The bulldozing of the Catholic faith continued last month in Owensboro, Kentucky when Traditionis Custodes was once again employed to crackdown on the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM).
The letter that was sent to Fr. David Kennedy by Bishop William Medley to inform him of the latest tyrannical suppression revealed an important glimpse into both the reasoning behind, as well as the endgame of, his actions.
Sent on May 18, 2026, the letter may prove to be one of the clearest admissions yet of what Traditionis Custodes was always intended to accomplish: not the regulation of the traditional liturgy, but its gradual disappearance, alongside the religion it expresses.
For the past five years, defenders of Traditionis Custodes have insisted that Pope Francis merely sought to regulate the use of the 1962 Missal, to ensure ecclesial unity, or to address isolated problems associated with certain traditionalist groups.
The Owensboro letter demolishes such explanations. Bishop Medley candidly revealed that Rome required him to demonstrate “the steps that have been taken to lead the faithful attached to the antecedent liturgy toward the celebration of the liturgy according to the liturgical books reformed by decree of the Second Vatican Council.” Because he could not demonstrate that such steps had been successful, he says he had “no standing” to request an extension.
This is a stunning revelation, and one would pray that it will wake up the sleeping faithful. Sadly, the reality is that it will probably just push them further into denial.
Forced into the Conciliar Church
Medley’s statement admits that the criterion for preserving the TLM is not the spiritual health of the community, the orthodoxy of its members, the number of vocations it produces, or the fruits of devotion it inspires, but whether the community is being moved away from the traditional liturgy and toward the impoverished, inadequate, and likely offensive-to-God neo-Protestant Novus Ordo Missae.
The logic behind these moves is deadly and sinister in its efficiency: a thriving traditional community automatically fails the test. The more attached the faithful remain to the ancient Rite, the less likely a bishop can satisfy Rome’s requirements. The demonic genius behind this could only be dreamt up by Satan, since TLM attendees flock to the Mass of the Ages exactly because they are fleeing from the disastrous Novus Ordo liturgy and the accompanying false dogmas and doctrines that flows from it.
For Modernist Rome, the very existence of a stable traditional community becomes evidence that permission should be withdrawn, because the thriving community is proof that they are not succumbing to the deadly false Vatican II religion.
This is why the most revealing passage in the bishop’s letter is not the suppression itself but his discussion of what should replace it. Bishop Medley informs Father Kennedy that he may obtain the Latin edition of the Missal of Paul VI and continue celebrating the Novus Ordo in Latin and ad orientem. This detail is absurdly farcical as it insults faithful Catholics by implying that the only problem is the Latin and the direction the presider faces. But nothing could be further from the truth, as those are only some problematic aspects of the new liturgy. Much more so is the fact that the Novus Ordo Mass expresses a new religion contrary to the Catholic faith.
The Owensboro decision demonstrates that these external elements are not the issue. The bishop is willing to permit Latin, and he is willing to permit ad orientem worship. What must disappear is the traditional Roman Rite itself and the Catholic faith it represents and expresses.
The difference between the Traditional Latin Mass and the Novus Ordo is not simply linguistic but of theology, ritual structure, spirituality, and emphasis. If Latin and ad orientem alone were sufficient, Rome would have no reason to insist on replacing the 1962 Missal with the Missal of Paul VI.
Equally important to note is the complete absence of any allegation that Father Kennedy’s community has done anything wrong. Nowhere does Bishop Medley accuse the faithful of rejecting Vatican II, disobedience, doctrinal error, or schismatic tendencies.
The Dispatch
Father David Nix observed precisely this point in commenting on the letter on X. What is astonishing, he noted, is that no evidence whatsoever is offered that this traditional community rejects the Council. There is no documented problem, no theological dispute, and no rebellion — only assumptions and impressions.
The harsh but sobering conclusion? If a quiet diocesan Latin Mass community in rural Kentucky cannot survive despite the absence of any demonstrated misconduct, then the issue is no longer one of behavior, but the existence of the traditional liturgy itself and the religion it expresses, which is the Catholic religion.
Leo is continuing in Francis’ footsteps
The letter also (once again) highlights another important truth. Bishop Medley explicitly stated that he delayed action after the death of Francis and continued waiting after Leo’s election to see whether a change would occur. According to Medley, he finally acted after the January 2026 consistory and after determining that Traditionis Custodes would not be reviewed. Recent reports from Church officials have similarly indicated that Pope Leo does not intend to reverse the restrictions imposed by his predecessor.
As Integrity Magazine and its contributors have repeatedly pointed out, Leo is galvanizing the war effort on the Catholic Church, not reversing it.
Owensboro is not an isolated incident but part of a larger campaign. In Charlotte, North Carolina, Bishop Michael Martin reduced traditional Mass locations and made clear that any continuation of the Old Rite would be viewed as transitional rather than permanent. Reports from the diocese have described restrictions extending beyond the TLM itself, including prohibitions on altar rails and kneelers for Communion.
In Detroit, Archbishop Edward Weisenburger announced that permissions for TLMs in parish churches could not be renewed, citing Vatican directives reserving such authority to the Holy See. Traditional Masses were consequently removed from ordinary parish settings and relocated to designated non-parish locations.
In Knoxville, Tennessee, diocesan authorities implemented a transition away from the 1962 Missal and toward celebrations of the Novus Ordo in Latin using the most traditional options permitted by current rubrics. The rationale closely resembles the Owensboro model: preserve certain external features while replacing the traditional rite itself.
Pressure campaign
It is clear that this is a search and destroy mission by the synodal modernists and the target is Catholicism and its faithful adherents. The objective is not merely to regulate traditional communities but to force them gradually into exclusive use of the post-conciliar liturgy. The Owensboro letter simply stated this more openly than most diocesan documents.
This is a cunning strategy of attrition. Rather than abolishing the traditional Mass outright, authorities impose conditions that make its long-term survival impossible. Permissions are granted temporarily, renewals depend on evidence of transition, and communities are tolerated only insofar as they are moving toward their own disappearance.
The lesson should not be lost on those who still believe that secure diocesan arrangements or former Ecclesia Dei communities are permanently protected. The events in Owensboro demonstrate that even peaceful and “obedient” diocesan traditional communities will eventually meet the same fate. It is not a case of if, but when.
More importantly, Catholics need to take a birds-eye view of these developments and draw the correct conclusion: the endgame of Synodal Rome is not unity, but the eradication of Catholicism.
