A priest of the breakaway Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has expressed confidence that a future pope will reconcile the traditionalist Catholic group with the Roman Catholic Church despite its recent excommunication.
Speaking during a Mass in Wil, Switzerland, Fr. Georg Kopf said he believes another pope would eventually “open the door” and restore the group’s full communion with the Vatican, similar to the efforts made by Pope Benedict XVI.
“There will one day be another pope who opens the door and welcomes us back. Just like Pope Benedict,” Kopf told worshippers.
Fresh Rift with the Vatican
The Vatican announced the excommunication of the SSPX earlier this week after the group proceeded with the ordination of four bishops without the approval of Pope Leo, an act regarded under Catholic canon law as a grave offense that automatically incurs excommunication.
The Society of St. Pius X, founded in 1970 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, has long opposed several reforms introduced after the Second Vatican Council.
The fraternity maintains the traditional Latin Mass and rejects aspects of the Church’s modern approach, including formal dialogue with other Christian denominations and religions.
History Repeats Itself
This is not the first major rift between the Vatican and the SSPX. In 1988, Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated four bishops without papal approval, leading to excommunication.
Those penalties were lifted in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI as part of efforts to heal the division.
Drawing parallels with that reconciliation, Kopf said he remains hopeful that another pope would once again recognize the place of Catholic tradition within the Church.
“I am convinced there will be another pope like him who will give tradition its rightful place again. Of course, we’d like that happen tomorrow,” he said.
Vatican Insists Dialogue Was Offered
The Vatican has maintained that it sought dialogue with the SSPX before the latest ordinations, adding that the group’s actions constituted a serious breach of Church authority.
However, Kopf insisted the ordinations were not intended to establish a parallel church or sever ties with Rome.
“Nothing that happened was intended to establish a parallel church or to break with Rome. On the contrary, it was precisely out of love for the Church and the pope that these ordinations were carried out, in order to look after the salvation of souls,” he said.
The latest development underscores the continuing tensions between the Vatican and traditionalist Catholics, even as the SSPX insists it remains committed to the Catholic faith and hopes for eventual reconciliation with the Holy See.
Tags: Vatican, Catholic Church, SSPX, Pope Leo, Pope Benedict XVI
