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Three of the LifeSite team just outside Vatican City during one of our Rome Life Forums. John-Henry Westen, Claire Chretien, Steve JalsevacLifeSite

December 19, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) – From its very begining LifeSite has proclaimed itself to be a news service dedicated to reporting on issues of life, family and culture. The largest issue under culture is the issue of religion. The Catholic Church, because of its massive international influence on the moral issues, has therefore naturally been one major focus of our reporting. 

Under Pope Francis, given the nature of what has been happening related to our core issues, the focus on Catholic developments in LifeSite reporting has greatly increased. That does not reflect a change in our mission, but rather simply reflects the revolutionary, highly newsworthy changes in Vatican priorities under the Francis papacy.

We have had no choice but to report extensively on the nearly constant flood of these news developments under Francis and to add a new Catholic Edition to our website and emails (both not yet fully implemented) for our Catholic readers. We cannot ignore some or most of these alarming developments – no matter what it might cost us. Whatever we report has much significance for the defense of life and family – even though it might at times not seem to have obvious relevance.

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See below a typical exhange between myself and a much-valued reader who complained about our extensive Catholic coverage.

I should note that the reader, like so many others who follow LifeSite, has had a hard time convincing certain clergy to read LifeSite reports for their own benefit. That is because too many clergy actually believe the incredible falsehoods told about LifeSite in order to discourage others from discovering what they prefer to remain hidden. We can fully understand the reader's frustration.

Liberal “social justice” Catholics are among the most hostile to LifeSite – even to the point of hatred. Within that category are also included homosexual supportive clergy and laymen who are enraged that we publish anything on that issue. They never say that that is the reason they despise LifeSite and give other reasons – none of which can be proven to be true. Unfortunately, because of the status of a priest, many accept these condemnations without bothering to verify them.

I publish this so that all readers will better understand the last few years of Catholic reporting on LifeSite. We readily admit it has been disturbing and difficult to endure – both for you, our readers, and for the LifeSite team members.

I hate to tell you, but all the evidence suggests that there is much worse yet to come. Let me emphasize that LifeSite news reporting is always heavily based on evidence, never on personal feelings or preferences.

The Correspondence:

Reader: LifeSite news is becoming an anti-pope Francis domain. Have loved you and supported you for many years but what you are reporting almost daily is not pro-life news at all. I know you can do a lot better than this. Sorry if the truth hurts but there are a lot of faithful concerned priests and laity who used to rely on you and now tell me they simply disregard anything you do share – credible or not. C'mon LifeSite News…you can do a lot better than this….and you are making it hard for us who try to promote the good things you do write. Get back to what you do best!

SJ: And I say to you, “Sorry if the truth hurts” but there are a lot of faithful, concerned priests who tell us every day how much they still rely upon us and thank us profusely for saying what they are not allowed to say and for helping them to understand what is going on so that they may discuss these matters well with their fellow priests, and when an opportunity arises, with their bishops.

LifeSite is NOT “anti-pope Francis” but rather must report truth that very much does impact the life and family issues in the culture war. To truly love Pope Francis is to tell him the truth and to especially help others, including bishops and cardinals, to tell him what is very necessary to tell him.

If you have not seen that from our reports then you have not been reading them well. The dismantling and then dramatic, negative changes to the Academy for life and the Pontifical Council for the Family, repeated praising of Italy’s Marxist, leading abortionist, the appointments of extremely liberal bishops and cardinals, the downplaying of the life and family issues in favour of climate change, immigration, open borders, poverty, unemployment and many other worldly issues, the contradictions to the clear teachings of St. Pope John Paul II (especially The Splendor of Truth), regularly bringing the world’s leading anti-family, anti-life leaders to speak at and advise the Vatican, and so much more ALL have very much to do with the life and family issues.

The Pope and Vatican have been THE leading international defenders of life and family – until now. There is every reason to be deeply concerned about this situation. It serves no good purpose to pretend it is not as serious as it is. It cannot be ignored no matter how painful it is to report these things and believe me it has been truly painful for us to do this.

What we do best, and always have, is to report uncomfortable, crucial information that others are not willing or are not able to report. We do this for the good of all, including for Pope Francis. We have always gotten flak for doing so, but in the end it has always been proven to be good that we have done this reporting. We are often well ahead of others in reporting these things and then eventually others catch up and realize why we reported them.

This is an important part of our mission – our duty to God and our fellow man.

Reader: Steve – I am not saying things like this are not important prolife issues: “The dismantling and then dramatic, negative changes to the Academy for life, the appointments of extremely liberal bishops and cardinals, the downplaying of the life and family issues in favour of climate change, poverty, unemployment and many other the worldly issues, the contradictions to the clear teaching s of St. Pope John Paul II and so much more ALL have very much to do with the life and family issues.” Yes – that is very important! But I still think you go overboard on other stories involving the Vatican that are not prolife related so when I try to point out something great you have reported on, the priests won't even listen because of the source. 🙁

SJ: Your comment was made under the story on the petition (Join pro-life leaders pledging fidelity to the Catholic faith!). The petition refers to fidelity to many life and family issues. Everything that we write related to the Church has something to do with strengthening the Church in its fidelity to Christ's teachings on all issues which all relate back to its strength and influence on the moral issues. LifeSite has from its very beginning proclaimed itself to be a news service dedicated to reporting on issues of life, family and related culture issues. One large such culture issue is religion. The Catholic Church happens to be by far the largest Christian institution influencing life and family – for good (almost entirely during the millennia of its existence) or bad (by some especially in the past few decades.) And by the way, thank you for all the pro-life work that you do – a controversial work that many attack you for, but which we see as being invaluable.

 
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Steve is the co-founder and managing director of LifeSiteNews.com.