The “Catholic Spring” WikiLeaks e-mail reveals exactly what many have known for some time, but which far too many Catholics deny or condone: Leftists and the Democratic Party are working to undermine the teachings of the Catholic faith by confusing the faithful and fomenting rebellion within the Church.

They have confused and spread falsehood through fake organizations such as Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United, both named in the WikiLeaks e-mails.

And they have lied and distorted through the collusion of dissenting politicians such as Senator Tim Kaine, the Democratic Party’s vice presidential candidate.

This is clearly part of the strategic vision of Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, who has made it clear that she believes the Church must change and follow the dictates of secular society – and who chose a Catholic in name only as her running mate.

The “Catholic Spring” e-mail leak also shows just how close Clinton is to President Obama on this issue.

Stanley Kurtz’s March 2014 commentary in the National Review on a New York Times article about Obama’s Catholic activist roots reveals how Obama and his mentors attempted to “commandeer local Catholic congregations from within, turning them into political shock troops in their hardball Alinskyite organizing ventures.”

They also worked, with the support of clerics, at “coopting the clergy to leftist political ventures.”

Throughout his presidency, with the support of leftist Catholics, President Obama has led an all out assault on authentic Catholic teaching.

Nearing the end of his presidency, all he has for a legacy is the greater acceptance of contraception and abortion under the guise of health care and homosexuality under the guise of civil rights.

At the same time, his administration has persecuted religious orders such as the Little Sisters of the Poor and faithful Catholic colleges and universities such as Belmont Abbey for their refusal to reject the Church’s teaching on contraception, and has persecuted business owners who refuse to embrace homosexual marriage.

President Obama could not have done this without the collusion of leftist Catholics and dissenters who seek to lay the groundwork for an all out rebellion against Church teaching, as well as uninformed Catholics all too willing to hide their heads in the sand.

Leftists have put to great use colleges and universities that claim to be Catholic but have fallen from grace – from the once lofty Notre Dame and Georgetown to Boston College and to lesser schools. Jesuit colleges and universities in particular have become training facilities for leftist leaders who work to attack the Church from within.

Not one of these three major Catholic institutions is among those recommended by the Newman Guide, which monitors dissension and lists reputable colleges and universities faithful to the teachings of the Church.

Speaking for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Archbishop Joseph Kurtz stated in reference to the leak:

“We . . . expect public officials to respect the rights of people to live their faith without interference from the state. When faith communities lose this right, the very idea of what it means to be an American is lost.”

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput wrote in a column of his experience with leaders of Catholic United, whom he calls flacks for Obama and the Democrats. His revelation of what these flacks had to say to him is telling:

“They voiced great concern at the manipulative skill of Catholic agents for the Republican Party. And they hoped my brother bishops and I would resist identifying the Church with single-issue and partisan (read: abortion) politics.”

Just like the left: manipulate and distort, but smear your opponents and accuse them of doing exactly what you are doing.

What we have learned from WikiLeaks is that in its efforts to interfere with the Church in the United States and Church teaching the Clinton campaign bears a closer resemblance to the Russians and the Communist Manifesto than to our founding fathers and the Constitution.

Where is the outrage?

Despite the comments of Archbishops Kurtz and Chaput, the bishops bear some responsibility for the success of the Obama administration in working to create a nation that is inhospitable to Catholic teaching.

The bishops have been far too reluctant to speak out against and rebuke groups and organizations, including parishes under their jurisdiction staffed by religious orders such as the Jesuits, that work to undermine authentic Catholic faith.

They also have been unwilling to rebuke politicians such as President Obama who seek to undermine the faith. And they have been far too unwilling to rebuke Catholic politicians such as Tim Kaine for supporting and advancing issues that are against Church teaching.

If Tim Kaine were a true Catholic, he would step down as Hillary Clinton’s running mate. If Vice President Joe Biden were a true Catholic, he would never have aligned himself with President Obama.

Both men are what the Communists called “useful idiots.”

But the same can be said of any number of Democratic politicians, as well as the Catholic clergy, religious, and laity who support President Obama and Hillary Clinton.