Back to the Resources on the Crisis

Below is a list of resources to help better understand the current crisis in the Church and MDM’s response to it. The resources, organized by media type, include official Church documents, writings from saints, and the views of prelates, priests, religious, and laity. The crisis has engendered much controversy and so, not surprisingly, many of the views expressed in these resources will be controversial as well. With that in mind, it should be understood that MDM does not necessarily agree with all the views expressed in these resources. Nor should their listing on our site be taken as agreement by the authors with our position and actions.

[Click on headings to see contents.]

 

 

 

1. ARTICLES, PODCASTS, ETC.

Cardinals and Bishops

Priests and Religious

Laity

2. BOOKS

A-M

  • Feser, Edward and Bissette, Joseph
    • By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed: A Catholic Defense of Capital Punishment (Ignatius Press, 2017).

“Based primarily on the natural law, this excellent and much-needed book will be valuable to Catholics and readers of any faith who ask why capital punishment is justified.” J. Budziszewski, Ph.D., University of Texas

“At long last, we have a serious and intelligent look at all aspects of the death penalty —its causes, its justification, its consequences for the victim, the criminal himself, and for civil society.” James V. Schall, S. J., Professor Emeritus, Georgetown University

  • Gravino, John
    • Confronting the Pope of Suspicion (Independently published, 2021).

“It’s not that complicated. Replace divine law with pop psychology and disaster follows. [Confronting the Pope of Suspicion] connects the dots between Amoris Laetitia, Carl Rogers, theological dissent and sexual chaos in the Church. A short but profound read.” Jennifer Roback Morse, author of The Sexual State: How Elite Ideologies Are Destroying Lives and Why the Church Was Right All Along.

“One of the most important Catholic commentators today. A brilliant Catholic philosopher and theologian.” John Zmirak, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism.

  • Kwasniewski, Peter
    • From Benedict’s Peace to Francis’s War: Catholics Respond to the Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes on the Latin Mass (Angelico, 2021).
      • Among the contributors to this anthology are: Cardinal Walter Brandmüller • Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke • Cardinal Gerhard Müller • Cardinal Robert Sarah • Cardinal Joseph Zen • Archbishop Thomas Gullickson • Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò • Bishop Rob Mutsaerts • Bishop Athanasius Schneider • Msgr. Charles Pope • Dom Alcuin Reid • Abbé Claude Barthe • Fr. John Hunwicke • Michael Brendan Dougherty • Ross Douthat • Edward Feser • Michael Fiedrowicz • Peter A. Kwasniewski • Phil Lawler • Martin Mosebach • George Neumayr • Joseph Shaw
    • True Obedience in the Church: A Guide to Discernment in Challenging Times (Crisis Publications, 2022).

“The present book of Dr. Peter Kwasniewski offers a valuable and timely theological clarification on the authentic meaning of obedience. This tract will bring peace of conscience to many perplexed souls and confirm their fidelity to the perennial doctrinal and liturgical tradition of Holy Mother Church.” Most Rev. Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana

“Following the teaching of St. Thomas Aquinas, Peter Kwasniewski puts forward timeless principles that can help us navigate the strait of true obedience in difficult times.” Fr. Thomas Crean, O.P. Author, The Mass and the Saints

“This wonderful tract provides solid principles for our discernment, especially relevant in the face of new assaults upon Catholic tradition, and it will strengthen our resolve to obey God in all things.” Fr. John Paul Echert, SSL, Pontifical Biblical Institute

“I am exceedingly grateful that such a son of the Church would assist us at this most difficult time to know how to respond to the many false and unreasonable dictates of a number of Her hierarchy. I consider True Obedience in the Church to be not only a must-read, but a healing balm of clarity for the Faithful.” Miriam of the Lamb of God, O.S.B. Mother Miriam Live!

  • Lamont, John R.T. and Pierantoni, Claudio, eds.
    • Defending the Faith Against Present Heresies, (Arouca, 2021).

“Unquestionably the most important publication documenting and analyzing the many errors espoused and propounded by Pope Francis.” Peter Kwasniewski

  • Lawler, Philip
    • Lost Shepherd: How Pope Francis Is Misleading His Flock (Regnery Gateway, 2018).

“Philip Lawler has written the best researched and most carefully argued book to date on this controversial papacy.” Robert Royal, president of the Faith and Reason Institute

“After giving Pope Francis every benefit of the doubt, Philip Lawler reluctantly concluded that there were serious problems with this papacy…. Lawler explains without exaggeration or histrionics why we must hope for a successor who can right the Barque of Peter quickly, before too many passengers lose hope or abandon ship.” Karl Keating, founder and president of Catholic Answers

  • Marshall, Taylor
    • Infiltration: The Plot to Destroy the Church from Within (Sophia Institute Press, 2019).

“We must examine the very roots of the crisis, which, to a decisive extent, can be identified as Taylor Marshall has done in this book as an infiltration of the Church by an unbelieving world.” Bishop Athanasius Schneider

  • Martin, Ralph
    • A Church in Crisis: Pathways Forward (Emmaus Road Publishing, 2020).

“In this book Dr. Martin is squarely facing the serious crisis that is unfolding both in the Church and in the culture. He does so in an honest but fair manner and offers solutions that, if implemented, would do a great deal to restore health and strength to the Church, and allow it to be the light to the world it is meant to be. An important book that should be widely read.” Cardinal Gerhard L. Müller, Former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

  • Mattei, Roberto de
    • Love for the Papacy and Filial Resistance to the Pope in the History of the Church (Angelico, 2019).

“Defends the legitimacy of criticizing, disagreeing with, or opposing Roman pontiffs, citing many historical examples.” Peter Kwasniewski

  • Meloni, Julia
    • The St. Gallen Mafia: Exposing the Secret Reformist Group Within the Church (TAN, 2021).

“I have studied the text and find it to be excellent.” Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke

“Our times abound in conspiracy theories. Here, the coconspirators themselves acknowledge the machinations and goals of the Sankt Gallen self-identified “mafia” that collaborated to have Bergoglio elected pope to implement a plan to change the Church. This is a fascinating book that draws from published works, revealing more of what is not well with the Church. Highly recommended.” Dr. Janet E. Smith, Moral Theologian

  • Moynihan, Robert
    • Finding Vigano: The Man Behind the Testimony that Shook the Church and the World (TAN, 2020).

Dr. Robert Moynihan is one of the few people who has been able to meet with Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò in person since the archbishop first published his Theodore McCarrick testimony in August 2018 and went into hiding. With the help of his interviews with the prelate over the course of several days, the U.S. journalist, editor of Inside the Vatican, and Vatican expert has been able to give us glimpses into the reasons why Viganò published his McCarrick testimony, his private and hidden life, his suffering, and his faith…. [A]sked whether he regrets having published his report, Viganò answered, “No. It was something I had to do.” He added, “I think that I have been a witness to the truth.” Viganò also explained that “my conscience is telling me to protect the Church. I see that the devil has been entering into the Church, on the top of it, and so that I have to stand up.” Maike Hickson, LifeSiteNews

  • Murr, Fr. Charles Theodore
    • Murder in the 33rd Degree: The Gagnon Investigation into Vatican Freemasonry (Independently published, 2022).

“As a young priest in Rome, Fr. Charles Murr worked closely with Cardinal Édouard Gagnon on the dangerous mission Paul VI had entrusted to that eminent figure: investigating the Vatican curia to uncover membership in Freemasonry. Fr. Murr’s intimate role made him acquainted with the unsavory agendas of high-ranking prelates and the intrigues surrounding the death of John Paul I and the election of John Paul II… Fr. Murr does not peddle conspiracy theories; he tells the riveting story as he lived through it and recorded it in his notes and diaries—what he saw and heard, what his friends learned and suffered. Most of all, we discover how a divinely-given opportunity for serious reform was tragically refused. Murder in the Thirty-Third Degree is the most impressive eyewitness account of postconciliar Vatican politics to appear in decades.” Dr. Peter A. Kwasniewski: Professor, Composer, Author, The Ecstasy of Love in Thomas Aquinas

“Fr. Murr provides a first-hand account of the work the remarkable Cardinal Gagnon did, at the bidding of Pope Paul VI, to expose the presence of Masons in the Roman Curia.” Dr. Janet E. Smith: Professor, Philosopher, Author, The Right to Privacy

N-Z

  • Nicholas, Mary and Kengor, Paul
    • The Devil and Bella Dodd: One Woman’s Struggle Against Communism and Her Redemption (TAN Books, 2022).

“Bella Dodd is a seminal Cold War figure, a brave woman who fearlessly battled atheistic communism. She should not be forgotten. Finally, thanks to this work, she won’t be.” Sebastian Gorka, Ph.D., Newsmax Host and former Deputy Assistant and Strategist to the President

“There is nothing hidden that will not come to light, as Bella Dodd proved after her reversion to the Catholic Church by revealing the extent of the communist conspiracy that she had helped to spread. Mary Nicholas and Paul Kengor have performed a great service by shining a new and delightful light on this remarkable woman.” Michael Knowles, The Daily Wire

“The Devil and Bella Dodd is a powerful book about what happens when pernicious ideas grip a soul—and what happens when grace snatches her back.” Julia Meloni, Author of The St. Gallen Mafia

“I couldn’t put this book down. It seems timelier than ever as socialism continues to spread. But more than anything, it is a beautiful testament to the peace and love offered not by ideologies but by Christ and His Church.” Carrie Gress, Author of The Anti-Mary Exposed

  • O’Connor, Edward
    • I Am Sending You Prophets: The Role of Apparitions in the History of the Church (Queenship, 2007). Fr. O’Connor is an emeritus professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame.
  • Rist, Dr. John
    • Infallibility, Integrity and Obedience: The Papacy and the Roman Catholic Church, 1848-2023 (James Clarke, 2023).
  • Schneider, Bishop Athanasius
    • Christus Vincit: Christ’s Triumph Over the Darkness of the Age (Angelico, 2019).

“I highly recommend Bishop Athanasius Schneider’s book-length interview…. His Excellency’s overview of modern Church history, the Second Vatican Council, the post-conciliar period, and the pontificate of Francis provides a full context for the arguments contained Fin my book, True Obedience in the Church].” Peter Kwasniewski

  • Sire, Henry
    • The Dictator Pope: The Inside Story of the Francis Papacy (Regnery, 2018). Sire is an English Catholic historian. The book is published under the pen name Marcantonio Colonna.

“A remarkable new book on the pope which is making waves in Rome and around the world….This volume is far more probing and detailed than anything that has previously appeared….When the head of the Church himself does not much feel bound by the tradition or impartial laws he has inherited, what then?…Any answer will have to reckon with the eye-opening material in this compelling book.” Robert Royal, The Catholic Thing

“The most valuable service provided by the author of The Dictator Pope is the psychological portrait of Pope Francis: manipulative, hypersensitive, and often downright vindictive–certainly not the cheerful populist that his supporters make him out to be….For all the talk about a ‘reformer pope, ‘ the rhetoric about decentralization, and the promises of reform, the net results of this pontificate to date have been a climate of fear within the Vatican, a tightening of control, and a resurgence of the ‘old guard’ in Rome.” Philip Lawler, author of Lost Shepherd: How Pope Francis Is Misleading His Flock

  •  Torres, Alex and Charles, Joshua
    • Persecuted from Within (Sophia Institute Press, 2023).

“A Reflection on the Essentials of Christian Obedience: I believe this phrase get to the heart of this great book authored by Joshua Charles and Alec Torres. I use the word “heart” advisedly because the wonderful saints they explore all had obedience to God’s Will at heart. St. Joan of Arc sought that highest level of obedience in her time as St. Athanasius did in his. Every saint has that in common: they seek the will of God at all costs, including their lives. This is a timely book that should be at the top of every faithful Catholic’s reading list as we navigate a time of great crisis and turmoil in the life of the Church. This volume presents us with a powerful gift, namely the reminder that whatever hardships these men and women endured in their earthly lives, they are now saints enjoying the eternal banquet of love with our God. Saving souls is what the Church, the mystical Body of Christ, is all about. The great saints profiled in this book model for us how our souls may be saved, no matter the persecutions, crises, and challenges we may face on this journey.” Bishop Joseph E. Strickland Diocese of Tyler, Texas

“In times like these, where so many faithful Catholics are enduring a great trial that tests their faith, it is a precious thing to know that many, whom we regard as saints today, endured similar and painful persecutions, often from the very Church they loved. Joshua Charles and Alec Torres have written a marvelous and exceptionally helpful book that will both encourage and challenge faithful Catholics to model their response to our current crisis on the lives of saints who also endured the crucible of strife from clergy and fellow Catholics. Examining the lives of Saints such as St. Paul, St. Athanasius, St. Joan of Arc, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Thomas More and many others, our authors have amassed a rich deposit of testimony as to the proper and holy responses required of the faithful in times like these. Reading this book feels like being on a retreat! Go sell all you have to buy this book, it will bless you exceedingly.” Msgr. Charles Pope, Pastor, Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian in Washington, D.C.

“This marvelous study of saints persecuted by the Church is not just a welcome and needed call for us to persevere in the face of often negligent and sometimes wicked clerical leadership. It’s an invitation to grow in faith, to draw nearer to Christ in times of trial.” R.R. Reno, Editor, First Things Magazine and Author, Return of the Strong Gods

  • Ureta, José Antonio
    • Pope Francis’s “Paradigm Shift” (The American TFP, 2018).
      Ureta, Jose Antonio and de Izcue, Julio Loredo
    • The Synodal Process Is a Pandora’s Box (TFP, 2023).

Cardinal Raymond Burke notes in his foreword, “Synodality and its adjective, synodal, have become slogans behind which a revolution is at work to change radically the Church’s self-understanding, in accord with a contemporary ideology which denies much of what the Church has always taught and practiced.”

  • Vigano, Archbishop Carlos Maria and McCall, Brian M.
    • A Voice in the Wilderness: Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano on the Church, America, and the World (Angelico Press, 2021).

“Archbishop Viganò is that rarest of mortal men: one who speaks the truth whatever the cost to his career or his standing with his fellow bishops. To be sure, his writings cast light on some of the darker corners of the institutional Church and on the abuses of some of its officials, but they are also suffused with hope by a prelate whose vibrant Christian faith shines through on every page.” Steven W. Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute

“Angelico Press has done an important service in gathering together in one volume Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s stunning August 2018 Memorandum and his subsequent writings, in which he details his personal knowledge of how the Holy See has failed to deal effectively with grave immorality in the Church’s hierarchy, particularly in the case of ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Viganò decided in conscience to expose the ways in which clerical expediency, self-interest, and a misplaced desire to avoid public scandal have in fact done grave harm to the Church and her mission. These collected interventions give a clear insight into Viganò’s thinking and allow readers to judge for themselves the cogency of his analysis of the causes, and the remedies, of the present crisis in the Church.” Fr. Gerald E. Murray, pastor of Church of the Holy Family

  • Xavier da Silveira, Arnaldo
    • Can a Pope Be . . . a Heretic? The Theological Hypothesis of a Heretical Pope (Caminhos Romanos, 2018).
    • Can Documents of the Magisterium of the Church Contain Errors? (The American TFP, 2015).
  • CANON LAW
    • Chapter Two, The Synod of Bishops
    • Canon 1752
  • CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
    • On authority, paras 1902-1903.
  • CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA
    • Indefectibility of the Church

3. MISCELLANEOUS

Dubias and Other Formal Collective Letters to Jorge Bergoglio

Medias Sites

Saints

  • Aquinas, St. Thomas
    • Whether a law is binding in conscience, Summa Theologiae, I-II, 96, Art 4.
  • Bellarmine, St. Robert
    • “On resisting a pope,” De Romano Pontifice, Book II, Chapter 29.
  • St. Francis of Assisi
  • Newman, Cardinal John Henry
    • The Arians of the Fourth Century (Longmans, Green, and Co., 1908).