Pontifical Alchemy Doesn’t Work, by Julian Kwasniewski

By Julian Kwasniewski, Crisis Magazine, Aug. 9, 2024

Julian Kwasniewski is a musician specializing in renaissance Lute and vocal music, an artist and graphic designer, as well as marketing consultant for several Catholic companies. His writings have appeared in National Catholic Register, Latin Mass Magazine, OnePeterFive, and New Liturgical Movement. You can find some of his artwork on Etsy.

The desire to transform or otherwise unnaturally change aspects of the Church into something supposedly more valuable, or at least more appropriate for our times, is doomed to failure.

I don’t get angry for fun. I wouldn’t say I get angry easily. When it comes to Pope Francis, I don’t delve deeply into Church politics. I know enough to know it’s consistently bad; I only try to have a general idea of the biggest doings.

I tend to wonder how the hierarchy can be sincere. How can they have any sense of internal personal integrity? Is the Faith a thing to be believed and lived? Their actions too often suggest it is not.

There are three events, however, that made my muscles (such as they are) tighten with indignation. I felt the blood ripple in my veins. …

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