Church Militant's Hatred for the SSPX Explained: Part I

Many have wondered. Mary Ann Kreitzer does the digging to find out why Church Militant has such vicious, unChristian hatred for the SSPX.

From Les Femmes

By Mary Ann Kreitzer

Looking at the past can often be the magnifying glass that explains the present. Since so many have wondered about the fanatical hatred Church Militant (CM) has for the SSPX, I decided to take a good hard look at the origins of Real Catholic TV/Church Militant/St. Michael's Media and their financial and personal connections to Opus Dei. What an eye-opening search. Michael Voris and his team have been liars from the very beginning, hiding their personal and financial connections to Opus Dei and others with a rabid hatred for the Society. The lying and hypocrisy are deep and wide. 

Before I go into CM's history, let's take a brief look at the latest attack published yesterday ostensibly written by Dr. John Lamont but obviously based on Christine Niles’ biased “Spotlights” from last year. In fact, the article is nothing but a rehash  of Niles’ articles on the SSPX served up as leftovers containing a mishmash of facts, suppositions, unsubstantiated allegations, etc. The only "new" bit is that Lamont turned CM's cannons full blast on LifeSiteNews with an almost laughable accusation that one of their reporters, Stephen Kokx, has [omigosh!] "allegiance to the SSPX." Here's part of CM's attempt to discredit LifeSiteNews and Kokx. Note the highlights because they indicate the pathetic dishonesty of CM:

The policy of covering for the SSPX on sexual abuse appears to be a policy of the leadership of LifeSiteNews. Personal relationships may account for part of this policy. There is also the consideration that the SSPX exploits its leverage with Catholics who feel that its existence is indispensable as a tool to protect the Traditional Latin Mass in the rest of the Church, or who want them to be available as a shelter of last resort.

Really? Is there any proof for any of this? SSPX has a “policy” (read “evil conspiracy” with a maniacal laugh)? Nope, no evidence. SSPX “exploits its leverage with Catholics?” Nope, no evidence. This is CM’s game for trying to discredit the SSPX and now LifeSiteNews.

Note the words used: “appears to be…may account for.” It's pure speculation. Let's replace the words I highlighted with these.  "The policy of covering for Opus Dei and their secret activities appears to be the policy of the the leadership of Church Militant. Personal relationships with Opus Dei members like Marc Brammer and Terry Carroll among others may account for part of this policy. There is also the consideration that Opus Dei exploits its leverage with Catholics who feel that its existence is indispensable as a tool to save the Church and lead to putting an Opus Dei pope on the chair of Peter.

The next speculation refers to SSPX "control" over their followers and "financial considerations" that may play a role in the villainous behavior of the SSPX: 

It would not be surprising if financial considerations play a role as well. The control over its followers that enables the SSPX to get them to keep silent about sexual abuse, and to attack the victims when they make their abuse public, also enables it to extract large sums of money from these followers without giving an account of where all the money goes. This enables it to exert influence over conservative and traditional Catholic organizations, whose financial basis is often precarious.

Wow! Lots to unpack here. Again, it’s pure speculation to manipulate the reader into seeing the SSPX as a "cult" (a word CM frequently uses in describing the SSPX) that exploits their followers hiding their finances and using them to "exert influence." 

Any proof? 

NADA! 

What's humorous about this, if one can find any humor in CM's malicious behavior, is that one of the most secret societies in the Church is Opus Dei. My daughter attended an Opus Dei school for several years. When we left, I commented to a friend that "they want all your time and all your money." And if you want to find a group that deals in secrecy and pressure exerted on their followers, Opus Dei is definitely your group. But don’t expect CM to uncover their abuse. Read their recent article on the exploitation of workers by OD and note how CM bends over backwards to let OD spokesmen explain and excuse their exploitation. No big guns aimed at OD. But hey! They can claim that they “investigated” OD. Clever, if dishonest, strategy! Dishonesty seems to be the “policy” at CM among their leadership.

So let's look at the beginning of CM as St. Michael's Media and Real Catholic TV.

The saga begins in 2006 when Michael Voris formed his company, St. Michael's Media. In 2008 Real Catholic TV premiered in Ferndale, MI, a city known for its homosexual presence. 

But the domain name wasn’t registered by Voris. Rather it belonged to Marc Brammer who hired Voris to do the programming and put $250,000 into the startup of Real Catholic TV. 

So who is Marc Brammer and what kind of programming did he want Voris and company to produce?

Marc Brammer is a wealthy and successful businessman from South Bend, IN. He is also a member of Opus Dei as researcher Randy Engel confirmed from a 2011 email responding to a query to Mike Voris. Not just an ordinary member, however. Brammer wrote to Engel that he is a “supernumerary” of Opus Dei and involved in several media enterprises. What is the connection of those enterprises to OD? Another area of investigation.

In another contact with Engel, Brammer linked Opus Dei with Voris saying, “Come on Randy…be a Catholic warrior with us…with me…with [E. Michael] Jones…with Voris…we are not OD thugs.” Hmm… Brammer clearly connects Voris here with OD.  So exactly what level of involvement does Voris have with OD? Member? Cooperator? Friendly ally in their work? Something to investigate.

These questions need answers because they would go a long way to explaining why Church Militant is trying to destroy not only the SSPX, but LifeSiteNews, The Remnant, Catholic Family News, and any other media outlet favorable to the Holy Tradition of the Catholic Church.

Is Michael Voris a member of Opus Dei? A cooperator? Or just the financial beneficiary of a number of Opus Dei promoters who may be acting as Opus Dei front men? OD appears to act on the principle of plausible deniability letting some of their wealthy members act as stealth actors in their “work of God.” 

I’ll explore the OD/CM connection more next time.

TO BE CONTINUED….