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Wednesday, October 8, 2025

STEREOTYPICAL CARICATURES OF A SMALL MINORITY OF CATHOLICS, MINISCULE AT THAT, DOES NOTHING TO PROMOTE POPE LEO’S VISION FOR SYNODALITY BASED UPON DIALOGUE RATHER THAN BROADSIDES!


I have been impressed with Pope Leo’s willingness to listen to the greatest promoters of Pope Benedict's liturgical vision as expressed in Summorum Pontificum. He has met with Cardinals Burke, Sarah and the former head of Ecclesia Dei. I would think, too, he’s met with Cardinal Mueller. 

Pope Leo is a pope that is not moved by diatribes against this, that or the other ideological movements in the Church. 

With that in mind, I’d like to call your attention to a “way too long” commentary by Michael Lewis at Where Peter Is which should be renamed “Where Pope Francis Was”as they still haven’t gotten over the fact that Pope Francis is dead and Pope Leo isn’t Pope Francis!

Harkening back to the good old days of Pope Francis, Lewis creates a diatribe against Catholics who desire the TLM and ancillary liturgies/sacraments as all being ideologically motivated and against the Faith and Morals of the Catholic Church, against the Deposit of Faith, against Pope Francis and against everything Catholic.

You can read his “way too long” commentary here

But I’d like to focus on these stereotypical points he lists:

  • Calling the pope a heretic or otherwise constantly criticizing his teachings and decisions as contrary to the Catholic faith. (It was Pope Francis and yes, a handful of heterodox right Catholics hold that position but not the vast majority of Catholics who lean toward being orthodox. It’s the heterodox left, and the majority of the left that reject Catholic papal teachings on sexuality while not calling those who promote it heretical but simply anti-Francis.)
  • Claiming that official teachings — such as Amoris LaetitiaFiducia Supplicans, or the revision to the Catechism on the death penalty — are doctrinally erroneous or incompatible with tradition. (There are bishops and cardinals that question these things too, especially the majority of African bishops and their laity. So, I am stunned at Lewis making this a rad trad thing!)
  • Accusing major papal documents of promoting Marxism, Freemasonry, or other ideological corruption (e.g., Fratelli TuttiLaudato Si’, the Document on Human Fraternity, Dignitas Infinita). (Yes, that’s a shame, but no calling out progressives who want to dismiss Humanae Vitae, promote LGBTQ+++ ideologies and changing the Sacraments of Matrimony and Holy Orders to fit that ideology! And that’s not a small minority of progressives but the majority!)
  • Attributing the liturgical reform to Masonic, Jewish, or Protestant infiltration. (On a positive note, this is true and a part of Vatican II’s interfaith and interfaith dialogue and compromises)
  • Signing petitions or open letters accusing the pope of heresy or calling on the cardinals or bishops of the world to rebuke the pope. (The heterodox left, of course, has never done this?????)
  • Insisting that synods and synodality are part of a coordinated plot to destroy the Church or undermine its doctrine. (There are cardinals and bishops, fully in Communion with the Pope, who have been warning about this also! No one in the Catholic Church, clergy, religious or laity, are called to check their brains at the door of the pope or any bishop’s door!)
  • Declaring that traditionalism is “true Catholicism,” while dismissing the Church after Vatican II as a different or false religion (“Novusordoism,” “NuChurch,” etc.). (Yes, I have heard that and worse from rad libs and their diatribes against orthodox Catholics—just read Lewis’ points here!)
  • Treating Bishop Joseph Strickland, Cardinal Raymond Burke, Father James Altman, or the excommunicated Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò as martyrs for defying the pope and his teachings.(The last time I checked, the only one that is excommunicated is Vigano and yes he is being used and instrumentalized by the small minority of schismatic tending rad trads. As far as the others, is it any worse than the rad libs canonizing Jesuitical Father James Martin and a Franciscan Bishop in Kentucky?)
  • Giving platforms to figures like Strickland, Burke, Viganò, Altman, Fr. Chad Ripperger, Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Taylor Marshall, Peter Kwasniewski, and so many others — all of whom routinely undermine or reject papal authority and post-Vatican II magisterial teachings. (I get it that Lewis “hates” these people and breaks half of the two greatest Commandments our Lord gave us, Love of God and Neighbor. But apart from Vigano, all these Catholics are Catholics in good standing with Pope Leo and Cardinal Burke of note!)
  • Falsely accusing Indigenous Amazonian Catholics of idolatry and stirring moral panic during the Synod on the Amazon in 2019. (Mike Lewis needs to cite sociological surveys to give us the proper percentage of Catholics who have accused people of this! Where are those surveys Mike Lewis and how many people are you accusing? And when you find out, let’s burn them at the stake!)
  • Falsely accusing indigenous Canadians of paganism during the pope’s visit. (How many, give us the numbers of Catholics who have done this, Mike Lewis!)
  • Referring to the older liturgy as the only true “Roman Rite,” in contrast to the current liturgy used by almost the entire Church. (How many are doing this Mike Lewis, how many! Sheesh!)
  • Praising the founder of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who was excommunicated for the “schismatic act” of illicitly ordaining bishops as a prophet or future saint. (Mike Lewis, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunication of their bishops—get over it! They are not in schism, compared to those Catholics belonging to sects ordaining women at “priestesses”. Sheesh!)
  • Deriding Pope Paul VI as unworthy of canonization or as a disastrous leader. (How many Mike Lewis, name the numbers! Sheesh!)
  • The refusal of many traditionalist clergy, such as members of the FSSP, to have anything to do with the Vatican II liturgy, not even concelebrating the annual Chrism Mass with their local bishop and brother priests. (How many traditionalists Mike Lewis, give the numbers! Cite the surveys! Sheesh!)
  • Promoting nationalistic ideologies, praising 20th century political movements such as Action Française or Franco’s Spanish dictatorship (and even Vichy France), as the political ideal. (Mike Lewis is unhinged!)
  • Denigrating members of other religions, such as Muslims and Jews, and minimizing the Vatican II teachings pertaining to them. (Cite the numbers based upon sociological surveys on this! Sheesh!)
  • Praising and promoting antisemitic and racist figures of the past like Fr. Denis Fahey and Fr. Charles Coughlin. (WOW! Unhinged!)
  • Calling religious liberty “heretical.” (How many traditionalists, give the numbers based on science!)
  • Promoting conspiracy theories — this became especially public and widespread during the Covid pandemic. (And Mike Lewis isn’t promoting conspiracy theories in this unhinged commentary without factual numbers for those he accuses????)
  • Subscribing to Judeo-Masonic conspiracies, including circulating antisemitic tracts like The Permanent Instruction of the Alta Vendita and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. (This is really laughable! Does Mike Lewis think anyone takes this seriously except the echo chamber at “Where Pope Francis Is”?)
  • Rejecting science and promoting pseudoscience, including theories like Young Earth Creationism and Geocentrism. In many cases, supporters will insist that Catholics must accept these pseudoscientific ideas as dogma. (And rad libs don’t reject science when it comes to LGBTQ+++ ideologies and are not misogynistic when men mock women by putting on female face?)
  • There are many, many more examples. (You forgot the Palmarian Catholics, Old Catholics, and whatever else you can come up with!)

Me thinks Mike Lewis is unhinged! Prejudicial! A stereotyping Catholic who wants all these people excommunicated! 

16 comments:

Nick said...

Mike Lewis, once again, shows his smallness of mind.

His broadsides have three blindingly-obvious weaknesses, which he either waves away as immaterial or ignores altogether, and has done for years. One, most of these positions are held by a small number of trads, most of whom already attend FSSP, ICKSP, or even SSPX Masses and are thereby completely unaffected by TC. But the entirety of Catholics attending diocesan TLMs must be punished--er, sweetly called back to "unity" for these faults. Two, many of these positions are held by non-trads, as well. So to attribute this to the existence of diocesan TLMs is simply untenable. Three, large numbers of NO-attending Catholics reject other Church teachings, and are not told they must cease being a source of division or their parishes will be shut down.

Frankly, I can't believe we're even talking about this article. I would go through these accusations line by line and point out their individual flaws, but it's not worth anyone's time. This screed should simply be left to echo in the increasingly-empty void Mike Lewis is screaming into.

Nick

big benny said...

Mike makes some valid points and backs them up with examples. It’s not about the numbers, it’s about a loud minority within the TLM community associated with the far right who are problematic to say the least.

big benny said...

Sounds like it’s written explicitly for TJM!

Traditionalists often argue that Traditionis Custodes and diocesan limitations on the Tridentine Mass are unnecessary, punitive, and directed at sincere Catholics who only want to worship as their ancestors did. Some even insist there is no real cause — only hostility or cruelty from Rome and the bishops.

Mark Thomas said...

Mike Lewis issued numerous unassailable points in regard to serious problems that are found amongst various trads/right-wingers.

That had been made clear last week when Trad Inc./various right-wingers bashed Pope Leo XIV verbally following our holy Pope's refusal to denounce Cardinal Cupich.

Folks within those ranks also accused Pope Leo XIV last week of having embraced paganism via our holy Pope's participation in the climate conference conducted in Rome.

=======

Peter Kwasniewski, of all folks, acknowledged:

"...I am no less staunch an opponent of chauvinism wherever I see it — and I do see it reappearing in the traditional movement, along with other -isms (e.g., antisemitism, libertarianism, sedevacantism) that are incompatible with Catholic tradition."

"The revival of traditional liturgical practice has permitted the reappearance of some extreme points of view that deserve refutation."

=======

That is an amazing admission from Peter Kwasniewski in regard to the extremism that exists within the TLM Movement.

In turn, Mike Lewis has long excelled in the important task of having delineated the horrific problems that have plagued the TLM Movement.

Pax.

Mark Thomas

TJM said...

big benny, by YOUR logic, the Novus Ordo would be marginalized. I imagine in England, very soon, Christian worship will be outlawed by your new masters

big benny said...

TJM, maybe you need to increase your medication!

big benny said...

Who’s our new masters, TJM?

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

MT, Lewis has made unassailable points against a minuscule number of heterodox right Catholics, a minuscule number. Yet, he has written nothing on the schismatic tending bishops and cardinals of the German Church and the latest just yesterday where Cardinal Fernandez had to correct Batzing’s lie about the DDC had approved the formal blessing of fornicators living together, blessing the fornication. That’s the real problem and the German Church isn’t miniscule. Lewis needs to spend his unhingeness there.

Nick said...

Peter Kwasnieski neither paints with the barn-sized brush Lewis does, nor does he follow the illogical non sequitur of "shut it all down" that Lewis does.

But sure, "unassailable points," "serious problems," "excelling in delineating the horrific problems of the TLM movement."

Nick

Nick said...

Fr. AJM,

Supporting your veiled description of Lewis as prejudicial and unhinged, he now seems to be taking the position that if you don't both accept the validity of the Novus Ordo and attend/celebrate it exclusively, you aren't Catholic. Including the FSSP and others similarly situated.

It's almost like he just hates anyone who likes the TLM and would rather see them in schism. Just the other day he said he wanted to "cull the extremists" in the Church by shutting down every single approved TLM. Unhinged is putting it lightly.

Nick

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

Sad that he has become radicalized. But there is room in the big tent of the Church for radicals.

Mark Thomas said...

Father McDonald said..."MT, Lewis has made unassailable points against a minuscule number of heterodox right Catholics, a minuscule number.

"Yet, he has written nothing on the schismatic tending bishops and cardinals of the German Church..."

Father McDonald, I appreciate your reply...as well as the privilege/opportunity to respond to you.

Father, Mike Lewis/Where Peter Is Blog has addressed the serious problems that have involved the Church in Germany. Examples:

https://wherepeteris.com/tag/german-church/

=======

Father McDonald said..."MT, Lewis has made unassailable points against a minuscule number of heterodox right Catholics, a minuscule number."

Father, the folks in question are Mike Lewis' (our) brothers and siters in Jesus Christ. He has offered fraternal guidance to his spiritual brothers and sisters in question.

Even if it involved just one wayward "traditionalist" on earth, Mike Lewis — each of us — is called to help guide our brother, or, sister, in question to the Truth.

=======

There were folks who questioned the amount of time and attention that Pope Benedict XVI had devoted to the SSPX. The narrative was...Your Holiness, you are dealing with a microscopic amount of Catholics. Why waste so much time and energy upon them?

Pope Benedict XVI responded to that concern:

"Should we casually let them drift farther from the Church? What would then become of them?"

Pax.

Mark Thomas

big benny said...

It's almost like he just hates anyone who likes the TLM and would rather see them in schism. Just the other day he said he wanted to "cull the extremists" in the Church by shutting down every single approved TLM.

Where did he say this?

Nick said...

Twitter (X, whatever).

Nick

Nick said...

"Father, the folks in question are Mike Lewis' (our) brothers and siters in Jesus Christ. He has offered fraternal guidance to his spiritual brothers and sisters in question.

Even if it involved just one wayward "traditionalist" on earth, Mike Lewis — each of us — is called to help guide our brother, or, sister, in question to the Truth."

Helping them by culling them. Destroying the Village to Save the Village, 2.0!

Nick

big benny said...

Excommunicate TJM!