(ZENIT News / Rome, 07.15.2025).- The sudden disappearance of a long-standing Italian Catholic blog has ignited concerns across Europe about freedom of expression in digital spaces—particularly when religious content becomes entangled with platform policies on hate speech. Early on Saturday, July 12, visitors to «messainlatino.it» (MiL), a prominent website known for defending the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass and for its critical tone toward modern theological trends, were met with a brief and cryptic message: “Blog removed.” The blog, hosted on Google’s Blogger platform since 2007, is now inaccessible, its archive of over 22,000 posts abruptly erased from public view. No detailed explanation has been offered by Google, aside from a general reference to its community guidelines concerning hate speech. For many Catholics in Italy and beyond, «Messainlatino» had become more than a niche website. It was a liturgical chronicle, a rallying point for those seeking to preserve the Tridentine rite, and a place where conservative theological perspectives were given unapologetic voice. In June 2025 alone, as anticipation grew around potential liturgical reforms under the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, the blog drew over a million visits—a clear sign of its reach and resonance. Now, critics are questioning whether this removal was a measured response to policy violations, or a troubling instance of ideological gatekeeping under the guise of content moderation. In a statement on X, Luigi Casalini, the journalist behind the site, lamented what he called a “grave violation” of free speech. He indicated that legal action is forthcoming, invoking Article 21 of the Italian Constitution, which guarantees the right to freely express opinions and explicitly prohibits censorship. Casalini is not alone in his outrage. Catholic intellectuals and journalists have described the shutdown as a significant blow—not only to traditionalist Catholics, but to pluralism within the Church. Stefano Fontana, writing for the International Observatory Cardinal Van Thuân, emphasized the scale of the loss: this was not a temporary suspension, but a digital erasure. He argued that «Messainlatino» had served as a consistent voice in Vatican reporting and was an important outlet for commentary on papal documents such as «Traditionis Custodes», which restricted the celebration of the older liturgical form. Others have suggested the decision reflects a broader unease in secular institutions when confronted with religious discourse that resists prevailing social norms. The blog’s editorial team had previously clashed with Google over posts defending Catholic teaching on sexual ethics and critiquing practices like online gambling or female ordination—positions aligned with official Church doctrine, but increasingly marginalized in mainstream digital culture. Supporters argue that removing such content under a blanket label of “hate speech” risks weaponizing content guidelines to suppress dissenting or unfashionable views. “In a cultural climate where the boundaries of acceptable speech are vague and shifting,” wrote Fontana, “real power lies in deciding which words get to remain audible.” This incident also raises wider questions for religious communities worldwide. As more theological debate, catechesis, and community-building move online, who determines what qualifies as “acceptable” religious discourse? Can religious institutions rely on commercial platforms to safeguard the digital space for internal reflection and disagreement? And what happens when a Church’s own expressions of orthodoxy come into conflict with Silicon Valley’s algorithms? While Google has declined to comment on the specific reasons behind the blog’s removal, the episode is already being seen as a watershed moment. For traditionalist Catholics, it signals the fragility of their presence in the online public square. For broader civil society, it underscores the growing tension between tech governance and cultural pluralism. Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.