Solange Hertz, a prominent traditionalist Catholic author and self-described "counter-revolutionary," argued that the crisis in the Catholic Church began long before Vatican II. While mainstream traditionalists often praise Pope Leo XIII and Pope Pius XI for their anti-modernist encyclicals, Hertz targeted them for what she saw as dangerous concessions to modern political and scientific thought.Her critiques of both Popes center on a few core areas:Critiques of Pope Leo XIIIHertz viewed Leo XIII (1878–1903) as too diplomatic, arguing that his practical policies undermined his own traditional doctrine.The French Ralliement: Hertz severely criticized Leo XIII’s policy of ralliement, where he instructed French Catholics to accept the secular French Third Republic rather than fighting for the restoration of the Catholic monarchy. To Hertz, this was a betrayal of the social kingship of Christ and a fatal compromise with the forces of the French Revolution.Over-Optimism Toward Democracy: Despite Leo XIII formally condemning the heresy of "Americanism" in his 1899 letter Testem benevolentiae nostrae, Hertz argued in her book The Star-Spangled Heresy: Americanism that his approach was still too soft. She believed he paved the way for modern "universal salvationism" by tolerating democratic structures and allowing a spirit of independence to pass from the political sphere into the religious one.Compromise with Scientism: Hertz was a fierce proponent of geocentrism and a literal interpretation of Creation. She argued that by allowing the Church to loosen its stance against heliocentrism and modern science, Leo XIII opened the doors to modernism and "scientism" within the hierarchy.Critiques of Pope Pius XIHertz targeted Pius XI (1922–1939) primarily for how he handled the rise of twentieth-century political movements and Church governance.The Cristero War Betrayal: In the late 1920s, Mexican Catholic counter-revolutionaries (the Cristeros) took up arms against their country's fiercely anti-clerical government. Pius XI eventually brokered a diplomatic peace deal (Los Arreglos) that required the Cristeros to lay down their weapons. The Mexican government subsequently executed thousands of the disarmed fighters. Hertz viewed this compromise as a profound betrayal of faithful Catholics fighting for Christ the King.The Lateran Treaty (1929): Pius XI signed the Lateran Treaty with Benito Mussolini's government, which officially surrendered the Papal States in exchange for the recognized sovereignty of the tiny Vatican City State. For a staunch counter-revolutionary like Hertz, this formal surrender of the Pope’s temporal territory was an unacceptable retreat from Christendom's traditional political authority.The Shift in "Catholic Action": While Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King, Hertz argued that his model of "Catholic Action"—which mobilized the laity under hierarchical control—inadvertently democratized the Church's apostolate and contributed to the post-conciliar "clerical silence" and doctrinal disarray.

Solange Hertz, a prominent traditionalist Catholic author and self-described "counter-revolutionary," argued that the crisis in the Catholic Church began long before Vatican II. While mainstream traditionalists often praise Pope Leo XIII and Pope Pius XI for their anti-modernist encyclicals, Hertz targeted them for what she saw as dangerous concessions to modern political and scientific thought. [1, 2, 3]

Her critiques of both Popes center on a few core areas:

Critiques of Pope Leo XIII

Hertz viewed Leo XIII (1878–1903) as too diplomatic, arguing that his practical policies undermined his own traditional doctrine.

• The French Ralliement: Hertz severely criticized Leo XIII’s policy of ralliement, where he instructed French Catholics to accept the secular French Third Republic rather than fighting for the restoration of the Catholic monarchy. To Hertz, this was a betrayal of the social kingship of Christ and a fatal compromise with the forces of the French Revolution.
• Over-Optimism Toward Democracy: Despite Leo XIII formally condemning the heresy of "Americanism" in his 1899 letter Testem benevolentiae nostrae, Hertz argued in her book The Star-Spangled Heresy: Americanism that his approach was still too soft. She believed he paved the way for modern "universal salvationism" by tolerating democratic structures and allowing a spirit of independence to pass from the political sphere into the religious one. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• Compromise with Scientism: Hertz was a fierce proponent of geocentrism and a literal interpretation of Creation. She argued that by allowing the Church to loosen its stance against heliocentrism and modern science, Leo XIII opened the doors to modernism and "scientism" within the hierarchy. [, 2]

Critiques of Pope Pius XI

Hertz targeted Pius XI (1922–1939) primarily for how he handled the rise of twentieth-century political movements and Church governance.

• The Cristero War Betrayal: In the late 1920s, Mexican Catholic counter-revolutionaries (the Cristeros) took up arms against their country's fiercely anti-clerical government. Pius XI eventually brokered a diplomatic peace deal (Los Arreglos) that required the Cristeros to lay down their weapons. The Mexican government subsequently executed thousands of the disarmed fighters. Hertz viewed this compromise as a profound betrayal of faithful Catholics fighting for Christ the King.
• The Lateran Treaty (1929): Pius XI signed the Lateran Treaty with Benito Mussolini's government, which officially surrendered the Papal States in exchange for the recognized sovereignty of the tiny Vatican City State. For a staunch counter-revolutionary like Hertz, this formal surrender of the Pope’s temporal territory was an unacceptable retreat from Christendom's traditional political authority.
• The Shift in "Catholic Action": While Pius XI instituted the Feast of Christ the King, Hertz argued that his model of "Catholic Action"—which mobilized the laity under hierarchical control—inadvertently democratized the Church's apostolate and contributed to the post-conciliar "clerical silence" and doctrinal disarray. [1, 2]