GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Catholic Diocese is urging residents to be cautious of a newsletter claiming to be an official Catholic publication that's been showing up in mailboxes across the state.
The newsletter, called the "Michigan Catholic Tribune," seems written in a way to exploit people's religious beliefs. The diocese is worried that the publishers are looking to influence the upcoming November election.
A recent October printing features articles with sensational headlines, such as "Activist Claims Democrats Responsible for Trump Assassination Attempts" and "Pope Francis Says Abortion is an Assassination."
According to Annalise Laumeyer, director of Communications for the GR Diocese, the diocese has no affiliation whatsoever with the publication.
"We are not affiliated with this newspaper at all," Laumeyer stated. "We became aware of this paper back in 2022, roughly about the same time frame… right before a local election."
Looking into the issue Tuesday, FOX 17 found near duplicates of the site focusing on several battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Arizona and Wisconsin.
Laumeyer emphasized that the diocese has not provided any information to the publisher and is unsure who is behind the publications.
"This newspaper is very worrisome for us," she said. "The way this content is presented in the newspaper is very partisan, and the Catholic Church is not a partisan organization."
The diocese is encouraging individuals to seek out authentic Catholic teaching and form their conscience before casting their ballot.
"We want individuals to look at the full breadth of Catholic teaching and form their conscience and then truly evaluate, Am I casting my ballot in alignment with Catholic teaching?" Laumeyer said.
For those seeking authentic Catholic content, the GR Diocese offers content HERE.
You can also visit the Michigan Catholic Conference website HERE.
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