Bishops: Relevant Radio is not faithful to Church teaching

DATE 

Bishop/Fr. (See list of recipients at end of letter)_______________________

Address______________________________________________________________

Relevant Radio states they are “faithful to the Magisterium and Catechism of the Catholic Church, united to the bishops in bringing Christ to the world through the media” (https://relevantradio.com/about/).

A Church valuing the dignity of each individual, especially the most marginalized, acknowledges systemic racism:

The equality of men rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it: Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God's design. (1935)
Catechism of Catholic Church, with quote from Gaudium et Spes 

All too often, Hispanics and African Americans, for example, face discrimination in hiring, housing, educational opportunities, and incarceration. Racial profiling frequently targets Hispanics for selective immigration enforcement practices, and African Americans, for suspected criminal activity. […] We have also seen years of systemic racism working in how resources are allocated to communities that remain de facto segregated. (Pages 4 &6)
Open Wide Our Hearts: A Pastoral Letter Against Racism, 2018, USCCB

Yet Relevant Radio programming stopped an open dialogue on racism, dismisses Black Lives Matter and questions the existence of systemic racism:

In 2019, a Relevant Radio guest host discussing racism was told to switch to a "safer" topic by the program's producer. The call lines were cleared and the podcast was not posted on Relevant Radio's website (https://forums.catholic.com/t/why-i-no-longer-listen-to-relevant-radio/563220).

Here's a portion of guest host Don Johnson's reflection on the experience:

The result is that in Relevant’s system, the issues and perspectives of conservative white people reign supreme. Minority perspectives are marginalized, denigrated, and, even, censored completely.

…it turns out that Relevant Radio is another example of the very systemic racism that I was trying to explain and expose in the show I hosted. Do I think that the radio network is full of individual racists? Absolutely not. There are many wonderful people there, and some of them even called me after the show to say how much they enjoyed it and agreed with everything I said. But the company itself is racist in that its very structure is a builder and protecter of segregated white space, just as so many companies have been throughout America’s history. It may not be building and protecting segregated restaurants or subdivisions, but the airwaves and servers of its nation-wide network are indeed an important and powerful space in our culture, and Relevant may as well hang out a sign that says conservative white voices only.
(http://donjohnsonministries.org/here-is-the-topic-that-got-me-removed-from-conservative-catholic-radio/)

At the height of national protests during the summer of 2020, Relevant Radio dismissed Black Lives Matter protesters' concerns and questioned the presence of systemic racism:     

On June 3, 2020, the program host accentuated violence at protests and spoke with Ryan Bomberger, co-author of Not Equal: Civil Rights Gone Wrong. Bomberger critiqued civil rights as irrelevant until the right to life in the womb is affirmed. He would appear on two other Relevant Radio programs in the following days. The day before Thanksgiving 2020, his Facebook page articulate since the pilgrims gathered to give thanks even though half of them had died during their first year in the New World, people should gather for Thanksgiving despite COVID-19 (https://relevantradio.com/2020/06/no-life-no-rights-all-moral-issues-are-pro-life-all-human-life-deserves-respect-6-3-20/).

On June 8, 2020, a Relevant Radio program hosted a guest commentator from Hot Air, a website calling itself “the world's first, full-service conservative Internet broadcast network.” The host discussed “the problem of police taking a knee before protesters” (https://relevantradio.com/2020/06/ideas-ideologies-police-protests-racial-unrest-real-solidarity-6-8-20/).

On June 11, 2020, commentary noted Black Lives Matter as an “evil movement”, saying “we are really witnessing an over-correction” (https://relevantradio.com/2020/06/black-lives-matter-is-an-evil-movement/).

On June 17, 2020, host Patrick Madrid played a recording expressing concern for black lives in the womb and a caller “agrees with Patrick that if we don’t value life in the womb, then there is no life to value later against police brutality” (https://relevantradio.com/2020/06/the-patrick-madrid-show-june-17-2020-hour-2/).

Recently, on November 17, 2020, the “fury of fatherlessness,” decline of patriarchy, and lack of patriotism among younger generations were used to dismiss systemic racism. The program’s guest, Mary Eberstadt, said racism is not an issue in our churches (https://relevantradio.com/2020/11/fatherlessness-2/, https://www.firstthings.com/article/2020/12/the-fury-of-the-fatherless).  

***If you have witnessed or experienced racism in the Catholic Church, share your personal experience here***

A Church called to steward the integrity of creation, act cognizant of integral ecology for the well-being of all humanity today and for future generations:

The biblical message and the Church's Magisterium represent the essential reference points for evaluating the problems found in the relationship between man and the environment. The underlying cause of these problems can be seen in man's pretension of exercising unconditional dominion over things, heedless of any moral considerations which, on the contrary, must distinguish all human activity.

 The tendency towards an “ill-considered” exploitation of the resources of creation is the result of a long historical and cultural process. “The modern era has witnessed man's growing capacity for transformative intervention. The aspect of the conquest and exploitation of resources has become predominant and invasive, and today it has even reached the point of threatening the environment's hospitable aspect: the environment as ‘resource' risks threatening the environment as ‘home'. Because of the powerful means of transformation offered by technological civilization, it sometimes seems that the balance between man and the environment has reached a critical point.”
(461) Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change. The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home. Here I want to recognize, encourage and thank all those striving in countless ways to guarantee the protection of the home which we share. Particular appreciation is owed to those who tirelessly seek to resolve the tragic effects of environmental degradation on the lives of the world’s poorest. Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded. (13) … A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system…Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat this warming or at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it. (23)
Laudato Si’, Pope Francis 2015

Yet Relevant Radio dismisses the gravity of environmental degradation and demeans leaders striving to address ecological concerns:

Executive Director Fr. Hoffman, in his Fr. Rocky’s Teaching Minutes episode 17, minimizes global warming (https://relevantradio.com/listen/fr-rockys-teaching-minutes/).

Similar themes recur on Relevant Radio programming (https://relevantradio.com/2019/09/the-climate-conversation/, https://relevantradio.com/2018/11/the-drew-mariani-show-november-26th-hour-3/). Program guest Mike Maguire’s article: https://catholicexchange.com/warming-to-the-truth-on-climate-change.

Program host Patrick Madrid uses Twitter to demean politicians and activists for addressing climate change, saying a political leader fights “hot air with more hot air” and calling Greta Thunberg’s advocacy “sycophantic”, self-serving flattery:(https://twitter.com/patrickmadrid/status/1062872873700937731, https://twitter.com/patrickmadrid/status/1193046850863017984).

A Relevant Radio program host called a cabinet position to address climate change the “climate czar” and made dismissive comments about the position (https://relevantradio.com/2020/11/what-a-biden-administration-means/).

A Church called to work for the common good, bringing mercy, reconciliation and healing amidst humanity’s brokenness caused by exploitation, greed and indifference. We are called to listening and dialogue to see the interconnectedness of our human existence:

Commenting on Gaudium et Spes: Society, its structures and development must be oriented towards “the progress of the human person”.  For the first time, the Magisterium of the Church, at its highest level, speaks at great length about the different temporal aspects of Christian life: “It must be recognized that the attention given by the Constitution to social, psychological, political, economic, moral and religious changes has increasingly stimulated ... the Church's pastoral concern for men's problems and dialogue with the world.” (96)
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

Yet Relevant Radio's genre of commentary has a definite adversarial posture in a time when our nation and world need collaborative work for the common good:

On November 24, 2020, Relevant Radio featured a guest from an organization using ethically concerning "geofencing" to track Mass attendees via cell phones and target them to vote for conservative politicians. The guest labeled a national politician "the greatest threat ever to the Catholic Church" (https://relevantradio.com/2020/11/what-a-biden-administration-means/, https://www.ncronline.org/news/parish/pro-trump-group-targets-catholic-voters-using-cell-phone-technology).

Programming on November 17, 2020 defined "political correctness regime" as a means to shut down communication, contributing to totalitarianism and social isolation, with COVID-19 imposed lockdowns labeled a "test run". The program host expressed disdain for demonization of people not wearing masks and questioned social distancing for cutting off human relationships. The program guest labels the 2020 national election as a "coup attempt" and expresses concern about becoming "slaves of tyrants" on her website (https://relevantradio.com/2020/11/social-isolation-what-is-human/,
https://stellamorabito.net).

Using your leadership position at Relevant Radio, may you encourage their programming to portray the Catholic Church as a voice for unity, with sincere, open dialogue and action on critical issues in our nation and world. With a potential audience of over 220 million Americans, I trust Relevant Radio will dismiss polarizing, fear-based content to seek the common good by recognizing diverse voices, struggles and aspirations to build a more just world. Only then will it be truly “faithful to the Magisterium and Catechism of the Church and united to the bishops in bringing Christ to the world through the media.”

Sincerely,

(your name)
(your mailing and/or email address) 

Include programming examples you have personally listened to in your letter.

In addition to recipients listed below, please consider sending a letter to your diocesan news site or parish if they endorse, promote or advertise for Relevant Radio.

Recipients: Board of Directors (*also on Ecclesial Advisory Board)

Bishop Ricken, Diocese of Green Bay*
1825 Riverside Dr.
Green Bay, WI 54301

Fr Hoffman, Executive Director Relevant Radio
1496 Bellevue Street, Suite 202 
Green Bay, WI 54311

Archbishop Gomez, Archdiocese of Los Angeles and President USCCB *
3424 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90010-2241

 Archbishop Hebda, Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis*
777 Forest Street
Saint Paul, MN 55106-3857

 Recipients: Ecclesial Advisory Board

Cardinal O’Malley, Archdiocese of Boston
66 Brooks Dr.
Braintree, MA 02184

Bishop Paprocki, Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
1615 West Washington St.
Springfield, Illinois 62702-4757

Bishop Raica, Diocese of Birmingham
2121 3rd Ave N #3314
Birmingham, AL 35203

Bishop Silva, Diocese of Honolulu
1184 Bishop St.
Honolulu, HI 96813

Bishop Solis, Diocese of Salt Lake City
27 C St. E
Salt Lake City, UT 84103

Bishop Soto, Diocese of Sacramento
2110 Broadway
Sacramento, CA 95818

Bishop Thomas, Diocese of Las Vegas
336 Cathedral Way
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Cardinal Tobin, Archdiocese of Newark
171 Clifton Ave
Newark, NJ 07104

Bishop Tobin, Diocese of Providence
1 Cathedral Square
Providence, RI 02903

Bishop Wall, Diocese of Gallup
503 U.S. Rte 66 B
Gallup, NM 87301

Archbishop Wenski, Archdiocese of Miami
9401 Biscayne Blvd
Miami Shores, FL 33138

Bishop Callahan, Diocese of La Crosse
3710 East Ave S
La Crosse, WI 54601

Archbishop Cordileone, Archdiocese of San Francisco
1 Peter Yorke Way
San Francisco, CA 94109

Bishop Deeley, Diocese of Portland, Maine
510 Ocean Ave
Portland, ME 04103

Bishop Dewane, Diocese of Venice
1000 Pinebrook Rd.
Venice, FL 34285

Bishop DiMarzio, Diocese of Brooklyn
310 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, NY 11215

Bishop Doerfler, Diocese of Marquette
1004 Harbor Hills Dr.
Marquette, MI 49855

Bishop Estéve, Diocese of St. Augustine
11625 Old St. Augustine Rd.
Jacksonville, FL 32258

Bishop Hying, Diocese of Madison
702 S High Point Rd.
Madison, WI 53719

Archbishop Listecki, Archdiocese of Milwaukee
3501 S Lake Dr.
St Francis, WI 53235

Bishop McGovern, Diocese of Belleville
2620 Lebanon Ave
Belleville, IL 62221

Bishop Olmsted, Diocese of Phoenix
400 E Monroe St.
Phoenix, AZ 85004