Episode 2540: Defending the Faith Addressing Modern Challenges in the Catholic Church

Welcome to another episode of CR where we Defend the Faith, where we uphold the timeless truths of Catholicism and address the modern challenges that seek to undermine our sacred traditions.
Today, we confront some deeply troubling developments within the Church, particularly focusing on recent statements by Pope Francis and the actions of Cardinal Fernández at the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. We will also explore the prophetic insights of Blessed Elizabeth Khouri Mora regarding the Great Chastisement and the Restoration of the Church, alongside the profound warnings from Our Lady of La Salette, Our Lady of Fatima, St. Padre Pio, and Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen.
Pope Francis and the Doctrine of Pluralism
Recently, Pope Francis has made statements that have caused significant concern among traditional Catholics. By asserting that God “actively wills” a diversity and plurality of religions, Pope Francis appears to undermine the salvific uniqueness of Jesus Christ. This echoes his earlier remarks but has intensified the ongoing debate about the direction of Church teachings.

Key Questions:
Was the plan of Vatican II to turn the lights off on the Catholic Church by making sure they jettisoned all its traditions?
Is Pope Francis the agent of Vatican II who is going to ensure the Church does not perish but rather transforms into something unrecognizable?
St. Augustine wisely cautioned against compromising the truth for the sake of unity. In his City of God, he writes, “Truth is to be sought for its own sake, not to be used as a weapon against our adversaries.” The Pope’s stance seems to stray from this principle, suggesting a move towards theological pluralism that conflicts with the Magisterium’s teachings.
The Role of Cardinal Fernández and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
Cardinal Walter Brandmüller once emphasized the importance of preserving doctrinal purity within the Church. Today, Cardinal Fernández, leading the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, appears to be steering the Church away from these foundational principles. His recent appointments, including Father Maurizio Ciotti, signal a troubling shift towards modernist theology.
Father Ciotti, known for his questioning of moral absolutes, represents a departure from the traditional teachings upheld by past Dicastery heads like Cardinal Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI. Cardinal Ratzinger, in his Introduction to Christianity, stressed the necessity of maintaining doctrinal integrity against modernist influences. The current direction under Cardinal Fernández seems to contradict this legacy, promoting an agenda that aligns more with secular values than with the eternal truths of our faith.
St. Padre Pio’s Warning: St. Padre Pio often emphasized the importance of adhering strictly to Church teachings and warned against modernist influences. He stated, “The new ideas of men do not possess the power to change the mysteries of our faith. They only lead the faithful astray.”

The Case of Sister Marina Fritz
Adding to our concerns is the story of Sister Marina Fritz, a 98-year-old nun whose theological views challenge the very core of Catholic doctrine. Sister Fritz denies the divinity of Jesus Christ and advocates for a pluralistic Christology, suggesting that Jesus is not the only path to God. This is a clear repudiation of St. Thomas Aquinas’s teachings in the Summa Theologica, where he affirms the unique role of Christ in salvation.
Blessed Elizabeth Khouri Mora’s prophecy warns of a Great Chastisement and the eventual Restoration of the Church. Sister Fritz’s heretical stance is a manifestation of the very darkness that Mora foresaw—a time when true doctrine is obscured, and the Church faces internal and external challenges that threaten its spiritual integrity.
Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen’s Insight: Bishop Sheen wisely noted, “When we change our understanding of the truth, we change the truth itself.” Sister Fritz’s denial of Christ’s divinity is not just a theological error; it is a fundamental shift that undermines the very foundation of our faith.
Synodality and the Erosion of Hierarchical Authority
The concept of synodality, as promoted by Pope Francis, seeks to democratize Church governance. However, this approach undermines the hierarchical structure that PopeJohn Paul II defended vehemently. In his encyclical Veritatis Splendor, Pope John Paul II emphasized the importance of the Magisterium in safeguarding the faith, warning against the dangers of subordinating Church authority to popular opinion.
The appointment of consultors like Father Ciotti to the Synod on Synodality raises questions about the direction in which our Church is headed. By prioritizing dialogue over doctrinal purity, the Synodal movement risks diluting the Gospel message and opening the door to relativism, where truth becomes subjective rather than objective.
St. Padre Pio’s Perspective: St. Padre Pio emphasized the importance of strong, authoritative leadership within the Church. He believed that without firm adherence to doctrine, the faithful would easily be led astray by modernist influences.
Prophecy of Blessed Elizabeth Khouri Mora
Blessed Elizabeth Khouri Mora’s prophecy speaks of a period of intense suffering and purification for the Church, followed by its glorious restoration. She envisions St. Peter descending with a cross, symbolizing the preservation of the true faith amidst tribulation. This aligns with the Church’s understanding of eschatology, where trials precede the ultimate triumph of Christ.
In The Catechism of the Catholic Church, St. Paul reminds us, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him” (Philippians 1:29). Mora’s prophecy serves as a stark reminder of the spiritual battles we face and the necessity of remaining faithful to Christ’s teachings.
The Prophecies: Warnings from Heaven

Our Lady of La Salette (1846)
The apparition of Our Lady of La Salette took place in France, where she appeared to two children, Mélanie and Maximin, with a sorrowful message about the future of the Church and the world. One of the key messages was the coming of great societal and moral collapse, including the loss of faith and the destruction of traditional values. She said, “The priests, ministers of my Son, by their wicked lives, by their irreverence and their impiety in celebrating the holy mysteries, by their love of money, honor and pleasures, have become cesspools of impurity. Yes, the priests are asking vengeance, and vengeance is hanging over their heads.”
Our Lady also warned of “the abomination of desolation in the Holy Places” and the profound spiritual crisis that would infiltrate even the highest levels of the Church.

Our Lady of Fatima (1917)
Similarly, Our Lady of Fatima warned of grave consequences for humanity if it continued to turn away from God. In her messages to the children of Fatima, she spoke about the errors that would spread from Russia, specifically referring to atheistic communism, which would lead to persecution of the Church, destruction of families, and a loss of morality. She said, “The final battle between the Lord and the reign of Satan will be about marriage and the family.” This foretells the distortion of gender roles and the fracturing of the family unit we see today.
Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen’s Reflection: Bishop Sheen emphasized the importance of preserving traditional values to prevent societal decay. He stated, “The erosion of family and faith leads directly to the loss of moral compass in society.”
The Link to Feminism and Cultural Shifts
Now, how do these prophecies tie into the rise of feminism and the erosion of traditional roles?

Both Marian prophecies warned of a moral and spiritual collapse that would be driven by society’s embrace of secularism, pride, and rebellion against divine order. Feminism, particularly in its modern form, can be seen as part of this rebellion. It encourages a rejection of the natural roles of men and women as ordained by God, leading to the dissolution of male authority and the rise of gender confusion. This movement has gone far beyond advocating for basic rights and has challenged the foundational roles that keep society, and particularly the family, stable.
By the time women began to enter the workforce en masse during World War II and beyond, society had already begun to detach itself from its Christian roots. The aftermath of this shift is now evident in the breakdown of the family, where men are no longer viewed as protectors and heads of their households, and women, instead of nurturing their families, are often pressured to find fulfillment outside the home. As predicted by Our Lady of Fatima, these roles are now inverted, leading to a cultural collapse where traditional masculinity is deemed toxic, and femininity is equated with power over men rather than complementarity.
St. Padre Pio’s Encouragement: St. Padre Pio urged families to maintain traditional roles, emphasizing that the family is the fundamental unit of society and the Church. He prayed for the protection of families against modernist influences that seek to disrupt their sanctity.
Effeminacy and the Consequences of Reversing Roles
Our Lady of La Salette's reference to priests becoming "cesspools of impurity" can be connected to the rise of weak, effeminate leadership in both the Church and society. The male spiritual leadership, once a sign of authority and guidance, has become passive, fearful of offending the new societal norms established by feminist ideologies. This leads to what we now recognize as the emasculation of men, a term that describes how men have been rendered powerless in both the public and private spheres.
The transformation from the Greatest Generation to the Baby Boomers is a pivotal example. The Greatest Generation, though flawed, was marked by strong male figures who led their families and upheld societal values of hard work, sacrifice, and faith. As feminism gained momentum, the Baby Boomers were born into an era of upheaval, where rebellion against authority both religious and familial became the new norm. The feminist movement taught that men should be more passive, that women should be more assertive, and in doing so, destroyed the balance ordained by God.
As predicted by Our Lady of La Salette, this spiritual crisis is not limited to the secular world but has infiltrated the Church as well. Weak leadership within the Church, where male priests have become submissive to feminist influences, mirrors what is happening in the family. When men fail to exercise their God-given authority, both the family and the Church suffer.

Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen’s Insight: Bishop Sheen often spoke about the importance of strong, faithful leadership within the Church. He warned, “A weak shepherd cannot guide his flock; the Church needs strong, resolute leaders to defend the faith and lead the faithful.”
The Fulfillment of Prophecy in Modern Culture
Today, we are living the fulfillment of these Marian prophecies. The errors of communism, as warned by Our Lady of Fatima, have led to a culture where the state often overrides parental authority, and the individual is seen as supreme. The rise of feminism and the rejection of traditional roles is directly tied to the errors of modernist thinking, which elevates human reason above divine revelation. Gender roles are now seen as fluid, family structures are broken, and authority whether of the father in the home or the priest in the Church is diminished.

Both La Salette and Fatima gave us a clear picture of what would happen if society continued on this path: a world where people no longer seek Christ and where the Church becomes weak under the weight of cultural rebellion. Feminism, in its most extreme forms, has brought us to this point, where both men and women are disconnected from their God-given roles.
St. Padre Pio’s Exhortation: St. Padre Pio implored the faithful to remain steadfast in their traditional roles and resist the temptations of modernist ideologies that seek to dismantle the sanctity of the family and the Church. He prayed for strength and guidance to uphold the eternal truths of our faith.
The Path Forward: A Return to Tradition
The solution to this crisis lies in a return to the truths revealed by God. As Catholics, we must strive to restore the balance of male and female roles as designed by God. Men must reclaim their leadership in both the family and the Church, not as tyrants, but as servants of God’s will. Women, too, must rediscover their unique, God-given role in the family and society, not in competition with men, but in cooperation with them, just as the Virgin Mary cooperated with God in the salvation of mankind.
Our Lady of Fatima’s call for prayer, penance, and reparation is as relevant today as ever. To combat the errors of feminism and the rejection of traditional gender roles, we must pray for the conversion of hearts, starting with our own families. The Rosary, as Our Lady of Fatima instructed, is a powerful weapon in this battle.
Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen’s Guidance: Bishop Sheen emphasized the power of prayer and traditional devotion in maintaining the strength of our faith. He encouraged the faithful to turn to the sacraments and the Rosary as means to combat the moral and spiritual challenges of our time.
Conclusion
As we navigate these challenging times, it is imperative that we remain steadfast in our faith, upholding the doctrines that have been handed down through the centuries. The actions of Pope Francis and Cardinal Fernández, along with the heretical views of Sister Marina Fritz, pose significant threats to the integrity of our Church. We must heed the prophetic warnings of Blessed Elizabeth Khouri Mora, Our Lady of La Salette, and Our Lady of Fatima, as well as the wise counsel of St. Padre Pio and Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen. Stand firm against the forces of modernism and relativism that seek to erode our faith.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, our Savior, we implore You to protect our Holy Church from the forces that seek to distort Your truth. Strengthen the faithful and guide our leaders to uphold the doctrines that lead us to salvation. Grant us the wisdom to discern truth from error and the courage to defend our faith with love and conviction. We ask this through Your holy name. Amen.