Introduction
“Mary Most Holy, Queen of Peace, banish all fear from the hearts of Your children.”
The Archdiocese of San Antonio has rendered a sentence in Father John Mary’s case, declaring that he is guilty of schism, for which the punishment is excommunication. They have further sentenced the dismissal of Father John Mary from the clerical state, commonly known as laicization. These decisions have been confirmed by the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
We believe this sentence and these punishments are unjust. But we also believe the Lord is not asking us to appeal the sentence.
Humanly speaking, we have been advised that we have solid grounds for appealing on the merits of the case, which we discuss in more detail below.[1] But we also believe that the practical realities of the current Vatican and hierarchy, so deeply infiltrated by the enemy, weigh heavily against a successful appeal. For example, we would be appealing to Victor Manuel Fernandez at the Dicastery for Doctrine of the Faith, who bears significant responsibility for many of the most troubling actions of the current Vatican, including authoring Fiducia Supplicans.[2] And any ultimate decision would rest with Robert Prevost (Leo), who the Lord has said is a usurper working to undermine His Church.[3] It would seem incoherent to be appealing for justice to a usurper.
Even more importantly, in prayerful discernment, we sensed the Lord was not encouraging us to appeal but to accept this injustice for now as part of our particular path in the Reconquest. In a private Message for Father John Mary that Sister Amapola received shortly after the notice of the sentence, the Lord said,
Appealing to a human judge who does not walk with Me will not be of much use.… But, my son, Our Plan must advance; and for that it is necessary that, as My Jesus was rejected by those who had power, because I allowed it, though it was not theirs by justice, so you [plural] too … have been rejected, for saying and doing what I have commanded you. (April 30, 2026)
For these reasons, we have chosen not to appeal.
We also believe that, given the crisis the Church is facing, God is asking Father John Mary to continue his priestly ministry.
In this response, we want to address these matters at greater length.
But first, we of the Mission of Divine Mercy (MDM) are Catholics and affirm everything in the Catholic faith, including the role that Jesus gave to Saint Peter and his legitimate successors. We have no intention of ever leaving the Catholic Church. Far from rejecting the Church, we are doing everything in our power to defend her, even to putting our entire ministry at risk.
We apologize if any of our words or actions have not been truly charitable. We do not intend to be disobedient to or disrespectful of the Church’s legitimate hierarchy. Yet we believe that God is asking of us a prophetic witness precisely in defense of His Church.
We don’t have all the answers to so many difficult questions that all this controversy poses. We are not experts or theologians or canonists. We are simply trying to be obedient to Go
Five Key Points
We want to begin by identifying five key points. For long-time supporters, much of this will be familiar territory, but for those who have only come to know MDM through the Messages it will give you a better understanding of how we got here. It also serves as a brief overview for those pressed for time.
First, we must all listen to God. That’s the whole reason our little Mission of Divine Mercy exists. Listening to God includes the prophetic words that He has given throughout the history of the Church—and is still giving today.
Secondly, these prophetic words help us understand what is happening in the Church right now. The Church—the Mystical Body of Christ—is following her Lord by truly undergoing her own Passion today. And that Passion includes something almost unthinkable: two successive usurpers on the throne of Peter.
Thirdly, MDM is not guilty of schism under the Church’s own law. We are not rejecting the papacy. We are refusing to submit to men who we believe in conscience are not true popes. Therefore, we firmly believe the sentence against us is neither canonically justified nor valid in God’s eyes.[4]
Fourthly, true obedience is holy. Following the example of our Lord Jesus, we must always obey God the Father. Usually that means submission to the bishops of the Church when they act justly. But it does not—and cannot—mean submitting to usurpers in their efforts to destroy the Church.
Finally, MDM will continue its ministry. And we want to say more about that and what it means for our supporters—especially in a situation causing so much confusion and division. The Holy Spirit calls us to live these tensions with patience, humility, and, above all charity—even toward those we disagree with. He will lead us through this trial to the great renewal of His Church.
Now we want to flesh out each of these five points. We hope this will both help you better understand MDM’s situation as well as aid in your own discernment.
1. Listening to God
At the heart of the Mission of Divine Mercy is something very simple: a desire to listen to God.
We believe that there is no human solution to the worst problems facing the world and the Church today. The only solution is God. The good news is that God wants to act. And Scripture shows us, from beginning to end, one way that He repeatedly acts and speaks is through prophets.
And that didn’t stop with the death of the last Apostle. In fact, Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches that God continues to raise up prophets in every age—not to proclaim new doctrines, but to guide our actions.[5] Think of Saint Vincent Ferrer, Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Margaret Mary, Saint Faustina, Saint John Bosco, to name just a few.
In today’s world—and perhaps especially in the Church, where the normal channels that should proclaim the truth are often not functioning well—God continues to speak and to act, including through prophetic words. But true prophetic words are challenging. And the Gospel also warns us about false prophets. We need pastors who can exercise true discernment and prudence. As Saint Paul says, “Do not extinguish the Holy Spirit. Do not despise prophesying, but test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess 5:19-21). Sadly, that kind of discerning openness to the Holy Spirit often seems lacking in the Church hierarchy today.
Scripture shows, over and over, the terrible consequences of ignoring God’s warnings. But, even more, the graces that flow when His words are welcomed.
The Church needs to return to the Gospel spirit of a simple faith in God Who, with sovereign liberty, continues to act and speak in surprising ways out of love and mercy for His children. A shining example today of a bishop who is open to the Holy Spirit and prophetic graces is Bishop Joseph Strickland—especially in his Pillars of Faith messages.[6] These messages are simple, prudent, and courageous. They are words worthy of a true successor of the apostles, and for these reasons we will be quoting from them a number of times throughout this statement. Though we wish to make it clear that he is not endorsing or associated with our statement.
Speaking on the related topic of Marian apparitions, Bishop Strickland said,
In our own day—something unprecedented has occurred. Marian apparitions are no longer discerned primarily by their truth.… They are judged by whether they are manageable, and non-disruptive.… This is not prudence. This is not discernment. This is not care for the faithful. This is containment. And it should terrify us.… This is the hour not for … silence, but for fidelity.[7]
For more than thirty years now, the Lord has been forming MDM in this demanding school of listening to and discerning His prophetic words spoken today. It is this long formation, fruitful but hard, that has led us to take these controversial steps. The prophetic path is often controversial. But it is at the root of our Catholic faith. Every Sunday in the Creed, we profess our faith in the Holy Spirit who “has spoken through the prophets.”
2. The Passion of the Church
So prophetic words are one of the ways the Lord has guided us. Many of these words are about the situation of the Church today.
Messages to MDM
The Messages confided to our Mission speak of the Church, the beloved Mystical Body of Christ, following her Lord in His Passion and death to ultimately share in His resurrection and triumph.
They reveal that in this immense trial:
the hierarchy is infiltrated and deeply corrupted;
the faith is being distorted;
and, most controversially, that Jorge Bergoglio (Francis) and Robert Prevost (Leo) are usurpers, or false popes.
In an early Reconquest Message, having just spoken of His Passion and death, Jesus says,
Children – this is the blackest Hour once more, of an even deeper and more horrendous darkness, for now the betrayal is with full knowledge and with souls that bear the Seal of Redemption.[8] (Do Not Reject My Gift)
For many these prophetic revelations will be shocking and very troubling. You may also be wondering if this “Passion of the Church” idea is just some strange, fringe notion on our part.
It is not. As discussed below, the belief that the Church must undergo her own Passion in imitation of her Lord is fundamental Church teaching, squarely in the Catholic tradition, and spoken of by saints, mystics, scholars and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
And our Messages, far from being a rejection of the Catholic Church, are a proclamation of her divine mystery and faith in her eventual renewal.
Passion
The Catechism, summarizing Sacred Scripture and Tradition, teaches that “the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers … when she will follow her Lord in his death and Resurrection” (CCC, 675, 677).
Like Jesus crucified, the Church will be betrayed, humiliated, tortured—and appear defeated and dead.
This is such a crucial truth, yet one we find so many Catholics are completely unaware of. So it bears repeating: the Catechism itself teaches that the Church must—not may—but must go through her own Passion of terrible suffering and betrayal before being renewed in glory.
A number of modern Marian apparitions warn of this trial.[9] At Akita—an approved Marian apparition—Our Lady warns:
The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres … the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.[10]
Modern saints such as Faustina, Padre Pio and Pope John Paul II have indicated this trial is fast approaching or already here.
Saint Padre Pio reportedly told Father Gabriel Amorth, the late chief exorcist of Rome, “It is Satan who has been introduced into the bosom of the Church and within a very short time will come to rule a false Church.”[11]
In 1976, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II, said, “We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-Church, of the Gospel versus the anti-Gospel.”[12]
And contemporary observers sense it too. Bishop Strickland put it this way: “Right now, the Church is not entering a moment of glory. She is ascending Calvary.”[13]
So again, this notion of the Church undergoing her Passion is not something “weird” in our Messages. It is a firm—if too often neglected—part of Catholic teaching. And a growing number of people sense it is happening now.[14]
Francis and Leo
And it is precisely with this understanding of the Passion of the Church that we can better understand Francis and Leo. Both simple and learned Catholics have been deeply troubled by the confusion spread boldly by Francis—and now, more subtly, by Leo. In fact, some Catholic scholars have gone further. Considering all the heresy, doctrinal problems and profound damage done to the Church by Francis and Leo, some argue it’s easier to reconcile the Catholic teachings on infallibility and indefectibility with these men being usurpers and anti-popes rather than true popes.[15]
Bishop Strickland, in the course of giving a profound reflection on true authority and obedience in the Church, warned about the prospect of false authority:
We must also be aware of the possibility that at some point God may permit that an imposter might sit upon the chair of Peter…. the true Church will remain intact, although perhaps it will, for a time, return to the catacombs.[16]
Regarding Francis, the late Cardinal Pell wrote, “Commentators of every school … agree that this pontificate is a disaster in many or most respects; a catastrophe.”[17]
The English scholar John Rist said the damage caused by Francis might be worse than anything the Church has previously experienced.[18]
And Bishop Strickland wrote bluntly, “Francis no longer teaches the Catholic faith.”[19] Elsewhere he said that Francis’ Vatican is “dismantling … Christ’s Church[,] replacing … it with a diabolically-inspired new structure of ‘synodality’ which … is a new Church that is in no way Catholic.”[20]
And Leo? Bishop Strickland points out that Leo himself, “keeps making the point that he is continuing what his predecessor started.”[21] Strickland calls this “a more cunning strategy” of the enemy in which the enemy “cloak[s] error in traditional garments,”[22] noting that while Leo’s Vatican often looks traditional and Catholic:
“The message often is not.
The appointments are not.
The silence in the face of error is not.
The persistence of heterodox voices in positions of power is not.
The ambiguity in moral teaching is not.”[23]
Let’s be clear. Bishop Strickland is not accusing Francis or Leo of being false popes, as our Messages do. But what he and many other commentators have said about the destruction these men have caused to the Church aligns in many ways with what we believe to be the divine light of our Messages.
The Gates of Hell
We know for many faithful Catholics speaking of Francis and Leo as usurpers is shocking and very difficult to accept. And some might ask: Don’t such statements contradict Our Lord’s promise that the gates of Hell will not prevail against His Church (Mt 16:18)? That’s an important question that we hope to address more fully in the near future. Here, we’ll limit our answer to several brief points.
First, Jesus never promised that we would be spared anti-popes or usurpers or the temporary absence of the papacy in a time of crisis.[24] And He never promised that the Church would be spared a terrible trial for which there is no human solution. What He did promise is that His Church will triumph in the end. That’s the promise we can be completely confident in.
But that promise must be understood in light of the Paschal Mystery—of Our Lord, and of His Mystical Body, the Church.
We saw that the Catechism teaches the Church will imitate her Lord in His Passion. Think about what that might mean. During Jesus’ Passion, the Father permitted His divine protection to be withdrawn for a time. He seemed to abandon His Son. The result: the previously unimaginable blasphemy of the torture and murder of God Himself, and His abandonment by nearly all of His followers. Had the gates of Hell triumphed? Surely, that’s how many must have felt during those terrible hours of Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
And if Jesus’ Church must imitate Him in this suffering, should we not expect her suffering to be so terrible, so mysterious, that once again—for many—the gates of Hell will seem to have triumphed? Remember, the Catechism says the severity of the Church’s trial will “shake the faith of many believers.”
But of course, it is precisely in faith that we know what really happens. Hell did not win two thousand years ago, and Hell will not win now. Jesus in His Resurrection triumphed over the gates of Hell. We know His Mystical Body, the Church—no matter how attacked, abandoned or betrayed—will ultimately triumph as well. Even if we don’t know how or when.
That victory is dependent not on any man, but on God. As Bishop Strickland said,
It is important to remember that our hope is not in human leaders, but in Christ alone.… Christ is the Head of the Church, and He will never abandon His Bride. Even if men fail, God will provide what is needed for the Church’s preservation.… Because our hope is not in men. Our hope is in Jesus Christ, who reigns over His Church even when her stewards are unfaithful.[25]
3. Schism and Excommunication
It is in these circumstances—the Passion of the Church—that Father John Mary has been charged with schism and declared excommunicated. We believe these actions to be unjust. As we stated at the beginning, we affirm all the teachings of the Catholic Faith, including the authority of the true papacy, and we have no intention of leaving the true Catholic Church that Our Lord Jesus established.
Schism?
What is schism? It is refusal to submit to the pope.[26] Unlike heresy or apostasy, schism does not involve rejecting any truths of the Catholic faith.[27]
Father John Mary was charged with schism because we, the Mission of Divine Mercy, have published Messages that identify both Francis and Leo as usurpers and not valid popes. And because we believe, after long and prayerful discernment, that these Messages are truly from God, we, in conscience, must withdraw obedience to these men.
Does that make Father schismatic?
No, not if these Messages are authentic. If these men are not popes, Father cannot be schismatic for not submitting to them.
But what if we are wrong and these Messages are not from God, and Francis and Leo are true popes?[28] Does that make Father schismatic?
No. Eminent canonists and theologians have long held that a person who withdraws submission because of sincere and grave doubts about a pope’s validity is not guilty of schism—he is not rejecting the papacy, rather he is refusing to submit to a man that he believes is not the pope.[29]
And while our sincere belief in the Messages is what compelled us to go public in stating that Francis and Leo are usurpers, doubts about these men are not limited to our situation and our Messages. A number of reputable Catholic scholars and commentators provide reasons for such doubts based solely on human evidence.[30]
So again, we believe that Father is not schismatic and that this will become clear in the Lord’s time. We entrust the final judgment on this matter to the true authority of the Church once the present confusion is lifted by God.
Excommunication?
The charge of schism has resulted in Father being sentenced with excommunication, which if valid would essentially mean that Father has lost communion with the Church and is not permitted to either celebrate or receive the sacraments until he repents of his offense.
This is a grave penalty—the last thing he or we want is to be outside of Christ’s Church—and if we believed the excommunication to be valid and warranted, nothing would be worth incurring it.
But excommunication can be inflicted unjustly. Saint Athanasius, Saint Arialdo, Saint Joan of Arc, and Saint Mary Mackillop were all excommunicated—yet later all vindicated as loyal sons and daughters of Christ.
And above all is the example of Our Lord, who died cast out from the very institution God had established as a precursor and symbol of His Church. So not all excommunications are just and valid in God’s eyes, and we believe that is the case in Father’s situation as well.
Dismissal from the Clerical state (or Laicization)?
The second punishment inflicted on Father is dismissal from the clerical state, commonly called laicization. Again, we take this penalty very seriously, but, as with the punishment of excommunication, we believe it is unjust, and out of obedience to God, Father cannot submit to it.
It is important to understand what this penalty does and does not do. The Church’s own law is clear that sacred ordination, once validly received, is never undone (Canon 290)[31] — a priest is a priest forever, “according to the order of Melchizedek.” Dismissal from the clerical state does not remove the priesthood or the power to confect the sacraments; it only forbids the priest, by those in authority, to exercise that power (Canon 292).[32] Thus the sacraments such a priest celebrates remain real: in particular, at Mass the host still becomes the Body of Our Lord, and in certain cases he can still validly absolve.[33] The authorities would call these acts valid but illicit—that is, true yet done without permission.
But we believe in Father’s case, they would be both valid and licit in the eyes of the Lord.
4. Responding to an Unprecedented Crisis
How then should we respond to this punishment that we believe to be both unjust and invalid? And how should those of you who believe in the Messages and feel called to participate in the Mission of Divine Mercy—how should you respond? Before looking directly at these questions, let’s first consider what guidance the Church gives for responding to a crisis.
Are we in a crisis?
Our Messages and an abundance of human evidence indicate that the Church is in a crisis unlike any seen before.
Again, we know many good Catholics are unaware of this crisis because their own parish life seems normal.
That’s understandable, but many vigilant Catholics are aware, including Bishop Strickland who said categorically, “The Church is in an emergency”[34] and that it 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 sheep are scattered. The wolves wear miters.”[35]
As our Messages confirm, this is no exaggeration.
Historian Darrick Taylor recently wrote that “the assertion that the Church is obviously not in a state of emergency seems—well, it seems deranged to the point of madness, as of someone who is suffering a psychotic break with reality.” Among the strongest evidence Taylor points to are three Vatican documents written or authorized by Francis and so far ratified by Leo—Amoris Laetitia, the Abu Dhabi statement, and Fiducia Supplicans—all which “openly contradict Catholic teaching that is not merely ancient but contained in Divine Revelation.”[36] The supposed Vicars of Christ are defying Christ—in their public, supposedly magisterial teachings. How is that not an emergency?
We agree with Taylor that the actions of Francis and Leo alone are enough to sound the alarm. But it is even worse. With excruciatingly few exceptions, the shepherds of the Church are silent, or worse openly supportive, as Francis and Leo sabotage Christ’s teaching. Surely this is a big reason why so many Catholics are unaware of the crisis—if their own bishops don’t see a problem, there must not be one. The bishops’ silence denies Catholics the guidance shepherds owe them and enormously compounds the emergency. Is it surprising then that God is raising up prophetic voices to sound the alarm?
Obedience to God
How does the Lord call us to respond when the hierarchy has become corrupt? By obeying Him. Obeying His Gospel. Obeying the perennial teachings of the Church. Even if this means withdrawing obedience from corrupt human authorities when necessary.
So we are not called to reject obedience, but to live it in truth.
From the earliest Messages Sister Amapola received, the Lord has stressed the importance of holy obedience. In 2018, He gave her a whole reflection on this topic and had us share it with our Archbishop. It emphasized the importance of obedience but also how to understand it properly.
In the Message, the Lord said there is “an extreme difference between the obedience given to men and the obedience given to Me,” and that human obedience must be in service to obedience to God, but too often is not
It is a very helpful reflection on what real obedience to God and to man is, and we encourage you to read the whole Message.[37]
We must always obey God. Bishop Strickland, summarizing the teaching of Saint Thomas Aquinas,[38] says “God is to be obeyed in ALL things, but human authorities are to be obeyed in CERTAIN things.”[39] And our obedience must be guided by the supreme law of the Church—the salvation of souls.[40]
Normally, obedience to God includes obedience to human authorities, civil and religious, but at times, such as in a crisis, matters can change. Bishop Strickland warns of the danger when a corrupt hierarchy weaponizes obedience against the Deposit of Faith:
When the Church is weak and her earthly leadership is seriously corrupted … there is nothing more serious than the distorted understanding of authority and obedience which we now find so rampant.… the very obedience which was divinely instituted by God … [is] weaponized by some to serve their own interests and to lead the unsuspecting away from truth.[41]
This is why so many Catholics feel confused and disoriented. Too often they are being asked to compromise their faith—on Christ being the only way of salvation, on the proper veneration of Mary, on the truth about marriage and sexuality, and many other truths—all in obedience to a corrupt hierarchy that is failing to obey God.
And how are the faithful to respond to this weaponization of obedience? Again, Bishop Strickland:
[W]he never the use of authority causes harm to a divine truth, such as when a priest or a bishop calls into question the Deposit of Faith … then anyone has a right, in fact even a solemn duty, to resist that error—regardless of the potentially negative consequences they may face.[42]
A right, even a solemn duty to resist error. Even if you’re attacked for doing so. Even if you’re called “disobedient.”
And would you be disobedient to God in this instance? No, as Bishop Strickland points out,
Rather than violating the Catholic tenet of obedience, this resistance to an abuse of authority actually solidifies and strengthens the tenet of obedience because it is obedience to the highest authority—Jesus Christ.
[M]any saints and doctors of the Church … have told us of a time that would come when it will be necessary for the faithful to oppose those who seem to be in “authority” within the hierarchy.[43]
So Bishop Strickland is not denying the importance of holy obedience rightly understood, but recognizing how it can and is being abused.
Examples
Consider three saints: Padre Pio, Athanasius, and Joan of Arc. All striving to be obedient to God. All striving to save souls.
Padre Pio obeyed his Church superiors even when their discipline was unjust, discerning that God was asking this humble and sacrificial obedience of him.
Athanasius’s discernment led to a different response. Living in the fourth century when the overwhelming majority of bishops had embraced the Arian heresy, Athanasius stayed true to Jesus. Excommunicated by hundreds of bishops, and even briefly by the pope, Athanasius nevertheless continued his work. To defend the faith, he ordained men to the priesthood in dioceses outside of his own. He ministered to and consoled the faithful, who often had to gather in makeshift places for worship, encouraging them in their refusal to submit to heretical bishops or attend their liturgies. He famously told the faithful, “[T]hey have the premises [the church buildings] but you have the Apostolic Faith.”[44] All this Athanasius did in obedience to God.
Joan of Arc was told by a Church tribunal to repudiate her heavenly revelations as being false and from the devil. Knowing the terrible penalties she faced for saying no—being excommunicated and burned at the stake—she nevertheless refused. She could not repudiate what God had revealed to her as true.[45]
Three great saints. Three different responses to human authorities. All of them obeying God.
And one more point about Padre Pio. His obedience is too often misused to justify exactly the weaponizing of obedience Bishop Strickland spoke of. Yes, Padre Pio accepted the unjust actions against him—but he was not being forced to embrace heresy, reject divine commands one knows in conscience must be obeyed, or submit to usurpers. It if were otherwise, we think we can be confident Padre Pio would have withheld his obedience.
From all this, we can highlight four key principles:
We must always obey God.
We should obey legitimate human authorities within the proper limits.
If the authorities act against God’s laws or are not legitimate authorities but usurpers, we may need to withhold obedience from them precisely in order to obey God.
Higher laws—above all the salvation of souls—must take precedence over lesser laws, especially in times of an emergency or crisis.
Our Situation:
We are striving to emulate these saints in their fidelity to God. In our circumstances, we believe that, as with Athanasius and Joan of Arc, being obedient to God requires at times withholding obedience from human authorities and even more so, from usurpers. As Bishop Strickland says:
Obedience is holy. But obedience has never meant cooperating in the erosion of the Faith. There is a moment when continuing to wait becomes a form of surrender. That moment has arrived.[46]
5. Going Forward
Given all that we’ve discussed, what does this mean going forward for the Mission of Divine Mercy—and for you, our friends?
MDM’s Discernment
First, we know that obeying God must be our North Star in guiding our actions. We believe that in this crisis of our Holy Mother Church, God is asking Father John Mary and MDM to continue our ministry. So, with His grace, we will. We believe that this is precisely the time for which God in His providence has been preparing MDM, and that our mission is more important now than ever.
Your Discernment
But you may be wondering: What is the right thing for you to do?
We understand how difficult and confusing these matters can be for Catholics truly seeking to be faithful. As we have often said, we don’t pretend to be canonical or theological scholars. Our observations below come, for the most part, not from scholarly expertise but from more than thirty years of on-the-job training in seeking God’s will and discerning His prophetic messages. And from our faith in Jesus Christ—our trust that He will not fail to guide those sincerely seeking to follow His will or to be merciful to them when they stumble trying to do so. Consider how during the great Western Schism of the fourteenth century, many sincere Catholics and even saints were divided over who was the true pope. Catherine of Siena recognized the true pope, but Vincent Ferrer, for a time, recognized an antipope instead. Yet both are now numbered among the saints.
So in this difficult time, ask God with a sincere and humble heart to help you discern His will for you. And trust in His mercy.
Excommunicated?
Many may be wondering if you will be declared excommunicated for coming to Mass at the Mission. Our canonical inquiries indicate that it is unlikely that one would be formally declared excommunicated. That normally requires a formal inquiry and due process
But even if an actual juridical declaration of excommunication for association with MDM is unlikely for laity, the threat of excommunication as an intimidation factor and the practical and social consequences will be very real. These could take many forms, including exclusion from roles, groups, and ministries in parishes.
Schismatic?
Then there is the grave question of whether you would be schismatic or sinning in coming to Mass at the Mission.
We believe the answer is no. Not if our Messages are true. Not if the Church is in a grave crisis. You would be answering God’s call to stand with His Church in her Passion and to join the spiritual battle of the Reconquest.
Making Decisions in Times of Uncertainty and Confusion
But you may be asking: How can I be sure?
This is a hard question for Catholics today. But not only about the Messages we share. One of the glaring signs of our time is confusion within the Church herself: so many truths have been called into question in recent decades—even by the Vatican itself. That is the deepest source of today’s uncertainty.
But prophetic voices themselves always involve some uncertainty and discernment. Throughout history, people often have had to make a decision about a prophet’s testimony without the comfort of waiting years for an official verdict. Prophets call people to wake up and commit. We see it in the Old Testament. We see it in the Gospel, where Our Lord Himself was denounced by the religious authorities, and still His sheep knew His voice and followed Him. In critical times we often have to do our best amid uncertainty, without letting this uncertainty paralyze us. We must discern God’s will as best we can—and act. Recall Saint Joseph, who rose immediately in the night and took his family to Egypt on the strength of a dream.
Our Blessed Mother gave these consoling words about discernment in one of her Messages to Sister Amapola:
My children, if the Father sends His Gift, His Action, will He not also send His Light that you might know that it is He Who is acting?
If you are united to Him by Grace, by your Faith and humility, if you know His Voice, His Heart, shall you not recognize His Voice and His Action? (My Children, Silence Before God)
So while confusion is a real part of this trial, we can be certain that God is merciful and will faithfully guide those who sincerely seek Him.
God has also given us the ordinary means of discernment, such as the Deposit of Faith, prayer, the sacraments, the intercession of the angels and saints, spiritual direction and, very importantly, a well-formed conscience joined to the virtue of prudence, which applies unchanging moral principles (including that we must always obey God and that the salvation of souls is the highest law of the Church) to our particular circumstances in pursuit of the good.[47]
All of these resources can aid us in discerning God’s will.
At the same time, it is worth recalling that, as we saw with Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Vincent Ferrer, sincere people can reach different conclusions in good faith without losing God’s blessing.
We have come to believe, after long periods of prayer and discernment, that the Messages Sister Amapola receives are from God—and that He calls us to defend His Church. But we know it is not within our power to simply pass our convictions on to you. Only God can show you His will. And we trust He will, if you sincerely ask and discern.
The archdiocese will undoubtedly see things differently, and might, as noted above, seek to impose some form of consequences.
Finally, though, let us quote once more from Bishop Strickland for a helpful perspective on your discernment.
The crisis in the Church will not be solved by waiting for the right document, the right committee, or the right moment. History has never been saved that way. The faith has always been defended by men and women who stood when standing cost them something….
So be the one who stands. Stand with the Mother. Stand before the Eucharist. And stand firm – even if you stand alone.[48]
Concluding Thoughts, Reassurance and Thanks
We want to take a moment to address the painful confusion and division many good-hearted Catholics are currently experiencing in their parish, among their friends and even within their families. We at the Mission have experienced this pain first-hand. Some of you strongly agree with us. Some strongly disagree.
The past thirteen years under Francis, and now Leo, have been especially difficult for many faithful Catholics who keep wondering: How can a true Pope say and do such things? And on the other hand, the Messages we believe God has asked us to share are also seen by some as divisive and disobedient, as is so often the case with prophecy.
We believe the pain of these divisions is itself part of the Passion the Church is experiencing. So how are we to live these tensions? With patience. With humility. And above all, with charity. We trust that if we do, the Holy Spirit will unite us in an even deeper unity—in His Mercy and Love—when this time of darkness and division is over. A unity in God’s renewed One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
To those who love us but feel hurt and confused by our actions, and to those who are anxious for us and for the consequences we may face—we thank you for all your prayers, sacrifices, support and concern. And know that whether your discernment leads you to our conclusions or different ones, you remain in our prayers.
And please continue praying for us. Pray that if we are wrong, we may humbly acknowledge it, and that if we are correct, we may continue faithfully.
We repeat what God reminds us of so often: Do not fear. Be at peace. Have Faith in Him.
I love you. I have gathered you in My Heart so that with Me you participate, cooperate, in the restoration of all that is created. Remain then, WITH ME, in the awaiting of My Action … knowing that EVERYTHING is in My hands, without fear or anxiety, in the security that you are MINE. (Be on Guard–Remain with Me)
He will lead us through this dark hour to His light.
Let us take refuge in the Immaculate Heart of our Blessed Mother.
Jesus, we trust in You. Come, Lord Jesus.
[1] See Sec. 3: “Schism and Excommunication.”
[2] The Vatican document published in 2023 that authorizes blessings for same-sex relationships and other irregular, objectively sinful unions.
[3] While we believe “Jorge Bergoglio” and “Robert Prevost” are the more accurate ways to refer to the previous and current occupants of the Chair of Peter, respectively, given what the Lord has said in the Reconquest Messages about them being usurpers; nevertheless, for the sake of simplicity and familiarity, we will generally refer to them as “Francis” and “Leo,” respectively, throughout this statement.
[4] While the sentence of schism and the penalty of excommunication is formally directed only at Father John Mary, it has clear implications for our Community, hence why we often speak of the situation in the first-person plural.
[5] “[A]t all times there have not been lacking persons having the spirit of prophecy, not indeed for the declaration of any new doctrine of faith, but for the direction of human acts.” Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, q. 174, a. 6.
[6] https://pillarsoffaith.net/ .
[7] Bishop Joseph E. Strickland, A Church Without Its Mother.
[8] He is referring to the seal of Baptism.
[9] See, for instance, the apparitions of Our Lady of Good Success and La Salette, as well as Akita.
[10] Background to Our Lady of Akita and the complete Messages can be found here: Our Lady of Akita.
[11] For Padre Pio, prophesies of natural and man-made disasters apparently paled in comparison with this terrible truth. “Nothing of the sort mattered to him,” Father Amorth said, “however terrifying they proved to be, except for the great apostasy within the Church. This was the issue that really tormented him and for which he prayed and offered a great part of his suffering, crucified out of love.” Father Amorth recounted his conversation with Padre Pio to the Spanish journalist, José María Zavala, who recorded it in his book, El secreto major guardado de Fátima: Una investigación 100 años después, (Ediciones Martínez Roca, 2017).
[12] Cardinal Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II), reprinted November 9, 1978, issue of Wall Street Journal from a 1976 speech to the American bishops.
[13] Strickland, Passion Leads to the Resurrection.
[14] For examples from a broad range of Catholics—clergy, religious and laity—expressing profound concern about the state of the Church since Francis came to power, see MDM’s Resources on the Crisis.
[15] In his book, Saints vs Antipopes, Dr. Edmund Mazza examines, among other matters, Church teaching on the possibility of popes committing heresy. He notes that the Church has generally taught that no true pope could formally proclaim heresy. While there is some debate as to exactly what this means—for example, Bishop Athanasius Schneider has seemed to argue that a pope, while not erring in his extraordinary magisterium, might do so in his ordinary magisterium—the overwhelming consensus among theologians over the centuries is that even in his ordinary magisterium, a true pope is protected from formally teaching heresy, or at the very least any error that would endanger the salvation of souls. From this perspective, grave doubts would be raised about the validity of a papal claimant who publicly and persistently professed heretical views. Saints vs Antipopes: Evil in the Church of Rome Convicted & Evicted (self-published, 2026), see especially Ch. 3, “Christ’s Promise: Peter’s Unfailing Faith.”
[16] Strickland, Obedience and Authority (emphasis added).
[18] “You’ve got to go back to the Arian controversy to find something comparable. But I think that, in terms of the damage that it now might cause, what might happen to the Church in the future, this is going to cause more trouble, more than anything else we’ve seen before.” https://edwardpentin.co.uk/professor-rist-the-catholic-church-could-be-facing-a-crisis-worse-than-the-arian-controversy-of-the-4th-century/ .
[19] Strickland, Open Letter to the USCCB.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Strickland, The Mirage of Mercy.
[22] Strickland, A Rose by Any Other Name.
[23] Ibid.
[24] Mazza offers historical perspective on how the Church has persevered amidst disruptions in the papacy, noting for example that there have been periods when the Church was without a pope for an extended time, including once for nearly three years after the death of Clement IV; that the Church endured the reign of an antipope (Anacletus II) in Rome for eight years, while the true pope (Innocent II) had to flee north seeking support; and that during the period of the Western Schism even some saints disagreed about who was the real pope and who was an antipope. The point is certainly not to trivialize the importance of the papacy, but on the contrary to demonstrate how even when this most crucial institution of the Church has suffered from disruption and confusion, God has still protected His Church. And no matter how severe such disruption may be in the future, God will continue to protect His Church. Saints Vs. Antipopes, 16-19, 26-31. See also Mazza’s interview with John-Henry Westen of Lifesite News, Saints Vs. Antipopes.
[25] Strickland, Passion Leads to the Resurrection.
[26] Canon law defines schism as “the withdrawal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff [i.e., the Pope] or from communion with the members of the Church subject to him” (CIC c. 751; see also CCC 2089).
[27] People often confuse schism with heresy and apostasy. Heresy is “the obstinate denial or doubt, after baptism, of a truth which must be believed by divine and Catholic faith” (CIC c. 751). That is what Martin Luther was guilty of, for example, in denying the institution of the papacy, the role of free will in salvation, the sacrament of penance and many other truths. Or what many Catholics are guilty of today, for example, in knowingly and willfully denying Church teachings on marriage and sexuality. Apostasy is “the total repudiation of the Christian faith” (CIC c. 751). An apostate is one who leaves Christianity for another religion or perhaps for atheism.
[28] Could we be mistaken in our discernment about the Messages? That is certainly a possibility. And if we were to recognize that we are in error, we would readily admit it—because being in our current position is very hard. We can only say again—and we won’t go into all the elements of our discernment, which we have addressed at other times—that careful, prayerful discernment over a number of years convinced us that the Messages were authentic, such that we could not deny them without believing we were denying Our Lord. In good conscience, we could not do otherwise.
[29] Cardinal Cajetan, the great commentator on the teaching of Saint Thomas Aquinas, is among those holding this view, explaining that such a person does not commit the crime of schism, “provided that he be ready to accept the pope were he not held in suspicion,” that is, in doubt. (See Cajetan, Commentarium, 1540, II-II, 39, 1.)
Cardinal Cajetan’s view takes seriously that sincere Catholics may have grave and legitimate doubts about a papal claimant, such as with an anti-pope, but also acknowledges the duty of good Catholics to give obedience when such doubts are removed.
[30] Again, for a sense of the many thoughtful Catholics—clergy, religious and laity—who have expressed profound concern about the actions of Francis and Leo, see MDM’s Resources on the Crisis.
Interestingly, Father is not alone in facing charges of schism these days. For at least the last one hundred years, it has been a very rare charge in the Church. But in the last ten years there has been a dramatic uptick in cases of priests who are charged with schism. Perhaps that’s a reflection of the deep confusion and woundedness our Church is currently experiencing.
[31] Canon 290: “Once validly received, sacred ordination never becomes invalid.”
[32] Canon 292: “A cleric who loses the clerical state … is prohibited from exercising the power of orders … [and] is deprived of all offices, functions, and any delegated power.”
[33] The validity of confessions is a more complicated issue, which we hope to come back to in the near future. During this canonical process, Father has not been hearing confessions.
[34] Strickland, The Line in the Sand.
[35] Strickland, An Urgent Message. Here is a longer excerpt:
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 sheep are scattered. The wolves wear miters. To remain silent is to share in the sin.… 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). (An Urgent Message).
[36] Taylor elaborates on why these documents are so dire:
In the past ten years, the Roman Pontiff, the infallible teacher and guardian of the Apostolic Faith, has
issued a magisterial document (Amoris Laetitia) which allows for people in a state of mortal sin to knowingly take Communion, in contradiction to the clear words of Jesus Christ in Scripture,
issued the Abu Dhabi statementaffirming that God has positively willed the diversity of religions in the world, and
issued a document (Fiducia Supplicans) which allows for the “spontaneous” but supposedly non-liturgical blessings of homosexual couples.
And these are only the most egregious examples. Each of these documents are magisterial in character, and the Vatican has not revised or corrected them as yet. They were issued by the highest authority in the Church and are now the official teaching of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Rome. These documents openly contradict Catholic teaching that is not merely ancient but contained in Divine Revelation (Scripture and/or Tradition). Even more incredibly, the man tasked with disciplining the Society of Saint Pius X, Cardinal Fernández, was, by all accounts, the ghost writer for the first of these and primary author of the third. (Waiting for a State of Emergency).
[37] True Obedience. We would also encourage reading MDM’s own statement on obedience, We Must Obey God. Both the Message and the statement will give you a fuller understanding of what we believe the Lord is asking of us.
[38] See Summa Theologiae II-II, 104, 4-5:
On the contrary, It is written (Exodus 24:7): “All things that the Lord hath spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”
…
On like manner there are two reasons, for which a subject may not be bound to obey his superior in all things. First on account of the command of a higher power. For as a gloss says on Romans 13:2, “They that resist [Vulgate: ‘He that resisteth’] the power, resist the ordinance of God” (cf. Saint Augustine, De Verb. Dom. viii). “If a commissioner issue an order, are you to comply, if it is contrary to the bidding of the proconsul? Again if the proconsul command one thing, and the emperor another, will you hesitate, to disregard the former and serve the latter? Therefore if the emperor commands one thing and God another, you must disregard the former and obey God.” Secondly, a subject is not bound to obey his superior if the latter command him to do something wherein he is not subject to him.
…
Man is subject to God simply as regards all things, both internal and external, wherefore he is bound to obey Him in all things. On the other hand, inferiors are not subject to their superiors in all things, but only in certain things and in a particular way, in respect of which the superior stands between God and his subjects, whereas in respect of other matters the subject is immediately under God, by Whom he is taught either by the natural or by the written law.
[39] Strickland, Obedience and Authority.
[40] In the Code of Canon Law, Canon 1752, the very last canon, states “the salvation of souls, which must always be the supreme law in the Church, is to be kept before one’s eyes.” In other words, all other laws of the Church must be followed and applied in conformity with this supreme law of saving souls. In emergencies and other special circumstances, this principle may require one to not follow the usual application of a law if it would conflict with saving souls. Even as, analogously, one might have to exceed the speed limit for the greater good of saving a life.
[41] Strickland, Obedience and Authority.
[42] Ibid.
[43] Ibid.
[44] Athanasius, Letter 29, fragment 7 (NPNF² vol. 4). Saint Basil provides vivid descriptions of the conditions endured by the faithful during the Arian crisis, as related by Michael Davies in his work, Saint Athanasius: Defender of the Faith:
Saint Basil says, about the year 372: “Religious people keep silence, but every blaspheming tongue is let loose. Sacred things are profaned; those of the laity who are sound in their faith avoid the places of worship as schools of impiety, and raise their hands in solitudes, with groans and tears to the Lord in heaven” Ep. 92. Four years after he writes: “Matters have come to this pass: the people have left their houses of prayer, and assemble in deserts,—a pitiable sight; women and children, old men and men otherwise infirm, wretchedly faring in the open air, amid the most profuse rains and snow-storms and winds and frosts of winter; and again in summer under a scorching sun. To this they submit because they will have no part in the wicked Arian leaven.” Ep. 242. Davies, Michael. Saint Athanasius: Defender of the Faith (Kindle edition).
[45] “In the event of the Church wishing her to do otherwise against the bidding of Our Lord she would not obey for anything. Asked whether she would submit to the Church if the Church Militant said that her revelations were false and devilish things, superstitious and evil, she answered that she would submit to Our Lord, whose bidding she will ever perform, for she knows that the happenings described in the proceedings were done at His bidding; it would be impossible for her to do other than what she declares she has done at God’s bidding. If the Church Militant told her to do otherwise, she would submit to none other than Our Lord, whose good bidding she always performed.” The Trial of Jeane D’Arc, trans. W. P. Barrett, 233.
[46] Strickland, The Line in the Sand.
[47] See the Catechism, 1776-1802, for a good discussion on the proper formation and exercise of conscience, as well as 1806 for a discussion of the importance of prudence as one of the cardinal virtues.
[48] Strickland, A Church Without Its Mother.
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