(Archdiocese of Detroit:) Statement regarding Real Catholic TV and its name

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From the Archdiocese of Detroit:
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.

Canon 216 states:

Can. 216 Since they participate in the mission of the Church, all the Christian faithful have the right to promote or sustain apostolic action even by their own undertakings, according to their own state and condition. Nevertheless, no undertaking is to claim the name Catholic without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority.

My comment:

Obviously this declaration is fully within the competence of the local Ordinary. I certainly hope that Mr. Voris will submit to that authority and change the name of his apostolate (or move its headquarters to a more friendly diocese).

The ironic part about this is that I haven’t heard any bishop issue similar statements on other groups that claim “Catholic” in their name: for example “Roman Catholic WomenPriests” or “Catholics for Free Choice”, “American Catholic Council”, Catholics United, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, and so on.

Hopefully similar declarations will come out against the naming of those groups, as well.
 
markomalley said:
The ironic part about this is that I haven’t heard any bishop issue similar statements on other groups that claim “Catholic” in their name: for example “Roman Catholic WomenPriests” or “Catholics for Free Choice”, “American Catholic Council”, Catholics United, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, and so on.

Hopefully similar declarations will come out against the naming of those groups, as well.
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haha something tells me the name of these groups is the LEAST of the bishops’ worries… 😃
 
I don’t imagine anything will happen about it, unless a canonical sanction (censure or excommunication or something) is imposed.

If it is necessary, I do wish Mr. Voris to get ecclesiastical approval for his show’s name, as I like watching him.
 
markomalley said:
The ironic part about this is that I haven’t heard any bishop issue similar statements on other groups that claim “Catholic” in their name: for example “Roman Catholic WomenPriests” or “Catholics for Free Choice”, “American Catholic Council”, Catholics United, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, and so on.

Hopefully similar declarations will come out against the naming of those groups, as well.
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Of course, the archbishop of Detroit did speak out, repeatedly, against the American Catholic Council last year and the year before that. It was in response to the ACC’s decision to hold their first national conference in Detroit. Archbishop Vigneron forbid any priests to attend and counseled lay Catholics to avoid it. We had a few discussion threads here in Catholic News forum about the situation.
 
Dale_M said:
Of course, the archbishop of Detroit did speak out, repeatedly, against the American Catholic Council last year and the year before that. It was in response to the ACC’s decision to hold their first national conference in Detroit. Archbishop Vigneron forbid any priests to attend and counseled lay Catholics to avoid it. We had a few discussion threads here in Catholic News forum about the situation.
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True. But Archbishop Vigneron is not the ACC’s Ordinary…one of the Illinois bishops is (I don’t exactly know which diocese Barrington, Illinois, falls under, so I can’t specifically say which bishop has this responsibility, but whoever it is should exercise that responsibility, IMHO.
 
JimR-OCDS said:
An Emmy award is meaningless when it comes to preaching Catholic doctrine accurately and with charity.

Jim
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Its just always something I’ve wondered about, no need to be defensive. Its listed on his resume, so I assume its fair game to ask…
 
LiveCatholic said:
Its just always something I’ve wondered about, no need to be defensive. Its listed on his resume, so I assume its fair game to ask…
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Many people wonder about it as well. It seems he was awarded those Emmys for his work in broadcast news at WJBK (now called Fox 2) in Detroit. He won four Emmys, but I can’t determine for what. I suspect they are not national Emmys, but are local Emmys awarded by the Michigan chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Unfortunately, the chapter doesn’t have an online listing of winners going back to the 1990s, which is when Voris won his.
 
Oh well he can probably come up with a much better name anyway. I’m sometimes a little embarassed when people see I have emails from “Real Catholic TV”, as if I am somehow a “real” catholic because I watch that show.
 
The Archdiocese of Detroit has instructed a controversial conservative group to stop using the term “Catholic” to identify their television broadcasts.The archdiocese has issued a …

More…
 
It’ll be interesting to see how RCTV responds. Whatever their opinion on the matter is, the proper Catholic response is to comply and be obedient to their Ordinary. Doing so would give an excellent example to the faithful.
 
I’m confused?:confused: As far as I know, RealCatholic does does not go against any of the church teachings?
 
**DUPLICATE THREAD **
Discussion can be found here. The first post gave the answer to Dailey’s question from Canon Law.

CAN. 216
Since they participate in the mission of the Church, all the Christian faithful have the right to promote or sustain apostolic action even by their own undertakings, according to their own state and condition. Nevertheless, no undertaking is to claim the name Catholic without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority.
 
Let us hope this announcement will put to death the canonical controversy and Mr. Voris will simply proceed with approval and ecclesial oversight. If he thinks episcopal authority is going to diminish his message, it is probably the wrong message.
 
markomalley said:
The ironic part about this is that I haven’t heard any bishop issue similar statements on other groups that claim “Catholic” in their name: for example “Roman Catholic WomenPriests” or “Catholics for Free Choice”, “American Catholic Council”, Catholics United, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, and so on.

Hopefully similar declarations will come out against the naming of those groups, as well.
Click to expand...
  1. I’m not sure if there’s canonically a difference between “Catholic” and “Catholics.” The first denotes an almost magisterial image whereas the second denotes merely a group of individuals.
  2. The groups listed are groups grounded in dissent. I doubt they’d care about a letter from their Ordinary. RCTV on the other had claims to be orthodox so there’s a reasonable expectation they’d follow the canons…
 
I agree that Mr. Voris should proceed with acquiring the approval from the Archdiocese. BUT, i wonder if instead of making a point of exposing where certain Bishops fail in their duties to the Faithful, he were instead just as limp and go-along as most Diocesan newspapers, would he get this attention? His delivery is a bit rough, but i have never heard one word on any of his episodes that contradict Catholic teaching.
I also wonder how this language would go over in most Diocesan offices:

From the Gospel of St. Luke;ch 3. St. John the Baptizer
“[6] And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. [7] He said therefore to the multitudes that went forth to be baptized by him: Ye offspring of vipers, who hath shewed you to flee from the wrath to come? [8] Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of penance; and do not begin to say, We have Abraham for our father. For I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham. [9] For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down and cast into the fire.”

The Gospel of St. Matthew; ch. 23 Our Lord Jesus Christ
"Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you are like to whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men’s bones, and of all filthiness. [28] So you also outwardly indeed appear to men just; but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. [29] Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; that build the sepulchres of the prophets, and adorn the monuments of the just, [30] And say: If we had been in the days of our Fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.

[29] Build the sepulchres: This is not blamed, as if it were in itself evil to build or adorn the monuments of the prophets: but the hypocrisy of the Pharisees is here taxed; who, whilst they pretended to honour the memory of the prophets, were persecuting even unto death the Lord of the prophets.

[31] Wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of them that killed the prophets. [32] Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. [33] You serpents, generation of vipers, how will you flee from the judgment of hell? [34] Therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city: [35] That upon you may come all the just blood that hath been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.

[35] That upon you may come: Not that they should suffer more than their own sins justly deserved; but that the justice of God should now fall upon them with such a final vengeance, once for all, as might comprise all the different kinds of judgments and punishments, that had at any time before been inflicted for the shedding of just blood.

[36] Amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation. [37] Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered together thy children, as the hen doth gather her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not? [38] Behold, your house shall be left to you, desolate. [39] For I say to you, you shall not see me henceforth till you say: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

scripture quotes from: drbo.org/index.htm
 
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