August 31, Bishop Filipe de Jesus Estevez Old St Augustine Road Jacksonville, FL Dear Bishop Estevez,

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1 August 31, 2016 Bishop Filipe de Jesus Estevez Old St Augustine Road Jacksonville, FL Dear Bishop Estevez, While it s true that we have the constitutionally-recognized right to peaceably assemble and petition our government (as we do in our annual Right-to-Life Marches), the power for change is exercised at the voting booth. Sadly, half of Catholics nationwide (including those who regularly attend Mass) vote for those who have implemented and sustained the abortion industry in this country. Whenever I bring up this issue to a member of the clergy, I am told the Church must not jeopardize Her tax-exempt status. I understand the fear for any church when it comes to its taxexempt status. However, can it be any clearer that the Church in America has allowed Herself to be bullied into silence on some of the most fundamental issues of our day? When I had this discussion with a friend (who is a priest), he pointed out that the Church can t get into politics. The problem is that the reverse is occurring with greater frequency the politicians are stepping into the Church s territory and the Church is ceding the ground. Until the last 30 years, it would have been unheard of for our clergy to think of themselves as having a muted voice regarding the sanctity of life! However, now they are muzzled and must not openly mention which politicians and political parties their congregations should shun. We hear that abortion is evil and it must be stopped, but we are not told who champions this evil and how we can stop them. Outside of worship and the Sacraments, is there a greater work of the Church than standing for the truth and opposing evil? There is only one major political party that supports abortion (including publicly-funded abortions). There is only one major political party that supports homosexual marriage. There is only one major political party that supports publicly-funded embryonic stem cell research. There is only one major political party that has threatened the tax-exempt status of Christian churches. Notably, this challenge to our tax-exempt status has been politically one-sided as Democratic candidates routinely visit churches during their campaigns to gain advantage while any opposing political action in other churches is condemned. Tax-exempt status is predicated on seven activities religious organizations must perform in order to qualify. I m sure you are very aware of the seven. Are you aware, though, that the next Yanke Academy, LLC 3737 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 100, Raleigh, NC (844) Why 2 Why (844) patrick.yanke@yankeacademy.com

2 challenge to our tax-exempt status is likely to come when same sex marriages are the law of the land? The provision the organization must not engage in illegal activity or activity contrary to public policy has been largely directed toward racial discrimination and advocacy for the violent overthrow of the government, so far. When the time comes, the Church s stance on same sex marriage could easily be the new argument for pulling our tax-exempt status. The silence of the Church doesn t protect her tax-exempt status Her silence threatens it! Our silence as a Church is permitting the scourge of abortion and a host of other sins to plague our world. This silence isn t ensuring our health as an organization, either. The fastest growing congregations in the world (this country is no exception) are those that are taking a hard line for the truth, even in the face of danger. Rather than hurting the Church by speaking out, I believe you would strengthen the Church beyond your imagination by taking a strong stand. I, for one, would fight tooth and nail to ensure the solvency of my parish and diocese in the face of governmental intrusion. You would find that I m not alone. In ten of the most populated states, Catholics comprise greater than 1/3 of the total population (including key states New York and California). Overall, we Catholics make up approx 25% of the total population of the United States. Considering that most elections are decided with only 50-60% of eligible voters actually participating, there is no reason the Church should find its values opposed in our government! Laws are a moral exercise expressing the moral fiber of the nation. Concern over our tax status shouldn t blunt the Church in its mission of forming the consciences of its members. There is no greater decision made by a congregation as a group than choosing political representatives. While I don t advocate for the Church to hold bake sales promoting their choice of candidates, Church leaders should consider it a sacred duty to inform their flock of the wolves in wool. Failing in this duty gives us what we now see Catholics actively supporting candidates who claim solidarity while opposing their morality. Catholic voters have had their recent generations indoctrinated by the media (in conjunction with the Democratic National Committee, the ACLU, et al) into believing the Democratic Party is the Catholic party of John F. Kennedy. A compliant clergy in their home districts, administering the sacraments to politicians who take public positions contrary to their espoused faith, enables this fiction. Only the education, ministry, and voice of the Church can correct this lie. Please don t allow so many to flounder for the sake of appeasing the government which continues to make war on us. Our ecclesiastical hierarchy should be at the forefront of denouncing those politicians who call themselves Catholic to garner our votes yet publicly promote policy positions anathema to our Church. Notable among these are John F. Kerry, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and Tim Kaine. I don t expect that you have the authority in such matters outside of your diocese with Catholics not under your authority. I think it would help the faithful, though, to hear denunciations of open scandal. There are scores of Catholics in this country who do not support the Church financially, many who do not attend Mass regularly, and others who even doubt their own faith. Why?

3 Fundamentally, the root cause is a lack of leadership. If the Church isn t scandalized and opposing those who openly sin and claim ecclesiastical support, then the faithful have reason to doubt the faith and conviction of their Church leaders. The collective silence of the Church in the 2006 election took one of the single greatest arrows from our quiver judicial nominations. In the face of a Congress unwilling to criticize and rein in an out of control judiciary, the nomination of Constitutionalist judges was key to overturning the landmark abortion case Roe vs Wade. The Democratic takeover of the Senate, assured that President Bush could make no more replacements on the Supreme Court despite expected vacancies at the time. We stand on the precipice of an even greater Court upheaval. The next President will likely appoint a 7-2 Court will it be stacked by the party which makes adherence to Row v. Wade it s primary judicial qualification? When our Constitution is strictly adjudicated as written, the right to life is assured. Throughout Church history, the members of her hierarchy have had to educate the ruling elites and nobility regarding ethical and compassionate governance. In this country, that education is better directed at the voters who choose their representatives in government. When we give to Caesar what is Caesar s, it is important to remember that in this country, we are Caesar. We won t win our fight against the evils of abortion, homosexual marriage, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, and euthanasia demonstrating on the grasses of the square. We will win when our priests have the courage and authority to denounce the elected officials and political parties who champion these programs. A simple reading of the major party platforms shows which party deserves to be rejected by Catholics with formed consciences. You don t have to endorse one party to point out the flaws of the other. You don t have to take direct advocacy of any position other than that of the Church and Her Teaching Authority. If either major party believed they risked alienating 25% of the voting population, they would be more mindful of their policies and conform. If the Church would focus Her efforts on real change through thorough voter education, we would be able to devote more time and effort to worship and works of mercy rather than holding impotent rallies to protest public policies which should never have been in the first place. I would welcome the chance to discuss this with you, as your schedule permits, and would be happy to come present at a voter information event in your diocese, with permission. Respectfully and prayerfully, Patrick Yanke Practical Catholic, Speaker, and Author Encl: Defeating the Culture of Death: The Pro-Life Vote

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5 September 26, 2016 Bishop Felipe J. Estevez, S.T.D Old St Augustine Road Jacksonville, FL Dear Bishop Estevez, Thank you for acknowledging my book, Defeating the Culture of Death. It is meant to do more than inform I hope to inspire action from all levels of the Church. The next president will likely appoint a 7-2 Supreme Court. If that president is Hillary Clinton I do have a litmus test, I have a bunch of litmus tests, because the next president could get as many as three appointments, the former first lady responded. It s one of the many reasons why we can t turn the White House over to the Republicans again.... We have to preserve marriage equality, Clinton said. We have to go further to end discrimination against the LGBT community, we ve got to make sure to preserve Roe V. Wade, not let it be nibbled away or repealed. Catholics represent as much as 25% of the electorate overall and as much as ⅓ in CA and NY. No politician should be able to advocate for intrinsic evil and expect Catholic votes no politician can be elected without Catholic acquiescence in a national or state election. Yet, Catholics have split our vote down the middle for a number of election cycles. No one respects our priorities because we don t stand for them ourselves, as a group. Despite all of our efforts so far in our marches and prayers, if Hillary Clinton becomes the next president, she gets the chance to cement abortion and a redefinition of marriage as law for generations. We can stop it. My hope is that our bishops will make support for evil the next third-rail of politics that no politician would ever dare touch again. May I request two things from you? 1) Will you have the attached flyer included in Church bulletins in the diocese? 2) May I be invited to conduct a voter-information presentation or participate in diocese-sponsored events to educate our brother Catholics? Sincerely, Patrick Yanke Speaker and Author Encl Church Bulletin Flyer Yanke Academy, LLC 3737 Glenwood Avenue, Suite 100, Raleigh, NC (844) Why 2 Why patrick.yanke@yankeacademy.com (844)