The Great Dilemma (Part I): But is it Catholicism?

The answer seems increasingly clear—and unsettling.

This question haunts me daily, gnawing at the edges of my faith and convictions.

Each time I reflect on it, or discuss it with the person I love most, the answer seems increasingly clear—and unsettling.

Initially, I intended to title this piece “When Do We Leave?”. The impetus came from a question posed to me the night before writing: “If you’re so certain that what we’re experiencing in our parish is anti-Catholic and anti-Christian, then when do we leave and start attending a TLM parish?” (Keep in mind, as I have explained on numerous previous occasions that the only option available in my country for the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) is at Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) parishes).

To clarify, I did not intend by that title to encourage anyone to abandon the Catholic Faith—God forbid! My conviction in the truth of Catholicism remains as firm as when I first converted. Yet therein lies the crux of my struggle. As my understanding of Catholic teaching, tradition, and magisterium has deepened, I find it increasingly difficult to reconcile the practices and theology of most of the hierarchy and many Novus Ordo parishes with what the Church has consistently taught for nearly two millennia.

Catholicism rests on the permanence of divine truth, safeguarded by the threefold foundation of Scripture, Tradition, and Magisterium. These pillars, unchanging and inseparable, are what make the Church trustworthy. To be Catholic is to be anchored in tradition, immutable dogma, and the objective truth revealed by Christ.

But I now face a profound cognitive dissonance. What I observe and experience in contemporary Catholicism often seems disconnected from the faith handed down through the Apostles. The mental gymnastics required to justify or defend “modern Catholicism” is troubling—not only in others, but in myself. I fear I am compromising truth and reality in a misguided attempt to remain loyal to something that may no longer embody Christ’s Church as it was meant to be.

Recently, I encountered a comment online mentioning the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI). As a journalist, my curiosity led me to investigate, plunging me down a “rad trad” rabbit hole. What I discovered, plus the recent essay by theologian Dr. John Lamont, prompted this two-part reflection.

This article is not about determining whether these groups are correct in their theology or where they might err. Instead, I aim to explore why they exist and why devout Catholics, like myself, are drawn to them.

The CMRI adheres to Sedevacantism—the belief that there is currently no valid pope, as post-Vatican II pontiffs, beginning with John XXIII, allegedly embraced heresies that invalidated their papacies. The CMRI upholds the traditional Latin Mass (pre-1962 Missal), the teachings of the Church as understood before the Second Vatican Council, and a strong devotion to Mary.

As I delved deeper, I encountered other groups:

The Roman Catholic Institute (RCI), founded by Bishop Donald Sanborn, asserts that post-Vatican II reforms contain heretical elements. They reject these changes entirely, emphasizing Thomistic theology and traditional Catholic philosophy.

The Society of St. Pius V (SSPV), which split from the SSPX in 1983, questions the validity of post-Vatican II sacraments, including Holy Orders and Confirmation. While not officially Sedevacantist, many within the SSPV lean toward that belief.

The Servants of the Holy Family (SHF), an independent group, rejects Vatican II reforms and maintains traditional Catholic practices, including the Latin Mass.

The Institute of Mary Immaculate Queen (IMC), closely associated with the CMRI, promotes the Queenship of Mary and traditional Catholic devotion.

These groups share a common thread: they strive to preserve the faith as it was practiced and understood before Vatican II set The Great Perversion in motion. Unlike Protestant reformers who introduced innovations contrary to Catholic truth, these organisations seek to uphold what has always been taught and practiced.

This realization has brought my own journey into sharper focus. I am increasingly drawn to the SSPX—a controversial but not schismatic group—and feel a growing sympathy for these Catholic groups outside communion with Rome. Like them, I long for authentic Catholicism, rooted in the apostolic tradition.

The reforms of Vatican II and the practices that followed have created a chasm between the Church of the ages and the Church of today. Post-conciliar Catholicism is not the same faith that formed the saints and celebrated the Tridentine Mass. This dissonance lies at the heart of my dilemma, one that I continue to wrestle with deeply.

The following issues (in no particular order) I find most concerning regarding the current state of Catholicism, but it is definitely not an exhaustive list.

It is exactly these issues that make me raise the question, “when are we going to say, this is not Catholicism?”:

· A pope, Pope Francis, who has denied that Christ is the only way to salvation and who claims all religions are willed by God.

· Amoris Laetitia (2016), which appears to open communion to divorced and remarried Catholics, challenging long-standing doctrine on the indissolubility of marriage.

· Pope Francis’ seeming endorsement of civil unions for same-sex couples in the 2020 documentary Francesco.

· The inclusion of the Final Document of the Synod on Synodality, which seemingly aims to change the seat of authority in the Church, in the ordinary Magisterium.

· Pope Francis’ continued appointments of enemies of the Catholic faith, such as Fr Maurizio Chiodi, Fr Timothy Radcliffe, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, Archbishop Carlos Castillo, and most recently Fr Roberto Passolini.

· The encyclical Laudato Si’ (2015) and continued prioritising of global climate policies and other secular causes over salvation-focused missions.

· The suppression of the TLM and the persecution of those who want to celebrate it, while approving pagan masses such as the Mayan Rite.

Pope St. Pius V made a notable statement about the TLM in his 1570 apostolic constitution Quo Primum. In this document, he promulgated the Roman Missal following the Council of Trent and declared that it was to remain in use perpetually. He stated that the Mass as codified in Quo Primum must "never be changed or abrogated," emphasizing its enduring status and forbidding anyone from altering or suppressing it. In this he stated "...we decree and command that this Our present order and decree is to last in perpetuity and can never be legally revoked or amended at any time."

Pope Benedict XVI later affirmed in Summorum Pontificum (2007) that the TLM had never been abrogated and remained a valid form of the Roman Rite.

Then why are they so hell-bent on suppressing it?

· Sacrilegious and irreverent treatment of Eucharist by priests and the laity.

· Many Priests are not badly catechising the faithful but proactively teaching them counter-Catholic ideology.

· The push for gay marriage and women’s ordination.

· The absolute disdain in most Novus Ordo parishes for Tradition.

· Toxic relativism, modernist poison, and the demythologising of Scripture in homilies.

Like, I said, by no means is this a definitive list, merely a few of the highly concerning issues that make me suspect we are not dealing with Christ’s Catholic Church anymore.

The question remains, can a sane person continue to practice his or her Catholic Faith, amidst this chaos? When are we going to admit that remaining faithful to the above is not remaining faithful to the Catholic Church but to a new post-conciliar synodal anti-Christ anti-Catholic “church”? And at what cost to our souls and the souls of others?

When are we going to start accepting that groups like the SSPX are not the enemy but might be our only recourse, at least until Christ purges the Vatican and restores His Church as he promised us in Matthew 16:18?

Should we stay? Or should we go? And where?

For now, I don’t have the answers.

And the original question stands, looming like a dark specter:

But is it Catholicism?

(Read Part II here)

Christus Rex!

Recognise and Resist!

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