Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] Austrian bishop appointed by Francis hires homosexual ‘married’ man as personal secretary An Austrian bishop has appointed an openly homosexual and civilly “married” man as his personal secretary.As a report by the blog Novus Ordo Watch revealed, Bishop Johannes Freitag, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Graz-Steckau, has hired Domenik Kainzinger-Webern as his private secretary. Freitag was appointed auxiliary bishop of Graz-Steckau on January 31, 2025, by Pope Francis.A picture on Kainzinger-Webern partner’s Instagram profile shows the two of them commemorating their fourth “wedding” anniversary. A picture on the website of Salinenmusik Altaussee documents their ceremony, which took...

[Catholic Caucus] Diocese removes cathedral’s kneelers used for Holy CommunionThe Diocese of Charlotte in North Carolina has removed the portable kneelers used by the faithful to receive Holy Communion at the Cathedral of St Patrick. The announcement was made on 6 October by the cathedral’s rector, Fr Peter Ascik, according to the Charlotte Latin Mass Community, a lay group which shared news of the change online.The kneelers had previously been introduced to accommodate those wishing to receive the Eucharist kneeling and on the tongue, a posture long associated with the traditional Roman Rite and maintained by some Catholics at celebrations...

[Catholic Caucus] Michigan’s new ‘Catholic Caucus’ features two pro-abortion Democrat lawmakersGOP State Rep. Jim DeSana is pushing back against the Michigan Catholic Conference after the group announced two pro-abortion Democrats would co-chair its official legislative caucus.A traditional Catholic lawmaker in Michigan is pushing back against the state’s Catholic Conference (MCC) after the group announced that two pro-abortion Democrats would co-chair its official legislative caucus.GOP State Representative Jim DeSana granted reporter Stephen Kokx an exclusive interview on Wednesday to speak out against the decision.“I feel it is problematic and even scandalous for me as a Catholic state representative to participate in...

[Catholic Caucus] A Letter from a Priest of Jesus Christ to the Faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte: "A house built on the sand of deceit cannot endure the buffeting winds of truth."A faithful priest who must remain anonymous has sent this letter to the faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, who are attached to the Traditional Latin Mass.He requested us to have it published here as well.Dear TLM Faithful of the Diocese of Charlotte,You may not know me, but I am well-acquainted with your diocese and the challenges you face, as I regularly speak with your priests...

[Catholic Caucus] Charlotte bishop says new Latin Mass chapel is not meant to fit everyone who wants to attendBishop Michael Martin is telling Latin Mass-goers in the Diocese of Charlotte to consider waiting to go to the new chapel due to limited space.Bishop Michael Martin, OFM has shared that the new chapel substituting for the previous four traditional Latin Masses of the Diocese of Charlotte is not meant to fit all of those who have attended the TLM.Martin made the clarification in a Friday letter announcing the diocese’s official merger of its Latin Masses into one chapel, effective October 5....

[Catholic Caucus] “Bread Not Stones”: Bishop Martin shows no pastoral care for his TLM flockThe clergy and lay people featured in “Bread Not Stones” remind viewers that the Church’s traditions, including the TLM, are not merely relics of a past long gone, but relevant gems that greatly enhance one’s Catholic Faith and identity. Arguably, it can be said that this film is calling for a Church that truly listens and addresses the spiritual needs of Her children, with pastoral prudence and compassion.In the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, a major shift threatening to undermine the basis of a devout community...

[Catholic Caucus] News from Charlotte: Bishop Comes for the Catholic Schools' MassesWe have received a report of the new liturgical directives which Bishop Michael Martin of Charlotte wishes to impose on the masses of Paul VI celebrated in the three Catholic high schools under his jurisdiction. The goal is apparently the decatholicization of the new liturgy in the schools under his authority.Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, they are exactly what we would expect, given what we have previously seen of his ideas about “liturgical norms.”The use of kneelers and communion rails for the distribution of Holy Communion is forbidden.There must be...

[Catholic Caucus] Protest at French church after FSSP clergy removed by bishopBanners now hang from the railings around Notre-Dame de Valence as protests continue against what is viewed as diocese suppression of the FSSP-run church.The banners read: “Retirerla messe traditionnelle est une erreur exceptionnelle” (“Removing the traditional Mass is a grave mistake”) and “Uniscontre la désunion” (“United against disunity”).On 13 August 2025, the faithful of Notre-Dame de Valence, located in southeastern France within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and long served by the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter (FSSP), were abruptly stripped of their priests by Bishop François Durand. ‍He announced that...

[Catholic Caucus] Italian Bishop: Every Homosexual Has Right To Receive EucharistBishop Francesco Savino of Cassano all’Jonio, the vice president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, will preside over the Eucharist in the Jesuits’ church Il Gesù in Rome for the homosexual pilgrimage to St Peter’s basilica on September 6.Saint Ignatius of Loyola is buried in this church. When asked about this event, Savino told Gionata.org on August 15 that no one is excluded from the Eucharist: "The bread broken on the altar knows no barriers of birth, language, social condition, or life path."And: "The Eucharist is a welcoming womb, not a...

[Catholic Caucus] Charlotte Bishop Forbids Communion Bench (Rail) at Catholic SchoolBishop Michael Martin of Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, has forbidden to use the Communion bench for the daily Novus Ordo Eucharist at the Catholic High School in Charlotte.According to the social media account “Charlotte Latin Mass Community” students and staff now kneel on the floor to receive Holy Communion.The beautifully carved Communion bench was installed in spring 2017 (pictured). A teacher at the school had raised the money to fund the project in memory of a younger brother who passed away.Effective July 8, Bishop Martin has forbidden all Masses in...

[Catholic Caucus] Full-Length Documentary on Latin Mass Restrictions in Charlotte, North CarolinaFor the background, see our two previous posts:(1) Traditionis Custodes Persecution continues under Leo XIV - Traditional Masses Removed from Parish Churches in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina(2) Rorate Exclusive: The Anti-Traditional and Anti-Liturgical Pastoral Letter to be Sent by the Bishop of Charlotte on Liturgical Norms in His Diocese***Regina Magazine just released a lengthy documentary on the situation of the Latin Mass in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina. We encourage you to watch it below and make it known: Link to video Labels: Anti-Tradition in Charlotte

[Catholic Caucus] Faithful Catholics prayerfully protest Latin Mass suppression in DetroitDETROIT (LifeSiteNews) — As the bells of Detroit’s Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament rang out calling the faithful to the 11:00 a.m. Mass on Sunday, August 17, Catholics gathered in prayerful petition to support the recently suppressed Traditional Latin Mass (TLM).“We want our archbishop to know that there are many faithful Catholics that still want the ‘Mass of the Ages,’” organizer Joseph VanAssche told LifeSite.Families from several parishes in the diocese, particularly St. Stephen’s, where the Latin Mass was recently suppressed, gathered just beneath the steps of the cathedral...

[Catholic Caucus] WATCH: Trailer for upcoming documentary on Diocese of Charlotte’s Latin Mass suppression'Bread Not Stones' captures the stories and lives of Catholics who deeply cherish the TLM and will suffer from the forthcoming ban on the Latin Mass in parish churches.Regina Magazine released a teaser trailer for its upcoming documentary film about the Traditional Latin Mass crackdown in the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina.The film, Bread Not Stones, captures the stories and lives of Catholics who deeply cherish the TLM and will suffer from the forthcoming ban on the Latin Mass in parish churches to be enacted across the...

[Catholic Caucus] Vatican-ordered investigation underway in LimaInvestigators have in recent weeks summoned priests and archdiocesan employees to answer questions about the financial situation of Caritas Lima, a network of diocesan schools, and multiple alleged coverups of sexual misconduct — including cases previously reported by The Pillar, among them sexual misconduct claims linked to the archdiocesan seminary.—Senior archdiocesan sources told The Pillar that a group of Augustinian priests led by Fr. Alexander Lam, OSA, his order’s assistant general for Latin American, had been interviewing clerics and archdiocesan employees virtually about allegations of abuse coverup and financial misconduct by Cardinal Carlos Castillo.The...

[Catholic Caucus] Archbishop backtracks after appointing convicted rapist as chancellorThe Archbishop of Toulouse, Archbishop Guy de Kerimel, has backtracked from the controversial appointment of a convicted rapist as diocesan chancellor.On 16 August, Archbishop de Kerimel announced the appointment of a new diocesan chancellor after weeks of criticism over his initial appointment of Fr Dominique Spina.Fr Dominique Spina was convicted in 2005 of the rape of a high-school student in Pau, southwest France, in the Diocese of Bayonne, for offences committed in 1993. The victim came from a troubled family background and believed he had a vocation to the priesthood. Spina...

[Catholic Caucus] Vatican backs bishop’s order to expel Latin Mass community from New Zealand diocese'The situation is one of being asked to do the impossible,' the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer told LifeSite.Members of the FSSR in a 2013 file photoThe Vatican has sided with a New Zealand bishop who has evicted a traditional Mass community out of his diocese, despite the flourishing order strongly denying any wrongdoing.On August 10, Bishop Michael Gielen of the Diocese of Christchurch issued a letter announcing that the Vatican has formulated its decision against an appeal made by the The Sons of the...

[Catholic Caucus] Archbishop of Detroit appoints priest linked to heretical, pro-LGBT clergy group to prominent postArchbishop Weisenburger named Fr. David Buersmeyer the priest-chancery ‘ombudsman’ for the archdiocese, even though Buersmeyer suggested the Church could ‘support gay marriage’ and publicly defended a priest excommunicated for his role in the ‘ordination’ of a woman.DETROIT (Lepanto Institute) — Following the swift crackdown on the Traditional Latin Mass and the firing of three faithful theology professors, Archbishop Edward Weisenburger of Detroit appointed a new “ombudsman” who was once indicated as a member of the heretical Association of US Catholic Priests (AUSCP).Abp. Weisenburger entered his...

[Catholic Caucus] Diocese of Charlotte backs school that expelled children after parents challenged woke, LGBT contentBishop Michael Martin’s diocese is supporting Charlotte Latin, a private school that expelled students whose parents opposed a sacrilegious image of Jesus, a ‘how-to-manual’ of homosexual activity, and other obscene content.CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (LifeSiteNews) — The Diocese of Charlotte – headed by Bishop Michael Martin, who notoriously banned the Latin Mass in his diocese – is siding with a school that expelled children after their parents complained about the school’s adoption of woke ideology, including graphic, sexually explicit LGBTQ+ books.The lawsuit by parents of the...

[Catholic Caucus] EXCLUSIVE: Catholics explain why they knelt for Communion at Charlotte bishop’s MassCatholics who knelt for the Eucharist at a concelebrated Mass with Charlotte's bishop present said they were motivated by love for God and the desire to give Him glory.CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (LifeSiteNews) — Catholics who knelt for Holy Communion at a Mass with the bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte present have spoken out about how they were motivated by the love of God and the desire to give him “glory.”In an exclusive interview with LifeSiteNews, Friends of Catholic Reverence explained why they orchestrated Catholics’ attendance at...

[Catholic Caucus] German bishop suggests guidelines for blessing same-sex ‘couples,’ divorced and ‘remarried’Bishop Georg Bätzing recommended implementing heretical 'blessings' for 'divorced and remarried couples, couples of all gender identities and sexual orientations.'Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, president of the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK), recommended implementing the conference’s official guidelines for the “blessings” of same-sex “couples,” the divorced and civilly “remarried,” and other irregular unions in his diocese this week.The Diocese of Limburg published Bätzing’s recommendation to implement the heterodox “blessings” in its official diocesan journal on July 9. The bishop’s recommendation follows April announcement from the German Bishops’ Conference and...