A message to today's Traditional Catholics from Saint Athanasius

It was when I was working with the Fatima Priest, Father Nicholar Gruner+, that I learned about Saint Athanasius of Alexandria. St. Athanasius was beloved of Father Gruner for having dared to stand up for the True Faith in opposition to the Arian Heresy embraced in the 4th century A.D. by secular rulers and the majority of churchmen, up to and including Pope Liberius.

St. Athanasius "whose very gift it was, above all other Fathers, to possess a clear and accurate knowledge of the Catholic doctrine," was born in Alexandria, Egypt, near the end of the 3rd century A.D. Christianity was well-rooted in Alexandria at that time, yet it was also the centre of a growing theological error regarding the fundamental Christian doctrine of the Trinity. This error would be fervently promoted by the Alexandrian priest, Arius, from whom it derives its name of "Arianism". 

The defense of the orthodox Faith in opposition to Arianism would largely define the life of St. Athanasius. The serious nature of this heresy and the dispute it occasioned led to the calling by the Emperor Constantine of the first Ecumenical Council of the Church -- the Council of Nicaea -- in A.D. 325.

Assisting the bishop of Alexandria at this council was the young deacon, Athanasius. There, the orthodox formulation of the Nicene Creed declared that the Son of God was truly God, begotten, not made, and of the same substance as the Father. 

Despite the dogmatic definition of Nicaea, the Arian Heresy persisted. With undaunted courage, Athanasius continued the struggle against this denial of the Divinity of Christ, which brought him up against powerful churchmen and even Emperors. Despite being exiled on five separate occasions and even excommunicated by Pope Liberius in 357 A.D., Athanasius persisted in his defence of the orthodox doctrine. 

The purported excommunication of this champion of the true Faith was controversial at the time and for centuries aftrerward. As Athanasius pointed out in charity when he refused to accept the validity of the excommunication, Pope Liberius had been imprisoned and issued this condemnation under pressure from his captors. No doubt that mitigated somewhat his responsibility. Nevertheless, Liberius was the first pope never recognized as a saint. 

Historian Cornelius Clifford says in his account: "Athanasius was the greatest champion of Catholic belief on the subject of the Incarnation that the Church has ever known and in his lifetime earned the characteristic title of 'Father of Orthodoxy', by which he has been distinguished ever since." 

St. John Henry Newman describes St. Athanasius as a "principal instrument, after the Apostles, by which the sacred truths of Christianity have been conveyed and secured to the world."

Here is one of the saints writings which resonates loudly today, as Traditional Catholics are denounced and bullied by the Vatican, and called "excommunicate", "schismatic" and even "a Protestant sect", by churchmen who, by all objective measures, have embraced heresy and apostasy.

Let us pray. "O Lord Jesus Christ, we recall to mind how St. Athanasius defended Thee and the true teachings of Thy Holy Church even at the risk of his career and life, relying always for strength and comfort on his faith in Thee and his love for Thy Blessed Mother, Mary. Even when his foes stripped him of his priestly offices and worldly goods, this holy saint remained steadfast and true always, revealing the lies and treachery of Thine enemies and earning the love of Thy people.

"O Blessed Lord, through the intercession of this great saint, we beseech Thee to raise up pastors filled with faith, charity, truth, and apostolic zeal, capable of guiding souls in fidelity to the Church and to Catholic Tradition. We ask Thee also to strengthen our faith and love and apportion to us the zeal of St. Athanasius so that we too may totally serve Thee without reserve, hesitation of fear. Amen."

VIDEO: Michael Matt reacts to the SSPX consecrations

This is a follow-up to "Letter from Michael Matt re the Society of St. Pius X's intended consecration of new bishops",WWW 30/6/26. The consecrations took place in Switzerland this morning, as promised. On the latest Remnant Underground, Mr Matt asks: What happens now?

 

Mr Matt, like the rest of us traditional Catholics, is waiting for Pope Leo's slipper to drop. Will he blink, or will he drop the excrement-mallet on all those who dare to be Catholic? Stay tuned!!!

VIDEO + Fw: Letter from Michael Matt re the Society of St. Pius X's intended consecration of new bishops, scheduled for tomorrow

Traditional Catholics like YVT are on the edge of their seats [on their knees in prayer, surely. Ed.] waiting to see if Pope Leo XIV will make good on the threat delivered by his minion, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, to excommunicate all the bishops, priests, and religious of the Society of St. Pius X, as well as the faithful who attend SSPX Masses, if the Society goes ahead with the consecration of four new bishops without the approval of the Vatican. 

The SSPX is doing this because the Catholic Church -- the church established by Our Lord Jesus Christ while He was here on Earth -- is in crisis. To understand the nature of the crisis, and why this consecration must be done, watch this Remnant Underground video, with Michael Matt, editor of The Remnant newspaper and author of the open letter which we received today and publish below.

 

Michael Matt writes:

The night before the SSPX has long-since planned to consecrate bishops and the very day that they have welcomed 30,000 faithful to Econe to witness the liturgical ceremony, Pope Leo – who has evidently refused to meet with the Superior General of the SSPX, despite multiple filial requests – is NOW suggesting he’s "open to dialogue".

Pope Leo’s letter reads in part: "I beg and implore you with all my heart: turn back! I urge you to carefully consider the spiritual good of the faithful, for the schismatic act you would commit would deprive them of the lawful -- and in some cases even valid -- reception of the sacraments they love and seek for their own sanctification. The Church is open to a path of dialogue and understanding that the Holy Spirit can make possible and fruitful. I pray for you, for tearing the seamless Tunic of Christ is a sin of the utmost gravity."

This is a wonderful example of pre-emptive damage control and papal hubris. But what about the Vatican's role in tearing the "seamless tunic" to shreds by throwing us out of our churches, depriving our children of the only Mass they've ever known, leaving the Catholic schools in such chaos that we are obliged to educate our children at home?

What about the clerical sex scandals that have rocked the Church ever since our children can remember? What has the Holy See actually done about that? Father Rupnick's "artwork" is still disfiguring the facades of cathedrals all over Europe, as if to announce that, once again, the Vatican cares nothing about the victims of priestly sexual abuse.

What about the liturgical insanity that first forced faithful Catholics to drive for hours on Sunday mornings in search of something that looks vaguely Catholic, and then ultimately led to empty pews and churches closing everywhere?

What about the millions of young people who have simply walked out of the Church forever, so tired are they of a largely homosexualized priesthood and a completely emasculated liturgy?

The nuns are mostly gone. The schools are mostly closed. The churches that are still open are mostly celebrating gay pride. And the crisis in the Church is so serious that even Pope John Paul called it the "silent apostasy". Surely, the Holy Father can't be serious that WE are to blame for the abuse we've endured at the hands of our spiritual fathers.

How badly does His Holiness think we're suffering from Stockholm Syndrome that just a couple of years after Traditionis Custodes – when the Vatican ruthlessly ripped the Latin Mass out of our lives and in effect told our kids to go to hell – we'd now be ready to hear a papal lecture about how the SSPX is responsible for tearing the seamless garment by establishing scattered oases of Catholic water and life in the middle of the spiritual desert that the Vatican has made out of our beloved Catholic Church?

No, Holy Father, we beg YOU – do not do this! Do not expel one of the few orders of faithful heterosexual priests left – priests who have remained true to the Faith of our fathers and who are far more concerned about the souls of our children than about celebrating LGBT outreach here in the Month of the Sacred Heart.

We have been abused by the Vatican long enough, Holy Father. We have had enough of Vatican abuse and apostasy scandalizing our children. Please, for God's sake and the sake of our children, stop this madness! 

In Christo Rege, 

Michael J. Matt

VIDEO: Dr Taylor Marshall on Pope Leo's apparent endorsement of Father James Martin

Yesterday we posted a brief video by our old friend Michael Matt, as part of an update to "What about that 'Father James Martin'?". We also gave you, in "Walt's forecast on Leo XIV's papacy: no change expected", the link to another commentary by Anthony Stine. Both videos deal with what Mr Matt called "the nightmare in Minneapolis" and the connection with Father James Martin, the heretical priest who is the chief Catholic [not really Ed.] promoter of the LGBTQ agenda.

Today we want to share the thoughts of  Dr Taylor Marshall, another powerful voice of traditional Catholicism, and author of the just-released Christian Patriot! To get your copy,  hot off the press, follow the links in the YouTube feed.

In this video, live-streamed earlier today, Dr Marshall shows a photo of Pope Leo XIV meeting with the Queer Priest whose mission is to turn Catholics (and everyone else towards -- not away from, but towards beliefs and practices that are antithetical to the Gospel of Salvation.

Dr Marshall argues that the Holy Father should immediately issue a profound mea culpa, and reaffirm the Faith of our fathers. And if he doesn't? Is this the end of the "wait and see" period for Pope Leo? The video is long, but worth watching, at least the first 40 minutes or so. In the second half, Dr Marshall answers questions and comments from those watching the livestream.

 

Walt's forecast on Leo XIV's papacy: no change expected

Since May, Walt has said nothing much about Pope Leo XIV, whom many traditional Catholics had hoped (and prayed) would slow down, if not stop the descent of the Roman Catholic Church into wokeness, heresy and irrelevancy. "Give him time," said our old friend Michael Matt. Well, we did, and are saddened to report that the passage of nearly three months has revealed the new pope to be very little different from his predecessor, Francis the Talking Pope.

Pope Prevost's appointments to the Roman Curia, announced very quietly on Friday, have been mostly modernists, and protégés of Francis. 

Nor has he stopped the crackdown on the Traditional Latin Mass, ordered by some bishops "in accordance with the wishes of Pope Francis", even though Francis had gone to his reward.

And today, we have news of a meeting between Pope Leo and Father James Martin, to whom we devoted an entire post just last week. 

Father Martin is as gay as 18 balloons, and found favour in the eyes of Francis as one of the most prominent advocates for "gay marriage" and "greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Catholic Church". Father Martin told the meeja that Leo "encouraged his ministry", just days before a planned Holy Year pilgrimage of LGBTQ+ Catholics to the Vatican, in a sign of "continued welcome in this new pontificate."

He said also that Leo told him he intended to continue Pope Francis’ policy of LGBTQ+ acceptance in the Church. "I heard the same message from Pope Leo that I heard from Pope Francis, which is the desire to welcome all people, including LGBTQ people," the objectively heretical priest told AP after the audience. "It was wonderful. It was very consoling and very encouraging and frankly a lot of fun."

The meeting, which lasted about half an hour, was officially announced by the Vatican in a sign that the new pope wanted it made public, to signal continuity with Francis, who more than any of Leo’s predecessors worked to make the Catholic Church more queer-friendly. 

From his 2013 quip, "Who am I to judge?" about a purportedly gay priest, to his decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples, Francis distinguished himself with his message of welcome. During his 12-year papacy, Francis met on several occasions with Fr Martin and named him an advisor in the Vatican's communications department and a member of his "Synod on synodality", a big multi-year meeting on the future of the Church.

Still, Francis never changed church teaching saying homosexual acts are "intrinsically disordered". Whether Leo will attempt to change dogma is something of a question. Soon after he was elected in May, remarks surfaced from 2012 in which Father Robert Prevost, as he then was, criticized the "homosexual lifestyle" and the role of mass media in promoting acceptance of same-sex relationships that conflicted with Catholic doctrine. 

When he became a cardinal in 2023, Catholic News Service asked Prevost if his views had changed. He acknowledged Francis' call for a more inclusive church, saying Francis "made it very clear that he doesn’t want people to be excluded simply on the basis of choices that they make, whether it be lifestyle, work, way to dress, or whatever." The doctrine of the Church had not changed, Cardinal Prevost said, "but we are looking to be more welcoming and more open and to say all people are welcome in the church." 

So where does the new Pope Prevost stand today? Fr Martin, who knew him from their time working together in the aforementioned synod, told AP he wasn't worried about Leo's views, and had always found him to be "a very open, welcoming, inclusive person.... But it's wonderful to hear this continuation."

Walt's reading of the signs and portents? See headline.

Worth viewing! "Bishop Renounces The Idea Of Sin And Says EVERYONE Deserves The Eucharist", by Anthony Stine, Return to Tradition, 1/9/25.

What about that "Father James Martin"? - BONUS VIDEO ADDED

Some readers have expressed puzzlement over Walt's reference in "What made her/him do it?!", WWW 27/8/25, to "evil priests of the Father Hames Martin type". "Who he?", we hear them ask. That's him  on the right in the picture, giving his priestly blessing to a gay couple.

Father Martin is an American Jesuit priest and pro-queer activist. He was a great friend of the late Jorge Bergoglio (a Jesuit known by some as Pope Francis), and is now in the very good graces of Pope Leo XIV and members of the Mauve Mafia in the Vatican.

Father Martin is objectively a heretic in that he not only denies but openly advocates one of the mortal sins that deprive the soul of grace. They are serious transgressions of God's law, done freely and deliberately with a clear understanding of what they are. Their result is to deny a soul entrance to heaven. 

There are particular mortal sins that are so evil that they cry to heaven for vengeance. They are (with Biblical references for our readers who insist that only what's in the Bible counts): murder (Genesis 4:10), sodomy (Genesis 18:20-21), oppression of the poor (Exodus 2:23), and defrauding workers of their just wages (St. James 5:4).

Sodomy and other "choices" of the liberal/libertine lifestyle are still regarded by Holy Mother Church as grave sins, even though modernists priests and bishops don't say the silent part out loud since the days of Pope Benedict XVI. Just one day before his election, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger delivered a homily in which he denounced modern trends he said were undermining Catholicism and Western civilization. "We are moving toward a dictatorship of relativism," he said, "which does not recognize anything for certain and which has as its highest goal one's own ego and one's own desires."

As enforcer of Catholic dogma, Cardinal Ratzinger chastised dissident theologians, said no to female priests, no to married priests and no to gay marriage. He described homosexuality as an "objective disorder and an intrinsic moral evil."

One of the pontiff's most successful and most emotional trips was to the United States in 2008, where he tackled the most painful issue for the Catholic Church in America — clerical sex abuse — saying he was deeply ashamed. "It is in the context of this hope born of God's love and fidelity that I acknowledge the pain which the church in America has experienced as a result of the sexual abuse of minors," he said. "No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse ... nor can I adequately describe the damage that has occurred within the community of the Church." 

Readers should now understand my wondering, yesterday, if Robin (formerly Robert) Westman might have been "influenced" by "evil priests of the Father James Martin type." If, indeed, the Minneapolis shooter was "influenced" by an evil priest, that does not excuse her/him. But it condemns the one who led the little one astray.

He that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea. (St. Matthew 18:6)  

Worth watching! "Nightmare in Minneapolis" Where did the Catholic Church go wrong?", with Michael Matt, editor of The Remnant newspaper.

VIDEO: "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran!"

Walt feels the need to post something more about the Israeli (read: American) attack on Iran than the little cartoon which appeared here this morning. We can poke fun at the Ayatollahs and mad mullahs all we like, but to say that we have to get them before they get us... that's just wrong! In his latest Remnant Underground video, Michael Matt tells us why supporting "Christian Zionism" is a big mistake, and what we must do to save our country.

But first, this overture. Those of you who grew up with the music of the Golden Age of Rock, the kind featured in American Graffiti, will have noted with sadness the passing of Brian Wilson, the musical genius behind The Beach Boys, who died a few days ago at the age of 82. RIP. This is one of my favourite Beach Boys hits.

What, you may wonder, is the connection with the attack on Iran. Read our headline again, quickly, or better yet, sing it... the way the Beach Boys did! No wonder Mr Matt uses it to preface his thoughts on the mistake of joining the endless Middle Eastern war.

Dear Christian friends -- Catholic and otherwise -- Mr Matt has shown the flaws in the argument for joining in the Jewish war on Iran. It's not that Mr Matt or we here at WWW are anti-Semitic. It's simply that this war goes against everything we, as Christians, profess to believe. Now you know.

Footnote: This video is an edited version of AMERICA FIRST?? TRUMP BOMBS IRAN_ MAGA Divided, Neocons Delighted, Israel Wins, published on Remnant TV on 22 June 2025. Mr Matt's report on the latest Chartres pilgrimage and the great Catholic Revival now shaking Europe have been omitted. Click here to see the full-length (44:15) video.

VIDEO: Priest accuses "Pope" Francis of TEN heresies

I hope non-Catholic readers will forgive me for dwelling on the crisis in the Catholic Church. Jorge Bergoglio, the man who calls himself "'Pope' Francis", by embracing secular humanism, globalism and wokeism, has brought the Church to the brink of open schism. 

The destruction of the Church will be welcomed by the one-worlders of the WEF because it will be followed, as surely as night follows day, by the downfall of Western civilization, which is founded on the truths and teachings of the Christian Faith.

For this reason, everyone -- not just Catholics -- should be deeply concerned about the push by Francis and his James Martinesque [= homosexual] friends -- the Lavender Mafia -- to substitute for the the Faith of Our Fathers ideas and teachings which are anti-Christian and heretical.

In this video, published yesterday, our old friend Dr Taylor Marshall analyzes an open letter to Francis penned by a faithful priest -- Father Jesusmary Missigbètò, from Côte d'Ivoire -- who (like the late Father Nicholas Gruner) was suspended in March of 2021 after criticizing Francis’s change to the theology of of matrimony.

Father Missigbètò accuses Francis of preaching and teaching no fewer than ten heresies, which Dr Marshall explains in detail.

Make no mistake. In promoting these heresies as authentic teachings of the Magisterium, which Catholics are obliged to believe and follow, Francis is leading us to hell. It is the duty of faithful Catholics, like Father Missigbètò, to resist Francis to his face, to stand up and say "This is wrong!" It is also our duty to pray for the Church (and for ourselves), in words like these.

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil; May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls.

Mother Miriam calls Synod on Synodality "deceptive" and "a sham"

Ed. here. Walt is recovering nicely but doesn't feel up to writing. so we are reposting, from LifeSite News, the text of a recent episode of  "Mother Miriam Live", in which Mother Miriam warned the faithful about the Pope of Woke's worldwide "Synod on Synodality". She said the Vatican may seek to use the programme to overhaul the Church in ways contrary to the Faith. 

Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God, as she is now called, is known to many in the Catholic world. Born and raised in a Jewish home in Brooklyn, Rosalind Moss embraced Jesus as the Messiah of the Jewish people as an adult.

The longtime Benedictine nun and Catholic apologist declared that she will not participate in the Synod, describing it as "a sham" and a "plot" and linking it to a broader push for global control.

The Synod on Synodality, launched by Pope Francis last year, is currently in the diocesan phase, requiring bishops to hold "listening sessions" to gather opinions of Catholics and non-Catholics alike and discern "how God is calling us to be as the Church in the third millennium." [Click here to see actual video clips from one of these Kumbaya-fests, held recently in a diocese in Newfoundland. Ed.] 

According to the Synod handbook, local responses will then be "synthesized" by the Vatican as the basis of working documents for the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October 2023. The initiative has repeatedly been embroiled in controversy, including over dissident affirmations of homosexuality and suggestions of female ordination by Synod leaders. 

"I don't believe that those handling the Synod could care what anybody says in a listening session or what their feedback is," Mother Miriam said. "They already have their plan. They’re doing this to make us feel that we are part of it and that what they're doing is the majority opinion, even if it's not ours. 

"It's absolutely false," she continued. "It’s completely deceptive. Our opinion, our listening has nothing to do with their plans. We're pawns in their program, and they could care less."

Mother Miriam noted that she wasn't speaking of individual bishops or dioceses, but of "those at the Vatican who have perpetrated this.... So, I would not or be a part of a listening session," she recommended, "and if you do, don't be deceived that what you think or anyone or anyone else thinks is going to have any bearing on the corruption being spread on us throughout the world."

She also predicted that the Vatican would use the Synod to attempt radical changes unsupported by faithful Catholics and point to the listening sessions as justification. "I don't believe that their listening sessions or our responses to them are going to have anything to do with what the Church, the Vatican, is going to put on us," she said. "Absolutely not. I think it's a ploy to make us think that this was the response of Catholics, and it is not."

Heterodox Cardinal Mario Grech, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops and an outspoken backer of the LGBT movement, has hinted at as much, saying that the Synod on Synodality will help to "find truth" and inform possible doctrinal changes by Pope Francis. 

His under-secretary, Sr. Nathalie Becquart, has asserted that the Pope intends to "disconnect participation in the leadership of the Church from ordination" and "get rid of a clerical church" [!!!] through the initiative. 

And Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, relator general of the Synod, recently claimed that the Church’s millennia-old condemnation of sodomy is now "false" because "the sociological-scientific foundation of this teaching is no longer correct" -- comments that Australian Cardinal George Pell has called "explicit heresy."

Further viewing: Michael Matt's latest video, "Is the church of Francis going gay?", WWW 19/5/22.

Pope Francis: "Need some more nails?"

At the request of our old friend, Michael J. Matt, editor of The Remnant Newspaper, Walt is pleased to repost this visual comment on the crisis in the Roman Catholic Church.

Mr Matt writes:

The war is on. The situation in Rome is beyond desperate.

Martin Luther was a Catholic priest who apostatized and got married. Francis -- a big fan of Luther's -- now wants to exploit the Amazon people and use them as an excuse to abolish the celibate priesthood.

One of the original four dubia cardinals, Cardinal Walter Brandmüller, recently called the Vatican’s working document (Instrumentum Laboris) for the upcoming Pan-Amazon Synod, "heretical" and an “apostasy” from Divine Revelation. He called upon Church leaders to "reject" it with all "decisiveness."

Francis must be stopped!

Footnote: I see that Mr Matt now refers to the pope as "Francis"... not "Pope Francis". This means something. There are those who have maintained since Day One that Jorge Bergoglio was not validly elected as pope. Indeed, they say, he couldn't be, since there was already a Pope -- Benedict XVI -- who could not, as a matter of canon law, abdicate or resign. That debate will continue until God removes one or both of them from the scene and we get a new pope who holds and teaches the Faith of our Fathers. So let us pray.

VIDEO ADDED: Pope Francis accused of heresy... again

A group of 19 prominent Catholics, including clergy and scholars, chose Easter Week, recently concluded, to publish an open letter to the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church accusing Pope Francis accusing of heresy.

This is hardly "news". Over the last several years, there have been a number of letters and petitions questioning the Unholy Father's theological orthodoxy, particularly after the publication of Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), his 2016 apostolic exhortation on marriage and the family. See "'Amoris Laetitia' - Pope Francis leads Catholics into error", WWW 10/12/16 and "Traditional Catholics formally accuse Pope Francis of spreading heresy", WWW 24/9/17.

In the still-unanswered dubia (an expression of questioning or doubt), Cardinals Walter Brandmüller, Raymond Leo Burke, Carlo Caffarra and Joachim Meisner asked Pope Francis, in more formal language,"Are we still Catholic or not?!" They asked him to clarify five fundamental points of Catholic doctrine and sacramental discipline. Answer came there none.

This new letter takes up the same theme, and would thus be unremarkable were it not for the endorsement of Dominican Father Aidan Nichols, who Breitbart writer Thomas D. Williams calls "one of the most prominent Catholic theologians in the English-speaking world." A prolific author, Father Nichols has published over 50 books and, from 2006 through 2008, was the first John Paul II Memorial Visiting Lecturer at the University of Oxford, the first lectureship of Catholic theology at that university since the Protestant Reformation.

The 20-page letter, which you can read in its entirety by clicking here, comes right to the point in the first two paragraphs.

We are addressing this letter to you [the bishops of the Church] for two reasons: first, to accuse Pope Francis of the canonical delict of heresy, and second, to request that you take the steps necessary to deal with the grave situation of a heretical pope.
We take this measure as a last resort to respond to the accumulating harm caused by Pope Francis's words and actions over several years, which have given rise to one of the worst crises in the history of the Catholic Church.

Much of the material offered as evidence of heresy comes from Amoris Laetitia, and deals with sexual ethics and sacramental theology. A large section of the letter is devoted to showing the Pope's misconduct in "praising clerics and laity who advance these heresies, or by naming them to influential posts, or by protecting clerics of this kind from punishment or demotion when they have committed gravely immoral and criminal acts." There follows a too-long list of the offending clerics, including American Cardinals Blase Cupich, Donald Wuerl and now infamous homosexual pederast and EX-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. These names appear in other posts on WWW; click on the tags below to find out why.

The question now is: will His Unholiness pay any attention? Answer: no. But if his fellow bishops will not judge him, God certainly will. Stay tuned.

VIDEO ADDED 2/5/19: While Walt was writing this, Michael Matt and his team at The Remnant newspaper were preparing "Pope Accused of Heresy (Francis Trolls His Own Church)". Here it is.

VIDEO: Francis "the most incompetent pope in history?"

This being Holy Week, our friend Michael Matt, editor of The Remnant, meant to post something upbeat, but couldn't ignore the statement attributed to Pope Francis by Eugenio Scalfari, the founder of La Repubblica, to the effect that there is no hell and the souls of those who die in a state of grave sin simply disappear. Here's what Mr Matt thinks about the Holy (?) Father's apparently heretical views.

Is there really no Hell? Then what are we worried about?

Just in time for the Easter Triduum, Vatican flak-catchers are scrambling to deny that sentiments attributed to Pope Francis in an interview with the founder of La Repubblica are not overt heresy. In reaction to reports that the Pontiff has denied the existence of hell, the Vatican has released a carefully worded statement that does not refute the substance of the claims.

An unsigned statement released on March 29th says (translated), "The Holy Father Francis recently received the founder of the newspaper La Repubblica in a private meeting for the occasion of Easter, without giving him an interview. What is reported by the author in today's article is the result of his reconstruction, in which the Pope's exact words are not cited. No quotation of the aforementioned article must therefore be considered as a faithful transcription of the Holy Father's words."

The article referred to is "Il Papa: 'È un onore essere chiamato rivoluzionario'" ("The Pope: 'It's an honour to be called a revolutionary'"), published on March 28th. According to the newspaper, Pope Francis, in a recent conversation with his longtime friend, Eugenio Scalfari (the founder of the paper) expressly denied the existence of hell and the immortality of the human soul.

Cutting through the spin, the Vatican statement says only that the article is not a faithful transcription of the Pope's "exact words". However, the statement doesn't take issue with the basic content of the conversation. Nor does it say that the author's reconstruction of the conversation is erroneous, or does it deny that Francis said that hell does not exist.

If the substance of the conversation is reported correctly, even those Catholics who have tied themselves into pretzels defending the unorthodox ravings of Pope Bergoglio have to admit that this latest pronouncement is a huge addition to the body of heretical statements enunciated by the Holy (?) Father.

Here is a translation of the thoughts (?) attributed to Francis by Sgnr Scalfari. "They [condemned souls] are not punished. Those who repent obtain the forgiveness of God and enter the rank of souls who contemplate him, but those who do not repent and cannot therefore be forgiven disappear. There is no hell, there is the disappearance of sinful souls."

Such a statement is overtly heretical. The Catholic Church clearly asserts the existence of hell. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire". The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs.

And further:
The affirmations of Sacred Scripture and the teachings of the Church on the subject of hell are a call to the responsibility incumbent upon man to make use of his freedom in view of his eternal destiny. They are at the same time an urgent call to conversion: "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

By contrast, what the Pope said is more like the belief of the pagan ancient Egyptians, who believed that condemned souls are devoured by the goddess Ammit and thus deprived of eternal existence. But the de-fide Dogma of the Church, is: The souls of those who die in the condition of personal grievous sin enter Hell.

Yes, that applies to me and thee, even to popes. To say that there is no Hell and that condemned souls simply "disappear", is heresy.

Footnote: The depiction of a pope being directed by the Devil to enter hell was created by the English artist and poet, William Blake, in 1794. Entitled "Lucifer and the Pope in Hell", it shows an infernal landscape, with flames to the left, and six figures partially visible, sunk in a river or mire, wound in a serpent's coils. To the right, the nude figure of Lucifer, his body covered in scales, points a spear to the left; in front of him, the figure of a pope looking right, into a smoky landscape. A typeprint may be seen in the British Museum in London.

VIDEO: Science confirms location of Christ's tomb

This is more than a little out of season, but good news is always good news, no matter how long it takes to travel to our corner of the forest.

An article which appeared in National Geographic confirms that the truths of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition can often be proven to the skeptical by the methodologies of modern science. An example of a recent find corroborating an ancient belief is the confirmation by archaeologists that early Roman Christians were correct in the location that they believed to be the tomb of Jesus Christ. The results of scientific tests appear to show that the limestone cave whose remains are enshrined within the venerable Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was in fact the burial site of Our Lord and Saviour.

Mortar sampled from between the original limestone surface of the tomb and a marble slab that covers it has been dated to around A.D. 345. According to historical accounts, the tomb was discovered by the Romans and enshrined around 326. Until now, however, the earliest architectural evidence found in and around the tomb complex dated to the Crusader period, making it no more than 1000 years old. But new dating results put the original construction of the tomb securely in the time of Constantine the Great (c. 306-337), Rome's first Christian emperor.

When Constantine's representatives arrived in Jerusalem around 325 to locate the tomb, they were allegedly directed to a Roman temple built some 200 years earlier. The Roman temple was razed and excavations beneath it revealed a tomb hewn from a limestone cave. The top of the cave was sheared off to expose the interior of the tomb, and the Aediculum (little house) was built around it. Inside the Aediculum is a long shelf, or "burial bed", which according to tradition was the place where the body of Jesus was laid out following His Crucifixion.

Here's a link to the National Geographic article (26/10/16), from which this video was taken.



Dear Catholic readers, the things we have always believed, on the foundation of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition -- dogmatically the two fonts of the Catholic Faith -- are every day being confirmed by modern science. We have nothing to fear from science. What we must fear, and pray for protection against, are the false teachings of those who would lead us into skepticism, or, worse, non-belief, or, worse yet, heretical denial of that which the Church has always declared to be true.

Traditional Catholics formally accuse Pope Francis of spreading heresy

Way back in December of 1333, a group of Roman Catholic theologians met in Paris and decided in favour of the doctrine that the souls of the blessed departed see God immediately after death or after their complete purification. This teaching, known as the Beatific Vision, he been called into question by Pope John XXII, who, before his elevation to the Holy See, had written a work in which he stated that the souls of the blessed departed do not see God until after the Last Judgment. The theologians said that the pope was wrong, even heretical, and petitioned him to confirm their decision.

In a consistory held the following month, John XXII explicitly declared that he had never meant to teach anything contrary to Holy Scripture or the rule of Faith. Before his death he withdrew his former opinion, and declared his belief that souls separated from their bodies enjoyed in heaven the Beatific Vision.

Nothing like this happened again for nearly seven centuries... until now! Last month 40 Catholic clergy and lay scholars from around the world issued a "Filial Correction", a 25-page letter to Pope Francis, accusing him of spreading heresy about marriage, the moral life, and the reception of the sacraments in his 2016 document Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) and subsequent "acts, words and omissions".

The initiative follows the formal act by four tradition-minded Cardinals who last year asked the Pope to clarify a series of questions, or "dubia" (= doubts), they had about Amoris Laetitia. Since no answer was received from the Holy Father, either to the Dubia or to the Filial Correction, the latter is being made public today, September 24th, Feast of Our Lady of Ransom and of Our Lady of Walsingham.

The letter, which is open to new signatories, now has the names of 62 clergy and lay scholars from 20 countries, who also represent others lacking the necessary freedom of speech. It is written in Latin, the official language of the Church (in spite of the efforts of modernists to suppress it) and is titled: Correctio filialis de haeresibus propagatis (= A filial correction concerning the propagation of heresies). Click here to read the complete text of the Filial Correction, in English.

It states that the pope has, by his Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia, and by other, related, words, deeds and omissions, effectively upheld 7 heretical positions about marriage, the moral life, and the reception of the sacraments, and has caused these heretical opinions to spread in the Catholic Church. These 7 heresies are expressed by the signatories in Latin, the official language of the Church.

None of the signatories of the new letter is a Cardinal. (Two of the four Cardinals who signed the Dubia have since died.) The highest-ranking churchman listed is Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior of the Society of St. Pius X. Several signatories are well-known admirers of the traditional Latin Mass. Organizers said the initiative was nevertheless significant and a sign of the concern of many academics and pastors over Francis' positions, which they say pose a danger to the faithful.

Battle between modernism and tradition heats up as Pope fires 3IC

Full in the panting heart of Rome (as went the old hymn) there is a civil war going on. Make that a religious war. The Roman Catholic Church, which we used to think of as universal (which is what "catholic" means) and monolithic, is divided as it has not been since the Great Schism of the Middle Ages. The conflict is not between Catholic Tradition and modernism, or conservatives and liberals, but between the liberals who slavishly follow the false teachings of Vatican II and the ultra-liberals who want to finish what Martin Luther started and lead the Church into heresies from which She can never recover.

The champion of the "progressive" faction, the modernizing deniers of Catholic dogma, is none other than Pope Francis himself. In the opposite corner, so to speak, is Gerhard Cardinal Müller, who was named head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, precisely to halt the descent into syncretism, relativism and other heresies which had thrown the Church into a crisis of faith.

On Saturday, while Canadians (or some of them) were celebrating their country's 150th anniversary, the Pope ordered Cardinal Müller (also third in command at the Vatican after the Pope and the Secretary of State) into retirement. Thus, Francis neutralized one of the few princes of the church whose job it was to call out the pope for his seemingly endless appetite for doctrinal change.

The prelate represented the conservative -- read "less liberal" -- wing of the Church that has looked askance at the pontiff’s disregard for centuries-old tradition and restrictions. Ever since Francis assumed the Throne of Peter in 2013, he and the cardinal seemed to be on a collision course. Cardinal Müller was not at all pleased when Francis, answering a question about his feelings toward gay Catholics, shrugged and said, "Who am I to judge?". When Francis announced that he wanted to create a commission to discuss allowing women to become deacons, the prelate effectively quashed the idea.

The excrement really interfaced with the air-conditioning device when Francis ignored Cardinal Müller's suggested alterations to his "apostolic exhortation", Amoris Laetitia. The prelate opposed Pope Bergoglio's attempt to allow divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion -- an act of rejecting Christ's teaching that traditionally carries with it the penalty of excommunication. The anti-Catholic teachings of Amoris Laetitia have been openly resisted by many, including four cardinals who, last September, published their dubia (an expression of confusion or doubt), which the Poope has yet to answer.

By refusing to extend Cardinal Müller's tenure as head of the CDF, Francis has effectively fired the prelate, and scored a huge win in his battle to impose his ultra-liberal, anti-Catholic views on Holy Mother Church. To make matters even worse, His Humbleness replaced Cardinal Müller with Archbishop Luis Ladaria -- a liberal Jesuit like the Pope -- thus virtually eliminating any chance of opposition from the one office in the Church with the duty to interpret Catholic magisterium –- that is, spreading doctrinal teaching to the Church's billion plus adherents.

When Pope Ratzinger appointed Archbishop Ladaria Secretary of the CDF in 2008, his appointment was openly criticized because of the prelate's heterodox (read: heretical) teachings on Original Sin and Grace. Cardinal Müller was bad enough, but Abp Ladaria promises to be worse. There is no truly Catholic prelate left in the Roman Catholic Church. No, not one.

Dear Catholic readers, let us pray to Saint Michael the Archangel and to the sainted Popes Pius V and Pius X to defend us as the battle to preserve the Faith of our fathers nears its climax, and to confound and defeat those within the highest echelons of the Church who would lead us into heresy and damnation. Amen.

"Depose the Pope!" conference in Paris this week

L'Université de Paris (the University of Paris), for long known as the Sorbonne, has been around for well over 900 years. It was already 800 years old when Walt studied there (briefly) in the summer of 1863. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated with the cathedral school of Notre Dame de Paris, it was officially chartered in 1200 by King Philip II of France and recognized by Pope Innocent III in 1215.

The university is the historical location where the eminent Doctors of the Church, the Dominican St. Thomas Aquinas and the Franciscan St. Bonaventure, held their great theological debates. In the 1300s, a series of meetings at the University explored the question of what could be done with the possibly heretical Pope John XXII, who denied the doctrine that the souls of the just are admitted to the Beatific Vision after death, a position he retracted only on his deathbed. The Paris scholars decided that John was not to be considered a heretic because the doctrine he had contradicted had not been formally defined by the Church.

Now, over seven centuries later, the question of what can be done with (or to) a heretical pope arises again, because of the refusal of Pope Francis to answer the Dubia -- questions posed in a letter by four cardinals requesting clarification of the meaning of certain statements and propositions included in Pope Francis' exhortation Amoris Laetitia ("The Joy of Love").

The question of how to depose a heretical pope will be considered at the University this coming Thursday and Friday, by a group of eminent canon lawyers, theologians, and scholars. Called "Deposing the Pope: Theological Premises, Canonical Models, Constitutional Challenge", the conference seeks to explore the mechanisms that are built into the Catholic Church for dealing with a pope who openly teaches falsehood and even heresy.

Speaking at the conference will be University of Paris Professor Laurent Fonbaustier, who last year published a 1200-page book on the topic, titled The Deposition of the Heretical Pope. Also featured are Professors Nicolas Warembourg and Cyrille Dounot, two of the 45 Catholic academics who last June submitted an appeal to the Dean of the College of Cardinals in Rome requesting a repudiation of the erroneous propositions they found in Amoris Laetitia. They said Pope Francis' exhortation "contains a number of statements that can be understood in a sense that is contrary to Catholic faith and morals."

In November 2016, Vaticanista Giuseppe Nardi reported that a 1975 theological study by the learned Brazilian layman Arnaldo Vidigal Xavier da Silveira was making the rounds in the Vatican. In The Theological Hypothesis of a Heretical Pope, Senhor da Silveira considered whether it is possible for a pope to be or become a heretic, and if so, what consequences would follow from this. Signor Nardi commented that "three and a half years after the start of his pontificate, Pope Francis is reaching his limits. The impression, given by means of gestures and words, of a latent intention to change the doctrine of the Church must at some point either take on definite form or else it must collapse."

"Francis," he continues, "finds himself cornered by means of the very atmosphere he himself is responsible for creating. It's no longer about a spontaneous utterance on this or that, which remains improvised and non-binding. His pastoral work and his leadership skills, which demand a sense of responsibility and an exemplary character, are reaching their limits. This could cause [Francis' pontificate] to fail."

Last December, Raymond Cardinal Burke gave an interview in which he explained that if a pope were to "formally profess heresy he would cease, by that act, to be the Pope." He explained that there is a process within the Church for dealing with such a situation, adding his hope that "we won't be witnessing that at any time soon."

Also in December, American canon lawyer Dr Edward Peters addressed the question of what could be done if a pope were found to be heretical. The crucial question, he wrote, from a canonist's perspective, is "who would determine whether a given pope has fallen into heresy" since Canon 1404 states that the "First See is judged by no one." However, Dr Peters found in canonical tradition the position that if a general council determined that a pope had committed heresy, by that very fact he will have effectually cut himself off from the true vine, thereby forfeiting his office. "However remote is the possibility of a pope actually falling into heresy and however difficult it might be to determine whether a pope has so fallen, such a catastrophe, Deus vetet [God forbid], would result in the loss of papal office."

Faithful Catholics, please pray to St Michael the Archangel for the success of the conference and for the deliverance of Holy Mother Church from the thrall of all who would destroy Her.

Further reading: "Is the Catholic Church about to disintegrate?", WWW 31/10/17.

VIDEO: Pastor asks Pope Francis, "What's wrong with you?"

Walt is not quite ready, when writing about the sayings and doings of Jorge "Francis" Bergoglio, to put the word "Pope" in quote marks, but every week, every day brings me nearer to that point. A couple of weeks ago the Holy Father told a bemused world that no religion is terrorist. The laughter had hardly died away when, a few days ago, the Pope said that in his humble opinion -- Francis is the soul of humility, remember -- sincere atheists and agnostics are better people than wishy-washy Christians. And they can go to "the place of happiness" too. So there.

What, I wonder, is wrong with Pope Francis? Is he suffering from senile dementia? Or is he truly hell-bent (I use that adjective deliberately) on overturning two millennia of Christian theology so as to corrupt the Faith of millions and destroy Holy Mother Church? I hope and pray it's the former, for God will remedy that in His good time.

I am not the only person asking that question. Even non-Catholics are wondering what's wrong with Pope Francis? Here's a very short video of Rev. James David Manning, Pastor of the ATLAH World Missionary Church in Harlem, who points out the total contradiction between what Pope Francis is saying and what true Christians believe.



Dear Catholic readers, please pray for Pope Francis, that he may accept the correction and direction of God, and to Saint Michael the Archangel that he may defend Holy Mother Church and protect all who believe and teach the Faith of our fathers. Amen.

"Amoris Laetitia" -- Pope Francis leads Catholics into error

Amoris Laetitia (Latin for "The Joy of Love") is an "apostolic exhortation" published over the signature of Pope Francis the Humble on 8 April 2016, following the second meeting (in 2015) of the controversial Synod on the Family. It pushes the Pope's agenda of "reform" of Catholic teachings on morals, sexuality, marriage and divorce, and (particularly) the position of divorced and remarried Catholics. It has been hailed by "progressives" (especially non-Catholics) and panned by traditional Catholics. The majority of Catholics, up to and including bishops and cardinals, are just plain confused.

And no wonder. The text was released initially in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. As of 14 May 2016, there was no Latin version which by Church law would have been authoritative. The English text runs to some 250 pages and 325 numbered paragraphs, with nearly 400 footnotes. There are quotations from the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas and earlier popes, and from the Second Vatican Council -- now regarded by many as invalid -- but also such dubious "authorities" as Martin Luther King, Jr, Jorge Luis Borges, Octavio Paz, Antonin Sertillanges, Gabriel Marcel, and Mario Benedetti. A very mixed bag indeed.

The confusion that Amoris Laetitia has spread among the faithful -- Are we still Catholic or not?! -- is such that, in September, Cardinals Walter Brandmüller, Raymond Leo Burke, Carlo Caffarra and Joachim Meisner submitted to Pope Francis their dubia (an expression of questioning or doubt) asking him to clarify five fundamental points of Catholic doctrine and sacramental discipline. Chapter 8 of Amoris Laetitia, they wrote, appears to conflict with Scripture and/or Tradition and the teaching of previous papal documents, notably Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Veritatis Splendor and his apostolic exhortation Familiaris Consortio.

On December 8th (the Feast of the Immaculate Conception), 23 Catholic academics expressed "profound gratitude and full support" of the dubia, saying clarification of Amoris Laetitia is urgent, as they believe the barque of Peter is "drifting perilously like a ship without a rudder" and shows signs of "incipient disintegration". Professor Joseph Shaw wrote, "The Holy Father alone has the power to resolve the current confusion, and must urgently do so for the good of souls."

Also this week, two leading Catholic scholars, John Finnis and Germain Grisez, addressed a letter to Pope Francis and "to all the bishops in communion with him, and to the rest of the Christian faithful", urging the Pontiff to stop the "misuse" of Amoris Laetitia. Dr Finnis, a retired Oxford philosophy professor, and Dr Grisez, a moral theologian who taught for years at Mount St. Mary's, are among the world's most respected Catholic thinkers. In their letter, they argue that popular misinterpretations of Amoris Laetitia are being used "to suppport errors against the Catholic faith." They call on the Pope to repudiate these errors, and ask "all bishops to join in this request and to issue their own condemnations of the erroneous positions we identify."

The errors they identify, which contradict Church teaching but have been advanced as consistent with Amoris Laetitia, are these:
- that priests can give absolution from sins even when penitents have no intention of amendment;
- that people may be too weak to obey God’s commandments;
- that there is no moral rule to which there can never be exceptions;
- that moral laws are ideals, and it is unrealistic to expect that they will be fulfilled;
- that in some circumstances it is best to violate a moral law;
- that sexual activity is only wrong if someone is exploited or hurt;
- that a valid marriage can dissolve; and
- that there is no one condemned to hell.

"An Open Letter to Pope Francis" was posted on the First Things website (of the Institute on Religion and Public Life) yesterday, December 9th. The article begins: "We invite readers’ attention to The Misuse of Amoris Laetitia To Support Errors against the Catholic Faith, a letter we have addressed 'to the Supreme Pontiff Francis, to all bishops in communion with him, and to the rest of the Christian faithful.' The letter was dispatched for delivery to Pope Francis on November 21." The underlined words -- "The letter" -- were supposed to link to the full text of the open letter. But the link is dead -- removed by command of the Vatican perhaps?

"You're a heretic!" Greek Orthodox bishops call out Pope Francis

Unafraid to call out the most powerful religious leader in the world, two Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Bishops have had the audacity to say openly what many Catholics -- not just traditionalists -- are thinking. Pope Francis is a heretic!

Who, you may ask, are these non-Catholics to say so? Understand, please, that the Greek Orthodox Church is formally schismatic because they do not accept the decree of Vatican I (the Council of 1870) on the papacy. However, the Greek Orthodox Church is part of the catholic and apostolic Church and is not heretical.

His Eminence, the Metropolitan of Piraeus, Seraphim, and His Eminence, the Metropolitan of Dryinoupolis, Andrew, both of the Church of Greece, declared the Pope (or co-Pope or whatever he is) a heretic because of his false teaching -- neither catholic nor apostolic -- during his first year in office. They wrote a harsh 89-page letter dated 10 April 2014 to the "Head of State of the Vatican City," asking Francis to renounce his "Satanic pride" in teaching and/or supporting five serious heresies:

Syncretism -- the false teaching traditionally condemned by the Catholic and Apostolic Church, that "we all worship the same god, all gods are equal," which the Second Vatican Council repackaged as interfaith "ecumenism". See footnote for comment on Francis' syncretistic sin, committed on Pentecost Sunday.

Homophilia -- a refusal to denounce homosexual acts, which are condemned in the Bible as one of the Four Sins that Cry to Heaven for retribution.

Judaizing -- false teaching on the Jews that departs from the Bible.

Sexual immorality -- Francis' failure to take firm and public action against his clergy's perpetrating grave sins such as paedophilia, likewise condemned in the Bible.

Modernism -- his wholehearted embrace of the Modernist errors of Vatican II, condemned in 1907 by Pope St. Pius X in his encyclical Pascendi.

The letter is addressed to Pope Francis with "sincere love", motivated by the need to remind heretics to return to the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. Let us add our prayers to those of the two Metropolitans.

Footnote on the Pope's syncretistic sin: On June 8th, Pentecost Sunday ("the Birthday of the Church"), the Pope astonished and scandalized true Catholics by, for the first time in history, presiding over Muslim prayers and readings from the Qu'ran, in the presence of Muslim (and Jewish) unbelievers, in the Vatican itself! Immediately after so doing, Francis was stricken ill, and had to cancel all meetings scheduled for the following day.

Can we doubt that God is trying to teach the Holy Father that the heresy of syncretism will not go unpunished? Syncretism is a grave sin, condemned by the Catholic Church right up until Vatican II, which repackaged it as "ecumenism". This heresy, which Francis now embraces and promotes, holds that we all worship the same god, and all gods are equal. This is contrary to dogma -- that which the Church has always taught and proclaims to be forever true -- for which the Pope should beg forgiveness of the One True God, whose One True Church which Francis so misleads.