My dear brothers and sisters, 

Today, with deep sorrow for the state of our beloved Church, I must speak. Pope Leo XIV has appointed Cardinal Blasé Cupich of Chicago to the governing council of Vatican City. This is not a small administrative act; it is a declaration of direction. 

Cardinal Cupich has publicly opposed the Traditional Latin Mass, has tolerated and even celebrated politicians who advance abortion, and has consistently undermined those who defend the sanctity of life and the fullness of Catholic doctrine. To elevate such a man to one of the governing bodies of the Vatican is to send a message to faithful Catholics across the world: that fidelity to tradition and the moral law is now treated as an obstacle rather than a light. 

I cannot remain silent. The Church I love is being dismantled – not by her enemies outside, but by those within her walls who exchange the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the approval of the world. The faithful deserve clarity, not confusion. 

I speak not in rebellion but in obedience to the truth of Christ, Who said, “Let your speech be yea, yea; no, no” (Matthew 5:37). My loyalty to the papal office remains, but loyalty does not mean silence in the face of error. 

However, words of sorrow alone are not enough. The hour is too late, and the deception too deep. We are watching the faith of our fathers being dismantled under the pretense of renewal. Those who once defended the Bride of Christ now court the world’s applause. They build altars to tolerance while Christ is crucified anew by silence and betrayal. 

Let us speak plainly: when men are appointed to power who reject the moral law, who mock the Sacred Liturgy, who scorn the faithful who kneel before the Eucharistic Lord – this is not renewal, it is revolt against Christ Himself. And no Catholic, bishop or layman, can stand idly by while the light of truth is eclipsed. 

I implore my brother bishops: this is not the time to whisper. The sheep are scattered. The wolves wear miters. To remain silent is to share in the sin. The call to unity cannot mean unity in error. It must mean unity in the pierced Heart of the Redeemer. 

To the faithful I say: do not lose heart. Do not abandon the Church, for she is still the Bride of Christ, even as she bleeds. Remain steadfast. Pray and make reparation. Adore the Eucharistic Lord with greater love than ever before. Teach your children the faith unaltered. Stand beneath the Cross with Our Lady. 

Christ does not ask for our diplomacy – He asks for our fidelity. We can no longer pretend that these betrayals are mere misunderstandings. The world may call this defiance; Heaven calls it truth. “For we ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). 

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus reign again in His Church, and may every shepherd be found faithful when the Chief Shepherd appears. Amen. 

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland 

Bishop Emeritus