Church Militant To Shut Down - Vortex Has Spun Its Course

Church Militant shutting down: A victory for truth and justice

Church Militant, a notorious far-right Catholic media outlet, has announced that it will shut down by the end of April 2024, following a $500,000 defamation lawsuit brought by a priest from New Hampshire. This is a welcome development for all those who value truth, justice and civility in the Catholic Church and society. However, it is sad news for those on the far-right who enjoy controversies, conspiracy theories and airing out the dirty laundry of others, so to speak. 

The lawsuit was filed by Father Georges de Laire, the judicial vicar of the Diocese of Manchester, who was falsely accused by Church Militant of changing dogma into heresy in an article published in January 2019. The article, written by canon lawyer Marc Balestrieri, claimed to have anonymous sources who made negative comments about Father de Laire's personal and professional conduct. However, neither Balestrieri nor Church Militant could produce any evidence to back up their allegations, and they failed to properly vet the article before publishing it.  Balestrieri never showed up to defend himself in the case nor for the disposition.  

The article was part of a campaign to discredit Father de Laire and the Diocese of Manchester, who were involved in a canonical dispute with the Saint Benedict Center, a radical group that adheres to the heretical doctrine of "no salvation outside the Church". Balestrieri was representing the Saint Benedict Center in the dispute, and he used his article to raise funds for his legal work. The Diocese of Manchester had warned the Saint Benedict Center that their position was contrary to Vatican teaching and had forbidden them from calling themselves Catholic or participating in Catholic activities.

Father de Laire sued Balestrieri and Church Militant for defamation, and after a lengthy legal process, he won the case. Church Militant agreed to pay $500,000 and apologize to Father de Laire for their part in causing him distress and damage. They also announced that they will cease all operations of Church Militant by the end of April 2024.

This is not the first time that Church Militant has been involved in controversy or scandal. The media outlet, founded by Michael Voris in 2006, has been known for its aggressive and divisive coverage of Catholic issues, often attacking bishops, priests, religious orders, lay movements and other Catholics who do not share their extreme views. They have also been accused of promoting conspiracy theories, spreading misinformation, fostering hatred and inciting violence.

In November 2021, Voris resigned from his position as CEO of St. Michael's Media, the parent company of Church Militant, after admitting that he had violated their morality clause by sending shirtless photos of himself to staff and associates. The photos were discovered on the outlet's cloud-storage account and caused outrage among Church Militant's supporters (see: Sacerdotus: Michael Voris Caught in Vortex Spin).

The closure of Church Militant is a victory for truth and justice, as well as for the dignity and reputation of Father de Laire and other Catholics who have been slandered or harassed by them. It is also an opportunity for healing and reconciliation within the Church, which needs more dialogue and respect among its members, especially in these challenging times. We hope that this case will serve as a lesson for other media outlets and individuals who may be tempted to use their platforms to spread lies, hatred or division.

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References:

- Church Militant to shut down following $500,000 defamation lawsuit brought by priest | Catholic News Agency

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256981/church-militant-to-shut-down-following-500-dollars-000-cents-defamation-penalty-against-new-hampshire-priest

- Church Militant plans to cease publication in April - Religion News Service

https://religionnews.com/2024/03/01/report-church-militant-loses-defamation-suit/

- Baltimore reaches proposed settlement with Church Militant over protest permit

https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/03/01/baltimore-church-militant-settlement/

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256981/church-militant-to-shut-down-following-500-dollars-000-cents-defamation-penalty-against-new-hampshire-priest

https://www.ncronline.org/news/right-wing-catholic-outlet-church-militant-close-april

https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/03/01/baltimore-church-militant-settlement/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/media/2024/02/24/michael-voris-church-militant-shirtless-selfies/

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/smm-apology-to-fr-georges-de-laire

Michael Voris Caught in Vortex Spin

There is a huge vortex going on at Church Militant that has brought some to spin out of the organization. According to the X account of Church Militant, Michael Voris resigned as its head. Michael Voris in response released a video statement where he seems embarrassed, confused, humbled, broken, and defeated. The cocky and articulate armchair anchorman is seen in this video struggling to find words and emotional at times. Church Militant issued a statement on their X account stating a violation of a "morality clause" on the part of Voris but fell short of revealing exactly what this means. Despite claiming to be transparent, they are not telling us all the details. Voris also was mute on the reasoning but alluded to it being related to "his past." Many of us who have followed Michael Voris throughout the years know that he has been very open about struggling with homosexuality. This is most likely what led to his fall. Here is the statement from Church Militant and video statements from Voris and Christine Niles.

pic.twitter.com/KQ5a9KEEmr

— Church Militant (@Church_Militant) November 21, 2023

God Love You pic.twitter.com/SBRFDP9vKD

— Michael Voris (@Michael_Voris) November 21, 2023

Church Militant is a self-professed Catholic news apostolate that began with Voris giving catechism lectures. At first, it was a popular source for Catholic information but when Voris began making claims that were strange such as endorsing a monarchy for the United States, people began to suspect it as a ploy for grifting. Eventually, Church Militant grew into St. Michael's media. Voris purchased videography studio equipment and a building that would serve as a studio. Church Militant then took a turn as a conspiratorial outlet making claims regarding political and ecclesial figures. At times, some of its content was outright defamatory and gossip. Voris who has a bachelor's degree in theology has indirectly presented himself as a theologian or expert of "true Catholicism." He was joined by Christine Nile who has also left Church Militant. She too posted a video statement where she looks disgusted and upset and claims that Voris changed over the last few years. She claims that he did not pray with the team as they are required to and his behavior changed overall. She too did not go into details as to what Voris actually did, but clearly looked upset. Judging is above our pay grade here at Sacerdotus, so we will offer none. We will pray for Michael and hope that he overcomes whatever demons are plaguing him. No one is perfect. We all have our shortcomings. This is why we should never throw stones while residing in a glass house. God love Michael Voris, may Our Lady help him and St. Michael remove the demons. 

Michael Voris seemed to have had good intentions but like many Catholics who take on a social media celebrity status, they fall from grace. The signs are typical. We saw John Corapi engage in grifting and then dying his beard and resorting to leather clothing. Some may dismiss this as a midlife crisis, but there is something much deeper. We notice Michael Voris dye his hair blonde and begin to sell books seeking monetary gain from his Catholic faith. These are the signs. Dr. Marshall Taylor is another one who has exhibited the use of his Catholic faith to earn money. As Niles stated, the lack of prayer is key. Prayer is necessary in ministry. When one sees a clergy member, religious or lay person lag on their prayer life, this is a huge sign of spiritual decay. Some are claiming that Voris was married to another male and was flirting with men at Starbucks:  The Church Militant site has not posted anything related to this scandal. 

Michael Voris was “married” to John F Mola, engaged in fraudulent home refinancing schemes with him, but obviously cheating on his “husband” hitting on guys at Starbucks. https://t.co/DkxwAsCLOT

— ℜ𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔉𝔞𝔦𝔱𝔥 (RTC) (@rtf_media) November 19, 2023

Dude tried to pick me up outside a DC Starbucks around 20 years back. I assumed he was a methed up homeless at the time. Imagine my surprise 15 years later seeing him on a catholic webcast

— michael (@woolfmg) November 19, 2023

We will update this post as we learn more on this Breaking News!

UPDATE: March 2024, Michael Voris alledgedly sent racy shirtless pictures to males at Church Militant. Church Militant is also set to shut down by the end of April 2024, see: Sacerdotus: Church Militant To Shut Down - Vortex Has Spun Its Course.