To His Face: Indefectibility and the Problem of Dissent By Andrew Likoudis “But when Cephas came to Antioch,I opposed him to his face.”GALATIANS 2:11 When may a Catholic withhold assent from the teaching of the Church? In our day, the question is pressed from...
To His Face: Indefectibility and the Problem of Dissent by Andrew Likoudis
To His Face: Indefectibility and the Problem of Dissent
By Andrew Likoudis
“But when Cephas came to Antioch,
I opposed him to his face.”
GALATIANS 2:11
When may a Catholic withhold assent from the teaching of the Church? In our day, the question is pressed from opposite directions — by progressives who appeal to conscience and progress within a secular frame of reference, and by traditionalists who appeal to their private understanding of Tradition (more accurately, ecclesial traditions) and the sensus fidelium — yet both, Andrew Likoudis argues, commit the same error.
Reading Lumen Gentium, Dei Verbum, and Donum Veritatis alongside Newman, Aquinas, Congar, and Bellarmine, To His Face argues that the indefectibility of the Church is the ground on which all genuine assent rests. A theologian may raise an honest difficulty — studying it, and submitting his concerns to the competent authority; what he may not do is adjudicate against what the magisterium has already determined, for the judgment of doctrine belongs to the living Church alone. To pronounce a rupture where the magisterium has not, whatever its conclusions, is the structure of theological liberalism.
Paperback: $TBA | Kindle: $9.99
TESTIMONIALS
“It is remarkable how Likoudis has produced a text accessible to the layperson, rich enough for the seasoned theologian, and timely for our situation. I endorse this small but tremendous book.” – SUAN SONNA, Director of Apologetics, Diocese of Bridgeport
“A clear, concise, and measured contribution to the discourse on obedience in today’s ecclesial atmosphere, engaging honestly with authority, infallibility, and permissible criticism — to the real benefit of any concerned reader.” – ANDREW MIONI, Author of Ignorance of Things Divine
“Likoudis offers careful analysis of assent and dissent within the Church, mindful of the interaction between the levels of the magisterium… in full consciousness of the presence of the Word Incarnate, whom we seek in every act of assent.” – VERY REV. CANON FRANCIS V. TISO, Priest of the Diocese of Isernia-Venafro; former Associate Director, USCCB Secretariat for Ecumenical Affairs
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew Likoudis is a Catholic scholar whose work spans ecclesiology, ecumenism, and liturgy. He serves as Digital Editor of Where Peter Is, holding an M.A. in Catholic Studies from Franciscan University of Steubenville and a B.S. in Communication Studies from Towson University.
He organized and edited Faith in Crisis: Critical Dialogues in Catholic Traditionalism, Church Authority, and Reform, a 40-chapter volume drawing some thirty contributors—among them Cardinal Robert Sarah, Jimmy Akin, and Mike Aquilina. His most recent book is To His Face: Indefectibility and the Problem of Dissent (En Route Books and Media, 2026), on the indefectibility of the Church and against theological dissent, with a foreword by Robert Fastiggi and an afterword by Emmett O’Regan.
His recent editorial work includes the fiftieth-anniversary edition of Yves Congar’s Challenge to the Church: The Case of Archbishop Lefebvre (En Route Books and Media, 2026), which he edited and introduced (foreword by Larry Chapp; afterword by Andrew Mioni), and the third edition of Ending the Byzantine Greek Schism (Emmaus Road, 2026), with a foreword by Scott Hahn—the opening volume of his late grandfather’s trilogy on Catholic-Orthodox reunion. Andrew is the grandson of Catholic apologist James Likoudis, President Emeritus of Catholics United for the Faith (CUF), and the nephew and godson of Paul Likoudis, longtime editor of The Wanderer, the oldest national Catholic weekly in the US.
In all he has authored, edited, or compiled twelve volumes on Catholic ecclesiology and the papacy, and has published more than fifty articles in outlets including the National Catholic Register, Catholic Review, Philosophy Now, and Where Peter Is.
As founder and president of the Likoudis Legacy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) research institute, he directs its journal, The Kydones Review, and runs day-to-day operations. He writes at Tradition & Renewal on Substack and is a parishioner at America’s First Cathedral. He enjoys kayaking, bachata, tennis, and chess. More at andrewlikoudis.com.
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Kevin Symonds was born and raised in Massachusetts. He attended Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, where he obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Theology with a background in classical languages. He has worked on the Church’s theology of private revelation since 2002 and has published articles in online and print magazines. He is also the author of 
Paul List, co-author of Mount Doom: The Prophecy of Tolkien Revealed. Drawing on years of study in philosophy, theology, mythology, and Tolkien’s legendarium, Paul has developed a bold and deeply original interpretation of Tolkien’s work—one that connects The Lord of the Rings to questions of metaphysics, technology, artificial intelligence, and the spiritual crisis of modern civilization. His work challenges readers to reconsider Tolkien not only as a master storyteller, but also as a prophetic thinker speaking directly to our own age.
Ali Ghaffari is a former Naval Aviator and instructor at the United States Naval Academy, who brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective to the study of J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythology, drawing from philosophy, theology, science, and cultural analysis. His collaboration with Paul List emerged from years of intellectual and spiritual exploration centered on Thomistic philosophy, artificial intelligence, and the spiritual crisis of modern civilization.
