2026
To His Face
Indefectibility & the Problem of Dissent
When may a Catholic withhold assent from the teaching of the Church? Today, the question is pressed from opposite directions, by progressives who appeal to conscience and traditionalists who appeal to Tradition. Yet both, Andrew Likoudis argues, commit the same fundamental error.
About the Book
When may a Catholic withhold assent from the teaching of the Church? Today, the question is pressed from opposite directions, by progressives who appeal to conscience and traditionalists who appeal to Tradition. Yet both, Andrew Likoudis argues, commit the same fundamental error.
Drawing on Lumen Gentium, Dei Verbum, and Donum Veritatis, alongside Newman, Aquinas, Congar, and Bellarmine, To His Face examines the authority of the Magisterium, the limits of theological dissent, and the Church’s indefectibility as the foundation of trust in her teaching office.
Theologians may raise difficulties, seek clarification, and examine questions that remain unresolved. But they cannot claim for themselves the authority to overrule the doctrinal judgments of the Church. To declare a rupture in the Church’s teaching where the Magisterium has not recognized one, and to set oneself up as the final judge of Tradition, is to adopt the very logic of theological liberalism, even in the name of defending orthodoxy.
Endorsements
“Andrew Likoudis offers a penetrating and comprehensive exposition of the principles governing the relationship between the theologian and the Magisterium.”Rocco ButtiglioneFriend and Trusted Collaborator of Pope St. John Paul II
“Likoudis, along with scholars such as Robert Fastiggi and Emmett O’Regan, has staked out a constructive position that requires careful consideration by all who seek the good of Christ’s Church as obedient spiritual sons and daughters of the pope.”Matthew LeveringJames N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology, Mundelein Seminary
“In this critical book, Andrew Likoudis offers a masterful analysis of the very issue that concerned St Paul VI in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council, namely dissent against the teaching authority of the papal Magisterium.”Stephen WalfordAuthor of Pope Francis, the Family and Divorce, with a preface by Pope Francis
“Andrew Likoudis is lucid and courageous… It is remarkable how Likoudis has produced a text accessible to the layperson, rich enough for the seasoned theologian, and, above all, timely for our situation. I can easily recommend this book to anyone.”Suan SonnaDirector of Apologetics, Diocese of Bridgeport, CT
“A clear, concise, and measured contribution to the pervasive discourse on obedience in today’s ecclesial atmosphere… This book engages honestly with the questions of authority, infallibility, and permissible criticism, and offers a response that will benefit any concerned individual, whether or not they are formally trained in theology.”Andrew MioniAuthor of Ignorance of Things Divine
“Andrew Likoudis offers us careful analysis of assent and dissent within the Church, mindful of the interaction between the different levels of the magisterium, as discerned in the lives of the faithful. He does this in full consciousness of the presence of the Word Incarnate, the face of Him whom we seek in all discernment and in every act of assent.”Very Reverend Canon Francis V. Tiso, PhDCathedral of Isernia
Inside the Book
- Foreword by Robert Fastiggi
- Afterword by Emmett O’Regan
- The title is taken from St. Paul’s confrontation of St. Peter at Antioch (Galatians 2)
- Front cover: Byzantine cloisonné medallions of Ss. Peter & Paul
- Back cover: Jusepe de Ribera’s Saints Peter and Paul