Vatican News portal reports on May 15, 2026, that during the ad limina visit of Pakistani bishops to the Vatican, Bishop Samson Shukardin, President of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Bishop of Hyderabad, spoke of “hope” and “encouragement” while outlining challenges like discrimination, blasphemy accusations, and forced conversions faced by Christians in Pakistan. This orchestrated display of diplomatic niceties between the conciliar structures and persecuted communities tragically exposes the utter impotence and theological bankruptcy of the post-conciliar “Church” in fulfilling its divine mandate to defend the Faith and the faithful.
The Illusion of Ecclesial Solidarity: Ad Limina as a Modernist Ritual
The very concept of an ad limina visit, as presented in this article, has been stripped of its authentic Catholic meaning and reduced to a bureaucratic formality within the conciliar apparatus. What was once a genuine act of communion with the Successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ, has become a diplomatic exercise in “sharing reports” and receiving “positive responses” from “various Vatican dicasteries.” This language is symptomatic of the abomination of desolation that has replaced the supernatural mission of the Church with the administrative procedures of a secular NGO.
Bishop Shukardin’s statement that the visit provided “new insight and new hope in the coming future” echoes the modernist obsession with temporal progress and worldly solutions, rather than the unchanging hope of eternal salvation. The authentic Catholic understanding of hope, as defined by the Council of Trent, is a theological virtue by which we trust that God will grant us eternal life and the means to obtain it, not a vague optimism about improved social conditions or diplomatic receptions.
The Betrayal of the Baptized: Diplomacy Over Doctrine
The article highlights the plight of Pakistani Christians facing “discrimination, blasphemy accusations, and forced conversions.” These are indeed grave injustices. However, the response of the conciliar “Church” – to “share reports” and receive “positive responses” – reveals its fundamental apostasy from the mission entrusted by Christ. Where is the solemn anathema against the persecutors? Where is the clear, uncompromising proclamation that the Catholic Church is the one true religion established by God, and that all other religions are false and damnable?
Pope Pius IX, in the Syllabus of Errors (1864), condemned the proposition that “the Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism and modern civilization” (Proposition 80). The entire conciliar approach, exemplified by this ad limina visit, is precisely such a reconciliation with the spirit of the age. Instead of demanding, as a matter of divine right, that Catholic states protect the Faith and that non-Catholic states guarantee at least the natural law rights of the faithful, the conciliar “Church” engages in diplomatic pleasantries, hoping for “equal rights” in a pluralistic framework that inherently denies the kingship of Christ.
The Silence on the Kingship of Christ: The Root of the Problem
Bishop Shukardin laments that “many of our people are not receiving equal rights” and expresses hope that “one day we will get our equal rights in Pakistan.” This language of “equal rights” is itself a product of the modernist revolution and is antithetical to Catholic teaching. The Church does not seek “equal rights” in a religiously neutral state; she demands recognition as the one true religion and the public acknowledgment of Christ the King over all nations and societies.
Pope Pius XI, in his encyclical Quas Primas (1925), unequivocally stated: “The Kingdom of our Redeemer encompasses all men… His reign, namely, extends not only to Catholic nations or to those who, by receiving baptism according to law, belong to the Church, even though their erroneous opinions have led them astray or discord has separated them from love, but His reign encompasses also all non-Christians, so that most truly the entire human race is subject to the authority of Jesus Christ.” He further declared that rulers and governments have the duty “to publicly honor Christ and obey Him,” and that “the state is happy not by one means, and man by another; for the state is nothing else than a harmonious association of men.”
The conciliar “Church,” by abandoning the social kingship of Christ and embracing the modernist concept of religious liberty (condemned by Pope Pius IX in the Syllabus, Propositions 77-79), has effectively disarmed itself. It can only plead for “tolerance” and “equal rights” in a world that has rejected Christ, rather than demanding the conversion of nations and the establishment of His reign. This is not hope; it is despair disguised as pragmatism.
The Myth of “Positive Responses” and Dicasterial Bureaucracy
The bishop’s claim that “we received very positive responses from the different dicasteries” is a hallmark of the conciliar mentality. The Roman Curia, as restructured by the modernists, is no longer the instrument of the Papacy for the defense and propagation of the Faith, but a bureaucratic apparatus dedicated to the implementation of the conciliar revolution. Its “positive responses” are likely nothing more than diplomatic platitudes or administrative acknowledgments, devoid of any supernatural efficacy or doctrinal clarity.
The authentic Catholic Church, before the conciliar revolution, understood that the primary purpose of the Holy See was to safeguard and propagate the deposit of faith, to govern the universal Church, and to promote the salvation of souls. The modernist “dicasteries,” by contrast, are concerned with interreligious dialogue, ecumenism, and social justice – all of which, when divorced from the primary mission of the Church, become instruments of apostasy.
The Persecution of the Faithful: A Consequence of Conciliar Apostasy
While the article mentions “blasphemy accusations” and “forced conversions,” it fails to draw the necessary conclusion: these persecutions are, in part, a consequence of the conciliar “Church’s” own apostasy. By denying the exclusive truth of the Catholic Faith and engaging in false ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, the conciliar structures have undermined the very foundation upon which the rights of the Church and the faithful rest.
When the “Church” itself proclaims that all religions are paths to salvation (as the conciliar documents implicitly or explicitly suggest), it loses the moral authority to demand that its own members be protected from forced conversion to another faith. If all religions are equal, then what is the harm in converting from one to another? The conciliar “Church” has sown the wind of religious indifferentism and is now reaping the whirlwind of persecution, yet it lacks the theological clarity to understand the connection.
The Illusion of “Strong Faith” Amidst Illiteracy
Bishop Shukardin’s remark that “our people are still illiterate but strong in faith” is a poignant observation, but it also highlights the failure of the conciliar “Church” to properly catechize and educate the faithful. The strength of faith among the poor and illiterate is a testament to the grace of God and the resilience of the Catholic spirit, but it is not a substitute for sound doctrine and proper formation.
The pre-conciliar Church understood the importance of catechesis and education, as evidenced by the establishment of schools, universities, and the rigorous formation of clergy. The conciliar “Church,” with its emphasis on “adaptation” and “relevance,” has often diluted the faith to the point where even the educated are confused, let alone the illiterate. The “strong faith” of the Pakistani faithful is, in spite of, not because of, the conciliar revolution.
The Absence of the Supernatural: A Telltale Sign
Perhaps the most striking feature of this article is its complete silence on the supernatural dimension of the Church’s mission. There is no mention of prayer, sacrifice, or the sacraments as the primary means of overcoming persecution. There is no call to conversion, no exhortation to martyrdom, no reminder of the eternal rewards that await those who suffer for the Faith.
This silence is the gravest accusation against the conciliar “Church.” It has reduced the Church to a humanitarian organization concerned with social justice and human rights, rather than a divine institution established by Christ for the salvation of souls. The Pakistani bishops, by participating in this diplomatic charade, have demonstrated their alignment with the conciliar apostasy and their abandonment of the true mission of the Church.
Conclusion: The Bankruptcy of Conciliar Ecclesiology
The ad limina visit of the Pakistani bishops to the Vatican, as reported by Vatican News, is a microcosm of the conciliar “Church’s” fundamental bankruptcy. It is a diplomatic exercise devoid of supernatural faith, doctrinal clarity, and apostolic zeal. It substitutes bureaucratic procedures for the proclamation of the Gospel, and worldly hope for the theological virtue of hope.
The authentic Catholic Church, faithful to her divine mission, would not merely “share reports” and receive “positive responses.” She would anathematize error, demand the conversion of nations, and prepare her children for martyrdom if necessary. She would proclaim, with Pope Pius XI, that “His reign encompasses all human nature,” and that “there is no power in us that is exempt from this reign.”
Until the structures occupying the Vatican return to the unchanging teaching and practice of the pre-conciliar Church, such visits will remain what they are: a tragic charade that offers false hope to the faithful while masking the profound apostasy that has consumed the conciliar sect.
“When God and Jesus Christ – as we lamented – were removed from laws and states and when authority was derived not from God but from men, the foundations of that authority were destroyed, because the main reason why some have the right to command and others have the duty to obey was removed. For this reason, the entire human society had to be shaken, because it lacked a stable and strong foundation.” (Pius XI, Encyclical Ubi Arcano Dei Consilio)
Source:
Pakistani bishops voice hope and concerns during ad limina visit (vaticannews.va)
Date: 15.05.2026