Frequently Asked Questions

The Mission of Divine Mercy (MDM) is a movement inspired by Our Lord Jesus Christ, dedicated to aiding in His Reconquest of the Hearts of His Children and the renewal of His Church—His Mystical Body—founded on the Rock of St. Peter. 

As a movement, MDM consists of five different branches:  priests and brothers; sisters; consecrated laymen; consecrated laywomen; and a lay branch, the Amici Christi, dedicated to living the spirit of MDM while living and working in the world. There is also the Bethany Association, which is for all those who want to be friends of MDM. 

Through our charism, Faith so that God can act, MDM strives to follow the example of Our Blessed Mother by being open and docile to God’s will and to how He continues to speak to and act for His children today, especially through His Presence in the Most Blessed Sacrament in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.   

(published September 2, 2024)

As individuals, we love the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, and its Head, Our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe in and are committed to defending the Deposit of Faith as revealed by Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition and safeguarded by the authentic Magisterium. 

As an organization, given the Archbishop’s order that MDM is not to use the name “Catholic” collectively, we have complied and for now simply describe ourselves as individual Catholics laboring in the vineyard of the Lord. We hope and pray, God willing, that this situation will be temporary. 

(published September 2, 2024)

We recognize that it is still early in this matter and understand the optimism that many feel about Robert Prevost (Leo). But in the Message He Is Not Mine the Lord says,

The one who is seated on the throne of Peter is not Mine.
Be alert and attentive.  Do not let yourselves be confused or deceived.
Consider the works.
Consider what is promoted.
Consider what is permitted.
Consider what is punished.
Consider who is persecuted.

and in the same Message, He further says:

I have said to you that the filth of Satan has entered, has become ingrained, and has usurped the chairs of My Apostles.

We believe in these passages the Lord is clearly indicating that Robert Prevost (Leo), like Jorge Bergoglio (Francis), is a usurper and not a true pope. And that this is the result of the enemy’s  actions and plan carried out over many decades, even centuries.

See also this talk Father John Mary gave, reflecting on the Message Be on Guard which was given eight days after Prevost’s election.

And, of course, we invite you to pray for the Church, that she may be purified and renewed as the Holy Bride of the Lamb.

In general, we use the given names of these two men because we believe it is more consistent and coherent with what God has revealed in the Reconquest Messages. We believe He is saying Jorge Bergoglio and Robert Prevost are usurpers and not valid popes. Routinely calling them by their papal title and name would be inaccurate and incoherent to that understanding, hence our use of their given names in most contexts. 

We do understand that for many readers, especially those not familiar with the Messages, but even for some who are, this practice can feel jarring and disconcerting. And for this reason, we do at times and in certain contexts use “Francis” and “Leo” (although not “Leo XIV”) to ease the reading experience for our audience. 

We trust that the occasional use of those names does not obscure our belief that God has revealed Bergoglio and Prevost to be usurpers. Most importantly, any discomfort someone experiences with the particular names used pales in comparison with acknowledging that terrible reality. 

(published September 2, 2024; revised Feb 7, 2026)

Many thoughtful and learned persons, both clerical and lay, have raised profound concerns and objections regarding many of Jorge Bergoglio’s words and actions, including whether such words and actions indicate that he was not a valid pope.

While acknowledging the importance of those concerns, our focus is above all on what we believe the Lord is saying about the matter. 

In the Messages received by Sister Amapola, both those received prior to the first public Message released in February 2024 as well as those release subsequently, the Lord has spoken repeatedly of the terrible corruption pervading His Church in general and the hierarchy and papacy in particular.  

Consider the following excerpts:  

February 1, 2024

The enemy has succeeded in overtaking My Sanctuary.

What do I mean by this?

The eternal enemy, Satan and his cohort, has successfully placed his servants in places of authority in My Church, that through them he might subvert My Truth, My Teachings, turning them into a mockery, and thus leaving My children bereft of the usual means for them to receive My Grace….

Wolves, dressed in sheep’s clothing, are sitting on the thrones of My Apostles – even on the chair of My Peter.

No one else can say this, but I, Who see into the depths of every soul, I Who see every thought, every movement of every heart, of every will – 

I DO SEE, I CAN SAY.

I DO SAY.

My Church has been taken hostage.

You have placed your trust in a betrayer, who will cast you aside without a second thought.

The last, the ultimate betrayal is being prepared, is about to take place.

The Abomination of desolation is here.

February 22, 2024 

You have not only let the smoke of Satan infiltrate into My Sanctuary; but you have allowed a whole army of demons to take your places.

And you have allowed the usurper to sit on the chair of My Peter – he who is carrying out the Great Treason that will leave My Church desolate.

August 15, 2024 (From Our Blessed Mother) 

You know the times, sons.  You know what We have announced.  You know the consequences in the face of so many offenses to the Father.  You know the power of Our enemy and of his army, spread throughout the whole world and present in all areas of your lives.  You know the terrible confusion that there is and that surrounds everything, and in particular My Church. 

My sons, be alert, that you might keep My children alert. 

We have said to you that the chair of Peter and of the Apostles has been usurped. 

The Church is under siege, sons. 

From these Messages, it seems clear that Our Lord is speaking of an unprecedented evil afflicting the Church. Something far worse than the historic examples of popes who were guilty of great sins, such as Pope John XII, or guilty of expressing theological errors (though never doing so ex cathedra), such as Pope John XXII, all while still remaining valid, if greatly flawed, popes.  

Our Lord speaks of a satanic infiltration of the Church occurring at the highest levels, including the papacy. The description of the one occupying the chair of Peter as a “usurper” and one of the “wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing,” seems clearly to be saying that Jorge Bergoglio was acting not as the vicar of Christ, but as Christ’s enemy—“he who is carrying out the Great Treason.”  

Thus, from these words of Our Lord, we understand Him to be saying that Jorge Bergoglio was not a valid pope, and we are acting in accord with that understanding. 

(published September 2, 2024; revised June 5, 2025)

A usurper is generally one who takes hold of something, especially a position of authority and power, without the right to do so, often through force, treachery or other illegitimate means.  

In a Message titled Time to Join My Army—A Call to Priests and Bishops that was received between February 22 and 26, 2024, the Lord, speaking to the bishops of the Church, says: And you have allowed the usurper to sit on the chair of My Peter—he who is carrying out the Great Treason that will leave My Church desolate….   

So the key question is what does the Lord mean in calling Jorge Bergoglio (“Pope Francis”) a usurper.  

Only He can answer that question in its fullness, but from the above statement and others of a similar nature that we’ve received, we understand Our Lord to be saying that Jorge Bergoglio was exercising illegitimate authority, not a valid pope, and acting in fact as the enemy of Our Lord and His Church.

(published September 2, 2024; revised June 5, 2025)

When you name someone as pope in the Eucharistic Prayer it professes

• that you believe said man is head of the Church,
• and that you are in communion with him.

A commemoration of the supreme pontiff [i.e., the pope] and prayers offered for him during the sacrifice of the Mass is considered, and really is, an affirmative indication which recognizes him as the head of the Church, the vicar of Christ, and the successor of blessed Peter…  (Pope Benedict XIV, Ex Quo, 11)

When there is no valid pope (as during the time between the death of one pope and the election of another), it is prescribed by the Church that the name of the pope be removed from the Eucharistic Prayer. This point was affirmed by the noted liturgical scholar Father Adrian Fortescue, who said simply “When the Roman see is vacant, the mention of the pope is left out,”[1] and more recently and with more elaboration by another noted liturgical scholar, Father Edward McNamara:

In this case the pope’s name, and the entire phrase referring to the pope, is omitted from the Eucharistic Prayer during the period of the sede vacante. Mention is made only of the local bishop and the clergy according to the literary form of each prayer. For example, in Eucharistic Prayer II it would be: “Together with … N. our bishop, and all the clergy.”[2]

The reason we did not mention Jorge Bergoglio in the Eucharistic Prayer was not because we did not pray for him, but because we did not believe he was a valid pope. We were simply trying to follow the discipline of the Church.

(published September 2, 2024; revised June 5, 2025)

[1]Fortescue, Adrian. “Canon of the Mass.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908.

[2] https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/when-the-holy-see-is-vacant-4668

Currently, this is perhaps our most frequently asked question.

We have no canonical or theological expertise in the matter—nor has the Lord said anything to us regarding this particular question. But in response to those who have asked us, we offer this as simply our prayerful opinion.

No, in general we don’t believe it would be wrong to attend such a Mass at this time.

In this confusing situation, we can understand the option that some have proposed of interiorly withholding communion with Jorge Bergoglio, while affirming communion with Our Lord and His Church.

While the current situation is substantially different and eminently more grave than the Great Western Schism (1378-1417), two examples from that time are still worthy of consideration.

The first is St. Vincent Ferrer who, like other saints and good Catholics, for a time erroneously believed that the anti-pope Clement VII was the true pope. During this time in good faith he would have been praying the Mass in union with an anti-pope. And it was during this time that the Lord worked through him a seemingly unheard-of number of miracles, healings, and conversions.

Secondly, St. Anthony of Florence during this same era of schism, as Church historian Dr. Edmund Mazza points out, reproached those Catholics who refused to be in communion with their fellow Catholics over different beliefs about who was truly pope. He called for great charity to be exercised in a time of great confusion and uncertainty.¹

Charity is crucial to our situation today as well. These are extremely mysterious, confusing, and trying times. Times of an unprecedented crisis in the Church. Times profoundly difficult for faithful clergy and laity alike. Times which call for faith, discernment and courage, as well as humility, patience and, again, charity.

There are many good priests and bishops who sincerely believe that Jorge Bergoglio is pope. Others are unsure or have grave doubts. Still others have been given the light to recognize the truth about Bergoglio, but have discerned that the Lord is not yet calling them to speak out. For now, they believe they can best serve the faithful by remaining discreet. Different understandings and discernments, but all men who are celebrating the Mass in good faith.

In our own situation, we discerned the Lord warning us early on about Jorge Bergoglio. But for many years the Lord clearly indicated that He was not yet calling us to speak out. He was asking us to be silent and await His hour. This was a great sacrifice for us. We often thought of the hidden life of Jesus when He was still living as a simple carpenter, meekly fulfilling his religious duties, and going to the Temple but not yet denouncing the corruption there.  And He continued His silence, for a time, even after St. John the Baptist had begun speaking out and boldly condemning the evil that was consuming the religious hierarchy of the time. It might have seemed that Jesus was failing to stand up to this evil and corruption. But it was not yet His hour and He had to wait. We believe this can be the case with many priests in our current situation.

The time is coming, we believe, when there will not be room for doubt, and all people will have to make a choice. But to reiterate, as we cooperate with God in His Reconquest, much charity and patience are needed in dealing with our brothers and sisters enveloped in the terrible confusion we are living. And that certainly includes our priests.

(published October 10, 2024)

1 See Dr. Mazza’s interview with Dr. Robert Moynihan, “Vigano vs. the Pope,” Urbi et Orbi Communications, July 8, 2024.

No, we are not sedevacantists in the sense it is usually understood.

Sede (chair) vacante (empty, vacant) is a Latin phrase for when there is no pope, as in the interim between the death of one pope and the election of another. During such times the chair of St. Peter is vacant.

Commonly speaking, the term sedevacantist has come to signify a person who does not believe any of the popes during and after the Second Vatican Council were legitimate, valid popes. We are not sedevacantists in this sense. In fact, we have taken great inspiration from Pope St. John Paul II.

But in the second published Message, Our Lord Himself said, “And you have allowed the usurper to sit on the chair of My Peter – he who is carrying out the Great Treason that will leave My Church desolate.”  We believe this and other similar passages from the Messages are clearly speaking about Jorge Bergoglio and indicating that he is not a valid pope.

(published September 2, 2024)

No, MDM is not schismatic. 

We recognize that Our Lord established St. Peter as the first pope, the Vicar of Christ, the Supreme Pontiff of the Church, and that Peter’s successors continue in this role as the visible head of the Church. We submit to the authority of all valid popes. We are in communion with all faithful Catholics, including our Archbishop, even if in good conscience we have to withdraw obedience from some of his decisions because they are gravely unjust.   

However, we are not in communion with Jorge Bergoglio because we believe the Lord has made it clear that Bergoglio is not a true pope and is in fact betraying the Church. This fact has led some to believe we are schismatic. But this understanding goes against the common teaching of the Church.  

Schism is defined by the Code of Canon Law (Canon 751) as “the refusal of submission to the supreme pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.” Eminent canonists recognize, however, that one who has sincere and reasonable doubts about the legitimacy of the ostensible pope cannot be charged with schism. Such a person is not willfully refusing to submit to one he knows is the pope—true schismatic behavior—but rather refusing to submit to one he precisely believes is not the true pope.  

Renowned Jesuit canon law scholars Fathers Francis X. Wernz, S.J. and Peter Vidal, S.J., whose work was praised by Pope St. Pius X and published by the Pontifical Gregorian University, write in their commentary on the 1917 Code of Canon Law: “They cannot be numbered among the schismatics, who refuse to obey the Roman Pontiff because they consider his person to be suspect or doubtfully elected on account of rumors in circulation….”¹Wernz, P. F-X, and Vidal, P. Petri, Ius Canonicum ad Codicis Normam Exactum, Universitatis Gregorianae Universitas Gregoriana, Rome, 1938, Vol vii, 1937, n. 398. Quoted in Matthew McCusker, “Is Archbishop Vigano Really in Schism?” Lifesite News, July 29, 2024. (https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/is-archbishop-vigano-really-in-schism/#f+979443+1+7.) 

Cardinal Cajetan, the great commentator on the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas, states: 

If someone, for reasonable motive, holds the person of the pope in suspicion and refuses his presence and even his jurisdiction, he does not commit the delict [crime] of schism,  nor any other whatsoever, provided that he be ready to accept the pope were he not held in suspicion.²Cajetan, Commentarium, 1540, II-II, 39, 1. Quoted in Matthew McCusker, “Is Archbishop Vigano Really in Schism?” Lifesite News, July 29, 2024. (https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/is-archbishop-vigano-really-in-schism/#f+979443+1+7.)  

Again, the essential point here is that one cannot be guilty of schism, of refusing to submit to papal authority, if one sincerely believes the current papal claimant is not the true pope and therefore has no such authority.³One can, of course, be sincerely mistaken in asserting the false status of a papal claimant, and if so, and having recognized the mistake, would be duty-bound to acknowledge the claimant as true pope and be in submission. We believe that through the Messages God has made the status of Jorge Bergoglio clear (See FAQ No. 8), but in our prayers to be faithful to God’s will, we always ask that we be enlightened to any errors. 

Noted canonists have raised the following dilemma. In such a situation, one of two scenarios is true: 

1. Either the current occupant of the papacy is in fact not the true pope, and pursuant to canon 1323, one therefore is not guilty of schism for stating that fact, or; 
2. The current occupant is the true pope, and one therefore is necessarily in objective error by sincerely believing otherwise, and is not guilty of schism because as canon 1323.2 states: 

No one is liable to a penalty who, when violating a law or precept, was, without fault, ignorant of violating the law or precept; inadvertence and error are equivalent to ignorance. 

Canonists have explained for one to doubt erroneously, but in good faith, one who appears to be pope—as opposed to one who maliciously refuses to recognize one whom he knows is the true pope— “automatically exculpates someone from being excommunicated for schism.”⁴This citation is taken from an interview with Patrick Coffin that is posted behind a paywall. A portion of the interview can be viewed for free. https://www.patrickcoffin.media/archbishop-vigano-schism-and-francis-marc-balestrieri/ 

Two other notable commentators, Dr. Edmund Mazza and Matthew McCusker, have elaborated on these matters, and their writings and commentary are well worth reading and listening to for a greater understanding of them. In addition, they also discuss some of the weighty reasons why a number of the faithful—clergy, religious and laity—have concluded that Jorge Bergoglio is not a valid pope.⁵McCusker has written a series of articles on the status of Jorge Bergoglio, those who are doubtful of his papacy and the question of schism: “Is Archbishop Vigano Really in Schism?” Lifesite News, July 29, 2024 (https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/is-archbishop-vigano-really-in-schism/#f+979443+1+7.); “Is Francis the Pope? The Argument from Public Heresy Suggests Not.” Lifesite News, August 12, 2024 (https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/is-francis-the-pope-the-argument-from-public-heresy-suggests-not/); “Why ‘Universal and Peaceful Acceptance’ Doesn’t Prove Francis Is Pope,” Lifesite News, August 22, 2024 (https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/why-universal-and-peaceful-acceptance-doesnt-prove-francis-is-pope/); “Is There ‘Universal and Peaceful Acceptance’ of Francis as Pope?,” Lifesite News, September 11, 2024 (https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/is-there-universal-peaceful-acceptance-of-francis-as-pope/). See Mazza’s interview with Robert Moynihan, “Vigano vs. Pope Francis,” Urbi et Orbi Communications, Episode 120 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k9SsYeRmhQ).   Father Giorgio Maria Faré, an Italian theologian, is among the faithful who have reached this conclusion about Bergoglio and who also concurs with the above understanding of what does and does not constitute schismatic conduct.⁶See Fr. Faré’s paper, “Never Give Up on that Lion: Benedict XVI’s Declaratio: A Canonical and Historical Analysis,” specifically pp. 11-12 for his treatment of the problem of schism. https://www.veritatemincaritate.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Fare_Fr_Giorgio_Maria-Never_give_up_on_that_Lion.pdf  

As we have stated elsewhere, we believe such concerns are profound and worthy of serious consideration.⁷See “We Must Obey God.” So many of Bergoglio’s words and deeds have done great damage to the Church. In themselves they raise grave doubts and questions about his claim to legitimate authority. 

Our principal reason for believing Bergoglio is not a valid pope is because we believe Our Lord Himself is stating so through the Messages of the Reconquest, calling Bergoglio “the usurper” and the one who is leading the “Great Treason.”⁸See our FAQ: “What is MDM’s view of Jorge Bergoglio (‘Pope Francis’)? Does MDM believe Francis is a valid pope?”  

May Our Lord, by His Reconquest, renew His Church and bring about true communion among all the faithful.

(published January 20, 2025)

Our first obedience must always be to God. Please see our statement, “We Must Obey God,” for an in-depth response to this question. As we said in that statement, what is said to be illicit in ordinary times, can in extraordinary times of grave crises in the Church be not only licit but a good and holy act.

This we sincerely believe to be our case.  

And as we stated in our “Initial Public Response” to the Archbishop’s decrees: 

We do not believe that all of the orders and prohibitions decreed by the Archbishop are legitimate for him to impose, account taken of the most grave crises currently afflicting the Church both within the Archdiocese of San Antonio and throughout the world. 

Inasmuch as we believe that they inflict grave harm upon us or the faithful, we respectfully withhold our obedience from the Archbishop’s illegitimate commands or prohibitions.  This is not an act of disobedience from legitimate orders, but the withholding of obedience from illegitimate ones contrary to divine law. 

We sincerely believe that we must act for the salvation of souls against any manifestly unreasonable or unjust prohibition from exercising priestly ministry, or withdrawal of priestly faculties to do the same.   

In following this path, we note that Canon 1752, the last and most important canon in the Code of Canon Law, states that the supreme law of the Church is the salvation of souls. Therefore, in extraordinary circumstances, sometimes good, but lesser laws, may have to give way to this supreme law. 

It can be a difficult path to follow, but in a Message received on January 16, 2024, the Lord said, 

It will look to some as if you are acting outside of the bounds of My Church. 

What is My Church? My Mystical Body. And if I, the Head of this Body send you to tear off the uncleanness that has covered it; if I the Head send you to speak My Words, My thoughts, that what is yet sound may not lose hope, that what has become atrophied may be restored and strengthened, that what is growing like a cancer might be extirpated – can one say you are acting “outside” of this Body?  

NO. NO. NO. I Am sending you.  

We ask for your prayers that we will be obedient and faithful to the Lord in whatever He asks of us. 

(published February 10, 2025)

Please see section 2 of our document We Must Obey God. The section is titled Unprecedented Crisis and can be found here.

(published September 2, 2024)

The Church has never taught that the pope is “elected by the Holy Spirit” in the sense that human free will and judgment are nullified or irrelevant to the process. As Catholics we know that the Holy Spirit is constantly offering graces of inspiration for the decisions we make. And the Church rightly believes that such grace is offered in a special way for those charged with so important a duty as electing a new pope. The fact that good and even saintly popes have been elected in many conclaves suggests the cardinals do often respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. But there are no guarantees—human sinfulness and weakness can too often get in the way—and the Church recognizes that any given elector is free to ignore the Holy Spirit’s inspiration.[1] 

Pope Benedict XVI, while he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, addressed this question of the Holy Spirit’s role in conclaves:

I would not say so, in the sense that the Holy Spirit picks out the pope…. I would say that the Spirit does not exactly take control of the affair, but rather like a good educator, as it were, leaves us much space, much freedom, without entirely abandoning us. Thus the Spirit’s role should be understood in a much more elastic sense, not that he dictates the candidate for whom one must vote. Probably the only assurance he offers is that the thing cannot be totally ruined…. There are too many contrary instances of popes the Holy Spirit obviously would not have picked![2]

Bad men occupying the papal chair—which Pope Benedict suggests has happened and which history validates—is not evidence of God making a mistake, but of His permissive will allowing and respecting men’s free choices even when they are bad ones. Consider the Israelites’ demand to have a human king instead of relying on God as their King, and the profound suffering that caused them over the centuries.

To take one other example, we know that there have been many examples in Church history of bad or otherwise unsuitable men appointed as bishops. Does that mean the Holy Spirit was not offering the popes that selected those bishops His inspiration in choosing? Or rather is it another example of how often human factors can work to block the Holy Spirit’s inspiration? Consider the cardinal who recommends a candidate to the Holy Father not because of his qualifications but because he’s the cardinal’s friend, or worse yet because he shares the cardinal’s heterodox views. This has surely happened, leading to popes sometimes making poor selections.

Regarding the legitimacy of Jorge Bergoglio’s papacy in particular, serious questions have been raised by individuals who are much more competent in this area than we are.[3] We are not pretending to resolve here from a human standpoint all those difficult questions, but we are trying to transmit the crucial point made by the Lord in His Messages to us. We do believe that whatever scholars and canonists may say is the official or technical status of the man currently occupying the papacy, that man is a usurper and leading the most dangerous attack the Church has ever faced.[4]

These terrible circumstances should awaken us to the great battle of the Reconquest, but should not shake our confidence that the Holy Spirit is ultimately in charge and watching over His Church. Regardless of how badly the Church is attacked from without or betrayed from within, we have Our Lord’s promise that the gates of Hell will not prevail against Her (Mt 16:18).

(published September 2, 2024)

[1] For additional commentary, see Dr. Jeff Mirus article The Role of Holy Spirit in Papal Elections and Jimmy Akin’ article Does God Pick the Pope?.

[2] Cited in The Rise of Benedict XVI: The Inside Story of How the Pope was Elected and Where He Will Take the Catholic Church, John Allen (New York: Random House, 2006).

[3] For example, was Pope Benedict’s resignation valid? Was the process that elected Bergoglio valid, given the rules established by Pope St. John Paul in 1996 and the seeming violation of them by the so-called “St. Gallen Mafia”? Has he taught heresy and thus deposed himself? Did Jorge Bergoglio truly intend to uphold the Petrine office?

This last question has been raised explicitly by, among others, Archbishop Vigano: “I believe instead that [Bergoglio’s] acceptance of the papacy is invalidated, because he considers the papacy something other than what it is, like a spouse who gets married in church but excludes the specific purposes of marriage from his intention, thus making the marriage null and void precisely due to his lack of consent…. I would like us to take seriously, very seriously, the possibility that Bergoglio intended to obtain the election by means fraud, and that he intended to abuse the authority of the Roman Pontiff in order to do the exact opposite of what Jesus Christ gave a mandate to Saint Peter and his Successors to do: confirm the faithful in the Catholic Faith, feeding and governing the Flock of the Lord, preaching the Gospel to the nations. All the acts of Bergoglio’s governance and magisterium – since his first appearance on the Vatican Loggia, when he introduced himself with his disturbing “Good evening” – has unraveled in a direction diametrically opposed to the Petrine mandate: he has adulterated and continues to adulterate the Depositum Fidei, he has created confusion and misled the faithful, he has dispersed the flock, he has declared that he considers the evangelization of peoples to be “a solemn nonsense,” and he systematically abuses the power of the Holy Keys to loose what cannot be loosed and to bind what cannot be bound.”   “Vitium Consensus”: Speech by Carlos Maria Vigano at the Catholic Identity Conference, Pittsburgh, October 1, 2023.  https://exsurgedomine.it/230930-cic-eng/

[4] See also FAQ No. 8: What is MDM’s view of Jorge Bergoglio (“Pope Francis”)? Does MDM believe Jorge Bergoglio is a valid pope?

Please see our document We Must Obey God, section 2: Unprecedented Crisis, subheading: Human Evidence found here.

(published September 2, 2024; revised June 5, 2025)

Currently, we are not celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), but now that our situation is changing, we are discerning how Our Lord is guiding us. We are open to the TLM, if that is where He is leading us in this new situation.

In fact, we were recently reflecting again on this question.  Not the general question of which form is better, the TLM or the Novus Ordo, but the concrete question: given our particular circumstances now, what did the Lord want us to do. We asked the Lord if He wanted to give us a Message, because we sensed there was something mysterious that was often lacking in many of the discussions about the liturgy.

Soon after, on April 1, 2025, the Lord gave a Message, The Offering Pleasing to Me. Though the Message was addressed to the public, responding to the trials and concerns surrounding the celebration of the Mass in our confusing times, it seemed to us that He was also responding to our question in particular.  In the Message, the Lord addresses the true nature of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, leading us to an ever-deepening sense of its Divine Mysteries. He also speaks of the attacks against the Mass, and the simple faith He needs from us to participate most fully in the graces of the Holy Sacrifice. We strongly encourage you to read the Message.

For MDM, the Holy Eucharist is at the heart of our communal and apostolic life, where we adore Our Lord and unite ourselves to His Holy Sacrifice. We desire to celebrate it with faith and love, with recollection and reverence. We offer it ad orientem and in an unhurried and contemplative manner. We chant most of the ordinary parts in Latin, and receive Holy Communion on the tongue at the altar rail. Our all-male acolytes serve with care and reverence. Our choir’s repertoire focuses on traditional hymns of beauty and liturgical depth. We seek to help the congregation enter into the Sacred Mysteries.

We appreciate the many beneficial fruits of the traditionalist movement in the Church. And we recognize that many of the changes in the liturgy since Vatican II, in departing from the tradition of the Church, have been grievous, leading to many liturgical abuses and a gravely weakened sense of the Real Presence and of the Mass as the Holy Sacrifice. For many years this Archdiocese, following the direction of Jorge Bergoglio, has not been very open to more traditional practices. Traditionis Custodes has made the situation worse. As we said above, we are discerning what the Lord wants us to do now.

At the same time, we are dealing with many issues and new challenges now, which are overwhelming for our small Community and staff. Similarly, in consideration of those who, despite the challenges of our new situation, continue to attend Mass here, we want to be cautious in instituting yet more changes too quickly. So we ask for patience as we discern these matters. And especially we ask for prayers.

The evil one has been attacking faith in the Blessed Sacrament. Renewed faith in the gift of the Holy Eucharist is essential to renewal of the Church. While all of us have our part to play in this work, we believe that in the times we are living this renewal will be above all a work of Divine Intervention. Only God can bring about the full renewal of the Church, and of the Holy Eucharist, after this dark crisis. And He will.

This attack against the Blessed Sacrament is part of an even deeper attack, an attack against our very faith—faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Blessed Trinity. At times, Catholics in persecution have had to survive without the Mass.  But they can’t be saved without faith—without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6)—thus this is the virtue, the charism, that Our Lord has called our Community to live with an intense focus. Faith, so that God can act.

In The Offering Pleasing to Me, Our Lord says, “This is why I insist on FAITH, on the need for a SIMPLE and HUMBLE FAITH, in order to receive My Light, My Mysteries, and let Them bear Their fruit in you. 

 Again, we would encourage to read the whole Message.

As He reconquers the hearts of His people and renews His Church, may the Lord lead all of us to be always faithful to His Holy Will.

O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, all praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine.

(published February 10, 2025; revised June 19, 2025)

First, God bless you for your desire to listen to and obey Him.  We know that is not easy.   

In answering this question, we want to highlight Father John Mary’s account below of his experience with Don Stefano Gobbi and how he believes it applies to our current situation:

For those who don’t recognize his name, let me explain that Father Gobbi was (he died in 2011) an Italian priest with whom the Blessed Mother communicated through locutions for many years, beginning in 1972. She asked him to begin the Marian Movement of Priests, a movement that has spread throughout the world. Through Her Messages to Father Gobbi, the Blessed Mother manifested Her maternal plan to lead all souls back to Jesus.     

My meeting with Father Gobbi occurred in the mid-1990s when I was a young priest serving in Monterrey, Mexico. Father Gobbi was visiting Monterrey, and he was going to have a Cenacle, or prayer meeting, with priests. There was just a handful of priests, and I was one of them. The Lord had given one of the women for whom I was the spiritual director a Message from God that I was supposed to give to Father Gobbi.  I had it in an envelope, and at one point I had the opportunity to hand it to him and explain that it was a Message for him from God.  When I told him that, he refused to take it because he said Our Blessed Mother had told him not to receive messages from others.  

At the time I was confused and a little put out by his response because I thought, Lord, why are you telling us one thing and him another?  

But I understand that situation better now that we are on the other side. Since we began publishing the Messages there are many people—some with whom we are familiar but many of whom are new to us—giving us messages and instructions that they believe are from God.   

Initially we felt duty-bound to attempt to read and discern all of the messages and instructions that people were sending to us. After all, we believe that God is speaking prophetically to many of His children today, and we understand the frustration of not being listened to by those in positions of responsibility.  But while many of these messages and instructions seem very good, our small organization just does not have the time to adequately discern all that is being sent to us. It has become overwhelming.  Moreover, we have come to believe that it is not our responsibility to do so.  

We truly do appreciate the faith and the desire of those who wish to share these inspirations with us, just as I wanted to share ours with Father Gobbi.   

However, it is already very challenging to deal with all the Messages that the Lord has and is giving to members of our Community. There are SO MANY, and there is a lot of work to be done to organize and review them, remember them, and put them into practice. Recently I have wondered if the Lord gave me that experience with Father Gobbi precisely to prepare MDM for our current situation—to help us stay focused.  

We need to be focused on what God is asking of us in particular: that is, receiving and being guided by the Messages that He has given particularly to us, and that we have discerned over many years.   

THIS IS WHAT WE ARE CERTAIN THAT HE WANTS US TO DO. 

As Father John Mary notes, many of the inspirations and messages sent to the Mission seem very good. You may still feel free to send us what you think the Lord is revealing to you.  Someone in our Community or staff will receive it and make note of it. We will also include you in our prayers. But we cannot commit to reading it all and attempting to discern it.   

The Lord has said many times that this is His Mission. We will leave it to the Lord to make clear anything that He wants us to know. k  

Thank you for your patience and understanding.   

Jesus, we trust in You.  

For further explanation on a related topic please see the FAQ: Can I tell MDM about my own experience and ask for spiritual guidance?

(published February 10, 2025)

We have many, many people approaching us or writing to us with this question. People who believe that they are experiencing communications from God or Our Blessed Mother and who want to share them with us and/or who want help in discerning whether what they are experiencing is truly from God. While we want to assist people in this situation, we do not have the time to adequately discern and guide all the people who are asking us for help.   

Let us explain more fully. 

THE CHALLENGE OF DISCERNMENT  

The Lord has indicated that He is giving many graces and speaking to many of His children in this time. We believe this.  And because of our own experience we understand that their situation, while impactful, can also be difficult, confusing, and even frightening. Often, they experience a discouraging lack of interest from the hierarchy. We know that these individuals are looking for a listening heart. Their situations need time, support and someone with the experience of discernment.  

But listening to and trying to discern what the individual is experiencing is not a simple or quick process:  

• The enemy can use this opportunity to try to mimic God and sow confusion by offering his own “messages.”  Discerning the true source requires time and prayer. 

• If the inspirations are truly from God, more discernment is often needed to understand what actions, if any, God is asking in regard to them. This is not always immediately clear and can be very challenging.  

• Are the messages meant just for the individual or are they to be shared with others? 
  

As you can begin to see, the discernment of these matters takes much time and experience.    

Given all the demands of our situation—which have intensified tremendously with the Reconquest and publishing of the Messages—our very small Community and staff simply cannot adequately provide such discernment to the many people contacting us.  

This helps explain why there is such a great need for more bishops, priests and religious who are open to and capable of discerning God’s prophetic Voice.  It is not possible for the few of us to fill this need. We all need to be praying for this intention. 

OUR POLICY ON SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE 

Regarding the specific question of spiritual guidance, for many years now we have not been able to commit to on-going spiritual direction, important as this ministry is, due to our small numbers and the many requests. However, we have always been happy to meet with an individual on one or two occasions to listen to them and offer spiritual guidance. Currently, due to our increased responsibilities, and the growing number of people who are contacting us, we are finding that we cannot respond to every request. 

BEST WAY TO CONTACT US 

So given all of the above and knowing the limitations of our current situation, you are still welcome to contact us. Please consider the following guidelines when doing so:  

• It is best if you send us an email first and briefly explain your situation.  

• You will hear back from us, usually within two weeks, via email.  

• Often, the most we will be able to offer in response is to pray for you. 

• If we feel that someone should speak with you, then a member of our Community or staff will contact you. Many want to speak with Father John Mary or Sister Amapola; please realize that they are overwhelmed, and their time is the most limited.
  

And please note that despite our limitations in providing direct guidance, we are praying for all those God is calling to His Luminous Army. And that includes you. May Our Lord illuminate His particular will for you in carrying out His Reconquest and may you have the grace to respond.  

And let us pray that He sends us more members who can share in this ministry, so we can help more. 

Jesus, we trust in You.

For further exploration of a related topic, please see our answer to the FAQ: Will MDM accept a message that the Lord has revealed to me and asked me to give you? 

(published February 10, 2025)

Since the publication of the Messages, MDM has received large numbers of holy cards, books, pamphlets, images and religious objects from generous, well-intentioned people who would like us to distribute them to our visitors. 

We recognize the good intentions behind these gifts, but they present us with a two-fold problem: storage and discernment. 

Storage is just a very practical matter. Our Sacramental House is a small structure where we make available our sacramentals, and a small selection of books, rosaries and medals that have been carefully curated by staff. We simply aren’t set up to store, display and distribute the number of items that people want to give us. It can become a real burden.  

With regard to discernment, many of the items, pamphlets and images that people send represent familiar, traditional Catholic spirituality. However, sometimes they are less familiar and require someone to study and carefully discern, as we don’t want to be distributing items of questionable spirituality. This can put our staff in the uncomfortable position of having to turn down someone’s generous, well-meaning gesture. 

Therefore, given the above concerns and limitations, and in order to be faithful to our particular mission, we have made a blanket policy not to receive or distribute other pamphlets, images, sacramentals, etc. 

This is not a rejection of these items but simply a practical measure.

Thank you for your understanding.  

(published February 10, 2025)

The Mission is open to all people of good will who are looking for a quiet place for prayer and meditation, and who respect the spirit of MDM.

Please follow our dress code found here.

The Mission is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.  Monday is our “desert day,” a quiet day of prayer and reflection for the Community, and so the Mission property is closed to the public.  Our schedule for public events (Masses, Holy Hours, etc.) often changes depending on the needs of the Community and the time of year.  We strongly encourage all visitors to check our Schedule page before visiting the Mission..

The Mission is not a facility to be rented out.  It is the home of our religious community, and we do not rent out our home.  Instead, we invite others to join us here and participate in our scheduled apostolic activities.

The Mission does not currently have the necessary facilities nor resources needed for individual retreatants wishing to make an overnight retreat.  However, individuals and small groups are welcome to come out and spend quiet time at the Mission.  We ask that you contact us ahead of time in order to make arrangements.

From our beginning, MDM has been supported almost entirely by donations.  Relying on donations is an ongoing act of faith, because our finances are often very tight.  But the Lord, and so many generous friends and benefactors, have sustained us all these years.

The Mission property is owned by Mission of Divine Mercy, Inc., which is a 501(c)(3) private corporation. The board that oversees the corporation is currently composed of community members and laity. 

(published February 10, 2025)

MDM is recognized as a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization.

MDM has the equivalent of a Board of Directors; we have a Members Board.