The Pillar portal reports on a bonus podcast episode featuring JD Flynn and Ed. Condon, titled “Bonus: Open Waters,” published on May 8, 2026, as part of their paid subscriber content. The episode presents a discussion between two prominent figures of the post-conciliar ecclesiastical landscape, offering insights into their vision of Church governance and the direction of the conciliar sect under the current usurper antipope, Leo XIV.
The Illusion of Democratic Participation in the Conciliar Sect
The very title of this podcast episode, “Open Waters,” evokes a sense of freedom, exploration, and perhaps even adventure. However, when applied to the context of the post-conciliar structures, it reveals a profound misunderstanding—or deliberate obfuscation—of the true nature of the Church. The Church, established by Christ as a perfect society (societas perfecta), is not a democracy. It is a divinely instituted monarchy, with Christ as its King and the successors of Peter as His vicars on earth. The notion that the Church’s direction should be determined by open discussion, consensus-building, or democratic processes is a fundamental rejection of her divine constitution.
JD Flynn and Ed. Condon, as representatives of the conciliar establishment, operate within a framework that has systematically dismantled the hierarchical structure of the Church. Their discussion, framed as a “bonus” for paying subscribers, underscores the commodification of spiritual discourse within the neo-church. The faithful are not merely called to believe and obey; they are invited to participate in a marketplace of ideas, where their financial subscription grants them access to exclusive content. This is not the Church of Christ; it is a religious corporation, catering to the spiritual consumerism of the modern age.
The Heresy of Collegiality and Its Fruits
The Second Vatican Council, convened by the usurper John XXIII and continued by his successors, introduced the heresy of collegiality, which effectively diluted the authority of the papacy and distributed it among the “bishops” of the conciliar sect. This was not a development of doctrine but a corruption of it. As Pope Pius IX declared in the Syllabus of Errors (1864), “The Church is not a true and perfect society, entirely free—nor is she endowed with proper and perpetual rights of own, conferred upon her by her Divine Founder; but it appertains to the civil power to define what are the rights of the Church, and the limits within which she may exercise those rights” (Proposition 19). While this proposition was directed at secular interference in Church affairs, it equally applies to the internal subversion of her hierarchical structure by those who claim to act in her name.
The conciliar sect’s emphasis on “synodality” and “open waters” is a direct consequence of this heretical shift. By elevating the role of “bishops” and “laypeople” in decision-making processes, the conciliar structures have effectively democratized the Church, reducing her to a human institution subject to the whims of popular opinion. This is antithetical to the teaching of Pope Pius XI in Quas Primas (1925), who affirmed that “Christ reigns over us not only by the law of His nature, but also by the law which He acquired through our redemption.” The reign of Christ is not subject to democratic approval; it is an absolute and unchanging reality.
The Silence on Supernatural Realities
Perhaps the most glaring omission in this podcast episode—and in the discourse of the conciliar sect as a whole—is any mention of the supernatural realities that define the Catholic faith. There is no discussion of the state of grace, the necessity of the sacraments, the reality of sin, or the final judgment. Instead, the focus is on governance, administration, and the practicalities of managing a global religious organization. This silence is not accidental; it is symptomatic of the naturalistic and modernist mentality that pervades the conciliar structures.
As Pope St. Pius X warned in Lamentabili Sane Exitu (1907), the Modernists “aim at such a development of dogmas as appears to be their corruption” (Introduction). The conciliar sect’s reduction of the Church’s mission to social activism, interfaith dialogue, and institutional reform is a direct fulfillment of this prophecy. The supernatural order—the very raison d’être of the Church—has been eclipsed by a purely humanistic agenda. The faithful are no longer called to sanctification and eternal salvation but to participation in a global project of “justice” and “peace,” divorced from the supernatural virtues of faith, hope, and charity.
The Rejection of Christ the King
The conciliar vision of “open waters” is, at its core, a rejection of the social reign of Christ the King. Pope Pius XI, in instituting the Feast of Christ the King, declared that “the Kingdom of our Redeemer encompasses all men” and that “men united in societies are no less subject to the authority of Christ than individuals” (Quas Primas). The state, the family, and every aspect of human life must be ordered according to the commandments of God and the principles of the Christian religion. The conciliar sect, however, has embraced the separation of Church and State, the autonomy of secular affairs, and the pluralistic coexistence of religions. This is not merely a political stance; it is a theological error of the highest order.
The podcast episode, by its very existence and content, testifies to the complete capitulation of the conciliar structures to the spirit of the age. The “open waters” they navigate are not the waters of tradition, doctrine, and discipline but the turbulent seas of modernity, where truth is relative, authority is contested, and the only constant is change. This is not the Barque of Peter; it is a ship without a rudder, drifting aimlessly in a storm of its own making.
The Duty of the Faithful
In the face of this systemic apostasy, the duty of the faithful is clear: to reject the conciliar sect and all its works, and to adhere to the unchanging Tradition of the Catholic Church. This means refusing to participate in the “open waters” of conciliar governance, rejecting the authority of the usurpers in the Vatican, and seeking out the true sacraments and true doctrine wherever they may be found. It means recognizing that the Church of Christ is not a democracy but a monarchy, and that her King is Jesus Christ, not the consensus of “bishops” and “laypeople.”
As Pope Pius IX declared in the Syllabus of Errors, “The Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism and modern civilization” (Proposition 80). This proposition, far from being a call to dialogue, is a condemnation of those who would compromise the faith in exchange for worldly acceptance. The conciliar sect has embraced this error wholeheartedly, and the “open waters” of its discourse are the waters of apostasy. Let the faithful take heed, and let them return to the sure anchor of Tradition, before it is too late.
Source:
Bonus: Open waters (pillarcatholic.com)
Date: 08.05.2026