VaticanNews portal (May 22, 2026) reports that “Pope” Leo XIV authorized six decrees from the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, paving the way for the beatification of Maronite Patriarch Elias Hoyek and 80 alleged martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, alongside four new “venerables.” This article exemplifies the conciliar sect’s systematic distortion of sanctity, martyrdom, and ecclesiology, substituting the supernatural order with naturalistic humanism and ecumenical indifferentism.
The Beatification of Elias Hoyek: Ecumenism Elevated to Heroic Virtue
The article presents Patriarch Elias Hoyek as a “Lebanese founding father” and “man of dialogue, pastoral charity and evangelical poverty.” This characterization is not merely hagiographic embellishment; it is a theological statement. The conciliar sect elevates a Maronite patriarch—a leader of a church in schism from Rome since the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD)—to the altars, implicitly affirming that sanctity and salvation exist outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church. This directly contradicts the dogma Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus (“Outside the Church there is no salvation”), defined by the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) and reiterated by Pope Boniface VIII in Unam Sanctam (1302).
Hoyek’s role in establishing the state of Lebanon in 1920 is highlighted as a mark of his greatness. Yet, the Church has always taught that the state exists to serve the spiritual ends of the Church, not the reverse. Pope Pius XI in Quas Primas (1925) explicitly states: “The state is happy not by one means, and man by another; for the state is nothing else than a harmonious association of men.” By praising Hoyek for his political achievements, the article reduces the Church’s mission to temporal nation-building, a hallmark of modernist apostasy condemned by St. Pius X in Pascendi Dominici Gregis (1907).
Furthermore, the miracle attributed to Hoyek involves the healing of Nayef Abou Assi, a Druze officer. The Druze religion is a syncretic offshoot of Islam, blending elements of Islam, Gnosticism, and Neoplatonism. That a miracle would be attributed to the intercession of a Maronite patriarch for a Druze—without any indication of conversion to Catholicism—reveals the conciliar sect’s abandonment of the supernatural order in favor of interreligious dialogue and humanitarianism.
The Spanish “Martyrs”: Martyrdom Redefined
The 80 alleged martyrs of Santander are presented as victims of “anti-Catholic persecution” during the Spanish Civil War. While it is historically documented that thousands of Catholics were martyred by Republican forces during this period, the conciliar sect’s handling of these causes is deeply suspect. The article describes their deaths in graphic detail—prisoners thrown into the sea, executed, burned—yet fails to articulate the theological definition of martyrdom.
True martyrdom requires three conditions: (1) violent death, (2) inflicted out of hatred for the faith (odium fidei), and (3) accepted willingly as a witness to Christ. Pope Benedict XIV in De Servorum Dei Beatificatione et Beatorum Canonizatione (1734-1738) established rigorous criteria for verifying martyrdom. The conciliar sect, however, has systematically lowered these standards, often beatifying individuals who died in political conflicts without clear evidence of odium fidei.
Moreover, the article’s focus on Fr. Francisco Gonzáles de Córdova—who allegedly asked to be shot last so he could absolve his companions—raises questions. While this narrative is edifying, it is precisely the kind of sentimental storytelling that the conciliar sect uses to bypass theological rigor. The Church has always demanded that miracles be scientifically inexplicable and directly attributable to the intercession of the candidate. The article provides no such evidence for these causes.
The New “Venerables”: Modernist Spirituality on Display
The four new “venerables” further expose the conciliar sect’s departure from authentic Catholic spirituality:
Br. Jean-Thierry of the Child Jesus and the Passion: A young Cameroonian Carmelite who died of cancer at 23. His final words—”So much light, so much light… How beautiful Jesus is!”—are presented as evidence of sanctity. Yet, such subjective experiences are not sufficient for canonization. The Church demands heroic virtue, not emotional consolation. His “deep Marian devotion and constant praying of the Rosary” are laudable but do not constitute sanctity. The conciliar sect’s elevation of youthful piety over theological depth is a symptom of its sentimentalism.
Mother María Ana Alberdi Echezarreta: A Spanish Conceptionist Franciscan who “guided her community through the difficult years following the war and the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.” This is a damning admission. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) was the catalyst for the conciliar revolution, which dismantled the Catholic Church and replaced it with a modernist sect. That a “venerable” is praised for implementing these reforms reveals the conciliar sect’s true allegiance: not to Tradition, but to the revolution.
Fr. Costantino Vendrame: A Salesian missionary in India who “served the poor” and “lived in extreme simplicity.” While charity to the poor is a Christian duty, the article reduces his sanctity to humanitarianism. The Church has always taught that the primary purpose of missionary work is the salvation of souls through baptism and the preaching of the Gospel, not social work. Pope Pius XI in Rerum Ecclesiae (1926) states: “The missionary’s first duty is to preach the Gospel and administer the sacraments.” Vendrame’s beatification cause, as presented, omits any mention of conversions or baptisms, focusing instead on his “spiritual strength and optimism”—virtues indistinguishable from secular humanism.
Fra Nazareno da Pula: A Capuchin lay brother known as “the saint with the sweets” for distributing candy while encouraging people to pray a Hail Mary. While piety and simplicity are commendable, the article’s portrayal borders on the ridiculous. The Church has never canonized anyone for distributing sweets. This cause reveals the conciliar sect’s desperation to find “saints” who embody its superficial, feel-good spirituality.
The Absence of Supernatural Criteria
Throughout the article, there is a glaring absence of supernatural criteria for sanctity and martyrdom. No mention is made of miracles scientifically verified by the Church’s rigorous processes. No mention is made of the candidates’ theological orthodoxy or their adherence to the unchanging deposit of faith. Instead, the article focuses on humanitarian achievements, emotional experiences, and political engagement.
This is consistent with the conciliar sect’s broader agenda: to replace the supernatural order with naturalistic humanism. Pope St. Pius X in Lamentabili Sane Exitu (1907) condemned the proposition that “the Church is incapable of effectively defending evangelical ethics, because it steadfastly adheres to its views, which cannot be reconciled with modern progress” (proposition 63). The conciliar sect has embraced this error, abandoning the Church’s supernatural mission in favor of “modern progress.”
The Illegitimacy of the Conciliar Sect
It must be stated unequivocally: the conciliar sect, which has occupied the Vatican since the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, is not the Catholic Church. As demonstrated in the file “Defense of Sedevacantism,” a manifest heretic loses his office automatically (ipso facto) by virtue of his heresy, without any declaration from the Church. The conciliar antipopes—from John XXIII to Leo XIV—have all professed heresies condemned by the pre-conciliar Magisterium, including religious liberty, ecumenism, and the evolution of dogmas.
Pope Leo XIV (Robert Prevost), as a manifest heretic, has no authority to beatify anyone. His decrees are null and void, and any “beatifications” or “canonizations” he authorizes are invalid. The true Church endures in the faithful who profess the integral Catholic faith and are led by bishops with valid sacraments and validly ordained priests.
Conclusion: A Call to Reject the Conciliar Sect
The article from VaticanNews is not merely a news report; it is a manifesto of modernist apostasy. It elevates ecumenism over the dogma Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus, redefines martyrdom in naturalistic terms, and celebrates “saints” who embody the conciliar revolution. It is a call to reject the conciliar sect and return to the immutable Tradition of the Catholic Church.
As Pope Pius IX declared in the Syllabus of Errors (1864): “The Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism and modern civilization” (proposition 80). This proposition was condemned as an error. Yet, it is precisely the error that the conciliar sect has embraced.
Let us pray for the restoration of the true Church and the end of this abomination of desolation.
Source:
Pope authorizes beatification of Lebanese 'founding father', 80 Spanish martyrs (vaticannews.va)
Date: 22.05.2026