Since I have on hand only 16F1827, I modified the code for the PortC pins but as expected does not work. Modifications in red.

I really do not know what lata.5 does in your code. Maybe a led to sign start?

Code:
   '****************************************************************
'*  Name    : max7219 16f1825                                      *
'*  Author  : richard                                              *
'*  Notice  : Copyright (c) 2019                                   *
'*          :                                                      *
'*  Date    : 25/2/2020                                            *
'*  Version : 1.1                                                  *
'*  Notes   : max7219   5 6x5 chrs on 4 8x8 panels                 *
'*          : right justified leading zero suppression             *
'*          :                                                      * 
'*          :                                                      * 
'*          : modified for pic16f1827                              *
'*******************************************************************

#CONFIG
             __config        _CONFIG1,    _FOSC_INTOSC & _CP_OFF & _WDTE_OFF  &  _PWRTE_ON  &  _MCLRE_ON  & _CLKOUTEN_OFF
              __config      _CONFIG2, _PLLEN_ON & _LVP_OFF
#ENDCONFIG
 

define OSC 32
goto overasm 
asm
GetAddress macro Label, Wout
    CHK?RP Wout
    movlw low Label          ; get low byte
    movwf Wout
    movlw High Label         ; get high byte
    movwf Wout + 1
    endm
endasm
overasm:

SSPCON1 = $20;
SSPSTAT = $40;
ANSELA = 0
ANSELB = 0
OSCCON = $70

tmp      var byte
dsp      var byte
dspbuff  var byte[32]
BUFF     var byte[16]
cnt      var byte
row      var byte
drow     var byte
srow     var byte
col      var byte
dcol     var byte
aFont    var word
fOffset  var word
cga      var byte
cgah     var byte
ch       var byte
chr      var byte
inx      var byte
mask     var word
counter  var word
bcnt     var byte
ncnt     var byte
number  var word

clear

'mxld     var portc.1
'mxck     var portc.0
'mxdi     var portc.2
mxld     var portb.1
mxck     var portb.4
mxdi     var porta.6

'trisc = %11111000
'trisa = %11011110
trisb = 0
trisa = 0

 
init:
    lata.5 = 1
    mxld = 1
    dsp = 11
    tmp = 5
    gosub xfer4
    dsp = 9
    tmp = 0
    gosub xfer4
    dsp = 12 
    tmp = 1
    gosub xfer4
    dsp = 10
    tmp = 8     
    gosub xfer4
    dsp = $b
    tmp = 7     
    gosub xfer4
    dsp = $f
    tmp = 0     
    gosub xfer4
@ GetAddress _font,_aFont

 
loopy:
    row = 1:col = 1  
    gosub showrjbuf
    gosub  strchr
    gosub show
    counter  =  counter + 1
    pause 100
GOTO loopy
end	 

strchr:     ;null  terminated
    bcnt = 0
    while buff[bcnt]
        chr = buff[bcnt]
        gosub gcga 
        bcnt = bcnt + 1
        col = col + 6
    wend
return 
 
show:     
    for srow = 0 to 7
        GOSUB SHOWROW 
    next 
return        
   
showROW:      
    	mxld = 0		
   	    for dcol = 0 to 3        	 
        	 SSPBUF = srow + 1 
             while !pir1.3:wend
             pir1.3 = 0
             SSPBUF = dspbuff[(srow<<2) + dcol]  rev 8
             while !pir1.3:wend
             pir1.3 = 0    
        next 
    	mxld = 1 
return     


xfer4:
     for dcol = 0 to 3
         mxld = 0
         pir1.3 = 0
         SSPBUF = dsp  
         while !pir1.3:wend
         pir1.3=0
         SSPBUF =tmp 
         while !pir1.3:wend
         pir1.3 = 0
     next
     mxld = 1 
return

gcga:      ;ROW= 0-1 COL=0-28 CHR = SPACE,"0" TO ";"
    if chr = " " then chr = ";"   ;TRANSLATE SPACE TO ";"
    fOffset = (chr - "0")*3 + aFont  ; point to cga data
    drow = row  ;0 or 1
    mask = ~(63<<(col//8))
    inx = col/8
    for tmp = 0 to 2 
        gosub unpack
        inx = (drow<<2) + col/8 
        dspbuff[inx] = dspbuff[inx] & mask.lowbyte
        dspbuff[inx] = dspbuff[inx] | (cga<<(col//8))         
        if  mask.highbyte then
            INX = INX + 1
            dspbuff[inx] = dspbuff[inx] & mask.highbyte
            dspbuff[inx] = dspbuff[inx] | (cga>>(8-col//8) )
            inx = inx + 3
        else
            inx = inx + 4
        endif
'        SROW=DROW
'        GOSUB SHOWROW
'        PAUSE 50
        drow = drow + 1
        dspbuff[inx] = dspbuff[inx] & mask.lowbyte
        dspbuff[inx] = dspbuff[inx] | (cgah<<(col//8))
        if  mask.highbyte then
            INX = INX+1
            dspbuff[inx] = dspbuff[inx] & mask.highbyte
            dspbuff[inx] = dspbuff[inx] | (cgah>>(8 - col//8) )
        endif
'        SROW=DROW
'        GOSUB SHOWROW
'        PAUSE 50
        drow = drow + 1
        fOffset = fOffset + 1
     next            
return  
        
 
showrjbuf:    ;load  buff righ justified
    number = counter
    for ncnt = 0 to 4
        BUFF[ncnt] = $30
    next
    while number >10000
        buff[0] = buff[0] + 1
        number = number - 10000
    wend
    while number >1000
        buff[1] = buff[1] + 1
        number = number - 1000
    wend 
    while number>100
        buff[2] = buff[2] + 1
        number = number - 100
    wend 
    while number >10
        buff[3] = buff[3] + 1
        number = number -10
    wend 
    buff[4] = buff[4] + number    
lzr:       ;repress leading zeros
    for ncnt = 0 to 3
      if BUFF[ncnt] == $30 then
           BUFF[ncnt] = $20
      else
          return
      endif
    next
return
 
       

unpack:
  asm
    CHK?RP  _fOffset
    MOVF _fOffset+1,W
    CHK?RP   EEADRH
    MOVWF EEADRH ;MS Byte of Program Address to read
    CHK?RP  _fOffset
    MOVF _fOffset,W
    CHK?RP   EEADR
    MOVWF EEADR ;LS Byte of Program Address to read
    CHK?RP   EECON1
    BSF EECON1, EEPGD ;Point to PROGRAM memory
    BSF EECON1, RD ;EE Read
    NOP
    NOP 
    CHK?RP   EEDAT              ;UNPACK DATA
    RLF    EEDAT, W 
    RLF    EEDATH, W
    CHK?RP  _cgah
    MOVWF   _cgah
    CHK?RP   EEDAT
    BCF    EEDAT,7
    MOVF   EEDAT,W 
    CHK?RP  _cga
    MOVWF   _cga
    RST?RP 
    return        
 endasm 


'//Font Generated by MikroElektronika GLCD Font Creator 1.2.0.0
'//MikroElektrnika 2011 
'//http://www.mikroe.com 

'//GLCD FontName : Untitled5x6
'//GLCD FontSize : 5 x 6

'const unsigned short Untitled5x6[] = {
font :      ;in packed format for pic16 dw lines
;@ db  0x0E,0x11,0x11,0x11,0x11,0x0E;                                                   // Code for char num 48  0
@ dw    0x88e,0x891,0x711    ;                                           
;@ db   0x04,0x06,0x04,0x04,0x04,0x0E;                                                  // Code for char num 49  1
@ dw    0x304,0x204,0x704
;@ db   0x0E,0x11,0x08,0x04,0x02,0x1F;                                                  // Code for char num 50
@ dw   0x88e,0x208,0xf82
;@ db   0x0E,0x10,0x1C,0x10,0x10,0x0E;                                                  // Code for char num 51
@ dw    0x80e,0xe10,0x710
;@ db   0x01,0x01,0x05,0x1F,0x04,0x04;                                                  // Code for char num 52
@ dw    0x81,0xf85,0x204
;@ db   0x0F,0x01,0x01,0x0E,0x10,0x0F;                                                  // Code for char num 53
@ dw    0x8f,0x701,0x790
;@ db   0x0E,0x11,0x01,0x0F,0x11,0x0E;                                                  // Code for char num 54  6
@ dw   0x88e,0x781,0x711 
;@ db   0x1F,0x10,0x08,0x04,0x02,0x02;                                                  // Code for char num 55 
@ dw    0x81f,0x208,0x102
;@ db   0x0E,0x11,0x11,0x0E,0x11,0x0E;                                                  // Code for char num 56  8
@ dw    0x88e,0x88e ,0x711 
;@ db   0x0E,0x11,0x11,0x1E,0x10,0x0E;                                                  // Code for char num 57  
@ dw   0x88e,0xf11,0x711
;@ db   0x00,0x04,0x00,0x00,0x04,0x00;                                                  // Code for char num 58  ;
@ dw    0x200,0,0x200                                                                    
;@ db   0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00,0x00;                                                   // space
@ dw     0,0, 0
Ioannis