke in the recording.

“Islam is the greatest threat in the world to both Christianity and to America.”

https://icchurch.cc/

[….]

“Of course, there are peaceful Muslims, absolutely,” he added. “But the religion as a religion and as an ideology and worldview, it is contrary to Christ and America.”

Others see those words as a big step back in building interfaith relationships.

“I think there are real consequences to these types of behavior and I hope someone who listened to that does not become more radicalized where they see Muslims as a threat and they become a threat to Muslims,” said Hussein.

Then here Fox 9 published the remarks for which Father VanDenBroeke apologized. I’m posting this so they don’t disappear. Heck if there was a priest like this near me, I might rush back to the church!

Both as Americans and Christians we do not need to pretend that everyone who seeks entry into America should be treated the same. I believe it’s essential to consider the religion and world view of immigrants or refugees more specifically we should not allow large numbers of Muslims asylum or immigration into our country.

Islam is the greatest threat in the world both to Christianity and to America – of course there are peaceful Muslims, absolutely, but the religion as a religion and as an ideology and world view it is contrary to Christ and America.

I am not saying we hate Muslims, I am absolutely not saying that, they are people created out of love by God just as each one of us is. But while we certainly don’t hate them as people we must oppose their religion and world view.

And if we want to protect our great country, not only as a Christian nation but also as the land of the free then we must oppose the immigration of Muslims, that’s an example of keeping bad ideas out of the country that we have the right to do as a sovereign nation.

I’m not a hater for saying this I’m not saying something anti-Christian because the religion is anti-Christian.

I’m simply a realist to acknowledge that fact, they are the greatest threat to Christianity and America and we need to recognize that fact and our laws of immigration need to reflect that.

Astounding, simply astounding! Maybe the President should invite him to the White House or the State of the Union!

Don’t miss the ‘Church Militants‘ report on the issue.

Montana Mayor Apologizes for Signing onto Appeal for 95,000 Refugees for 2020

01/31/2020 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ 1 Comment

I guess he got an earful from Montana citizens!

You can see Mayor Kelly’s apology on Facebook, along with many comments here: **https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1599690420155315&id=321698611287842**

In case you are wondering, Mayor Bob Kelly didn’t send a letter to the US State Department in response to the President’s reform effort that we have been writing about almost daily, but had earlier joined a list (apparently still growing) of elected officials across 46 states which were demanding that the President admit 95,000 refugees in FY2020 before he actually set the ceiling at 18,000.

[Don’t forget, Democrat candidates for President are saying they want over 100,000. Biden says 125,000 and Warren says 175,000. Bernie is vague but does say he wants at least 50,000 climate refugees alone in his mix.]

However it seems that the list that I published here last September, which at the time had 361 officials requesting 95,000 refugees, is making the rounds and I saw it again a couple of days ago with 400 listed!

See Welcome Refugees!

Look around and see what jumps out at you.

There is no contact information to indicate who is behind the effort. I presume it is the nine federal refugee contractors or its lobbying arm—the Refugee Council USA—but no where is there any information that would guide elected officials when making a decision to sign on.

Even before I saw Mayor Kelly’s mea culpa I wondered who would be so irresponsible to sign this letter without any information on who is pushing it?

As I did in September, I am publishing the whole list below as a useful guide (in case it disappears) in helping you decide who to work to remove from office!

By the way, in 2017 there was much talk about China (yes, the country of China!) opening a meatpacking plant in Montana, but I have no idea if that played at all into the mayor’s thinking when he signed onto the letter in support of more refugees (more low-skilled laborers).

Here is the headline from the Great Falls Tribune:

Mayor apologizes after signing letter to Trump in support of refugees

Great Falls Mayor Bob Kelly apologized Wednesday for a letter he signed last year asking President Donald Trump to support an increase in the number of refugees allowed to settle in the United States.

While Kelly said that he remains deeply concerned about displaced people in the world, including 25 million refugees, he apologized for using the mayor’s office to support the cause.

“I realize, however, that as mayor of our community, it may not be a concern you share,” Kelly wrote to residents in a post on his mayor’s Facebook page. “By implying your inclusion in my concern, I misrepresented you. For that, I am sorry. As mayor of our wonderful community, I try very hard to navigate only toward local issues or state issues that affect local communities. The national issues that currently divide us deserve little, if any role in our decision-making process at the local level.”

Here we are, just what I wanted to know. The federal refugee contractors are behind the effort to ‘out’ supporters of more refugees for your towns and cities.

Soft Landing Missoula, which assists refugees in resettling in the western Montana community, asked Kelly to support the national effort.

Soft Landing is a subcontractor of the International Rescue Committee.

Located in Missoula, Soft Landing is 165 miles from Great Falls which means that they have aspirations for expansion beyond their Missoula home base.

More here.

See my rather extensive Montana archive for more on what has been happening there on the contentious issue of refugees.

Did your elected officials sign on?

Go here and see that they (whoever they are!) say they plan to continue to update the list and reissue it as one more bit of news presumably with which to bash the President in advance of the 2020 Presidential contest.

LOL! Wait a few days, refresh the list, and see if Mayor Kelly’s name is removed.

You might want to compare lists, see the list I published in September. Is your elected official a newbie to the list?

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Wyoming
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Pennsylvania: Catholic Charities Shopping for New Refugee Sites within 100-Mile Radius

01/19/2020 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

And, they are accompanied by a paper company executive who wants a small community nearly 60 miles from Harrisburg, PA to ‘welcome’ refugees the company wants to employ.

I have been saying for twelve years that there is an unholy alliance between businesses seeking cheap labor and ‘religious’ resettlement contractors acting as their head hunters!

Additionally, in case you thought I didn’t have my facts, here we see clearly that this US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ subcontractor*** is talking about the 100-mile radius from their office in which refugee resettlement agencies can place refugees.

We should be thanking the President for his September Executive Order even if the contractors succeed in killing it in the courts because we are learning new things every day and citizens like those in Juniata Terrace, PA, like those in Beltrami County, MN, are being educated.

Catholic Charities is out and about lining up new locations within a hundred miles of Harrisburg!

From The Lewistown Sentinel (emphasis below is mine):

JUNIATA TERRACE–The public was out in full force Tuesday night for the Catholic Charities group presentation of their refugee resettlement plan to the Juniata Terrace Borough Council.

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Harrisburg is 35% taxpayer funded. An additional 40% of their income is ‘service fees’ which I assume taxpayers are funding as well. http://www.cchbg.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2019__Catholic_Charities_ANNUAL_REPORT.pdf

Anne Lusk and Amin Habeeb [Egyptian see here.—ed] from Catholic Charities spoke about the resettlement to the public and the council. Lusk and Habeeb wanted to lay out the facts so the council and the public had a better understanding of the program. The resettlement will not be happening any time soon. [But they are getting people primed because they think that when the Dems regain the White House, the gates will open wide.—ed]

Programs like this are popping up all over the country and Pennsylvania is no exception. Lusk spoke on the major presence of resettled refugees in areas like Lancaster County, noting that Cumberland County had also recently passed the program for their area. [Juniata Terrace is in Mifflin County so it appears the county itself has not consented (so far).—ed]

Seeking locations within 100-mile radius!

The program is based out of Harrisburg and is attempting to resettle refugees within a 100-mile radius. These refugees are fleeing issues in their home country, whether religious prosecution, war or other struggles.

Catholic Charities lining up future locations!

For now, the charity is visiting different locations in Mifflin county to provide information to the boroughs so they can decide whether to adopt the program at a later time. The refugees who are part of the program are “very educated and very hard workers and are respectful to the community,”according to Lusk.

She has no idea if the refugees are “educated” and “respectful” because Catholic Charities, nor the county or state, is permitted to choose refugees—they will get what they get from anywhere in the world: impoverished and uneducated Congolese or demanding Somalis, or Iraqis who think low-skilled work is beneath them, for example!

We are paying for Catholic Charities to act as an employment service!

Here we see that Catholic Charities is working with business interests to supply them with workers! What the h*** ! Why are we, taxpayers, paying for this!

Donald Chapman III, president of Nittany Paper, was also present. Chapman contacted the Catholic charity for help finding workers for the paper company as they look to expand. The positions would be full-time. According to him, bringing in the refugees would not take away from the jobs for county citizens. The program is meant to have a positive impact on the local area as a whole.

The program would integrate, at most, 10 families and settle them into the area. They would have a jobs at Nittany Paper and a living space near the company, making transportation to work easier. [Living space near the company? Is the company paying for that, or are the taxpayers shelling out for the housing?—ed]

Attending members of the public expressed concerns about the program. Several citizens were worried about crime and an increase in drug problems if the resettlement were allowed. The public also expressed concern for how the community will support the influx of people. Tensions ran palpably high during the presentation, with several agruements breaking out between citizens. The Catholic Charities group will be present at next month’s Lewistown Borough Council meeting, according to Lusk.

Many thanks to The Sentinel!

*** I’m going back to correct my ‘Knowledge is Power III’ post where I said I didn’t have a list of the Bishop’s subcontractors. I found it in the course of researching this story. Go here to see the long list of subcontractors working for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

After Maryland Judge’s Decision, What is Next?

01/17/2020 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ 1 Comment

I don’t know. I guess we wait for the Justice Department’s response to the decision that halted the President’s first effort to reform the US Refugee Admissions Program.

Here is a brief statement from the White House immediately after learning of the decision.

Another lawless district court has asserted its own preferred immigration policy in place of the laws of the United States – and, in so doing, robbed millions of American citizens of their voice and their say in a vital issue directly affecting their communities. President Trump rightly and justly recognized that your communities are unique, and while some cities have the resources to adequately support refugees and help them be successful, not all communities can sustain the substantial and costly burden. Knowing that, the Trump Administration fulfilled a key promise by giving States and localities a seat at the table in deciding whether or not refugees will be placed in your communities. In addition, under the Refugee Act of 1980, Congress explicitly afforded the President authority over the refugee resettlement process, including by taking local consultation into account. This is a preposterous ruling, one more example of nationwide district court injunctions run amok, and we are expeditiously reviewing all options to protect our communities and preserve the integrity of the refugee resettlement process.

So what happens to the Executive Order and the process it spawned to obtain consents, or non-consents, for the placement of refugees in states and counties? I’m assuming it all grinds to a halt for now.

Daniel Horowitz at Conservative Review suggests that the President is a lame duck right now if he doesn’t challenge these rogue court decisions, see here.

News reports are coming in about how county elected officials are sighing with relief that they don’t have to go on record as for or against refugee arrivals for their towns and cities because of the court ruling.

Why did my Republican governor cave and consent to taking on an extra burden for taxpayers and more social/cultural unrest by telling the Dept. of State to send more refugees?

That is a question I got from a reader this morning.

Many reasons (pick one, or more!):

~Fear of being called an unwelcoming racist.

~He/she was getting pressure from groups on the religious Left (including the contractors) many of which financially benefit from refugee arrivals, or will benefit because they are Leftists who see a new voting block. Many are one-worlders working to destroy national sovereignty.

In some states CAIR was active (Minnesota and Maryland for sure) with their usual hammer—any gov who said no would surely be called an Islamophobe.

~Pressure from the Chamber of Commerce and their ilk which wants more refugees because refugees need housing and buy cars.

~Lobbying (and likely campaign donations) from large corporations including, global corporations that need the steady supply of cheap subservient labor—BIG MEAT and BIG POULTRY, for example.

And, I’m sure there are other less obvious reasons.

But, most importantly the governor knew that there were more in his/her state on the side of inviting refugees than there are of you who want to see the program constrained or flat out abolished.

Now that isn’t so everywhere. Here is a story from Tennessee yesterday about how one county commission struggled with the decision and ultimately did nothing on the same day that the Maryland judge slapped the President down.

It is an opinion piece (for more refugees) critical of the non-action taken at a county meeting this week. One line jumped out at me, from the Chattanooga Times Free Press as the reason the meeting ended with no action:

Their reticence to vote for the resolution, like Coppinger’s, was likely born because, as the mayor said, “you cannot overcome social media.”

Clearly the opposition to more refugees being placed in Hamilton County was of sufficient magnitude to at least stop the consent train.

The opposition to more resettlement in Tennessee may be the strongest and best organized in the nation. The problem is every state doesn’t have the grassroots network that Tennessee has developed over the years.

We have to change that, if we expect to do battle with the juggernaut of Leftwing/Dems working with big business interests and RINO governors that are changing America by changing the people.

But, your first order of business is to buy more time by getting Donald Trump re-elected.

Send me an e-mail with the subject line, grassroots organizing, and I’ll try to put you together with others in your state.

RefugeeWatcher@gmail.com

Breaking News! Texas Governor Abbott Says NO! Will not Accept More Refugees in 2020

01/10/202001/10/2020 ~ Ann Corcoran ~ Leave a comment

I’ve told readers innumerable times that Texas has carried the weight of the most refugees resettled in any state for years, and now given a chance by the President to take a break—Texas Governor Greg Abbott has said enough is enough!

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is the first Republican to support the President’s effort to reform the UN/US Refugee Admissions Program.

His action is incredibly brave in light of the fact that 18 of his fellow REPUBLICAN governors have already caved in to the pressure of the Leftwing Open Borders Inc. and are now facing stiff criticism by a heretofore silent majority of citizens in their states who also agree that enough is enough.

(Big question now is what about Florida and Georgia, the two remaining states which have carried excessively large burdens handed to them by the UN and the US State Department for decades!)

***Update*** All Texas patriots should be sure to thank the governor! He will be getting some mean criticism from the Left!

Here is Daily Wire with the stunning news:

BREAKING: Texas Governor Abbott Boldly Rejects Additional Refugee Resettlement

According to a letter sent today to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that was just obtained by The Daily Wire, Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced Texas’s refusal to accept any additional refugees for fiscal year (FY) 2020.The letter was prompted by Executive Order 13888, on “Enhancing State and Local Involvement in Refugee Resettlement,” which was issued by President Donald Trump on September 26, 2019.

[….]

“Texas is one of the most welcoming states for refugees seeking to escape dangers abroad,” Abbott begins. “Since FY 2010, more refugees have been received in Texas than in any other state. In fact, over that decade, roughly 10% of all refugees resettled in the United States have been placed in Texas. Even today, the process of resettling continues for many of these refugees.”

“In addition to accepting refugees all these years, Texas has been left by Congress to deal with disproportionate migration issues resulting from a broken federal immigration system,” the governor continues.

“In May 2019, for example, around 100,000 migrants were apprehended crossing this state’s southern border. In June 2019, individuals from 52 different countries were apprehended here. And in FY 2018, the apprehensions included citizens from disparate countries like China, Iran, Kenya, Russia, and Tonga. Texas continues to have to deal with the consequences of an immigration system that Congress has failed to fix.”

“At this time, the state and non-profit organizations have a responsibility to dedicate available resources to those who are already here, including refugees, migrants, and the homeless — indeed, all Texans,” the Republican writes in his denouement. “As a result, Texas cannot consent to initial refugee resettlement for FY2020. This decision does not deny any refugee access to the United States. Nor does it preclude a refugee from later coming to Texas after initially settling in another state.”

“Texas has carried more than its share in assisting the refugee resettlement process and appreciates that other states are available to help with these efforts,” Abbott concludes.

Abbott’s bold stand will please immigration hawks, who have long sounded the alarm on America’s shoddy, loophole-ridden refugee system and our wholly inadequate vetting capabilities for prospective refugees.

[….]

Abbott’s move also follows closely on the heels of at least 15 separate Republican governors [actually 18 caved, see below—ed] who have all affirmatively signed onto more refugee resettlement in their states in the aftermath of Executive Order 13888. Immigration hawk Daniel Horowitz recently excoriated these governors at Conservative Review: “Except for New England, these are all states carried by Trump, some of them by a very wide margin. Trump won every single county in West Virginia and Oklahoma, for example. Why are conservatives with platforms not talking about this? … Who needs George Soros when you have GOP governors endorsed by Trump doing his bidding, along with the help of so-called evangelical groups?”

Governor Abbott will take no shortage of heat for this move, even within the still-reliably Republican Lone Star State. But he should rest well at night, for he has done the right thing for his state.

See which Republican Governors virtue-signaled to Open Borders Inc. and the Refugee Contractors! An X means that the governor has said, yes, sure send us more poor people to take care of we have run out of vulnerable Americans!