Checking Our Shepherds: A Gentle Warning for Catholics
I try not to jump on every controversy in the Church. We have enough noise, enough division, enough online theologians arguing in the comment boxes. But every now and then something crosses my path that makes me stop, pray, and say:
“Hey… we laypeople need to watch this.”
That’s where this reflection comes from.
A Priest I Used to Follow
For a while, I followed Fr. Joseph Iannuzzi. He’s articulate, he sounds academic, and he touches on spiritual themes most Catholics don’t hear about in homilies. In the beginning, I appreciated that.
But then his talks drifted into stranger territory — discussions about space aliens and theology, predictions about an antichrist, followed by a literal 1,000-year period of peace, and then a second antichrist before the final days.
We just finished a serious Revelation study at my parish, and the Church has always taught:
“1,000 years” in Revelation is symbolic — it represents the Church age, not a literal golden era on earth.
So my heart flagged the moment he presented a two-antichrist timeline and a millennial peace that the Church itself warns against.
I turned it off. Something didn’t sit right.
Then I Learned I Wasn’t Alone
A friend sent me an article from Monokosmos about Fr. Iannuzzi’s video series on extraterrestrials and the Church. I expected a critique, maybe a disagreement. But instead I found something more serious:
Claims of academic misrepresentation. Misused Church Fathers. Missing context. “Evidence” that wasn’t actually evidence.
One line in the report really stayed with me — the author called him
“a potentially serious threat to lay people.”
Not because he’s malicious…
but because he’s trusted.
That matters. When a priest or scholar speaks with authority, people listen. People follow. And if the teaching is off, or sources are handled loosely, the flock can drift without even realizing it.
Why This Is Bigger Than One Priest
This isn’t about attacking a man.
It’s about recognizing a pattern that shows up again and again:
Promising “ancient sources” but offering almost none
Quoting one Church Father while skipping the parts that contradict the claim
Teaching speculative eschatology as if the Church already affirms it
Bringing dramatic or sensational topics (aliens, prophecy timelines, cosmic predictions) into the center of theology
Leaving lay Catholics to sort through the confusion
That is exactly how people get spiritually thrown off track.
We don’t need fear, but we do need discernment.
A Call to Fellow Catholics: Stay Awake, Stay Grounded
The Lord gave His people shepherds — bishops, priests, and teachers. And most of them are faithful, diligent, and humble. But even good-intentioned leaders can drift into personal theories or private revelations that don’t actually line up with the Church.
So here’s my encouragement to you, as a brother in the pews:
1. Know Your Shepherds
Follow priests and teachers who stay close to Scripture, Tradition, and the Catechism — who teach with clarity, not sensationalism.
2. Check the Sources
When someone quotes St. Augustine, St. Thomas, Hippolytus, or any Father, go see if the quote actually means what they say. Many errors hide in half-truths.
3. Watch for Imbalance
If a teacher talks far more about cosmic drama, private signs, timelines, aliens, or “hidden knowledge,” and not about Jesus, virtue, sacraments, and living the Gospel — that’s a sign.
4. Guard the Heart
The enemy doesn’t usually mislead us with obvious lies. He misleads with things that feel exciting, spiritual, or mysterious, but that detach us from the Church’s actual teaching.
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Step Back
If something feels off, you’re allowed to turn it off. You’re allowed to say, “This isn’t helping me love God more.” Trust that interior nudge.
The Church Is Clear: No Literal 1,000-Year Earthly Kingdom
For the record — because this is important — the Church has already rejected:
Literal “millennial” peace on earth before the end
Two-antichrist timelines
Utopian earthly eras before Christ returns
This is not new.
This is not fringe.
This is solid Catholic teaching.
So if someone confidently claims otherwise, especially with dramatic flair, the right response isn’t panic — it’s caution.
Closing Word: Let’s Be Wise Together
I’m not here to condemn Fr. Iannuzzi.
I’m here to remind us:
Not every voice in the Church is a safe shepherd. Not every priest on YouTube is a reliable teacher.
We are living in a time of confusion, noise, and spiritual hunger. That makes us vulnerable — and it makes discernment more important than ever.
Let’s be Catholics who pray, study, listen carefully, and hold fast to the Church Jesus gave us.
Because the Lord warned us Himself:
“Beware of those who come in sheep’s clothing.”
Not because we should fear…
but because we should remain awake.