The Priestly Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) has announced plans to proceed with new episcopal consecrations on July 1, a decision that has renewed long-standing tensions between the Society and the Holy See and raised concerns about potential canonical consequences.
According to LifeSiteNews, the announcement was made by Superior General Father Davide Pagliarani during a ceremony at the Society’s International Seminary of Saint-Curé-d’Ars in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, France. In a press release dated February 2, Pagliarani stated that the SSPX intends to move forward due to what he described as an “objective state of grave necessity” in order to ensure the continuation of its sacramental ministry.
No information has yet been released regarding how many bishops will be consecrated, who the candidates are, or where the ceremonies will take place. The SSPX stated that its existing bishops have traveled worldwide for decades to administer sacraments such as Holy Orders and Confirmation to the faithful attached to traditional Catholic practice, according to LifeSiteNews.
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The decision follows a request made by Pagliarani last August for an audience with the Holy See to present the Society’s situation and its perceived need for additional bishops. According to both LifeSiteNews and EWTN News, Pagliarani later received a letter from the Holy See that he said “does not in any way respond to our requests.” After months of prayer and consultation with his council, he concluded that the Society should proceed.
EWTN News reported that SSPX leaders acknowledge the consecrations would take place without authorization from Rome, a move that would likely trigger automatic excommunication under canon law for those involved. A Rome-based canonist, speaking anonymously to EWTN News, noted that while the announcement escalates tensions, the fact that the consecrations have not yet occurred leaves open the possibility of a resolution.
The SSPX currently has two active bishops, Bishop Bernard Fellay and Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, according to EWTN News. Two other bishops consecrated in 1988 have died, and a fifth, Bishop Richard Williamson, was expelled from the Society in 2012 before his death last year.
The Society was founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and has operated without canonical status since its suppression in 1975. In 1988, Lefebvre consecrated four bishops without a papal mandate, an act that led the Vatican to declare automatic excommunication. While Pope Benedict XVI lifted those excommunications in 2009, the SSPX remains in what the Vatican has described as an “institutional irregularity” or “imperfect communion,” according to EWTN News.
In remarks cited by both outlets, Pagliarani emphasized that the Society views its actions as oriented toward the good of the Church rather than defiance of authority. Reflecting on the SSPX’s mission during a 2024 address marking the 50th anniversary of Lefebvre’s declaration, he said, “The Society of St. Pius X is not primarily seeking its own survival. It seeks the good of the universal Church,” adding that its work is carried out “without any spirit of rebellion, bitterness, or resentment,” and guided by the “timeless magisterium,” according to EWTN News.
Observers cited by EWTN News say the decision to move forward after explicitly seeking and not receiving Rome’s approval risks hardening positions on both sides and could complicate any future canonical solution. At the same time, SSPX representatives have argued that the prolonged lack of progress in talks with Rome left them with little alternative.
The SSPX has indicated that further explanations regarding its decision and its current relationship with the Holy See will be provided in the coming days, according to LifeSiteNews. As of now, the Vatican has not issued a formal response.
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