What Has Happened to the Catholic Church?
An Updated Guide for Confused Catholics
Novus Ordo Watch isnot receiving any kind of compensation for promoting this book (with the exception of one free copy).
Many people who sincerely desire to be good and loyal Roman Catholics are seriously troubled and confused today. Although the Second Vatican Council occurred more than 60 years ago, it has left a lasting impact. Vatican II, as the council is called for short, took place from 1962-65 and radically changed Catholic liturgy, the sacraments, and essential beliefs that have come down to us from Christ and the Apostles.… READ MORE
“Perhaps he chose not to speak anymore because he did not feel understood”
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For almost four months now, the Vatican II Church has been under new management. Since May 8, Robert Francis Prevost has been running the show as ‘Pope Leo XIV’.
The popular FRANCIS WATCH podcast program has thus become LEO WATCH, and it had its debut on June 3.
LEO WATCH is produced by Roman Catholic Media on a monthly basis. A third episode was broadcast live on Aug. 27 on YouTube.
As with its predecessor FRANCIS WATCH, in the new LEO WATCH, host Stephen Heiner is joined by sedevacantist Bishop Donald J.… READ MORE
What theological position should a Catholic take in our day?
LIVE TONIGHT 8/29 at 9:00 pm ET:
Friendly Discussion on Church Crisis, Resistance, and Sedevacantism
Exciting news! Today, Friday, Aug. 29, at 9:00 pm Eastern Time (01:00 UTC on Aug. 30), there will be a livestream on YouTube, hosted by Kevin Davis of the Catholic Family Podcast, for a discussion between Anthony Abbate of Avoiding Babylon and Mario Derksen of Novus Ordo Watch.
This will not be a fiery polemical combat but a friendly, relaxed chat between people who love Jesus Christ and His Holy Catholic Church and seek to act in accordance with His Will and His doctrine in these incredibly confusing and challenging times.… READ MORE
Why (Not) Sedevacantism?
Answering Objections and Concerns
On Aug. 8, 2025, Anthony Abbate of Avoiding Babylon published a 12-minute video on Twitter/X in which he shared some thoughts about why he does not think Sedevacantism is the right position to adopt in these incredibly difficult and confusing times.
Realizing that addressing Anthony’s points and answering his objections could not reasonably done on Twitter, yours truly decided to respond at sufficient length on an episode of the Catholic Family Podcast with Kevin Davis.
We played Anthony’s video in full, pausing it occasionally to react and provide commentary as needed.… READ MORE
Leo XIV to Ecumenical Group with Orthodox: ‘Rome, Constantinople, and All Other Sees Not Called to Vie for Primacy’
‘Pope’ Leo XIV in Castel Gandolfo on July 13, 2025
Today at Castel Gandolfo, the ‘Holy Father’ Robert Prevost (‘Pope Leo XIV’) received in audience participants in a so-called Orthodox-Catholic ecumenical pilgrimage from the United States. The Vatican has published some photos here.
Aside from the usual ecumenical blather about “restoring full unity among all Christ’s disciples” — as if one could be a disciple of Christ without belonging to His flock, which is the Roman Catholic Church exclusively — ‘Pope’ Leo dropped a bombshell regarding papal primacy.… READ MORE
Using false theology to refute false theology won’t work…
Is Leo XIV Correcting Francis?
Against the Magisterial ‘Vibe Shift’ of Eric Sammons
Mr. Eric Sammons, magisterial vibe shift detector
Eric Sammons, the editor-in-chief of Crisis Magazine, has once again cranked out some foolish and dangerous claims about the Catholic Faith.
In the June 3, 2025 episode of his Crisis Point Podcast, entitled “Pope Leo Contradicts Pope Francis”, he suggests that when Popes correct a teaching of their predecessors, they do so not openly or directly but by means of a ‘vibe shift’. This does not pose a problem for the Catholic magisterium, he maintains, because papal teaching isn’t truly magisterial of itself; rather, only subsequent repetition by future Popes and acceptance by the Church as a whole, drawn out over a long period of time, renders a papal teaching genuinely magisterial.… READ MORE
Marshall quickly deleted pre-conclave episode critical of Leo XIV…
Taylor Marshall’s About-Face on Robert Prevost:
From Worst-Choice Candidate to Hope for the Church?
Imagine you’re a ‘trusted Catholic influencer’ with a huge following and you publish a video about who in your opinion would be among the worst possible candidates for Pope.
For Dr. Taylor Marshall that distinction belonged to ‘Cardinal’ Pietro Parolin, but since his chances had tanked in the days just before the 2025 conclave due to alleged involvement in a financial scandal, among other things, Marshall wasn’t terribly worried about him anymore. The next in line for worst candidate in his estimation was — wait for it — ‘Cardinal’ Robert Francis Prevost.… READ MORE
Yesterday, a 5-minute extract from the episode was published on YouTube with the no less intriguing title, “The Antichrist: Warnings from the Early Church”.… READ MORE
The Conclave Elects Leo XIV:
Initial Thoughts by Bp. Donald Sanborn
In a livestream broadcast shortly after the election of Robert Prevost as ‘Pope Leo XIV’ on May 8, 2025, His Excellency Bishop Donald J. Sanborn of Most Holy Trinity Seminary in Reading, Pennsylvania, sat down with Stephen Heiner of Roman Catholic Media to discuss the 2025 conclave, the new papal claimant, and the post-Francis era that has now begun:
Dr. Kwasniewski Reacts to Novus Ordo Watch Critique: I Don’t Engage Sedevacantists!
Earlier this month, yours truly joined Louie Verrecchio for a video podcast to respond to a recent article by Dr. Peter Kwasniewski regarding papal authority and the Sacred Liturgy. The video was released on Apr. 4 on Verrecchio’s channel and a day later on Novus Ordo Watch’s:
On Apr. 6, Kwasniewski published a comment on Facebook and on Twitter explaining that people had asked him if he was going to respond, which he answered in the negative because “I do not engage sedevacantists.”… READ MORE
In it, the author, who is a popular and prolific advocate of recognize-and-resist traditionalism, attempts to answer the question whether clerics who are required by canon law to pray daily the Roman Breviary (aka Divine Office, Liturgy of the Hours) may fulfill their obligation by using the Breviary edition from before 1955, that is, before Pope Pius XII simplified the rubrics for the Sacred Liturgy with the decree Cum Nostra Hac Aetate of the Sacred Congregation of Rites (Mar.… READ MORE
Pope Pius XII on the Unchanging Orthodoxy of the Papal Teaching Office
One of the main services Novus Ordo Watch tries to render to the public is the making available of, or raising awareness concerning, Catholic magisterial texts that are not widely known or have not before been published online in English. There is a wealth of pre-Vatican II papal teaching ‘on the books’ that, unfortunately, is largely unknown even to traditional Catholics; thus we are trying to do our part to help remedy this situation. Thankfully, with recent advances in technology, discovering and spreading it has become easier and easier.… READ MORE
Address of His Holiness Pope Pius XII to Newlyweds on the Perpetual Teaching of the Living Peter, January 17, 1940
There exists in Rome an ancient and pious practice, which even the most illustrious personages have more than once performed, for newly married couples to make a devout visit to the Patriarchal Basilica of the Vatican, to repeat their Catholic beliefs and to implore perseverance in the faith for their new homes. And you, dear sons and daughters, through a particularly happy coincidence, have come here on the very eve of the day on which the Church celebrates the Feast of the Chair of St.… READ MORE
Catholics must assent to what the Pope teaches – period.
The Binding Force of Papal Teaching:
A Pre-Vatican II Theologian Explains
Fr. John F. Cronin (1908-94) was an expert on Catholic social teaching
For about six decades now, many Catholics of good will have been subjected to great deception and falsehood from two angles: On the one hand, the Novus Ordo religion that emerged in the Vatican with the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), and on the other hand, the good-faith but nevertheless often theologically-flawed attempts to resist that new religion while nevertheless recognizing the ‘Popes’ who have imposed it as legitimate Popes.… READ MORE
Sounds about right: Leo XIV and Charles III confer new titles on each other, are now 'brothers' - https://english.katholisch.de/artikel/65202-new-titles-for-pope-and-king-leo-xiv-and-charles-iii-now-brothers
Interregna and Divine Promises: The Davidic Line and the Papacy - https://promariana.wordpress.com/2025/10/22/interregna-and-divine-promises-the-davidic-line-and-the-papacy/
Gagging the Gospel: Leo XIV Offers Warmed-Over Greeting Card Spirituality to Interreligious Audience - https://novusordowatch.org/2025/10/leo14-gags-gospel-for-als-walk-chicago/
"The British monarch is accorded the title 'Royal Confrater' at the [Catholic] Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, taking a seat on a stall bearing the Gospel inscription, 'That they may be one'. This wish is echoed by Cardinal Harvey...." - https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2025-10/king-charles-royal-confrater-saint-paul-outside-the-walls.html
It's always good to get confirmation from Dr. Kwasniewski that a papal decision on the Sacred Liturgy was a good idea - in this case, Pius XI. When it comes to the Breviary reform of Pope St. Pius X, the Kwas isn't so approving.
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