Posted on 12/24/2011 2:03:30 PM PST by mas cerveza por favor
DETROIT, Michigan, December 23, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - For many years faithful Catholics have wished that bishops would take strong action to correct the myriad of Catholic persons and entities who, while claiming to be Catholic, act against the faith, especially regarding issues of Catholic morality.
Catholic pro-abortion politicians, Catholic hospitals that perform clandestine abortions and sterilizations; Catholic universities that constantly violate the faith in many ways, Catholic newspapers and magazines that have been challenging Church teachings and authority for years, all come to mind. Now, today, news broke that the Archdiocese of Detroit has called on someone to stop using the name ‘Catholic’ - but it’s not someone who is fighting against the morals or faith of the Catholic Church at all. It is in fact an individual who has devoted the last several years to vigorously defending and promoting authentic Catholic principles – Michael Voris, known best for his hosting of The Vortex on the website RealCatholicTV.com.
In a press release issued December 15 and signed by Communications officer Joe Kohn, the Archdiocese of Detroit states: “The Archdiocese has informed Mr. Voris and Real Catholic TV, RealCatholicTV.com, that it does not regard them as being authorized to use the word ‘Catholic’ to identify or promote their public activities.”
Of note there are prominent ‘Catholic’ entities and even Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of Detroit directly flouting Church teaching without a comparable reprimand from the Archdiocese. One such entity is a group of priests of the Archdiocese who are publicly in favor of women’s ordination to the priesthood and against the Church’s teaching prohibiting contraception. The group is called “Elephants in the living room.”
There is however an interesting twist to this story. Michael Voris, while he may be the star of RealCatholicTV’s programming, is not the owner of the website. The owner is Marc Brammer who lives in South Bend Indiana in the diocese of Bishop Kevin Rhoades.
Brammer told LifeSiteNews, “I own RealCatholicTV.com. I contracted with Michael Voris to produce video content for that website and I pay him for it. It is a business relationship between me and Michael. If all of a sudden now there’s this tussle over the use of the word ‘Catholic’ I’ll deal with it through competent ecclesial authority.”
Brammer noted that he had received a letter from the Archdiocese of Detroit acknowledging him as the owner of the website. He responded to that letter with a request for a meeting with the Archdiocese. He received no response. Brammer has not been asked by his bishop, Fort Wayne-South Bend Bishop Kevin Rhoades to cease using the word Catholic.
A LifeSiteNews request for an interview with the Archdiocese of Detroit was not returned, and the voice message noted that the office was on holiday till after Christmas.
The press release from the Archdiocese of Detroit notes, “The Church encourages the Christian faithful to promote or sustain a variety of apostolic undertakings but, nevertheless, prohibits any such undertaking from claiming the name Catholic without the consent of the competent ecclesiastical authority.”
The release adds, “For some time, the Archdiocese of Detroit has been in communication with Mr. Michael Voris and his media partner at Real Catholic TV regarding their prominent use of the word ‘Catholic’ in identifying and promoting their public activities disseminated from the enterprise’s production facility in Ferndale, Michigan.”
Voris says that communication was only one way – directives from the Archdiocese and refusal to meet with Voris or Brammer to discuss the matter. Voris told LifeSiteNews that he has requested a meeting with Archdiocesan officials seven times to discuss the matter, but each time he has been ignored or rebuffed.
According to its minutes, Elephants in the living room (the group of priests which publicly holds positions counter to Catholic teachings on women priests and contraception), met with Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron on February 1, 2011.
Voris notes that his conflict with the Archdiocese of Detroit has more to do with its staffers than with the Archbishop. Previous to his work for RealCatholicTV, Voris launched St. Michael’s Media and had various offers to air programs he produced, talks he was to give and television shows he was to be featured on canceled through the efforts of staff at the Archdiocese. “They have waged a quiet war since the very first time we set foot into the public realm,” he said.
In response to the press release demand from the Archdiocese of Detroit, Voris told LifeSiteNews, “I don’t have ownership over the name of the organization. It’s not my organization. The headquarters are outside of the diocese.” He concluded, “It’s the wrong person, and the wrong outfit asking the wrong person the wrong question.”
Brammer is to give a formal response to the Archdiocese after Christmas which will be aired on RealCatholicTV.
For the religious forum-reading minds and name calling “malign”
You just don't challenge (i.e., "malign") the Catholicity of good faithful Catholic groups in your diocese when heterodox groups are running amok. The USCCB members have bigger fish to fry than Voris.
When they've fulfilled their duties in regard to Canon 915 and silenced apostates like National Catholic Reporter and the many heterodox "catholic" colleges and universities and women religious groups, then they can investigate the "catholicity" of groups like Voris.
Until then, this is damnable hypocrisy on the part of the chancery hacks maligning Voris and his good work.
Dr. Brian Kopp,For you to use the word malign to me is “Calumny
(Latin calvor, to use artifice, to deceive)
Etymologically any form of ruse or fraud employed to deceive another, particularly in judicial proceedings. In its more commonly accepted signification it means the unjust damaging of the good name of another by imputing to him a crime or fault of which he is not guilty. The sin thus committed is in a general sense mortal, just as is detraction.”
https://www.google.com/search?q=real+catholic+tv+Michael+Voris&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=com.yahoo:en-US:official&client=firefox
Real Catholic TV Michael Voris Google search first page.
#1 Home / News/Press Releases / Statement Regarding Michael Voris
Statement Regarding Michael Voris
Posted on: 04-7-2011 Posted in: News
The Diocese of Scranton has determined that Mr. Voris will not be allowed to speak in a Diocesan or parish facility. After these engagements were scheduled, the Diocese became aware of concerns about this individual’s views regarding other religious groups. In videos posted on the Internet, Mr. Voris makes comments 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.
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.
#2 http://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2011/08/new-problems-surface-for-michael-voris-and-realcatholictv/
#1 first page google under simon rafe a
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/realcatholictvs-voris-had-no-idea-about-internal-problems/
Michael Voris, the founder and host of RealCatholicTV, says he was completely unaware of recently discovered troubles within his organization, involving a staff apologist’s sexually explicit writings, and his nonprofit corporation’s loss of legal status two years ago”.
I call these problems on the first page of google search.”A problem is an obstacle, impediment, difficulty or challenge, or any situation that invites resolution; “
Hardly. I'm aware of some of what has gone on behind the scenes. In the Diocese of Scranton, a liberal feminist nun complained about (i.e., maligned) Voris to the chancery, and the liberal hacks in the chancery caved and threw Voris under the bus.
And the minor paperwork problem with Voris' state non-profit filing is extraordinarily common among small non-profits, and was deliberately blown out of proportion in a sensationalistic article in a mainstream Catholic periodical to malign Voris and RCTV - while they were out of country covering WYD and unable to respond. That was real yellow journalism from a Catholic pen.
And through ignorance, you are picking up on the same stories and rehashing them as if they had merit.
Yours is not culpable, but it is maligning nonetheless.
And my pointing it out is not "calumny."
So please don't take my attempts to set matters straight on this thread as a personal attack against you. It is nothing of the sort.
I'm just sick of the old guard desperately trying to hold their ground, and sacrificing good faithful lay Catholics and maligning them to do so, and deceiving good faithful lay Catholics like you in the process.
1ma·lign
[+ obj] formal : to say bad things about (someone or something) publicly : to criticize (someone or something) harshly or unfairly
▪ Her supporters say she is being unfairly maligned in the press. ▪ I did not intend to malign [=impugn] his motives. ▪ They have given up their much-maligned [=widely criticized] attempt to reform tax policy.
fatima,
I would strongly urge you to spend a three or four hour period, across as many days, watching some of the Vortex episodes available on Youtube. Note the subjects in each. Then go look up the official Church stances on each of the subjects you’ve listed. You won’t find any deviance from official Church teachings. You WILL find the actual definition of charity. The non-false ecumenism definition of the Church’s view of the One True Faith.
While his manner may not please all, he is most certainly orthodox, and earned an STB, Magna Cum Laude. The archdiocese of Detroit has not cared for having a gadfly. So be it. They aren’t often welcome. But this one has yet to step out of proper bounds, whether you care for him or not.
The press release from the chancery came on the heels of a Vortex episode wherein Mr. Voris made mention of a specific Catholic Church’s marquis, which read, “Happy Holidays.” We ARE, after all, speaking of one of those founded by Our Lord, and Redeemer. And they lacked the ability to wish a Merry Christmas. Then, when pressed on the matter, they waffled. The obvious point having been that members of the Catholic Church, founded by Jesus Christ Himself should not hide behind political correctness, and should most certainly, clearly celebrate the birth of Our Lord. And he’s RIGHT!
This doesn’t necessarily mean that his manner, which can be quite abrasive, is the best, or that one must always agree with his opinions. But it doesn’t mean that thus far, no reason for genuine castigation has not turned up in Mr. Voris’ media appearances. You may be sure that many await that day, but likewise that it hasn’t arrived yet.
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