A federal judge in Florida has ordered the leaders of a self-described church to stop selling an industrial bleaching agent they promoted as a “sacrament” that can treat and prevent the coronavirus.
Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, a Bradenton, Florida-based nonreligious church, began marketing in late March a product dubbed Master Mineral Solution (MMS) as a coronavirus cure.
The organization already had been selling MMS as a cure for a litany of illnesses, including cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
MMS is sold as a “sacramental kit” that includes a 2 ounce bottle of MMS, which contains sodium chlorite, and a 2 ounce bottle of a hydrochloric acid solution, said to be the activator.
The organization recommends adults take up to six doses a day for five days to treat the coronavirus with children receiving about half that amount. Genesis II Church says MMS “should wipe it out this flu-like virus that many are being scared with its presence in the world.”
Federal prosecutors said once MMS is combined with the activator it becomes a bleaching product that causes vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration.
Genesis II Church, which is lead by Archbishop Mark Grenon, Bishop Joseph Grenon, and the Rev. Jordan Gernon, argued that as a church, it doesn’t need the government to approve its “sacraments.”
A federal judge sided with the Justice Department saying the restraining order was necessary because of the “immediate and irreparable injury to the public health that may result.”
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Ariana Fajardo Orshan praised the decision.
“We will zealously pursue perpetrators of fraud schemes seeking to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said. “Not only are these products potentially harmful, but their distribution and use may prevent those who are sick from receiving the legitimate healthcare they need.”
The FDA last week sent a warning letter to Genesis II church demanding the immediate halt to MMS sales.
Mark Grenon, responded with a letter to the FDA saying the government cannot regulate a religious organization.
“We can say cure, heal and treat as a Free Church,” he wrote. “Don’t need your approval or authorization for a Church Sacrament … There will be NO corrective actions on our part … You have no authority over us! … Never going to happen.”
In a broadcast posted on the organization’s website, Mark Grenon disparaged the case as the government encroaching on religious freedom.
“How dare you call our sacraments fraudulent,” he said. “How dare you! If [President Trump] lets this go, every church is going to be attacked.”
He also doubled down on the effectiveness of MMS.
“We are going to keep our bodies undefiled from toxins that try to defile us,” he continued. “We are not going to follow Big Pharma.”
Genesis II’s website lists several testimonials reportedly from people who claim they were cured of the coronavirus by taking MMS. The testimonials do not include names or identifying information.
In a video posted last month, Mark Grenon provided instructions for using MMS as a coronavirus cure through “sacramental dosing.”
The Justice Department is cracking down on individuals and organizations trying to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic.
Attorney General William Barr last month ordered U.S. Attorneys across the country to prioritize such cases and the department is scouring the internet looking for “problematic conduct.
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