An Orthodox Christian priest known for his out-spoken defense of the Orthodox Church’s view on marriage and abortion, has sued the editors of an online publication for defamation.
Thomas More Society Special Counsel are representing Fr. Josiah Trenham, along with his wife, Orthodox Christian Ministries, and St. Andrew Orthodox Christian Church, in federal court.
Trenham and his ministry are suing self-proclaimed gay rights activist Peter “Giacomo” Sanfilippo and other editors of the online publication Orthodoxy in Dialogue for outrageously false, malicious, and defamatory statements and accusations concerning the priest and his ministry [see: Giacomo Sanfilippo’s Unholy Vendetta Against Faithful Orthodox Priests and Teachers].
The lawsuit details how Sanfilippo has repeatedly attacked Trenham via the online website Orthodoxy in Dialogue.
Charles LiMandri, Thomas More Society Special Counsel and partner at LiMandri & Jonna, LLP, reported, “Sanfilippo has unabashedly attacked Fr. Trenham in a multitude of reprehensible defamatory articles published on the website Orthodoxy in Dialogue, beginning in 2018.”
The lawsuit filed July 23, 2021, in United States District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that Sanfilippo has engaged in “conspiracy, intimidation, and coercion” in order to destroy the personal reputations of Trenham and those involved in ministry with him.
“We won’t allow internet trolls masquerading as media to destroy the character of a prominent religious leader because they are upset that a pastor upholds the teachings of the church,” declared LiMandri. “This outrageous behavior needs to stop, and we expect the court to rule in our clients’ favor.”
The complaint accuses Sanfilippo and three Orthodoxy in Dialogue colleagues of multiple instances of defamation, and includes claims of conspiracy, harassment, extortion, interference with prospective economic advantage, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Read the First Amended Complaint filed July 23, 2021, with the United States District Court for the Central District of California, in Father Josiah Trenham, et al. v. Peter J. Sanfilippo, et al. here [https://thomasmoresociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Complaint-Amend-07-23-21.pdf].
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HT: Orthodox Christianity
See also: Giacomo Sanfilippo’s Unholy Vendetta Against Faithful Orthodox Priests and Teachers
Pay the heretical “Orthodoxy in Dialogue” no mind.
Why? So Sanfilippo and his ilk can continue to attack, defame and try to destroy the reputations, lives and livelihoods of other Orthodox priests? So they continue to push the homosexual and transgender agendas and lead others astray? So they can confuse the young and the innocent, and push them into embracing abominations, all the while calling their heretical teachings “Orthodoxy”?
Fr. Trenham is just one of many priests that Sanfilippo has targeted and savaged. Giacomo Sanfilippo is a bully that needs to be held accountable for the the horrible things he’s done to good priests serving in the Orthodox Church. Sanfilippo’s blasphemous work and sick ideas are a rebellion against God, nature and the right teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church.
Thank goodness a brave priest has finally fought back. By standing up to the disgusting actions of Sanfilippo, Fr. Trenham is not only defending his family and his flock, but helping many other faithful priests who suffered the calumny that Sanfilippo has directed at them also. He is also making it harder for Sanfilippo to disseminate his homosexualized teachings and delusional ideas about gay marriage and transgender insanity.
Are you not aware of the evil works of Sanfilippo and his deluded followers?
Giacomo Sanfilippo’s Unholy Vendetta Against Faithful Orthodox Priests and Teachers
https://www.orthodoxytoday.org/blog/2020/02/giacomo-sanfilippos-unholy-vendetta-against-faithful-orthodox-priests-and-teachers/
Andrew- here’s another perspective on your “Why”
“Greetings in the Lord!
We praise the Lord that in every corner of the earth there are pious people who do not suffer from the grievous affliction of indifference. A contagious contemporary disease that is widespread, resulting into spiritual paralysis, interrupting as a consequence the Christian struggle and ending in spiritual death.
The proper Christian should be involved in “good restlessness” as Elder Paisios characteristically would say, becoming specifically and primarily interested by whatever concerns his Orthodox Faith. However this vigilance should at no time result in the loss of inner peace and going overboard with unjustifiable stress. And we underline this because the boundaries are very fine and the dangers of losing the correct route extremely serious. What you describe in your letter are topics that cause us stress and many times anger, since they concern movements clearly anti-orthodox and anti-ecclesiastical. Without of course this meaning that we bear empathy towards somebody- whatever he may believe in- or that we oppose healthy dialogues. In contrast we accept with great love whoever has the good intention to seek the Truth….
What is important and worthy for the Church is whether such a decision derives from the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, in step with Orthodox Tradition of our Apostles and Holy Fathers….Your question that you express with justified apprehension, specifically how each one of us should react, we believe it is not possible to be replied with a detailed “prescription”. It can be put though on the path of the Sacred Tradition of Holy Orthodoxy. She teaches us that without fail we owe it to be vigilant and guard our Faith unadulterated and dynamically react against anything and anybody that offends her. However every opposition should be characterized by special attention and discretion. For many were those who through exaggeration and with “not well informed” zeal they were driven to the opposite bank and dropped out of the Church. It is essential as well to study and research the teachings and life of the Saints and of the Godbearing Fathers.”
Doxa to Theo, In Christ, John