I have no reason to distrust him, but I'm finding it increasingly odd that I have not been able to find one single piece of independent information about this man on the internet, except for what he himself has revealed. And all of the various websites that rave about him are simply repeating the facts he's provided in his own biography and interviews. I have no solid reason to be suspicious, but I'd like to know a bit more about the man before I'm comfortable seeing him elevated to the position of orthodox Catholicism's public face in America. Where was he born? Who are his parents? Where did he go to school? Why did he leave seminary? Is he now or was was he ever married? Does he have children? Are there any skeletons in his closet that could potentially embarrass the Church and the faithful should they be revealed?
Barring my unease over how little we know about him, I really like the guy. He's a powerful and dynamic speaker, he's zealous and intelligent. So I was eager to hear him in person.
There were a lot of people at the church, although it was by no means full. It might have helped if it were advertised a bit more. The announcement I received said that he was speaking at 7:30, but the Stations of the Cross were just beginning at that time. I didn't mind. The Stations are always spiritually salutary. I'd never seen a priest just stand at the altar and recite the prayers though. Usually, they make the little pilgrimage to each station along the wall. I was disappointed at that. Anyway, Voris came on the stage at 8 and was introduced by the parish pastor.
His theme was "Christ and Caesar" or something to that effect. He spent too much time, in my opinion, merely reiterating the Gospel stories which we all know, but the speech was ultimately a rousing success. His peroration was especially fantastic. He said things that need to be said from Catholic pulpits over and over again, but never are. He basically told us how we need to suffer for the Faith, because there is no value in any other life than one in which we take up our Cross and follow Him. We need to be proud of our Catholicism and publicly witness to it, despite the repercussions. It was an excellent speech.
It made me feel ambivalent though. It was kind of odd to see a layman up there preaching the Gospel from the altar, with a priest sitting meekly in the first row. It made me sad that the clergy has so abdicated their responsibility to preach the Gospel with the power of the Spirit that we need a layman to get up there and give us spiritual meat. I for one have never in my entire life heard a priest speak with such passion and inspiration. I'm sure it was a novel experience for most of the people there as well. Still, I couldn't help feeling ashamed for the Church that a layman from Michigan had to come all the way to Staten Island, NY so we could be inspired with the Gospel message. This parish has multiple priests in residence. Why aren't they giving lectures and inspirational sermons on Friday nights? Why aren't they evangelizing? Why aren't they tending to the spiritual needs of the flock? Why did they need to bring in Michael Voris? (no offense to him).
One last thing- in keeping with Catholic tradition of audio ineptitude, the sound system completely failed at one point, but luckily it was only about 2 minutes before the end of his speech.
Posts
69 comments:
There are MANY skeletons on Voris' closet...literally and figuratively...one of the reasons you will not find anything "official" on him is that the real church totally ignores him and dis-associates itself from him, especially in the Detroit metro area, because his skeletons are not completely a secret to some people. Keep digging, you are definitely on to something...
Wow- literal skeletons? Or is it the figurative closet you're referring to? As far as I've been able to see, we're the only people on the whole internet talking about this. Maybe you can point me in the right direction?
How can I contact you?
AND, while you are at it, you could actually, you know, ASK REAL CATHOLIC TV about this. You know, the organization he heads?
You could also cowboy up, "Anon", and sign in, so people can investigate you and your "claims".
Staten Pilgrim; please discuss with contact@realcatholictv.com anything you get from Anonymous. I think we have encountered this individual before.
I've made no accusations against Mr. Voris and have made it quite clear that I have no reason to suspect him of anything. I've also expressed my admiration and support for him. My blog even links to his website and youtube homepage.
My only concern is the utter lack of_independent_information about him, either positive or negative. Everything we know about the man seems to originate from his own website. That's not Mr. Voris' fault- it's just unsettling to me personally for the reasons I enumerated in my original post. I hardly think that observation rises to the level of "speculation". As for contacting you before raising this issue, I think that since my concern regarded a lack of_independent_information, that was hardly something that could be remedied by Mr. Voris himself. If he had any skeletons in his closet- and I'm not saying there are- he would be highly unlikely to reveal them to me.
In this day and age, when so many eminent Catholics have brought shame upon the Church with their scandalous and even criminal behavior, the probity of her public representatives is of utmost importance to me. We've had too many leaders let us down to place our trust in any person unreservedly- especially an unknown layman. You may think it's scandal mongering to wonder if Mr. Voris has skeletons in his closet, but I'd like to know what's the worst his enemies can say about him, before I lose the fear-however baseless- that we'll be burned by Mr. Voris too.
By the way, I would never publish any unsubstantiated information or rumors. That's why I gave "Anonymous" my email address; I wouldn't want his accusations to be made public through my blog, before I could verify them to my satisfaction.
To state you wonder if skeletons exist is baseless speculation, and to complain about the lack of information is hypocritical when you do not surrender (even in private communication) anything resembling a real name. You say you would not publish anything unsubstantiated, but this is not born out by the actual evidence - that you have "Anon" posting accusations which you do nothing to remove, and in fact encourage!
I suggest, if you wish your issues to be taken seriously, you start offering up your own information, doing some more research, and practicing what you claim to preach.
Your questions could have been easilly answered - or are completely irrelevant and beyond your purview! Michael's accademic record is available from the institutions he attended (institutions which are named on the page you link to!) and other information is personal and irrelevant to his competency as a Catholic speaker.
As for skeletons in the closet, how about you assume people (who give their name, and location, and who have business records and tax documents etc. etc. puiblically filed) are being honest? You can do this while I assume a blogger who does not give his or her real name (even in private communication) has a perfectly legitimate reason for hiding (despite what my gut tells me)
I'm pretty surprised by your comments. I'm not a public figure. I'm not a celebrity. I don't give speeches to churches. I'm just an internet blogger who is interested in talking about the Church. If I got busted for some horrible crime tomorrow, or if some moral failing from my past popped up, no one would notice and it certainly wouldn't affect the public image of the Catholic Church in any way. The same cannot be said for Michael Voris, but you seem to think that Mr. Voris' "personal life" doesn't matter so long as he speaks well. That sounds like something Bill Clinton would say. It is simply absurd for you to hold me to the same standards of disclosure as Michael Voris.
As for Anonymous' comments, I don't think that anyone would take his vague, non-specific (and anonymous) accusation seriously. I'll consider your point though.
I find your defensiveness alarming. Do you think that any public figure in this country would get away with not revealing where he was born or whether he even has a wife and children?? Don't you think that comes across as bizarre? In an age when Congressmen are caught chasing after boys and bishops have abused children, it's simply crazy to give public figures- especially self-appointed moral arbiters- the benefit of the doubt without being properly vetted. However, by your evasiveness you've now created a basis for suspicion where none existed before. Congrats.
I'm another Anonymous blogger but a fan of Mr. Voris and I too have heard him speak in person.
I think we can all agree we're supporters of Mr. Voris and his staunch defense of Christ's Church. By sniping at each other, we play right into Satan's hands as he wants to divide and conquer and weaken us. Let's not give him an upper hand.
Let's be Christian and pray for each other and Mr. Voris as he continues his wonderful work and teaches us about the Catholic faith. God only knows we need him.
And, Staten Island Pilgrim, I agree with your post that our priests should be saying and doing exactly what Mr. Voris is doing. They need our prayers as well.
Please, just to clarify, I do NOT support Voris. I am always skeptical of self-appointed "preachers" who wrap themselves in a cloak of secrets and mystery. That skepticism only deepens when members of his organization say they want to "investigate" me or anybody who dares not simply accept Voris at face value. Just try to post anything even remotely perceived as a negative comment to his website- his staff blocks all such comments. Very interesting and telling, in my opinion...
Yes, Anonymous #2, let us pray for Michael Voris and his good work. I agree with everything he says and I believe he's making a difference.
Anonymous #1 has an interesting point. Michael Voris is indeed a self-appointed preacher of sorts, similar to those Evangelical/Pentecostal "ministries" you see on TV. This is a very unusual phenomenon in the Catholic world. Unfortunately, it can't be helped that comparisons will be made, justly or unjustly, between him and the types of televangelists you see on TBN. When you're a lay, religious leader operating outside of any hierarchical system, there will always be questions of motivation and accountability. Some people will have questions about money and accuse him of being in it for self-interest. However, to my knowledge, Michael Voris has not begged his viewers for donations, and he didn't charge me to hear him speak at my local church. He does sell video tapes, I believe, and his website has a premium, paid account, both of which seem legitimate to me so far. We'll see if anything changes. Others will be concerned about the lack of accountability. If a priest starts preaching heresy, or otherwise behaving badly, he is- at least in theory- subject by a vow of obedience to the authority of his bishop. As a lay teacher and preacher, to whom is Michael Voris subject? I'm not saying that anything he's done has given me cause to worry, but it's something to be aware of.
As a retired law enforcement officer, I am curious about Mr Voris, too...Not to judge him,mind you,just to understand where he is coming from... Believe me, I have plenty of skeletons in my past, and not all of them fit in the closet!
So, I certainly am no one to judge anyone. I'm just curious, and I'm always curious about people. I'm very surprised that there is so little personal data on the internet about this man. Seems odd to me and my curiousity.
I really enjoy watching him and his programs are filling in the missing parts of my RCIA training. I'm shocked at how lacking my training really was and I appreciate this lay man's ability to communicate but, now I'm distracted about why there is nothing else I can find on the internet about him....... Man, this is gonna bug me! I guess I'll call his office. Hope I don't piss them off. I really like what I see of this guy and his work.
Oh, and I'll identify myself. I'm not ashamed of being curious.
So, Elizabeth..did you ever contact Voris' office? I'm certain, being the self-proclaimed "good guys" that they are, that they were totally helpful and informative? NO?? ReallY?!?! Goodness forbid anybody try to discover who Voris really is...that is just as bad, or worse, then pulling back the curtain to try to see The Wizard of Oz...I just wonder why such secrecy if there is nothing to hide...hmmmm
Thank you for posting this and for allowing the comments. I found your blog after doing a google search on this man.
I was recently invited to one of his talks and politely declined simply because I am a mother of many children and just couldn't make the time. To make a long story short, the friends that invited us turned on us like hungry wolves. My mother, who also chose not to attend, was called a racist and conspiracy theorist by these so called friends of ours who have never treated us this way before.
They then CC'd MV the entire correspondence to show him their insulting words towards us for not attending.
Now I do not know this man personally nor do I actually know anything about his videos but if this is the behavior that his videos promote, I want nothing to do with him.
*** I have no affiliation with the site my name is linked to other than I love the Latin mass.
How bizarre. They sound mentally unbalanced. Why would they call your mother a racist and conspiracy theorist? From my own perspective, I can't see how his videos would encourage that sort of behavior. He doesn't seem to be setting up a personality cult to me. He just seems to preach the Catholic Faith and oppose those who are undermining it.
Maybe Michael doesn't have any bio info on the web could be for many factors. Maybe he's cleaner than you think, maybe he's even St. Michael himself. Or just maybe, just maybe, he really is a good man and anyway the fruits of his labor is all in keeping with Catholic teaching. So even if any misbehavior comes to light, NOW he is steering Catholics to follow the Magistrate and solid Catholic teaching. I personally believe he is what is called a prophet for this day and age. His nay sayers just need to go to Church be better Catholics and then Michael wouldn't need to ever speak again.
why is it that people feel Catholics are suppose to be perfect? That is the problem with the rest of the world....they think if we are not perfect that is proof that Catholicism is not a true religion. Just because men who belong to the Church are sinners, does not mean that the Church isn't legitimate. No one is perfect! If we did find some skeleton in Mr. Voris's closet, does that mean that nothing he says is legitimate. If we need someone that never sinned to speak on behalf of the Catholic faith, we will NEVER find him!!
Joann- Catholics aren't held to an unfair level of "perfection", but it is natural and correct to expect a certain standard of behavior from our leaders, the people who are held up to represent our Faith. Even Paul said that a bishop has to be a moral example to his flock (1 Tim 3:2). No one is asking for perfection in a representative, but we can and should expect that there are no major crimes or perversions in the closet of those who are the public face of our Faith. So, for instance- a DUI...ok, forgivable. Homosexual prostitution...no. Because we've been burned so many times by priests and bishops scandalizing our Church, we were simply expressing our apprehension about Mr. Voris, an unknown layman who set himself up as a voice of the Catholic faithful. So far, I support him 100%, and hope that he continues what he's doing.
So now certain places are cancelling Voris appearances...you think people are starting to catch on that this guy is not legit? What I'd like to know is if Voris feels that the Church leaders are so terrible and that people can only know the "true" Church by listening to his silly and hate-filled YouTube rants, why doesn't he just become a priest and try to "fix" things from within as a real face of the Church??
I was thinking of you today, Anonymous, when I read how the Archdiocese of Scranton has canceled an appearance by Michael Voris because of his perceived "insensitivity" towards other faith traditions. http://www.dioceseofscranton.org/2011/04/07/statement-regarding-michael-voris/
In his column on the subject, Matt Abbott mentions that officials in the Archdiocese of Detroit (where Voris is based) has been quietly trying to destroy his reputation for some time now. That doesn't sound very Christian to me.
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/abbott/110408
So, I have to admit I wondered about you, Anonymous, and why exactly you have such animus toward Voris. I wondered if perhaps, being as familiar with Voris and the Detroit church as you claim to be, if you are connected with the Detroit archdiocese in some capacity and if your vague and anonymous accusations were part of a campaign to harm his reputation.
I see no reason to find fault with Voris over his blacklisting by the institutional church. Much of the institutional church is faithless, treacherous and corrupt. They deserve to be excoriated. Take this Scranton bishop who has banned Voris. The same man apparently sees nothing wrong with the local Catholic university hosting a pro-abortion, pro gay rights speaker, yet he bans Voris for publicly and strongly defending the traditional dogma of Catholicism? That's shameful.
I don't see anything "hateful" in what Voris says. He preaches the age-old, infallible beliefs of the Catholic Church. What is hateful is when priests and bishops pervert the Catholic faith and lead souls to perdition.
You've given some hints to me, both on this blog and by personal email, about Voris' dark past, but I haven't been able to discover anything, not that I've hired private detectives though. Would you care to be more concrete, or is your opposition simply based on your theological and political views?
As for Voris' choice not be become a priest, I have wondered about that, but maybe that's just not his calling. There are many lay Catholic crusaders out there who would be happy to hang up their guns if the priests and bishops would just do their jobs and be Catholic!
I think it's pretty easily found out whether or not Voris is married: watch his videos. No ring on the left hand.
Christine: Your innocence is so refreshing! Thank you for that breath of fresh air. How wonderful it would be if our outward show was always honest. However, I have read an interview with Voris in which he states that he was never married, and I believe him. Now, if he could address why he left seminary and explain the large gaps in his resume'.
I think Michael Voris has pretty high up backing from the Vatican. I also think many Bishops don't like it. I just like to hear the truth. I am sure he has skeletons (who doesn't), but the point is now he is teaching Catholic Doctrine, which, in my opinion, has been sorely needed for quite some time. I know so many Catholics who think abortion is okay, and all these other things, and the sad part about it is that it is our children who are paying the price for the immorality in our world. Sin is incidious and Satan is devouring us. We need a voice of truth.
Voris' enemies in the hierarchy have certainly not been shy about proclaiming their hostility. I am not aware of any bishops who have been as fervent in declaring their friendship. A public recognition by a higher-up would do a lot to solve the problems he's having with weak and heretical clergy in this country.
He has Bishop Fabian W. Bruskewitz on his site in a video praising his work. He is from the Diocese of Lincoln Nebraska. Also, I think the reason he is not a priest is because he can be more outspoken and critical, whereas, if he were a priest, he would have to be obedient to his Bishop, even if he disagreed with his Bishop. The other thing I have noticed is he will run a Vortex episode saying something is about to happen (like when he said the Latin Mass is coming back) and then within a week or so the Pope will make some statement that is exactly what Mr. Voris was talking about. This tells me he has VERY HIGH backing. If he were a priest he would not have the freedom to proclaim what he proclaims, that he has as a lay person. I think Mr. Voris is trying to urge the Catholic Faithful back to Doctrine, something Priests have not done for a long long time.
Bishop Bruskewitz is a stalwart and faithful prelate who has always shown courage in the face of political correctness. I'm glad he's come out for Voris. That's good. However, the bishop's courage (like excommunicating Call to Action members) has not had much effect outside his diocese. His brother bishops in the U.S. continue to go their merry, heretical way. I wish that someone in Rome would publicly congratulate Voris for his work. That might be of more value in his fight.
And let's also not forget that it was the Diocese of Detroit that had it's seminary, St. John's, shut down for showing gay pronography to the seminarians in 1984. It was considered a hotbed of homosexuality, and yet many seminarians came from there. What if Michael Voris had to be obedient to a Bishop from that seminary. His voice would have been silenced.
From Catholic PRwire;
In addition to radio and television, St. Michael’s Media has produced an apologetics series and a three-part DVD series titled “Where Did The Bible Come From?”—all endorsed by Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis.
He has very high backing.
Burke's endorsement is encouraging. The next time some bishop tries to ban him from speaking in their territory, he should brandish these endorsements and rhetorically ask whether the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura is being "insensitive".
If you actually listen to all of Mr. voris's you tube videos you would know he is married and has one son
end of this silly discussion
I have listened to all of his videos and have never heard him say anything about a wife or a son. I have read interviews with him in which he is described as having never been married.
Voris is a sad, self-hating, hypocritical head case who has simply created his "ministry"(conveniently named after himself) based on inflammatory sound bites, similar to the tactics of the Tea Party. His highly crafted bio and furious reaction to any questions regarding the obvious holes in it, as well as the veil of silence about his past should really speak volumes about his character and truthfulness. Anybody who has ever tried to post a dissenting view to his website is automatically banned. Some day the truth about this guy will come out (!) and his faithful followers will wonder why they so blindly proclaimed this charlatan as a "modern day prophet".
Wow, Anonymous, that is some heavy duty vitriol you're spewing. (And by the way, with all the Anonymous posters, can't we come up with some noms de plume?). On what basis would you describe Voris as sad, self-hating or hypocritical? I see no evidence for any of those descriptions, nor do I see any evidence for the mysterious "truth" about Voris ever coming to light, if there is such a scandal in his past. If you know something, say something.
Also, I really don't understand what you mean by saying that Voris and the Tea Party base their movements on "sound bites". What does that really mean? That their respective causes are illegitimate? So I suppose you think that the Church is in wonderful shape, as is the U.S. economy and government?
As I've previously stated, I am troubled by certain gaps and vagueness in his biography. However, go to the website of any politician, and see how their own official biographies are just as vague and self-serving. (http://grimm.house.gov/about-me/full-biography). That doesn't exculpate Voris, but it's not an uncommon thing to emphasize one's high points in what amounts to a resume'.
As for his website censorship, I was not aware that he had some sort of discussion board on any of his websites. I personally don't censor comments, but do you think Voris' website is there for people to leave comments calling him a sad, self-hating hypocrite? If he censors, then he's no different than the comment boards on every single major and minor media outlet's website, where it is verboten to say the slightest politically incorrect comment. If has a discussion board, of which I am unaware, then I wish he would allow critical comments.
Now it appears that Voris' little arrogant waif Simon also has some interesting skeletons tumbling out of his closet!!
Staten: I honestly don't think you should allow "Anonymous" to continue to calumniate and slander Voris without substantiating his accusations with evidence. He should at least leave a name; if he's bold enough to make such charges, he shouldn't be afraid to reveal who he is.
I have a feeling you're correct--that he's affiliated with the Detroit diocese (hardly known for its orthodoxy), which has a clear animus against Voris. They've already tried to silence him in the past, and it hasn't worked--so now we've got "Anonymous" trying to destroy his reputation with nothing more than vague accusations and name-calling. (And he's now targeting Simon.)
Gerard Nadal, whose popular blog can be found here:
http://gerardnadal.com/
received his degree in Sacred Theology with Voris, got to know him very well, and vouches for him that there isn't a bad bone in his body, that he is a truly good man. I have no reason to doubt that.
As to Anonymous's unkind remarks about Simon Rafe, Rafe has issued a sincere public apology here:
http://proverbs-27-17.blogspot.com/2011/08/explanation.html
"He who is without sin cast the first stone."
I also read that some of Voris' staffers actually live in his home. If that is true, I find it quite odd and certainly not a great idea at all. Besides the tax fraud thing and the gay-erotic literature being written by Voris' main pitbull from the organization's offices, what else may be going on there?!? Juat makes you wonder, doesn't it???
No snarky remarks from Simon Rafe yet today....guess he's busy!!
Anon--The unsubstantiated attacks continue. You have no shame.
There is no "tax fraud" going on. It was a clerical error--they forgot to file. It happens to the best of us. The business arm of RealCatholicTV dropped the ball. Unless you can prove they did it deliberately and with malicious intent to defraud the public, you've committed the sin of calumny.
They have been out of compliance for TWO YEARS now, yet as of today their website still tells potential donors that all donations are tax deductible. That is not true. But, no worries, now that the gay porn writer is no longer on the staff, perhaps they can concentrate on the more important stuff like maintaining their good-standing with State and Federal tax laws!!
Anon--You can twist this into the most negative light possible, but Voris has said he was not aware they were out of compliance, and I have no reason to disbelieve him. It's not as if the gov't comes knocking down on your door declaring your non-compliance; rather, your status lapses quietly; it is up to the financial officer of the corporation to remember to file every 2 or so years.
And more calumny--if you read the CNA article, or bothered to read Simon Rafe's public apology, you would know that what he wrote wasn't anywhere near your description of "gay porn." Stop the smears--it is pathetic.
Anon--And we're still waiting for you to reveal your identity.
Oh, there is more to come out about Voris, just wait. All in good time. In the meantime, I heard Simon's fees for speaking engagements just became a lot less than last month.
I repeat, still waiting for Anon to reveal his identity. Until then, you have no credibility.
Hi Christine. I'm reluctant to censor anyone because I passionately believe in free speech. So many internet sites, especially those of major media web sites, routinely delete any comments which they don't like, and I find that reprehensible. Now, if "Anonymous" was throwing around specific accusations, such as "Michael Voris is having an affair with my wife", I don't know what I would do, but as it is, he's only making vague hints about skeletons in Voris' closet and throwing around insulting terms like hypocrite and liar. I don't think that rises to the level of defamation, and I don't think such general terms, coming from an anonymous source, harm Voris' reputation.
As for the so-called controversy, I think Voris and Rafe have effectively answered it. (http://www.realcatholictv.com/response/). The bureaucratic snafu with the state of Michigan is laughable. So they didn't file some paperwork with the state. Who cares? There was no malfeasance intended. It was an honest mistake. As for Rafe, I haven't read his stories, so I have no idea about their content. Apparently he wrote some juvenile Dungeons and Dragons type story with a bit of elvish lesbianism thrown in. Immature? I think so. Indicative of some inherent moral perversion? Probably not. My hunch is that he has just been unduly influenced by a corrupt popular culture. As a side note, Catholic fiction doesn't have to be morally pure, if evil is depicted with a didactic purpose in mind. I don't know if that was his intent, but Rafe feels like his stories were immoral, so he's personally repented and removed his fiction from the web. Voris has banished him to solely technical matters in his organization. Problem solved. Does Anonymous want to burn him at the stake? These two feeble attempts at the destruction of St. Michael's Media are absurd in the extreme.
I have heard Michael speak and he tells us straight out that he has skeletons in his closet! Does anyone really listen?! And whatever happened to what we are now, NOT what we were?! We are all striving for purity and as close to perfection as we can, but we ALL have sins and such in our past. Does anyone pay attention out there?! Merry Christmas.
pooh41: we've discussed this before. The question isn't about having skeletons in one's closet. Almost everyone does, to one degree or another. The question is the nature of the skeletons and to what extent a person is covering them up. I was curious at the vagueness of Voris' resume. All he's revealed of his work life was that he was a CBS affiliate anchor. Do you know where? When? Why did he drop out of seminary? I just find it odd that he's not more specific about these pretty major things, and I'm sincerely hoping that there's no major issues with the man, since I admire him a lot. I just wish we knew more about him, and I wonder why we don't.
Michael dishes on his past in this video:
http://vimeo.com/17497131
And this just blows all your conspiratorial madness out of the water CCOne: http://veneremurcernui.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/the-action-of-the-archdiocese-of-detroit-against-rctv-is-nonsensical-and-unjust/#comment-4463
I find it completely fascinating that you have a blog that says "we don't know what we are doing but we are going to do it anyway", and expect anyone to take you seriously.
The sadness is the hate and violent reaction that Michael Voris creates in those who call themselves Catholic. Wow - lot's of stone throwers out there, showing their true colors.
First, CCOne didn't post the "conspiratorial madness," I did. This is going to be a very interesting show, and this bloghttp://veneremurcernui.wordpress.com/2012/01/16/the-action-of-the-archdiocese-of-detroit-against-rctv-is-nonsensical-and-unjust/ is full of information directly fed to this local blogger (dare we presume he is Opus Dei?) to pave the way for whatever the Big Reveal is.
That's fine, old tactics are time-tested and proven. I won't be listening, I have a video to get out, but CCOne is making a batch of popcorn, I believe.
BTW, sir, I always wanted to comment on something you said in your blog. I think we need to give our Pastors and priests a bit of a break after we see a speaker come in and wonder why can't Father talk like that? They don't have degrees in communications and spend years as professional broadcasters.
I know when I worked in a parish office, our Pastor was very frustrated at the time he did not have to devote to a homily (how most encounter their Pastor is during Mass from a pew) because he spent so much time with the minutiae of running a parish and dealing with individual spiritual matters, being called to hospitals and bedsides, and all the other million things priests do that is beyond Liturgy.
My comment about your post re: your reaction that night almost two years ago is:
Why did B Voris' talk not bring you closer to Christ, but make you feel more removed from your own Pastor and start questioning priests?
I suggest if you watch him, his talks are intended to do just that: ignite anger and resentment against the Church as we encounter Her on a daily basis and win fans for Voris. I see you are not an easy sell and you started to wonder... who the heck is this guy?
I did, too.
CCOne, CCTwo - Tweedle Dum, or Tweedle Dee. I hardly see the difference. You have nothing but hate in your heart, and your blog and bitter comments, only serve to divide, not bring together. You have so many errors in your assumptions it's comical. But that's ok, you keep flying on the coat tails of the RCTV "story". You aren't the only blogger to do so.
Christine: I finally got around to watching the video you linked to. It did provide some interesting details about his family and conversion. As to his own life, he continues to be a bit vague. He mentions living his life in a state of mortal sin, without providing many details. That's ok though. We don't need to know the details, unless they had some relevant public manifestation, such as homosexuality, criminal activities, or that he has a bastard somewhere. Those kinds of sins could blow Real Catholic TV out of the water and do damage to the Faith, in a way that mere fornication or Sabbath-breaking can not. Still, his career trajectory and time in the seminary remain veiled, and I don't understand why. In any case, he's doing a fantastic job standing up for the Faith worldwide. I think this man could well end up a saint if he continues doing what he's doing. No one, and I mean no one, has has so positively influenced the American church in my lifetime. No one I have ever seen, and that includes priests and bishops, have stood up for the Faith so proudly and boldly.
Curious Catholic: Even before I heard Michael Voris speak in person, I was disappointed with our priests. I think your defense of bad priests is a bit of a cop-out. Their problem isn't that they don't have time to write a good sermon. Their problem is that they are apathetic, lazy, unintelligent, out of touch and/or faith-less. No one is expecting a finely honed, immortally eloquent, heavily footnoted, scholarly address on Sundays. We want the hard message of the Faith, delivered unapologetically and with relevance to our lives. Why is that so hard for our priests? The Faith is supposed to be the very breath of their existence. Yet they can't find anything meaningful to say about it for 10 minutes a week, unless they have days to prepare for it?? The first thing they have you do in public speaking classes is tell you to just talk extemporaneously about what you know and love, whether it's your job or your kids or a hobby. Pretty much everyone finds that they are then speaking volubly, comfortably and fluently for long periods of tine. When you know and love something, it is_easy_to speak passionately, intelligently and eloquently about it. How is it that our priests, with a subject as deep and magnificent as Catholicism, can't do the same? Voris is no oratorical genius and he's no charismatic figure. He has eccentric hair, he often wears odd clothing, and he comes across as gruff. Neither having a communications degree (a joke of a college "discipline") nor reading news from a teleprompter qualify anyone to be a great speaker. But we love him because he is unafraid to proclaim Catholicism and take on those who hate it.
Their problem isn't that they don't have time to write a good sermon. Their problem is that they are apathetic, lazy, unintelligent, out of touch and/or faith-less.
Fr. Mike? Is that you?
We all know the Opus Dei agenda is to destroy the non-Opus Dei Church in the eyes of the public and take it over, along with the rest of the culture I suppose, what with promoting Catholic Dictatorships and all.
No, destroying peoples' faith in the Faith is not actually "standing up" for the Church. You'd be surprised how many people know the difference.
I'm not aware of any sort of Opus Dei church and a non Opus Dei church, nor any sort of Opus Dei conspiracy against the rest of the church.
Horrible leadership by our clergy is no deep dark secret. The faithful see it every time they go to Mass or read the newspaper. Pointing it out in a public forum can't destroy someone's Faith. Who is really to blame? The priests who let down the faithful or the people who merely point it out?
It's not a "conspiracy," it's an openly stated and well-known agenda. The problem is what YOU see as "horrible leadership" and what others see as that are easily two different things.
In the end, YOU are no judge. What you are is another voice of dissent in the Church, attacking the Church and Her Bishops and priests, all the while trying to pretend you are just a really Faithful Catholic doing something good.
In fact, you and the other Boys in your Band are heretics, pure and simple.
Curious Catholic- you couldn't be further off the mark. There simply is a leadership crisis in the church. Our leaders, for the most part, either shirk from proclaiming the truth, or the actively subvert it. There's no way of subjectively analyzing American church leadership and coming to the conclusion that it's great.
And I don't see any reason why I can't be a judge. I have divinely granted reason, like every other human. I am as valid a Catholic as any other baptized member of the church. Why can't I note the things that are happening in public, that are objectively counterproductive or heretical and are demonstrably wrecking the Church I love?
I have to say, I really respect the way you allow a lot of different kinds of opinions to be expressed on your blog.
Here's the thing: I think you can and should express your opinions about the Church. But, I also think that it's good to realize they are just opinions. I also think we are suffering from a crisis in Church leadership, but I think it's very different from what you do. The crisis to me is the manufactured pro-life hysteria to keep us from demanding real answers to the question WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO OUR CHILDREN YOU PERVERTED CREEPS?
Now we have the manufactured "government represses religion" tripe. We are moving toward totalitarian fideism. Michael Voris, the Opus Dei Numerary and probable priest, expresses the new agenda perfectly: Catholic Dictatorship replaces Constitutional democracy.
Members of my family fought in every single war to protect this country and it's Constitution, including the Revolutionary War.
You tell me... how is this not treason?
Michael Voris is a ranting lunatic and has no understanding of Scripture. Why doesn't the RC church stop his ravings or at least make a public statement about his apostasy. Does anyone know who to write to to put a muzzle on this idiot?
Very curious as to why the blogspot for "The Curious Catholic" has vanished right after supposedly posting something regarding the "facts" about Voris? Is that just a coincidence? This guy is still spouting off at the mouth yet hiding some very relevant and damaging things about his past. He is not as "holier than thou" as he pretends to be...his financial backers obviously did not vet him sufficiently to be their dogmatic mouthpiece. But, some day the truth will come out....it always does.
well, Anonymous, if you know something about Voris, say it. These oblique hints aren't cutting it anymore. But for some reason I suspect your knowledge of his dark past is about as substantive as your reasons for calling him ignorant of Scripture. Please back up your statements with details. I'd like to know_why_you think he's not only a fraud but a Scriptural ignoramus. I suspect it will be because his interpretation of Scripture is that of traditional Catholic teaching, and not Vatican II-influenced modernist theological opinions.
So, let's get right to it. Is he a fag?
That seems to be what the anonymous commentator seems to be implying.
No, he is not. It's a sick rumor concocted out of thin air by certain people who would love to destroy him. Please pray for Anonymous. He will have to answer to God one day for such calumny against a fellow brother in Christ.
As for those who are so curious about Michael's past, he gives a detailed, 2-hour interview talking about it in this interview with Colleen Hammond. Let's hope this lays to rest any needless curiosity already so we can all get on with the only work that matters: saving souls.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/up-close/2012/05/01/up-close-with-michael-voris
God bless.
Voris is the "real deal." He is the ONLY MEMBER of the Catholic media speaking the truth.
And you're right: it is truly sad that the clergy, apparently, have abdicated their responsibility to preach the gospel (and the teachings of the Church) with zeal.
Wow - this is some thread you had going on Voris! It seems the "Anonymous" making the charges was not able to "put up," and therefore finally (wisely) decided to "shut up."
I usually post here on matters pertaining to the Latin Mass on the Island and only first visited a few months ago, so I just stumbled upon this 2010 entry.
I definitely would have come to Holy Child to hear Voris speak but I hadn't yet reverted to Catholicism in 2010 and so wouldn't even have known who he was. In fact, I hadn't set foot in a Catholic church at that point - except for funerals - for about 20 years.
To Holy Child's credit, they actually hosted a speaker with traditional views. I wonder if - in the current climate - Benedict no longer pope and the new anti-traditionalist "spirit" on the move - if they would host him again..
Who's to say, Vocatus? I wish I knew how he came to speak there in the first place. Unless the priest himself invites Voris, it can be tricky. If a parish group invites an outside speaker, that would rightfully be seen as a commentary on the pastor. In any case, as I said, as great as Voris is, it is so sad that a man from Michigan had to come here to feed Staten Island sheep.
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