Podcast Summary: WarRoom Battleground EP 895

Title: WarRoom Predicted Day 1 — Pope Francis’s Unholy War On Latin Mass Set To Continue Under Leo
Date: November 20, 2025
Host: WarRoom.org (Ben Harnwell, guest hosts; regulars Frank Walker & Jenny Holland)
Main Theme:
This episode focuses on the ongoing suppression of the traditional Latin Mass within the Catholic Church, the transition from Pope Francis to Pope Leo, and the Vatican’s trajectory under new leadership. The panel discusses recent news about Church policies, evaluates reporting from "Trad Inc." (traditionalist Catholic media), and explores broader trends in religious practice and culture, including a controversial US court case on religious instruction and cultural shifts indicated by Nicki Minaj's activism.

Main Segments & Key Topics

1. Pope Leo and the Latin Mass Wars

[00:54–09:46]

• Background:
  Six months into Pope Leo’s papacy, hopes among traditional Catholics for a reversal of Francis' policies appear unfounded. The hosts claim the War Room, along with Frank Walker and Chris Jackson, accurately predicted Leo would continue restricting the old Latin Mass.
• Traditionis Custodes Policy:
  • Pope Benedict XVI had allowed priests to celebrate the traditional Mass without special permission.
  • Pope Francis restricted this, requiring bishops’ permission and further approval from Rome.
  • Many hoped (incorrectly, per the panel) Pope Leo would be more favorable to traditionalists.
• Recent Bishops’ Conferences Revelation:
  • News leaked from the UK Bishops’ meeting (via the US bishops) suggested Leo was open to extending allowances for the Latin Mass.
  • Frank Walker characterizes this as a “stunt” and a “nothing burger,” as the leniency was quickly walked back and status quo reaffirmed.

“Tradinc lied to you. We did not.” – Ben Harnwell [06:46]

• Media Critique & Takeaway:
  The panel urges listeners to be critical of Catholic news sources, many of which they accuse of whitewashing reality and stifling dissent.

“You have to ask yourself, who benefits and how do we follow the money?” – Frank Walker [10:50]

2. The Decline of Faith Practice and the Church’s Internal Crisis

[10:48–13:58]

• Faithful Disillusioned:
  • Panelists discuss falling church attendance, referencing mass closures and church sales in Detroit.
  • They put blame on the hierarchy’s focus on progressive politics, climate change, and immigration, contending these dilute true Catholic witness and drive faithful away.

“Get the whole picture…because the money that has bought the church, the infiltrated hierarchy, and a Pope that does not really reflect Catholicism.” – Frank Walker [12:52]

3. Religious Freedom Under Threat in Maine: A Court Case

[16:50–25:38]

• Case Outline:
  Jenny Holland presents the case of a Maine mother banned by a court from taking her daughter to church or providing religious education, ceding all authority to the father.
  • The father claimed religious teaching traumatized the child.
  • The case is being appealed to the Maine Supreme Court, raising major First Amendment concerns.
• Societal Trends:
  Jenny argues that hostility toward Christianity paradoxically makes the faith more attractive to outsiders seeking meaning.

“The more extreme the hostility becomes towards Christian belief, the more it is actually driving people into the arms of the Christian faith.” – Jenny Holland [18:15]

• Generational Shift in NYC:
  • Noting a New York Post article, Jenny describes a rise in young, urban, formerly liberal attendees at Catholic churches.

“All of the people interviewed…they were all young, under 40. They were all from liberal backgrounds.” – Jenny Holland [24:29]

• Panel agrees this signals a unique postwar shift.

4. Scandal and Inclusion in Rome: Trans Prostitutes at Vatican Lunch

[31:32–38:42]

• Story:
  • 48 transgender prostitutes attended an annual Vatican lunch for the poor, though this year, unlike past years, they weren’t seated at the Pope’s table.
  • The event is used as a lens on the perceived moral confusion at the top of the Church.
  • The panel mocks the Vatican’s handling and criticizes the lack of a call to repentance for guests.

“Cardinal Krajewski…says, well, they’re still integral to the church. That’s the important thing: make sure that they know that tranny hookers are part of the Catholic Church.” – Frank Walker [35:50]

• Media Sensationalism:
  "Even the term ‘tranny hookers’"—the hosts’ language—exposes their disdain for Vatican outreach policies.
• Context:
  Panelists contrast this ostensible “inclusion” with the Vatican hierarchy’s reluctance to care for traditional Catholics and young seekers.

“What people think the Catholic Church is from outside is very different from what you find inside…” – Ben Harnwell [25:39]

5. Advice for New Catholics & Cultural Resistance

[38:42–40:33]

• For Inquirers:
  Frank Walker encourages young converts to seek out authentic faith experiences and recognize spiritual warfare in the church’s struggles.

“Build your own faith, work together…learn your past, find the pockets of Catholic resistance and work that way.” – Frank Walker [39:06]

• Call to Laity:
  The laity must help welcome and shepherd new Catholics, protecting them from scandal.

6. Pop Culture Crosses Over: Nicki Minaj and MAGA

[44:32–50:05]

• Story:
  • Rapper Nicki Minaj is invited by U.N. Ambassador Mike Walsh to address the U.N. on Christian persecution in Nigeria after highlighting the issue online.
  • Her vast, young, LGBT-friendly fanbase is now being exposed to MAGA messages and Christian causes, a major cultural shift.

“She’s essentially reaching into a demographic that…has been queered by LGBT propaganda in schools. And the fact that she is offering them an alternative vision is incredibly significant.” – Jenny Holland [46:27]

• Panel’s Take:
  • This signals a possible realignment of cultural power, with right-wing figures entering previously progressive cultural territory.
  • Comparison is made to the Vatican’s downplaying of anti-Christian violence in Nigeria.

“It’s sort of like Pope Leo in reverse…Trump always seems really great at undoing…He unwinds the knot that somebody wound up.” – Frank Walker [49:23]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Vatican policy:
  “Tradinc lied to you. We did not.” – Ben Harnwell [06:46]

• On the loss of faith:
  “All the churches that are built reflecting the ancient Mass, they’re all going to be bulldozed, they’re all going to be sold off in Detroit. They’re cutting way, way back.” – Frank Walker [11:40]

• On the Maine court case:
  “The more extreme the hostility becomes towards Christian belief, the more it is actually driving people into the arms of the Christian faith.” – Jenny Holland [18:15]

• On young people returning to Mass:
  “All of the people interviewed…they were all young, under 40. They were all from liberal backgrounds.” – Jenny Holland [24:29]

• On Vatican scandals:
  “Make sure that they know that tranny hookers are part of the Catholic Church.” – Frank Walker [35:50]

• On pop culture shift:
  “She’s essentially reaching into a demographic that…has been queered by LGBT propaganda in schools. And the fact that she is offering them an alternative vision is incredibly significant.” – Jenny Holland [46:27]

Resource Links & Social Media

• Frank Walker: Canon 212 — "It has all the anthology of the headlines with Frank's analysis in terms of how he frames the headlines." [51:01]
• Jenny Holland: jennyeholland.substack.com, X (Twitter): @SemperFemina21 [50:52]

Flow & Tone:

• The tone is combative, self-assured, and openly critical of both the Vatican hierarchy and mainstream/traditionalist Catholic media.
• There is humor (often biting), a populist sensibility (“the laity must act”), and regular segues to current events as evidence for larger spiritual and cultural struggles.
• Language is sometimes coarse and contemptuous when discussing Vatican scandals or American courts.

For Listeners:

This episode offers a mix of internal Church criticism, advocacy for traditional Catholicism, and engagement with contemporary culture, all interwoven with current events and polemical commentary. It is particularly insightful for those interested in how religious, cultural, and political worlds intersect for traditionalist Catholics in 2025.

End of summary.