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 and entrepreneur with degrees in Communication from Towson University and Business Administration from the Community College of Baltimore County. He has served as a fellow at Johns Hopkins University and at Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses initiative. His professional experience includes a role as a business development administrative assistant at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. Additionally, he has nearly a decade of experience providing hospitality hosting with Airbnb.
In the summer of 2025, Andrew served as a full-time summer intern at EWTN, where he wrote long-form commentary and analysis for the National Catholic Register, with a particular focus on the post-conclave Church and reform. He holds a Master of Arts in Catholic Studies from Franciscan University.
Andrew is the founder and president of the Likoudis Legacy Foundation, a research institute dedicated to ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, and serves as editor-in-chief of its journal, The Kydones Review. He has written for Catholic Review, Where Peter Is, Catholic World News, Fellowship and Fairydust Magazine, and Philosophy Now. His academic interests focus on the sociological intersection of faith and culture, also hosting a column, Nature and Grace, at Patheos.com. He has edited six books on Catholic ecclesiology and the papacy, and has compiled and edited over ten volumes in total.
Andrew is a member of the International Marian Association, and an associate member of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, the Mariological Society of America, and the Society for Catholic Liturgy. He additionally serves as a young adult community representative on the Lay Pastoral Council of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and is a dedicated parishioner at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, America’s First Cathedral.
One of nine siblings from New York’s Finger Lakes region, Andrew is the grandson of Catholic apologist and President Emeritus of Catholics United for the Faith James Likoudis, and the nephew and godson of Paul Likoudis, longtime editor of The Wanderer. During school, Andrew balanced academics, athletics, and the performing arts—appearing in two plays, singing for several years in chorus and talent shows, and even auditioning for The Voice. He later sang Gregorian chant at the National Shrine of St. Alphonsus and, later, polyphony at the Baltimore Basilica.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Andrew enjoys kayaking, cooking, basketball, dancing bachata, and playing chess.
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