What will be the fate of the SSPX? - Guest Post by Anna Kurian for Aleteia

An exclusive service for Aleteia readers Schism, excommunication, and the SSPX ordinations As the traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X prepares to consecrate new bishops on July 1, 2026, we explain the consequences and implications, guided by a canon lawyer. By Anna Kurian Why are the upcoming episcopal consecrations announced by the traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) for Wednesday, July 1, 2026, problematic? What will happen to the individuals involved? Furthermore, what will become of the priests and faithful associated with this movement? The SSPX has lacked official canonical status since its break with Rome in 1988. Now, relying on canon law and the expertise of canonist Pierre Chaffard-Luçon, we break down the implications of these upcoming ordinations. Why are these consecrations controversial? In the Catholic Church, any episcopal consecration requires a papal mandate. Selecting a new bishop follows a strict procedure overseen by the papal nuncio — the pope’s ambassador — and the Dicastery for Bishops. They present three candidates — known as a terna — to the Pontiff. He then makes the final choice, though he is free to select someone outside that list. Proceeding with consecrations without a proper papal mandate constitutes an offense under current ecclesiastical law (Canon 1013). True or false bishops: What will be the status of the subjects of these consecrations? There is an important difference between a consecration’s validity and its liceity. According to canon law, the Wednesday, July 1 celebration will be valid because a consecrating bishop will perform the rite. However, the consecration will be illicit since it lacks a papal mandate. From the Church’s perspective, the newly ordained men will be true and full bishops, but they will essentially operate as “outlaws.” What is a “schism”? Individuals who commit a deliberate act of disobedience against the Pontiff’s authority enter into a state of schism. Canon 751 defines schism as the refusal to submit to the Roman Pontiff or to remain in communion with the members of the Church. This is primarily a disciplinary issue. It shouldn’t be confused with heresy, which is the obstinate denial of doctrinal truth, or apostasy, the total repudiation of the Christian faith. All three of these offenses incur excommunication. What exactly is excommunication? Excommunication severs a person’s communion with the Church and serves as the penalty for a schismatic act. If the SSPX follows through on its plan to consecrate four bishops, the excommunication will be latae sententiae. This means the penalty is automatic, triggered immediately by the gravity and public nature of the act. Rome may simply issue a public declaration recognizing a situation that already exists, much like it did in 1988 with the apostolic letter Ecclesia Dei. Unlike “expiatory” punishments, excommunication is a “medicinal” penalty. Its purpose is to help the offender realize their fault and regularize their situation. In other circumstances, canon law provides for ferandae sententiae excommunication. When this applies, the penalty is formally declared at the conclusion of a judicial trial. Does excommunication mean damnation? No. According to Catholic theology, breaking communion has serious consequences for earthly life, primarily because “excommunicated” individuals can no longer receive the Sacraments. However, the Church doesn’t pass judgment on the sanctioned person’s ultimate salvation. That judgment belongs to God alone. Who will incur excommunication on Wednesday, July 1? The bishops conferring the consecration and the men receiving it will be personally excommunicated the moment the offense occurs. Yet, this act also carries institutional weight since the SSPX is carrying out the consecrations as an organization. Father Davide Pagliarani, the society’s superior, announced the decision and stated they would proceed without a papal mandate. Consequently, all registered members of the organization—including clerics and religious—as well as laypeople who support the action, will find themselves in a schismatic situation in the eyes of the Church. They all potentially face excommunication. It’s worth noting that during the initial illegal consecrations over which Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre presided in 1988, Rome only declared excommunications for the celebrating and consecrated bishops, rather than the entire SSPX membership. What steps are needed to return to the Church's communion? Lifting an excommunication is a personal matter. Rome makes the decision after the excommunicated person fulfills a period of repentance. A pontiff can also initiate the process to foster dialogue. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI issued a decree lifting the 1988 excommunications, describing it as “a discreet gesture of mercy” designed to “invite the four Bishops once more to return” to the Church’s fold. Returning involves an “admission to full communion.” This requires a specific liturgy where the person recites the Creed before representatives of the Catholic community. What is the current status of SSPX priests? SSPX priests are validly ordained, but they remain “suspended.” Because illegitimate bishops who are in direct conflict with Rome ordained them, they incur a suspensio a divinis. This penalty prohibits them from administering the Sacraments. Unlike excommunicated individuals, however, they are still allowed to receive them. Are the Sacraments they celebrate valid? An SSPX priest’s ordination is illegitimate yet valid. The Sacraments he celebrates share this exact status: illicit but valid. The Church teaches that the “grace of God” remains present and active in these sacraments. During the 2015 Year of Mercy, Pope Francis even allowed SSPX priests to validly and licitly hear confessions. He later indefinitely extended this provision. Additionally, in March 2017, the pontiff granted them the ability to celebrate licit Catholic marriages on a case-by-case basis, provided they have the local bishop’s authorization. It remains unclear whether these pastoral provisions will endure under Pope Leo XIV if the Wednesday, July 1 episcopal consecrations take place. Are there exceptions where their Sacraments are valid and licit? Church law makes an exception for a Catholic who is at the point of death (in articulo mortis) and urgently needs a sacrament. In those dire moments, any priest or bishop—even one under severe ecclesiastical penalties—regains the faculties to hear confessions validly and licitly, specifically for the person in need. This rule isn’t meant as a favor to the suspended or excommunicated priest. Instead, it prioritizes the soul of the dying person and their eternal salvation. No sign of turning back On June 30, Leo XIV sent a final message inviting the SSPX to suspend the episcopal consecrations and engage in dialogue with the Vatican. However, Father Davide Pagliarani replied to the Pope in the afternoon of the same day. He published an open letter on the website of the Society of Saint Pius X denying the request for the annulment of the episcopal consecrations. The superior of the Society of Saint Pius X nevertheless thanked the Pope for his "paternal solicitude" expressed in his letter, while regretting not having been able to meet with him. The Lefebvrist superior explains that the two bishops tasked by the Holy See with engaging in dialogue with the SSPX —Bishop Vitus Huonder, then Bishop of Chur, now deceased, and Bishop Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of Astana— "recognized the profoundly Catholic spirit of the Society." He says he does not want to "separate from the Roman Catholic Church." "One day, all the difficulties between the Holy See and the Society will be resolved," Father Pagliarani writes, urging the Pope to make "a gesture of understanding."