In an interview by AdVaticanum, Bishop Athanasius Schneider—auxiliary bishop of Astana in Kazakhstan and a prominent defender of Catholic tradition—addressed several critical issues facing the Church today.
Below are some of the key topics discussed by Bishop Schneider. But before you read, note that—as I have stated in a previous post On Bishop Schneider’s “Core Questions” Regarding the SSPX—Bishop Schneider’s approach to the SSPX controversy is one-sided and consistently in favor of the group. And every time he makes a defense of the SSPX, he risks fueling further division within the Church. When he repeatedly argues that the SSPX is right, it easily implies that the Mother Church is wrong—especially when it comes to disciplining a group known for being condemned as schismatic twice in history.
On the 2026 Traditional Latin Mass Pilgrimage Restrictions
Bishop Schneider expressed profound sadness, noting the contradiction between official calls for synodality and inclusivity versus the marginalization of traditional faithful.
“My first reaction was, of course, I was filled with sadness. Because in a time where in Rome and the high clergy speaks so often of synodality, synodal methods, which they explain consists also of inclusiveness, to include all… This fact indicates that this all speech of inclusiveness and tolerance is not true. It is ideological and selective.”
The Novus Ordo Offertory and Protestant Influences
Discussing the liturgical changes following the Second Vatican Council, Bishop Schneider critiqued the new offertory prayers, comparing their theological direction to historical liturgical reforms:
“That is a complete novelty because they express simply prayers of a meal, of a banquet, they were taken basically from the Jewish supper meals and inspire completely a Protestant spirit because they express the aim of the Eucharistic celebration of Holy Mass, in this case, the offertory, as to be ultimately a meal, to a kind of communion service… And so Pope Paul VI obeyed to the request of Martin Luther and cancelled the traditional offertory prayers unfortunately and put these Jewish Protestant styled prayers in such a central point of the Mass.”
The Gradual Integration of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX)
Schneider emphasized the providential nature of Archbishop Lefebvre’s work in highlighting doctrinal confusion and liturgical integrity, arguing for eventual regularization:
“The situation of the Society of Pius X is still not canonically regularized and it would be a benefit for the entire church to gradually integrate this work of these priests and faithful of the work of Archbishop Lefebvre into the life of the church. I hope that it could be done. And I proposed to the past years to the Holy See some concrete steps. And I pray and hope that this could be done.”
On Obedience and His Possible Deposition
In addressing sedevacantism and the proper Catholic understanding of obedience, Bishop Schneider drew a clear line between absolute obedience due to God alone and the relative obedience owed to human church authorities. He also affirmed his personal willingness to accept disciplinary measures or deposition for the sake of the faith:
“We have also to have a correct understanding what is obedience. Obedience, absolute obedience, is only possible towards God. It would be an error, even a heresy, to proclaim an absolute obedience towards a human being, and the pope is human… When the Pope will depose me, I will accept it without any problems because I’m not important in the church at all. But when the faith is undermined, the sacredness of the liturgy, then I must speak with love and reverence and love for the Pope.”
Source: AdVaticanum. (2026, October 29). AdVaticanum presents: The bishop Athanasius Schneider interview [YouTube]
Leave a Reply