Skeptics of the Latin Mass point out that its adherents are small in the U.S., that prior to 2021, the number of Catholic churches offering it was barely 10%.
direction as the worshippers — east. Following the Second Vatican
Council (which met from 1962- 1965), however, it was gradually replaced by a Mass celebrated in local languages, with the priest fac- ing parishioners and the parishio- ners chanting responses to him. In 2021, Pope Francis stunned Catholics with a breathtaking break from tradition, requiring congre- gations to obtain the permission of bishops to say Latin Mass and banning the 500-year-old rite from funerals, weddings, and baptisms. Skeptics of the Latin Mass point
out that its adherents are small in the U.S., that prior to 2021, the num- ber of Catholic churches offering it was barely 10%. But supporters counter that that
10% was growing, and the Masses were usually filled, very often with younger Catholics who were just dis- covering this way of worship. And they also emphasize that, for
the most part, Catholic supporters of Latin Mass aren’t going anywhere and that they drive longer distances to worship as they choose or attend Masses provided by groups outside the Catholic Church (such as the Society of St. Pius X, founded in the 1970s by French Archbishop Marcel LeFebvre, who defied the Vatican over the Mass and was defrocked). Clearly, Latin Mass Catholics
aren’t going to fade away, nor will those who uphold Pope Francis’ last word on the Mass.
Where He Stands on Big Issues P
BY MARK SWANSON
ope Leo XIV has a documented record on many controversial
issues that could indicate where he’ll try to position the Roman Catholic Church in the years to come. Pope Francis rocked the church
in December 2023 when he issued formal permission to Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, provided it’s not the rite of marriage. Based on a 2012 address to
bishops, Leo would likely bring the church back in line. In that speech, Cardinal Robert Prevost accused the media of fostering “sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the Gospel.” He cited the “homosexual lifestyle”
and “alternative families comprised of same-sex partners and their adopted children,” according to the New York Post.
Also, Prevost shot down a government initiative to
promote gender ideology in schools while he was bishop of Chiclayo in northwestern Peru. “The promotion of gender ideology
is confusing, because it seeks to create genders that don’t exist,” he told media outlets at the time. On abortion, Prevost posted a
photograph from a March for Life event in Chiclayo with the exhortation, “Let’s defend human life at all times!” That includes a push against euthanasia, based on a 2016 repost of a tweet against assisted suicides in Belgium, according to the report. In regards to capital punishment,
Prevost said in a 2015 post, “It’s time to end the death penalty.” The pope is aligned with Francis on
climate change. In November, Prevost said it is time to move “from words to action” on the “environmental crisis,” the Post reported. “Dominion over nature” should not become “tyrannical,” he added.
Leo, ‘Strong Republican,’ Criticized Trump
D
espite having been a registered
Republican, Pope Leo XIV had a history of criticizing President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s policies. Voter registration
information verified by Newsmax showed Robert Francis Prevost, 69, of New Lenox, Illinois, was a registered Republican as of Aug. 5, 2023. Turning Point Action
founder Charlie Kirk wrote in a post on X that Prevost has voted in Republican primaries when in the country and also voted in the 2024 general election. “Our data shows he’s
a strong Republican, and he’s pro-life,” Kirk wrote. But Prevost criticized
Trump’s policies on social media, especially his stance on immigration, the New York Post reported.
“I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!” — President Donald Trump
And in February, he
reposted an article with the following headline: “JD Vance Is Wrong: Jesus Doesn’t Ask Us to Rank Our Love for Others.” Nevertheless, Trump
congratulated the new Catholic leader on his election as pope. “What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country,” he wrote on Truth Social. “I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!” Vance, a Catholic, said
he was sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians would pray for Leo’s success. “May God bless him!” Vance wrote on X.
JUNE 2025 | NEWSMAX 19
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