Preacher who faked cancer will not face legal charges
by Elena Garcia, Christian Post
Posted: Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 7:41 (BST)
The Australian pentecostal preacher who faked cancer to hide his long-standing addiction to porn is not likely to face legal charges for soliciting donations under false pretences.
According to The Adelaide Advertiser, South Australian police are finalising investigations without making any charges against Michael Guglielmucci, who admitted his colossal deception on an Australian news channel last month.
Friends of Guglielmucci had set up a now defunct Facebook site, "Praying Together for Mike Guglielmucci cancer cause", asking for donations.
The police have tracked the money but will stop short of pressing legal action since no one has yet to make formal complaints either to the South Australian police or the police interstate, the Australian paper reported.
Guglielmucci is currently in hospital receiving psychiatric care for his addiction. His elaborate lie spanned two years, during which he lied to family, friends and even members of Hillsong Church.
Before the scandal erupted, Guglielmucci was known as a former youth pastor at Planetshakers City Church in Melbourne. The church is a Pentecostal Christian church affiliated with Australian Christian Churches, the Assemblies of God in Australia. His parents founded Edge Church International, also an Assemblies of God church.
In October 2006, he told his family and congregation that he was suffering an "aggressive" form of terminal blood cancer and multiple secondary cancers.
He claimed that it was the terminal illness that inspired him to write "Healer", which became a hit song earlier this year and is featured on Sydney Hillsong Church's latest album, This is Our God. The album released last month.
At one point, Guglielmucci took his elaborate hoax on stage as he wore an oxygen mask while he performed the song.
Hillsong said it was "obviously shocked" to learn of Guglielmucci's confession and will be taking steps to modify the DVD and CD.
"Because of the visual nature of the DVD, we are removing all footage of Michael and are planning to replace current stock with the re-mastered DVD shortly," said Hillsong in a note on its Web site.
"With regard to the CD, we are working with our distributors and retailers to assess what further action is required."
Brian Houston, pastor at Hillsong Church, also admitted to being "sucked in" to the hoax on his blog earlier this month.
"It was a two year academy award worthy performance as far as I am concerned," he wrote.
But Houston said he never saw a reason to doubt Guglielmucci, who exhibited physical signs of pain during one of Houston's visits to his hotel room.
On his blog, dated September 3, the Hillsong pastor concluded by affirming his faith in Jesus Christ and praying for people who have been hurt by the false story.
Guglielmucci's wife, the first to hear her husband's confession, has told The Advertiser that she would undergo counselling to try to salvage her marriage.
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Added: Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 16:22 (BST)
Yet another church leader is found to have feet of clay.
We ALL have this condition, otherwise Jesus would not have faced up to the mob who brought the adulterous woman before Him, stones in hand, demanding a judgment (John 8 v 1-11)!
What, Mr Haigter, would you have done?
Only God has the ultimate right of judgment, and Jesus warns us not to judge, as we will be judged, by God, in the same measure (Matthew 7 v 1-6). We all do it.
Yet, when caught of the FRAUD deception, the 'dreaded' secular authorities, who had to be called in (render unto Ceasar...), found NO case to be answered, due insufficent evidence. If God's Hand was not in this, what was? However, there are consequences to be faced, and he is, and will continue to for some time yet.
Hillsong will need to do that which God directs them to, that is, follow the correct Biblical procedure Jesus set out in Matthew 18 v 15-17, and v 21-22. This allows for the sinner in the fellowship to be received back IF HE, OR SHE, REPENTS (TURNS AWAY) from the sin(s). I am sure they will.
This man needs prayer, and so do you Mr Haighter.
Chris Maguire, Ventnor, IOW, UK
Added: Monday, September 22, 2008, 0:11 (BST)
Howard Haighter- i think its funny that your last name is pronounced hater, cause thats all you are doing, you characterise your last name, hows about you read your bible and see that even Jesus himself could forgive sinners like ME and YOU so what gives you the right to pass judgement, instead of judging poor mike and Brian Houston hows about you support them and pray for them, I think Brian is doin a fantastic job in australia and around the world, and its people like yourself who make his job harder, in my opinion if we were in the olden days when Jesus was walking the earth with his disciples you would be considered a pharisee, so in conclusion Dont be a pharisee be a disciple of God exhibiting Jesus' characteristics not the characteristics of the world
Grace and peace
The Lords Advocate, Sydney
Added: Saturday, September 20, 2008, 3:30 (BST)
No charges were laid cause there was not sufficient cause.
In terms of your comments on Hillsong handing back money to NSW (RACA) - it was a twisted story by the media and was not only refuted by Hillsong, but RACA apologised to Hillsong. http://www2.hillsong.com/pages/default.asp?pid=1483
All your other comments look like you've been burnt by church, especially the evangelical church.
I'll be praying for you Howard, over a handkerchief. :)
Phillip Yao, Melbourne Australia
Added: Friday, September 19, 2008, 6:39 (BST)
Well, well, no charges eh? Is this because 'God' is involved? and what about the King of Hillsong saying this, "Brian Houston, pastor at Hillsong Church, also admitted to being "sucked in" to the hoax on his blog earlier this month"?
Praise indeed when Brian Houston says he was 'taken in', what with the record Hillsong has here in NSW of having to hand money back to the government, and its involvement in praying-for-mental-illness-to-go-away in girls with anorexia.
A more credibale judge of young Mike's character, surely, could not be found anywhere on Earth?
But how come the evangelicals in NSW don't just whizz young Mike off to a 'healing room' and speak to him in tongues to make his 'porn addiction' go away.
It seems to work so well for everyone else, how come this time they are going to rely on the dreaded and far too secular world of science and not simply 'offer a pprayer cloth up to Jesus and then wipe Mike with it, while watching his 'afflications' and demons evaporate?
Surely God would look favourably on this miserable sinner, and relieve him of all his lieing, cheating, porno demons?
Or maybe, just maybe, it is all just as big a con trick as Michaels cancer was?
Howard Haighter, Sydney Australia
