Michael Voris of Church Militant TV pops into Voice of the Family's Rome HQ

It was good to have Michael Voris of Church Militant TV and his team pop into our Voice of the Family headquarters at the Salvatorian Motherhouse close to St Peter's in Rome where we're serving the Synod Fathers on the basis of the truths: that sacramental marriage, binding parents together in an indissoluble union, is the greatest protector of children both born and unborn; the artificial separation of the unitive and procreative dimensions of the sexual act is a major catalyst of the culture of death; parents are the primary educators of their children and it is through the education and formation of parents, and future parents, that the culture of life will be built. From left to right: John-Henry Westen of LifeSite News, Matthew McCusker and Maria Maria Joanna Madise of SPUC, Michael Voris, Matt and Charlie, of Church Militant TV and Patrick Buckley of SPUC.

Fortunately, many Synod Fathers - albeit not widely reported by the media - are standing up for the Catholic position on marriage and are courageously seeking to protect our families in their interventions at the Extraordinary Synod. For full reports and commentaries go to Voice of the Family and subscribe for our future posts.

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My interview by Michael Voris

I had the pleasure of being interviewed recently by Michael Voris, the great American Catholic apologist, on his Mic'd Up! programme on ChurchMilitant.TV. You can watch the interview below or on YouTube. I spoke about:

• the fine work of my colleagues at SPUC
• the successes and expertise of the pro-life movement
• the importance of Catholic Church leadership to winning the pro-life fight
• the geo-political significance of pro-life battle in English-speaking world
• the effect of international anti-life agencies on developing world
• the scandal of Holy Communion for pro-abortion politicians
• the importance of marriage and families for protecting unborn children
• the need for Catholic Church leaders to speak out against contraception and abortifacient birth control
• the scandalous appointment of dissenters as Catholic officials

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US Catholic archdiocese helps fund contraception and abortion insurance plan

It's perplexing, to say the least, to find leaders of the Catholic Church who are so signally failing to engage in the battle against the culture of death - to the point of co-operating with that culture.

For those who would criticize Michael Voris, of Church Militant, for raising such matters so forcibly, I would make the following points:

• What Voris is saying has already been covered fully by the New York Times. The damage is done. The scandal is out there. Michael Voris is now challenging the Church to address the scandal and put things right.

• Pope John Paul II said in Evangelium Vitae(number 95):
  

  "We need to begin with the renewal of a culture of life within Christian communities themselves. Too often it happens that believers, even those who take an active part in the life of the Church, end up by separating their Christian faith from its ethical requirements concerning life, and thus fall into moral subjectivism and certain objectionable ways of acting. With great openness and courage, we need to question how widespread is the culture of life today among individual Christians, families, groups and communities in our Dioceses. With equal clarity and determination we must identify the steps we are called to take in order to serve life in all its truth."

  Michael Voris is doing precisely what Pope John Paul II called for in Evangelium Vitae.

• Thirdly, Michael Voris finds support for his outspokenness, I believe, in the words of Cardinal Raymond Burke, addressing the World Prayer Congress for Life in Rome in November 2010:
  

  "Lying or failing to tell the truth, however, is never a sign of charity. A unity which is not founded on the truth of the moral law is not the unity of the Church. The Church’s unity is founded on speaking the truth with love. The person who experiences scandal at public actions of Catholics, which are gravely contrary to the moral law, not only does not destroy unity but invites the Church to repair what is clearly a serious breach in Her life. Were he not to experience scandal at the public support of attacks on human life and the family, his conscience would be uninformed or dulled about the most sacred realities.”

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Episcopal failures to oppose the sexual revolution have global consequences

Michael Voris, the American Catholic apologist, has this week been visiting the Philippines. In a video recorded there, Michael said:

"Obama's attempt to ram birth control down the Church's throat [is] exactly what is happening here in the Philippines ... [I]n America, the Catholic hierarchy folded like a house of cards 40 years ago in the face of the sexual revolution ... Catholics in America need to keep Catholics in other countries in mind when casting their vote for US president. It isn't just the Church in America that Obama is attacking, but the Church all over the world."

An analogy can be made with the situation in the UK vis-a-vis the Cameron government's promotion of homosexual marriage at home and so-called gay rights abroad. British government policy can have a significant effect internationally. Policy changes in Britain have the capacity to influence policy change in the English-speaking world and in Europe. I pray that Archbishop Nichols and his fellow English and Welsh bishops will not "fold like a house of cards" in the face of the Cameron government's sexual revolution, abandoning Catholics in other countries to the homosexual agenda. It is encouraging to see Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury taking a strong stand.

*SPUC's national council, which is SPUC's policy-making body, elected by its grassroots volunteers, last year passed the following resolution to defend marriage:

"That the Council of SPUC, noting the various proposals currently being made by the present Government and others in regard to the status and standing of marriage and its consequent effect upon family life; and further noting the higher proportionate incidence of abortion in unmarried women compared to married women, resolves to do its utmost to fight for the retention of the traditional understanding of marriage in the history, culture and law of the United Kingdom, namely the exclusive union of one man with one woman for life; and accordingly instructs its officers and executive committee to conduct a major campaign to this end, to co-operate with other persons and societies in so doing and specifically to target the Government's consultation period starting in March, 2012, in regard to (so-called) same sex marriage."

**Why is homosexuality (and sexual ethics generally) important specifically for the pro-life movement? The late Pope John Paul II, the great pro-life champion, taught in no. 97 of his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae that it is an illusion to think that we can build a true culture of human life if we do not offer adolescents and young adults an authentic education in sexuality, and in love, and the whole of life according to their true meaning and in their close interconnection.

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Today's must-read pro-life news-stories, Fri 19 Aug

Michael Voris

Top stories:

Leading US apologist to speak in London on Wednesday
Michael Voris (pictured), a leading US Catholic apologist, will be speaking in London on Wednesday evening (24 August). In a video this week, Mr Voris highlighted the responsibility of Catholics to hold pro-abortion Catholic politicians to account. Details of how to book tickets can be found at http://bit.ly/nxAPwO [John Smeaton, 19 August] http://bit.ly/nOSU9i

UK 'locked-in' man launches assisted suicide court case 
A UK man with 'locked-in' syndrome has launched an assisted suicide case in the high court. The unnamed man is asking the court whether medical staff or solicitors will be prosecuted if they assist his suicide. His wife is opposed to the move. [Telegraph, 18 August] http://tgr.ph/oZ8FDm

Australian pro-life bioethicist expresses concern about UK nurses-and-abortion success
Fr John Fleming, a leading Australian bioethicist, has expressed concern about the basis for a recent pro-life success. Two nurses were spared from participating in abortion after their lawyer argued that their Catholic beliefs protected them against discrimination. Fr Fleming said the wrongness of abortion "is not based on a peculiar 'Catholic belief' about the beginning of life. It is based upon the scientific reality that human life begins at the beginning, at fertilisation." [John Smeaton, 18 August] http://bit.ly/pJjvmA

Please support SPUC's outreach in Stratford this Saturday
SPUC youth activists will be manning a stall tomorrow in Stratford, London. The outreach follows a successful similar outreach in Lewisham, London. People interested in supporting the stall should contact Daniel Blackman danielblackman@spuc.org.uk [John Smeaton, 18 August] http://bit.ly/owsTjb

Other stories:

Abortion

• Education For Choice is pro-abortion, not pro-choice [John Smeaton, 17 August] http://bit.ly/otGb3i
• UK pro-life doctor explains how UK private abortion providers captured government abortion contracts [Peter Saunders, 17 August] http://bit.ly/qyc49A
• Anglican inspired to become Catholic priest by Catholic Church's teaching against abortion [BBC, 17 August] http://bbc.in/mYQkd6

Embryology

• US illegal 'designer baby' ring exposed [Mail, 18 August] http://bit.ly/p7q7in

Euthanasia

• Elderly US couple committed suicide by dehydration [Mail, 18 August] http://bit.ly/pCkdGo

Sexual ethics

• UK equality quango says gay rights trumps Christian beliefs [Mail, 19 August] http://bit.ly/nKFaOi
• Australian sperm donor loses right to be named as father on birth certificate [BBC, 17 August] http://bbc.in/pJ5agg

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Watch this excellent video on abortion by Michael Voris

Michael Voris, the renowned American Catholic apologist, is this week presenting "No bull in Madrid: fighting the pop culture bull" for young Catholic pilgrims attending World Youth Day in Madrid. One of the videos he has produced this week is a superb explanation of the responsibility of Catholics, both laity and clergy but particularly bishops, to "lay it on the line" to Catholic politicians who support abortion. Michael says:

"The problem of pro-abortion politicians who are Catholic has been one which has been too long ignored in the Church these past 40 years or so ... The refusal on the part of many leaders in the Church to really take on the issue of Catholics who support abortion has done tremendous harm to many of the faithful ... The youth of today have been left afloat on a dangerous sea ... People in the Church, bishops, priests and laity must, for the love of God, step up and lay it on the line and be there for these young people. They are the victims, they are the ones who have been lied to..."

Do watch the whole video on YouTube or below:



I am therefore delighted that Michael will be speaking in London on Wednesday evening in a talk organised by my son Paul:

"Living the Catholic Faith Radically!", Wednesday 24 August, at Regent Hall, 275 Oxford Street, London W1C 2DJ. Doors open 7pm. The closest tube station is Oxford Circus. Bond Street and Marble Arch are also within walking distance. All tickets are £5 and will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. You can purchase them via paypal at http://smeatonscorner.blogspot.com/2011/08/michael-voris-speaking-in-london-in.html

Do please try to attend and to spread the word. If you're on Facebook, you can help spread the word by using the event's Facebook page to invite your Facebook friends.

P.S. People who follow the US Catholic blogosphere closely may have stumbled across some tittle-tattle about Michael's company. Michael sent us an email about it yesterday which we reproduce below with his permission:

"[T]he story was a piece of dirty journalism. When the reporter and I hung up the phone, we had agreed that I needed a few days to get to the bottom of all this. He agreed. I said because of the complications of being overseas and having to try to reach the state and deal with government bureaucracy, it might take me up to a week. I notice in his story, he relates that they started looking into the anonymous tip as far back as August 10 with multiple calls. I said I would need a few days as well. He agreed. In about 24 hours, they ran the story. In any realm of journalism, that's underhanded and deceptive."

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Please attend Michael Voris's talk in London on 24 August

I am delighted to hear that Michael Voris will be speaking in London on Wednesday 24 August. The talk has in fact been organised by my son Paul and you can purchase tickets for the talk on Paul's blog.

Michael Voris S.T.B. is the president and founder of St Michael’s Media and the senior executive producer of RealCatholicTV.com, the world's first online Catholic television station. Michael gave up a successful media career as an anchor, reporter and producer for CBS to dedicate his energies to the promotion of the Gospel through the media.

I met Michael Voris last year at Human Life International's conference in Rome, one of the many highlights of which was Cardinal Burke's address: 'Catholic orthodoxy: antidote against the culture of death'. In his speech Cardinal Burke claimed that the root of the attacks on the innocent life of unborn children was an erroneous view of human sexuality. Cardinal Burke said:

" ... The attack on the innocent and defenseless life of the unborn has its origin in an erroneous view of human sexuality, which attempts to eliminate, by mechanical or chemical means, the essentially procreative nature of the conjugal act. The error maintains that the artificially altered conjugal act retains its integrity. The claim is that the act remains unitive or loving, even though the procreative nature of the act has been radically violated. In fact, it is not unitive, for one or both of the partners withholds an essential part of the gift of self, which is the essence of the conjugal union. The so-called "contraceptive mentality" is essentially antilife.Many forms of so-called contraception are, in fact, abortifacient, that is, they destroy, at its beginning, a life which has already been conceived ..."

Michael Voris addressed this very issue in a recent episode of his show 'The Vortex'.

RealCatholicTV.com have also produced an hour-long documentary called The Cost of Abortion. This documentary focuses on the disastrous social and economic impact of abortion in the United States. Particularly interesting is Michael's reflections on the role of the media in promoting abortion and deliberately denigrating the work of pro-life organisations. I warn readers, as the website does itself, that the documentary contains disturbing images of actual abortions. This video was sent to every member of the US senate.

I have no doubt that Michael's talk will inspire people young and old either to embrace or renew their commitment to building-up of the culture of life. I would urge readers both to come to this event and to tell their friends about it.

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