Church Militant Michael Voris steps down morality clause violation

"Controversial Church Militant founder Michael Voris resigns over 'morality clause' violation, citing 'ugly truths from my past' in emotional video."

Church Militant's Michael Voris has stepped down from his position after violating the "morality clause" of the company. The founder of St. Michael's Media, which operates the controversial Catholic media outlet Church Militant, resigned this week over an undisclosed "morality" violation. The company stated that Voris had "been asked to resign for breaching the Church Militant morality clause," and the board has accepted his resignation. They did not disclose the details of Voris's private matters to the public, but they have asked for prayers for him.

Church Militant has been known for its severe criticism of what it perceives as lax or insufficiently devout Catholicism, often targeting the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Pope Francis's papacy. The outlet has been involved in protests outside USCCB gatherings and has been highly critical of Pope Francis's remarks and teachings.

In a video posted to his Twitter page, Voris addressed the controversy, alluding to "some very, very ugly truths from my past" that he has avoided facing for 62 years. He mentioned that he needs to address and work on these issues, which he described as "horrible ugly things." Voris urged viewers to continue supporting the apostolate and emphasized the need for a clear separation between himself and the work of the staff at Church Militant.

Voris founded St. Michael's Media in 2006 and launched Church Militant in 2008. The company has faced previous challenges, including a dispute with the archdiocese over the use of the word "Catholic" in its public activities. Despite the controversy, Church Militant has continued to operate as a prominent Catholic media outlet.

As home schooling has soared in the U.S. and Catholic schools struggle to recover from the pandemic, the resignation of Michael Voris from Church Militant adds to the challenges facing the Catholic community. The impact of Voris's departure on the future of Church Militant and the broader Catholic media landscape remains to be seen.