Yesterday, Michael Voris of Church Militant released a very difficult and courageous episode of the Vortex. In it, he alleged that the New York Archdiocese, in apparent retribution for his investigation of the strong homosexual culture within the clergy there, intended to publicly reveal his own past sins. If true, this would amount to an egregious violation of the 8th Commandment. And the sins in question were unquestionably shocking and unexpected. Voris said, in part: I have never made a secret that my life prior to my reversion was extremely sinful. I have said many times — in public — that I was in a state of mortal sin, and had I died, I would have been damned. I also revealed these sins were of a sexual nature and that they occurred over a prolonged period of time. I did not reveal the specific nature or details of the sins, because when I returned home to the Church, I did not think that a full public confession of details was necessary in order to start proclaiming the great mercy of God.

Perhaps that was a wrong assessment. I don’t seriously know. Perhaps along these years I should have been revealing of greater detail. That, I now think so, but more on that in a moment. Whatever the matter, I will now reveal that for most of my years in my thirties, confused about my own sexuality, I lived a life of live-in relationships with homosexual men. From the outside, I lived the lifestyle and contributed to scandal in addition to the sexual sins. On the inside, I was deeply conflicted about all of it. In a large portion of my twenties, I also had frequent sexual liaisons with both adult men and adult women. These are the sins of my past life in this area which are all now publicly admitted and owned by me. That was before my reversion to the Faith. Since my reversion, I abhor all these sins, especially in the world of the many many other sins I have committed having nothing to do with sexuality. I gave in to deep pains from my youth by seeking solace in lust, and in the process, surrendered my masculinity.

The original is much longer, and the text does not do justice to Voris’ presentation in the video, which every interested party should watch. Voris’ revelations were offered personally, and with obvious sincerity. He admitted his wrongdoing, rather than denying it. He expressed hatred for his own sins, not excuses. He offered a compelling case for the reality of his conversion, and how God’s gratuitous grace and mercy fuels his drive to do the work he does today.eclipse fresno blackout window curtain I worked for three-years in a prestigious crisis communications firm. eclipse microfiber thermaback blackout curtain - 42'' x 84''Our clients were some of the most powerful figures in their respective industries, and the issues they faced — often with huge legal or financial ramifications — were complex and challenging, and invariably played out in the media. viceroy bedding blackout curtains

I had the pleasure of watching some of the best and brightest minds in the PR business advise proactive responses to bad press, and in my opinion, Voris handled this situation exceptionally well. He got in front of the story. He owned his failings. He took much of the wind out of the sails of any forthcoming attack. He appeared to recognize one of his principal failures: that as one of the most aggressive investigators of homosexual activity in the Church, revealing his past sooner would have made him more credible and prevented such an attack.penny lane curtains majorca If what Voris says is true, and this is being orchestrated by forces within the Archdiocese, it will be ugly. iweiss curtainsThey will no doubt provide as many salacious details as they can dig up. juuni curtains

I hope that if the Archdiocese of New York is really mounting such a smear campaign (an allegation the archdiocese has now denied)  that it backfires spectacularly, and earns them the opprobrium they so richly deserve. The odds that something like this would be an official effort sanctioned by Cardinal Dolan is highly unlikely; still, even if it was an “off the books” effort by high-ranking members of the clergy, it should be exposed and condemned. The folks at Church Militant and I do not see eye to eye on some very important things. studiotm society grommet-top curtain panelBut today, I stand with Michael Voris against those who would use public detraction to destroy a man’s reputation. Michael has my personal prayers and my public support in this fight. When I first saw the transcript of Voris’ comments yesterday evening, I was actually on my way out to go to confession.

We’re all sinners, and God forbid any of us have to render a public accounting of things for which we are so deeply ashamed. I have no doubt that this was one of the hardest things Voris has ever done. I commend him for the way he handled it.LWLies is a bi-monthly, independent movie magazine that features cutting edge writing, illustration and photography to get under the skin of...A minute earlier, a room off the Microsoft Theater stage crowded with about 40 hockey icons was noisy with laughter and storytelling. When Ondrasik started to sing, you didn't hear so much as a breath, every man mesmerized by the grainy film on the video monitor.It was then that Orr slowly wiped a tear from the corner of his eye as he watched the salute to Howe, his boyhood idol.We tend to view NHL legends as larger than life, bulletproof, evergreen in our memories. But at that instant, you remembered there is a profound human quality among the fraternity of NHL players, no matter the crests they wore, no matter whether they played a thousand games or just one.

The 90-minute gala was the Centennial centerpiece of 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend, with 67 names being added to 33 announced on New Year's Day, completing the list. For the entire show, I was backstage in this curtained-off room where players would arrive, grouped by decade and position from the 1970s through today, from where they would be escorted to the stage for their moments in the spotlight. There is no way to properly describe seeing the black curtain open and a half dozen or more superstars walk inside. Ten minutes later, it would open again and in would come the next group, legend after legend, everyone wearing identical blazers with the NHL's Centennial logo on the breast pocket.As they arrived chronologically by decade, you had a spine-tingling appreciation for the history of the League, of the otherworldly players who, in many ways, shaped hockey both for their own era and for the future of the game.Their stories flowed like a stream, and in 90 minutes you would hear a great deal of the NHL's second half-century discussed in short anecdotes, jokes and tales that took some time to unfold, no one minding that the truth at times took a beating. 

And then there were the comparisons not of their teams, but of replaced joints, new knees and repaired shoulders, goals and assists blended with aches and pains.It seemed Wayne Gretzky, the NHL's Centennial Ambassador, was being pulled by the show's producers through the curtain every 10 minutes, one more task for him to perform."The Great One announced loudly to the laughter of all when he reappeared in the room once again.No one was more starstruck by this evening than the legends themselves."It's humbling to be here today," Mark Messier said during a private reception before the gala. "I probably played against most of these guys. If not, then I watched them intently growing up. And if they're older than that, then I knew about them through the history of the game. I'm not sure if there's been an event I've been to since being a part of the NHL that has had a room full of so many incredible ambassadors of this magnitude."Indeed, never had there been an assembly of this much NHL star power."

There are award shows and certain events where a number of players and former players get together," Pittsburgh Penguins captain said. "But there aren't any words to describe a group like this. It's really a cool thing to be a part of."Crosby, one of six active skaters on the 100 Greatest NHL Players list, didn't quite know which direction to turn or whose hand he wanted to shake first.Video: NHL's best talk about being named to 100 Greatest"There are so many," he said. "To see Mario [Lemieux] and Wayne [Gretzky], then to see Maurice Richard's son here representing his father. It's incredible to see the trickle-down effect and what this all means to families."Toronto Maple Leafs rookie was thunderstruck, standing in the reception as the waves of incoming legends crashed over him like California surf."Look one way and it's Wayne Gretzky. Look the other way, it's Steve Yzerman," Matthews said. "Hopefully, I'll get to talk to everybody. There is so much history in this room, so many unbelievable players."

They had been arriving in Los Angeles since Thursday, about 20 of the honorees attending a casual Thursday cocktail reception. By midday Friday, the hotel lobby was swollen with fans and guests, milling about slack-jawed as Hall of Famers, some not having seen each other in years, hugged in reunion.The legends would assemble at 4:30 p.m. Friday and then, almost en masse, with Gretzky, Orr and Lemieux to join them after their 5 p.m. news conference, descended two floors by escalator for a short walk outside to the theater, through a friendly gauntlet of adoring fans who couldn't quite believe a parade neither they nor the participants will see the likes of again.Gretzky was one of the last to arrive for the pre-gala reception, playfully blowing kisses on his escalator ride at the theater. Messier grinned at all that was unfolding, taking stock of the men he had played with and those he had fought against, the wins and losses now sewn together, his sepia memories greater than any single event."

I look around and see the [New York] Islanders guys here, I see Scott Stevens here from the [New Jersey] Devils, all the Philadelphia [Flyers] guys … it's a roomful of memories," Messier said.Video: Scott Stevens Talks NHL100 Experience"There are many people who would like to play even one game at the NHL level and they never get to. To play even one game is testimony to the amount of work you put in as a young fellow, preparing yourself to get that opportunity."Backstage, goaltenders Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy, ranked 1-2 in games played and victories, chatted like the old friends they are.As he eclipsed one great goaltender after another on his journey to the summit of his position, Brodeur learned much about hockey history from his late, Denis, a former goalie himself and for years the Montreal Canadiens team photographer."A lot of the men I passed, I had no clue who they were," Brodeur said. "Next thing you know, I was learning. At the end of the day, I'm just glad to be spoken of in the same breath as these guys.

It was a great ride and I'm still living off of it."The gala ended with every legend present onstage for a final bow to a standing ovation, media then pouring out of the wings to interview them where they had just been celebrated.Amid the chaos, Orr handed a grinning Gretzky a dollar; something about a wager Orr had lost regarding how Gretzky would get his wife, Janet, up onto the stage."I don't remember exactly what the bet was," Gretzky said with a sly smile over breakfast on Saturday. "But I do recall telling Bobby that if he signed that dollar bill, it would be worth $1,000."Video: Gretzky, Orr and Lemieux discuss their careersMost among them retired to a post-gala reception where they had assembled before the show. For nearly an hour, I stood with former Canadiens captain Yvan Cournoyer, a 10-time Stanley Cup winner, and his wife, Evelyn, to chat with Chris Chelios, whose 26-season NHL career began with Montreal in 1983, four years after a bad back forced Cournoyer into retirement."