The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has confirmed that it will move forward with episcopal consecrations scheduled for July 1, despite a warning from the Vatican that such a step could constitute a “decisive rupture of ecclesial communion.”
According to LifeSiteNews, Father Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the SSPX, issued a communiqué on February 19 along with a letter dated February 18 to Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF). In it, he stated that while he welcomes theological dialogue, he “cannot accept the perspective and objectives in the name of which the Dicastery offers to resume dialogue in the present situation, nor indeed the postponement of the date of 1 July.”
The Vatican’s concerns follow an earlier SSPX announcement on February 2 indicating its intention to consecrate additional bishops. Cardinal Fernández met with Pagliarani on February 12 and later warned that proceeding without approval from Rome would “constitute a decisive rupture of ecclesial communion (schism), with serious consequences for the Fraternity as a whole,” according to LifeSiteNews.
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A Call for Dialogue — and Disagreement Over Terms
In his letter, Pagliarani explained that he had first proposed a doctrinal dialogue with the Vatican in January 2019. At that time, he said, the Dicastery “did not truly express interest in such a discussion, on the grounds – presented orally – that a doctrinal agreement between the Holy See and the Society of Saint Pius X was impossible,” according to LifeSiteNews.
While affirming that such dialogue remains “desirable and useful,” Pagliarani expressed concern that the current situation—under the threat of possible canonical penalties—does not foster the freedom necessary for genuine theological exchange.
Central to the disagreement is the interpretation of the Second Vatican Council and the post-conciliar reforms. Pagliarani wrote that a true doctrinal and liturgical understanding is presently “impossible,” particularly “since – as you yourself have recalled with frankness – the texts of the Council cannot be corrected, nor can the legitimacy of the liturgical reform be challenged,” according to LifeSiteNews.
The SSPX has long argued that certain developments since the Council represent a “rupture with the Tradition of the Church,” raising what Pagliarani described as a “genuine case of conscience.”
On the question of schism, the Society maintains that “an episcopal consecration not authorised by the Holy See does not constitute a rupture of communion – provided it is not accompanied by schismatic intent or the conferral of jurisdiction,” according to LifeSiteNews.
Appeal to Continue Its Work
In his appeal to Cardinal Fernández, Pagliarani emphasized the Society’s pastoral mission, asking simply to be permitted to continue serving the faithful. “The Society is an objective reality: it exists,” he wrote, adding that previous popes have recognized “the value of the good it can accomplish, despite its canonical situation,” according to LifeSiteNews.
He stated that the SSPX seeks neither privileges nor immediate canonical regularization, but only to continue administering the sacraments to those entrusted to its care.
Support From Bishops and Theologians
The planned consecrations have drawn public support from several prominent Catholic figures.
LifeSiteNews reports that Bishop Joseph Strickland defended the Society’s intention, describing the “salvation of souls” as the “supreme law of the Church.” In a subsequent statement, he declared, “The Church is in an emergency. Not an emergency invented by commentators… A real emergency – measured not in feelings, but in facts.”
Strickland further stated that the Society is “not asking for novelty. They are not asking for power. They are asking for bishops – because without bishops there are no priests, and without priests there are no sacraments, and without sacraments the Church does not survive in any meaningful way,” according to LifeSiteNews.
Bishop Athanasius Schneider also weighed in, challenging Cardinal Fernández’s assertion that the texts of the Second Vatican Council cannot be modified. As reported by LifeSiteNews, Schneider said, “We must honestly examine the evident, undeniable ambiguity of some expressions of the council,” and added, “Like other Ecumenical Councils, pastoral statements can be changed.”
He described the Holy See’s stance toward the SSPX as “harsh” and “uncompromising and imprudent,” according to LifeSiteNews.
A Season of Prayer
In closing his communiqué, Pagliarani entrusted the situation to prayer, asking members of the Society and the faithful to offer the Rosary and Lenten sacrifices “especially for the Holy Father, for the good of the Holy Church, and to prepare souls worthily for the ceremony of 1 July,” according to LifeSiteNews.
As tensions continue between the Society and the Holy See, the coming months will likely prove pivotal in determining the future relationship between Rome and the SSPX—one that has remained canonically irregular yet deeply intertwined with broader debates about tradition, authority, and reform within the Church.
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