Saint John Henry Newman, Doctor of the Church - Proclamation by Pope Leo XIV -- "For fifty years, I have resisted Liberalism in religion. Never did Holy Church need champions against it more sorely than now!"

His Predecessor of the same name, Leo XIII, created John Henry Newman Cardinal. Today, Leo XIV proclaimed him Doctor of the Church.

From the Bollettino (in Italian).

On July 31, 2025, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

During the same audience, the Holy Father confirmed the affirmative opinion of the Plenary Session of Cardinals and Bishops, Members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, regarding the title of Doctor of the Universal Church, which will soon be conferred on Saint John Henry Newman, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Founder of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in England; born in London (United Kingdom) on February 21, 1801, and died in Edgbaston (United Kingdom) on August 11, 1890.

Cardinal Newman's lifelong struggle was against liberalism in religion. He made that very clear in his famous Biglietto speech, upon the acceptance of the cardinalatial title:

A high point of the Middle Ages: the Dictatus Papae of St. Gregory VII - by Roberto de Mattei

A high point of the Middle Ages: the Dictatus Papae of St. Gregory VII

by Roberto de Mattei

Corrispondenza Romana

July 30, 2025

The pontificate of St. Gregory VII (1073-1085), Ildebrando di Soana, constitutes one of the high points of the Christian Middle Ages. The culmination of the Gregorian pontificate is the Dictatus Papae, a collection of twenty-seven sentences defining the prerogatives of the Pope and his relations with temporal authority, proclaiming the superiority of the Pontiff over the Emperor in the religious and moral sphere and claiming for the Papacy the role of the highest and most eminent power on Earth. The work was probably written between 1075 and 1078, at the height of the conflict with the German sovereign Henry IV, not yet Emperor of Germany, who had initiated the so-called Investiture Controversy against the Church.

Diocesan Traditional Latin Mass stops being celebrated in Sweden

Statement from the congregation responsible for the Mass, celebrated since 2007 in Franciskusgården, in the town of Jonsered:

STATEMENT

For several years, the friars of the Delegation of St. John the Baptist of the Third Order Regular have celebrated Holy Mass at the Franciscan Monastery according to the 1962 Roman Missal, which is the Extraordinary Form of the Church's Liturgy. These Holy Masses, which are usually celebrated at 12:00 on Sundays, have been celebrated in addition to the Ordinary Form of Holy Mass at 10:00.

Conclusion of Major New Economic Research Paper: "Vatican II, in 1962-1965, triggered a decline in worldwide Catholic attendance relative to that in other denominations."

 

From the summary of a major new paper just published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), in Cambridge, Massachusetts, authored by some of the greatest names in Economic research, including the famous Dr. Barro, of Harvard University, Dr. Dewitte, of the University of Oxford, and  Dr. Iannaccone, of Chapman University:

Looking Backward: Long-Term Religious Service Attendance in 66 Countries

Robert J. Barro, Edgard Dewitte & Laurence Iannaccone

Issue Date July 2025

The Detroit Purge

The massive loser annointed by Cupich (and accepted by Francis) to ruin Detroit, Edward Weisenburger, has reached a new phase in his Stalinist conquest of the Archdiocese.

Italian Daily Il Foglio: Where Have All the Bergoglians Gone?

Michelangelo Pistoletto and Fr. Spadaro SJ

BERGOGLIANISM IS OVER

Carlo Langone

Il Foglio

July 24, 2025

 

Where have all the Bergoglians gone? Since Pope Francis died, it seems as if they never existed. As if the friends of the enemies of Jesus, the Jesuits, had been suppressed once again, to Pascal's delight... 

For the Feast of Saint Anne: Honouring Grandparents and the Elderly in Catholic Tradition -- and the Catholicization of the African Heritage

Honouring Grandparents and the Elderly in Catholic Tradition:

A Christianised Ganda Cultural Reading

by Michael Kakooza

for Rorate Cæli

Introduction

In 2021, Pope Francis instituted the fourth Sunday of July as the annual World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly in the reformed Roman calendar.  This year, the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly will fall on 27 July 2025.

In the message he issued for the first World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, the pope stated:

 

Think about it: what is our vocation today, at our age? To preserve our roots, to pass on the faith to the young and to care for the little ones. Never forget this.

It makes no difference how old you are, whether you still work or not, whether you are alone or have a family, whether you became a grandmother or grandfather at a young age or later, whether you are still independent or need assistance. Because there is no retirement age from the work of proclaiming the Gospel and handing down traditions to your grandchildren. … The future of the world depends on this covenant between young and old. … Keeping memory alive is a true mission for every elderly person: keeping memory alive and sharing it with others.

In the following discussion, I wish to contribute to broadening our appreciation of the concepts of grandparents and the elderly within the context of Catholic Tradition, drawing from the wisdom of my own cultural background as a Ugandan Catholic who is attached to the Traditional Latin liturgical heritage. 

Sign Petition to Save the Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, in Manhattan

The Village Preservation Society is circulating a petition to have The Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, on East 3rd Street, Manhattan, landmarked and saved -- that is halting Masses this fall. The Archdiocese of New York is being unclear about its future.

From the Petition website, where you are encouraged to sign the petition:

BREAKING: Pope Leo XIV issues exemption to San Angelo Diocese for parish TLM

by Katie Scholl

Posted July 17, 2025

SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — In a quiet corner of San Angelo, the past is very much alive. At St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Parish, the ancient rite of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) — also known as the Extraordinary Form — continues to

11th Edition of the Recreation of the Majestic Procession "Le Grand Sacre d'Angers" in France

 For centuries, the most famous Eucharistic procession in France, as grandiose and ornamented as that of Toledo in Spain, was that of Angers. Shawn Tribe had a great article last March on some of the liturgical beauties used in the past, and now saved in museums.

At least two dead in Israeli destruction of Catholic Church in Gaza: Enough - Updated

 The Cross still stands, after an Israeli attack causes grave damage on the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza:

(Image source: @catholicsat on Twitter)

At least two of our fellow Catholic sisters in Gaza have been killed, and many are injured, including the Parish Priest. In declarations to Vatican News, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pizzaballa, said the following: “What we know for sure is that a tank, the IDF says by mistake, but we are not sure about this, they hit the Church directly, the Church of the Holy Family, the Latin Church.”

(Image source: Vatican News)

The Cardinal is right: it seems hardly possible that a tank, viewing what was clearly a church (pictured below before the attack) would fire by mistake.

The Newly Canonized Saints of Compiègne: "To the poorest daughter of Carmel, honor speaks louder than fear."

Mother Marie: Sister Blanche...

First Commissary: I forbid you to continue...

Mother Marie: You have the power to force me to silence, but none to command me to it. I represent here the Reverend Mother Prioress and I shall take no orders from you.

A Commissary: Confounded old hag! She cannot be made to hold her tongue, fellow Citizen, but remind her that the Republic has a machine at its disposal that will leave her somewhat short of breath!

First Commissary: Enough! I repeat that you must behave as a true representative of the people! [He turns to Sister Blanche:] Young citizen, you have nothing to fear from us, who are your liberators! Say but one word, and you will find yourself beyond the sway of those who, to better put you in their power, have not feared to offend nature in usurping even the sacred name of "mother". Henceforth, you are under the protection of the Law.

"I felt inspired by God to create an all-blue banner with a circle of stars, like that of the Miraculous Medal. Hence, the European flag is that of Our Lady”. [Arsène Heitz].

 

 

Typically, the European Union is ashamed of the twelve stars of the Madonna.

4 Years of Traditionis Custodes - 4 Years of Lies

 An interview with Christian Marquant, of French association Paix Liturgique:

Paix Liturgique – Dear Christian, what do you mean by the title you chose for this interview?

 

Christian Marquant – That the motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, which was published exactly four years ago on July 16, 2021, was an extraordinary exercise of manipulation aimed at putting and end once and for all to the increasingly disturbing question of the renewal of those who are known as traditionalists, and whom I prefer to call faithful Catholics.

 

The Broad Ocean of the Latin Rite: What True Liturgical Diversity Looks Like

Recent years have seen a surge in curiosity about the classic Rome rite, its forms, symbols, and history. Everywhere neophytes can be heard asking cautiously about “the Latin Mass,” while those who are more versed in the traditional Catholic world may be found disputing the merits and shortcomings of the ’62 missal and the Office of St. Pius X, or extolling the glories of the pre-’55 Holy Week.

Mad Hatter Francis "Liturgist" Andrea Grillo: The Bishops Were All Wrong, I'm Right -- plus a major assessment by Sandro Magister of the Lies on which Traditionis custodes were based

 

Weeks after mocking soon to be canonized Carlo Acutis for having faith in the Blessed Sacrament -- a public statement that was so shocking that his own university disowned him -- the Mad Hatter of the liturgical world, Andrea Grillo, is again showing his colors. 

He, who was the man behind Francis document Traditionis custodes, establishing a gradual extinction of the Traditional Latin Mass, now does not deny (as many of his liberal friends first try to do) the complete truth that the report by the world's Bishops that preceded Summorum Pontificum is real. In his new piece on this saga of shame (translation below), Grillo now says that, yes, the Bishops' report is all too real, and, yes, it is very positive -- but the bishops were simply wrong.

Let us all recall that Francis put into writing in Traditionis custodes what can only be called a lie: "At this time, having considered the wishes expressed by the episcopate..."; and in the accompanying letter, Francis lied even more shamefully: "With the passage of thirteen years, I instructed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to circulate a questionnaire to the Bishops regarding the implementation of the Motu proprio Summorum Pontificum. The responses reveal a situation that preoccupies and saddens me, and persuades me of the need to intervene."

What we now know, in fact, was that the situation revealed by the responses was fantastically positive. Whoever persuaded Francis to write the lies that he put in writing created a moment of immense shame and perpetual regret for the good name of the Apostolic See.

Grillo's latest words are a response to the measured analysis of the situation by the prestigious Vaticanist Sandro Magister, also transcribed below.

First, Grillo:

An Interview with Monsignor Bux: "The Bishops weren't responsible for launching the War Against Tradition."

Right after the explosive news on the actual positive nature of the global bishops' report on Summorum Pontificum was published last week, Monsignor Nicola Bux, one of the great liturgical names of our times and a major advisor under Benedict XVI, released a book with more details on the event. We now know that Vatican insiders close to Francis lied about it, and Francis himself did not tell the truth about it (on paper, in Traditionis custodes, the restrictions document).

Monsignor Bux spoke at length about these matters in an interview granted to Stefano Chiappalone, of Italian news website Bussola Quotidiana, and published today:

Msgr. Bux, so it was not the majority of bishops who were pushing to “do away” with the traditional Mass?

The Shifting Sands of Traditionis custodes

by Kevin Tierney

for Rorate Cæli 

Following Diane Montagna’s bombshell revelation of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's summary of the Bishops opinion on Summorum Pontificum, it was wondered by many how the defenders of Traditionis custodes would respond. While the first 24 hours saw a flurry of defenses call into question her reporting (none of them very compelling), defenders have received their talking points and have settled upon a defense. What they do not realize is this defense puts them into an even more precarious position.

Traditionis Custodes "failed": The leak could have been "strategic."

 by Felix Naumann

Katholisch.de

July 3, 2025

The leak could be strategic: For years, only the very negative feedback from the French Bishops' Conference on the survey by the then Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the “Old Mass” was known - completely in line with Francis. Now that a new pope is in office, who has repeatedly revived traditions abandoned by his predecessor - from the Corpus Christi procession and the handing over of the pallia to new archbishops to the traditional vacation spot - a new picture is being painted.

Dr. Kwasniewski’s Lectures in Spain — Seville, Cordoba, Toledo, Madrid, Segovia, Oviedo — July 18 to 25, 2025

I’m pleased to share with Rorate readers the themes and schedule for my lecture tour in Spain later this month. Between July 18 and 25, I’ll be speaking on the traditional Roman liturgy in Seville, Cordoba, Toledo, Madrid, Segovia, and Oviedo, then participating in the 3-day pilgrimage to Covadonga. Lectures will be given in English with a Spanish translation provided.

Even the German Conference news website concedes: Francis lied

 In a piece on the explosive revelation of the generally positive response of the world's bishops to Summorum Pontificum, the news website of the German Bishops' Conference uses the most diplomatic of languages:

Pope Francis appears to have ignored the advice of the bishops previously consulted worldwide when he restricted the Traditional Latin Mass. According to documents that have now become public, the responses to a survey conducted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the implementation of the rules for the pre-conciliar liturgy put in place by Pope Benedict XVI were significantly more positive than the Pope himself presented. [emphasis added] 

Yes: Francis lied. He lied.

Journalist Obtains Exclusive Access to World Report on Summorum Pontificum: Francis' Restrictions Based on Lies

 

American journalist Diane Montagna, who has long covered the Vatican, has obtained an explosive exclusive document: the original summary and report of the Global Assessment of the Application of Summorum Pontificum, the 2007 document by Pope Benedict XVI that freed the Traditional Latin Mass and Liturgy.

Summorum Pontificum itself foresaw a report, in order to adjust any issues with implementation -- and the report now obtained was generally positive. As Montagna reports:

Detroit, Destroyed - July 1st: Detroit's ban on parish Traditional Masses takes effect

  Thousands of souls are without home today, after the generous post-Summorum application in the Archdiocese of Detroit is replaced with episcopal Tradition-hating whim.

Just a few dandelions remain standing from what was a flowering garden...

Let us pray for our abandoned brothers and sisters, and that the Church may have good and holy bishops.