Vatican Excommunicates Six SSPX Bishops After Four New Consecrations

The Vatican excommunicated the six bishops of the Society of St. Pius X on Thursday after the group consecrated four new bishops without papal consent the previous day in Écône, Switzerland. The new bishops are Pascal Schreiber of Switzerland, Michael Goldade of the United States, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry of France and Marc Hanappier of France.

Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, who was consecrated without papal consent in 1988, placed his hands on the heads of the four men during the five-hour ceremony attended by hundreds of robed priests and around 15,000 people. The event was livestreamed on the society’s YouTube channel. Pope Leo XIV sent a letter to SSPX superior Rev.

The pope wrote that the schismatic act would deprive the faithful of the licit and in some cases valid reception of the sacraments. The Vatican also declared the sacraments of confession and marriage administered by SSPX priests invalid. The society was founded in 1970 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in opposition to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council held between 1962 and 1965.

In 1988 Lefebvre consecrated four bishops without papal consent and was excommunicated along with them by Pope John Paul II. Pope Benedict XVI lifted those excommunications in 2009 and Pope Francis later reauthorized SSPX priests to hear confessions and celebrate marriages legitimately.

Revered Davide Pagliarani stated that the greatest sacrifice God can ask is that of being treated as rebels while wanting to serve the church as a mother in difficulty, overwhelmed and suffering.

The ceremony drew 17,000 worshippers according to the society and was conducted largely in Latin with digital wristbands and QR codes for payments. Massimo Faggioli described the consecration as an earthquake for the Church but not a surprise. Stephen Bullivant stated the event reflects the polarised debate within the church around the Second Vatican Council, the current direction of the Catholic Church, and the troubles of secularisation and decline of priests.