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The assault, which has alarmed faith leaders and the civil society, comes days after the Catholic Church called for the government to heed calls for electoral reform - a key opposition demand.

The White House has taken a similarly aggressive approach to institutions across civil society, once thought of as independent, at the hint of dissent from government views.

Vance, complains that civil society is a form of “distributed Orwellian despotism.”

Fortunately, even if Bondi’s candidacy is in fact part of a larger threat to civil society and democracy, neither civil society nor democracy are dead yet.

“Our lack of response to these tragedies involving our brothers and sisters points to the loss of that sense of responsibility for our fellow men and women upon which all civil society is founded,” Francis wrote.