No. We don’t need better ways to communicate bad theology.
Here we go again: National Catholic Reporter drooling over “thought leaders” who spend their time “re-imagining Catholicism” into some Felt-Banner Fueled, bland, therapeutic brand of huggy activism. You know the routine—lots of words about “justice,” “solidarity,” “human dignity”—but zero mention of sin, repentance, or salvation. Because apparently the Church is just a glorified NGO now.
And, of course, the pièce de résistance: anyone who actually believes the Catechism, anyone who still thinks the Church means what it says, gets tarred as “far right.” You catch that? If you’re faithful, you’re “far right” and maybe too Catholic for your Parish. [Ed. Note - this is something we know A LOT about]. By NCR’s logic, Augustine, Aquinas, Teresa of Ávila, and John Paul II were all extremist ideologues. Oh, and let’s not forget St. Pius X—you know, the pope who literally canonized the idea that Truth doesn’t change.
Here’s how Pius X described the progressive project over a century ago:
“The partisans of error are to be sought not only among the Church’s open enemies; but, what is to be most dreaded, and deplored, in her very bosom, and are the more mischievous, the less they keep in the open.” (Pascendi, 2)
Sound familiar? That’s NCR in a nutshell. Wolves in cardigans, sipping lattes, insisting that if you don’t chant “solidarity” five times a day, you’re a “rigid” Pharisee. They say it plainly—
[Our] work must be accessible, for truth shouldn't be limited to dense theology books. Whether through podcasts, TikTok videos or Substack posts, a liberatory Catholic media landscape meets people where they are, especially those hurt by the very institution claiming to represent them.
Get the picture? The Catholic Church’s beliefs aren’t to be found among Tradition, Magisterium or the Scriptures, it’s found in Father Hugsy’s Catholic ClappyHands Podcast—[click the “thumbs up to like and subscribe] or the Blessed Pronouns Channel on YouTube. It’s certainly not found in any Church that adheres to doctrine because of its “hurtful” and “problematic” doctrines.
Let’s be clear: the Church isn’t the problem. The problem is these narcissists who don’t want conversion—they want affirmation. They want to remake the Bride of Christ into their own ideological image. They want to re-engineer doctrine so it never makes demands on their lifestyle or their politics. And when they don’t get their way, they shriek “far right!” like toddlers who’ve been told no dessert.
But here’s the truth: the Church doesn’t exist to coddle you. It exists to save your soul. It’s not about “justice, solidarity, and human dignity” in the woke sense. The Church is not here to improve the temporal welfare of man as a humanitarian service organization combating poverty, disease and climate change. It’s not here to establish a “new humanity” based upon some global ethic of solidarity, universal fraternity and hugs. It’s about conversion, repentance, and Truth. As Pius X warned:
“It is one of the cleverest devices of the Modernists to present their doctrines without order and systematic arrangement… but scattered, and disjointed.” (Pascendi, 5)
In other words: the modernists at NCR don’t offer theology, they offer word salad.
The actual core tenets NCR conveniently forgot:
God is Truth, and Truth is absolute.
Faith demands conversion. You bend to Christ; He doesn’t bend to you.
The Gospel is about sin and salvation, not hashtags and hugs.
The Church is the Bride of Christ, not a non-profit lobbying firm.
Pius X again, hammering it home:
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Hence it is that they pervert the eternal concept of truth by introducing a doctrine of evolution.” (Pascendi, 26)
Translation: stop demanding the Truth “evolve.” It won’t. It can’t. It doesn’t.
So, no—the Church doesn’t need more “influencers” posting theological TikToks in crop tops. It doesn’t need Catholicism-as-brand activism. What it needs is people who will actually believe what it teaches.
If you think doctrine is going to bend to culture, you’re living in fantasy land. St. Pius X already saw through this Modernist scam:
“The duty of every Catholic is to resist the enemies of the Church who are laboring under the pretense of love for the Church, and reform of the Church.” (Pascendi, 84)
So here’s the final word: stop expecting Truth to change. Stop expecting the Church to validate your ideology. Stop crying “far right” when you meet actual Catholics. The Truth is eternal.
It’s you who needs to change.