Ann Barnhardt

Ann Barnhardt is an American blogger and podcaster. In April 2011 the Denver magazine 5280 described her as a Denver-based independent broker who had released videos responding to remarks by Senator Lindsey Graham about a Qur'an burning in Florida; in the second video she read passages from the Qur'an before burning pages of it (5280).

Benevacantism. Barnhardt is a prominent proponent of the view that Benedict XVI's 2013 renunciation was invalid, so that he remained pope until his death and Francis was not a valid pope, a position known as benevacantism (Wikipedia overview). In a 2018 video she argued that Benedict was in "substantial error" about the nature of the papacy, which under canon 188 of the Code of Canon Law would make a resignation invalid. Her argument was answered by the sedevacantist site Novus Ordo Watch (Novus Ordo Watch) and by the blog Roma Locuta Est (Roma Locuta Est); a Catholic World Report essay argued that Benedict's own statements undercut the thesis (Catholic World Report). Fellow invalid-resignation advocate Alexis Bugnolo has also criticised her reasoning (FromRome.info).

The Barnhardt Podcast. Her podcast, produced by Supernerd Media, has continued the argument. An October 2022 episode argued that if Benedict regarded himself as pope in any sense after his renunciation took effect, he had never validly resigned (Podbean); a January 2023 episode, recorded after Benedict's death, discussed what it called the days since the Petrine See became vacant (Podbean); and a February 2024 episode with a guest, Dr. Mazza, presented further arguments that the resignation was invalid (Podbean). Directory listings show the podcast still publishing after the May 2025 conclave, including an episode whose title refers to Leo (Castfox); her detailed public position on Pope Leo XIV was not verified for this profile.

For the Church's teaching on papal resignation (canon 332 §2) see benevacantism.