By Junno Arocho Esteves
OSV News
The planned consecration of new bishops by the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X would be considered “a schismatic act,” the head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office said.
In a statement released May 13 by the Vatican press office, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernandez, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, said the society, commonly known by its acronym, SSPX, did “not have the requisite pontifical mandate” and that “formal adherence to the schism constitutes a grave offense against God and entails the excommunication established under Church law.”
“The Holy Father continues in his prayers to ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten those responsible for the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X so that they may reconsider the extremely grave decision they have taken,” the statement read.
In February, Father Davide Pagliarani, superior general of the SSPX, announced the society would proceed with the consecration of new bishops July 1, following a breakdown in communication with the Vatican after requests for an audience with Pope Leo XIV went unanswered.
Citing the need for new bishops, Father Pagliarani said “the objective state of grave necessity in which souls find themselves requires such a decision.”
The statement echoed similar arguments used by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the SSPX, to justify the ordination of four men as bishops in 1988.
Archbishop Lefebvre and the four priests he ordained as bishops were subsequently excommunicated by St. John Paul II, who ruled that no objective necessity justified defying papal authority.
For decades, the Vatican and leaders of the Society of St. Pius X have sought a way to fully reintegrate its members into the life of the Catholic Church. OSV News reached out to the SSPX for comment on Cardinal Fernandez’s statement.