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Excommunicated Catholic Group Sees Future Pope Restoring Ties
A priest from the Society of St. Pius X told worshippers a future pope will reopen dialogue. The group was automatically excommunicated after ordaining four bishops without Vatican approval earlier this week.
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A priest from the Society of St. Pius X told his congregation that a future pope will reopen dialogue with the group. The Switzerland-based organization was automatically excommunicated after four bishops were ordained without Vatican approval on Wednesday.
The priest spoke during a Sunday mass in Wil, a town in north-eastern Switzerland. He said the group expects another pope to lift the excommunication, citing the precedent set by Pope Benedict XVI.
Background on the group The Society of St.
Pius X was founded in 1970 and maintains traditional Latin Mass practices. It has followers worldwide and rejects formal dialogue with non-Catholics. The group previously faced excommunication in the late 1980s after its founder ordained bishops without papal approval. Those excommunications were lifted in 2009.
Vatican statement The Vatican said it had offered dialogue before the latest ordinations. Officials described the unauthorized consecrations as a grave act that triggered automatic excommunication. The priest stated the ordinations were performed out of concern for the faithful and not to create a separate church. He added that the group remains open to future reconciliation.
