Posted on 04/08/2011 9:16:09 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
The Diocese of Scranton and Marywood University refused to host a conservative Catholic speaker this weekend after the organizations determined that he had expressed views at odds with the school's and church's values, they said on Thursday.
Michael Voris, who produces television and radio shows about Catholic issues, was scheduled to speak at two events Saturday arranged by a Harveys Lake couple at Marywood and Our Lady of Victory Catholic church in Harveys Lake.
After Marywood canceled the event, titled "Living Catholicism Radically," it was to be relocated to the diocese's St. Clare/St. Paul Elementary School before the diocese also refused to host Voris.
In a two-sentence statement, the Catholic university said Voris "was initially invited to speak at Marywood University as a conservative Catholic commentator" and the school "later became aware of views expressed by Mr. Voris that are inconsistent with our mission and core values."
A school spokeswoman would not elaborate on what views were at issue, but the diocese described its objections to comments made by Voris in Internet videos that "certainly can be interpreted as being insensitive to people of other faiths."
"The Catholic church teaches us to respect all people, regardless of their faith tradition," the diocese said in a statement. "Although the diocese shares Mr. Voris' support of efforts to protect human life, his extreme positions on other faiths are not appropriate and therefore the diocese cannot host him."
Voris cultivated controversy last year when he said that democracies should "limit the vote to faithful Catholics," that "the body politic continues to be ravaged by the cancer of ignorant, self-centered voters" and that the "only way to run a country is by benevolent dictatorship" by a "Catholic monarch" during one of his daily "The Vortex" video segments at RealCatholicTV.com.
Kristen Ciaccia, who planned both local events with her husband, Paul, expressed disappointment and said Voris is "a very faithful Catholic, faithful to the Magisterium and to the teachings of the church."
The Ciaccias and Voris decided not to try to find new sites for him to speak in the area.
"We want to be faithful to our bishop," she said.
The diocese and Marywood have hosted, or refused to host, controversial speakers in the past.
During the 2008 election, Pepperdine University law professor Douglas Kmiec made an argument at Marywood University that Catholic voters who oppose abortion rights could vote for now President Barack Obama, who supports abortion rights.
Last April, the diocese would not allow anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan to speak in its parishes because of her stated support for abortion rights and gay marriage.
It does speak volumes, only not what they intended.
These two elements are sometimes misused by the Islamofascist and Leftwingtard enemy to argue that we shouldn't do anything to antagonize the Moslems ~ as if it's our fault Moslems are easily antagonized.
BTW, I ignore the narrow group that start from the premise that Catholics and Catholicism are somehow demon driven. You should too. Don't let them take the high ground.
What, he believes Noah actually existed or something?
"The Catholic church teaches us to respect all people, regardless of their faith tradition," the diocese said in a statement.
Except for "bobble-totin' snake-handlers, that is. Other than that all that matters is "that religion in which all men agree, that is to be good men and true."
Other than these two issues I'm afraid I don't share your commitment to eighteenth century-style "religious freedom" (otherwise known as "the 'right' to practice idolatry"). Ironically, I have a great deal in common with the Catholics who despise me so much. They simply worship the wrong G-d, have the wrong "messiah," and can't seem to accept the fact that G-d doesn't lie. Other than that, unless someone tries to compel me implicate myself in idolatry, I have no objections to a "benevolent dictatorship."
WHAT?!?
Where, when and how was Voris accused of this?
That should have readOh, never mind."Voris WASN'T accused of messing around with up to 8 women."
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