“Rather, they cement the Catholic tradition up to Pius XII,” explained Archbishop Gänswein, now apostolic nuncio to three Baltic nations. “After that everything was over for them, that’s it, from that moment there were only mistakes.”

In remitting the excommunications of the four bishops illicitly consecrated in 1988, Pope Benedict was “like a father who tries to create peace—an outstretched hand that, unfortunately, they did not accept,” Archbishop Gänswein continued. “There was a radical fringe that prevailed.”

The prelate called for the repeal of Traditionis Custodes, Pope Francis’s 2021 apostolic letter restricting the extraordinary form of the Mass: “a wrong decision can and must be corrected ... I believe that Pope Francis has made a mistake, without realizing it.”

“We in no way claim to substitute ourselves for the Church, and we have no ambition other than to remain faithful to her,” Father Davide Pagliarani wrote in his July 3 letter. “In conscience, we did not believe we could evade the moral duty we owe to souls.”

“We are certain that one day You yourself, or one of Your successors, will wish to adopt the program of Saint Pius X: ‘To restore all things in Christ,’” Father Pagliarani added. “On that day, the Holy Father will discover, with great joy and profound consolation, authentically Catholic souls whose bond with the Church was never founded upon the shifting sands of an ambiguous dialogue, but upon the rock of the faith of Peter.”

Pope Leo XIV marked the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America with a letter extending “heartfelt congratulations to all Americans on the occasion.”

Pope Leo XIV accepted the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center and, in a July 3 video address (49:05), hailed the “lofty ideals enshrined at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence.”

“In 1785 there were 9,000 Catholic adults, 3,000 children, and 3,800 Catholic slaves all in Maryland, with about 7,000 Catholics in Pennsylvania and 1,500 in New York, and scattered Catholics in the rest of the country out of a total United States population of over 3 million,” said Bishop Earl Boyea. “We were really a minority.”

Pope Leo XIV made a brief pastoral visit to Lampedusa today (program, video) and called upon the faithful to welcome migrants with the compassion of the Good Samaritan.

Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller encouraged Catholics who wish to attend a traditional Latin Mass to do so at an archdiocesan parish where the extraordinary form is offered weekly.

“Nevertheless, the faithful should be aware that, as the Holy See has explained, the ministry exercised by the Society is not legitimate in the life of the Church: the sacraments celebrated by its ministers are illicit, and the sacraments of Penance and Matrimony administered by them are now invalid,” said Archbishop Shawn McKnight, who added:

Because participation in the worship and apostolic life of a schismatic community objectively expresses and fosters separation from the Church’s communion, Catholics may not knowingly take part in the Society’s liturgical celebrations, apostolates, or other activities. Such participation is not merely discouraged but is gravely contrary to the unity of the Church and, when undertaken with full knowledge and deliberate consent, is sinful. Clergy and laity alike are further admonished not to adhere to the Society’s schism, lest they incur the penalty of excommunication latae sententiae.

We therefore encourage all who have participated in the Society’s apostolates to remain united to the Holy Father and to seek the guidance of our priests regarding any questions that may arise from this unfortunate situation, especially if they have concerns about the validity of sacraments they may have received ...

We continue to pray that those who have taken this step may one day be restored to full communion. The Church’s doors remain open, and our hope remains that the unity for which Christ prayed may one day be fully realized.

“We cannot remain silent while funds meant for the poor are being stolen,” Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo of Kidapawan said on June 28. “We cannot remain silent while the people’s treasury is being turned into the personal wealth of a few. We cannot remain silent while corruption continues to destroy the future of our children.”

“It is not enough to pray for change,” Bishop Bagaforo added. “We must also stand up for change. It is not enough to ask for good governance. We must also demand accountability.”

Pope Leo XIV received President Gustavo Petro of Colombia on July 2, a month before a new Colombian president is scheduled to take office.