The 2026 Catholic Identity Conference brought Vaticanists, traditionalist leaders, and international bishops to Green Tree, Pennsylvania, from October 2 through 4, arriving at a fragile moment for the Latin Mass in the hosting diocese and highlighting deepening global divisions within the Catholic Church.
Organized by The Remnant—a traditionalist weekly established in 1967 by Walter Matt and led since 1994 by Michael J. Matt—the three-day gathering at the DoubleTree Hotel drew a vast audience through paid live streams and video sales. But the conference floor sat against a stark local backdrop. Earlier in August, InfoVaticana reported that Bishop Mark Eckman of the Diocese of Pittsburgh declined to seek Rome’s renewal for the traditional Latin Mass at St. Titus Church in Aliquippa, where the final old rite liturgy was celebrated on September 4. That leaves the personal parish of Most Precious Blood of Jesus, run by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, as the diocese’s sole remaining venue for the traditional liturgy.
Peter Kwasniewski Opens the Pittsburgh Summit
Philosopher and liturgiker Peter Kwasniewski opened the speaker lineup on Friday with an address titled “The Traditional Mass: What Really Unites All Clans.” The title nodded to Michael Matt’s long-standing motto of bringing together diocesan traditionalists, Ecclesia-Dei institute faithful, and members of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X (SSPX). James Vogel, communications director for the SSPX U.S. district, represented the fraternity at the Pittsburgh meeting.
Saturday’s sessions brought a heavier roster of international speakers. Vatikanist Edward Pentin led a morning panel addressing “The Vatican of Leo and the African Missionaries of the Traditional Mass” alongside Father João Silveira. Later in the day, Auxiliary Bishop Robert Mutsaerts of ’s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands took the stage to address the crisis in synodal church governance.
Bishop Mutsaerts Addresses the Synod and His Return to Public Speaking
Bishop Mutsaerts arrived in Pennsylvania following an open letter he addressed to Leo XIV in August. In that text, he urged the Vatican to restore Christ, conversion, the Eucharist, evangelization, and the salvation of souls to the absolute center of ecclesial life. He questioned whether the ongoing synodal process has brought anyone genuinely closer to Christ, noting that Jesus began his ministry with a call to repentance rather than structural surveys.
The Dutch prelate’s presence carried physical significance. In May, Mutsaerts suffered a severe traffic accident—sustaining a hip dislocation, pelvic fracture, and a broken elbow—while returning from hearing confessions. The Remnant reported that his return to the podium earned a standing ovation lasting more than three minutes, mirroring the reception of his 2025 address in the same hall where he diagnosed a spiritual crisis underlying modern political and economic instability.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider Delivers Keynote Address
Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Astana, Kazakhstan, delivered the keynote address on Saturday evening. Speaking on “The Victory of Christ Over the Hostile Takeover Within the Church”—a phrase originally invoked by Cardinal Gerhard Müller regarding the Synod on Synodality—Schneider marked his presence as the only speaker to participate in every edition of the conference since it gained international reach.
The roster also featured Vatikanist Diane Montagna, pro-life activist Abby Johnson, historian John Rao, College of St. Joseph the Worker President Jacob Imam, Sister Mary Anne of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, David Sonnier, and Capuchin Bishop Donald Lippert, a missionary serving in Papua New Guinea. Notably absent this year was Joseph Strickland, the emeritus bishop of Tyler, who had spoken at the 2025 edition.
| Speaker | Affiliation / Title | Topic in Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Kwasniewski | Philosopher and Liturgist | The Traditional Mass: What Really Unites All Clans |
| Bishop Robert Mutsaerts | Auxiliary Bishop of ’s-Hertogenbosch | The Catholic Answer to a (Synod) Church in Crisis |
| Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen | Hungarian Ambassador to the Holy See | The Traditional Mass and the Last Catholic Emperor |
| Bishop Athanasius Schneider | Auxiliary Bishop of Astana | The Victory of Christ Over the Hostile Takeover Within the Church |
The conference concluded on Sunday without formal word from diocesan authorities on whether additional traditional spaces might open in Pennsylvania following the closure at St. Titus, leaving the Most Precious Blood of Jesus parish as the sole remaining anchor for the local traditionalist community.
