Will Pope Leo XIV continue the legacy of Pope Francis, or will he refocus the Catholic Church on tradition and orthodoxy? Glenn speaks with LifeSiteNews CEO and co-founder John-Henry Westin, who argues that “the number one sign” of how this papacy will go will be whether the Pope reinstates Bishop Joseph Strickland. Bishop Strickland was removed by Francis, with then-Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost’s help, for allegedly political reasons. “He HAS to be restored,” Westin argues. Westin also discusses why, despite Pope Leo XIV’s concerning past, he has “great hope” for this papacy.
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: Welcome to the -- welcome to the Glenn Beck Program.
We're so glad that you're here. We have John Henry-Westen on with us. He is the cofounder and CEO of lifesitenews.com. He is over in Rome right now. He was there when they announced the new pope. An American pope. I don't know why that scares me just a little bit. You know, would you like fries with that?
Anyway, maybe it's because I know all the elites in the United States. Not so good. Not so good. But, anyway, I don't know anything about this guy.
But the guy who does know, is John Henry-Westen. And he is here with us now. Hi, John. How are you?
JOHN: Very good to be with you, Glenn. I am literally standing in front of St. Peters basilica. It's a sunny day. And it's unbelievable what just happened. We're walking around while the announcement was being made. And the -- to walk around, you had to like -- you were in a crush of a crowd. Kind of like a rock concert. But it was everywhere. All the streets filled. And no one knew he was American. He didn't speak a word of English during --
GLENN: I know. I know.
JOHN: So he speaks perfect English. American-born. He's a Chicago boy.
GLENN: So how are you feeling about that one? Is it just me that's like, eh, I don't know.
I mean, you know, Bishop Strickland would be good. I would go for that. But what do we know about this guy?
JOHN: Oh, yeah. Okay. So this is where it gets scary. In the Catholic world, Bishop Strickland was the bishop, the holiest bishop in the whole church of America. Everybody knew it. The guy spent three hours in prayer every day, in church. That was apart from his mass. In other words, the service that he himself said.
So everyone knew he was the holiest. He got removed though, because he was, well -- he went up against the machine. Francis was going anti-Catholic in his teaching. Arnold -- including, you know, fooling around with abortion, contraception, homosexuality, divorce. So all of it was going offline. And Strickland was one of the only ones who spoke up.
GLENN: Right.
JOHN: You know, he is a guy from Tyler, Texas. Middle of nowhere. Even if you're American, have you heard of Tyler.
So, you know, this poor guy, he gets removed.
Now, the problem is, when you're a holy bishop like that, you attract people.
There's a story about the (inaudible) you guys can look up. And it's wonderful.
You know, Podunk town, middle of nowhere. And they don't train to it because they sent this holy priest there. The bishop is the same, 700 families moved to Tyler, Texas, if you can believe it.
GLENN: Wow.
JOHN: You know, and there were all sorts of priests. All sorts of orders were moved there. And then he was yanked from them. So super sad story, but unfortunately, and much more slowly than now, he was done with the cooperation of our current pope. The reason being, is our current pope was then the head of congregation for bishops. And was involved in -- during an investigation on Strickland. And in removing him.
And you might think, oh, is there anything really wrong with Strickland? No. He has the best numbers in terms of per capita seminaries. His financial situation was in great shape, like the rest of them aren't.
And, you know, there was just great things going on at the diocese. Unlike most places, they don't have -- they are like -- what they have is a great bishop.
But he was a holy one, and those holy ones are used to making noise sometimes.
GLENN: So my podcast tomorrow, that comes out everywhere is with Bishop Strickland.
And we were talking, during -- when the smoke started, and we were recording this podcast.
And so he asked, when he get the name. He's like, what's the name? What's the name?
And I told him, and he said, oh. He's the head of the Council of Bishops. And I said, what do you know about him? And he said, well, you know, there are some things he has done, that I don't necessarily agree with.
But he did not -- honestly, I got the impression he really don't know much about him. There's no way he didn't know about this guy, right?
JOHN: Well, yeah. He also knew.
GLENN: He's just being kind.
JOHN: True. And he was regarded as worst than him. He wouldn't even think of himself in this scenario. But what's worse?
Well, from his perspective. Is that he elevated -- that Francis elevated Cardinal McCarrick. Excuse me.
That's -- that's a Freudian slip, honestly.
McElroy to -- to Washington.
And that also had to be done, with the current pope. So we see in this book, that is Pope Francis' will. Look at it. You're the underling. If you object, you will just get turfed anyway. Okay.
That makes you -- that's kind of weak anyway. Let's just say that's it. That's why the number one find of America, and, in fact, all over the world. Should be looking for. Is the restoration of Bishop Strickland. Bishop Strickland is still young for a bishop. There's no way he can be retired. He's a young man.
And for a bishop. It's like 65. And so you have to be restored. If you want the true signal -- the one sign that will indicate where pope -- Leo XIV is coming from.
Watch Tyler, Texas, or wherever he's put. Because if that man is not reinstated, there's something really wrong.
GLENN: Wow.
What else do you know about him?
I mean, are there any good signs that maybe he's going to be different?
JOHN: Well, there's it this. Okay? So when -- if you look back at history, there is a pope called Pious the Knight. He came in actually as kind of a liberal. Once he got elected, he -- and there was a bit of kerfuffle in the world, especially in Italy, he converted. He had -- he became orthodox. He became -- in fact, he became one of the most orthodox popes.
He made -- he worked against all heresies.
GLENN: Is that the pope -- was that the one in the 20th century?
JOHN: No. That was before that.
GLENN: Okay.
JOHN: He was the one before that.
That was Pious the X, you're thinking of.
GLENN: All right.
JOHN: What that tells us, is the grace of the office can change.
Because literally, all the world is Catholic. They are afraid of the pope.
So he gets bestowed on him, this huge responsibility in office, and position, if you will.
And it's unlike, a political position. It's a position established by Jesus. And he said, Jesus said to the first pope.
To Peter.
You know, I will pray for you.
So it's very, very specific kind of role.
So there's a great hope when it comes to the pope.
And the possibility of change, even for a -- because all men are weak.
And yet, he's called to fulfill our own supernatural paths. You know, to -- to be -- to represent Jesus. For Jesus' church.
He's right. He's not some kind of ultra Jesus. He's just the representative of Jesus' church.
And so he -- that's why the pope is not about making his own -- he can't change anything to do with the religion at all.
He just is there enforce it. To bring unity in the faith. And that -- there's unity in the truth.
He's there to basically uphold the truth of the faith.
GLENN: I mean, you do know. You know this. You're Catholic. And so you know this.
But, I mean, look at the change that John Paul made. In the world. I mean, it was -- it was Margaret Thatcher. Ronald Reagan. And Pope John Paul, that ended communism.
And we just don't have those kinds of leaders. And this particular now pope, has been railing against Donald Trump.
So it's -- not exactly like he's friendly, to Donald Trump or what Donald Trump is doing.
JOHN: Yeah. That's -- yeah. And it's funny. Because he's a registered Republican.
GLENN: Is he really?
JOHN: In Chicago. Yeah. So that's kind of odd. But at the same time, he's anti-Trump. So what his that mean?
It didn't strike me as healthy, particularly because, hey, if you look at his last tweet, before he became pope, it was from like April 15th. You'll see, it's bashing Trump's immigration policy. It's a re-tweet of some of Trump's immigration policy. So that's pretty bad.
GLENN: Oh.
JOHN: He's real bad on immigration.
And, you know, most of the popes in the US are. They either don't get it or they want to show favor with Francis. You know, but he seems to be on the same page.
Also, when it comes to things like COVID, there was very few people, honestly, Glenn, though who were on the right side of the COVID thing, which is now plain and clear. But back then wasn't. So, you know, he was fully masked. Talking to the media.
Yeah, he was back and forth about how we should receive people for commune, which should be disastrous. He wanted confession by phone call, which doesn't even work.
So those are oddities as well.
And yes. There was. So it was a -- when he got out there for the first time. And Francis was like in his liturgical underwear. But this guy didn't. This guy went back to the traditional vestments of a pope, when he got there.
Because these are thousand-year-old traditions.
Francis basically threw them out.
We will do our own thing.
He figure back to it. He said lots of things in Latin.
And then he did something really mean.
So you know how in the Bible it says, at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow.
And every knee shall bend.
Well, he did that. He was praying at the name of Jesus. You could see -- look, and you'll see.
He just -- strike me down.
And I thought, wow!
That's a pious practice, of many, many Catholics and Christians and Scriptural understanding, where they literally do what Scripture says.
Bow your name to Jesus, and then he did something else that I thought was really neat. He went to give his first blessing as pope.
It's in Latin. Because every country in the world is standing out here. And Latin is one language.
For everybody to understand. And he gives me this blessing. And he starts to tear up.
As he gives me the blessing. I've got no signs of hope.
And hopefully signs of conversion, and what not. So we'll see. There is hope that way.
And there are other things that you could say that he was not nearly as far left.
GLENN: Okay.
JOHN: So, yes. That's where we're at.
GLENN: Well, the mood in Rome, what was it like when everybody realized, oh, crap. He's an American.
I mean, nobody expected that.
JOHN: I don't think that happened until today, when everybody went home and realized. Because the guy's Italian is perfect. His Spanish is perfect. He was in Peru for the longest time.
And not a single word of English, the first time English came out was today. Today in his first mass as pope, all the way through -- going through the mass. Latin. And chants.
So for your American audience. For most of the audience, they will look like a -- it was -- it was an Italian mass with a lot of Latin in it, which is kind of cool.
But at the start of the Hallowing, out comes perfect English. And you're like, oh, my gosh.
It's the first time we've had an American pope. So we've never had this kind of an English. That we could now inherently understand, but it's so clear.
So that's going to be something new, because the American church is going to be reached in a way that it never has been.
Because you're going to have absolute clarity of language.
And we'll find out. What that will mean.
But, you know, despite all of what I know. And I know a lot, unfortunately, that is not great.
I'm still hopeful.
We're called to give people hope.
And I believe in conversions. I believe in miracles.
GLENN: I do too.
JOHN: And I'm looking forward to it. And, you know what, if it's another Francis. If it's a Francis 2.0.
One great thing, the Lord says, I will be with you until the end of time. The gates of hell shall not prevail, and I will never give you a cross to bear.
GLENN: Yeah, and it always works out to his advantage.
You know, which is always our advantage as well.
So I am -- I am hopeful, and I pray for not only this new pope. But also for all the leadership from every religion in the world. We need them to stand up. They are critical.
JOHN: Absolutely.
GLENN: At this time.
JOHN: There is no other force against the world's mob that has a chance.
GLENN: John Henry-Westen. You know what, real quick.
JOHN: Yeah. You were made for this time. You, Glenn, and your listeners, trust in that. Trust in the Lord.
Pray, pray, pray. And remember, God loves you.
GLENN: John Henry-Westen, thank you so much. For from lifesitenews.com. Lifesitenews.com.
