Christian group calls for bishop to remove La Crosse priest after COVID-19 misinformation reports

The new Faithful America petition states in part, “As Christians who follow a healing savior, we are called to care for the sick and respect the God-given laws of nature. Right now, that means supporting vaccines, masks and social distancing, just like Pope Francis. Fr. Altman is endangering not only his own parishioners but every essential worker they meet, and should be removed from St. James the Less Catholic Church before he can risk even one more life.”

The Rev. Nathan Empsall, Faithful America’s executive director and an Episcopal priest, said in a statement:

“By spreading deadly misinformation and potentially exposing his parishioners and the people they meet to COVID-19, James Altman has shown that his so-called ministry is profoundly anti-life. Altman’s angry, arrogant, and uninformed words do not speak for Jesus Christ, and he should not be allowed to speak on behalf of any Christian church that ministers in Jesus’s name.

“Faithful America’s Christian members are sick of seeing our faith hijacked for deadly political crusades. Jesus was a healer, which is why we’re working to care for the sick and honor the God-given laws of nature by getting our vaccines, wearing our masks, and spreading the facts: The shots work.”

Bishop Callahan has implemented guidelines for churches in the Diocese of La Crosse, including Altman’s St. James the Less Parish, that require social distancing and masks. Pope Francis has criticized anti-mask protesters, received COVID-19 vaccines, and said that people have a moral obligation to receive coronavirus vaccines. It is unclear if Altman was including his bishop and the pope when he said that COVID-19 protocols are enforced by “godless vermin [who] fed us fear and instituted godless, Nazi-esque controls on all of us.”