Bad Theology, Invalid Episcopacy: Fr. Anthony Ward Consecrated by Novus Ordo Bishop, Dismisses Vatican Excommunication

Theology has consequences…

Bad Theology, Invalid Episcopacy: Fr. Anthony Ward Consecrated by Novus Ordo Bishop, Dismisses Vatican Excommunication

Fr. Anthony Ward (b. 1948) was ordained a priest for the Society of St. Pius X (FSSPX) by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre on Apr. 14, 1973. Four years later, he left the Society and established the Servants of the Holy Family (Servi Sanctae Familiae) in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

On Nov. 16, 2025, Fr. Ward announced that he had secretly been consecrated a bishop in the traditional Roman rite by ‘Archbishop’ Telesphore George Mpundu (b. 1947), retired ordinary of Lusaka, Zambia. The ceremony took place on Mar.… READ MORE

‘Eternal Rome’: Pope Pius XII Against Recognize-and-Resist

On the true and false meaning of a concept…

‘Eternal Rome’:
Pope Pius XII Against Recognize-and-Resist

In a Novus Ordo Watch tweet of Oct. 23, 2025, reacting to this article headline by The Remnant, we stated: “Just a quick reminder to The Remnant that there is no such thing as ‘Eternal Rome’. That term was invented by Abp. Marcel Lefebvre to accommodate his position of recognizing Modernists as true Catholic Popes while resisting their heretical magisterium.”

It turns out that is not entirely correct. A reader made us aware that in 1949 the phrase “Eternal Rome” was actually used by Pope Pius XII (r.… READ MORE

The Unsolvable Pendulum Problem of the Society of St. Pius X

Forever torn between two mutually exclusive ideas…

The Unsolvable Pendulum Problem of the Society of St. Pius X

The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX or FSSPX), founded by Abp. Marcel Lefebvre in 1970, is once again in the news, this time on account of its Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome last week (see a few official photos here).

Some SSPXers are celebrating, whereas others are expressing concern. The reason for the inconsistent reactions to the same development is that some see it as Rome accepting the SSPX as Catholic and recognizing the rights of ‘Tradition’ (a Lefebvrist euphemism for what is simply the Catholic Faith); whereas others see it as a dangerous luring of the Lefebvrist leadership into the ecumenical zoo presided over by Modernist Rome.… READ MORE

Former SSPX Bishop Richard Williamson Is Dying

Ordained by Abp. Lefebvre in 1988…

Former SSPX Bishop Richard Williamson Is Dying

[UPDATE 29-JAN-2025: Bp. Williamson died at 23:23 GMT.]

The Most Rev. Richard Williamson, one of the four bishops consecrated for the Society of St. Pius X (FSSPX) in defiance of ‘Pope’ John Paul II on June 30, 1988, by Abp. Marcel Lefebvre and Bp. Antonio de Castro Mayer, is reportedly near death and may already have died by the time this post is published.

According to Vatican journalist Edward Pentin, the 84-year-old bishop from England was admitted to the hospital yesterday evening on account of a brain hemorrhage and has received extreme unction:

… READ MORE

A Serious Accusation: Is Novus Ordo Watch Being Deceptive? Response to Matt Gaspers

Response to Matt Gaspers of ‘Inside the Vatican’…

A Serious Accusation:
Is Novus Ordo Watch Being Deceptive?

Here is the Evidence – YOU Decide!

[UPDATE: On Oct. 5, 2024, Mr. Matt Gaspers graciously apologized on Twitter and conceded that his interpretation of the New Commentary is likely incorrect. Of course we accept the apology.]

Sometimes sparks fly when people discuss matters of theology on social media, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. What ought not to happen during such skirmishes, however, is that one party rashly accuse the other of being dishonest about the issue under discussion.

Unfortunately, Mr.… READ MORE

Vatican Puts ‘Archbishop’ Carlo Maria Vigano on Trial for Schism

So Bergoglio’s church has a ‘customs office’ after all…

Vatican Puts ‘Abp.’ Carlo Maria Viganò on Trial for Schism

[UPDATE 22-JUN-2024 15:54 UTC: ‘Abp.’ Viganò releases statement making clear he DID NOT and WILL NOT present himself to the DDF for his schism trial.]

[UPDATE 21-JUN-2024 20:22 UTC: Gerard O’Connell retracts prior claim “that Archbishop Viganó presented himself this afternoon, June 20, and deposited his written defense….”, stating on June 21: “Archbishop Viganó did not present himself to the Vatican court on June 20, as this report initially stated.”]

ORIGINAL POST:

The internet is on fire: The Vatican has begun proceedings against 83-year-old ‘Archbishop’ Carlo Maria Viganò for the canonical crime of schism.… READ MORE

A Critique of the False Recognize-and-Resist Ecclesiology of Michael Matt and ‘The Remnant’ (VIDEO)

Review of Matt’s opening speech at Catholic Identity Conference…

A Critique of the False Recognize-and-Resist Ecclesiology of Michael Matt and The Remnant (VIDEO)

The so-called Catholic Identity Conference (CIC) is an annual ‘traditional Catholic’ event in the United States, typically held in or near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In 2022, it tried to get some serious media coverage with its ‘Declaration of Filial Resistance to the Pope’, which, however, predictably went nowhere:

The last such identity conference took place Sep.… READ MORE

Sedevacantism and the Mystery of the Church’s Passion: Reply to Robert Morrison

The Faith allows for mystery but not for contradiction…

Sedevacantism and the Mystery of the Church’s Passion:
Reply to Robert Morrison

On June 30, 2023, the semi-traditionalist flagship publication The Remnant published a brief article entitled “Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre’s Vision of the Great Mystery of the Church’s Passion”. Its author is Robert Morrison, a writer we have had occasion to critique a number of times before on this blog and in our podcast program.

In this post we will touch on a few things from that article that appear to call for some sedevacantist reaction. Morrison writes:

Whereas Archbishop Lefebvre accepted the existence of a great mystery as it relates to the Church’s crisis, others have attempted to eliminate the mystery, typically in one of two ways described by Archbishop Lefebvre:

“There are people who are seeing the passion of the Church and the tragedy of papacy and so they conclude that such a degradation of papacy is not possible and so the pope can not be the pope.

… READ MORE

A Sede Reply to Kennedy Hall’s Video ‘Why I am Not a Sedevacantist’ (TRADCAST EXPRESS)

TRADCAST EXPRESS to the rescue…

A Reply to Kennedy Hall’s Video ‘Why I am Not a Sedevacantist’

On May 26, 2023, the Canadian recognize-and-resist pundit, SSPX apologist, and benevolent beard expert Kennedy Hall explained in a special 20-minute YouTube video why he is not a Sedevacantist.

True to the video’s title, Hall does not argue that Sedevacantism is false, nor does he claim that one shouldn’t be a Sedevacantist, he merely explains why he isn’t one:

In the month of June, we decided to give Hall’s argumentation a fair review in the “express” edition of our podcast program, TRADCAST.… READ MORE

Video: Five SSPX Myths Debunked? Novus Ordo Watch Answers Kennedy Hall on Catholic Family Podcast

Questions of schism, excommunication, and more…

Five SSPX Myths Debunked? Novus Ordo Watch Answers Kennedy Hall on the Catholic Family Podcast

Host Kevin Davis and guest Mario Derksen react to a recent video by Kennedy Hall defending the SSPX

On May 11, 2023, Mr. Kennedy Hall published a 25-minute video defending the Society of Saint Pius X (FSSPX or SSPX) against five common objections, namely: (a) Abp. Marcel Lefebvre was automatically excommunicated when he consecrated bishops without a papal mandate on June 30, 1988; (b) the SSPX is schismatic; (c) Abp. Lefebvre said the New Mass; (d) Francis’s suppression of the Traditional Latin Mass is the SSPX’s fault; (e) although the excommunications against the four living SSPX bishops were lifted in 2009, Abp.… READ MORE

TRADCAST 035 is here: Bergoglio and the ‘Huonderful’ Sacraments of the SSPX

Novus Ordo Watch for your ears…

Bergoglio and the ‘Huonderful’ Sacraments of the SSPX

TRADCAST 035 now available

TRADCAST — The Traditional Catholic Podcast

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
AND TO LISTEN TO ALL EPISODES

In case you missed our initial announcement on May 10: We have published another full-length episode of our popular TRADCAST podcast program. As always, it is loaded with real traditional Catholicism, insightful commentary, hard-hitting refutations of various errors, and razor-sharp analysis. Our content is typically challenging but is always delivered in an accessible way — not excluding an occasional relieving touch of humor, so necessary in our chaotic and bizarre times.… READ MORE

TRADCAST 035 (May 10, 2023)

TRADCAST 035 (10 MAY 2023)

Contents

  • Segment 1 — A detailed explanation of the controversy over ‘Bishop’ Vitus Huonder’s consecration of the holy oils at the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass for the SSPX in Germany: why it matters; “From the Jorge’s Mouth”: various recent crazy and scandalous things said by ‘Pope’ Francis.
  • Segment 2 — Vatican News promotes water as creating “sublime communion with God”; Jewish rabbi gives blessing at Novus Ordo Mass; the controversy over Paul VI’s 1968 rite of episcopal consecration: valid or invalid?
  • Total run time: 1 hr 14 min

You can listen to the show by clicking the big play button in the embedded player above.… READ MORE

‘Bishop’ Huonder says Francis told him SSPX Not Schismatic! But what is that worth?

An informative reality check…

‘Bishop’ Huonder says Francis told him SSPX Not Schismatic! But what is that worth?

A video by the retired Swiss Novus Ordo bishop Vitus Huonder (b. 1942) is making waves.

Huonder, the former ordinary of Chur, Switzerland, has been supportive of the Society of St. Pius X for a few years now. The Society, abbreviated ‘SSPX’ in the United States and Canada and ‘FSSPX’ in the rest of the world, was founded in 1970 by Abp. Marcel Lefebvre to train priests for the Traditional Latin Mass and promote the Roman Catholic Faith as it had been known and taught until the Second Vatican Council (1962-65).… READ MORE

Pope Pius IX’s Syllabus of LEFEBVRIST Errors (1873)

The little-known Encyclical ‘Quartus Supra’…

Pope Pius IX’s Syllabus of LEFEBVRIST Errors (1873)

On January 6, 1873, the magnificent Pope Pius IX published the encyclical letter Quartus Supra. It is addressed to “Our Venerable Brothers Anthony Peter IX, Patriarch of Cilicia, and the Archbishops, Bishops, Clergy and Laity, Our Beloved Children of the Armenian Rite Who are in Loving Communion with the Apostolic See.”

This beautiful magisterial text concerns the threat of an emerging schism in the Armenian church and refutes the specious argumentation brought forward by those trying to justify their disobedience while still claiming to be loyal subjects of the Pope.… READ MORE

Paul VI to Lay Leaders in 1966: Transform Yourselves “into the Image of the Conciliar Church”!

A frightening thought!

False Pope Paul VI to Lay Leaders in 1966: Transform Yourselves “into the Image of the Conciliar Church”!


(Image: © KEYSTONE Pictures USA / used with permission)

It is often thought that the first appearance of the term “Conciliar Church” was in 1976, when “Archbishop” (later “Cardinal”) Giovanni Benelli, then the Vatican’s Substitute Secretary of State, wrote in a letter to Abp. Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X (SSPX):

Do not use as a pretext the confused state of the seminarians who were to be ordained: this is just the opportunity to explain to them and to their families that you cannot ordain them to the service of the Church against the will of the supreme Pastor of the Church.

… READ MORE