Mayor, Press Attack Faithful California Cleric, by Martina Moyski

By Martina Moyski, Church Militant, August 6, 2020 

Priest targeted for putting God above man

SAN FRANCISCO (ChurchMilitant.com) – Secular elites are blasting a California priest for his traditional presentation of the Catholic faith.

San Francisco mayor London Breed

San Francisco mayor London Breed and Bay Area media are excoriating Fr. Joseph Illo, pastor of Star of the Sea parish in San Francisco, for encouraging his parishioners to attend Holy Mass — safely — during the California shutdown. Late last week, media source SFist accused Fr. Illo of making “a number of outrageously irresponsible statements that sound like they came from Fox News.”  

One statement SFist found “outrageously irresponsible” was the priest’s empirical observation that among the “thousands of people” he knows, only three have tested positive for COVID-19, and all three are doing fine.

SFist source also found problematic Illo’s comment that “The only reason to be a Catholic is to become a saint.” Reporter Jay Barmann boasted, “I’m sure many contemporary Catholics would disagree with” the priest’s comment. Illo’s supporters, however, have noted that many saints through the ages agree with his statement, including Pope St. John Paul II, St. John Vianney, St. John of Damascus, Pope St. Clement I, to name just a few. “We are all called to be saints,” says Pope Francis.   …

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