Vatican condemns ‘schism’ after Society of Saint Pius X consecrates bishops

The Society of Saint Pius X rejects outright the developments within the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). Keystone-SDA

On Thursday, the Vatican confirmed the excommunication of six bishops linked to the Society of Saint Pius X, thereby confirming the ultra-conservative movement’s “schism” with the Catholic Church. The Society consecrated four bishops in the Swiss village of Ecône on Wednesday.

“Ordained ministers belonging to the Priestly Fraternity of St Pius X are in a state of schism”, and lay faithful who “formally adhere” to it must “be regarded as schismatics and excommunicated”, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith stated in a decree.

This Catholic community, founded by the French bishop Marcel Lefebvre and with a membership of around 600,000 worldwide, consecrated four of its bishops on Wednesday in Écône.

The Society of Saint Pius X rejects outright the developments within the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), which profoundly transformed the institution.

Its members adhere to a strict interpretation of doctrinal and liturgical tradition, notably the “Tridentine” Mass, which is characterised by the use of Latin and a priest celebrating with his back to the congregation.

On Wednesday, the community repeated this act, which has “schismatic” implications and was the cause of an initial break with the Vatican in 1988, whilst stating that it “regretted” having had to act without the Pope’s authorisation.

‘Reverse your decision!’

“I beg you from the bottom of my heart: reverse your decision!” Pope Leo XIV had written to them this week, emphasising that in the event of a “schismatic act”, the sacraments – such as marriage or confession – administered by the bishops would no longer be recognised by the Catholic Church.

The four new bishops – the French priests Michel Poinsinet de Sivry and Marc Hanappier, the American priest Michael Goldade and the Swiss priest Pascal Schreiber – are thus excommunicated, as are the last two bishops the Society had until now, Alfonso de Galarreta and Bernard Fellay.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith stated on Thursday that “clergy and lay faithful are warned not to join the schism of the Priestly Fraternity of St Pius X, as they would ipso facto incur the penalty of excommunication”.

As in 1988, the bishops were consecrated without a designated jurisdiction, which, according to the Society, precludes any schism or excommunication. However, the Vatican considers that consecrating a bishop without the Pope’s consent results in the automatic excommunication of the bishops (both those consecrated and those performing the consecration) and constitutes a “schismatic act”.

Translated from French/sub-editing gw