The blog at akaCatholic.com (formerly HarvestingTheFruit.com) thrives on the belief that everyone privileged with a voice in Catholic media has a sacred obligation to speak the truth plainly, regardless of whatever cost doing so may incur. In this effort, I rely heavily upon the pre-conciliar magisterium of the popes and the venerable theologians whose approved works faithfully illuminate and explain Catholic doctrine and discipline.
Like many of the readers of this blog, I’m a “convert” to tradition. My transition from “conservative” to so-called “traditionalist” (aka Catholic), however, is somewhat unique.
For years, I was warmly welcomed as a speaker and presenter in Catholic parishes and dioceses throughout the United States, primarily on the topic of Vatican Council II – delivering talks at large archdiocesan conferences, parish level events, and at diocesan workshops designed specifically for deacons and directors of religious education.
I developed a program that was implemented by parishes around the U.S. in preparation for the 3rd Edition of the Novus Ordo missal. I gave numerous live presentations on that subject in dioceses around the country, and my series of articles – Preparing the Way for the Roman Missal, Third Edition – appeared in several diocesan newspapers as well.
My writing has been disseminated to an international audience via several Catholic media outlets, both diocesan and private. I was a frequently invited “guest expert” on conservative Catholic radio networks, and even made an appearance on EWTN.
Why me?
In 2004, I authored and published the Harvesting the Fruit of Vatican II Faith Formation Series. At the time, I believed the conciliar company line, namely, that the Council documents didn’t change, much less contradict, the doctrines of the faith such as they have always been taught. Rather, the leadership in Rome insisted, the conciliar decrees are nothing less than a gift from the Holy Spirit, if only we would learn to read, interpret, and implement them faithfully.
As such, the Harvesting the Fruit study guides, which were given an imprimatur, reflected the “hermeneutic of continuity” nearly a decade before Pope Benedict XVI had even coined the phrase!
The “liberals” who ran (and still run) the majority of American dioceses despised the effort. The “conservatives,” by contrast, not only embraced it, they highly recommended and applauded it. The series (along with its naive author) received written endorsements from no less than George Cardinal Pell, along with any number of other bishops, priests and theologians from around the world.
In 2008, my syndicated column of the same name, Harvesting the Fruit of Vatican II, was published by the Catholic Weekly – the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia. The following year, it was picked up by Catholic News Agency where it ran until November 2013.
By the grace of God, as I continued to study the conciliar text, I came to realize that we’ve been misled: The Second Vatican Council robbed generations of their rightful Catholic inheritance, both doctrinal and liturgical.
In other words, I now realize that the conciliar documents, despite whatever faithful expressions are to be found therein – the same upon which I focused in the Harvesting the Fruit series – are polluted with ambiguities, contradictions and outright errors: Like a lump spoiled by a little leaven, the text of Vatican II, far from being solid nourishment for the soul, is downright poisonous.
As such, I came to realize that I am duty bound to warn others that accepting the Council will undoubtedly lead to a loss of Catholic faith. It was at this point that I was embraced by the so-called “traditionalists,” and invited to publish in their journals and speak at their conferences.
I’ve been a invited speaker at a number of Catholic Family News Conferences, Fatima Conferences, SSPX Conferences, and Catholic Identity Conferences. I met numerous great people and made some lasting friendships along the way.
Fast forward to the present day: I now find myself unwelcome in all of these venues.
My crime? I simply embraced what the Church has always taught with respect to membership in the Church, as well as her ecclesiology, and applied it to the present situation. In this way, I have to come to draw two very important, and eminently unavoidable conclusions:
One, Jorge Bergoglio is not a member of the Mystical Body of Christ of any rank. He simply does not meet the requirements of membership in the Church – not my requirements – but those proposed by the Church herself. Furthermore, the conciliar church in Rome, because its authoritative teachings endanger souls, cannot be the one true Church of Christ who is a Holy Mother.
This latter point means that the men who sat, or sit, at the head of the conciliar counterfeit church, cannot also be true heads of the Holy Catholic Church. This to me is just Catholic common sense.
Acknowledging these unavoidable truths rather than twisting Catholic doctrine to fit the current situation has led to the point where I am something of a pariah in many of the very same venues that once welcomed me; a persona non grata throughout not only conciliar dioceses, but also in the world of “Trad, Inc.”
While much has changed over the years, my intentions have remained ever the same, namely, to seek the truth and to defend it and to disseminate it as best I can in whatever ways the Lord may allow, despite any personal cost that may be incurred along the way.
Please consider that while the content on akaCatholic.com is free for all to consume – including the recently launched akaCatholic podcast – producing this content and maintaining the site is very time consuming and costly. Without your financial support, it simply will not be possible to continue the effort.
We are making a difference. I’ve received countless emails from clergy, religious and laity letting me know that this blog is a source of encouragement in these dark days of crisis.
I appreciate each and every one of you, and I thank you in advance for your help in sustaining this effort.
Vivat Christus Rex!
Louie Verrecchio
