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[Catholic Caucus] Guest Post: Daniel Graham Gives a History Lesson on the Crisis in the ChurchI'm delighted to post this article from Daniel Graham, author of Lex Orandi, a book that gives a side-by-side comparison of all the sacraments before and after the changes made in the spirit of Vatican II. Every concerned Catholic should know exactly what we've lost. I highly recommend Dan's book. Only when we understand what's been lost can we be like the woman in the parable who sweeps her house looking for her lost coin and rejoicing when she finds it. Those of us who...

Catholic Star Wars: The SSPX Excommunication as You’ve Never Seen ItOne of the year's biggest Catholic controversies in a witty, self-deprecating parody (think exiles, empires, liturgical battles, etc.). Whether you agree or disagree, this take explores why so many faithful Catholics feel like they're the rebels in their own Church. A fortnight ago, I attended the illicit episcopal consecrations in Écône to bid farewell to the SSPX as newly separated brethren (again). I did so because I was in the neighbourhood and I could; more so as an observer than participant, because I was loth to incur the wrath and...

[Catholic Caucus] Benedict XVI and Vatican II Condemn Leo XIV’s Synodal RevolutionBenedict XVI's own words dismantle the Vatican's case against the SSPX. Read his statements alongside Leo XIV's current treatment of Tradition, Vatican II, and Synodality, and you'll notice that Benedict's criticism applies more to today's Vatican than to Archbishop Lefebvre.As Leo XIV stated prior to the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) proceeding with the episcopal consecrations without his approval, he believes that the real problem with the SSPX is that it does not accept certain teachings of Vatican II:“Certainly, division among Christians is always a painful matter. But...

[Catholic Caucus] Bishop attacks Latin Mass, says ‘only’ Novus Ordo is compatible with Synodal ChurchAccording to Bishop Tomáš Holub, it is the Novus Ordo that allows the integration of synodality in the liturgy, whereas this would be ‘very difficult’ with the Traditional Latin Mass.The bishop of the Diocese of Pilsen in the Czech Republic stated in a recent article that the Synodal Church needs an adequate liturgy that can “only” be the Novus Ordo Missae.Tomáš Holub, a heterodox bishop who has endorsed Amoris Laetitia and announced that he would give Holy Communion to the divorced and remarried, shared his vision...

[Catholic Caucus] Did Pope St. John XXIII Disobey Fatima?On the Third Part of the Secret of Fatima, part 4: Order Given, Order Thwarted?Between 1956 and 1957, there was an order from the Vatican for copies of all Lúcia’s writings to be sent to the Vatican. Of course, the issue of the third part of the Secret had arisen. It was not 1960 and the text was still within the sealed envelopes. When the matter of the third part was brought to Bishop da Silva, he ordered that the original, not a copy, be sent to Rome. To make a copy,...

Rome’s Punishment of the SSPX Reveals Vatican II’s God ProblemRome insists the SSPX deserves punishment, but what if that judgment reveals more about modern Rome than it does about the Society itself? The real issue isn't canonical penalties, but whether today's Vatican still measures religion according to God's unchanging truth... or according to the priorities of the Vatican II revolution. In our everyday lives, it is possible to evaluate many things without explicitly thinking about how God sees them. For example, when considering the best type of vehicle, the most reliable appliances, or the healthiest foods, we seldom ask ourselves...

[Catholic Caucus] Liturgical Reform Case Study: the Catholic City of BaltimoreCarefully written histories can serve as antidotes to grand narratives pushing particular agendas. As the old saying goes, “the devil is in the details,” suggesting that pesky facts can undermine self-congratulatory stories of progress. Hanael Bianchi’s A Liberal Revolution: The Implementation of Vatican II in the Archdiocese of Baltimore (Os Justi Press, 2026) raises numerous points to challenge the heroic narrative of Vatican II and in the process, poses timely questions for American Catholics still living in a Church that often seems teetering on the brink of collapse. Advocates of...

[Catholic Caucus] Spanish cardinal says post-Vatican II liturgical reforms have turned Masses into ‘parody’Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela mentioned in an interview several examples of abuses that have reduced the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to a 'game among buddies.'Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela, the archbishop emeritus of Madrid, said during an interview this week that rampant liturgical abuses since the Second Vatican Council have turned the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass into a “parody.”While discussing the sacred liturgy and his recent call for the restoration of Summorum Pontificum during an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Debate published July...

Quo Vadis, Domine? - "Lord, whither goest Thou?": Rome and the Society of Saint Pius XOn June 16th, Pope Leo XIV made a statement outside his residence at Castel Gandolfo concerning the Society of Saint Pius X, which was then preparing to consecrate four bishops without a pontifical mandate. The Pope affirmed that this decision grieved him, while concluding that he intended to press forward. "If they make that choice," he said, "it saddens me deeply, but we must move forward."Move forward toward what?A question immediately arises: in what direction do the Roman authorities wish to lead Catholics as they...

The Challenge of a Synod That Walks Away from Christ Introduction The superiors of the Society of Saint Pius X have argued that there exists a state of emergency in the Catholic Church. Those who deny this claim, who insist that all is well, that the concerns of the Society are exaggerated or unfounded, have, to employ a metaphor, buried their heads in the sand. The evidence is not obscure; it is visible in parishes, in chanceries, in synodal assembly halls, and in the documents these assemblies produce.The crisis assailing the Church is not just a liturgical matter, though the...

Suicide is Canonized, Another Latin Mass is Banned, and an Openly “Gay” Priest Gives Lectures on “Living Queer.” Meanwhile the SSPX is in “Schism.”A suicide memorial, Lutheran worship in a Catholic sanctuary, a suppressed Latin Mass, and the boundaries of Leo XIV’s open-door ChurchChicago’s Pastoral CanonizationOn June 26, the Archdiocese of Chicago dedicated a memorial called At Peace near the main entrance of Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois. The memorial offers families affected by suicide a place for prayer, remembrance, and mourning. Bishop Lawrence Sullivan described it as a visible sign that grieving families remain within God’s loving...

“Physician, Heal Thyself”: Why this Diocesan Priest Rejects the Vatican’s SSPX ExcommunicationsThe debate over the SSPX excommunications has largely centered on obedience and canon law. But one diocesan priest believes everyone is asking the wrong question. In this powerful essay, he argues that excommunication exists to heal souls—not to silence Catholics defending Tradition—and asks whether those imposing penalties should first examine themselves in light of Canon 1364. Whether readers agree or disagree, this essay offers one of the most provocative priestly responses yet to the Vatican's action against the Society of St. Pius X. What is Excommunication Actually For?Excommunication exists...

The Mad Dash toward Synodal SuicideSynodal Inc., is hurtling toward the UN's Agenda 2030 deadline, accelerating the Great Spiritual Reset before the deadline expires.The race is on. Cardinal Mario Grech, the Secretary General of the Synod wrote in the 2025 Synodal Pathways letter and addressed the need for immediate action from 2025-2028:“It is the urgency of this mission that drives us to implement the Synod, a task for which all the Baptised share responsibility.”What is this urgent mission? Why suddenly is there a frantic sprint to get there? So much for the leisurely pilgrimage of mutual listening. After years of...

Catholic parish to host space for Islamic prayer during youth camp ‘in the spirit of the Gospel’A Catholic parish in Milan, Italy, will host a space for Islamic prayer as part of a summer program based upon a diocese-wide initiative of ‘interreligious dialogue.’A Catholic parish in Milan will set aside space for young Muslims to perform Islamic prayers during its summer oratory program, with the parish priest defending the initiative by saying that Christians and Muslims “pray to the same God.”On June 8, Father Giovanni Salatino, parish priest of San Giovanni Bosco in the Baggio district of Milan, Italy, announced...

[Catholic/Anglican Caucus] A Papal Audience That Rewrote EcumenismAn Archbishop of Canterbury's Masonic ties, his audience with John XXIII, and why the foundations of today’s Catholic–Anglican “journeying together” deserve far closer scrutiny.Since the 1960s, the Catholic Church has largely pursued a distinct model of ecumenism, one that deliberately sets aside what was once called an “ecumenism of return.” In its place has emerged a vision of “journeying together,” in which separated Christians and Catholics are seen as travelling along parallel paths that may one day converge. This shift has been especially evident in relations with Anglicanism. While the intention has been...

[Catholic Caucus] The Sacred Heart and Vatican II: Why Catholics Must Resist the Revolution Against the MassThe Sacred Heart of Jesus calls Catholics to make reparation for the outrages committed against Him in the Blessed Sacrament. But what if some of the gravest offenses came not from outside the Church, but from within? Drawing on the warnings of Cardinal Ottaviani, Archbishop Lefebvre, Michael Davies, and Fr. Raymond Dulac, this article examines the Vatican II revolution and its devastating impact on faith in the Eucharist.“Could He Who willed to give men the treasure of His Body and Blood have failed at...

[Catholic Caucus] Synodality: The New ReligionYes, this image really came from the Vatican’s Synod websites.The revolution in the Catholic Church is more widely recognised than ever, and as two books written about it reveal, the only real questions are: when it began, and whether you are for or against it.My face when I see “Synodality”I have been reading two books about Synodality, one from the SSPX - and one from within the Holy See. If you are interested in the crisis in the Church today, I would strongly recommend you read them both.Every week on Faith and Reason I have...

Ten Oddities from Leo XIV’s Encyclical on AI1. Leo XIV explicitly or humorously said that the single language before the tower of Babel was a lack of diversity. §10: “Let us avoid the ‘Babel syndrome’ … the uniformity that levels differences; the claim of a single — even digital — language…”2. From the 224 footnotes, Pope Francis is cited 55 times.3. At the press conference, Leo XIV said that the Church and the US tech company ‘Anthropic’, will walk together to "find the way for humanity."4. The encyclical includes lots of personalist philosophy, including the erroneous idea of an “infinite”...

Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas: a blueprint for the destruction of the Catholic ChurchIn Leo XIV's new society, 'the poor, the sick, the migrants and the least among us — will become the cornerstone' and not Jesus Christ.On May 8, 2025, Leo XIV spoke these words from the loggia of St. Peter’s:We want to be a synodal Church.Now, on May 25, 2026, he has published a detailed manifesto for its construction.Magnifica Humanitas is a blueprint for the construction of a new society, which Leo variously calls the “city,” “Jerusalem,” and a “civilization of love.” The words “building” and “rebuilding” are used...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope at Audience: Liturgical tradition and renewal drive evangelizationDuring his weekly General Audience, Pope Leo XIV reflects on Vatican II's 1963 Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, and emphasizes the importance of liturgical progress that also preserves sound tradition.Renewing the liturgy and allowing it to progress, while preserving tradition, allows the Church to grow, be united and continue her mission of spreading the Gospel to all, Pope Leo XIV said during the Wednesday General Audience in St. Peter’s Square on May 27.Pope Leo XIV continued his catechesis series on the Documents of the Second Vatican Council, and...