Michael Matt: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We have made it to the third day, which I think means something about a resurrection. We’ve made it through. Thank you so much for being here all three days and for being with us today as we close things out. We’ve got a great lineup. I just think it would be silly not to mention what we just saw, because I’m sure most of you are thinking the same thing that I am. That mass, that mass, may have been the most inspirational traditional Latin Mass I’ve ever seen in my life, and I’ve seen the Mass celebrated by Cardinals in the cathedral. That definitely says something. Some people talk the talk about humility, right? We just saw humility in action in Bishop Strickland. God bless him.
And of course, the usual thoughts come to mind. You remember the old expression from the Arian heresy, they have our buildings, we have kept the faith. This beautiful Bishop is here. He wasn’t allowed to use the building at the moment, but he came to be with us. He has the faith, and we have the faith, and I think there was a really wonderful opportunity, and in our next speaker, we will have the same opportunity. It’s a wonderful opportunity that we saw in microcosm in this room this morning. What we’ve been saying for a long time to our bishops, to our shepherds, is that if you take the courageous stand, to stand with Christ and to stand with the Church and to stand with us, you will have no greater defenders on the face of the earth than the traditional Catholics.
This harkens back to the great St. Pius X, who in his encyclical, Notre Charge Apostolique, concludes that powerful encyclical by saying the true friends of the people are not the revolutionaries, but the true friends of the people are the traditionalists. We have an obligation to live up to that, to humbly stand with these shepherds who are standing with Christ, who are standing at the foot of the cross. On that note, friends, this is a last-minute addition that we were able to make, and it is so providential. I said last night I am a bit star-struck. I don’t know what to do with all of these wonderful, beautiful bishops we have at the CIC this year, how to express our gratitude and our thrill. We are thrilled, overjoyed to have them, to make them welcome, and to have them show for us again. As we talked about last night, the light of Christ is with us; God has not left His Church. The sort of Bishop, Patriarch, if there is such a thing, of the Catholic Identity Conference over the years has undoubtedly been His Excellency, Bishop Athanasius Schneider.
He is not going to be with us merely by videotape. He is with us live from across the sea, ladies and gentlemen, Bishop Athanasius Schneider.
Good morning, Your Excellency. Can you hear us?
Bishop Schneider: Yes, good morning. Good morning.
Michael Matt: We have about 700 enthusiastic Catholics who missed you because you were here last year, but are so grateful for your presence today. I’d like to start by asking how things are going in terms of your work leading up to the Synod on Synodality. We saw this beautiful prayer you composed for us. It went all around the world for this conference. Do you have any feeling of hope that things might not be as bad as anticipated, or what are your thoughts at this point?
Bishop Schneider: I greet you all. It is my joy to greet you at the Catholic Identity Conference. It’s a joy for me, and our wish is that Christ will overcome this darkness and the Catholic faith will again triumph in the Church.
Michael Matt: You evaded the question, Your Excellency. What are your impressions about the Synod? Is there any hope that things might be better than anticipated?
Bishop Schneider: Humanly speaking, there is little hope. When we see the leadership in key positions in the Synod, they are all promoting the liberal agenda. The majority of participants hold similar stances on these issues. It seems the results were already prepared, as they were in the Synod on the Family in 2014 and 2015. The same will likely happen next year with the second part of the Synod on Synodality. Probable results are already prepared, so it is mostly an exterior show. But we hope and pray that the Lord will intervene.
Humanly speaking, there is no hope, but we believe in the victory of Christ. We must maintain a supernatural spirit even in the darkest moments, and when we all around the world start to implore divine intervention, God can act in various ways to prevent these pre-made plans by the organizers of this Synod.
Michael Matt: Your Excellency, a few years ago, you stood almost alone, reminding the shepherds in the Church of their duty before God to defend traditional doctrine and teaching. You must take comfort in the fact that there are high-profile bishops and Cardinals now joining this fight. We had Cardinal Gerhard Müller here at the CIC yesterday, who is speaking out. Do you anticipate more will join your ranks, alongside Cardinal Muller, Bishop Strickland, and yourself?
Bishop Schneider: I am very happy that Cardinal Muller is speaking clearly in defense of the Catholic faith without fear. I hope other bishops will join these voices. Unfortunately, the majority of bishops are intimidated by the Vatican. We have the example of Bishop Strickland, still a governing Bishop, who faces public intimidation to stifle his voice. There is also Bishop Dominique Rey in France, who simply carries out his task as a good Catholic bishop, and another bishop in Puerto Rico who faced consequences last year because of his Catholic stance. The Vatican is sending a warning to all bishops: if you speak out or admonish the Holy See, you may be next. Humanly speaking, it is understandable that many good bishops remain quiet, waiting until the storm passes, trusting that God will give us a better time. This is the situation. We do not know who among the good bishops will be courageous enough to speak publicly, as Bishop Strickland and Cardinal Muller have done. Let us pray that God sends more courageous voices to the episcopate.
Michael Matt: Could you, could you say something, Excellency, about the role of bishops who have spoken out like yourself? I know I talked to His Excellency, Bishop Strickland, and he mentioned how inspiring it is for him to see Bishop Schneider and Cardinal Muller speaking out. There are those who are telling you, Cardinal Muller, and Bishop Strickland to be silent. Could you say something about the obligation you feel as a bishop to speak out, to encourage other successors of the apostles to also take a stand for Christ and for the Church?
Bishop Schneider: Yes, we did. For example, some years ago, we made a public declaration about the most common errors in our time, specifying forty errors. Cardinal Muller participated; my former archbishop from Latvia retired, and I, along with Bishop Strickland, tried to gather other signatures. It was difficult even to make such a declaration. Even good bishops are intimidated. I tried, as I explained. It is understandable. The general situation in the Church is intimidation. The liberals who are now in key positions in the Vatican are triumphing. They have the power you mentioned in the beginning. To the faithful, they have the buildings. We have the Catholic faith. I would say to these high-ranking clergy that you have the administrative power only, but we have the Catholic faith.
Michael Matt: Excellency, without getting too political, I wonder if you could help us understand what’s happening, the agenda behind what the Vatican seems to be doing. You mentioned in this beautiful prayer that you composed for us, this idea of globalism and what’s happening on the world stage. Do you think it’s an exaggeration to say that these globalists want to use the Catholic Church, the moral authority of the Church, to bring in a new political order in the world? Is that an exaggeration, or is that perhaps what we are looking at?
Bishop Schneider: No, it is not an exaggeration. Since this pontificate, over ten years, we can observe concrete facts that the Holy See has become a kind of chaplaincy for United Nations organizations regarding these global programs. Concretely, the climate change program, the Holy See is fully supporting, even if, from a scientific point of view, solid scholars say this is nonsense. Then there is all the immigration politics in Europe. This is a complete destruction of European Christian identity. It is a plan, and the Holy See is supporting this. Then the LGBT agenda. The Holy See is de facto supporting it by promoting outspoken LGBT supporters to be bishops and Cardinals. The Pope publicly invited Father Martin, the Jesuit priest promoting the homosexual lifestyle. This is propaganda. The Holy See tolerates blessings of same-sex couples in Germany and other countries. Bishops like the Bishop of Berlin and Cardinal Marx of Munich publicly stated they will bless homosexual couples and allow priests to do this, and the Holy See does nothing. This is de facto support of the globalist LGBT and gender ideology. These examples show that the Holy See has become a chaplaincy, and the world political elites, implanting a kind of World Government, are using the support of the Holy See and the Pope. This is very sad and will go down in history as a collaboration with anti-Christian, anti-human elites.
Michael Matt: Excellency, following up on what you just said, could you give guidance regarding the scandal we feel, especially with this idea of a Church of accompaniment and listening, where all are welcome? Can you speak about the injustice and violation of Christian charity in not telling LGBT people the truth about what the Catholic Church teaches in her catechism? They never mention homosexual acts, just gloss over them, giving tacit approval for a sin that cries to heaven for vengeance. This is not necessarily the LGBT people’s fault because they are not given the truth. Can you speak to this idea of being made welcome in charity, while in fact it is a violation of Christian charity not to tell them the truth?
Bishop Schneider: You are correct. This is a grave violation of justice and Christian charity not to admonish or warn a sinner. These people, promoting a lifestyle contrary to the will of God, human reason, common sense, and nature, are destroying themselves psychologically and exposing their souls to eternal condemnation. It is impossible to witness such indifference. Clergy supporting LGBT people do not take God or the immutable truth of the sixth commandment seriously. We must pity these people, pray for their conversion, and instruct them with respect and love. When we see a person approaching danger, we must warn them. True charity requires this. Clergy supporting LGBT people will face a severe moment before God. They forget that the judgment of God will come.
Michael Matt: Touching on scandal, we are all scandalized by a man like Father James Martin and his access to the Holy Father. We see so much of this happening, Excellency. Critics ask us how we dare criticize the Pope, but when the Pope meets someone like President Bill Clinton, never mentions Jesus Christ or God, and only discusses climate change, how do we not speak out against the scandal? What do you say to critics who say we mustn’t criticize the Pope?
Bishop Schneider: This is not correct because the Church is not a dictatorship. The Church is a family, where we must be able to express warnings and corrections. Catholic tradition calls this fraternal correction when directed to the Pope, and filial correction when directed by laypeople. Correction done with good intention and respect is an act of charity. History shows examples: St. Hildegard of Bingen, St. Catherine of Siena, and St. Richard of Sweden admonished the Pope out of love. Laypeople may also issue respectful public admonitions to the Pope, fulfilling the duty of conscience and witness of faith. The Second Vatican Council said laypeople must be involved and concerned with Church matters. A Catholic identity conference could publish a respectful, clear admonition to the Holy Father, asking him not to allow the Synod to change the Catholic faith and to promote true Catholic bishops.
Michael Matt: Excellency, sometimes priests and bishops lose track of what happens at the lay level. I am a father of seven. Something happened in June that struck me deeply. The Vatican organized an event in St. Peter’s Square celebrating human fraternity. They had as entertainment the most famous openly homosexual dancer in Italy, topless, beneath the statue of St. Peter. My concern as a father is seeing children, seven to ten years old, watching this spectacle. Many parents feel abandoned and betrayed, like bishops and priests do not care about raising children in a pagan world. Some fathers have walked away from the Church. Is there a sense that this idea of accompaniment is failing?
Bishop Schneider: Yes, what you mentioned was an abomination. We must do penance and reparation for this, but never abandon the Church, even in grievous scandals. The Church is our mother, suffering her Golgotha hours. We must stay, protest, and educate our children in the truth. Teach the truth and the spirit of reparation. Recently, I wrote about St. Elizabeth Hasselblad, a Swedish convert from the Lutheran Church, who re-founded the order of St. Bridget. She said even if the Pope and all priests abandon their faith, this will not shake her faith. We should follow this example.
Michael Matt: That brings up a question, Excellency. I have two questions left. Sometimes, frustration tempts people to conclude that Francis cannot be the Pope. I have argued, and you have argued, that doing this divides principled opposition to the Synod and the Vatican. We need guidance. How do we avoid that pitfall?
Bishop Schneider: We must regain a supernatural view. This reaction is too human. The Pope is not identical to the Church. The Church is stronger than a single Pope. The faith of the Church is the faith of all saints and Popes. A single Pope can only obscure the truth for a short time. The Church is in the hands of Our Lord Jesus Christ. When Peter denied Christ, he did not lose his appointment. The Church prayed for him, and God freed him. Spiritually, the Pope may be blinded and chained by worldly agendas. We must pray for his release from these spiritual chains.
Michael Matt: My last question, Excellency. It has to do with the crucifixion of the Mystical Body of Christ. How scandalized must early Christians have been seeing our Lord die on the cross? How do we emulate them now as the Mystical Body of Christ is crucified, living on to the third day, and keeping the faith?
Bishop Schneider: The Church is enduring its crucifixion, and we must have unshakable faith like Our Lady under the cross. She believed in Christ’s victory. We must ask Our Lady for strong faith that God will triumph through the Church’s suffering. God permits this unprecedented crisis to bring a greater good. After this, the Church will flourish, a kind of spiritual springtime. In Quito, in the 17th century, Our Lady of Good Success said the Church would again have the shape of a young, beautiful girl. We have the privilege to contribute even small offerings through our suffering for the Church’s purification and renewal. We must not lose our joy in the Catholic faith.
Michael Matt: On that note, Excellency, thank you for those inspiring words and for being with us. Please count us at the Catholic Identity Conference among your most loyal defenders. God bless you, and thank you for being with us today.
Will you give your blessing to all the participants?
Bishop Schneider: Yes, Dominus vobiscum, et cum, spiritu tuo. Et benedictio dei omnipotentis, Patris et Filii et spiritus Santi descendant, super vos et maneat semper. Amen. Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever.
Michael Matt: Thank you, Your Excellency. Thank you.