2026-02-25

The Pillar’s Lenten Naturalism: A Study in Conciliar Apostasy

Factual Summary and Thesis

The cited article, published February 24, 2026, on The Pillar portal, is a Lenten newsletter by JD Flynn. It opens with a lengthy, reverent biographical sketch of “Rattlesnake Kate” (1893-1969), a Colorado folkloric figure described as a Catholic who “didn’t make it to Mass too often.” The piece then transitions to several news items: a Chaldean “bishop” under embezzlement investigation; an unusual Vatican appointment of a former diocesan bishop as an auxiliary; the murder of a nun in Brazil; funding delays for Swiss Guard barracks; an Anglican “canon” converting to the “Catholic Church” and praising “substantive ecclesial communion” with the current Roman Pontiff; and a women’s group promoting “the whole of Catholic doctrine.” The newsletter concludes with excerpts from Bishop Erik Varden’s Lenten retreat for “Pope Leo” and a secular commentary on international hockey. The article’s thesis, implicit in its editorial choices, is that such a mélange of secular human-interest stories, scandal reports, and vague spiritual reflections constitutes legitimate “Catholic” commentary for the Lenten season. From the perspective of integral Catholic faith, this thesis is nothing short of catastrophic. The article is a perfect microcosm of the conciliar sect’s apostasy: it replaces the supernatural ends of the Catholic religion with a naturalistic, human-centered narrative, thereby embodying the very errors condemned by St. Pius X and Pope Pius IX.