A traditionalist group that has been in conflict with the Vatican for decades issued a threat of a complete schism with Rome this weekend, announcing its intention to consecrate bishops without the Holy See’s approval.
The Priestly Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) says it will push ahead with the consecrations on July 1. The SSPX exclusively celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass and has disagreed with certain reforms from the Second Vatican Council.
SSPX Superior General Father Davide Pagliarani states he requested a meeting in August to ask for new bishops for the society. Instead, the group received a letter from the Vatican that it says “in no way addresses our requests.”
According to EWTN, the SSPX currently has two serving bishops: Bishop Bernard Fellay, a former superior general of the society, and Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta.
Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the founder of the SSPX, was excommunicated by Pope John Paul II in 1988 after ordaining four bishops without Vatican approval.
Those four bishops were also excommunicated, but Pope Benedict XIV and others sought to slowly reintegrate the group into the Church.
Pope Francis allowed SSPX members to hear confessions and officiate marriages but made clear they would not have an official ministry until they accepted the reforms set forth in Vatican II.
Pagliarani has emphasized that the society is not seeking schism with the Vatican. In November 2024—marking the 50th anniversary of Lefebvre’s founding of the SSPX—he stated: “The Society of Saint Pius X does not prioritize its own survival first; it seeks above all the good of the universal Church.”
Pagliarani then quoted Lefebvre, saying: “This sole aim remains ours today, just as it was 50 years ago: ‘That is why, without any rebellion, bitterness, or resentment, we continue our work of priestly formation under the guiding star of the ever-present Magisterium, convinced that we cannot render a greater service to the Holy Catholic Church, to the Sovereign Pontiff, and to future generations.’”
The Catholic Herald reported Monday that the SSPX had been in discussions with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith throughout last year, indicating that Monday’s announcement may reflect a breakdown in those conversations.