Catholic Unscripted Newsletter #13
Clarity, Courage & Co-Redemption: Another Week of Faithful Catholic Witness
Dear friends,
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Now — onto this week’s exceptional content…
1. Holy Mother Church: Mediatrix of Grace — Fr. Sean Sheehy
Fr. Sean Sheehy gives us another powerful theological reflection, this time unpacking the Church’s identity as Mediatrix of Grace. In a moment when the Vatican’s doctrinal language is being hotly debated, this article offers a steady, faithful voice rooted in Scripture and Tradition.
A must-read for anyone who wants to understand what the Church has always taught.
2. Fr. James Mawdsley on the Vatican’s New Doctrinal Note
Why Does Cardinal Fernández Want Us To overlook Centuries of Development?
Katherine and Mark are joined in conversation by Fr James Mawdsley to talk about the recent document ‘Mater populi fidelis’ issued by Cardinal ‘Tucho’ Fernández of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and approved by Pope Leo XIV. Fr James explains how a disordered understanding of male and female has made it difficult to speak with clarity whe…
Few people understand the faith as deeply — or explain it as courageously — as Fr. James Mawdsley. In this interview he gives an inside view of the Vatican’s latest doctrinal note, why Cardinal Fernández seems intent on reframing Mary, and what this means for the future of Marian devotion.
If you want clarity on a very confusing moment: start here.
3. Robert Cassidy: Is She or Is She Not Co-Redemptrix?
Is She or Is She Not Co-Redemptrix? That Is the Question!
This article is written by Robert Cassidy who was Mark’s Academic Tutor for a number of years when he studied theology at Maryvale and Mark still regards Robert with more than a little awe, it has to be said!
Catholic writer Robert Cassidy joins us for a lively, precise, and beautifully reasoned conversation about Mary’s role in salvation. If the Co-Redemptrix debate has been swirling around your social feeds, this interview cuts through the noise with refreshing theological intelligence.
4. Mark Lambert — The Gospel According to Hollywood
The Gospel According to Hollywood: Robert De Niro Meets the Pope
It was, as Vatican News put it with papal understatement, “a pleasure to meet you.” A handshake, a few words, a rosary. A Hollywood legend stands before the successor of Peter, the fisherman from Galilee who once fell on his knees and cried, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Robert De Niro, baptised a Catholic but long since adrift from the barque of Peter, has found his way once more into the Apostolic Palace. And the cameras were ready.
Hollywood is preaching a gospel — but it’s not Christ’s. Mark takes a deep dive into the shadow catechism being smuggled into film and media and explains what it means for Catholic families trying to stay grounded in truth.
A fascinating cultural analysis with a strong pastoral heart.
5. Archbishop Paul Coakley: The Future of the USCCB
A new president of the USCCB brings new questions, new hopes, and new concerns. We look at Archbishop Coakley’s background, priorities, and the direction the American Church may take under his leadership.
6. Bishop Strickland’s Address at the USCCB Meeting
The address that electrified faithful Catholics across the world. Bishop Strickland spoke with clarity, conviction, and courage — and here we break down why his words mattered.
7. What Bishop Strickland Should Have Said
“How Dare You Harm the Little Ones”: Bishop Strickland’s Prophetic Rebuke to the Church
Following yesterday’s post on Bishop Strickland and his intervention at the USCCB meeting, this morning brought an extraordinary development. Bishop Strickland published a blistering and deeply prophetic message that reads less like commentary and more like the voice of a man compelled by conscience to speak. Whatever one thinks of him, these are not the words of someone seeking approval or position. They are the words of a shepherd who believes the flock is being scattered while those charged with guarding it remain silent. Given the significance of what he has said, I want to present his message in full and reflect on its implications for the Church today.
This is the speech Bishop Strickland himself says that he ought to have delivered. A prophetic, unapologetic defence of Christ’s little ones. Bold, bracing, and uncompromising.
8. Mark’s Tweet That Broke the Internet — and Annoyed the Nuncio
Pope Leo XIV, the Nuncio, and the Latin Mass: What This Week’s Drama Really Reveals
Yesterday I posted a brief update on X about what was said inside the bishops’ plenary in Liverpool regarding Pope Leo XIV and the future of the Traditional Latin Mass.
Mark posted a inside comment from the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales… and suddenly the Nuncio is raging!
This behind-the-scenes look at how power works in the Church is one of our most viewed posts of the year.
9. Bishop Strickland Joins Us — A New Conversation
Bishop Strickland Talks To Catholic Unscripted About His USCCB Intervention
Katherine and Mark are joined in conversation by Bishop Joseph Strickland who recently spoke up against the confirmation of a man in an openly homosexual relationship at St Pauls Cathedral New York.
We welcomed Bishop Strickland back for a deeply honest conversation about the Church, the crisis of leadership, and the hope that keeps him fighting.
A truly uplifting and spiritually strengthening interview.
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With gratitude,
Mark, Katherine & the Catholic Unscripted Team