Breakaway Traditionalists Plan To Defy Vatican, Risking Automatic Excommunication
Pope Leo XIV gives a last-minute plea to a breakaway traditionalist Catholic group to “please turn back” as it plans to perform a “schismatic act” Wednesday.
Read more LeBron James Plans To Leave Lakers, Agent Says
The pope released the letter Tuesday as leaders of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) prepare to go forward with plans to consecrate bishops without papal approval. (RELATED: The Vatican Weighs CCP Deal As Beijing Disappears Bishops, Appoints State-Backed Clergy)
The SSPX exists in a limbo relationship with the Vatican as it continues to exclusively celebrate the traditional Latin Mass while rejecting core teachings and reforms of the Second Vatican Council, according to the National Catholic Register.
Leo begins the letter with an appeal to his own authority from God as the believed successor of the Apostle Peter, perhaps to highlight the authority they would be missing if the fraternity were to go forward without his blessing.
Spanish traditionalist Catholic priest of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) Carlos Hernanz Gallego receives the laying on of hands by other priests during an ordination ceremony of the traditionalist Catholic Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), in Econe, near Sion, western Switzerland, on June 29, 2026. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images)
The founder of the SSPX in Switzerland, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, was excommunicated in 1988 after consecrating four bishops without the appropriate approval, according to the Register.
The Holy See has stated that a renewed consecration would similarly result in the excommunication of the participants, according to EWTN News.
Read more Ketanji Brown Jackson Uses Gen Z Slang In Birthright Citizenship Opinion
The Chicago-born pope also referenced the group’s “devotion to liturgical life, commitment to priestly formation, apostolic zeal and desire for fidelity to Tradition,” highlighting that many of Leo’s predecessors have appeased the SSPX, albeit with an “attentive and generous attitude.”
Pope Benedict XVI lifted those excommunications in 2009, and Pope Francis later granted SSPX priests faculties to absolve sins and witness marriages, the outlet reported.
Swiss traditionalist Catholic Bishop and former Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) Bernard Fellay, priests and deacons pose next to a statue of Saint Pius X after an ordination ceremony of the traditionalist Catholic Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), in Econe, near Sion, western Switzerland, on June 29, 2026. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images)
“I urge you to consider carefully the spiritual good of the faithful,” Leo said, adding that a continuation of the plans would deprive many Catholics of the licit reception of the sacraments, used as a method of sanctification, because the clergy who would then facilitate those sacraments would no longer have the authority to do so.
Leo said that the church is still open to dialogue and understanding through the influence of the Holy Spirit, adding that he prays for the SSPX as they prepare to move forward with “a sin of extreme gravity.”
“May the Lord enlighten your consciences and awaken your hearts,” Leo said. “With a sorrowful yet hopeful heart, I feel it is my duty, through the authority received from Christ, to ask you to desist from your intended act.”
Post Comment