SSPX to proceed with new episcopal consecrations this year

The Society of Saint Pius X has announced that new episcopal consecrations will take place on July 1, with the task entrusted to the bishops of the Fraternity, marking a significant moment for the traditionalist priestly society and its relations with Rome.

The decision was made public internally on February 2, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Fr Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X, during a ceremony at the Saint-Curé-d’Ars International Seminary in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain. Speaking in the context of the investiture of the cassock, Fr Pagliarani confirmed that the Fraternity’s bishops would carry out the consecrations later this year.

In a statement accompanying the announcement, the Society said that the decision followed an extended period of reflection and prayer. It also disclosed that Fr Pagliarani had sought an audience with the Holy Father last August, writing to explain what he described as the present situation of the Society. In a subsequent letter, he addressed what he called the particular need to ensure the continuation of the episcopal ministry within the SSPX.

According to the statement, the Society’s bishops have for almost four decades travelled extensively to minister to the faithful attached to the traditional liturgy of the Church and seeking the sacraments of Holy Orders and Confirmation. The leadership of the Fraternity said that this pastoral demand remains pressing and widespread.

The statement added that, in recent days, the SSPX had received a letter from the Holy See which, in its view, did not respond to the requests it had made. “After much deliberation in prayer, and having received from the Holy See in recent days a letter which does not at all respond to our requests,” the text said, Fr Pagliarani, with the unanimous support of his council, judged that “the objective state of grave need in which souls find themselves requires such a decision”.

In explaining the spiritual and ecclesial rationale behind the move, the statement cited words written by Fr Pagliarani on November 21, 2024, to mark the 50th anniversary of a declaration by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the Society’s founder. “It is only in the Church of all time and in its constant Tradition that we find the guarantee of being in the Truth, of continuing to preach it and to serve it,” Fr Pagliarani wrote.

He continued: “The Society of Saint Pius X does not seek first and foremost its own survival: it seeks primarily the good of the universal Church and, for this reason, it is pre-eminently a work of the Church which, with a unique freedom and strength, responds adequately to the specific needs of an unprecedented tragic era.”

The statement concluded by recalling Archbishop Lefebvre’s 1974 declaration, reaffirming the Society’s intention to continue its work without hostility towards ecclesiastical authority. “This sole aim remains ours today, just as it was 50 years ago: ‘That is why, without any rebellion, bitterness, or resentment, we continue our work of priestly formation under the guiding star of the ever-present Magisterium, convinced that we cannot render a greater service to the Holy Catholic Church, to the Sovereign Pontiff, and to future generations’”.

The Society also indicated that further clarification would be offered in due course. “In the coming days, the Superior General will provide further explanations on the current situation and his decision,” it said.

It is understood by the Catholic Herald that discussions between the Society of Saint Pius X and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith have been taking place since last year, with a particular focus on the question of episcopal succession within the Society.

Sources familiar with the talks said that meetings between representatives of the SSPX and Rome were expected to continue either later this month or in March, and that this timetable was known to the Catholic Herald. The Society’s reference to having received a letter from the Holy See which “does not at all respond to our requests” suggests that the correspondence may mark a breakdown, or at least a serious impasse, in those ongoing conversations and appears to have precipitated the decision to proceed with new episcopal consecrations independently.

The announcement of new episcopal consecrations by the Society of Saint Pius X has been approaching for months, and the decision to name a date so far in advance fundamentally changes the dynamics of the current negotiations between Rome and the Society.

The announcement that the Society of Saint Pius X intends to proceed with new episcopal consecrations on July 1 did not come out of nowhere. The Catholic Herald reported in January that negotiations between the Society and the Holy See were ongoing and that further meetings were expected this month or in March. The Society’s own statement now confirms what had been quietly understood.

In 1988, when Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre announced his intention to consecrate bishops without papal mandate, the public timetable was short and deliberately compressed. The pressure on Rome came late and fast. This time, the Society has chosen the opposite approach. By announcing its intention months in advance, it has laid its cards on the table. What is clear is that talks have stalled and the Society is prepared to act unless circumstances change.

The SSPX has long argued that its bishops are essential for a worldwide pastoral mission to Catholics attached to the traditional liturgy and sacramental life. For decades, its bishops have travelled constantly, conferring confirmations and ordinations across continents.

The emerging strategy appears to be one of leverage. By fixing a date so far ahead, the Society has increased pressure on Rome while leaving open the possibility of renewed agreement. The reference in its statement to a letter from the Holy See “which does not at all respond to our requests” is telling. It suggests not a sudden rupture, but a slow hardening of positions now exposed to public view.

There is also a question for Rome: how does the Vatican address a traditionalist movement that is larger, more confident and more transparent than it was nearly 40 years ago? Silence or delay now carries greater risk, as the Society’s strategy appears designed to force clarity, either through resumed negotiation or through a confrontation which neither side publicly claims to desire.