That’s the title of a fiery new essay by John Zmirak in Chronicles magazine. Obviously, in a secular magazine the opportunity for frank, even provocative, speech is far greater than in a Catholic publication, e.g.,

An atheist pope is destroying the Church.

Mr. Zmirak explicitly compares the current post-Vatican II regime with twentieth century totalitarianism (“papal Stalinism”):

Vatican II itself, in the document Lumen Gentium, demanded that every Catholic on earth offer “religious submission” to papal opinions, even those offered with no infallible guarantee. There’s no other way to describe such a demand but as papal Stalinism, with each Catholic bound, like the poor Communist Party members in Arthur Koestler’s Darkness At Noon, to conform their consciences to every new adjustment of the party line, since the party alone was the “voice of History.”  Only a firm papal Stalinist like that would in 2023 still regard Pope Francis as a worthy pope, and his teachings as reliable. Sadly, countless bishops, priests, and public Catholics still affirm that stance, either explicitly or by their silence and acquiescence.

What follows is a very full – but still not exhaustive – catalogue of the papal iniquities of the last eleven years. My reservation regarding this excellent essay would be that Mr. Zmirak seems attracted to the “infiltration” explanation of the Church’s problems. I respectfully disagree – the anti-Christian forces both within and outside the Church are very public in their affiliations, ideology and tactics.

As for a solution, in the past that was easier to bring about:

[I}n centuries past, a Catholic emperor or council on rare occasions deposed an unworthy pope, that option was foreclosed by the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806—not to mention the hyper-papalist rulings of the First Vatican Council in 1870. That Council made the papacy absolutely supreme, but also impossible to correct. No one on earth may now judge or remove a pope. Historians of the Romanovs might have something to say about whether such an elevation was really a great advantage.

The loss of the Holy Roman Empire (as well as that of the other Christian kingdoms) still leaves a painful void.

Zmirak, John, “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Francis?” in Chronicles: a Magazine of American Culture (1/2024)

(Above) Herodias, Salome and the decapitated St. John the Baptist as depicted in the leading baptistery of Catholic New York located in St. Ignatius Loyola Church.

Recent commentators have drawn attention to the contrast between Fiducia Supplicans and the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist.

But Gustave Flaubert in his 1877 novella Herodias had aready juxtaposed the use of specious and sophistic reasoning (as well as perverse biblical exegesis) on the subject of adultery with the story of John’s death. In the following exchange, the tetrarch Herod (Antipas) and his entourage try to talk away the fiery denunciations made by John (Iaokanaan) that they have just heard:

Herodias glided away and disappeared within the palace. The Pharisees were scandalised at what they had heard. Antipas, standing among them, attempted to justify his past conduct and to excuse his present situation.

“Without doubt,” said Eleazar, “it was necessary for him to marry his brother’s wife; but Herodias was not a widow, and besides, she had a child, which she abandoned; and that was an abomination.”

“You are wrong,” objected Jonathas the Sadducee; “the law condemns such marriages but does not actually forbid them.”

“What matters it? All the world shows me injustice,” said Antipas, bitterly; “and why? Did not Absalom lie with his father’s wives, Judah with his daughter-in-law, Ammon with his sister, and Lot with his daughters?”

Aulus, who had been reposing within the palace, now reappeared in the court. After he had heard how matters stood, he approved of the attitude of the tetrarch. “A man should never allow himself to be annoyed,” said he, “by such foolish criticism.” And he laughed at the censure of the priests and the fury of Iaokanann, saying that his words were of little importance.

Flaubert, Gustave, Herodias (included in Three Tales(1877)).

We are pleased to sponsor this event in Princeton this Friday evening:

In the traditional calendar, Saturday, January 6th is the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord. The following churches will be offering traditional Masses. Please inform us of other churches in the area that are offering this Mass.

January 5th, The Vigil of Epiphany

St. Mary Church, Norwalk, 8 am Low Mass; 9:15 Solemn Mass for the Regina Pacis community, all are welcome to attend.

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Oratory, Bridgeport, 7:45 am Mass; 6 pm Mass and blessing of Epiphany water

St. Patrick Oratory, Waterbury, 8 am Mass and blessing of Epiphany water

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, NY, 7 am Low Mass, 7:45 am Low Mass; 10 am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament all day; 7 pm First Vespers and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, blessing of Epiphany water, chalk and scaramentals

Annunciation Church, Crestwood, NY, January 5th, blessing of Epiphany water at 7pm, bring empty bottles/vessels, which you will be able to fill from the larger vessels in the Sanctuary after the service. 

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, NY, 8 pm blessing of Epiphany water

St Josaphat’s, Bayside, Queens, 5pm Blessing of Epiphany water, 7pm Mass.

Our Lady of Fatima, Pequannock, NJ, 9 am Mass followed by blessing of Epiphany water

St. Anthony of Padua Oratory, West Orange, NJ, blessing Epiphany water at 6 pm.

St. John Vianney Church, Colonia, NJ, Holy Hour of Reparation to the Sacred Heart, 3-4 pm; Blessing of Holy Water at 4 pm. Bring 1 gallon bottles of water.

January 6th, Epiphany

Connecticut

Mary Church, Greenwich Ave, Greenwich, CT, Missa Cantata 8 am in the lower chapel followed by First Saturday devotions.  The chapel is accessed through a separate entrance to the left of the church entrance.

Sacred Heart Oratory, Redding, CT, Low Mass, 8:30 am; Solemn Mass 10 am

Sts. Cyril and Methodius Oratory, Bridgeport, 10:15 am

St. Patrick Oratory, Waterbury, 8 am

New York

Church of Holy Innocents, New York, NY, 6 am, 1 pm

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, New York, NY, 7:45 Low Mass; 9 am Missa Cantata; 7 pm Second Vespers

Most Holy Redeemer, New York, NY, Solemn Mass, 12 noon.

St. Vincent Ferrer, New York, NY, Solemn High Dominican Rite Mass, 9:30 AM

St. Josaphat Church, Bayside, Queens, 9:30 am

St. Paul the Apostle, Yonkers, 12 noon

Sacred Heart Church, Esopus NY, 11:30 AM

St. Mary/St. Andrew, Ellenville, NY, 12:30 pm

New Jersey

Our Lady of Sorrows, Jersey City, 11:00 am – blessing of Epiphany water followed by Mass

Our Lady of Fatima, Pequannock, NJ, 7 am, 9 am

St. Anthony of Padua Oratory, West Orange, NJ, 9:00 am – low Mass, 11:00 am – High Mass of Epiphany  (N.B. Blessing of Epiphany water will occur on Friday, Jan. 5th at 6:00 pm.)

Shrine Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Raritan, 9 am

Corpus Christi, South River, Solemn Mass 12 noon

We are reliably informed that two minutes before today’s Traditional Mass a decree of Archbishop Leonard Blair of Hartford was read suppressing the Latin Mass in New Haven as of January 14. There had been no previous communication with the congregation. They have been referred to St. Patrick’s, the church of the Institute of Christ the King, in Waterbury!

This is the tentative end of the apostolate of the St. Gregory Society which will mark its 37th anniversary soon. The St. Gregory Society has played a historic role in the rediscovery of the celebration of the Traditional Mass with complete music and ceremony. The Society’s influence has been felt all over the East Coast of the United States and beyond. You can find many references to their work over the years by searching this blog.

This action is entirely consistent with the pattern of contemptuous treatment of the faithful (and of priests) by Archbishop Blair displayed, for example, in his recent drastic restructuring of the Catholic parishes of New Haven. And the incoming coadjutor archbishop has been frank in his disdain for the laity. It is one facet of the tragic decline of an Archdiocese once so glorious.