I, along with millions of people, are truly outraged over the revelations earlier this month that movers and shakers within the Democratic Party sought to undermine and marginalize the Church and the faithful. It’s good that we finally know where Catholics and the Church stand in the eyes of at least one political party. We had an inkling, but now it’s out in the open.

A series of leaked emails show conversations between John Podesta, the head of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, and two executives from progressive organizations: Sandy Newman, president of Voices for Progress, and John Halpin of the Center for American Progress.

To put it mildly, their comments clearly reveal their disdain for Catholics.

In one email, Podesta is asked by Newman whether the U.S. bishops’ staunch opposition to the HHS mandate could spark a revolution against the bishops.

Newman states, “There needs to be a Catholic Spring, in which Catholics themselves demand the end of a middle ages [sic] dictatorship.”

He wondered how one would “plant the seeds” of that revolution.

Another email from Halpin disparages Catholics who are socially and fiscally conservative, most notably converts:

“They must be attracted to the systematic thought and severely backwards gender relations and must be totally unaware of Christian democracy.”

I am offended.

But I am not surprised. Neither are many other Church leaders.

As Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia sardonically noted, “It would be wonderful for the Clinton campaign to repudiate the content of these ugly WikiLeaks emails. All of us backward-thinking Catholics who actually believe what Scripture and the Church teach would be so very grateful.”

It’s particularly sad that not one Democratic leader has said anything to condemn these words, making them slaves to their own ideology at the expense of religious freedom, a pillar in the foundation of the United States.

We’ve witnessed a growing animosity towards people of faith in the last several years.

Religious groups known for their orthodoxy are being targeted by the government.

With the release of these emails, the agenda is all out in the open.

As we consider the serious choices before us on Election Day, it is essential that we are absolutely clear about how candidates at every level will either improve or further degrade our society, and either protect or jeopardize the unfettered practice of our faith.

That should be our agenda!

May God help us on Election Day and beyond.

See Register Election 2016 guide here.