SAN ANTONIO — A former Canyon Lake-area priest has been excommunicated and removed from the priesthood after a Catholic Church tribunal found him guilty of schism for rejecting the authority of the pope, according to the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
John Mary Foster, founder of the Mission of Divine Mercy near Canyon Lake, had been a priest with the Archdiocese of San Antonio since 2009. Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller announced the action against Foster in a public notice dated Aug. 14.
It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that John Mary Foster, a priest incardinated into the Archdiocese of San Antonio on November 22, 2009, has been found guilty of schism, a crime against the faith for his refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff," García-Siller said.
According to the archdiocese, Foster has publicly rejected the authority of both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV, referring to them as "usurpers."
Foster says he has no plans of appealing the Archdiocese of San Antonio's decision because he believes he's doing the Lord's work. "The Lord has told us that Francis and Leo are usurpers," Foster said. "I know that's a hard message, but I need to say that bluntly. He doesn't want us to be submitting to usurpers who are causing a lot of problems in the church and the Vatican. So, we won't be submitting to an authority who is not true authority."
Fwoster says these beliefs date back to 2016 when a member of his church began receiving messages from the Lord. He says the messages became so overwhelming he brought them to the archdiocese.
"We brought it to them, and they never took the messages seriously," Foster said. "They never tried to discern them. We kept quiet as the archbishop had asked for seven years. Then we started to speak out."
The archdiocese said Foster serves as the de facto leader of the Mission of Divine Mercy and has published messages purportedly received from God, Jesus and the Blessed Mother by a member of the organization. Those messages have repeatedly claimed Pope Leo XIV "is also a usurper and not a true pope."
The case against Foster began in April 2025. The archdiocese said a tribunal made up of three priests with doctorates in canon law spent more than a year reviewing Foster's statements, homilies, teachings and actions, as well as hearing testimony from witnesses. The judges' regular ministries are independent of the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
The tribunal issued its decision April 20, finding Foster guilty of schism, declaring his automatic excommunication and removing him from the clerical state.
"The Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith was notified of the outcome and have acknowledged the judicial authority of the Tribunal to render such a sentence," García-Siller said. "It was the decision of Foster not to exercise his right of appeal to the Vatican."
The archbishop said Foster had been given numerous opportunities to change course but continued to publicly celebrate Mass despite being prohibited from doing so.
Despite being offered countless opportunities to repent and to cease his schismatic actions and teachings, Mr. Foster has chosen the path of disobedience," García-Siller said. "I have prohibited him from publicly celebrating Mass, yet he continues to do so.
García-Siller said Foster has also intentionally left the pope's name out of the Eucharistic Prayer during Mass.
"When he does, he intentionally omits the name of Pope Leo XIV, as he did with Pope Francis, from the Eucharistic Prayer," García-Siller said. "In doing so, he publicly manifests his separation with the Church and the successor of Saint Peter."
As a result of the tribunal's decision, Foster has been returned to the lay state and no longer has the authority to celebrate the sacraments, except under limited circumstances provided for under Catholic canon law.
García-Siller also took the unusual step of directing Catholics not to attend Masses, liturgies or other events involving Foster or the Mission of Divine Mercy.
For your protection, I hereby declare that participating in the activities and illicit liturgies celebrated by John Mary Foster, or at the Mission of Divine Mercy is a formal act of disobedience," García-Siller said. "Therefore, I prohibit all Catholics from attending any Mass or any liturgical activity or event sponsored by Mr. Foster or anyone at the Mission of Divine Mercy.
The archbishop also urged Catholics to stop financially supporting Foster and the Mission of Divine Mercy.
"Such financial support would offer him the opportunity to continue to undermine the mission of the Roman Catholic Church entrusted to us by Christ," García-Siller said.
García-Siller ended the notice by asking Catholics to pray for Foster.
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