The Copyrighted Catholic

Michael Voris.  You've seen him on +Ponderings+ and elsewhere on the internet.  He's the energetic guy with a whole lot of zeal for the Church and a double blessing of hair on his head.  Never afraid to speak his mind, and always doing so out of his undying love for Christ and His Church, Mr. Voris sometimes ends up in the spotlight himself.  Having been on the receiving end of poor catechesis in his youth, Mr. Voris has apparently made it his life mission to expose cafeteria Catholicism for the evil that it is and to lead the stray sheep back to the fold.  He unapologetically has exposed many issues which he backs with evidence gained by lengthy research and shares the information and sources for others to use in discernment.

On December 15, 2011, the Archdiocese of Detroit released the following statement:

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 (see canon 216 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law). 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. 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. Questions about this matter may be directed to the Archdiocese of Detroit, Department of Communications. Source

Following the release of the statement, there have been heated comments directed toward the Archdiocese and many questions raised.  Canon lawyers have weighed in on both sides and a lot of people have pointed out that some entities use Catholic in their name within the Archdiocese of Detroit, and they are clearly operating in ways contrary to the Catholic faith.  Is the word 'Catholic' copyrighted and just who does and does not have the right to use 'Catholic' in a name?  If some can use Catholic and others cannot, why does it appear that Michael Voris from RealCatholicTV is being called out and others not?  There have been no allegations of wrong-doing made against RealCatholicTV, yet they are being told that they cannot use the word 'Catholic' in their name.  On January 3, 2012 the Archdiocese of Detroit released a follow-up statement:

Subsequent to the release in mid-December, 2011, of a "Statement regarding Real Catholic TV and its name," inquiries have come to the Archdiocesan Department of Communications regarding the timing and need for this particular declaration. The Director of Communications presents this response:

"The Archdiocese of Detroit has been consistent in its statements to and about Real Catholic TV since the fall of 2008. (Regarding RealCatholicTV.com) Due to continued requests made to the Detroit archdiocese for clarification concerning the use of the title Catholic by Real Catholic TV, and to avoid any confusion among the faithful, it was determined a public statement should make clear what has been told to Real Catholic TV, namely, that it does not have the authorization required under Church law to identify or promote itself as Catholic."

Canon Law Commentary In the Light of the Law: blog entries from Dr. Edward Peters, a widely-known lay canon lawyer on the graduate faculty at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

• Canon law and the statement on Real Catholic TV

• Questions and answers on Real Catholic TV statement       Source

Here is the video response to the story from Michael Voris himself:



Lifesitenews.com has interviewed Fr. Mark Gurtner, Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend in Indiana in regard to the matter.  They report on their site:

Speaking as a canon lawyer and not an official of the diocese, Gurtner also said he believes the jurisdiction of the case resides with the Indiana diocese. “It certainly seems to me that canonically Michael Voris would not be the one that this would be imposed on,” he said. “Even though he is the one that regularly appears on (the show) he, in a sense, is really just an employee of (RealCatholicTV.com).” 

“It seems like if the Archdiocese of Detroit is trying to go after (Voris), that’s the wrong person to address this with, that would have to be with the owner of the website or blog,” he added.
“I suppose if this Marc Brammer [owner of RealCatholicTV and Indiana resident] is paying for and running, constructing his blog from our diocese in his home I suppose you could make the argument that we have jurisdiction canonically.” 

When asked by LifeSiteNews what concerns the Detroit Archdiocese had about Voris and RealCatholicTV.com, Detroit Archdiocesan Director of Communications McGrath would not specify any concern other than the use of the word ‘Catholic’. 

Asked if the archdiocese has asked any other group or individual in the archdiocese not to use the name Catholic, McGrath said he couldn’t remember any other cases during his 20 years with the diocese.  “I don’t know. I’ve been here 20 years I can’t say that we’ve never done that in the history of the Archdiocese,” he said. 

Pressed on the point, he said, “I wouldn’t want to say that definitively. But not any that I can recall recently, no.”

What a tangled web and I can't help feeling that I am caught up in it.  Afterall, this is +Catholic Ponderings+ and I cannot tell which, if any, canon law I may or may not be breaking.  I suppose I should just be thankful to not be under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Detroit.  In my opinion, Michael Voris has shined a light on something or someone somewhere and a certain Archbishop didn't like it.  He can tell Mr. Voris to put his lamp under the basket, but I will not.  I don't always agree with Mr. Voris but I love his tenacity.  I can think of a lot of "Catholic" people, universities, and leaders who bear the Catholic trademark, but a nagging inner voice tells me they have clearly ventured into the realm of small 'c' catholicism.

To Laugh or to Cry - You Decide

What happens when you cross elements of the Diocese of Rochester with what Catholic universities have become? A married man who was ordained a 'priest' by an excommunicated 'bishop' and refers to himself as a married priest, who announces the ordination of 'female bishops', who were graduates of Notre Dame and St. Mary's - both in Indiana. Got that? Let me explain it this way: Phony priest from Rochester, NY who happens to be a 'media liaison' for CORPUS (a group for dissidents who think they are still Catholic but really are not) is proud to announce the ordination of female 'bishops', one a Notre Dame graduate and the other a graduate of St. Mary's. Still messy and full of grammatical errors but not as erroneous as the canon laws which have been trounced. Note that their croziers are as phony as they are in the picture above. Read the news release:

CORPUS Congratulates Four Newly Ordained Women Bishops
By Ray Grosswirth, CORPUS Media Liaison
Dated: Apr 19, 2009

CORPUS, the national association for an inclusive priesthood, wishes to convey its joy over the ordination of four women bishops on April 19, 2009, in Santa Barbara, California.

CORPUS SUPPORTS AND CONGRATULATES FOUR NEWLY-ORDAINED CATHOLIC WOMEN-BISHOPS

CORPUS (www.corpus.org), the national association for an inclusive priesthood, is deeply proud to articulate its support of four ordinations that took place on April 19 in the state of California. It is withgreat joy that we congratulate the following four Catholic bishops: Joan Mary Clark Houk, Andrea MicheleJohnson, Bridget Mary Meehan and Maria Regina Nicolosi.

Bishops Houk, Johnson, Meehan and Nicolosi join their male counterparts in the Roman Catholic Episcopate as servant-leaders of their respective communities.

For over thirty-five years, CORPUS has been actively engaged in the effort to create a church that is all-inclusive. In its effort to expand its outreach efforts, CORPUS has moved beyond its original mission as a vehicle of support for married priests and their families. We now recognize that the Kingdom of God on earth cannot be realized until all of human creation is treated with dignity and respect. We also realize that
a call from God to ordained ministry is not limited to celibate males. We therefore embrace and encourage all who experience the call, minus any discrimination on the basis of gender, marital status or sexual orientation.

Women who prepare for ordination to the diaconate, priesthood and episcopate are highly trained and have the same educational qualifications as males in similar roles. CORPUS hopes and prays that those who are opposed to the ordination of women will search their hearts and come to realize that if the Catholic Church is to remain vital in the years ahead, we must be open to the will of the Holy Spirit.

The fact that many women are coming forward to respond to a call from God is a reason to celebrate, and CORPUS greets these women of faith with open arms and a feeling of joy and gratitude for their spiritual
and ministerial gifts. Bishops Houk, Johnson, Meehan and Nicolosi give hope to a divided church. CORPUS has every confidence that they will be true disciples of Christ, and we therefore rejoice in their ordination to the rank of the episcopate.

CORPUS has been in existence for over 35 years to promote and support inclusivity in the ranks of the Roman Catholic priesthood.

If you are game, go to youtube.com and search for: 'Rochester married priest' and feast your eyes on the the media laison from CORPUS. He dances with cleaning implements, has fake conversations with the Pope on the telephone and all sorts of nonsense. Then whether you cry or laugh, end with a prayer. Maranatha.

Thanks to fratres for sharing the story.

Holy See Has Spoken, Again - Lay Persons and 'Blessings'

Lay persons may not offer blessings during Holy Mass. Lay persons may not offer blessings during the Holy Mass. Lay persons may not offer blessings during Holy Mass. Unless you feel pressed to 'bless' someone who sneezes in the pew nest to you. Got it?

• Lay people, within the context of Holy Mass, are unable to confer blessings. These blessings, rather, are the competence of the priest (cf. Ecclesia de Mysterio, Notitiae 34 (15 Aug. 1997), art. 6, § 2; can. 1169, § 2; and Roman Ritual De Benedictionibus (1985), n. 18).

• Furthermore, the laying on of a hand or hands—which has its own sacramental significance, inappropriate here—by those distributing Holy Communion, in substitution for its reception, is to be explicitly discouraged.

Can people not in full communion approach the priest for a blessing?

• In a similar way, for others who are not to be admitted to Holy Communion in accord with the norm of law, the Church’s discipline has already made clear that they should not approach Holy Communion nor receive a blessing. This would include non-Catholics and those envisaged in can. 915 (i.e., those under the penalty of excommunication or interdict, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin).

Want to see the information for yourself or to pass on to another? See here.



(Special Thanks to Rich Leonardi)