LearnTheFaith.org
"The Scranton Affair"
A special Thank You to all who supported this event!
There were 150+ in attendance. The talk was brilliant and inspiring. If you would like to see it please go to RealCatholicTV.com and check out the Vortex this Thusday. April 21, 2011
Stay tuned as this website will undergo some changes!
“Living the Faith Radically”
Michael Voris to Speak in the Diocese of Scranton
Yes, really…
The gifted catechist and RealCatholicTV.com personality, Mr. Micheal Voris S.T.B., is coming to Scranton, despite the controversial efforts of Bishop Bambera and his associates to discredit him.
We decided last Thursday to cancel all of the events surrounding Mr. Voris’ visit to our region out of obedience and respect for Bishop Bambera.
However, it has come to light that this demand to ban Mr. Voris from speaking on diocesan property is not only insensitive but belies deeper inconsistencies in Diocesan policy that may express a vulnerability to certain influences.
While we respect our Bishop’s divinely appointed office and honor his responsibility to safeguard the teachings of the Catholic Church, it seems appropriate that the Bishop of Scranton has an opportunity to evaluate Mr. Voris’ knowledge of the Faith, free from opinions formed by others.
Our bishop and all the faithful of our diocese will have the opportunity to hear Mr. Voris for themselves at the following time and location:
Saturday
April 16, 2011
6:30PM
Best Western Genetti Hotel and Conference Center
77 East Market Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
570-820-8505
Michael Voris S.T.B. is an Emmy award winning writer and television producer. He is also the founder and executive producer of Saint Michael’s Media and RealCatholicTV.com, an internet television station that strives to accurately teach the Roman Catholic Faith worldwide through emerging media.
RealCatholicTV.com welcomes the interest of all men and women seeking Christ through the Truth of the Catholic Church. To learn more, point your web browser at RealCatholicTV.com
For more information regarding this weekend’s event contact Paul and Kristen Ciaccia @ 570-814-1863 or www.learnthefaith.org
“Living the Faith Radically”
Michael Voris to Speak in the Diocese of Scranton
Yes, really…
The gifted catechist and RealCatholicTV.com personality, Mr. Micheal Voris S.T.B., is coming to Scranton, despite the controversial efforts of Bishop Bambera and his associates to discredit him.
We decided last Thursday to cancel all of the events surrounding Mr. Voris’ visit to our region out of obedience and respect for Bishop Bambera.
However, it has come to light that this demand to ban Mr. Voris from speaking on diocesan property is not only insensitive but belies deeper inconsistencies in Diocesan policy that may express a vulnerability to certain influences.
While we respect our Bishop’s divinely appointed office and honor his responsibility to safeguard the teachings of the Catholic Church, it seems appropriate that the Bishop of Scranton has an opportunity to evaluate Mr. Voris’ knowledge of the Faith, free from opinions formed by others.
Our bishop and all the faithful of our diocese will have the opportunity to hear Mr. Voris for themselves at the following time and location:
Saturday
April 16, 2011
6:30PM
Best Western Genetti Hotel and Conference Center
77 East Market Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
570-820-8505
Michael Voris S.T.B. is an Emmy award winning writer and television producer. He is also the founder and executive producer of Saint Michael’s Media and RealCatholicTV.com, an internet television station that strives to accurately teach the Roman Catholic Faith worldwide through emerging media.
RealCatholicTV.com welcomes the interest of all men and women seeking Christ through the Truth of the Catholic Church. To learn more, point your web browser at RealCatholicTV.com
For more information regarding this weekend’s event contact Paul and Kristen Ciaccia @ 570-814-1863 or www.learnthefaith.org
The information below comes from the correspondence below between Fr.Brian Clarke; Vicar General and Bishop Barnbera to
Mr. and Mrs Paul Ciaccia in regards to the scheduled of event with Michael Voris.
Sent: Sat, Apr 9, 2011 1:35 pm
Subject: Response from Bishop Bambera
Mr. and Mrs. Ciaccia,
I have been asked by Bishop Bambera to respond on his behalf regarding the cancellation of Michael Voris as a guest speaker in the Diocese of Scranton. After concerns regarding Mr. Voris were brought to the Bishop’s attention, we at the Diocese were asked to look into the situation. It was expressed to us by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that there have been a number of controversies which have occurred as a result of Mr. Voris’ presentations.
We next contacted Mr. Voris’ home diocese, the Archdiocese of Detroit, for their opinion. We were given a statement referring to St. Michael ’s Media and Real CatholicTV, both focusing on the opinions of Mr. Voris. Neither enterprise has been granted approval by the Archdiocese which referred to a lack of cooperation and issues of non-compliance with basic archdiocesan protocols as well as those of the USCCB.
It is because of these responses in conjunction with other concerns that Bishop Bambera chose not to allow Mr. Voris to speak at any diocesan institution. Since Mr. Voris’ own bishop has not given approval or endorsement to his opinions, allowing him to speak at a diocesan facility would imply that Bishop Bambera is endorsing his views. Bishop Bambera chose to exercise the same caution shown by the Archdiocese of Detroit.
While this may be disappointing to you and others in the Diocese of Scranton, the Bishop has an obligation to safeguard Catholic teaching especially when a speaker from outside the Diocese with whom the Bishop is unfamiliar is expressing personal opinions.
Sincerely yours, Fr. Brian Clarke
Vicar General
April 8, 2011
Dear Bishop Bambera,
We are writing you to request a meeting with you in order to discuss the Michael Voris talk. Out of respect for you and obedience to your office of Bishop we cancelled all of this weekend’s events. However, the official reason given for these last-minute cancellations by the Diocese was inadequate. We would like to give you the opportunity to listen to our story and understand why we are so eager to host Michael Voris and are intending to still have him speak in a secular venue. We are available to meet with you anytime this weekend.
I understand that you might not have had adequate time to properly investigate Michael Voris and therefore were only able to make a judgement based on snippets of information. I am confident that if you and your office were to speak with Michael Voris directly or view his videos and listen to his podcasts in their entirety, you would find that Michael is completely faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Michael has encouraged us to give his phone number (xxx-xxx-xxxx) to you so that you may speak to him directly and clarify any misconceptions you may have about his views.
We look so forward to hearing from you and meeting with you. This event has been rescheduled and Michael Voris will be speaking to the public. If you intend to truly resolve this situation and make us aware of serious errors that Mr. Voris teaches, then please contact us immediately.
Yours truly, Paul and Kristen Ciaccia
Our Response to Diocese of Scranton for the Banning of Michael Voris:
As faithful Catholics who respect and value Church authority and the virtue of obedience, we are both shocked and saddened that such a short-sighted mindset has afflicted our local Church leadership. In a day when diversity is prized above all, we stand in stunned amazement that our leaders cannot read the signs of the times and would not extend a pastoral welcome of tolerance, inclusiveness and justice to Mr. Voris.
Michael Voris is an accomplished Catholic layman, a multiple Emmy Award winning journalist who is confident and comfortable in communicating the truths of our Catholic Faith. He has spoken in dozens and dozens of Church locations all around the world, where he has been warmly received by both bishops and laity alike.
Our events were open to all as we simply wanted to celebrate our Catholic Faith. Now, because of a refusal on the part of Catholic College Marywood to subscribe to the tenets of academic freedom, and a glaring amount of intolerance and prejudice on the part of diocesan leaders, we are being forced to abandon our Catholic "home" properties, not to mention the injustice done to Michael Voris’ character. We ask Bishop Bambera to enter into dialogue with us regarding this matter.
Because Michael Voris is an orthodox Catholic, faithful to the Magesterium and all the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church, it would be a shame for us to re-schedule our events at a secular site. However, thanks to the publicity being generated by the actions of those who operate out of fear and rash judgments, we would look forward to an even more successful event with larger crowds than originally planned.
The re-scheduled events will be posted as soon as they are finalized. For more information and questions you may contact Paul and Kristen Ciaccia at mail@learnthefaith.org.
Posted on: 04-7-2011 Posted in: News
The Diocese of Scranton has determined that Mr. Voris will not be allowed to speak in a Diocesan or parish facility. After these engagements were scheduled, the Diocese became aware of concerns about this individual’s views regarding other religious groups. In videos posted on the Internet, Mr. Voris makes comments that certainly can be interpreted as being insensitive to people of other faiths. The Catholic Church teaches us to respect all people, regardless of their faith tradition.
Although the Diocese shares Mr. Voris’ support of efforts to protect human life, his extreme positions on other faiths are not appropriate and therefore the Diocese cannot host him.
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