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Observations on the Note “A Journey of Hope” by the Dicasteries for the Doctrine of the Faith, Christian Unity, and Interreligious DialogueForeword: An Accusing DateThe Note A Journey of Hope, drafted for the sixtieth anniversary of Nostra Ætate, bears the signatures of Cardinals Fernández, Koch, and Koovakad. Leo XIV approved it and ordered its publication. It is dated September 16, the memorial of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian.I do not know whether the authors noticed the irony: St. Cyprian is the Father who bequeathed to the Church the formula salus extra Ecclesiam non est. He taught that he who does not...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Grech: Church is ‘synodal by nature’ but remains hierarchicalCardinal Mario Grech has said that while the Catholic Church is “synodal by nature” and there must be room for everyone, it remains “hierarchical by nature”, with bishops and the Pope retaining responsibility for decisions. “Our Church is synodal by nature. That means there’s room for everyone,” Cardinal Grech, Secretary General of the Synod of […]Cardinal Mario Grech has said that while the Catholic Church is “synodal by nature” and there must be room for everyone, it remains “hierarchical by nature”, with bishops and the Pope retaining responsibility for...

The Letter That Changed the Church: Cardinal Bea, John XXIII & the Vatican II RevolutionIn 1960 Cardinal Augustin Bea brought a letter before Pope John XXIII, who swiftly aprroved it. The letter placed Cardinal Bea at the head of a new Pontifical Commission, giving him a powerful platform for advancing ecumenism. The result was an ecumenical movement that would profoundly shape Vatican II and the Church that followed, and ultimately serve the Church’s enemies.“The Council is Cardinal Bea’s Council!” (Fr. Yves Congar, My Journal of the Council, November 22, 1962 entry)In his Augustin Bea: The Cardinal of Unity, Cardinal Bea’s...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinals praise ‘irreversible’ synodality and ‘healing’ nature of Church declineDescribing Pope Francis’ synodality as “irreversible” and the decline in Church figures as “healing”, two prominent cardinals have weighed in on the future of the Church in Europe. Synodality is impossible to forestall, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich attested this past week. Luxembourg’s Cardinal Hollerich served as the relator general of the multi-year Synod on Synodality and thus – alongside Cardinal Mario Grech – has become one of the most vocal champions of Pope Francis’ synod and synodal style. Synodality, as begun by Pope Francis, is “irreversible” Hollerich claimed. Its goal...

Catholic bishop backs new mosque in VenicePatriarch of Venice Francesco Moraglia said Muslims have a ‘right’ to a suitable place of worship and called for ‘continued dialogue’ to alleviate ‘tensions’ with Muslim migrants.The Catholic bishop of Venice, Italy, backed the construction of a mosque in the historic city.On September 14, Archbishop Francesco Moraglia, Patriarch of Venice, expressed support for the proposed construction of a mosque in Mestre, the mainland district of Venice, calling for a place where Muslims can worship – provided that the project respects “Italian law, the Constitution, and women’s rights.” Moraglia also called for dialogue between the...

The Church in Crisis — and How We Must Not Save Her: Twelve Issues (Bishop Robert Mutsaerts) The Church in Crisis — and How We Must Not Save HerTwelve Issues, Uncomfortable Truths, and a Catholic Way ForwardBishop Rob MutsaertsAuxiliary of 's-Hertogenbosch, NetherlandsSeptember 16, 2026 I have good news and bad news for you. The bad news is that the Catholic Church is in crisis. The good news is that she has been here before. Indeed, anyone with even a passing familiarity with Church history sometimes gets the impression that crisis is one of the few genuinely enduring Catholic traditions. We...

Vatican Says “Dialogue.” Islam Says “Islam.” What Happened to Catholic Exclusivity?Sixty years after Nostra Aetate, the Vatican is celebrating a “journey of hope” built on interreligious dialogue, fraternity, and encounter. But alongside Islam’s enduring claim that Islam is the divinely approved religion, one can't help but wonder: What happened to the clarity of the Catholic Church's own exclusive claim to truth and salvation? On September 16, 2026, Pope Leo XIV put his signature on “A Journey of Hope”, a commemorative note signifying 60 years since the Second Vatican Council’s “Nostra Aetate”—the declaration that claimed that the Catholic Church was open...

[Catholic Caucus] No Response to Traditional Pilgrimage’s Papal Audience RequestPilgrims process towards St Peter’s Basilica during last year’s Ad Petri Sedem pilgrimage in Rome, Oct. 25, 2025 (Photo: Edward Pentin)Is Pope Leo XIV missing an opportunity to heal wounds felt by traditional Catholics by not meeting with a large representative group of them next month?The Holy Father has so far not responded to a request for a papal audience from the leaders of an annual traditional Catholic pilgrimage to Rome — despite the request having been made nine months ago and the Pope saying last year he would like to...

Bishop Strickland: Catholics must reject Vatican’s view against proselytism ‘Truth is not constantly evolving,’ declared Bishop Strickland. ‘Truth is Jesus Christ present with us in the world and His Church is the vehicle for our salvation.’Bishop Joseph Strickland has issued a searing criticism of the Vatican’s new document on inter-religious dialogue downplaying the need for all people to be evangelized by the Catholic Church. He has also written a pastoral letter on the topic. (See below.) Strickland zeroed in on this troubling line: The defensive entrenchment in one’s own position and the view that proselytism is the only way to...

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop Strickland calls out Leo-Vatican document on interreligious dialogue Bishop Joseph Strickland said that 'A Journey of Hope,' marking 60 years of Nostra Aetate, includes ambiguous language that raises the question of whether 'dialogue has been placed above evangelization.'Bishop Joseph Strickland, the former bishop of Tyler, Texas, who was removed by Pope Francis after refusing to curtail the Traditional Latin Mass, warned that a new Pope Leo XIV approved-Vatican note on interreligious dialogue “can give rise to grave confusion.”On September 16, the Dicasteries for the Doctrine of the Faith, Promoting Christian Unity, and Interreligious Dialogue published “A Journey...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo names bishop who addressed integrating homosexuality with religious vocation Pope Leo XIV appointed Italian Bishop Michele Di Tolve, who made a presentation last year on a book advocating the integration of homosexual orientation into living a religious vocation.Pope Leo XIV appointed a new bishop the head the Diocese of Chioggia who last year presented on a book addressing the integration of homosexual orientation into living one’s religious vocation.Serving as titular bishop of Oria, auxiliary of Rome, and rector of the Pontifical Roman Major Seminary, Bishop Michele Di Tolve was named to his new office on Wednesday...

Cardinal Fernández: All religions stand for peace Marking the release of “A Journey of Hope,” Cardinal Victor Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, grants an interview to Vatican News to reflect on the 60th anniversary of Nostra aetate.Vatican NewsSixty years after the Second Vatican Council published the conciliar Declaration Nostra aetate, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, and the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue have published “A Journey of Hope.”In the following interview with Vatican News, Cardinal Victor Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the...

[Catholic Caucus] The Catholic Tradition No Longer Concealed by Memories Denied Grateful for this insightful analysis via Facebook that aligns closely with many of my own experiences and diagnostics. A bishop’s remonstrance to his young priests urging they never allow the young people to see the “old Mass”, for fear they would prefer it to the new, comes to mind. The denial and concealment the enemies of the Faith used for many years is no longer possible with the collective access and common memory provided by the Internet.“A curious cultural phenomenon is unfolding within the modern Catholic Church: the generation...

Breaking: Pope Leo’s Vatican asks Catholics to ‘esteem’ other faiths The Vatican has asked Catholics to 'esteem' other faiths in its latest document on interreligious dialogue and 'fraternity.'The Vatican has asked Catholics to ‘esteem’ other faiths in its latest document on interreligious dialogue and “fraternity.”The document, signed by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF); Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity; and Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, appeared this morning.Entitled “A Journey of Hope: Sixty Years of Interreligious Dialogue and Fraternity...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo promotes synodality bishop who has ‘courage to make a different church’ Pope Leo XIV appointed a Bolivian bishop who has said Communion for active homosexuals and women’s ordination to the diaconate remain open questions amid the synodality process.Pope Leo XIV appointed a synodality enthusiast who accepts as “open questions” the possibilities of Holy Communion for unrepented active homosexuals and the “ordination” of women to the diaconate.The Vatican announcement was issued Monday that Bishop Pedro Luis Fuentes Valencia, C.P. was named Military Ordinary for Bolivia, ending four years in which the Passionist prelate had governed the same...

The International Theological Commission’s “Caring for Our Common Home” goes beyond Laudato Si’ by naming environmental destruction a direct offense against the Creator On September 2, the International Theological Commission published a major new text (so far only in Italian) on the theology of creation, ecology, and human responsibility. Titled Caring for Our Common Home: A Responsible and Fraternal Response to the Triune God, the more than 29,000-word document was approved by a majority vote of the Commission in July, presented to Pope Leo XIV, and authorized for release by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Czerny announced as first recipient of Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal The recently retired prefect of the Vatican’s human development office will receive the award from the pope on Oct. 13. Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, former prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, will be honored as the first recipient of the Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal in October.Father Peter Donohue, OSA, president of Villanova University, made the announcement at a Vatican press conference on Sept. 14.The medal, established by Villanova University and named after Pope Leo XIV, recognizes individuals who have worked toward ecological...

[Catholic Caucus] BREAKING: Toronto Oratory’s Latin Masses to be curtailed Sept. 20: reports Weekly Traditional Latin Masses at the Toronto's Holy Family and St. Vincent de Paul churches will no longer continue, according to two long-established blogs, and traditional-form sacraments will end immediately. Beginning Sunday, September 20, the weekly Traditional Latin Masses (TLM) at the Toronto Oratory’s Holy Family and St. Vincent de Paul churches will no longer continue as weekly celebrations of the 1962 Missal, according to two long-established Toronto blogs with deep ties to the churches in question.Each parish would instead be required to offer one Novus Ordo...

Leo’s Archbishop Says “The Church Is Called to Disappear” and Muslim Saints “Intercede” for Us. Leo’s Pastor of St. Peter’s Basilica Finds the Devil “Quite Likable.” He Adds “Spice” to People’s Lives! Rome’s interfaith chief says other religions “broaden the horizon of truth,” invokes a pluralist “City of God,” and turns Nehemiah into a mascot for religious dialogue.There are careless phrases, and then there are phrases that tell you how a man sees the Church.“The Church is called to disappear so that the Kingdom may grow.”That sentence belongs to Father Mario León Dorado, the 52-year-old Spanish Oblate whom Leo XIV...

[Catholic Caucus] 10 Italian bishops attend national conference on LGBT ‘pastoral ministry’ The meeting presented initiatives already operating in several Italian dioceses.Italy’s Catholic bishops gathered to discuss the integration of LGBT-identifying people and their families into ordinary diocesan life.On September 4, nearly 200 pastoral workers and around 10 bishops gathered at the General Curia of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in Rome for Italy’s first national conference dedicated to “pastoral ministry with homosexual and transgender people.”The meeting, titled “Good Practices in Pastoral Ministry with Homosexual and Transgender People,” presented initiatives already operating in several Italian dioceses, while also examining the...