Michael Voris has accused Pope Francis of being in a state of unrepentant actual mortal sin. “Thou shalt not bear false witness” against the Vicar of Christ.

Michael Voris has put himself above every Cardinal and Bishop on earth, to judge them harshly, unjustly, and according to his own poor understanding of the Catholic Faith. He judges the body of Bishops. He judges what is and is not the proper interpretation of Tradition and Scripture. He usurps the role of the Magisterium, the sole authoritative interpreter of Divine Revelation — making himself sole interpreter. He usurps the role of the Pope to oversee the Bishops.

So it was inevitable that Michael Voris would directly condemn the Roman Pontiff for not running the Church the way that Voris would like, for not overseeing the Cardinals and Bishops as Voris would prefer. Here it is: Church Militant Statement on the Pope (August 2018).

I would never stand in judgment over Popes and Bishops. I have only a bachelor’s degree in theology. I am not ordained. But even if I had a Ph.D. or an STL, I still would not be qualified to judge the Pope or the body of Bishops.

So it is entirely absurd that Michael Voris, a seminary dropout with only an STB (bachelor’s from a Pontifical University), would have the gall to stand in judgment over the Pope and the body of Bishops. His understanding of theology is shallow and full of errors and omissions. He has yet to write a single book of real theology. He can’t. He lacks the theological chops. Yes he exalts himself to judge the whole Church. And quite a few idiots are following him.

The official statement, which is accompanied by a Michael Voris video saying those exact same words, accuses Pope Francis of grave interior sins, concludes that the Pope himself and the Cardinals and Bishops who assist him are not in the state of grace, and thereby commits the sin of public formal schism. Voris’ condemnation of the Pope is so severe that it is entirely impossible for him to also say that he submits himself to the authority of the Pope over faith, morals, salvation, and discipline. Voris’ condemnation of the Bishops as a body is also schismatic; for he refuses communion with the Bishops who are in communion with the Pope.

Canon 751: “schism is the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him”.

Canon 1364, n. 1: “an apostate from the faith, a heretic, or a schismatic incurs a latae sententiae excommunication”

Can. 915 “Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.”

Michael Voris is automatically excommunicated for teaching heresy, for public formal schism against the Pope and the body of Bishops, and he is unworthy for Communion under Canon 915 because he is “obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin” — the sins of usurping the role of the Pope over the Bishops, the sin of usurping the role of the Magisterium to interpret Tradition and Scripture authoritatively, the sin of scandal in unleashing innumerable malicious remarks and verbal abuse against the Bishops and now against the Pope, the sin of bearing false witness against the Pope and the Bishops.

In his latest Vortex video, Voris claims that, when the Pope spoke these words, he was referring to Michael Voris and Church Militant: “schism, condemnation, malice, fury, self-aggrandizement (and) the denunciation of heresy.” The Pope did not mention Voris or Church Militant by name. Voris is self-identifying as a schismatic whose words are full of condemnation, malice, fury, self-aggrandizement, and the denunciation of (supposed) heresy. And the shoe does fit. Voris accuses the Bishops of all manner of grave sin, including teaching heresy. But he himself is guilty of both schism and heresy, as my posts on this subject prove.

Some Catholics are angry at the Pope and the Bishops for not speaking and acting as they would like. So when Voris berates the Bishops and even the Pope, they thank him for expressing their own malice and hatred toward their former Church.

If your best friend is talking about his ex, you sit there and support him by trash-talking his ex. And he will feel better and thank you. Certain Catholics have broken up with the Pope and the Bishops; they are already schismatics. They do not accept the authority of the Pope or the body of Bishops over doctrine and discipline. They will follow Voris and other conservative leaders, in contradiction to the Pope and Bishops. And they thank him for trash-talking their ex. That’s why Voris gets much support from conservatives, because he is verbally abusing Church leaders, whom the members of his audience have themselves rejected.

What kind of Catholic listens to the constant stream of verbal abuse pouring forth from Michael Voris’ mouth, and then says to himself, “That’s the true Gospel of Jesus Christ: hate speech, gay slurs, verbal abuse, ridicule of Church leaders, hatred and malice expressed toward the Pope and the body of Bishops.” ?? You people who follow Michael Voris are following a modern-day Arius, who teaches heresy, utters blasphemy, and is entirely schismatic. And you don’t even notice.

Yes, severe verbal abuse of the Pope and the body of Bishops is indirect blasphemy. Direct blasphemy is of course directly aimed at God himself. Indirect blasphemy concerns the things or persons close to God, including the Pope and the body of Bishops who lead the Church which has the Son of God as its head, and the Spirit of God as its figurative soul.

Catechism of the Catholic Church” “2120 Sacrilege consists in profaning or treating unworthily the sacraments and other liturgical actions, as well as persons, things, or places consecrated to God.”

Michael Voris has also committed the sin of sacrilege by profaning and treating unworthily persons consecrated to God, namely, the Pope and the body of Bishops.

So, I repeat, Michael Voris is automatically excommunicated for heresy and schism, and he is unworthy to receive Communion because he is “obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin”. If you follow him, you are following a heretical and schismatic leader who openly commits grave sins against the Church.

by
Ronald L. Conte Jr.
Roman Catholic theologian
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