{"id":9998,"date":"2012-01-09T17:40:25","date_gmt":"2012-01-09T23:40:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?p=9998"},"modified":"2016-09-30T17:34:52","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T21:34:52","slug":"who-has-jurisdiction-over-realcatholic-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2012\/01\/who-has-jurisdiction-over-realcatholic-tv\/","title":{"rendered":"Who has jurisdiction over RealCatholic TV? — UPDATED"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

After last month\u2019s statement <\/a><\/strong>from the Archdiocese of Detroit \u2014 saying that Michael Voris isn\u2019t authorized by the archdiocese to use the word \u201cCatholic\u201d \u2014 there seems to be some disagreement about who actually has jurisdiction over Voris\u2019s work.\u00a0 Details: <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>[Detroit] Archdiocesan Director of Communications Ned McGrath noted that concerns about Voris had been public since 2008; however, the release did not say anything about the nature of those concerns. To date the diocese has not made any specific allegations against RealCatholicTV or its programming.While the questions asked by most pertain to why the action was taken, the issue being discussed by canon lawyers is where jurisdiction over RealCatholicTV.com lies \u2013 with the Archdiocese of Detroit, where Michael Voris, the star of the show, lives and works, or in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, where the owner and financier of RealCatholicTV.com, Marc Brammer, resides.<\/p>\n

Fr. Mark Gurtner, Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend in Indiana spoke with LifeSiteNews, acknowledging that the diocese did know of Mr. Brammer\u2019s enterprise of RealCatholicTV.com.\u00a0 When asked if the diocese had any complaints about RealCatholicTV.com, Gurner replied, \u201cNo, as far as I know there\u2019s nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking as a canon lawyer and not an official of the diocese, Gurtner also said he believes the jurisdiction of the case resides with the Indiana diocese. \u201cIt certainly seems to me that canonically Michael Voris would not be the one that this would be imposed on,\u201d he said. \u201cEven though he is the one that regularly appears on (the show) he, in a sense, is really just an employee of (RealCatholicTV.com).\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems like if the Archdiocese of Detroit is trying to go after (Voris), that\u2019s the wrong person to address this with, that would have to be with the owner of the website or blog,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose if this Marc Brammer is paying for and running, constructing his blog from our diocese in his home I suppose you could make the argument that we have jurisdiction canonically.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked by LifeSiteNews what concerns the Detroit Archdiocese had about Voris and RealCatholicTV.com, Detroit Archdiocesan Director of Communications McGrath would not specify any concern other than the use of the word \u2018Catholic\u2019\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026Regarding the question of jurisdiction, McGrath directed LifeSiteNews to a blog post by canon lawyer Ed Peters, a professor at the AOD seminary, who has supported the archdiocese\u2019s claims of having jurisdiction in the case.<\/p>\n

In an initial blog post<\/a> Peters, wrote, in his capacity as a canon lawyer and not as a representative of the diocese, about canon law 216, noting that the bishop has authority over the name Catholic. In a subsequent post, Peters took up the matter of jurisdiction, suggesting that Detroit is on \u201cfirm ground\u201d in pursuing Voris.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have yet to see the \u2018lack of jurisdiction\u2019 claim being made by anyone who knows how canon law actually determines jurisdiction over persons and projects,\u201d Peters wrote. \u201cAs a blog is not the place for me to attempt a pre-emptive tutorial on canonical jurisdiction, I\u2019ll just say that, to the extent that jurisdiction is or might be an issue in this matter, I believe the [Archdiocese of Detroit] to be on firm ground.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read more. <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

UPDATE: <\/strong>Michael Voris released the following video statement late today:<\/p>\n