Boston-based law firm Todd & Weld said in a press release this week that Church Militant had "agreed to the entry of a judgment against it in the amount of $500,000" in a defamation lawsuit brought by Father Georges de Laire, the judicial vicar of the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire.

The media outlet ran an article in 2019 titled "NH Vicar Changes Dogma Into Heresy," one in which the author, canonist Marc Balestrieri, claimed to "have talked to a number of anonymous sources who allegedly made negative comments about Father de Laire both personally and professionally," the law firm said.

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Michael Voris (pictured) stepped down as president of the Michigan-based enterprise dedicated to addressing the erosion of the Catholic faith.

The group stated "Michael Voris has been asked to resign for breaching the Church Militant morality clause" without divulging specific details.

The group cited the confidentiality of Voris' private matters.

Voris, in a video statement on X (formerly Twitter), declined to disclose the breach, mentioning personal health. He mentioned "horrible, ugly things" that he needs to address privately.

"I need to conquer these demons" Voris said, emphasising the personal nature of the challenges.

He requested continued support for the organisation he established.

Site critical of Pope Francis

Church Militant, known for its fervently right-wing politics and conservative Catholicism, lacks recognition as a Church apostolate and the authorisation to promote itself as Catholic, according to the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Known also for its critical stance towards Pope Francis, the site has recently featured content denying the climate crisis and criticising LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts.

It also endorses individuals such as Bishop Joseph Strickland, who was ousted from his Texas diocese after severe criticism of the pontiff.

Voris previously admitted past "live-in relationships with homosexual men" and other sexual relationships. He later denounced these actions as "extremely sinful".

This isn't the first controversy surrounding Church Militant.

In 2021, the group faced initial denial to rally outside a US Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting due to concerns over public safety.

Additionally, in 2017 a confidant of Pope Francis criticised Church Militant for framing the 2016 presidential election as a "spiritual war".

Voris' resignation comes amid ongoing tensions surrounding the group's alignment with right-wing politics and conservative Catholic views, adding another chapter to its contentious history within the Catholic community.

Sources

AP News

Voris has been critical of Synod Fathers, including Cardinal John Dew of Wellington, who have called for a more pastoral approach in the area of human sexuality.

Voris is the founder of Church Militant and is known worldwide for his show The Vortex, "where lies and falsehoods are trapped and exposed."

The website claims "Michael will give you nothing but the pure truth of Catholicism while exposing the lies and falsehoods that have infiltrated Holy Mother Church."

He conducted speaking tours of New Zealand in 2012 and and again in 2015.

In October 2015 in his series of posts called Synod Profile Voris singled out Dew because he had called for less "offensive" language towards homosexuals, and supported the idea of opening Holy Communion to those in adulterous unions.

Church Militant has consistently been critical of "so-called progressives" at the Synod on the Family, including Dew.

"Dew of New Zealand is yet another Synod Father advocating for pleasant language, especially on homosexuality," wrote Bradley Eli in a post on churchmillitant.com in October last year.

Why did Voris choose this time to reveal his past?

Voris said he decided to reveal the details of his past when he heard the New York archdiocese was gathering information about his past life with the aim of publicly discrediting him and the work he does.

He says he regrets not revealing the nature of his sins before because it was "limiting God" and perhaps not letting his example inspire others in homosexual lifestyles to turn to God for help.

During the Vortex special, Voris apologised to "anyone who is wounded" by the revelations.

He said he "did not intend to deceive" but only "didn't see the need to provide up-close detail of past sins."

Voris says he does not know what ramifications to his apostolate will come of the revelation.

Source

• lifesitenews.com
• Image: churchmilitant.com