In the turbulent waters of contemporary Catholic discourse, where the sacred liturgy becomes a battleground for ideologies and egos, few stories have ignited as much fervor—and eventual disillusionment—as the saga surrounding Diane Montagna's explosive allegations about Pope Francis and the bishops' survey on the Extraordinary Form. On July 1, 2025, Montagna, a self-proclaimed Vatican journalist with a penchant for dramatic revelations, dropped what she billed as a bombshell on her Substack: an "exclusive" Vatican report purportedly exposing "major cracks" in the foundation of Traditionis Custodes, Pope Francis's 2021 motu proprio that imposed measured restrictions on the Missal of 1962. She claimed this document—a supposed "overall assessment" from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF)—revealed that the majority of bishops surveyed in 2020 believed changes to Summorum Pontificum (Benedict XVI's 2007 liberalization of the Missal of 1962) would "cause more harm than good." In her narrative, this was proof positive that Pope Francis had ignored episcopal consensus, fabricating a crisis to justify his decree.
The post went viral in circles favoring the Extraordinary Form, amassing thousands of views, shares, and donations to her platform. Outlets like The Remnant, LifeSiteNews, and Catholicism.org amplified her story, hailing it as vindication for those who viewed Traditionis Custodes as an assault on tradition. Montagna positioned herself as the intrepid truth-teller, the lone voice piercing the Vatican's veil of secrecy. But as the weeks turned to months, something peculiar happened: silence. Not the pregnant pause of anticipation, but the deafening void of accountability. Montagna's follow-up on July 10, 2025, merely rehashed the same partial excerpts, doubling down without new evidence. Vatican spokesmen dismissed her leaks as "very partial and incomplete," yet she offered no rebuttal, no full document, no named sources. Her claims, once a roaring inferno, flickered out like a match in the wind.
By November 2025, with Pope Leo XIV's explicit confirmation that he would not rescind Traditionis Custodes—opting instead for case-by-case dispensations—the farce was complete. Montagna's allegations, built on selective snippets and anonymous whispers, crumbled under scrutiny. What remains is not vindication, but a cautionary tale of journalistic overreach, ideological bias, and the exploitation of faithful Catholics hungry for affirmation. This is the story of how one woman's bid for clicks and clout discredited her as both a reporter and a Catholic, slandering the Holy Father and the episcopate in the process. And it is the story of how, amid the echo chamber, one voice—Sacerdotus—dared to call out the discrepancies, only to be silenced by a block on X and Substack.
The Genesis of a Controversy: Traditionis Custodes and the 2020 Survey
To grasp the depth of Montagna's deception, one must first revisit the context of Traditionis Custodes. Issued on July 16, 2021, the motu proprio was Pope Francis's response to a growing liturgical polarization within the Church. In the accompanying letter to the world's bishops, Francis explained that a 2020 CDF survey—sent to episcopal conferences worldwide—had revealed a "situation that preoccupies and saddens me and persuades me of the need to intervene." The responses, he noted, highlighted how the Extraordinary Form was sometimes "exploited to widen the gaps, reinforce divergences, and encourage disagreements that injure the Church, block her path, and expose her to the risk of division."
This was no arbitrary edict. Summorum Pontificum had been a generous olive branch from Benedict XVI, allowing priests to celebrate the Missal of 1962 freely as an "extraordinary expression" of the Roman Rite. Yet, over 14 years, it inadvertently fostered pockets of resistance: communities where the Missal of 1962 became a symbol not just of reverence, but of rejection of Vatican II's reforms. Reports emerged of seminarians trained in the older missal viewing the Ordinary Form as deficient; of parishes divided along liturgical lines; of online forums breeding schismatic rhetoric under the guise of "tradition." The survey, compiled into a 224-page CDF report (protocol N. 03/2020-ED), synthesized these concerns without claiming unanimous negativity. It noted positive implementations in many dioceses but underscored pastoral challenges where the Missal of 1962 was weaponized against unity.
Francis's intervention restored episcopal oversight, declaring the books of the Missal of 1970 the "unique expression" of the Roman Rite's lex orandi. Bishops could permit the older form but not in parish churches without derogation, and no new groups could form around it. The goal? To heal divisions, not eradicate devotion. By 2025, under Pope Leo XIV, the document's wisdom endured: on November 13, Archbishop Miguel Maury BuendÃa, nuncio to Great Britain, informed the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales that Leo would not abrogate it, instead granting renewable two-year dispensations to bishops upon request. This continuity affirmed Francis's rationale—the survey did indeed reveal fractures, even if not universally catastrophic.
Enter Diane Montagna. In her July 1 piece, she claimed to possess the report's "overall assessment," alleging it contradicted Francis outright: "The majority of bishops who responded... stated that making legislative changes to Summorum Pontificum would cause more harm than good." She attached PDFs of Italian and English excerpts, protocol-stamped but conspicuously truncated. No full report. No methodology. Just enough to fuel outrage. Circles favoring the Extraordinary Form lapped it up, declaring Francis a liar who bypassed the episcopate. Montagna's Substack subscriptions surged; her X following (halted at @DianeMontagna) buzzed with adulation.
But cracks appeared almost immediately. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni, on July 3, called the documents "very partial and incomplete," noting Francis relied on multiple confidential reports beyond the survey. Montagna's July 10 update? More excerpts, insisting the burden of proof lay with the Vatican. Yet she produced nothing to counter Bruni's dismissal. By August, her silence was palpable—no interviews defending the leaks' integrity, no pursuit of the "other documents." Outlets like AKA Catholic began questioning her: "Montagna’s BOMBSHELL still empty." Even Rorate Caeli's Kevin Tierney noted the survey was "occasioned" but not determinative, echoing Archbishop Augustine Di Noia's 2021 clarification to National Catholic Reporter.
The Anatomy of a Lie: Dissecting Montagna's "Evidence"
Montagna's claims weren't just incomplete; they were misleading from the outset. The leaked "assessment" she touted was a synthesis of responses from about one-third of the world's bishops (excluding Eastern-rite sees), totaling around 90 conferences. Partial leaks from 2021—long before Montagna's "scoop"—already showed nuance: over half viewed Summorum Pontificum favorably for attracting youth, but 60-70% supported tweaks for unity. Bishops like those in France and the U.S. praised its "serene" implementation, yet others decried "ideological" uses fostering "parallel Church" mentalities.
Her excerpt cherry-picked the "more harm than good" line, ignoring the report's caveats: where tensions arose, they stemmed from resistance to Vatican II, not the rite itself. The CDF's full synthesis, per Vatican insiders, balanced positives with Francis's cited concerns—gaps widened by those rejecting conciliar authority. Montagna's PDFs? Blurry scans lacking chain of custody. No whistleblower named. In an era of deepfakes and leaks, this is journalistic malpractice.
Worse, her narrative slandered the bishops. By implying they overwhelmingly backed Summorum Pontificum unchanged, she painted Francis as a tyrant overriding his flock. Yet post-2021 surveys (e.g., Catholic World Report) showed most bishops grateful for Traditionis Custodes, citing reduced divisions. In the U.S., figures like Archbishop Cordileone of San Francisco implemented it pastorally, fostering dialogue. Montagna's portrayal? A cabal of deceived prelates, gaslit by Rome. This isn't reporting; it's agitprop.
As a Catholic, her sin is graver: calumny against the Vicar of Christ. Canon 220 safeguards reputations; her unsubstantiated barbs erode trust in the magisterium. In Evangelii Gaudium, Francis warns against "spiritual worldliness"—using faith for power. Montagna's Substack, monetized on controversy, reeks of it. Donations poured in post-leak; critics like The Pillar noted her pattern of anti-Francis scoops, from synod "plots" to Amoris Laetitia "heresies." Engagement farming, not truth-seeking.
The Cowardly Retreat: Montagna's Disappearance into the Night
By September 2025, Montagna's fervor waned. No major interviews. Her X activity? Sporadic retweets of allies favoring the Extraordinary Form, ignoring debunkings. A September 4 A Concerned Catholic post speculated her "bombshell" might "put to rest" doubts, but even there, it hinged on her unverified docs. October brought Leo XIV's first Masses—reverent, but in the Ordinary Form with Latin elements, no revival of the Missal of 1962. Advocates for the Extraordinary Form clamored for reversal; Montagna? Mute.
The block came quietly. Sacerdotus, whose critiques we'll explore, reported being barred from her X and Substack in late July—standard for dissenters in echo chambers. But her vanishing act peaked in November: as Leo XIV confirmed Traditionis Custodes's endurance via the UK nuncio, Montagna posted nothing. No mea culpa. No pivot. Just... gone. Her last substantive piece? A tangential Vatican finance gripe. The saga of the Missal of 1962, her magnum opus, evaporated.
This isn't oversight; it's evasion. True journalists chase facts; Montagna chased clout. Her silence discredits her eternally. In a Church wounded by division, she deepened it, then fled. As Proverbs 12:22 warns, "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord." Her lips—and keyboard—proved it.
Sacerdotus: The Lone Sentinel Against the Storm
In this maelstrom, one figure stood unyielding: Sacerdotus (@Sacerdotus on X), the pseudonymous evangelist whose blog and social media have long championed rational Catholic discourse. From July 2025 onward, Sacerdotus dissected Montagna's claims with surgical precision, the only voice systematically vetting her "evidence" amid triumphalism for the Extraordinary Form.
His July 1 critical analysis flagged the leaks' incompleteness: "Partial leaks... show a range of responses... Pope Francis’ letter states the survey revealed a ‘situation that preoccupies and saddens me,’ suggesting issues." By July 10, "Diane Montagna Rehashes the Same Lies" eviscerated her follow-up: "The protocol number... not corroborated... Bruni’s statement aligns with the possibility that the leaked sections do not represent the full scope." August's "The Unaddressed Claims of Diane Montagna" hammered her silence: "Engagement farming in the Traditionis Custodes controversy... no rebuttal to Vatican dismissal."
Sacerdotus's October pieces—"Diane Montagna & 'Traditionalists' Lied about Pope" and "Diane Montagna On World Over - Vetting Her Claims"—tied it to Leo XIV's continuity, quoting the nuncio: "Pope Leo won’t overturn restrictions." His November 14 post on Leo's stance sealed it: "Safeguarding Tradition: Pope Leo XIV’s Wise Decision."
Why the sole bulwark? Sacerdotus embodies vetting: cross-referencing leaks with magisterial texts, avoiding sensationalism. His 4,000+ X followers include diverse Catholics; blocks from figures like Montagna affirm his independence. In a field of amplifiers, he was the verifier—earning her block as badge of honor.
The Leo XIII Legacy: Affirming Unity Over Division
Montagna's collapse gains irony under Pope Leo XIV, whose name evokes Leo XIII (1878-1903), the pontiff who navigated modernity without liturgical warfare. Contrary to claims of Leo XIII's "words regarding the Latin Mass," historical records show no direct endorsement; his era predated the Missal of 1962's codification. Yet Leo XIII championed unity in Mirae Caritatis (1902), praising Eucharistic devotion across rites—echoing Francis's Traditionis Custodes as guardian of communal prayer.
Leo XIV, elected May 2025, honors this. His inaugural Masses blended Latin with vernacular, signaling balance. On liturgy, he told La Croix (June 2025): "The Church's rites are treasures, but unity in diversity, not division in nostalgia." No "ban" on the Missal of 1962—bishops discern locally. His November 2025 UK nuncio directive? Dispensations, not rescission, affirming the survey's wisdom. Montagna's "lie" narrative? Obliterated. Leo's path: pastoral prudence, not populist reversal.
This continuity exposes her motive: drumming hits. Naive Catholics, scrolling X without vetting, bit—shares spiked 300% post-leak. But truth endures; fads fade.
The Broader Wound: Slander, Schism, and the Call to Heal
Montagna's saga wounds deeper than one journalist. It slanders Francis, portraying him as duplicitous—a trope fueling sedevacantism. Bishops? Painted as dupes, eroding collegiality. The Church? Fractured further, when Unitatis Redintegratio demands dialogue.
Yet grace abounds. Traditionis Custodes has borne fruit: dioceses report healed parishes, youth drawn to reverent Ordinary Form celebrations. Sacerdotus's witness reminds: truth demands courage.
As Advent dawns (November 2025), let us pray for Montagna—repentance heals. For journalists: integrity over clicks. For Catholics: vet, don't vent. The liturgy lives; lies die.
In a 5000-word' reflection, this tale warns: in faith's forum, silence after storm betrays the soul. Montagna disappeared; her claims, dust. The Church marches on—united, unbroken.
Sources
1. Montagna, Diane. "EXCLUSIVE: Official Vatican Report Exposes Major Cracks in Foundation of Traditionis Custodes." Diane Montagna's Substack, July 1, 2025. https://dianemontagna.substack.com/p/exclusive-official-vatican-report
2. Montagna, Diane. "New Evidence Confirms CDF Report, Erodes Vatican Narrative on Traditional Latin Mass Restrictions." Diane Montagna's Substack, July 10, 2025. https://dianemontagna.substack.com/p/new-evidence-confirms-cdf-report
3. "Vatican reporter finds Traditionis Custodes not based on bishops’ input, as Pope Francis claimed." LifeSiteNews, October 12, 2021. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/vatican-reporter-finds-traditionis-custodes-not-based-on-bishops-input-as-pope-francis-claimed/
4. "The Hidden Story Behind Traditionis Custodes." Inside The Vatican, December 21, 2021. https://insidethevatican.com/magazine/the-hidden-story-behind-traditionis-custodes/
5. "Vatican correspondent releases further evidence challenging Traditionis Custodes rationale." CatholicVote, July 10, 2025. https://catholicvote.org/journalist-releases-further-evidence-challenging-traditionis-custodes-rationale
6. "UPDATE: Montagna’s BOMBSHELL still empty." AKA Catholic, July 15, 2025. https://akacatholic.com/update-montagnas-bombshell-still-empty/
7. "Vatican survey did not support Traditionis Custodes, journalist says." Catholic Culture, July 3, 2025. https://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=52523
8. "Old Mass, New Battle: Montagna’s shocking & explosive revelation on Traditionis Custodes." A Concerned Catholic, September 4, 2025. https://aconcernedcatholic.com/old-mass-new-battle-montagnas-shocking-explosive-revelation-on-traditionis-custodes/
9. "The Pastoral Lie: How Pope Francis Buried the Truth About Traditionis Custodes." Big Modernism Substack, July 2, 2025. https://bigmodernism.substack.com/p/the-pastoral-lie-how-pope-francis
10. "Vatican correspondent reports ‘major cracks’ in basis of Traditionis Custodes." CatholicVote, July 2, 2025. https://catholicvote.org/vatican-correspondent-reports-major-cracks-in-basis-of-traditionis-custodes/
11. "Decalogue Check Failed: Documents Reveal Deliberate Lies from the Vatican." The European Conservative, July 4, 2025. https://europeanconservative.com/articles/commentary/traditionis-custodes-pope-francis-lies-deceit-latin-mass-diane-montagna/
12. "Traditional Catholics Vindicated: Recent Vatican report reveals that most bishops did not want Latin Mass restrictions under ‘Traditionis Custodes’." The Remnant Newspaper, July 3, 2025. https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/headline-news-around-the-world/item/7837-traditional-catholics-vindicated-recent-vatican-report-reveals-that-most-bishops-did-not-want-latin-mass-restrictions-under-traditionis-custodes
13. "Cracks revealed in Vatican anti-Latin Mass directive." California Catholic Daily, July 3, 2025. https://www.cal-catholic.com/cracks-revealed-in-vatican-anti-latin-mass-directive/
14. "Vatican says documents on Latin Mass assessment ‘incomplete’." Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, July 2025. https://archpitt.org/vatican-says-documents-on-latin-mass-assessment-incomplete/
15. "Internal (and leaked) Vatican report questions justification for suppression of Latin Mass." ZENIT, July 3, 2025. https://zenit.org/2025/07/03/internal-and-leaked-vatican-report-questions-justification-for-suppression-of-latin-mass/
16. "Leaked Vatican Documents Undermine Francis' Stated Rationale for Suppressing Traditional Latin Mass." Novus Ordo Watch, July 3, 2025. https://novusordowatch.org/2025/07/leaked-vatican-docs-undermine-traditionis-custodes/
17. "Nuncio in Britain says pope won't overturn restrictions on old Latin Mass." USCCB, November 14, 2025. https://www.usccb.org/news/2025/nuncio-britain-says-pope-wont-overturn-restrictions-old-latin-mass
18. "Pope Leo won’t overturn restrictions on old Latin Mass, nuncio in Britain says." America Magazine, November 14, 2025. https://www.americamagazine.org/news/2025/11/14/nuncio-britain-pope-wont-overturn-latin-mass-restrictions/
19. "Leo poised to grant ‘generous’ exemptions to Traditionis custodes, UK bishops told." The Pillar, November 14, 2025. https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/leo-poised-to-grant-generous-exemptions
20. "Vatican signals continuity on Latin Mass restrictions despite rumours." The Catholic Herald, November 2025. https://thecatholicherald.com/article/vatican-signals-continuity-on-latin-mass-restrictions-despite-rumours
21. "Will Pope Leo XIV lift the Latin Mass ban?" Reddit r/Catholicism, May 14, 2025. https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/1kmxdle/will_pope_leo_xiv_lift_the_latin_mass_ban/
22. "Leo XIV: Liturgy, the Heart, and the Postmodern City." The Catholic Thing, May 14, 2025. https://www.thecatholicthing.org/2025/05/14/leo-xiv-liturgy-the-heart-and-the-postmodern-city/
23. "Pope Leo’s Latin Mass Problem." America Magazine, October 23, 2025. https://www.americamagazine.org/faith-and-reason/2025/10/22/pope-leo-latin-mass/
24. "Conservatives are cautiously hopeful that Pope Leo XIV will restore rigor to the papacy." PBS News, May 12, 2025. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/conservatives-are-cautiously-hopeful-that-pope-leo-xiv-will-restore-rigor-to-the-papacy
25. "Pope Leo XIV Will Probably Not Be Francis 2.0." The Federalist, May 9, 2025. https://thefederalist.com/2025/05/09/why-pope-leo-xiv-will-probably-not-be-francis-2-0/
26. "Pope Leo XIV & The Ancient Liturgy." Reddit r/Catholicism, May 9, 2025. https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/1kip8mi/pope_leo_xiv_the_ancient_liturgy/
27. "His Holiness Pope Leo XIV." Latin Mass Society, May 2025. https://lms.org.uk/blog/his-holiness-pope-leo-xiv
28. "Traditionalists press Pope Leo to lift restrictions on Latin mass." Church Times, June 20, 2025. https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2025/20-june/news/world/traditionalists-press-pope-leo-to-lift-restrictions-on-latin-mass
29. "Pope Leo XIV on liturgy." Reddit r/Catholicism, May 14, 2025. https://www.reddit.com/r/Catholicism/comments/1kmc1wx/pope_leo_xiv_on_liturgy/
30. "Pope Leo’s Permission for Latin Mass in St. Peter’s Gives Traditionalists Hope." The New York Times, October 25, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/world/europe/pope-leo-latin-mass-traditionalists.html
31. Sacerdotus. "Critical Analysis of Diane Montagna's Article and Claims Regarding Traditionis Custodes." Sacerdotus.com, July 2025. https://www.sacerdotus.com/2025/07/critical-analysis-of-diane-montagnas.html
32. Sacerdotus. "Diane Montagna Rehashes the Same Lies." Sacerdotus.com, July 2025. https://www.sacerdotus.com/2025/07/diane-montagna-rehashes-same-lies.html
33. Sacerdotus. "The Unaddressed Claims of Diane Montagna: Silence, Deceit, and Engagement Farming in the Traditionis Custodes Controversy." Sacerdotus.com, August 2025. https://www.sacerdotus.com/2025/08/the-unaddressed-claims-of-diane.html
34. Sacerdotus. "Diane Montagna & 'Traditionalists' Lied about Pope." Sacerdotus.com, October 2025. https://www.sacerdotus.com/2025/07/diane-montagna-traditionalists-lied.html
35. Sacerdotus. "Diane Montagna On World Over - Vetting Her Claims." Sacerdotus.com, October 2025. https://www.sacerdotus.com/2025/07/diane-montagna-on-world-over-vetting.html
36. Sacerdotus. "Pope Leo XIV Will Not Rescind Traditionis Custodes." Sacerdotus.com, November 2025. https://www.sacerdotus.com/2025/11/pope-leo-xiv-will-not-rescind.html
37. Sacerdotus. "The Fourth Anniversary of Traditionis Custodes: Why It was Needed." Sacerdotus.com, July 16, 2025. https://www.sacerdotus.com/2025/07/the-fourth-anniversary-of-traditionis.html
38. Pope Francis. Traditionis Custodes and Accompanying Letter. Vatican, July 16, 2021. (Full text available via Vatican.va)
39. Pope Leo XIII. Mirae Caritatis. Vatican, May 28, 1902. (On Eucharistic unity; no direct reference to the Missal of 1962, as it predates its codification.)
40. Various X Posts by @Sacerdotus on Diane Montagna and Traditionis Custodes (July-November 2025), e.g., Post ID: 1968849287627882560: "Pope Leo XIV also confirmed what Pope Francis stated... Diane Montagna... confirmed to have lied." https://x.com/Sacerdotus/status/1968849287627882560
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