The Priestly Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX, FSSPX) consecrated four new bishops in Écône, Switzerland, on Wednesday, 1 July, without a mandate from the Pope. The consecrations took place despite a personal appeal by Pope Leo XIV in the days leading up to the ceremony, urging the Society to abandon its plans.
Before the event, the Holy See had stated that episcopal consecrations carried out without a papal mandate are contrary to canon law and constitute a schismatic act. Following the consecrations, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, reiterated that the action seriously damages the unity of the Church.
The event closely recalls what happened in 1988, when Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated four bishops in Écône without papal approval. In his apostolic letter Ecclesia Dei, Pope Saint John Paul II declared that those consecrations constituted a schismatic act. Lefebvre and the four newly consecrated bishops consequently incurred the canonical penalty of excommunication.
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of the four bishops in an effort to promote reconciliation and dialogue. However, the Society’s canonical status within the Catholic Church remained unresolved. Despite repeated discussions during the pontificates of Benedict XVI, Francis and now Leo XIV, no full canonical solution has yet been reached.
The Priestly Society of Saint Pius X was founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. For decades, the Society has criticised several reforms introduced after the Second Vatican Council, particularly the liturgical reform and certain aspects of the Council’s teaching on issues such as religious freedom and ecumenism. The Society maintains that its mission is to preserve Catholic Tradition, whereas the Holy See has consistently emphasised that the unity of the Church and communion with the Pope cannot be set aside, even in the presence of serious doctrinal disagreements.
Ahead of the consecrations, Pope Leo XIV publicly appealed to the SSPX to refrain from proceeding and to continue its dialogue with Rome. The Society nevertheless carried out the consecrations, arguing that they were necessary to ensure the continuity of its own ministry.
The Holy See has not yet announced any detailed decision regarding the canonical consequences of the new consecrations. The Vatican has nevertheless stressed that the event represents a serious violation of the Church’s canonical order, while at the same time expressing hope that full ecclesial communion may one day be restored.
Vatican News, EWTN News.
Screenshot from the consecration video: fsspx.news.