"Demonic and Criminal Activity" Plague Catholic Church in America
October 28, 2003
By Toby Westerman
Copyright 2003 International News Analysis Today
www.inatoday.com
Many bishops in the Catholic Church in America permit abuse ranging from the looting of parishes to toleration of sophisticated occult practices, according to the anti-fraud and pro-family crusader, Philip J. Kronzer, founder and head of the Kronzer Foundation devoted to uncovering religious fraud and cult abuse.
In a startling series of revelations, Kronzer detailed a nearly bewildering web of fraud and deceit, ruined lives and high-powered fundraising, during his appearance on Michael Corbin's radio show, For A Closer Look.
Kronzer declared that much of the Catholic Church is suffering from a plague of "demonic and criminal activity."
Joined by private investigator Jim Rothstein, Kronzer identified what he described as the common thread holding the web of corruption together: money, sex, and the Medjugorje cult.
The Catholic Church has not approved of the purported visions and messages of Medjugorje, but millions of Catholics - and Protestants - are drawn to this devotion. The Medjugorje cult has also distinguished itself by the large number of unscrupulous individuals who have extracted tens of millions, if not billions, of dollars from the faithful.
Millions of dollars alone have been raised for orphans of the Balkan Wars, led by the suspended Medjugorje priest, Fr. Jozo Zovko, an individual repeatedly accused of sexually abusing women. Although Zovko and his American counterparts raised large sums for orphans, no orphanages were established, according to Kronzer.
Travel agencies, tours by various "seers," and book promotions also produce large sums of money.
As millions of dollars flow from the Medjugorje money machine, the pressure on the faithful who do not accept Medjugorje becomes intense, and for some, dangerous.
Kronzer and Rothstein drew a frightening picture of those who dare to criticize Medjugorje or the vast financial empire created by this particular devotion.
Not only is it dangerous to oppose Medjugorje, it is also perilous to know too much about certain financial details of those who make vast amounts of money from promoting Medjugorje.
One of the giants of the U.S. pro-life movement, Fr. Paul Marx, lost his position and lives in virtual isolation, after showing determined opposition to Medjugorje, according to Rothstein. Marx is a vigorous opponent of abuse within the Church and a staunch advocate of the pro-life position, but "most of his problems really started when he went against Medjugorje," declared Rothstein.
Not only was Marx silenced as an active voice for pro-life, the organization he built could no longer account for millions of dollars in donations. After Marx was forced from his leadership position, tens of millions of dollars were found missing from HLI bank accounts, according to Rothstein.
The lure of money remains strong, even without Medjugorje, for the unfaithful stewards within the Catholic Church in America.
Kronzer related the experiences of two parishes to illustrate the desperate plight of many Catholics in America. Both parishes are in the San Jose diocese, where Kronzer lives.
Our Lady of Peace parish in Santa Clara underwent a change as it lost its traditionally-oriented pastor, Msgr. John Sweeney. Not only did the parishioners find that the faith was no longer taught, but also the parish reserve fund of some $1.7 million disappeared, and was replaced with a deficit of some $435,000. No one in Our Lady of Peace recalls the parish ever having a debt, related Kronzer.
While the faithful at Our Lady of Peace were in shock at the loss of both the faith and money, the parishioners at St. Joseph in Capitola received a heavy dose of the occult. Two witnesses stated that a séance was performed in the basement of St. Joseph's church, and that individuals levitated during the "service", Kronzer reported.
No area of the nation is safe from the plague ravaging the U.S. Catholic Church, even Powers Lake, North Dakota and the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Prairies, for years considered a haven for traditional Catholic family life. An individual earlier associated with Marvin Kucera's now defunct "refuge movement," Ryan Patrick Scott, now runs the shrine, presenting himself as a Roman Catholic priest. Kronzer stated that he learned of Scott's move to Powers Lake only recently.
Scott impersonated a Catholic priest in the Wisconsin area during his association with Kucera. The Bishop of the LaCrosse Diocese, Rev. Raymond Burke, in November 1996 issued a statement denying that Scott was a Roman Catholic priest. Burke indicated that Scott had been ordained by a group referring to itself as the "American Catholic Church" or the "Reformed Catholic Church in America," according to E. Michael Jones in his book, "The Medjugorje Deception.
INA Today has learned that Scott now identifies himself as "Abbot Ryan" of Our Lady of the Prairies.
Years of investigation and countless contacts with bishops and diocesan officials have left Kronzer wondering why nothing has been done thus far against the plague of fraud, deceit, and faithlessness which tears at the Church. A summary of Kronzer's findings, produced in the form of interviews on Michael Corbin's show, will be released shortly.
As Kronzer's efforts, and successes become increasingly widely known, the next move will be up to the bishops.
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"Black Widows" and Religious Fraud
Racketeering and Revelation
Infiltration of the Catholic Church?
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