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Society of St. Pius X Publishes Episcopal Coats of Arms for Four Priests Ahead of July Consecrations
The Society of St. Pius X has released designs for four bishops it plans to consecrate on July 1 without papal approval. The Vatican has stated that such consecrations would trigger automatic excommunication. Newsweek reported the details from the group's website.
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The Society of St. Pius X published the episcopal coats of arms of four priests it intends to consecrate as bishops on July 1. Newsweek reported that the group posted the designs on its website as a further indication of its plans.
The four priests are American Father Michael Goldade, Swiss Father Pascal Schreiber, and French Fathers Michel Poinsinet de Sivry and Marc Hanappier. Goldade's coat of arms features ears of wheat representing Kansas, where he was raised, and North Dakota, described as his place of origin.
The Vatican has warned that consecrating bishops without papal consent would constitute a schismatic act, a grave offense to God, and would result in automatic excommunication.
The SSPX was founded in 1970 and has clashed repeatedly with Vatican authority. Coats of arms in the Roman Catholic Church traditionally combine symbols of jurisdiction, personal elements, and a motto to represent a bishop's office.
