But Stephen Kokx, Brian McCall and Matt Gaspers at CFN — with the help of other Catholic media personalities — erroneously touted Viganò's comments as a wholesale embrace and promotion of the SSPX. Headed by the late John Vennari, who himself attended SSPX chapels, CFN was, nonetheless, not originally an SSPX newspaper per se. When I travel I’m able to attend Latin Mass, and I nearly always do so with the Fraternity of St. Peter. LifeSiteNews gives priority to pro-life, pro-family commenters and reserves the right to edit or Monthly: $10 a month John-Henry founded the Rome Life Forum an annual strategy meeting for pro-life leaders worldwide. LifeSite co-founder John-Henry Westen comments on the Society of St. Pius X, Church Militant, and LifeSiteNews. It has been accused of having “sympathy for perverts” (sic) and of covering up for some of its members or employees who may have been guilty of misconduct. option selection above at the current full price on the date of each renewal, until you cancel. But by Sunday, the site had pulled the report — but not before it had been clicked on more than 300 times. He has run three times for political office in the province of Ontario representing the Family Coalition Party. heading up an investigation into the claims of abuse by SSPX members on behalf of LifeSiteNews. Church Militant’s headline on their first story covering abuse cases in the SSPX was titled, “SSPX: ‘Sympathetic to Perverts’”. This turned out not to be true — but it would take decades for the world to learn that. Following Vennari's death on April 4, 2017, writer and catechist Matt Gaspers succeeded John Vennari as editor. sentences or comments will be removed (Internet shouting). Richard Williamson and the culture he created as rector of the SSPX American seminary, seemed content to dig in and hide out in its chapels and enclaves in St. Mary's, Kansas; Post Falls, Idaho and Walton, Kentucky. The SSPX, Church Militant, and LifeSite: a response. The Archbishop commended the “hidden and often silent work” which “has been carried out by the Society of Saint Pius X” as deserving of “recognition for not having allowed the flame of Tradition to be extinguished at a moment in which celebrating the ancient Mass was considered subversive and a reason for excommunication.”. and, of course, features ads for various SSPX appendages like their publishing house, Angelus Press, in Kansas City, Unlike some other trad outfits, which have rebranded themselves as more mainstream traditionalist publications and have refrained from defending the SSPX from the avalanche of allegations levied against them, CFN refuses. SSPX Priest to Bp. Many believed that these overtures were sincere, and SSPX sincerely desired to enter into full communion with the Church. It is well worth asking why certain traditional media outfits have vigorously defended a Society riddled with abuse, or otherwise why some remain so silent. Thus far, the above-named authors have, proven themselves loyal comrades in service of their collective master, But such loyalty, to the detriment of truth and justice, inflicts further pain and humiliation on the hundreds of individuals who, and PayPal donations. Then, Church Militant released a mini-documentary reporting on alleged serious cases of sexual abuse from SSPX priests and subsequent attempts at coverup on the part of the parent organization. The first of these Catholic media outlets infected by the SSPX is Catholic Family News (CFN). It launched its investigation into the SSPX in 2019, as part of a wider criminal probe into clergy sex abuse. As the story of the SSPX grows darker and more sinister, a second story has developed: It seems that, in an attempt to get ahead of the news about the KBI criminal investigation, the SSPX tried to effect a media coup at several Catholic journalistic centers. John-Henry earned an MA from the University of Toronto in School and Child Clinical Psychology and an Honours BA from York University in Psychology. From my perspective we are all trying to fight the same fight: the fight for Truth, the fight for Christ against Satan and all his pomps and works. It is obviously difficult to ask questions of abuse victims and reporters must do so with care, but we must also try to ascertain the facts as there is ample evidence that at times accusers have given false testimony. Those who stray from these are named and shamed, sometimes from the pulpit. He co-founded Voice of the Family and serves on the executive of the Canadian National March for Life Committee, and the annual National Pro-Life Youth Conference. Speaking with the archbishop, he made clear his only intention was to praise Lefebvre for his original vision of protecting tradition and orthodoxy. Timothy J. Williams on fb: "The Church Militant articles are dishonest in the extreme. Writing in September to Catholic Family News, Archbishop Vigano said, “I consider Archbishop Lefebvre (founder of the SSPX) an exemplary confessor of the Faith, and I think that by now it is obvious that his denunciation of the Council and the modernist apostasy is more relevant than ever.”. At the same time, Bp. Submit news to our tip line. To describe those articles as “sleaze” is an understatement, by any standards. He was associated with what appears to be a now-defunct men's group in St. Mary's called "The St. Joseph's Businessman Association" and has spoken regularly at the Angelus Press Conference, the SSPX's premiere yearly gathering in America. Ironically enough, the assistant editor of Culture Wars. As has been reported by multiple outlets, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has been overwhelmed with claims of abuse by SSPX members not only in the state of Kansas, but throughout the United States. I personally know about one of the accusers and at least two of the accused priests. It will lie in wait for all time." The emergence of several splinter groups from the SSPX, known collectively as "The Resistance," who protested the SSPX's overtures toward reconciliation with Rome, further increased the profile of the SSPX, for the Society could claim that all of the "crazies" were migrating out of the SSPX and into these splinter groups. priests excessively fascinated with Nazis, post-World War II manifestations of German National Socialism, Bp. Under McCall's helm, CFN regularly features (sometimes multiple) monthly columns by SSPX priests and, of course, features ads for various SSPX appendages like their publishing house, Angelus Press, in Kansas City, Missouri. For some mysterious reason, little over a year later, Gaspers was demoted to assistant editor and was replaced at the helm of, It has been speculated that this was a power play by the SSPX, who regularly advertises in CFN. As a primary and essential matter, the SSPX is committed to investigating all allegations of sexual misconduct by its clergy, religious, and lay employees. Fidelity's work did not have a tremendous effect in the Catholic community, simply because it only enhanced what Catholics already knew about the SSPX. Ironically enough, the assistant editor of Culture Wars, Dave Reilly, also has a cozy relationship with the SSPX. "The truth doesn't care about our needs or wants. has lost a tremendous amount of influence and reach after the death of. He himself attends SSPX Masses. between commenters. One of the most outlandish claims against LifeSite’s reporting is that Church Militant says their sources said “Kokx had been ‘harassing’ victims with his questioning, impugning their integrity and calling into question their veracity.” Church Militant reporter Christine Niles says “Church Militant was shown his line of questioning, and we agree.”. Once we started looking into the situation, we discovered a definite bias against the SSPX on the part of Church Militant which in our studied analysis has led to some problems with their investigation. LSN commenting is not for frequent personal blogging, on-going debates or theological or other disputes Richard Williamson and the culture he created as rector of the SSPX American seminary, seemed content to dig in and hide out in its chapels and enclaves in, as well as a long history of ties with various, Throughout the early history of the group, the majority of SSPX adherents were content to be, Its status as a marginal group changed, however, when Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of the four SSPX bishops in January 2009, The Holy Father's lifting of the excommunications coincided with a renaissance in interest in traditional Catholicism among young people, as the tidal wave of conservative American Catholic culture inaugurated by Pope John Paul II's 1993 World Youth Day visit to Denver, crashed against the 2002 Boston Spotlight revelations, whi. We stand where the Catholic Church does on this question. Church Militant issued an explosive report, detailing a number of allegations concerning sexual abuse and cover-up within the Society over the years. More than those journalists who have the excuse of being inundated in the collectivist, literally demonic, spiritual poison of the SSPX, these grifters will have to answer to Our Lord on Judgement Day for every lie and deception they peddled or every act of abuse or cover-up they willfully ignored because they lacked the courage to speak out against evil, while they retain their SSPX-friendly fan base on earth. For the past week, the Society of Saint Pius X has been the subject of a media campaign conducted by the Church Militant website. He was forced to resign from WHLM after it was revealed that he attended the August 2017 "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville. Church Militant kept writing about it (read all its coverage here), and SSPX answered some of their charges, but I lost track of the back and forth. He is a consultant to Canada’s largest pro-life organization Campaign Life Coalition, and serves on the executive of the Ontario branch of the organization. If the SSPX is accused of failing to prevent and effectively manage cases of pedophilia on the part of its members, then for the sake of fairness, all dioceses around the world and all religious communities should as well be investigated, where in some cases one could find shortcomings maybe to the same or greater extent. Former members and victims have repeatedly used the word "cult" in reference to the SSPX, as the group demands loyalty above all else, a rejection of those outside the SSPX ("no salvation outside the SSPX" is a common theme) and unquestioning obedience. society of st. pius x, I would like to weigh in on the SSPX/Church Militant controversy that began last week with the publication of (some known, others unknown) documents by Church Militant. who have made entire careers bouncing from one fad in the Church to another, always holding out their hand for donations and book purchases from confused, well-meaning Catholics looking for a harbor in the storm. LifeSite journalists have conducted dozens of interviews, acquired court documents and police records, spoken to victims, spoken to priests of the Society, and chronicled their findings meticulously. Although defending itself against charges of schism and protesting the 1988 excommunications of its bishops, the American wing of the SSPX, under the tremendous influence of Bp. The SSPX has even placed what appears to be a mole in LifeSiteNews: Stephen Kokx, who gained attention after Abp. However, with the recent tidal wave of media coverage in outlets like. Cancel at any time to avoid future Now let’s get to our coverage of the SSPX abuse cases. I do believe we can respectfully challenge one another even when we believe there is error in our brother’s approach. In coming to terms with atrocities committed by clerics, one should be guided only by truth and justice, without regard to the person. Could it be that a sizeable portion of their fans, supporters and donors are SSPX loyalists, and they fear backlash as well as loss of donations? Since the recent revelations of systematic abuse and cover-up by SSPX priests and laity, CFN has gone to bat for the SSPX and has attacked those trying to expose the abuse and corruption. Church Militant TV and friends aim to destroy the SSPX, and relegate the Catholic world to a life without sacraments forever. The SSPX, Church Militant, and LifeSite: a response By John-Henry Westen. In fact, when Church Militant first aired its groundbreaking exposé on the SSPX in April, Reilly threatened to sue Church Militant over 24 seconds of use of some of his SSPX footage. Those personalities (who will remain anonymous, for now) are not members of the SSPX but are, in truth, grifters who have made entire careers bouncing from one fad in the Church to another, always holding out their hand for donations and book purchases from confused, well-meaning Catholics looking for a harbor in the storm. We have prayed together and conversed about the difficulties afflicting the Church and the world. the American wing of the SSPX has also, it is alleged, attached its tentacles to other Catholic media outlets, has even placed what appears to be a mole in, responded to some of his public questions, and whose response contained praise of. We'll be back Jan. 4, 2021. John-Henry is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of LifeSiteNews.com. In the wake of these revelations, some media outlets have come to the defense of the SSPX — or have avoided reporting on the matter altogether. But such disagreements should not involve ad hominem attacks, name-calling, and disparaging one another. Whether or not these allegations have substance is not yet clear at the time this article’s posting, but the firefights now raging in response to the Church Militant’s SSPX video are intense and … -From HBO series Chernobyl. McCall is an SSPX loyalist, attending an SSPX chapel in Oklahoma City and supporting SSPX schools. nd others, it now appears the SSPX may have had an ulterior motive in their own PR blitz. Many Catholics, disenchanted with conservative Catholicism and its liberal predecessor, began testing the waters with Catholic tradition, and some even found themselves pulled toward the SSPX, whose episcopal leadership was no longer excommunicated. It has been accused of having “sympathy for perverts” (sic) and of covering up for some of its members or employees who may have been guilty of misconduct. He was associated with what appears to be a now-defunct men's group in St. Mary's called "The St. Joseph'. What has been most disturbing in all this is the reaction from Church Militant. George William Rutler spent several years in the company of Gary Voris and Christine Niles - both authors of the vile attacks on 1000 priests and religious of the SSPX. On the other hand, this coming to terms with the past must not be used to unleash additional personal antipathies against a certain Church superior or against a certain religious community. Although allegedly having lost significant readership owing to the decline in print consumption, among the premier traditional Catholic journals. Williamson's notorious "Holocaust interview, until it was exposed in April of this year, groundbreaking exposé on the SSPX in April, Have a news tip? Our main investigator Stephen Kokx has no axe to grind with the SSPX. “To my knowledge there are no weighty reasons in order to deny the clergy and faithful of the SSPX the official canonical recognition,” he said. All Content Copyright 1997-2021 LifeSiteNews.com. , Jones exposed the corruption in the SSPX in the 1990s. Despite alleged ties to militia groups as well as a long history of ties with various post-World War II manifestations of German National Socialism, the SSPX, for most of its history, could supposedly boast that, unlike the mainstream Catholic Church, it was not plagued by any sex scandals. But he is by no means what an op-ed at Church Militant charges – an SSPX “mole in LifeSiteNews.” Stephen has done excellent work for us at LifeSite and is a true gift to our mission. McLucas was named in the August 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report. Multiple comments from one person under a story are discouraged (suggested maximum of three). Yes, there are some rotten apples in the SSPX. December 4, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Dear LifeSite readers, we have received many responses regarding our initial coverage of allegations of sexual abuse within the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X. It does not care about our governments, our ideologies. The SSPX, Church Militant, and LifeSite: a responseLifeSite journalists have conducted dozens of interviews, acquired court documents and police records, spoken to victims, spoken to priests of the Society, and chronicled their findings meticulously.December 4, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Dear LifeSite readers, we have received many responses regarding our initial coverage of allegations of … I’ll address these concerns in this special episode. Others attend diocescan Traditional Latin Masses, others Fraternity of St. Peter Latin Masses, and still some attend SSPX Masses. By clicking the "Continue" button, you agree to the ChurchMilitant.com Terms of Use and ChurchMilitant.com Privacy Policy. Kokx is Assistant Director of Digital Marketing for LifeSiteNews and an author at CFN. By Church Militant • 0. By Church Militant • 0. investigation will be a whitewash, and that his main aim is to help the Society by downplaying abuse and cover-up while calling victims' testimony into question. LifeSiteNews asked Bishop Schneider for his comment on investigations into sexual abuse by priests associated with the SSPX and in response he said: Recently, one could observe that the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has been made from various sides a target of attacks in connection with cases of sexual abuse. I know a perfectly Innocent priest who cannot defend himself without violating the seal of the confessional. Headed by the late John, s following was, in fact, linked to the person of, death on April 4, 2017, writer and catechist Matt Gaspers succeeded John, had handpicked Gaspers to be his successor. Those personalities (who will remain anonymous, for now) are not members of the SSPX but are, in truth, grifters. Michael Voris, Church Militant Editor, Catholic Truth, writes… Our blogger, Athanasius, has now studied the recent articles about the SSPX published by the American organisation known as Church Militant (CM), which were brought to our attention recently. It is important to note that Vennari had handpicked Gaspers to be his successor. We have been called “frauds” by Michael Voris, and this is particularly sad as I consider him a friend. Could it be that a sizeable portion of their fans, supporters and donors are SSPX, and they fear backlash as well as loss of donations? I know that Michael Voris is no friend or supporter of the SSPX, but Church Militant has done some in depth investigation into the abuse scandals and corruption that have plagued our Church. LifeSite journalists have conducted dozens of interviews, acquired court documents and police records, spoken to victims, spoken to priests of the Society, and chronicled their findings meticulously. As Church Militant previously reported, Sainte-Marie is the site of another SSPX scandal involving allegations against Fr. agree that your subscription will automatically renew monthly, quarterly or annually based upon your subscription Nevertheless the aim remains the same. Though no mention of this fact is made in Church Militant’s article, the SSPX publicly informed them of this fact in a press release issued last year. A priest of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) sentenced to 19 years in prison for the sadistic rape of three women — one he tortured with knitting needles … If you have a gift code you would like to redeem, click here. We reviewed his questions and they are not out of line. While The Angelus is the official SSPX journal, CFN has, under the current editorial direction of Dr. Brian McCall, a law professor at the University of Oklahoma, become a de facto SSPX newspaper. | Legal Information | Privacy Policy. The detection and transparent processing of cases of pedophilia should be done in a necessarily objective and thoroughgoing manner, irrespective of the persons or ecclesiastical communities concerned and without making any exceptions. Although CFN has lost a tremendous amount of influence and reach after the death of Vennari, the other media outlets infected by the SSPX are, if anything, increasing in profile and power during the digital age. The fact that Kokx, an apparent SSPX loyalist, is undertaking an "investigation" into abuse in the SSPX is an insult to victims and is an uncharacteristic blemish on LifeSite's otherwise solid reputation. has gone to bat for the SSPX and has attacked those trying to expose the abuse and corruption. As the tidal wave of allegations against the SSPX began to hit, it would have been smart for the SSPX to neutralize friendly and far-reaching media outlets. Perhaps worse than these SSPX drones are those Catholic media personalities whom, it is alleged, have sold their souls for SSPX Patreon and PayPal donations. Honestly, they deserve great commendation for their work. Catholic Family News broadcast Abp. Further, Church Militant has repeatedly used the SSPX’s name to generate web-clicks and revenue while hoping to stoke the fires of public controversy by baiting it into a war of words. Those who stray from these are named and shamed, sometimes from the pulpit. Some of our staff attend the Novus Ordo. McCall is an SSPX loyalist, attending an SSPX chapel in Oklahoma City, and supporting SSPX schools. But such loyalty, to the detriment of truth and justice, inflicts further pain and humiliation on the hundreds of individuals who have had their lives destroyed by the Society. Spearheaded by Angelus Press editor James Vogel, the SSPX began a massive PR campaign during the Pope Francis era, reaching out to any and all forms of conservative and traditionalist Catholic media, hoping to spin a new image for the formerly marginalized group. Opinion Catholic Church Thu Dec 3, 2020 - 12:33 pm EST. Church Militant has also learned that the French article was posted that same day on Le Forum Catholique, a French traditionalist website with Catholics of all stripes, from the SSPX, FSSP, ICK and other groups. You also The Society also cooperates with all police or other official investigations into said misconduct when it violates the law, whether civil or ecclesiastical. Comments under LifeSiteNews stories do not necessarily represent the views of LifeSiteNews. We want every story, every video, every text to give glory to God. more tightly under their control (possibly in anticipation of the leaking of the KBI investigation) — although loudly supportive of the SSPX now, Gaspers was not initially a member. remove comments. The SSPX is a … During the latter part of the 20th and early portion of the 21st century, most American Catholics were either divided along the lines of conservative JPII Catholics and liberal Vatican II Catholics — both of whom viewed the SSPX as a schismatic sect that was, at best, a group of very strange people. Williamson's notorious "Holocaust interview" further proved to be a blessing in disguise for the SSPX, for by expelling His Excellency in 2012, the SSPX could claim that they had put their more reactionary past behind them. Stephen Kokx appears to have close ties with the SSPX and has written articles praising the Society as a "life raft" for those seeking the sacraments. because it only enhanced what Catholics already knew about the SSPX. As has been reported by multiple outlets, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has been overwhelmed with claims of abuse by SSPX members not only in the state of Kansas, but throughout the United States. As longtime Catholic Family News readers will recall, Michael Voris and his Church Militant organization have long since harbored a profoundly negative bias against the SSPX, routinely referring to the Society as “ schismatic ” and strongly warning Catholics not to attend Masses offered by SSPX priests – even going so far as to claim that Catholics “ do not fulfill [their] Sunday and Holy Day obligations … Reilly initially began his media career working for his father's radio station WHLM in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. First of all you should know how LifeSite got into this investigation in the first place.   Quarterly: $30 every 3 months Submit news to our tip line. Following his dox by various leftist organizations, Reilly fled to St. Mary's, Kansas, the SSPX stronghold in the United States, which has been the epicenter of abuse allegations and some of whose members are under criminal investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Did Fr. Its status as a marginal group changed, however, when Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of the four SSPX bishops in January 2009. Vennari, like The Fatima Center's Fr. I attend a Novus Ordo parish, with no local Latin Mass parish within several hours of my home. It launched its investigation into the SSPX in 2019, as part of a wider criminal probe into clergy sex abuse. After a period of going dark, Reilly then obtained a position working for Dr. E Michael Jones at Culture Wars Magazine in South Bend, Indiana. I admire your tenacity and your bravery, your professional look and feel in that amazing studio of yours, and your teaching of the faith especially in its difficult aspects. James McLucas, a diocesan priest who occasionally helps the Society of Saint Pius X. who protested the SSPX's overtures toward reconciliation with Rome, further increased the profile of the SSPX, for the Society could claim that all of the "crazies" were migrating out of the SSPX and into these splinter groups. For instance, it alleged that U.S. District Superior Fr. Although defending itself against charges of schism and protesting the 1988 excommunications of its bishops, the American wing of the SSPX, under the tremendous influence of Bp. Reilly filed a copyright claim with YouTube, only for YouTube to side with Church Militant and determine that use of the footage in its 47-minute documentary was fair use, a defense against any copyright claims. Carlo Mario Viganò responded to some of his public questions, and whose response contained praise of SSPX founder Marcel Lefebvre. Indeed, several alleged victims have expressed concerns that Kokx's investigation will be a whitewash, and that his main aim is to help the Society by downplaying abuse and cover-up while calling victims' testimony into question. and Brian McCall (and perhaps others) are part of a wider preventative, damage-control effort to head off any major journalistic exposé that would reveal to the Catholic world the depths of the corruption in the SSPX? Watch. Former members and victims have repeatedly used the word "cult" in reference to the SSPX, as the group demands loyalty above all else, a rejection of those outside the SSPX ("no salvation outside the SSPX" is a common theme) and unquestioning obedience. , also has a cozy relationship with the SSPX. Remember that Catholics are permitted to attend Masses at SSPX parishes, and thanks to Pope Francis, are able to have their confessions heard by SSPX priests and in 2017 the Vatican permitted the faithful to go have their marriages witnessed by SSPX priests. George William Rutler had several years association with Church Militant. As the tidal wave of allegations against the SSPX began to hit, it would have been smart for the SSPX to neutralize friendly and far-reaching media outlets. 22, 2020, the conservative Novus Ordo web site Church Militant has released a substantial report exposing rampant sexual abuse of minors in the Society of St. Pius X, especially in (but not limited to) the United States of America. Fr. Viganò's remarks on Abp. After a period of going dark, Reilly then obtained a position working for Dr. E Michael Jones at.