From “terrorist” plots in La Crosse to viral Catholic priest’s video, Mayor Tim Kabat answers everything

On Thursday’s La Crosse Talk PM, Mayor Tim Kabat was asked to comment on an array of topics.

They included the rise in COVID-19 cases in the area and at universities, to what a caller — let’s call him Karen — said were “terrorists” plotting from a hotel in Onalaska ready to burn churches and loot the city.

That last part turned out to be wildly untrue, but Kabat will answer any question he’s asked.

That included his thoughts on divisive comments from a Catholic priest in a viral video — no, not that kind of Catholic video.

“I didn’t like it,” Kabat said on the show. “I just thought it was way over the top. Everything is so hyper-politicized right now. To add to that, I just think is the wrong thing.”

The amount of calls and emails the La Crosse Diocese received over a 10-minute video, apparently forced Bishop William Callahan to put out a statement.

In part, Callahan said because of all the attention from people who both agreed and disagreed with Father James Altman’s message, it simply shows “how divisive he is.”

Kabat had similar thoughts.

“It just seems to me, again, any time you have leaders in the community who are causing division, signaling out groups of people and causing negativity and hate, that to me is just the wrong thing, Kabat said.

Callahan, in his statement, added that Canonical penalties are not far away if his attempts at fraternal correction do not work.