The National Catholic Register reports on the installation of James Golka as the new “archbishop” of Denver, a position he assumed on March 25, 2026, following his tenure as “bishop” of Colorado Springs since 2021. Golka, who succeeded Samuel Aquila (appointed by the antipope Benedict XVI), shared his reflections in an interview with EWTN News, expressing surprise at his appointment and emphasizing his love for Jesus and his role as a pastor. He recounted his upbringing in Nebraska, his vocation to the priesthood, and the recent deaths of his parents, whom he claims to have felt present during his installation. Golka outlined his priorities for Denver as getting to know his priests, defending life, and listening to God’s plans for the archdiocese. This appointment, like all those made by the conciliar sect, is a selection of a man who will perpetuate the modernist revolution and the destruction of the true Faith.
The Selection of a Modernist “Shepherd”
The process by which James Golka was chosen for Denver is presented as a surprise, a divine calling he did not seek. He stated, “I had been in [Colorado] Springs for four and a half years as a bishop and I know many other bishops more qualified than I am, who have served longer than I have. So, I thought I was safe, if you will.” This self-deprecation is a common tactic among modernist “clergy” to appear humble while accepting positions of immense power within the conciliar structure. His immediate “yes” to the appointment, because he believes “if the Holy Spirit is asking through the Church and the Holy Father, you have to say yes,” reveals a blind obedience to the usurpers in Rome, not to the true Church of Christ. The “Holy Father” he refers to is Leo XIV (Robert Prevost), the current antipope, whose authority is null and void. As Pope Pius XI taught in Quas Primas, Christ the King reigns over all, and His Church is a perfect society with full freedom and independence from secular authority. The conciliar sect, however, is a paramasonic structure that has rejected Christ’s kingship and submitted to the spirit of the world.
Golka’s description of Leo XIV as a “very thoughtful, well-considered person” who “discerns and prays” is a typical modernist platitude, devoid of any reference to the true mission of the papacy: to defend and propagate the Faith, not to “discern” with the world. The idea that the “Spirit is leading this choice” is a dangerous illusion, as the Holy Spirit cannot guide a heretical antipope to appoint a true shepherd. The true Church has always taught that a manifest heretic loses his office automatically, as St. Robert Bellarmine stated: “The fifth true opinion is that a Pope who is a manifest heretic, by that very fact ceases to be Pope and head, just as he ceases to be a Christian and member of the body of the Church.” Leo XIV, like his predecessors since John XXIII, is a manifest heretic, and therefore his appointments are invalid and spiritually void.
The Naturalistic and Sentimental “Spirituality” of Golka
Golka’s account of his vocation is steeped in naturalism and sentimentality, with no mention of the supernatural grace of vocation or the necessity of the sacraments for salvation. He described his parents as “experts at passing on the faith” because “they just lived it,” a vague and subjective criterion that ignores the objective truths of the Faith and the necessity of formal catechesis. His childhood drawing of his parish priest as someone he enjoyed listening to is presented as a sign of his vocation, reducing a sacred calling to a mere emotional preference. This is the fruit of the modernist emphasis on experience over doctrine, condemned by St. Pius X in Lamentabili sane exitu, which rejected the idea that “revelation was merely man’s self-awareness of his relationship to God” (proposition 20).
His grief over the loss of marriage and children, assuaged by the promise that “many people would treat me as father and call me Father for the rest of my life,” is a naturalistic consolation that ignores the supernatural celibacy of the priesthood. The true priest offers the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, not merely “cares for the people” in a pastoral sense. Golka’s priorities for Denver—getting to know priests, defending life, and listening to God’s plans—are laudable in a natural sense but are devoid of any reference to the primary duty of a bishop: to teach, govern, and sanctify the faithful in accordance with the unchanging doctrine of the Church. As Pope Pius IX declared in the Syllabus of Errors, “The Church is not a true and perfect society, entirely free—nor is she endowed with proper and perpetual rights of her own, conferred upon her by her Divine Founder” (proposition 19) is an error that Golka and his ilk perpetuate by their submission to the conciliar sect.
The Absence of True Doctrine and the Cult of Man
Throughout the article, there is a conspicuous absence of any mention of the true Mass, the sacraments, the state of grace, or the final judgment. Golka’s focus is on his personal journey, his feelings, and his relationships, reflecting the modernist “cult of man” condemned by the pre-conciliar Magisterium. His claim to have felt his parents’ presence during his installation, “like they’re tangible,” borders on spiritualism and is a dangerous delusion, as the dead do not return to the living in such a manner. This is a far cry from the Catholic teaching on the communion of saints, which is based on the intercession of the blessed in heaven, not on subjective feelings or visions.
The article’s tone is one of admiration for Golka’s humility and pastoral sensitivity, but this is a false humility that masks a profound ignorance of the true state of the Church. The conciliar sect is an abomination of desolation, and its “bishops” are not true shepherds but wolves in sheep’s clothing. As Our Lord warned, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15). Golka’s appointment is not a blessing but a further step in the destruction of the Faith in Denver and throughout the world.
The Duty of the Faithful
The faithful must reject all appointments made by the conciliar sect and cling to the true Church, which endures in those who profess the integral Catholic faith and are led by bishops with valid sacraments and validly ordained priests. The modernist “clergy” are guilty of apostasy and the spiritual ruin of the faithful. As Pope Pius X taught in Pascendi Dominici gregis, Modernism is the synthesis of all errors, and its adherents are enemies of the Church. The faithful must pray for the true restoration of the Church and resist the conciliar revolution with all their strength. The appointment of James Golka to Denver is a reminder of the urgency of this task and the need for uncompromising fidelity to the unchanging Tradition of the Church.
Source:
‘I’m Just a Guy From Nebraska’: Archbishop Golka Reflects On Unexpected Call to Lead Denver (ncregister.com)
Date: 20.06.2026