By AFP
ÉCÔNE, Switzerland — A decades-long rift between the Vatican and the traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) has reached a critical point, with the group preparing to consecrate four new bishops without papal approval, a move that could trigger a formal schism with the Roman Catholic Church.
The development comes just days after the SSPX ordained five new priests during a solemn four-hour ceremony in Écône, Switzerland, drawing thousands of faithful from around the world.
New bishops despite Vatican warning
The SSPX plans to consecrate four bishops—two Frenchmen, one American and one Swiss—arguing that it needs more bishops to continue ordaining priests as only two of its bishops remain.
The Vatican, however, considers the consecration of bishops without the Pope’s mandate a grave act of disobedience that automatically incurs excommunication and constitutes a schismatic act.
The planned consecrations echo the dramatic events of 1988, when the group’s founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, consecrated four bishops without papal approval, leading to his excommunication and a major rupture with Rome. Although those excommunications were lifted in 2009, the SSPX has remained in an irregular canonical status.
Traditionalists defend move
The SSPX, founded in 1970 by Lefebvre, rejects many reforms introduced by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, including changes to the liturgy and the Church’s approach to ecumenism.
Its members insist they are preserving authentic Catholic doctrine rather than breaking away from the Church.
“We continue to uphold the faith, and we believe the Church no longer does so in the way Jesus instituted,” said French laywoman Marie Desclos, who attended the ordination ceremony.
Swiss parishioner Alexandre Maret described the impending bishop consecrations as “a pivotal event,” saying the doctrinal struggle identified by Lefebvre decades ago remains unresolved.
American lay member Samuel Putz also defended the society’s work, describing the planned consecrations as vital for preserving the traditional faith.
‘We love the Pope’
Despite openly defying the Vatican, many SSPX members expressed sadness over the deteriorating relationship with Rome
“The Vatican’s opposition is painful because we truly consider ourselves full members of the Church. We love the Church, we love the Pope,” Maret said.
Putz similarly described the Vatican’s resistance as “devastating.”
SSPX Bishop Bernard Fellay told supporters that the group believes it is simply maintaining centuries-old Catholic teaching.
“Right now, it really feels like we are no longer on the same wavelength. What we say is no longer understood in Rome,” he said.
A global movement
The SSPX says it operates in more than 75 countries with over 750 priests and nearly 500,000 faithful, making it one of the world’s largest traditionalist Catholic movements.
Although influential among conservative Catholics, it remains a small minority within the Roman Catholic Church’s estimated 1.3 billion members.
Tags: Catholic Church, Vatican, Society of Saint Pius X, SSPX, Switzerland, Schism
