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Sunday 31 May 2015

The Suing Priests and Bloggers as the Church's, "destroyers"

This past Lent I went through a situation where I was threatened with a lawsuit by a Catholic priest. Eventually, no doubt due to international pressure from other bloggers, the chancery in Toronto, his religious congregation, his television network's benefactors, the partners of the law-firms embarrassment and Raymond Cardinal Burke, he dropped his frivolous and vexatious threat. His letter explaining his reasons for backing-off was in itself, defamatory and libelous. It was also inaccurate - he could state that he "never intended to sue" but everyone read the lawyer's letter.

As reported below, another priest has threatened a blogger with a lawsuit. He got into a Twitter feud and when he did not like being stood up to, he consulted a lawyer and threatened to sue. Tweeting that the Holy Spirit is feminine is on the same level as stating that the Holy Family is "irregular." He has now dropped the lawsuit with a letter on his Twitter feed not dissimilar to the one which I received.

Any priest that would file a lawsuit against a lay Catholic or anyone for that matter needs to be disciplined by his superior. It is against scripture and canon law. It is against charity and the very nature of the priesthood as being another Christ, a victim-priest. It is scandalous and repugnant. It is worldly. If the priest was wronged, so what? Was Christ not wronged? Are we not to "turn the other cheek?" Is a priest not called to be a victim?

"In the comment box on that post below, Dan wrote "I predict that bloggers will destroy the Church. This priest is young. A little charity would go a long way."

I would like to first deal with the sentence, "The priest is young."

This is irrelevant. He is a priest. He must be at least thirty years of age and one would assume he holds a Master of Divinity and has been called to be like unto Christ. Yet, we see a man who is petulant and frankly, a bully to this woman. He engages in social media debate with heretical comments written by someone else and then can't take it when someone calls him out. He posts pictures on his social media with a priest friend holding up a flute-glass filled with a beverage in a toast. The same priest was quite proud to put out on social media that he enjoyed watching Sons of Anarchy

Yes, the priest is "young." However, seventy years ago, men of his age and younger were saving his country from Fascism. What has happened to this generation? What does it say about his formation? Why are these men in to so much drama?

As to the matter "that bloggers will destroy the Church;" it is completely laughable. First, the Church will not be "destroyed" we know Our Blessed Lord's promise. She has been shaken, and will be shaken more in the next six months. The faith is under pressure and the Church is in crisis. The nonsensical statement deserves challenging. In fact, it is deceitful priests, bishops, cardinals and theologians who have been leading the crisis, it is bloggers that are exposing it. It is the infiltration of sodomites into the Catholic priesthood. The pederasts and paedophiles who preyed upon our children and the bishops that covered them up are the enemy. The priests and bishops that bought into the heretical notion of liberation theology - stooges of the KGB they were that are the problem. It is those people who taught and still teach that women can be ordained. Now we have bishops meeting secretly plotting the approval of sodomite unions as some form of marriage to say nothing of the profanation of the Holy Eucharist. It is those who abuse the Divine Liturgy. I could go on.

These are guilty of blasphemy. These are they who are trying to destroy the Church.

They will not succeed.


To blame bloggers beyond absurd. 

25 comments:

Unknown said...

A stronger force than the Roman Empire, Napoleon, the "enlightenment", Stalin, the KGB, Masons, satanists, the Chinese communist party, modernism, etc... : Catholic Bloggers ;)

Sitsio said...

"Bloggers will destroy the Church" errr...By correcting the heresy spouted about the Church by wayward religious? I'm not sure that follows. If Father was worried about the Church, he would be better directed at holding & teaching the faith deposited by Christ, rather than making up his own version of it!

Anonymous said...

Christ will say "I never knew you" to these. No wonder He said He would vomit them out of His mouth, it makes one nauseous. I was once dismayed that there were other Christians who did not think Catholics were Christian, but lately I see why.

Anonymous said...

First this errorant Priest should personally apologize to the woman for standing up and admonishing his heresy. This Priest seems not to have a vocation for the Priesthood perhaps he should be fired by his Bishop. This Priest has caused damage to the Holy Church and her flock. Further more Fr. James Martin himself a Homosexual should be fired for his many many heretical declarations in rebellion to the Tradional teachings of the Holy Catholic Church.

Anonymous said...

I wish "bloggers" had the kind of power ascribed to them. If they are truly able to destroy the Church, which would make them more powerful than God Himself, then surely they would be able to clean up the Church in a heartbeat.

Would that it were true.


DJR

Sixupman said...

The priest's cringe-making final letter when he went for the 'sympathy vote' explains much.

If one ventures onto the 'social media' when can only expect reaction - for and against. One has to take it - but threaten legal action to adverse reaction, unbelievable.

He should spend more time in the confessional - expect he maw well not believe in that Sacrament. A priest, in the same diocese, was castigated for using the 'traditional' Act of Contrition - by some oaf in the Diocesan Curia
no less.

Dan said...

In my own parish I've seen priests destroyed because of blogs trading in suspicions and accusations. So yes, I think 90% of what passes as "information" is gossip posing a news.

I wonder how the early Church fathers were able to fight heresy without the sensitive noses of bloggers who seem able to sniff out the slightest wisps of the smoke of Satan.

Dan said...

In my own parish I've seen priests destroyed because of blogs trading in suspicions and accusations. So yes, I think 90% of what passes as "information" is gossip posing a news.

I wonder how the early Church fathers were able to fight heresy without the sensitive noses of bloggers who seem able to sniff out the slightest wisps of the smoke of Satan.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for speaking the truth. Silence is collusion with the evil being purveyed. And whatever has happened the urgent 300 page report on the homo-Mafia in the Church that Benedict passed to Francis after his election???

Augustine Thomas said...

By God's grace, nothing will destroy the Church, but if anyone comes close it will be bad priests and bishops--wolves in shepherd's clothing.

Our Lady of Good Success-pray for us. said...

Dan said: "I wonder how the early Church fathers were able to fight heresy without the sensitive noses of bloggers who seem able to sniff out the slightest wisps of the smoke of Satan." The answer is simple - the Church Fathers had the Faith and therefore, unlike false shepherds, they were actually concerned with defending the Faith, protecting the flock and preaching the Truth for the salvation of souls and the Glory of God.

All this 'shepherd' suing the sheep business says nothing about the sheep and everything about the 'shepherd'.

Anonymous said...

How dare this "Catholic" blog attack a priest! What have we come to when we take words out of context to smear a holy man!

Lord, have mercy!

Vox Cantoris said...

Really? Have you left the message at the site of the mother of three threatened with a lawsuit by this young priest?

The priest "Tweets" heresy, an article in Ireland supporting sodomite marriage. He has created scandal and you think the people correcting him are the problem?

What would you say to the high profiled Vatican official that attempted to sue me with frivolous and vexatious actions? That it was my fault?

Where are the words taken out of context?

Is he a holy man? I hope so.

Vox Cantoris said...

Read this Anon!

http://catholiccollarandtie.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/injustice-in-church.html

torchofthefaith said...

Dear Vox,

Thank you for reporting on this as many young people need to know the true teachings of the Church. In addition to the things you mention, Fr. Dan Fitzpatrick's twitter features content about (Fr.) Richard Rohr - a man who promotes the Enneagram and has allowed the dissenting Call to Action at his 'spirituality' centre in New Mexico.

Fr. Dan Fitzpatrick and Fr. Marc Lyden-Smith have certainly been getting a lot of exposure as the 'Podfathers'. They spoke together at the infamous Flame 2 event in England - infamous because the dissenter Fr. Tim Radcliffe OP (who has spoken of homosexual activity as 'Eucharistic) was a keynote speaker. Many Catholic parents were unhappy about this, but around 8,000 young people were brought in for the event.

The duo also appeared on BBC TV's Pointless quiz show last summer. Fr. Marc Lyden-Smith shows an image on his twitter of an award for best contestant.

Fr. Marc Lyden-Smith also has a selfie of his 8th March 2015 meal with Cardinal Luis Tagle.

Fr. Marc Lyden-Smith was featured on ITV News in relation to his 23rd October, 2013 presentation of a Sunderland football top to Pope Francis. ITV News suggested that, ''He was very lucky to get the chance to meet him as there were 120,000 other people hoping to do so.''

On 19th Decemember 2014, Fr. Marc Lyden-Smith was back in Rome for a meeting with Pope Francis, which he tweeted about.

Fr. Dan Fitzpatrick has also done a video-clip about vocations on BBC Radio Two.

However all this public attention has come to be, it remains that these priests must hand on the Deposit of Faith in its integrity for the sake of their own souls and for those of the many young people who follow them.

Once again, thank you for featuring this.
In Christ
Alan and Angeline.

Dan said...

Okay, so perhaps bloggers won't destroy the Church, but the rapid spreading of these stories is NOT fraternal correction! A mistake, sin, heretical comment, could be address privately. Seeing the public pilory of these priests is sure to make a young man think twice about a priestly vocation. The tearing down of the pope, bishops, priest, and religious, provides much fodder for the enemies of the faith. I'm sure it brings a smile to the face of Satan and Dawkins.

Enjoy the blogging.

Vox Cantoris said...

Dan,

Do you really think any blogger enjoys this? Do you think anyone enjoys writing about the crisis in the Church and yes, that includes priests that attempt to sue the laity!

What makes young men thing twice about the vocation are the modernist, heretics and sodomites who have infiltrated the Church.

You think we're the problem?

Let me list a few of the real problems.

LIBERATION THEOLOGY
INFILTRATION OF THE CHURCH BY COMMUNISTS
SODOMITES IN THE PRIESTHOOD
LESBIANS IN THE NUNNERIES
FEMINISMS
ENNEAGRAMS
LITURGICAL ABUSES
BISHOPS WHO ARE THEMSELVES OR WHO GIVE LICENSE TO SODOMITES
COMMUNION IN THE HAND
FAILED CATECHESIS
TOLERANCE OF ABORTION
SILENCE ON 915
MORE?
INCOHERENCE FROM THE SEAT OF PETER
-RABBITS
-WHO AM I TO JUDGE
-SOLEMN NONSENSE
-ROSARY COUNTERS

KASPER!
MARX!
DANEELS!

ST. SEBASTIAN'S ANGELS

MAHONEY!

HOW MUCH MORE

AND YOU THINK I'M THE PROBLEM?

Dan said...

The "blogosphere" is greatly lacking in charity. A story can become public and spread all over the internet before anyone has even privately talked to the subject of the story.

You can not tell me that a non-Christian, or non-Catholic, wouldn't think twice before converting, seeing the constant criticism on the net.

Satan and Dawkins and real enemies are chuckling.

Vox Cantoris said...

Where was the charity in the high-profile Vatican official who tried to sue me which would have cost me my house and home? Where was the charity in the priest who threatened to sue this woman? Neither of them had any grounds.

What did our Blessed Lord say to those who, in authority, abused that authority and caused scandal. Or John the Baptist? Does "vipers" or "whitewashed sepulchers" sound charitable?

You give me far too much power Dan. This blog has been around for 10 years. In the next few days, (thanks to the priest who tried to sue me), it will hit 1,000,000. I am rather obscure, no?

So, it is my fault and that of other blogs that have kept people from becoming Catholic for the last 50 years?

Give your head a shake.

Would you like to speak to the young Catholic male who has come back to the faith with courage and conviction through the grace of God and how he was able to discern from what was written on this blog truth from fiction? I am humbled by his claim to me.

Yes, Satan and Dawkins are chuckling.

But you refuse, my friend, to name the problem.

It is not the bloggers.

Dan said...

One last comment. Consider how difficult it is to be a priest. Imagine being a new priest in a parish, and after distributing Communion for a few Sundays, one or more pious old ladies come to you with their concern that they are being "scandalized" because you have given the Holy Eucharist to the following remarried divorcees.... insert any number....

Well, you as priest don't want to listen to gossip, and figure God will prompt the hearts of these scandalous sinners. Time goes on, and the pious parishioners remind you of their attempts at "fraternal correction." Perhaps you tell them gossip is a sin.....

One or more of these parishioner has a blog.... And has blogging "friends" all over the world.

Like I said, I saw a priest, well actually a whole parish suffer, because of a story picked up by bloggers everywhere. Its been about 10 years. The parish still suffers, and the priest died soon after being transferred. Even his legal fight to have some privacy, etc was fodder for the blogs and used as evidence of guilt.

Anonymous said...

Dan, get back with us after you've preached to the pro-abortion nuns, the pro-homosexual bishops, cardinals, and priests, the pro women's ordination Jesuits, the deniers of the Real Presence among Dominicans, Franciscans, and others, the pro... well, you get the idea.

The "real enemies" you mention are within, and they go to the highest echelons of the Church. Go talk to them first, and after you've converted all of them, then come back, and we'll berate Vox for all his sins.

DJR

Our Lady of Good Success-pray for us. said...

Dan said: "Imagine being a new priest".

Would you agree it depends on the formation the priest has been given in conjunction with his ability to accept and not refuse Grace as to whether he will be a sheperd who goes 'in by the door' each morning or over the fence? Modernist popes and seminaries fight (that is contradict and speak and act contrary) to the Faith on many many levels. Why would any priest accept this contradiction and contrariness? It's certainly not up to us to judge that, but we can judge that he has acted contrary and/or in contradiction the Faith. God (permitting at least) allows us a WWW presence of Faith = Papal Encylicals (pre-VII - what a blessing), knowledge of the Mass of All Time, the teachings of non-neo-theology etc., all available to those of us who have had 'scandalized' old ladies sparking a proper conscience within us which, if the priest were authentic, would have sparked his conscience too.

J. said...

Dan,

This priest's errors were public and thus scandalous, so it was fitting that his correction be public. If the correction had been private, it would have left all of his potential victims without assistance, especially if he had refused correction (as seems obvious from the vulgar way he has reacted). Private correction is for people who don't flaunt their errors in public.

St. Augustine: "Them that sin [publicly] reprove before all, that the rest also may have fear."

St. Thomas: "For if he offend thee publicly in the presence of others, he no longer sins against thee alone, but also against others whom he disturbs.... When one man's sin is made public others are incited to sin likewise."

torchofthefaith said...

Dear Dan and Vox,

We touched on the issues of vocations and the shortage of priests Here

God bless
Alan and Angeline

torchofthefaith said...

Sorry, we're struggling to get that link to work.

The article was posted at our site on 20th March 2015 and was called "The Vocations Crisis is Man-made - Those Who Made it are Now in Their End-Game."

With your permission, we'll have another go with the link to Here

God bless
Alan and Angeline