Father Thomas J. Rosica, CSB on threat of lawsuit against blogger Vox Cantoris - "the matter is now closed"

http://saltandlighttv.org/blog/fr-thomas-rosica/a-message-from-fr-thomas-rosica-csb

A message from Father Thomas J. Rosica, CSB

March 4, 2015

From today’s first reading at Mass

Jeremiah 18:18-20

 The people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem said,“Come, let us contrive a plot against Jeremiah.It will not mean the loss of instruction from the priests,nor of counsel from the wise, nor of messages from the prophets.And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue;let us carefully note his every word.”

Heed me, O LORD, and listen to what my adversaries say.Must good be repaid with evil
that they should dig a pit to take my life? Remember that I stood before you to speak in their behalf, to turn away your wrath from them.

As the CEO of the Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation and Television Network, I am not a high-ranking Vatican official nor a member of the hierarchy of the Church as erroneously claimed in several recent blogs.  In addition to my work at Salt and Light, I have had the privilege of serving since 2013 in a volunteer capacity as English language assistant to the Holy See Press Office.  I relate on a daily basis to hundreds of English language journalists around the world.  I know that this daily service has been encouraged and appreciated by the Vatican and by hundreds of journalists all over the world.

I fully support the teaching of the Church and welcome Pope Francis’ invitation to the whole Church to reflect seriously on the foundations of our faith. The recent Extraordinary Synod of Bishops has invited us to mature, honest dialogue and conversation and to find new ways and a new language to communicate the ancient story of the Church and our beautiful, unchanging doctrine to future generations.

Mature expressions of differences are welcome.  It is one thing to have differing opinions on church matters. However, there is fine line between difference of opinion and blatant destruction of person’s lives and reputations. Having been strongly advised to respond, as an individual and in no institutional capacity to the Vatican or to my place of work, to the continuous false, slanderous statements of a blogger over a long period of time that resulted in gross distortion, misinformation, many phone calls, letters and clear threats from callers based on the repeated false information contained in the blog, it was never my intention to sue, but rather to issue a letter to “cease and desist” the frivolous calumny. A legal firm, offering its service pro bono to us, issued a letter to cease and desist. No lawsuit was ever launched against the blogger! The matter is now closed.

Popes Benedict XVI and Francis have taught clearly that the Internet and blogs can be of tremendous service to the up-building of the Church and of humanity. They have never taught that blogs and social media should be used, in the name of fidelity, to engender slander, hatred, reviling and destroying.

In a world torn apart by hatred, terror and violence, often through the gross distortion of religion, we must be much more attentive to our use of social media and how it is used to unite rather than destroy humanity. Many in the Catholic blogosphere have contributed enormously to the spread of the faith, the defense of all that is good and beautiful about our faith and our Church, and the opening of dialogue among strangers. They are to be congratulated and encouraged. Others have chosen to turn the blogosphere into a black hole of vitriol, anger and profound sadness. As Catholics, the great privilege and freedom of expression and access to social media also have certain obligations of decency, integrity, honesty and charity that reveal who we really are as a faith community.

Fr. Thomas Rosica, CSB
CEO, Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation

 * * *

PLEASE NOTE THE LINK TO THE ORIGINAL LETTER FROM FOGLER, RUBINOFF, LLP and the two paragraphs below.

J.M.J

Dear Friends,

1. The first action on the part of this blogger after receiving the letter from Fogler, Rubinoff LLP was to "take it to the Church." This means that your writer went directly to Rome -- to the Vatican on Tuesday, February 17, via email to a direct contact in the Secretariat of State. The request on my part was to intervene "quickly" and this request was not fulfilled. Instead, I was met with an interrogation of my "intentions" which could have been used against me. Later the suggestion was made to humbly accept it as a Lenten sacrifice on Ash Wednesday morning and "apologize" which would have been an admission of guilt for something that did not occur and would have resulted in the silencing and censoring of the blog and a refutation of my rights and duties under Canon 212 §3.

2. Our response to the original letter of Fogler Rubinoff LLP, suggested that Canon Law was the appropriate vehicle and should have been chosen for any perceived grievance.  

3. Our suggestion was not only rebuffed but resulted in new demands including what would have been complete censorship of me and this blog in certain areas meaning by extension, no commentary on the Synod this October and even no linking indirectly to certain commentary on the Synod.

4. Our response to that continued threat of litigation was to advise that we would no longer engage in a campaign of letters and lawfare resulting in a slow and painful bankruptcy. We advised that as of the close of business on March 3, 2015, we would begin to prepare a robust defense should it become necessary and a crowd-funding campaign to finance a rigorous defense.

My wife Francoise and I extend to all of you our gracious thanks for your prayers, your letters, emails tweets messages, phone calls, and your offers of financial support should it have become necessary. Believe me, this has been incredibly hard and painful for her over these last two weeks. We pray that we can humbly offer this up to God our Father united with the Cross of Jesus Christ for reparation and for conversion. 

Friends, we have much work to do for Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. It will not be long until the Synod is upon us. We must be vigilant in proclaiming the eternal truths of the Church and the upholding of doctrine on matters of marriage and the family and most especially, the Holy Eucharist.

All of us have a responsibility and a duty under God to stand for truth and proclaim it from the housetops. We have a duty to stand for Our Lord Jesus Christ, His Church and His Blessed Mother, and all that the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church has taught Magisterially from the beginning. We have our keyboards even if we are not bishops or liturgists and we have our rights and duties under Canon Law. We have God-given abilities and talents and we must use them and not bury them in the sand as we will surely be condemned for doing so. 

Our parents and our grandparents did not have the tools and knowledge that we do today. If they did, we can all presume with some certainty that the so-called "spirit of Vatican II" and the "hermeneutic of rupture" spoken of by our dear Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI would not have occurred or what have been confronted in a way to stamp it out or minimize it. I am reminded of what they would think if we fail them now with the words of John McCrae a Canadian military hero, physician, and poet; "To you from failing hands, we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high if ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep." 

May the Holy Family that model of perfection and love guide us and may St. Michael the Archangel protect us.

God bless you.

Francoise and David Domet