My Appeal to Pope Leo XIV: The TLM Is Easier for Me to Actively Participate In

Will appeals from the laity, begging Pope Leo XIV to restore Summorum Pontificum, be heard?

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  Nicolas Castelli

  
  

  I recently listened to Michael Knowles’ interview with Cardinal Raymond Burke. Toward the later part of the interview, there was a discussion on the Traditional Latin Mass. His Eminence said:

  I think that the most important thing is for those who love the Traditional Latin Mass [TLM] to make known to their bishops, and to the Holy Father most of all, their desire to worship according to this form, and that they’re not calling into question the validity of the Second Vatican Council. (32:57)

  Upon hearing this, I was inspired to send a letter to the Holy Father in accordance with my canonical right and obligation (CIC, can. 212, §2). However, that canon says that our opinions should not only be made known to the “sacred pastors” but also to “the rest of the Christian faithful.” In this spirit and as a participation in “synodal dialogue,” I desire to share in more detail what I sent to Pope Leo XIV: I desire to worship with the TLM because I find it easier to understand and participate in.

  I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic high school, but I didn’t truly believe or embrace the Faith until I was in college. The parish I grew up in was a typical but not extreme “spirit of Vatican II” church. I found Catholicism (as I knew it) to be uninteresting, unreasonable, and uncomfortably silly. This dramatically changed when I was exposed to the Church’s intellectual tradition and simultaneously met my closest spiritual mentor, my former pastor and college chaplain. I began to reorient my life around the Truth under his direction.

  But there was a serious stumbling block. I understood why the Church teaches that “the sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice” (CCC 1367) in terms of argumentation. I trusted that it was sound, but I couldn’t see it for myself. It simply did not “match” my lived experience of the liturgy.

  My pastor invited me and several other college men to attend a Latin Mass on his day off—this was during the time of Summorum Pontificum. It was a low Mass in the ugly convent chapel. I had no idea what he was saying or doing. I thought it would be the “regular” Mass in Latin. However, I quickly perceived with intense curiosity that the form of prayer was different than anything I had experienced. When that consecrated host was elevated, it clicked. For the first time, I realized I truly was at Calvary.

  More: https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/my-appeal-to-pope-leo-xiv-the-tlm-is-easier-for-me-to-actively-participate-in

The “traditional character” of Pope John XXIII

Cardinal John Heenan on the Traditional Character of Pope Saint John XXIII:

“Pope John was an old-fashioned Catholic of the ‘garden-of-souls type.’ He read his Faber, and no doubt prayed the Litany to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus regularly; he was not an original thinker. It was Pope Pius XII — not Pope John XXIII — who permitted married pastors to become priests, who changed the eucharistic fasting rules, and who introduced the evening Mass. Pope John was no innovator. He did not set any great reform in motion. His achievement lay in teaching the world of the 20th century how small hatred is, and how great love is.” 

- Westminster Cathedral Chronicle, (July 1964)

Heretics and idolators shall be shut out of the Kingdom

N.B. It is a heresy to hold that the Church’s moral teaching is “wrong and needs to be changed”.

It is a heresy to offer a so-called LGBTQ Mass”. There is no such thing.

It is a heresy to contradict the Catechism by saying there is no such thing as private property.

Those who love falsehood, those who love error, cannot also at the same time love Christ.

From the Holy Gospel according to Luke
Luke 14:1-11
At that time: As Jesus went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees, to eat bread on the Sabbath-day, they watched Him. And, behold, there was a certain man before Him, which had the dropsy. And so on.

Homily by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan.
Bk. 7 on Luke XIV

Now is healed this man sick of the dropsy, in whom too much watery matter had well-nigh drowned the functions of life, and quenched the fire of understanding. Anon, a lesson is given in lowly-mindedness, when it is forbidden to the guests at a marriage feast to go and sit down unasked in the highest room, albeit the Lord spake gently, that the teaching of courtesy might forestall a harsh rebuke, reason prevail by dint of persuasion, and the desires be bent to follow the instruction. And upon this, as next-door neighbour, cometh courtesy, which is so called by the Lord, when it is shown to the poor and weak, since to show it to them from whom we are to receive aught, is but a movement of self-interest.

 Lastly, as to a soldier that hath served his full time, is apportioned a reward for esteeming lightly of riches so he only can inherit the kingdom of God, whose soul is not given to seek after lower ends, and who purchaseth not to himself earthly possessions whereas the Lord saith: “Sell that thou hast, and follow Me.” Matth. xix. 21. Neither can he gain it that buyeth oxen, which beasts Elisha slew and gave unto the people. 3 Kings xix. 21. Neither can he win it which hath married a wife and therefore cannot come, for “he that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord but he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.” 1 Cor. vii. 32, 33. Not that this is to be taken for blame of marriage, but only that virginity is the more honourable way, since “the unmarried woman” and the widow “careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit.” 34-

But in all fairness, having thus spoken concerning widows, let us betake ourselves again among the married, and join with them in entertaining the opinion which is held by so many, that there are only three classes of men who are shut out from the great supper named in the gospel, which three classes are Heathens, Jews, and Heretics. And therefore it is that the Apostle warneth us that we “walk not as other Gentiles walk,” in malice and bitterness, and uncleanness, and covetousness, and so have no entry into the kingdom of Christ, since “no unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” Eph. iv. 17, v

GK Chesterton on “Feminism”

“Feminism is mixed up with a muddled idea that women are free when they serve their employers but slaves when they help their husbands.”

- G. K. Chesterton

The truth about the novus Ordo Missae from the man who best knew Paul Vi

“The French philosopher and writer Jean Guitton was the closest lay friend and key confidant of Pope Paul VI (Giovanni Battista Montini). Their intellectual and spiritual relationship lasted for decades, allowing him to capture the pontiff's intimate thoughts in fundamental works of 20th-century Catholic literature that today are left in oblivion, hidden due to the revealing nature of their content. 

“Paul VI and Guitton met in the 1930s; it was a very close and public friendship. They maintained deep correspondence and constant meetings for more than 27 years. Thanks to his great closeness with the Pope, Jean Guitton was the first layperson invited to actively participate in the sessions of the Second Vatican Council. 

“In 1967 Guitton wrote a book titled Dialogues with Paul VI: It was a revolutionary work, marking the first time in history that a Pope openly dialogued with a layperson for a book. In 1979 he wrote another book; Paul VI Secret after the Pope's death, this book compiles Guitton's personal notes on the pontiff's confidences, doubts, and sufferings.

“Jean Guitton's statements about the history of the Novus Ordo Missae (the New Mass promulgated by Paul VI in 1969) are rarely mentioned, rather concealed, and this is because, as the Pope's closest and most intimate lay friend, they carry particular and immense importance.

“During an interview broadcast on French radio on December 19, 1993, Guitton stated the following about the liturgical revolution with the creation of the Novus Ordo Missae and the reasons for its creation, which his friend, Pope Paul VI, had confided in him: 

"’...Paul VI's intention was to make the Mass as similar as possible to the Calvinist worship, making Protestants feel comfortable with the new Mass.

“‘It was designed with the intention of eliminating everything that identified the Mass as unequivocally Catholic, everything that gave it a character of Sacrifice, everything that harmed Protestants.

“‘To make the Mass seem more like a fraternal gathering, a dinner among brothers...’”

“Jean Guitton also acted directly as a mediator and messenger for Pope Paul VI with Monsignor Marcel Lefebvre. Both Paul VI and, later, John Paul II entrusted him with the mission of interceding with Monsignor Lefebvre to try to stop and close the seminary in Écône, Switzerland.

“Guitton goes so far as to admit in his book that, deep down, Lefebvre was right in defending that the truth of the Church cannot change.

“On another occasion, Guitton asked Paul VI why he did not grant an exception or concession to maintain the Traditional Apostolic Mass in Latin for those who requested it; Pope Paul VI responded sharply:

"’ That, never! (...). The so-called Mass of Saint Pius V has become—as can be seen in Écône—the symbol of condemnation of the Council. This is something I will never accept, under any circumstances. If I consented to this exception, the entire Council would be called into question. And, consequently, its apostolic authority.’

“Paul VI's sharp response appears in the work "Paul VI Secret" (Paul VI secret, originally published in French in 1979). In this text, Jean Guitton meticulously compiled the detailed notes, diaries, and correspondences from his private meetings with the Pope over 27 years of deep friendship.”

N.B. In fear of the fragility of the Council, and its legitimacy, the organic traditional and apostolic liturgy must be replaced by an on-the-spot product ecpressly designed to avoid offending heretics. Not Catholic.

Oremus

 

BREAKING: Vatican letter leaves door open for Summorum Pontificum Mass to return to St Peter’s

Further details have emerged on the decision not to hold this year’s Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage Mass at St Peter’s.The restriction applies to the pilgrimage Mass itself, not to celebrations of the traditional Latin Mass in the basilica, where a daily TLM already takes place and solemn High Masses according to the older rite can still be requested.

A one-page letter dated 7 August, sent to the organisers through the Apostolic Nunciature, now gives further clarity on the scope of that decision.

It was signed by Archbishop Paolo Rudelli, Substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State and his  wording leaves open a future return to the basilica rather than closing the door permanently.

Organisers approached the Papal Household in December, April and June. Permission was not granted for 2026

Read the full insight on  @RealAdVaticanum

Bishop Eleganti warns against ‘decline of the Petrine office’

 

AdVaticanum

Aug. 11, 2026

 Bishop Marian Eleganti has questioned whether increasingly informal papal encounters risk obscuring the distinct dignity and purpose of the Petrine office

Bishop Marian Eleganti has criticised the growing informality surrounding the papacy, arguing that private audiences with public figures risk obscuring the authority and distinct purpose of the Petrine office. The former Bishop of Chur made the criticism in a piece entitled the Decline of the Petrine Office?, which was published on 10 August on various Catholic blogs. 

The comments follow Pope Leo XIV’s private meeting with the American musician, poet and artist Patti Smith at the Apostolic Palace on 31 July. The 40-minute meeting, attended by Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro, was documented by official Vatican photographs and video. Pope Leo and Smith were both born in Chicago, and the encounter attracted attention because of Smith’s longstanding relationship with the Catholic Church and her previous meetings with Pope Francis.

Bishop Eleganti wrote that the meeting itself was apparently harmless and that he assumed the conversation consisted largely of courtesies rather than matters of significance for the Church. The circumstances of the meeting, however, led him to question why recent popes have increasingly engaged in informal encounters, spontaneous interviews and highly publicised meetings with figures from entertainment and culture.

The former Bishop of Chur argued that such appearances can reinforce the impression that the Pope is simply another figure within the international establishment rather than the holder of a unique ecclesial office. “In the end such a reception appears to many as a trivialisation of what these persons stand for,” Bishop Eleganti wrote. “In this way the pope himself obscures the position of the Church and even gives scandal to the faithful.”

More: https://x.com/realadvaticanum/status/2087090745224368400?s=46&t=IydJ-X8H6c0NM044nYKQ0w

“Fear not, little flock”: the kingdom here is comfort in travail

From the Holy Gospel according to Luke

Luke 12:32-35
At that time, Jesus said unto His disciples: Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. And so on.

Homily by the Venerable Bede, Priest at Jarrow, and Doctor of the Church.
Bk. iv. Ch. 54 on Luke xii.
The elect are called a little flock, perchance because the reprobate are far more in number than they, but, more probably, because they love to be lowly, since it is God's will that however much His Church should grow in numbers, she should grow with lowliness even unto the end of the world, and should enter lowly into that kingdom which is hers by His promise. That kingdom He promiseth to her here, when He biddeth her to seek only the kingdom of God, and, to comfort her in her travail, He doth so sweetly and so graciously say that her Father will give it to her.

Sell what ye have and give alms. Fear not, He saith, lest, while ye fight for the kingdom of God, ye should lack such things as are needful for this life, nay rather, sell even that which ye have, and give alms. This doth, whosoever for the Lord's sake leaveth all that he hath, and then worketh with his hands, that so he may have to eat, and withal to give alms. In this doth the Apostle boast himself, saying I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel, as ye yourselves know for these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak. Acts xx. 33, 34, 35.

Provide yourselves bags which wax not old that is to say, by almsgiving, the reward thereof remaineth for ever. Nevertheless, we must not think here that this commandment forbiddeth the Saints to keep money for their own use, and for helping of the poor. The Lord Himself, to Whom Angels ministered, had a bag, and kept therein that which the faithful people gave unto Him John xii. 6, to relieve therewith the need of His disciples, and other poor folk. But we are commanded not to serve God for gain, nor to work unrighteousness for fear of poverty.

Artificial intelligence has succeeded in fully deciphering a charred papyrus scroll from Herculaneum

The news went almost completely unnoticed in the French media, overshadowed by the World Cup and the wildfires: artificial intelligence has succeeded in fully deciphering a charred papyrus scroll from Herculaneum, as fragile as cigarette ash, without unrolling it or even touching it! It revealed a philosophical treatise on Stoicism. It took a wealth of ingenuity and technology to achieve this result. The dream has thus become reality: soon, we’ll be able to read in record time the hundreds of scrolls from that library incinerated by Vesuvius 2,000 years ago, and Greco-Latin literature will be enriched by that many unpublished texts—new tragedies or epics, perhaps. In this depressing summer, here’s a true ray of light. Long live science!

Museo Archeologico di Napoli

Source: @william_marx

Report claims Vatican firmly voted against Medjugorje in 2016

Michael Haynes

A new report by an Italian Vatican journalist claims to reveal the overwhelmingly negative opinion by the Vatican’s doctrinal office regarding the alleged visions at Medjugorje, detailing a vote which had hitherto remained secret. 

In a blog post published on August 6, David Murgia presented details of a September 2016 vote by members of the Congregation (now Dicastery) for the Doctrine of the Faith regarding Medjugorje. The vote, occurring within an ordinary session of the DDF’s activity, was for the thirty-three members to state their opinions on the phenomenon of Medjugorje, where since June 1981, alleged apparitions of Our Lady have been taking place. According to Murgia, the DDF vote considered the question: can what happened in Medjugorje be considered supernatural in origin, must it be considered non-supernatural, or is there still insufficient evidence to make a definitive judgment? 

Catholic Herald, paywall 

“Islam is a monstrous fantacism”

CARDINAL ROBERT SARAH:

“Islam is a monstrous fanaticism which must be fought with force & determination. The West must understand this."

Church teaching on “The Universal Destination and the Private Ownership of Goods”

Are we attempting to change the catechism again?

A Cardinal said the following at a Labor Day weekend Mass:

 “No one intrinsically owns anything, all things that come as a gift from God belong to all of us…everyone has a right to part of the world’s bounty…when we work, we are co-creators with God.” “The labor market is going to dramatically change in the next 20 years. Certain sectors will be wiped out by AI. Millions of workers who have jobs now, will not have those jobs 10 years from now.”

Here is what the Catechism has to say about private property as well as the universal destination of all goods:

PART THREE SECTION TWO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS CHAPTER TWO YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF ARTICLE 7 THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT 

I. THE UNIVERSAL DESTINATION AND THE PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OF GOODS

2402 In the beginning God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, master them by labor, and enjoy their fruits.186 The goods of creation are destined for the whole human race. However, the earth is divided up among men to assure the security of their lives, endangered by poverty and threatened by violence. the appropriation of property is legitimate for guaranteeing the freedom and dignity of persons and for helping each of them to meet his basic needs and the needs of those in his charge. It should allow for a natural solidarity to develop between men.

2403 The right to private property, acquired by work or received from others by inheritance or gift, does not do away with the original gift of the earth to the whole of mankind. the universal destination of goods remains primordial, even if the promotion of the common good requires respect for the right to private property and its exercise.

2404 "In his use of things man should regard the external goods he legitimately owns not merely as exclusive to himself but common to others also, in the sense that they can benefit others as well as himself."187 The ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of Providence, with the task of making it fruitful and communicating its benefits to others, first of all his family.

2405 Goods of production - material or immaterial - such as land, factories, practical or artistic skills, oblige their possessors to employ them in ways that will benefit the greatest number. Those who hold goods for use and consumption should use them with moderation, reserving the better part for guests, for the sick and the poor.

2406 Political authority has the right and duty to regulate the legitimate exercise of the right to ownership for the sake of the common good.188

Fauci hearing should remind Catholics how US bishops betrayed them during COVID-19

 If Dr. Fauci committed crimes against humanity, then those clergy who collaborated with him are likewise guilty, especially of spiritual crimes against faithful Catholics.

Riaan Van Zyl

2026

The recent Senate hearing of Dr. Anthony Fauci turned into a farce when Republican Senator Rand Paul’s and others’ attempts to get answers on the government’s handling of COVID-19 were met with Fauci invoking his Fifth Amendment right more than 100 times.

Fauci, the former director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), appeared before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee this week more than six years after the pandemic began.

Eric Daugherty

@EricLDaugh

·

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🚨 Sen. Rand Paul just DROPPED this bomb on Anthony Fauci: "It is a CRIME to destroy federal records, yet our investigation reveals your assistant diligently reported that she deleted tons of emails!" "In 2024, you testify that you did not delete federal records. Who's telling Show more

8:44 AM · Jul 29, 2026

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Many Americans see Fauci as a villain and as the principal instigator and architect of tyrannical measures, dubious medical treatments, and draconian policies endorsed by the Trump administration. Some commentators have alleged that Fauci got filthy rich through a variety of immoral and unethical practices and engagements during this time.

Contempt of Congress

During the hearing, Fauci refused to answer questions about the origins of the coronavirus and other inquiries on pandemic restrictions, vaccine policies, and internal government communications.  

Senator Paul argued that repeatedly invoking the Fifth Amendment raised legitimate questions about accountability. Republicans on the committee have since voted to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress, which is a federal misdemeanor.

Paul also maintained that the American public deserves direct answers about decisions that affected millions of lives with business closures, education loss, mental health issues, the curtailing of civil liberties, and social upheaval.

US bishops were complicit

Equally important for faithful Catholics is that they cannot blame Fauci or the Trump administration alone. They mustn’t forget the despicable role the US Conference of Catholic Bishops played in the COVID-19 nightmare and how they forsook the spiritual well-being of the millions of souls supposedly under their care.  

Church leaders cooperated with public health authorities’ radical policies and even became cheerleaders for the jab, which Francis said was an “act of love” to receive. Prelates giddily put the sacraments on hold while liquor stores, casinos, and restaurants stayed open, leaving the faithful exposed to all sorts of wickedness and temptations.

One of the most shameful and scandalous directives in the history of the Church occurred when every diocese in the country suspended public Masses in March 2020.

More: https://integritymagazine.org/2026/08/06/fauci-hearing-should-remind-catholics-how-us-bishops-betrayed-them-during-covid-19/