Pope Leo XIII, during the prayer after the Angelus in Castelgandolfo Square, mingled with the crowd of faithful, even touring the area in a golf cart to shake hands and bless the children. «We continue to follow with concern what is happening in several countries ravaged by war and violence. Let us not forget those who suffer and die because of conflicts, and let us unite our constant prayers to our firm commitment to peace.» The World Cup final was noticeable, and the Pope also approached a child wearing the jersey of the Argentine national team of Messi to greet him. Today’s image is a nod to yesterday’s events, as they continue to celebrate in Spain.
Changes at St. Peter’s?
Comparing the worship at the Basilica today with that of just a few years ago reveals a reality that is rapidly deteriorating. There is speculation about the possible appointment of Mauro Gambetti to head an Italian diocese and about the arrival at the Basilica of another archbishop expelled from the sacred palaces. Mauro Gambetti’s intention is to increase paid access to the Basilica. The faithful are channeled, separated, and classified according to different itineraries, while access to the most important basilica of Christendom gradually takes on the character of a tourist site. The next step now seems easily predictable: the introduction of an entrance fee, perhaps presented with some elegant administrative circumlocution, to complete the transformation of the Apostle’s house into a museum. The goal is to create an external walkway surrounding the dome that will be included in the itineraries of paid guided tours. The interior spaces, formerly warehouses of the Fabbrica di San Pietro, will now be used for exhibitions and displays. To enable new profitable spaces, it was decided to remove the warehouses, take down the roofs, raise the walls, and modify part of the Basilica’s terraces. The pilgrim gradually gives way to the customer, while the Basilica risks becoming a vast religious theme park, with panoramic views, ticket sales, and future exhibitions.
Sources close to Cardinal Gambetti claim that he feels exhausted after his time at St. Peter’s and that a change of scenery outside Rome could be beneficial for him, but there seems to be something more behind all this. Apparently, it is a classic case of Vatican politics, with three main factors: the loss of trust following the management of St. Peter’s Basilica, tensions with the canons of St. Peter’s, and the initial trust placed in Father Enzo Fortunato. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti has overseen St. Peter’s Basilica during a series of serious security incidents and the desecration of its main altar, the Altar of the Confession, beneath Bernini’s baldachin over the tomb of St. Peter. Several of these incidents have attracted significant attention and have prompted penitential rites of reparation, in accordance with canon law, for the grave desecration of sacred places.
The problem that seems to have caused the greatest damage was the proposal to expand a small refreshment area on the basilica terrace into a larger bistro or restaurant. The plans sparked petitions signed by thousands of people and addressed to the Secretary of State. These petitions criticized what was seen as the commercialization of a sacred space and called for a canonical review of the basilica’s management. The Vatican argued that the project was merely a modest expansion designed to better serve pilgrims and tourists.
The lamentable synodal situation.
Bishop Rob Mutsaert, auxiliary bishop of ‘s-Hertogenbosch (Bois-le-Duc), Netherlands, publishes on his blog a harsh critique of synodality. «Since its earliest centuries, the Church has known councils and synods of bishops. The Second Vatican Council also emphasized the collegiality of bishops and the dignity and responsibility of all the baptized. However, the term ‘synodality,’ in its current programmatic meaning, is new. Under the pontificate of Francis, synodality is no longer simply a designation for specific ecclesial assemblies, but a ‘constitutive dimension’ of all ecclesial life, whatever that may mean.»
«The first risk: a shift from the divine constitution of the Church to a continuous process. According to Catholic ecclesiology, the Church is not a community that constantly reinvents itself. It receives its essence, faith, sacraments, and ministries from Christ. Bishops are not representatives of an ecclesial electorate, but successors of the apostles. A second danger is the confusion between the sensus fidei and public opinion. The sensus fidei is exercised in the context of lived faith, in communion with Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium. The people of God receive the Word under the guidance of the Magisterium; they do not produce new revelations through debate. A third risk is doctrinal change through pastoral language. Synodal documents often indicate that this does not constitute either a parliamentary decision-making process or a doctrinal change. A fourth danger lies in persistent institutional uncertainty. If every level of governance must constantly listen, discern, evaluate, and consult, determination may give way to bureaucracy. The Church then presents itself as an organization that is still discovering its identity and what it must proclaim. The Church can walk together, but only because it already knows the Way given to it: Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is time to put an end to this lamentable situation.»
Fifth anniversary of Traditionis Custodes.
Michael Haynes in Per Mariam . In 2021, Pope Francis reignited the liturgical wars in the Church by issuing the apostolic letter in the form of a motu proprio Traditionis custodes on the use of liturgical books dating from before the Second Vatican Council, dismantling with a single stroke what many considered one of the most important elements of his predecessor’s pontificate. Traditionis custodes became a turning point in Pope Francis’s pontificate; it was published, like many other controversial texts of his pontificate, on the occasion of a Marian feast: that of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It contained the surprising and controversial declaration that the liturgical books promulgated by the Holy Pontiffs Paul VI and John Paul II, in accordance with the decrees of the Second Vatican Council, are the only expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite.
Pope Francis’s circle supported the document with their actions, and some bishops acted quickly to cancel celebrations of the traditional rite, while others took longer to act, but eventually did so, and traditional Masses continued to be canceled regularly and arbitrarily throughout the Church. Müller: «The clear intention is to condemn the Extraordinary Form to long-term extinction.» «Instead of appreciating the smell of the sheep, the shepherd strikes them harshly with his staff.» As wrote at the time the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X: «Everything, or almost everything, contained in Summorum Pontificum is scattered, abandoned, or destroyed.»
Burke lamented in July 2021 that the apostolic letter in the form of a motu proprio Traditionis custodes was a «severe and revolutionary action» that concealed an attempt at the «definitive elimination» of the traditional liturgy. The faithful of the Traditional Mass were being sent the message that «they suffer from an aberration that may be tolerated for a time, but that must be definitively eradicated.»
Walter Brandmüller, president emeritus of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, said that «with his motu proprio, Pope Francis has practically unleashed a hurricane.» Joseph Zen Ze-kiun SDB, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, joined in, saying that it wounded «the hearts of many good people.» The bishop Schneider argued that the apostolic letter in the form of a motu proprio Traditionis custodes commits «an injustice against all Catholics who adhere to the traditional liturgical form, accusing them of division and rejection of the Second Vatican Council.»
In the five years that have passed, bishop after bishop, using the apostolic letter in the form of the motu proprio Traditionis custodes, to suppress the flourishing communities in their dioceses. The order not to announce traditional Masses in parish bulletins remains in force to this day, a situation as absurd as it is draconian. This situation has led to the proliferation of traditional Masses in the style of the catacombs, once again confirming the predictions of many after the publication of the apostolic letter motu proprio Traditionis Custodes. Certainly, the traditional institutes exempt from Traditionis Custodes have prospered, as has the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X. Year after year, young people have flocked to the seminaries in record numbers, and any hope the Vatican had of eradicating the traditional Mass is now nonexistent. It has certainly been restricted, censored, reduced, and persecuted, but it has not been suppressed at all.
The apostolic letter in the form of the motu proprio Traditionis custodes was based on a mistaken premise. The bishops contacted for the now-infamous Vatican survey were not mostly in favor of limiting the Traditional Latin Mass, and had even warned that doing so would be harmful to the Church. Traditionis custodes, remains technically and firmly in force. The majority of the bishops, eager to avoid personal problems, have complied with the dictates of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, while those opposed to the traditional liturgy have not hesitated to attack it. Canonical irregularities appear not to have been addressed. Traditionis Custodes, continues to be described by many as one of the most painful and superfluous texts to have come out of the Vatican.
Interview on Sarah’s intervention.
«Here in Brussels, the Christian tradition is ignored at best and fought, often with ferocity, at worst. This is evidenced by the emergence of various ideologies. The space of Christianity has been occupied by new pseudoreligions: environmentalism, the rainbow religion, what Jorge Bergoglio called the ‘religion of waste.’ At a time when it is essential to restore order and delve deeper into the issues, listening to the serene yet powerful voice of the African cardinal has been crucial.» «Robert Sarah spoke of the changing meaning of words, of ‘betrayed words.’ Citing expressions such as ‘human rights,’ ‘family,’ ‘freedom,’ ‘health,’ ‘gender,’ and ‘dignity,’ he asked with wit and provocation whether parliamentarians and guests if they still meant the same thing in Strasbourg as in Kampala.»
«The truth is that Africa is a continent in growth, but also highly exploited. Much is said, and rightly so, about inclusion; however, considering African countries as inexperienced and anachronistic—and therefore susceptible to being ‘directed’ through economic blackmail. This is perpetuating a deeply racist attitude that denies others the same human and moral dignity. We wish to engage in frank and equal dialogue with the African people, starting from truthful data, without attempting to transform their mentality. Cardinal Sarah was entirely right to reiterate that Africans no longer want to be treated as minors under guardianship, but as moral subjects capable of saying ‘no’ to everything that undermines their worldview. They are sovereign nations; that is, without a doubt, the least we should grant them.»
«Macron’s France, which introduced the right to abortion into the Constitution to ‘safeguard’ the death of thousands of innocents, is, unfortunately, the tragic counterpart to the cardinal’s wise words. His truth is undeniable by simple logic.» «Already in the early centuries, Africa had contributed to the Church some of its most important figures, from Athanasius to Tertullian, from Cyprian to Augustine of Hippo. This fact is important because when we speak of the religious self-determination of the African people, we are defending the freedom of a continent that contributed to shaping Christianity and that today has so much to offer to its development. It is enough to think of the return evangelization carried out in Europe, born of the fervor of African nuns and priests. Therefore, as the cardinal rightly argued, defending African religious self-determination is not at all defending a ‘tribal particularism’ opposed to a supposed European universalism.»
«The President of the Parliament, Roberta Metsola, is closer to our principles than it seems, and this undoubtedly influenced the invitation to the African cardinal. Certainly, certain flagrantly antidemocratic and liberticidal decisions—I refer to the expulsion of Joseph Ratzinger by professors at La Sapienza who were involved in the ‘Collectives’—are perhaps less likely today, if only because over time they have proven to be a resounding own goal.» «On Wednesday, many of the more radical parliamentarians devoted themselves to countering an authorized demonstration against the expansion of immigration that was taking place in front of the European Parliament. That is all.
Arrieta and the Écône consecrations.
Extensive interview granted to AdVaticanum, which we invite you to read in full, with Juan Ignacio Arrieta, who retired discreetly on June 29 at just over 75 years of age. It seems he now feels freer after the ordeal of the last pontificate and his retirement. He offers a profound analysis of the Holy See’s response to the recent episcopal consecrations carried out by the Society of Saint Pius X. Arrieta describes the incident as «a deep wound to the unity of the Church,» rejecting the argument of «state of necessity» historically invoked by the Fraternity to justify the consecrations carried out without papal mandate. The incident is not simply a violation of canon law, but reveals a broader ecclesiological divergence, rooted in a hierarchy of values distant from Catholic Tradition, which makes future doctrinal dialogue «extremely problematic.»
A central point of the analysis concerns the distinction between the two documents published by the dicastery. The decree of excommunication, Arrieta explains, is a «duty»: it does not introduce a new penalty, but formally declares a situation already provided for by canon 1387, which also applies to the co-consecrating bishop, who incurred the same automatic sanction. The attached doctrinal note, however, has a different purpose: it recalls the 1996 document on the legal situation of Catholics associated with the Lefebvrian movement after the 1988 consecrations. It described the entire movement as schismatic, distinguishing between the moral reality of schism and the punishable canonical offense. The document also established that formal adherence required both internal acceptance of schismatic positions and their external manifestation, criteria that apply differently to clergy and lay faithful.
Arrieta shows understanding toward the lay faithful who have been linked to the Fraternity’s chapels for decades, suggesting that «genuine good faith» could constitute a state of necessity that excludes the automatic sanctions provided for in Canon 1324, which requires grave personal culpability. For this reason, this principle cannot be invoked indiscriminately. However, he clarifies that «conscience is not autonomous» and must remain subordinate to the authority of the Church. The most relevant aspect, on a practical level, concerns the validity of the sacraments administered by the priests of the FSSPX. Their ministry is currently illicit, except in cases of mortal danger, but not necessarily invalid, as it depends on the type of sacrament. As for confession, the faculties granted by Pope Francis in 2015 during the Jubilee of Mercy—and extended indefinitely in 2016—remain valid because, having been granted by a pontifical act, they can only be revoked by an act of the same nature. The situation is different in the case of marriage: the faculties, granted in 2017 by delegation of the diocesan bishops to individual priests, are not universal, and Arrieta now believes it unlikely that such delegations could be legitimately granted, with the consequence that marriages celebrated by priests of the Fraternity would be canonically null. The FSSPX has formally challenged the Vatican decree of July 2, but it seems that the appeal has little chance of success, as it is an automatic penalty, simply declared, not imposed, and revocable only after the repentance of those responsible.
«Whoever supports remigration is outside the Gospel.»
On the Feast of Saint Rosalia, Archbishop Corrado Lorefice of Palermo, the one who rides a bicycle with a mitre through his cathedral, delivered a forceful message on immigration, drawing a parallel between the historical epidemic that struck the city and the «new plagues» of today, citing among them the resurgence of organized crime and the mafia, war, and policies of exclusion. Lorefice declared: «Whoever does not recognize another as brother or sister, regardless of any cultural, religious, racial, or geographical consideration, is outside the Gospel. I repeat this firmly so there is no misunderstanding. Whoever thinks this way, whoever defends the privilege of some over others, is outside the Gospel. Whoever waves the flag of remigration mortally wounds evangelical and human fraternity, and exploits the insecurity, frustration, and resentment of the people to seek a scapegoat.» He considers the issue of «remigration» incompatible with the Christian message.
The dollars of the Basilica of Guadalupe.
Nor do we wish to repeat ourselves unnecessarily; you can find it in the latest entry by Guillermo Gazanini, who continues to illustrate with precision everything that is happening with this thorny matter. You can find them in The dollars of the Basilica and the face-lift of Archbishop Aguiar. Aguiar’s statement «is not an act of transparency or genuine renewal. It is an exercise in narrative control that seeks to falsely close an open crisis of opacity, accusations of mismanagement, and contradictory decisions by the archbishop himself.» «The Basilica of Guadalupe is not just any parish: it is the most visited Marian shrine in the world, receiving substantial resources from the alms of ordinary people. Concentrating its administration without clear mechanisms of transparency, independent oversight, and public information to the faithful and the chapter does not produce efficiency; it produces opacity and eliminates accountability. The experience of recent years demonstrates precisely that the lack of effective control and publicity of results generates recurring crises.»
«According to the information, in 2024, under the rectorship of Father Efraín Hernández Díaz, dollar revenues were limited to four months and totaled only 131,400 dollars. September recorded 58,000 dollars, October appeared as zero, November reached 73,400 dollars, and December, the month of greatest pilgrim influx of the year due to the feast of December 12, again reported zero dollars. That null record in the month of maximum pilgrimage constitutes one of the most striking data in the document.» «The communiqué of July 12 will remain what it is, an attempt to whitewash the face of an authority that, after eight years, still fails to demonstrate that it has fundamentally resolved the problems it itself has managed.»
The problems of the Vatican
In all times, beans are cooked. This news from a hundred years ago published in a Swiss newspaper could be current. «For some time now, newspapers have been reporting on the discontent among Vatican staff who are demanding a salary increase. In the absence of a decision by a special commission of prelates appointed by the Pope, on Monday a strike began among a group of Vatican workers, those in charge of garden maintenance. The strike, although small, has not gone unnoticed. The Holy See is currently facing other tribulations. A trial is being held before the Court of Appeals of Rome for a recent theft in St. Peter’s Basilica. Today a new theft occurred against the Administration of St. Peter’s Basilica. This time, the object of the theft was not jewels, but banknotes. The Vatican administrator, upon entering his office, noticed the presence of the thieves. 20,000 lire in banknotes had disappeared. In their haste to flee, the thieves did not notice a larger sum, 75,000 lire, hidden in several envelopes.»
«…came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and realize that here there is something greater than Solomon.»
Good reading.
Limbu di Ad Vaticanum. Il Card. Gambetti via da S. Pietro, trasferito a Chieti-Vasto?
«Sarah ci ha detto come fermare la colonizzazione ideologica in Africa»