(LifeSiteNews) — Joining me on this episode of The John Henry Westen Show is Father David Nix. We discussed Pope Leo’s downgrading of Our Lady’s titles of “Co-Redemptrix” and “Mediatrix of All Graces,” why bishops refuse to call out the new pontiff’s errors as they did with Pope Francis, and more.

We first discussed how radically the Church hierarchy has changed over the past 20 years and Pope Leo’s strange comments about how those who are in favor of the death penalty are “not pro-life.” We then delved into the recent Vatican doctrinal note that discouraged the faithful from using Our Lady’s titles of “Co-Redemptrix” and “Mediatrix of All Graces.”

I noted that the Vatican’s justification of the title — that it is confusing to Protestants — doesn’t withstand scrutiny, since biblically-literate Protestants would recognize that all grace and truth comes through Our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ came through Mary, and therefore her role as “Co-Redemptrix” and “Mediatrix of All Graces” should be pretty obvious. Nix agreed, emphasizing that the Vatican crossed a line, particularly by downgrading Our Lady’s traditional title of “Mediatrix of All Graces.”

READ: Vatican rejects Marian titles ‘Co-Redemptrix’ and ‘Mediatrix’ in new doctrinal note

“That (doctrinal note) did cross a new line at that point,” he said. “I understand why Protestant converts to Catholicism can initially be confused at ‘Co-Redemptrix,’ but for (the note) to attack Mary as ‘Mediatrix of All Graces,’ that was the big showstopper for me, because you don’t really have the plausible deniability you do on ‘Co-Redemptrix,’ where things were a little bit more complex.”

“And so, when people say, ‘Well, Leo gave some Muslims the rosary in Lebanon,’ okay, maybe … but he signed off on a document downgrading Mary,” he added. “Is that a wash? No, it’s not really a wash. This is a very bad idea, to put it in an understated manner, to put on Vatican paper an attack on Our Lady.”

I jumped in to ask Nix why so many bishops who had been critical of Pope Francis have been silent on Pope Leo’s downgrading of Mary and other ambiguities. The priest underscored that it appears that traditionalist prelates and laity, or the so-called “Trad Inc.,” aren’t calling out Pope Leo because they’re looking for the best “terms of surrender.”

READ: Bishop Strickland denounces Pope Leo, bishops for scandalizing the faithful

“We were hoping for someone courageous to step up. … But I think the most charitable interpretation of ‘Trad Inc’ right now … is they just wanted the best terms of surrender,” he said. “They looked at so many years of post-Vatican II revolution … (and said), ‘You know what? The best we can do right now is save our local Latin Mass by not calling out these heresies.'”

“My opinion on that is the 1917 Code of Canon Law says silence or defense of a heretic makes you suspicious of heresy. I don’t want to go down in history doing that,” he added. “People can call me all the names they want, schismatic, whatever. But you actually can’t be a schismatic from a heretic.”

To hear more from Fr. David Nix, watch my full interview above or by clicking here.

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