Persecutions of Caritas
For several years, a great challenge was mounted to attack and destroy Caritas of Birmingham, the Caritas Community and the founder and close its doors. It was matched by the Caritas’ efforts and prayers and thousands of supporters to overcome an ardent anti-Medjugorje, multi-millionaire, Mr. Phillip J. Kronzer and his Phillip J. Kronzer Foundation for Religious Research. Mr. Kronzer sued Caritas in California and Florida and funded litigation against Caritas’ law firm, attorney, and the attorney’s secretary in California. Mr. Kronzer’s intense desire to destroy Medjugorje, focused on Caritas, as it is the largest Medjugorje center in the world. His anti-Medjugorje efforts propagated a plan to paint the Medjugorje movement as a worldwide cult, in turn paying and funding suits. Caritas fought back, since it had to defend itself against the allegations it believed to be false that were made in the various lawsuits. The first was a California lawsuit brought against Caritas and Terry Colafrancesco and was thrown out by the judge. A Florida lawsuit was thrown out and found to be as frivolous. Lawsuits continued to be filed in the effort to shut down Caritas’ operation and the community. While under oath, Mr. Kronzer repeatedly took the 5th amendment and, in addition, admitted to wrongly obtaining Caritas’ Field Angel mailing list and using it to mail records, to them, that he falsified. The attack included posts on websites, the creation of websites, paying to syndicated radio programs, and paying for affidavits and a multitude of documents for the purpose of disinformation in the attempt to stop supporters from funding Caritas.
As a result of Caritas’ six year battle, Mr. Kronzer and The Phillip J. Kronzer Foundation for Religious Research signed a Promissory Note in the amount of $750,000 payable to Caritas of Birmingham, the Community of Caritas, Terry Colafrancesco, Daniel J. Burnick (Caritas’ attorney) and Sirote & Permutt, P.C. (Caritas’ law firm). A copy of this Promissory Note is available for review here. On August 3, 2006, Phillip J. Kronzer and The Phillip J. Kronzer Foundation for Religious Research executed a Stipulation to Consent Judgment in the amount of one million dollars ($1,000,000). A copy of the Stipulation to Consent Judgment is also available for review here.
On March 27, 2006, an Arbitration Award was entered against Phillip J. Kronzer and The Phillip J. Kronzer Foundation for Religious Research totaling $225,000. Additionally, on July 20, 2006, a Permanent Injunction was entered against Mr. Kronzer and The Phillip J. Kronzer Foundation for Religious Research, requiring them to comply with the terms and provisions of the Mutual Settlement Agreement and Release entered into between the parties in April 2005. A copy of the Permanent Injunction is available for review here.
On December 18, 2006, Judge Joiner, Circuit Court of Shelby County, Alabama, entered a Judgment against Phillip J. Kronzer, individually in the amount of $1,000,000. A copy of the Judgment is available for your review here. On the same date, Judge Joiner entered Judgment against The Phillip J. Kronzer Foundation for Religious Research in the amount of $1,000,000. A copy of this Judgment is available for review here. Therefore, the judgments granted to Caritas totaled over $2,000,000.00. A copy of the Birmingham News article about the Judgments is available for review here.
On December 19, 2006, Judge Joiner, in the Circuit Court of Shelby County, Alabama found Mr. Kronzer and The Phillip J. Kronzer Foundation for Religious Research in civil and criminal contempt court and ordered them to be incarcerated for five days each. Mr. Kronzer served a short period of time in jail. A copy of the Order Holding Defendants in Contempt is available for review here.
Subsequent to Mr. Kronzer being held in contempt of court, both civilly and criminally, Mr. Kronzer fled the country without his passport to the Bahamas. He was ultimately incarcerated in the Bahamas and deported back to the United States.
As you can tell, from the lengthy legal struggles with Mr. Kronzer and The Kronzer Foundation for Religious Research, Caritas has successfully repelled the attacks on Caritas in an attempt to close the Mission down. With the cases settled to Caritas’ favor, the residue of false documents and disinformation still abound and is promoted by some Medjugorje individuals whose discernment has become clouded with jealousy of Caritas, the Community and the founder’s position in the Medjugorje movement, and therefore seeks to injure. When Medjugorje visionary, Marija, asked Our Lady, on behalf of Caritas’ founder, about these persecutions and what should his response be. Our Lady said from the Bedroom of Apparitions here at Caritas:
May 6, 2004
"I give you my love. You give it to others."
All at Caritas respond only in love. Caritas will continue to spread the messages of Our Lady, and will continue to overcome attacks against our Mission.
For more information read also the affidavit from Ed Locks concerning some of the allegations made against a Friend of Medjugorje and the mission of Caritas. Download here the affidavit from Ed Locks.
Questioning Caritas? What does A Friend of Medjugorje have to say?