Sspx

After declaring the SSPX bishops excommunicated, the Vatican has published a document outlining how priests and certain lay faithful associated with the Society can be reconciled with the Catholic Church The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has released a document entitled the “Procedure for the Reconciliation of Priests from the Society of Saint Pius X”, outlining the process of reconciliation for priests attached to the Society of Saint Pius X. The move comes after the consecrations of four new bishops for the Society and a decree which declared that the four bishops, alongside Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, the principal consecrator, and Bishop Bernard Fellay, had “incurred the ipso facto penalty of latae sententiae excommunication”. The document is intended to help bishops understand what must be done to facilitate a person being fully reconciled with Rome after being aligned with the SSPX. The document states that “a priest who has decided to leave the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X” and is “willing to accept the Second Vatican Council and the legitimacy of the Novus Ordo Missae”, even though he might be “bound by the usus antiquior”, must go through a certain process for reconciliation. For an SSPX priest to be reconciled, he must first find an Ordinary and then write a “handwritten letter to the Holy Father in which he introduces himself and requests the remission of the censures incurred as a result of ordination received from an excommunicated or irregular Bishop, or, having been validly and legitimately ordained, subsequently entered the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X.” He should then attach his certificate of priestly ordination together with a dated and signed copy of a Professio fidei and the Formula Adhaesionis , which is attached to the document and outlines the necessary theological convictions for reconciliation. The documents are then sent to the DDF by the Ordinary, “who will express in the accompanying letter his willingness to accept him ad experimentum in his diocese or his institute.” The Professio fidei document which the priest must sign begins with the Nicene Creed, and continues with a declaration that the priest believes “all those things which are contained in the written or handed-down Word of God and which are proposed by the Church—either by solemn judgment or by the ordinary and universal Magisterium—to be believed as divinely revealed”. The document continues with the priest agreeing that he “firmly embraces and holds all and everything regarding the doctrine of faith or morals that is definitively taught by the same Church”. It concludes with him agreeing that, with “a religious submission of will and intellect”, he adheres “to the teachings which either the Roman Pontiff or the College of Bishops enunciate when they exercise the authentic Magisterium, even if they do not intend to proclaim them by a definitive act.” The final document which the priest must sign, entitled Formula Adhaesionis , asks the priest to agree that he accepts “the doctrine taught in no. 25 of the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium of the Second Vatican Council regarding the Magisterium of the Church and the adherence due to it.” With regard to “certain doctrines taught by the Second Vatican Council, or regarding subsequent reforms—whether of the Liturgy or of Canon Law—which some find difficult to reconcile with previous declarations of the Magisterium”, he agrees to “follow a positive approach in interpreting the doctrine”. He is further asked to accept “the validity of the Sacrifice of the Mass and of the Sacraments celebrated with the intention of doing what the Church does, and in accordance with the rites found in the typical editions of the Roman Missal as well as the Rituals promulgated by the Supreme Pontiffs Paul VI and John Paul II.” And finally, he must “promise to adhere to the common discipline of the Church and to its laws, especially those contained in the Code of Canon Law promulgated by the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II.” This part of the document is essentially asking the priest to renounce his criticism of the Second Vatican Council and parts of Church teaching which he finds objectionable. This is a requirement which arguably goes further than what is required for priests in normal circumstances to be in good standing with the Catholic Church, with many drawing parallels between the requirements imposed on the Society’s priests and the apparent lack of censure afforded to groups such as the German Synodal Way. The document is understood to have already been in place for priests in similar situations before the 1 July consecrations took place. It is not known at present whether any priests have taken the opportunity for reconciliation. The document also makes provision for “Laypeople who are members of the Third Order of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X; 2. Laypeople who habitually participate in the celebrations of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X, formally sharing its doctrinal positions.” Reconciliation is not needed for those who “have attended the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X solely for liturgical or spiritual reasons”, or for faithful who “while aware of the tensions with the Holy See, do not reject the Magisterium or the authority of the Roman Pontiff”. The faithful who are in need of reconciliation must also sign the Professio fidei and the Formula Adhaesionis . They then present themselves to their Ordinary, who should “welcome the lay faithful member in the manner and within the timeframe he deems most appropriate, using, for example, the Rite of Admission to Full Communion with the Catholic Church for Those Who Have Already Been Validly Baptized, duly adapted.” Speaking to the SSPX faithful on the ground, the reaction was defiant. William Waith from Australia stated he “suspected this was not a valid excommunication”, with another pilgrim stating he believed it was a “war against tradition”. When questioned on the possible excommunication of those attending the event at Écône, Abbé Michel Rion, spokesperson for the consecrations, stated that “all the parishioners who are here are certain to be in the Church” and that they are “hurt and so sad that they may be considered that way”.

The Vatican has declared that the bishops consecrated by the Society of Saint Pius X in Écône, together with Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, have incurred latae sententiae excommunication following Wednesday’s episcopal consecrations. The decree also warns clergy and lay faithful against adhering to what it describes as the SSPX’s schism and outlines the canonical consequences for those who do so. The Vatican has declared that the bishops of the Society of Saint Pius X have excommunicated themselves. The day after the episcopal consecrations in Écône, which saw Fr Pascal Schreiber, Fr Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, Fr Marc Hanappier and Fr Michael Goldade consecrated as bishops, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released a decree stating: “Notwithstanding the admonitions addressed to the Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, having performed a schismatic act by means of the episcopal consecration of four priests, without pontifical mandate and against the will of the Supreme Pontiff, has incurred ipso facto the penalties provided for in can. 1387 and can. 1364 §1 CIC 2021.” Signed by Cardinal Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Mons. Armando Matteo, Secretary for the Doctrinal Section, and Archbishop John J. Kennedy, Secretary for the Disciplinary Section, the statement continues: “It is therefore declared, for all legal effects, that the aforementioned Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, as well as Pascal Schreiber, Michael Goldade, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, and Marc Hanappier, have incurred ipso facto the penalty of latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See.” The decree goes further than the excommunications declared in 1988 by stating that “clergy and lay faithful are admonished not to adhere to the schism of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, lest they incur ipso facto the penalty of latae sententiae excommunication.” Therefore, SSPX faithful also face the possibility of incurring the excommunication declared by Rome. In this instance, the decree has been issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, whereas in 1988 the document was issued by the Congregation for Bishops. The explanatory note further advises against formal association with the Society among the faithful, stating: “Finally, all the faithful are exhorted to remain steadfast in communion with the Roman Pontiff, with the bishops in communion with him, and with the whole Church (cf. Lumen Gentium , 22; can. 751 CIC), and to abstain from participating in the celebrations and activities promoted by the aforementioned Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X.” The explanatory note also raises further questions for SSPX faithful by stating: “It is finally noted that the Holy People of God are informed that the sacred ministers of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X administer the sacraments and the sacrament of Penance illicitly, and that the marriages assisted by them are invalid.” This relates to the question of jurisdiction, under which confessions and marriages can only be validly and licitly celebrated if the bishop or ordinary has granted the necessary faculties. The explanatory note also reassures those who wish to be fully reconciled with the Church that they will be welcomed “with sincere affection and lively solicitude”. It further states that “the Apostolic Nunciatures will make available the procedures that the Ordinaries may use in the various cases.”

As the more than four-hour ceremony in which the Society of Saint Pius X consecrated four new bishops draws to a close, AdVaticanum is publishing excerpts from the sermon delivered by Fr Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X The ceremony in which the Society of Saint Pius X consecrated four new bishops has taken place, lasting more than four hours. AdVaticanum can now release excerpts from the sermon delivered by the Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X, Fr Davide Pagliarani. Fr Pagliarani presents the consecrations as a necessity rather than a choice, justified by what he described as the need to preserve and transmit the Faith. He also urged the four new bishops to remain steadfast and never to yield to “the spirit of the world” or adapt Catholic teaching to contemporary cultural pressures. At last, this day has arrived. A historic day. Why are we here? How should we understand these episcopal consecrations? This is a divisive event before which it is impossible to remain indifferent. What does it mean for us? This ceremony must be a manifestation of faith. We do not choose what we believe or do not believe. We cannot reinterpret or reconsider it. We simply have the duty to preserve the faith that the Church has always taught. We must love it, live it and hand it on. If we truly love Our Lord, we have the duty to share the treasures that come to us through the faith. Anyone who has no desire to transmit the faith shows that he himself is not living by faith. The more the faith is attacked and disappears, the more urgent this duty becomes. Without faith it is impossible to please God, to live well or to be saved. Today we are taking exceptional measures proportionate to this necessity. Some might therefore think we are facing a dilemma. We choose the fullness of the faith, but separate ourselves from the Church. We are choosing between faith and the Church. In preserving the faith, are we breaking with the Church? This is a false dilemma. We belong to the Church first of all through the faith, just as one belongs to a nation by sharing the same language, identity and culture, or to a family by bearing the same name and living in the same home. We belong to the Church because we profess the same faith. Therefore we cannot choose between faith and the Church. We want the faith of the Church in order to remain in the Church, and we want the Church through the faith and in the faith. It is important to understand this, even if those facing us refuse to do so. This is not an opinion, a preference or an option. It is a necessity. We are accused of not loving the Pope and of not respecting him. But it is precisely because we sincerely love the Pope as the Vicar of Christ and head of the Church that we no longer want to see him humiliated alongside false shepherds representing false religions. We have seen this happen so many times over the years. Because we love the Vicar of Christ, we no longer want this humiliation for the Pope, a humiliation that falls upon the whole Church, treating her as though she were on an equal footing with false religions. We have explained this countless times, almost in every language on earth. Yet why are we still not understood? At heart, we are speaking two different languages. We speak the language of faith. We want it in all its simplicity. It is the language of Tradition. Those on the other side speak another language altogether: the language of inclusion, listening, dialogue and accompaniment. We want the faith, and then within the faith we accompany people. We listen to them in order to lead them to the faith and convert them. But we must stop talking simply for the sake of talking, or accompanying for the sake of accompanying. That is not what souls need. Souls need Our Lord, and we reach Him through the full Catholic faith. There is only one faith. That is why there is this difficulty: two languages that continue to drift further apart over time. We live these consecrations in hope, not in tension, controversy, bitterness or resentment. We live them in joy and hope. In 1988 those who condemned the Society of Saint Pius X predicted its disappearance. God has not abandoned us and He will not do so. All these years have shown it, and these consecrations show it again. Why? Because God has only one will: to save souls. Whoever applies the principles that save souls is acting according to God’s own law. That is why, contrary to all human expectations, God sent His Son and asked Him to sacrifice Himself on the Cross. He will therefore never abandon us and will always provide means proportionate to our needs. The more we suffer, the more we struggle and strive to remain faithful, the more He is with us and makes His presence known. Above all, these consecrations must be understood and lived in a spirit of charity towards souls and especially towards the Church. The more souls are confused and disorientated, the more we must seek them out and support them. The more the Church is insulted, the more we must love and serve her. We must be ready to pay any price to serve the Church. The greatest sacrifice is to be treated as rebels when all we want is to serve and love the Church as a mother: a mother in difficulty, burdened, suffering and sometimes betrayed, a mother who needs and deserves our help in return for everything she has given us. Could we remain indifferent and do nothing? Could the Society? No. That would be to betray the Church. Today’s feast providentially expresses and summarises the meaning of these consecrations. It brings everything back to one point: the Precious Blood of Our Lord, the remedy for every evil of humanity. All evil comes from sin, and above all from one sin that has always remained the same: the exaltation of man. We are saturated with it. We are told that man is marvellous, perfect and possesses infinite dignity. All this feeds pride and, in time, contempt for God and silent apostasy. The more man is encouraged in this obsession with himself, the further he is led from God. Man, full of himself, refuses to turn towards God. He cannot recognise that he is wounded by sin and needs redemption through the Blood of Christ. This plague penetrates deeply, even into the Church. It blinds and paralyses souls. It is not this that brings souls back to God. Through these consecrations we wish to continue preaching the Precious Blood of Our Lord and continue pouring it out upon souls. It is in this Blood that Our Lord founded His Church, the New and Eternal Covenant. There is only one. Whoever believes there are several covenants no longer truly believes in the unique and infinite value of the Blood of Our Lord. Everything revolves around Our Lord because everything revolves around the faith. That is what you, future bishops, must preach. What a responsibility and what an honour. What advice can one give you? Your mission is so delicate, so important and so great that I would rather let Our Lord Himself speak through the Gospel: “Behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.” To be lambs means perfect docility and submission to the will of God, just as Our Lord was subject to the will of His Father. But never forget that the Lamb of God is also the Lion of Judah. As perfectly obedient as He is to the Father’s will, He never bows before the spirit of the world. To serve God is to come into conflict with that spirit. A bishop must proclaim the rights of Our Lord, not the rights of man. A lion does not retreat, nor does it bow. Never bow before the spirit of the world. Do not move. Do not retreat. These consecrations will give you an irresistible strength. From today, people throughout the world will watch you and listen to you. In thirty or forty years’ time they must be able to say: “They never bowed before the spirit of the world, but only before Our Lord the King.” That is the finest legacy you can leave. Our Lord also said: “Be simple as doves and prudent as serpents.” This is so that you may recognise the duplicity, ambiguity and cunning that exist in the world and among the enemies of the Cross. Your greatest enemies will not confront you openly. They will try to draw you gradually towards a more fashionable understanding of the Christian life and of the Church’s relationship with the world. When you sense that danger, step back, pray and remain still before reacting, like a serpent. Then, when you do act, act decisively—and never go back.

Without papal mandate, the Society of Saint Pius X has consecrated four new bishops in Écône The Society of Saint Pius X has consecrated four bishops without papal mandate. The event, announced in February this year, has seen more than 15,000 pilgrims arrive in Écône, Switzerland, at the Society’s international seminary. Bishop Pascal Schreiber (Switzerland), Bishop Michael Goldade (USA), Bishop Michel Poinsinet (France) and Bishop Marc Hanappier (France) were consecrated in a ceremony lasting more than three hours. The decision to consecrate bishops is justified by the Society as a “grave necessity”. With just two of the four bishops consecrated by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1988 still alive, Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta and Bishop Bernard Fellay, the Society explains that “the two remaining bishops do not suffice for the task” and that “the SSPX must equip itself to continue its apostolate, thereby responding to the pastoral needs of the faithful”. The Society has grown considerably since it was established in 1970, with more than 750 priests, 264 men training for the priesthood and 145 lay brothers. There are also 88 SSPX nuns and 19 SSPX-affiliated religious communities. Across the world, the SSPX’s ministries in 77 countries comprise 17 districts with 184 priories. There are 798 Mass centres serving what is believed to be around one million “SSPX faithful”, those who regularly attend SSPX services. The Vatican, and Pope Leo himself, have repeatedly warned against the consecrations. Yesterday, on the eve of the event, in a letter dated 29 June, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Leo wrote to Fr Davide Pagliarani, the SSPX Superior General, stating: “I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: please turn back!” Calling the consecrations a “schismatic act”, the Holy Father stated that “the Church is open to a path of dialogue and understanding that the Holy Spirit can make possible and fruitful.” Responding to the letter, Fr Davide Pagliarani spoke of the good the Society had done, noting the “thousands of souls who have rediscovered the Catholic Faith” and that the SSPX existed so that they might “attain salvation through this instrument which divine providence has placed at their disposal”. The priest concluded by asking the Holy Father to “please give us your blessing”. In today’s homily, Fr Davide Pagliarani explained that they were not carrying out the consecrations to separate themselves from the Church, but rather to assist the Church’s mission, adding that these bishops would in turn benefit the Church. The ceremony was carried out on the Feast of the Precious Blood, which, prior to the liturgical reforms of the 1960s, was celebrated separately from Corpus Christi on 1 July throughout the Church. The consecrations are carried out within the context of Holy Mass, beginning after the Gradual and, once concluded, the Mass continuing with the Gospel. At the beginning of the consecrations, the bishop’s duties are read to the candidates, explaining that “the bishop must judge, interpret, consecrate, ordain, offer, baptise and confirm.” A notable moment, which has been seen on only a couple of occasions over the past 50 years, was the bishops’ offertory procession. Here the bishops presented two loaves of bread, two candles and two barrels of wine emblazoned with their coats of arms, representing the three consumable elements used in the Holy Mass. The consecration of the bishops’ hands is similar to that used for priests, but the oil used is the Sacred Chrism rather than the Oil of Catechumens, referencing the kingly consecration of bishops. “May whatsoever you shall bless be blessed, whatsoever you may sanctify be sanctified, and may the imposition of your consecrated hands and your thumb contribute to the salvation of souls.” Just like any other sacrament, the consecration requires form and matter. At the end of the Litany of the Saints, the imposition of hands constitutes the matter of the sacrament. Here, the Gospels are placed upon the bishops-elect’s shoulders, resting on their head, where they remain until the giving of the bishop’s ring. The consecratory Preface then concludes with the form by which the priests become bishops. The ceremony that follows is almost exactly the same as that standardised in the Rite of Consecration of a Bishop following the Council of Trent. After the consecration, Holy Mass resumed. The newly consecrated Bishops received the Body of Christ from the same, larger, Host and the Precious Blood from the same chalice.