As you probably know by now, Michael Voris has been ousted by St. Michael's Media/Church Militant for violating a "morality clause." Voris released a video which can be found on his X account as did Christine Niles who apparently left the company a few weeks ago.
I first met Michael in 2012. I was the Cantor at a traditional Latin Mass community where he had heard about the pastor and had him visit Detroit and appear on a video for a chat about the traditional Mass. Michael would visit the parish and there were at least two fundraisers organized by people there for what was then Real Catholic TV, later renamed. I knew him from these visits and fundraisers as well as conferences in Toronto. During that time, I did not suspect anything untoward about him.
For those newer readers, in February 2015, a papal spokesman, head of Salt + Light Television, and Basilian priest Thomas J. Rosica launched a lawsuit against me for alleged defamation.
Vox Cantoris: YOUR BLOGGER VOX CANTORIS IS THREATENED WITH A LAWSUIT BY VATICAN OFFICIAL AND PAPAL ADVISER - FATHER THOMAS ROSICA, CSB
The Priest vs. The Blogger: A Case in Canadian Conflict – Catholic World Report
Vatican Spokesman Threatens to Sue Catholic Blogger (breitbart.com)
Uneasy Truce: Vatican Spokesman Will Not Sue Canadian Blogger for Public Criticism| National Catholic Register (ncregister.com)
That evening, after hearing it from a mutual friend, Michael Voris contacted me to help. Michael and I, my wife, and that loyal friend collaborated on a plan. He was instrumental in creating pushback from bloggers all around the world in multiple languages. The publicity generated and the legal strategy that followed forced Rosica into a humiliating public retreat. Funny enough, it still appears on his Wikipedia, though not with the bold sub-heading, as previously.
A year later, I defended Voris against the advice of someone dear to me. He had made the decision to "out" himself before an expected public outing regarding his sodomitical past that was about to break. There was an effort then by some associated with St. Michael's Media to have him leave quietly and prevent the scandal. Voris refused. He was media savvy and understood how one had to get out in front of a story. He did and it worked. I owed the man my thanks and I stood by him. I remember the day specifically and the telephone call tipping me off to what was coming. I do not regret standing by him. I have a sense of loyalty. After all, while not suffering from the sins of his past, I have my own, we all do.
But, it was not long after that I saw and became aware of certain other matters. Some were public, such as his irrational and almost pathological attack on the Society of St. Pius X, notwithstanding any failings by specific clerics. In addition to that, there was a falling out of any sense of cooperation and camaraderie with other Catholics in the new media. Nobody seemed good enough for Michael. The laudable goal by Michael Matt to "unite the clans" fell on deaf ears in Detroit. I stopped following Voris, removed links from here to there, and stopped any communication. Simon Rafe and others associated lacked any sense of loyalty to me in communications. It was time to permanently cut my ties.
But there is more that cannot be discussed other than this.
I am keenly aware of something greater here and I see the hand of Almighty God in it. One of God's servants had been terribly persecuted and lied about and in this, Voris had a hand, a very big hand. I am angered by what he did. Niles and Rafe were his minions when I approached them about it and they were cultlike in their defense of him and attacked me for daring to question their motives. There was an attempt to destroy a good man. I am still upset by it all. Yet, this man bore this persecution with faith, love, patience, humility, and personal suffering. throughout. His steadfastness has now been rewarded as he is restored in every way, no; in even better ways. God is good and has reached down and picked up his servant and washed him in the salve of love and mercy and set him on a new road to carry out His work.
At the same time that this restoration was underway, another had begun - the humiliation of Michael Voris is a result of his own hubris, arrogance, ego, and narcissism. It is the same with the aforementioned Thomas Rosica who through his "plagiarism" (this writer was the first to expose it here), was brought down low. Both of these men despised each other as the record shows. Both of these men have had their public reputations degraded by their own actions. Both of them unjustly attacked innocent men. As God was not finished with that good man and restored him, and protected me and my family God is not finished with Thomas Rosica or Michael Voris. May their well-deserved humiliation and degradation work for their salvation.
Pray for all involved.
