Free Republic

[Catholic Caucus] Chinese Underground Church Consecrated 10 Bishops without Papal Mandate After the 2018 Sino-Vatican agreement “terrible things happen to Catholics” in the Fujian province, an anonymous Chinese bishop who is unaffiliated with the Chinese state church ‘Patriotic Association’, told Anthony Clark for CatholicWorldReport.com on August 23.The bishop speaks of a “state of emergency”.As government influence over the bishops increases, “the integrity of the Catholic faith will suffer.” To “assure the survival of China’s Church,” new bishops have been “secretly consecrated.”The bishop says the faithful question Rome’s genuine concern for their “spiritual well-being” when the Holy See approves government-selected bishops...

[Catholic Caucus] NEW BOOK: Publication of 'Vatican II and The Eclipse of God. A Critique of the Council' by Don Pietro Leone Rorate Caeli is delighted to report that “Vatican II and the Eclipse of God” ‘A Critique of the Council’ by Don Pietro Leone has finally been published. Readers will recall that Rorate had the honour of posting instalments of this very important work over a period of two years. (See note)* Since then, the author has added further analysis to the original texts. Below is the link to Loreto Publications and a short presentation of the book. Readers...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo XIV: Women and Men in Religious Life ‘Are Called to Become Experts in Synodality’ Pope Leo XIV highlighted religious women’s and men’s work making “the mission and mystery of the Church visible in our world.”“All Christians are called to be builders of Christʼs communion, formed in a synodal Church in which everyone cooperates in the same mission according to their own charism and ministry,” he said during the Leadership Conference of Women Religious’ (LCWR) 70th anniversary celebration being held in Orlando, Florida, Aug. 11–14.“In a special way, those in religious life are called to become experts...

[Catholic Caucus] Leo invokes 1970s talking points to defend Vatican II’s liturgical revolution'The liturgical assembly is in fact fulfilled through the active participation of brothers and sisters,' he said during an audience.A quick glance at Leo XIV’s August 12 audience on the liturgical year suggests it was a run-of-the-mill catechetical lesson.But a closer look reveals that his address on the Second Vatican Council’s document Sacrosanctum Concilium is cloaked in decades-old modernist talking points.Looking at the meat of Leo’s address, it becomes clear that his emphasis on the Eucharist, the Resurrection, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints, along with his...

Pope Leo’s private secretary compares his role to St John the BaptistPope Leo XIV’s private secretary, Monsignor Edgard Rimaycuna, has compared his role alongside the pontiff to that of St John the BaptistThe private secretary to Pope Leo XIV, Monsignor Edgard Rimaycuna, has compared his role alongside the pontiff to that of St John the Baptist.Speaking at the parish of San José Obrero (St Joseph the Worker) in the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, the Peruvian priest said: “I like to think of the figure of St John the Baptist if I have to define a little what my mission is.”He...

[Catholic Caucus] Pagan Aztec war dance takes over LA Catholic cathedral sanctuaryThe sacrilegious ‘Aztec Mass’ event featured pagan Aztec music and war dances with immodest performers near the altar of the Los Angeles cathedral.The Archdiocese of Los Angeles allowed the performance of a “Misa Azteca” (“Aztec Mass”) concert, which featured pagan Aztec music, dances, and poetry in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels last month.The sacrilegious June 27 event, held in the mother church of the largest archdiocese in the United States, combined the sacred music of the Catholic Mass, such as the solemn “Kyrie” chant and the...

[Catholic Caucus] Faithful Catholics confront pro-LGBT ‘All Are Welcome Mass’ in San DiegoMassResistance held a Rosary rally against an LGBT 'Pride Mass' in San Diego, California, earlier this month.Contrasting messages from San Diego Catholics: Traditional Catholics outside (left) vs radical message inside (right) during the St. John the Evangelist Church's "pride" Mass.For many years, faithful Catholics have endured a disturbing pro-LGBT turn in many of their churches. But lately, in some places, that has gone completely overboard. And many Catholics have had enough of it.The Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego is the most “LGBTQ+” area in town. One would hope...

Faithful Catholics beg Pope Leo to stop official recognition of Germany’s Synodal WayPro Fide Ecclesiae, co-founded by Bishop Marian Eleganti, warned plans to recognize Germany’s ‘Synodal Conference’ would ‘permanently alter the hierarchical constitution of the Church.’A new Catholic lay group co-founded by Bishop Marian Eleganti has called on Pope Leo XIV to stop the German Synodal Way.The newly established Pro Fide Ecclesiae (PFE) seeks to give voice to those who do not feel represented by Germany’s largest body of lay Catholics, the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), and who do not feel heard by the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK).In...

Is Immigration Becoming a Catholic Dogma? Inside Pope Leo XIV’s New Agenda As Pope Leo XIV's allies travel across America promoting a new immigration initiative, Gaetano Masciullo argues the Church is transforming prudential political questions into moral absolutes—with profound consequences for Catholic social teaching and the common good.The United States Tour of Mattia FerrariOn July 15, several outlets reported the news of a very particular tour that Mattia Ferrari, an Italian priest and coordinator of the World Meeting of Popular Movements (WMPM), is carrying out from the end of June across 21 cities in the United States, starting from California...

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...

Leo XIV is continuing Pope Francis’ war against traditional CatholicsPope Francis’s 2021 motu proprio ‘Traditionis Custodes’ marked the opening shot in a campaign against Catholic tradition that has only intensified under Pope Leo XIV.Catholics of goodwill see it. The machinations have been well-documented. Popes Francis and Leo have each steered the holy Barque of Peter into a war footing; a war in which the Vatican is the aggressor.It is not a war “against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places” (Ephesians 6). Nor is it a...

Why many traditional Catholics believe the SSPX is answering Our Lady’s callOur Lady in Fatima, Akita, La Salette, and Good Success foretold the confusion, division, and moral collapse now visible in the Vatican's standoff with the SSPX.In moments of confusion and division within the Church, many faithful Catholics turn to the messages Our Lady has given over the centuries.These private revelations – approved ones like Fatima, Akita, La Salette, and Good Success – are not articles of faith, but they have offered comfort and warning to generations facing crisis. Today, as tensions between the Vatican and the Society of Saint...

Condemnation of SSPX consecrations uses the reasoning of the PhariseesLike the Pharisees, SSPX critics painstakingly uphold procedural law at the expense of the law’s underlying purpose, the salvation of souls.The condemnation of the SSPX consecrations is a Pharisaical error. This point might be inflammatory, but I want to make clear that I think most practicing Catholics who condemn the consecrations love Christ and totally desire to uphold the faith. I am not saying that they, as people, are like the Pharisees, only that their position unwittingly endorses the kind of reasoning used by the Pharisees. One of the clearest recurring...

Connect The Dots: Leo Somewhat Too Near To Another Alleged Homosexual Molester, And Promoting To Bishop A Promoter Of SodomyYou might remember yours truly writing this less than one year ago. As time goes by, it seems that Leo keeps finding himself in strange “situations”. Take this one here: the resignation of a Bishop accused of homosexual behaviour. If you read the full text, you discover the following: a) The two had worked together for a long time, and were both occupied in various roles in the Peruvian Episcopal Conference. I dare to say you get to know people with...

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...

The SSPX Appeals to Rome: Will Pope Leo XIV Practice the Synodality He Preaches?The Society of St. Pius X has formally appealed Rome's excommunication decree, setting up one of the most consequential canonical disputes in decades. Attorney Robert Morrison examines why this legal challenge places Pope Leo XIV's own teachings on ecumenism, religious liberty, and synodality under unprecedented scrutiny—and why the Vatican's response may shape the future of the traditional Catholic movement.On July 13, 2026, the General House of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) announced that it had submitted a preliminary recourse to the Dicastery of the Doctrine...

TRIBUNE. The Failure of Leo XIVThere was a time when excommunication could bring an emperor to his knees or cause an entire nation to apostatize. But excommunication is no longer what it once was, and that is the work of the very Church that today wields it against the FSSPX. History knows these diminished echoes, those tragedies that repeat themselves as farces, as Marx described when he identified Napoleon III as a ridiculous imitation of his uncle. Nor is Leo XIV Gregory VII. But if farce is already a fairly appropriate term to describe this case, with Tucho Fernández, carrying...

SSPX community in Charlotte acquires 26 acres for church expansion projectThe world-famous architect James McCrery will be designing a church complex for the SSPX community of Charlotte, North Carolina.SSPX community of St. Anthony's, Mount Holly, North Carolina“This milestone was achieved as the result of a 3-year search over a 3,000 square-mile search area that included analysis of more than 1,300 properties,” said Jim De Piante, project manager for the new St. Anthony’s church. “We hope this first step in our master plan to build a beautiful and spacious church complex on the property will ensure that the Catholic faithful will...

[Catholic Caucus] Beware Of The Tales About Padre Pio And Archbishop LefebvreMy favourite Saint kissing the ring of my favourite ArchbishopI did not know that there were people evil enough to try to falsely use the dead Padre Pio to slander the great Archbishop Lefebvre. However, because I now know, I think it useful to post this in order to help preventing the spreading of lies. Two words more in general: everybody who knows two things of Padre Pio knows that 1) he hates the “aggiornamento”, and 2) he hoped to die before having to celebrate the Mass of Paul...