The EWTN News portal reports that the Archdiocese of Mexico, in a June 7 editorial, called upon Mexican Catholics to “enjoy” the 2026 FIFA World Cup while vaguely urging them not to “lose sight of what is really important.” This editorial, published just days before the opening match, perfectly encapsulates the spiritual bankruptcy of the post-conciliar hierarchy: a complete capitulation to the spirit of the world, dressed in the most banal and naturalistic language, while the supernatural mission of the Church is reduced to a feel-good footnote about family dinners.
A Worldly “Archdiocese” Celebrates a Worldly Spectacle
The editorial begins by acknowledging that “the world once again comes to a halt before the playing field.” This is presented as a neutral observation, yet it is a scandalous admission from a body that should be reminding the faithful that the only event that should cause the world to halt is the Parousia—the Second Coming of Christ—and the reality of the Final Judgment. Instead, the “archdiocese” validates the collective pause of millions for a sporting event, effectively placing a soccer tournament on the same level of cultural significance as the truths of the Faith.
The text states:
“the emotions of these days will remain in our memories but our children will still be there waiting for our attention, our parents needing a call, our grandparents longing for a visit, our spouse waiting for some time together, and our daily responsibilities demanding our presence.”
This is the language of a secular self-help column, not a pastoral letter from the successors of the Apostles. Where is the call to prayer? Where is the reminder of the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell? The “archdiocese” reduces the spiritual life to “daily responsibilities” and “family time,” completely omitting the supernatural destiny of the human soul. This is the very essence of the modernist error condemned by St. Pius X: the reduction of religion to a sentiment and a social function.
The Modernist “Pope” and the Heresy of “No One is Saved Alone”
Most damningly, the editorial invokes the authority of the usurper on Peter’s throne, “Pope” Leo XIV, quoting his June prayer intention:
“in life, as in the game, no one is saved alone. We need others to grow, to learn respect, to overcome our limits, and to celebrate together the victories we achieve.”
This statement, placed in the context of a World Cup editorial, is a masterclass in modernist subversion. The phrase “no one is saved alone” is a direct assault on the Catholic doctrine of individual salvation and the necessity of personal sanctification. While the Church has always taught the importance of the Communion of Saints and the social nature of man, salvation is fundamentally a personal affair between God and the soul, requiring individual faith, baptism, and adherence to the Commandments. To equate the spiritual life with a team sport—where “victories” are “celebrated together”—is to embrace the very “evolution of dogmas” that the Syllabus of Errors and Pascendi Dominici Gregis were issued to condemn. It is the democratization of grace, reducing the supernatural order to a collective human experience.
The Silence on the Supernatural and the Triumph of Naturalism
The editorial’s omissions are as loud as its statements. There is no mention of the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass as the center of the Catholic life. There is no call to offer up the sufferings of the World Cup—the heat, the noise, the potential for sin—as penance for the conversion of sinners. There is no warning against the near occasions of sin that such events invariably provide: the neglect of Sunday Mass, the excessive consumption of alcohol, the blasphemy that erupts from the stands, and the idolatry of athletes.
Instead, the “archdiocese” offers this naturalistic tripe:
“Sport need not be a reason to distance ourselves from those we love, to isolate ourselves, or to shut ourselves away for hours in front of the television, shunning human contact or neglecting what requires our attention.”
This is a green light for the faithful to participate fully in the spectacle, provided they do not become too absorbed in it. It is the logic of the conciliar sect: accommodate the world, do not challenge it, and rebrand vice as “fraternity.” The editorial concludes by noting that “trophies are fleeting,” yet it fails to mention that the imago Dei in man is eternal and that the loss of a single soul is a tragedy greater than the defeat of any nation on a soccer field.
Conclusion: The “Archdiocese” as an Agent of Secularism
The Archdiocese of Mexico’s editorial is a textbook example of the post-conciliar Church’s surrender to the world. By quoting the modernist “Pope” Leo XIV to justify the celebration of a sporting event, the “archdiocese” reveals its true allegiance: not to Christ the King, but to the spirit of the age. It is a call to “enjoy the world” while offering only the most tepid, naturalistic reminders about family values. This is not the voice of the Church that produced the martyrs and the saints; it is the voice of the neo-church, which has exchanged the Cross for a soccer ball and the supernatural life for a “celebration” of human fraternity. The faithful must reject this modernist banality and return to the unchanging truths of the Catholic Faith, which teach that non serviam—”I will not serve”—is the only response to the idolatry of the world.
Source:
Church in Mexico: ‘Enjoy the World Cup without losing sight of what’s truly important’ (ewtnnews.com)
Date: 10.06.2026