EDITORIAL: What Have We Been Entrusted With?
Forty-nine priests. That was the number Archbishop Héctor Aguer recalled when asked, in what proved to be his final interview, to assess the condition of the Catholic Church in Argentina and his own years as Archbishop of La Plata. He had ordained forty-nine priests during his episcopate, and regarded this as the greatest thing a bishop could do. Several were now serving growing communities, offering the Sacraments, teaching sound doctrine and fostering new vocations. His interview was published on Monday 9 November. The following day, aged eighty-three, he died.¹ ²
There is something both consoling and instructive in that final testimony. Archbishop Aguer had been an outspoken critic of developments in the Church under Pope Francis, and his last interview contained some decidedly uncomfortable observations about the episcopal appointments, seminary closures and pastoral priorities of the preceding pontificate. He was also sufficiently ill to be unable to meet Pope Leo XIV during his visit to Argentina, although he assured the Holy Father of his prayers. Yet, when he considered what remained of his own ministry, he returned to the priesthood. Forty-nine men who would continue to offer the Holy Sacrifice, absolve sinners, baptise children and administer the last rites long after their bishop had gone to his judgement.
I have found myself returning to that observation whilst considering the subjects brought together in this edition of Nuntiatoria. They concern events in different countries and institutions, and their immediate circumstances are sometimes very different. Yet a question persists through much of our reporting. What does it mean to be entrusted with something which does not belong to us absolutely, and what happens when the person or institution exercising authority begins to behave as though the inheritance itself were theirs to dispose of?
The Church has answered that question rather more precisely than is sometimes remembered. The First Vatican Council, in Pastor aeternus, taught that the assistance of the Holy Ghost was promised to the successors of St Peter so that they might faithfully preserve and expound the revelation handed down by the Apostles. The Council explicitly distinguished this responsibility from the introduction of new doctrine.³ That distinction belongs to the very understanding of the papal office which the Council solemnly defended. Indeed, papal primacy and infallibility would make little theological sense if there were no fixed revelation whose authentic preservation constituted their purpose.
This does not mean that every disciplinary regulation is immutable, that every historical ecclesiastical arrangement must remain unchanged, or that individual Catholics possess an unrestricted right to determine which lawful commands they will obey. The Church has authority to govern, and that authority is essential to her visible unity. Nevertheless, Catholic obedience has always existed within an order of truth. A bishop cannot alter divine revelation; a priest cannot dispense himself from the obligations of his sacred office; and even a pope exercises his supreme jurisdiction as the successor of Peter within the constitution given to the Church by Christ.
It is against that understanding that the controversies surrounding traditional Catholic worship, the Society of St Pius X and Cardinal Joseph Zen’s latest intervention must be examined. These matters involve different canonical questions, and it would be irresponsible to pretend otherwise. Yet the increasingly familiar tendency to treat appeals to received doctrine and liturgical tradition as evidence of disloyalty deserves closer scrutiny. Archbishop Aguer’s final appeal for the restoration of Summorum Pontificum was made whilst young Argentinians publicly asked Pope Leo to permit the traditional Roman Mass. Their banner appeared along his route through Buenos Aires on 9 November.⁴ It was a modest demonstration, but its message was hardly obscure.
One might reasonably ask what purpose is served by perpetuating a conflict over a liturgy which nourished innumerable generations of Catholics, including the saints whose lives we continue to commemorate. The Holy See possesses authority to regulate the sacred liturgy; that much is beyond dispute. The wisdom, proportionality and pastoral consequences of particular regulations remain legitimate subjects for examination. The distinction should be familiar to anyone who has read Catholic history. Unfortunately, the present atmosphere too often encourages the view that the most reliable indication of orthodoxy is agreement with whatever ecclesiastical policy happens to be current.
Germany supplies a particularly revealing illustration of how complicated this understanding of obedience has become. In April 2012, Pope Benedict XVI wrote to the German bishops explaining why pro multis in the words of consecration should be translated as ‘for many’ rather than ‘for all’. His letter was careful, scriptural and theologically exact. Christ died for all mankind; the words of institution nevertheless possess their own particular meaning and must be translated faithfully. Benedict asked that the change be accompanied by proper catechesis. Fourteen years later, as the bishops continue work on a revised German Missal, the proposed retention of ‘for all’ has returned to public controversy.⁵
What interests me here is the extraordinary persistence of a disagreement which a pope had already addressed so thoroughly. The issue concerns words spoken at the altar, and therefore something which should command the utmost reverence. Yet a directive intended to preserve fidelity to the received text appears capable of remaining unresolved for well over a decade. Those who regard strict adherence to contemporary liturgical legislation as the supreme test of Catholic obedience might profitably explain why earlier instructions from Rome have not always enjoyed comparable enthusiasm.
There is, meanwhile, an interesting contrast in the Diocese of Speyer, where the Apostolic Nuncio has suspended a major programme of parish restructuring during the vacancy of the episcopal see. The proposed reorganisation would reduce approximately seventy parishes to nine, and its supporters argue that the work is urgently necessary because of declining participation, fewer priests and mounting financial difficulties. The Nuncio has invoked the canonical restrictions governing a vacant see, insisting that the freedom of the incoming bishop must be preserved. The diocesan administrator has accepted the instruction, although he fears that the delay may set the process back considerably.⁶ Here, at least, the limits of an administrator’s mandate have received serious attention. The incoming bishop must be free to exercise his own office.
I do not dismiss the practical difficulties facing German dioceses. Emptying churches, ageing clergy and diminishing resources cannot be remedied by wishful thinking. Yet the administration of decline is itself something which ought to be questioned. The contraction of ecclesiastical institutions may sometimes be unavoidable; it cannot substitute for an account of why the faithful have departed, what they were taught, or whether the spiritual life offered to them has been sufficiently compelling to retain their allegiance. If the principal response to declining Catholic practice is to devise ever larger administrative units, we may eventually discover that we have become remarkably efficient at managing the disappearance of the very communities those structures were intended to serve.
This question of accountability extends beyond ecclesiastical government. The proceedings brought by the Maggie Oliver Foundation against the British Government concerning its response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse expose another difficulty familiar to anyone who has worked in safeguarding. The Foundation challenges the failure to implement important recommendations following an inquiry which heard evidence from thousands of victims and survivors. The High Court proceedings of 10–11 November have examined the Government’s responsibilities and whether particular failures in its response were unlawful.⁷ The eventual judgement must be awaited, but the moral question is already plain enough. Public inquiries ask people to disclose painful experiences, often at considerable personal cost, upon the understanding that their testimony will contribute to the protection of others. Governments ought to be exceptionally cautious about treating the resulting recommendations as matters which may simply be left to gather dust.
I have encountered enough institutional safeguarding language over the years to recognise that an organisation’s confidence in its own procedures is rarely a reliable measure of their effectiveness. Documents can be comprehensive, policies impeccably phrased, and meetings conducted with admirable procedural solemnity. None of these things, of themselves, tells us whether a vulnerable person was protected, whether a complaint was properly investigated, or whether those responsible were willing to acknowledge an error. Indeed, the greater the institutional investment in a particular policy, the harder it can become for its authors to admit that the policy itself may require correction.
The concerns surrounding relationships and sex education in Catholic schools, the Dorothy Stringer School dispute, and the Government’s proposed legislation on conversion practices arise in different legal and educational settings. They nevertheless require us to consider the rights and responsibilities of parents, the proper limits of institutional authority and the freedom to question propositions increasingly presented as settled doctrine in the secular sphere. The duty to protect children must never be allowed to become a convenient means of excluding parents from decisions which directly affect their welfare. Nor should religious instruction, honest pastoral counsel or legitimate disagreement be confused with coercion merely because their moral premises are unfashionable.
The present parliamentary scrutiny of the Draft Conversion Practices Bill is therefore particularly important. The draft legislation proposes criminal offences, and Parliament is rightly examining how they would operate in practice.⁸ Catholics ought to be concerned about genuine abuse wherever it occurs. We must also insist upon clear legal distinctions between coercion and the ordinary exercise of religious freedom. A law whose meaning depends upon the goodwill of those applying it offers a poor foundation for liberty, particularly when the activities potentially affected include conversations within families and the spiritual direction of those seeking the assistance of a priest.
Across the Atlantic, a New Hampshire school district has now accepted a court judgement recognising the rights of parents who were prevented from wearing pink wristbands bearing the letters ‘XX’ at a girls’ football match. The dispute began in September 2024 and concluded with a settlement in November 2026.⁹ Whatever one’s opinion of the underlying controversy concerning participation in female sport, the case illustrates the danger of public authorities treating peaceful expressions of disagreement as though their mere existence constituted an actionable injury. A society which increasingly requires its citizens to affirm propositions they believe to be false cannot reasonably congratulate itself upon its commitment to diversity.
The difficulty is compounded by weaknesses in education itself. We have examined declining reading proficiency and the consequences for a generation whose capacity for sustained attention, historical understanding and independent judgement may be considerably less secure than educational rhetoric suggests. A child who cannot read confidently will struggle to assess competing claims, however frequently encouraged to think critically. Much depends upon the ability to follow an argument, distinguish evidence from assertion, and recognise when familiar words have acquired new meanings. These are intellectual habits which require cultivation. They are also habits upon which both religious education and responsible citizenship depend.
The Christian inheritance of Britain presents its own difficulties in this respect. Much of what our country received from its Catholic centuries survives in its architecture, law, customs, calendar and language, although the religious origins of these things are increasingly unfamiliar. The Reformation ruptured the religious unity of the nation, and Catholics endured generations of persecution and exclusion. That history cannot be erased without distorting our understanding of Britain. Neither does it require us to regard our Protestant fellow countrymen as strangers to the common good. We have shared a country, its trials and its achievements, for centuries. Christian patriotism ought to encourage gratitude for what is good, honesty about what has been lost, and a willingness to defend those remaining institutions through which the natural law and Christian understanding of human dignity continue to find expression.
I am conscious, however, that there is a danger in spending so much time considering what governments, bishops, schools and other institutions ought to do that we neglect the responsibilities immediately within our own power. I made a similar observation in last week’s spiritual conference, Cui Bono? We can become exceptionally well informed about the faults of others whilst remaining remarkably inattentive to the duties of our own state of life. The problems examined in these pages are real, and some demand public opposition. Yet the restoration of Catholic life will require rather more than the publication of accurate criticism, however necessary that criticism may be.
There is a reason why the ordinary life of the Catholic household occupies an established place in Nuntiatoria. The family Rosary, prayers for the departed, the observance of saints’ days, the preparation for Advent and the instruction of children in the Faith all belong to the work of preserving what we have received. They are small things in comparison with the proceedings of a synod or the deliberations of Parliament, but their influence is more enduring than their simplicity might suggest. The child who learns to pray for a deceased grandparent discovers something about the communion of saints, the reality of judgement and the Christian duty of charity. These truths have been handed on within families for centuries, often when the public institutions of a country offered little encouragement to their practice.
There is an appropriate scriptural image in the Gospel of the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany, resumed at this point in the ecclesiastical year, although under our earlier calendar the feast of St Gertrude takes precedence on 15 November and the Sunday is commemorated. Our Lord compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed and to leaven hidden in flour. Both images concern growth and transformation arising from something already possessing its proper nature. The Kingdom grows through the operation of divine grace, and the Christian life develops through fidelity to what Christ has revealed. We cannot create that life by administrative ingenuity. Nor is its fruitfulness necessarily measured by the prominence or apparent success of those engaged in its service.
St Paul instructed Timothy to guard the deposit committed to his care. The words have an unmistakable application to those entrusted with teaching and governing the Church, but they concern every Catholic according to his vocation and responsibilities. We have inherited the Faith through the sacrifices of generations whose names are now known principally to God. Some were bishops and priests, others parents and religious, teachers, benefactors and ordinary parishioners. Many lived through circumstances considerably less favourable than our own. What they preserved remains ours to practise and to hand on.
Archbishop Aguer’s funeral Mass was arranged for Friday 13 November in the Cathedral of La Plata. As his brother bishops, priests and faithful commend his soul to Almighty God, those forty-nine priests whom he ordained remain a fitting testimony to the work he regarded as most important. Their ministry continues. That is an inheritance which outlives the controversies of any particular pontificate, although it is through the fidelity of living men that such an inheritance must always be preserved.
For ourselves, the obligation is equally clear. Whatever authority we possess, whatever responsibilities have been placed upon us, there will come a time when we must account for the manner in which we exercised them. The Faith is ours to profess, to practise and to transmit. Its Author remains Our Lord Jesus Christ.
✠ Jerome Lloyd, Titular Archbishop of Selsey
Depositum custodi.
IN THIS EDITION
- 15.11.26 Nuntiatoria CXXXII: Depositum custodi
The editorial reflects on stewardship within the Church and society, inspired by Archbishop Héctor Aguer’s legacy of ordaining forty-nine priests. It defends fidelity to received doctrine and tradition while distinguishing legitimate authority from overreach. The author urges accountability, parental rights, safeguarding, and faithful domestic practice, reminding Catholics to preserve and transmit the Faith entrusted to them. - ORDO w/c 05.11.26
The week of 15–22 November 2026 concludes the ecclesiastical year with feasts of St Gertrude, the Apostles Peter and Paul, St Elizabeth of Hungary, St Felix of Valois, the Presentation of Mary and St Cecilia. It emphasises contemplation, apostolic unity, charity, redemption and preparation for judgement, while noting English calendar variations and Advent’s approaching beginning. - THE DOMESTIC CHURCH: 15–22 November 2026
A practical Catholic household guide for 15–22 November: the daily Family Rosary for the Holy Souls, Advent preparations, illustrated crafts, Christmas cake and traditional Stir-Up Sunday pudding. - Fernández, the SSPX and the Limits of Roman Authority
Cardinal Fernández faces scrutiny over the Vatican’s response to the SSPX episcopal consecrations. His dicastery’s claims about invalid confessions and marriages appear to conflict with concessions granted by Pope Francis. Canonists, including Archbishop Arrieta, have questioned the documents’ authority and clarity, leaving unresolved concerns about sacramental validity, canonical consistency and Fernández’s leadership. - DONEC FERMENTATUM EST TOTUM: The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany (Resumed)
The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany presents the mustard seed and leaven as images of Christ’s Kingdom and divine grace. Though beginning humbly, the Church grows through Christ’s power, while grace transforms believers interiorly. The Mass calls Catholics to unite faith with charity, holiness and sacramental life, persevering faithfully as they await Christ’s return. - FOURTEEN YEARS AFTER BENEDICT: The German Bishops and the Words Rome Could Not Change
Fourteen years after Benedict XVI asked German bishops to restore “for many” in the Eucharistic Consecration, the disputed “for all” remains. Advisers revising the German Missal expect its retention, citing Pope Francis’s approval of Italy’s precedent. The controversy highlights tensions over scriptural fidelity, inclusive language, liturgical authority and national resistance to Roman directives. - WHEN MODESTY BECOMES THE PROBLEM: Catholic Sex Education and the Bishops’ Responsibility
John Smeaton’s criticisms of Ten Ten’s Life to the Full programme raise concerns about modesty, parental authority and Catholic teaching methods. The article highlights disputed dramatisations and mixed-sex lessons, contrasting them with Vatican guidance discouraging intrusive or theatrical presentations of sexual matters. Since some dioceses require the programme, bishops must explain its conformity with Church teaching. - TWENTY YEARS OF VOLUNTARY PRAYER, ONE DEBATE TOO MANY
Jayne Ozanne’s withdrawal from an Oxford Union debate with Archbishop Foley Beach highlights tensions in her campaign against traditional Christian teaching. Although she voluntarily sought prayer and religious intervention for two decades, and acknowledged ministers’ loving intentions, she now supports criminalising comparable religious practices. The dispute raises concerns about religious freedom, theological disagreement and legislative overreach. - THE YOUNG WANT TRADITION. IS ROME LISTENING?
Young Argentine Catholics petitioned Pope Leo XIV to restore freedom for the traditional Roman Mass, challenging Rome’s claims of welcome, synodality and ecclesial inclusion. Their appeal coincided with Archbishop Héctor Aguer’s final defence of traditional worship. Citing growing youthful participation at traditional liturgies and pilgrimages, the editorial urges reconsideration of Traditionis custodes. - The Communion Rome Demands, and the Communion It Denies
The article examines the removal of traditional Latin Masses from three Tennessee parishes under Traditionis custodes, questioning whether restrictions imposed for unity have strengthened communion. It contrasts Rome’s limited accommodation of traditional Catholics with its openness to interreligious dialogue, and highlights concerns about pastoral responsibility, liturgical continuity, consultation, and the foreseeable consequences of excluding established communities. - THE DOOR OUT OF ÉCÔNE: What Must a Priest Leave Behind?
Former SSPX superior Fr Patrick Duverger has begun ministry in an FSSP apostolate, highlighting Rome’s new pathway for reconciling SSPX priests. The article considers its demands regarding Vatican II, the reformed liturgy and criticism of Church teaching, alongside the FSSP’s canonical experience. It questions whether regularisation guarantees both doctrinal freedom and stable traditional ministry. - PROMISES WITHOUT OBLIGATION: MAGGIE OLIVER TAKES THE GOVERNMENT TO COURT
Maggie Oliver’s High Court challenge highlights the Government’s failure to complete reforms promised after the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. While some recommendations have become law, others remain partial, delayed or unresolved, including professional registration for children’s homes staff. The court will assess whether ministerial assurances created enforceable expectations; Parliament still awaits a clear implementation timetable. - STONEWALL AT NUMBER TEN: WHO IS WRITING THE LAW?
Stonewall’s private access to ministers while Labour developed its Conversion Practices Bill has prompted concerns about legislative independence, evidence and potential conflicts of interest. The charity advocated broader offences and tighter clinical safeguards, while Government estimates relied on its commissioned research. Critics warn the proposals could threaten parental authority, religious freedom and legal certainty, warranting fuller disclosure and parliamentary scrutiny. - CHRISTIAN PATRIOTISM: A PROPOSAL TO THOSE WHO WOULD RESTORE CHRISTIAN BRITAIN
Archbishop Jerome Lloyd argues that “Christian Patriotism” better describes efforts to preserve Britain’s Christian inheritance than the contested term “Christian Nationalism”. A patriotic Catholic, he affirms both Catholic identity and cooperation with Protestants, rejecting racialism and hostility. He calls for shared Christian renewal through faith, moral teaching, civic responsibility and cultural preservation. - THE SCHOOL THAT STOPPED THE MATCH
A federal judgment found that New Hampshire’s Bow School District violated parents’ First Amendment rights by stopping their silent ‘XX’ wristband protest against male participation in girls’ football. The $275,000 settlement concludes two years of litigation, highlighting tensions between safeguarding, parental rights, freedom of expression and institutional responses to disagreement over sex and sport. - THE BURNING OF SAINT NICHOLAS: SACRILEGE IN THE HEART OF LORRAINE
A man arrested following the theft of a relic of Saint Nicholas from the historic basilica at Saint-Nicolas-de-Port reportedly admitted burning and crushing it because he regarded Catholic veneration as fetishism. Bishop Pierre-Yves Michel has condemned the profanation, while the parish prepares a Mass of reparation. Examining the incident alongside the history of Lorraine’s great pilgrimage shrine, Catholic doctrine concerning relics and previous attacks upon French churches, Nuntiatoria considers the religious significance of the destruction and the obligation to protect France’s Christian inheritance. - When the Blessed Sacrament Becomes a Logistical Problem
The article questions the organisation of enormous papal liturgies, focusing on Buenos Aires preparations involving over 500,000 Hosts and reported temporary storage arrangements. It argues that Catholic teaching neither requires universal Communion nor mass concelebration, while stressing Eucharistic reverence, individual Masses, Confession and proper preparation. Alternative models demonstrate that more disciplined arrangements are practicable. - THE DOROTHY STRINGER CLIMBDOWN: The case that apparently changed nothing
Dorothy Stringer School abandoned its case-by-case policy allowing transgender pupils access to opposite-sex changing facilities after a father and daughter brought judicial review proceedings. The claim was withdrawn before a High Court hearing once the school made alterations and provided assurances. Although the school denies litigation influenced its decision, records and chronology suggest otherwise. - The Bishop’s Blue File: When Pastoral Care Becomes a Permanent Record
The Church of England’s revised clergy-file policy allows sensitive personal information and dismissed complaints to remain in episcopal records throughout a minister’s career and for 75 years afterwards. While safeguarding requires accurate records, the policy offers inadequate transparency, challenge mechanisms and proportionality, raising serious concerns about data protection, natural justice and episcopal accountability. - Whose Flag, Whose Country? Britain and the Crisis of National Belonging
Katharine Birbalsingh criticises British schools for celebrating pupils’ ancestral identities while treating British patriotism and national symbols with suspicion. Comparing Britain with Europe, where flags are ordinary expressions of belonging, the editorial argues that confident civic education should unite citizens across ethnic backgrounds. It advocates shared British identity, historical awareness and Christian-informed responsibilities. - Speyer: Rome Halts a Synodal Reform Before the Bishop Has Even Arrived
The Apostolic Nuncio has suspended Speyer’s plan to consolidate seventy parishes into nine until a new bishop arrives. While diocesan leaders cite consultation and synodality, canon law reserves major parish decisions to the diocesan bishop. The dispute highlights concerns about parish suppression, lay participation, priestly authority and preserving the successor’s freedom to judge the reforms independently. - Cardinal Zen’s Challenge to Leo XIV: Who Is Governing the Church?
Cardinal Joseph Zen urges Pope Leo XIV to end the Synod on Synodality and replace three leading officials, warning that consultation is eclipsing episcopal authority and doctrinal responsibility. The article examines synodal study groups, pastoral experimentation and recent Vatican initiatives, arguing that personal experience and consensus must remain subordinate to revelation, Catholic tradition and the Pope’s duty to govern.
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