As the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) prepares to consecrate four new bishops without papal approval on July 1, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller has urged the College of Cardinals to respond decisively, warning that the Society’s recent statements amount to a serious challenge to the unity of the Catholic Church.
According to LifeSiteNews, citing Italian journalist Nico Spuntoni, Cardinal Müller raised the issue during the extraordinary consistory of cardinals in Rome on June 26, following Pope Leo XIV’s invitation for open and candid discussion among the members of the College of Cardinals.
The cardinal argued that the Holy See has a responsibility to answer what he described as accusations contained in the SSPX’s recently distributed 154-point “Profession of Catholic Faith.”
“It is our duty by virtue of our office, both individually and as a college, to reject the scandalous accusation that the Roman Church has departed from the Catholic faith,” Müller said during his intervention, according to the published text of his remarks reported by Vatican journalist Diane Montagna.
He also addressed the Society’s planned episcopal consecrations in Écône, Switzerland, stating, “In the face of the schismatic act of episcopal consecration carried out without the prior grant of communio with the Pope, there must be no ambiguity.”
The SSPX announced that it intends to consecrate four bishops on July 1 without a pontifical mandate, drawing comparisons to the 1988 episcopal consecrations performed by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Those consecrations prompted Pope St. John Paul II to establish the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei to assist Catholics who desired to remain attached to the Traditional Latin Mass while maintaining full communion with the Holy See.
According to LifeSiteNews, Cardinal Müller proposed creating a new commission modeled after Ecclesia Dei. Such a body would provide a pathway for clergy and faithful who may wish to seek “full communion” with Rome following the planned consecrations.
While emphasizing pastoral care for individuals, Müller also underscored the importance of preserving ecclesial unity through communion with the Successor of Peter.
“The boundary into schism is definitively crossed when the ministry of the Bishop of Rome, as the visible principle and enduring foundation of the Church’s unity in revealed truth, is violated,” he said.
Drawing on Church history, Müller cited Cardinal Stanislaus Hosius during the Council of Trent, quoting his observation regarding the Protestant Reformers: “He is not a Catholic who is at variance with the Roman Church in the doctrine of the faith.”
According to LifeSiteNews, Müller then added, “[H]is words apply equally to the Lefebvrists of our own time.”
The cardinal also expressed appreciation for Pope Leo XIV’s decision to convene the College of Cardinals more regularly, saying, “I thank the Holy Father for reaffirming the fundamental role of the College of Cardinals for the universal Church.” At the same time, he suggested that future consistories should allow more extensive discussion among the cardinals before dividing into smaller working groups.
According to Spuntoni’s reporting, Müller’s remarks were not publicly debated during the consistory itself, although several cardinals reportedly expressed appreciation afterward for his frank intervention and viewed his proposal as worthy of further consideration.
The developments come amid broader discussions within the Church regarding communities attached to the Traditional Latin Mass. According to LifeSiteNews, recent conversations among members of the College of Cardinals appear to favor a more accommodating approach toward groups that celebrate the older liturgical rites while remaining in full communion with the Holy See and accepting the authority of the Second Vatican Council.
The planned episcopal consecrations on July 1 are expected to draw significant attention as the relationship between the Holy See and the SSPX enters another pivotal moment.
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