In 2016, Archbishop Paglia (top left) was named the “President of Pontifical Academy for Life” by Francis.  Despite the pious names, both were in favor of contraception and assisted suicide.

Now in summer of 2025, real Catholics were thrilled to find out that Leo would replace Paglia with someone else.  However, the excitement was short-lived as he replaced him with Monsignor Renzo Pegoraro (top right) who also promotes these pro-death dogmas.  Ed Pentin at CNA even reports that Pegoraro “was the longtime deputy of its outgoing president.”

Chris Jackson wrote on his Substack about their similar view towards assisted-suicide: “In 2022, Pegoraro publicly justified assisted suicide as a ‘lesser evil’ in secular legislation. While admitting that neither assisted suicide nor euthanasia represent the Catholic position, he nevertheless called for legalizing the former under certain conditions, an action flatly condemned by Evangelium Vitae, which declares assisted suicide ‘never excusable, even if requested by the person seeking assistance’ (EV 65–66).”

Like Paglia, Pegoraro also promoted contraception as morally licit in marriage.  He explained to the Wall Street Journal in 2022 that contraception in marriage might sometimes be permissible “in the case of a conflict between the need to avoid pregnancy for medical reasons and the preservation of a couple’s sex life.”  Yes, contraception is apparently approved for a “couple’s sex life,” as the Monsignor asserted in a manner both heretical and perverted.

The rearranging of the “Pontifical Academy for Life” is similar to the rearranging of the deck chairs on the sinking Titanic.  But since the true ark of the Catholic Church can never be sunk, this corrupt ship-of-fools must be the very entity that Archbishop Viganó has already labeled the “counter-Church.”

Even if you don’t agree with my last paragraph, you may still be asking this question: Do the laity get the clergy they deserve?  Consider the results of a new Pew Research study here in the United States:

  • 55% of American women who were baptized as Catholics now believe the Church should allow gay marriage.
  • 70%+ of weekly Mass-attendants support birth control or IVF.
  • 59% of American “Catholics” approve of cohabitating couples receiving Holy Communion.
  • 54% desire the ordination of female deacons.

Many traditional priests frequently say, “You get the priests you deserve.”  But I usually don’t appreciate that smug assertion.  That’s like a hospital CEO telling a patient starting a malpractice suit against them: “Well, if you had stayed out of the gun fights in the streets, you wouldn’t have gotten our stinky trauma surgeons who frequently botch gunshot wounds in ungrateful patients like you.”  It’s a cop-out for one not doing his job.

On the other hand, St. Anthony Mary Claret wrote: Until the wrath of the Lord reaches its apex, He permits that nations arm themselves one against the other; that the fields become sterile; that hunger, desolation and death exert their dominium over the earth.  However, when His just indignation reaches its climax, He sends the last and most atrocious of His punishments by allowing unfaithful ministers, stained priests, scandalous shepherds to appear among men. Then it happens that the abominations of the people are the cause of the bad priests, and the bad priests are the greatest punishment with which God chastises the people.

So where do we go from here?  Pope St. Gregory the Great predicted in the 6th century that the last real Christians in the world would be marked by virtue and strength, not many miracles, as they hold the last line against the wicked opinions of the world:

For the riches of miracles are first withdrawn from the faithful, and then that ancient enemy [satan] displays himself against them with visible prodigies, in order that as he boasts himself on his wonders, he may be overthrown more mightily and more honourably by the faithful without wonders.  For though signs will not be wanting to the faithful in their contest with him, yet [satan’s] will be so great, that those of our people will seem to be rather few or none at all.  But their virtue doubtless becomes mightier than all signs [miracles] when it crushes with the heel of inward resolution all [satan’s] terrible deeds which it beholds.—Pope St. Gregory the Great, Morals on the Book of Job, Vol. III, Book xxxiv, n. 7.

So, stay strong in the ancient faith.  That might “surprise heaven” as much as working miracles in the last days.