The Vatican has formally excommunicated four bishops of the traditionalist Priestly Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), known as the Lefebvrists, after they carried out episcopal ordinations without papal approval. The decree, issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and signed by its prefect, Víctor M. Fernández, describes the act as “of a schismatic nature” and imposes the penalty of automatic excommunication, known in canon law as latae sententiae.
The newly ordained bishops—Pascal Schreiber, Michael Goldade, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, and Marc Hanappier—along with the consecrating bishop, Alfonso de Galarreta, are now considered excommunicated. A further sanction applies to Bishop Bernard Fellay, who served as co-consecrator and is therefore directly implicated in what the Holy See judges an illicit act. The decree also warns clergy and laity that even simple participation in the schism would incur the same canonical penalty.
A ceremony in defiance of the Pope
The ordinations took place on [date] in Écône, Switzerland, the historic seat of the SSPX. They were presided over by de Galarreta despite a direct appeal from Pope Francis to suspend the initiative. In his message, the Pontiff urged the Society to “turn back” and warned of the risk of an irreversible rupture, while reaffirming his willingness to continue dialogue.
During the ceremony, the Superior General of the Society, Father Davide Pagliarani, defended the move, arguing that the community does not intend to separate itself from the Church but to “serve it in tradition,” reiterating the legitimacy of its doctrinal stance. However, the Vatican maintains that ordination without a papal mandate constitutes one of the most serious violations of canon law and breaks ecclesial communion.
According to the Holy See, a formal break would deprive the faithful of licit access to the sacraments and open a new phase of ecclesial tension. The decree explicitly states that the act is “of a schismatic nature,” a charge the SSPX rejects.
A long-running conflict
The current crisis is the latest chapter in a fraught relationship between the Lefebvrists and Rome. The Society was founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who opposed several reforms of the Second Vatican Council, particularly the liturgical reform and the use of vernacular languages in the Mass. The most serious rupture occurred in 1988, when Lefebvre himself ordained four bishops without papal approval, prompting a declaration of excommunication that was later partially reconsidered.
An attempt at reconciliation was pursued by Pope Benedict XVI. Between 2007 and 2009, he liberalised the celebration of the pre-conciliar Mass through the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum and lifted the excommunications of the four bishops ordained in 1988. These gestures were aimed at fostering theological dialogue and removing canonical obstacles, but they did not lead to full institutional regularisation of the Society, hampered by persistent doctrinal disagreements over the conciliar texts.
In subsequent years, the situation changed further with a gradual tightening on the liturgical front, culminating in the restrictions introduced by Pope Francis on the use of the old rite in the name of safeguarding ecclesial unity. The current case, according to the Vatican, reopens a wound that had never been completely healed.
Church authorities stress that the act represents a serious breach of the unity of the Catholic Church, while the Society continues to describe its actions as an attempt to “stitch tradition back together” rather than a break with Rome. The standoff remains unresolved, with implications for Catholic communities across Europe and beyond.
