ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Catholic communications conglomerate Shalom Media has released new episodes of its anti-porn propaganda video and audio series, “The Porn Disaster.”
The series prominently features priest Allen Hoffa, who chairs the Lumen Christi Commission, an influential Pennsylvania anti-porn group. Lumen Christi is affiliated with Integrity Restored, the powerful Catholic anti-porn organization behind the widespread propaganda tract “Porn Slaves.”
The series description states the programs will explain what “fuels this insatiable appetite” for adult content, asking, “Is pornography merely a form of entertainment or a grave addiction?”
“The Porn Disaster” is hosted by Patricia Keane and also features Hoffa’s fellow Catholic priest Chris Hayden, eating disorder therapist Kielty Oberlin and Gerard O’Donoghue, described as “father of six children.”
The series’ 12 episodes are available through Shalom Media’s YouTube channel Shalom World.
Shalom Media is based in Edinburgh, Texas, and is currently overseen by Indian-born local priest Roy Palatty, of the congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate. Shalom Media has deep ties with India and the Catholic Church in Asia. It was founded and led by Indian businessman and church proselytizer Benny Punnathara in the late 1980s. Punnathara’s bio states that he was awarded the title of Chevalier by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 for “outstanding contributions to the Catholic Church and society.”
The Controversial Bishop Behind Lumen Christi
Lumen Christi — the name means “Light of Christ” in Latin — was founded in 2018 by controversial Allentown Bishop Alfred Schlert, with the purpose of assisting him “in protecting the faithful from the scourges of pornography.” It includes both clergy and lay members, who are tasked with “combating” adult content.
The group’s ultimate mission is “to implement initiatives and programmatic change throughout the Diocese so that souls are not left vulnerable to the evil of pornography.”
“Unfortunately, pornography, through technology, is so readily accessible that there is no age, gender or social demographic that is immune from its deadly influence,” Schlert told his fellow commissioners during Lumen Christi’s first meeting. “Pornography exists in darkness, but the light of Christ can conquer it by grace and forgiveness.”
A press release put out by the Diocese of Allentown at the time explained that Lumens Christi would “use books, podcasts, therapists and training workshops designed by Integrity Restored.”
A few months after the formation of Lumens Christi, Schlert was at the center of a scandal when a grand-jury report revealed that several Pennsylvania dioceses, including Allentown, were being investigated over allegations that more than 300 Pennsylvania priests had committed sexual assaults, which their bishops had covered up, the National Catholic Reporter reported at the time.
“There have been other reports about child sex abuse within the Catholic Church,” the grand jury wrote in the report, made public in August 2018. “But never on this scale. For many of us, those earlier stories happened someplace else, someplace away. Now we know the truth: It happened everywhere.”
Six Pennsylvania dioceses were under investigation: Allentown, Erie, Greensburg, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh and Scranton.
“In Allentown, Fr. Michael Lawrence confessed his sexual abuse of a boy to a monsignor, who through the diocese ruled the experience wouldn’t be a ‘trauma’ for the victim,” the National Catholic Reporter reported.
In December 2018, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro told reporters that it was “unconscionable” that Schlert was “leading the Diocese after handling the cases of predator priests,” the Morning Call news site reported, calling the Diocese of Allentown “exhibit A” among evidence that the church helped cover up sexual abuse of minors.
Lumen Christi’s website prominently features Shalom Media’s “The Porn Disaster” series and also promotes partner organizations and sites like Integrity Restored; controversial for-profit, faith-based porn filter Covenant Eyes; ostensibly nonreligious Utah anti-porn activist group Fight the New Drug; plus a video interview with NCOSE’s main propagandist Haley McNamara.
Main Image: Anti-Porn Catholic Priest Allen Hoffa