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A future pope will 'welcome us back', says priest from excommunicated antisemitic Catholic sect

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Outcome reported
  • A priest from the excommunicated traditionalist Catholic Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) stated the group expects to be welcomed back by a future pope.
  • The SSPX was excommunicated after ordaining four bishops without papal approval, which the Vatican deemed a grave offense.
  • The group, which broke with Rome in 1970, accuses the Church of straying from tradition and practices the old-style Latin Mass.

A priest from the traditionalist Catholic Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), a group recently excommunicated by the Vatican, has expressed confidence that the breakaway sect will be welcomed back into the Church by a future pope. Georg Kopf, speaking at a mass in the Swiss town of Wil, invoked Pope Benedict XVI's actions in 2009, when he lifted the excommunication of the SSPX bishops consecrated without papal approval.

There will one day be another pope who opens the door and welcomes us back. Just like Pope Benedict.

— Georg KopfA priest from the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) speaking at a mass following the group's excommunication.

"There will one day be another pope who opens the door and welcomes us back. Just like Pope Benedict," Kopf told worshippers. He added, "I am convinced that there will be another pope like him who will give tradition its rightful place again. Of course, we’d like that to happen tomorrow."

The SSPX, founded in 1970 and based in Switzerland but with global followers, accuses the Catholic Church of deviating from true doctrine. The group adheres to the old-style Latin Mass and eschews formal dialogue with non-Catholics. Their recent excommunication followed the ordination of four bishops without the approval of Pope Leo, an act the Vatican considered so severe that excommunication was automatic.

I am convinced that there will be another pope like him who will give tradition its rightful place again. Of course, we’d like that to happen tomorrow.

— Georg KopfExpressing hope for future reconciliation with the Vatican.

Despite the schism, Kopf asserted that the ordinations were performed "precisely out of love for the Church and the pope" and for the "salvation of souls," rather than to establish a parallel church or break with Rome. This marks a repeat of history for the SSPX, whose founder Marcel Lefebvre also consecrated bishops without papal consent in the late 1980s, leading to their excommunication before being reconciled in 2009.

Nothing that happened on July 1 was intended to establish a parallel church or to break with Rome. On the contrary, it was precisely out of love for the Church and the pope that these ordinations were carried out, in order to look after the salvation of souls.

— Georg KopfExplaining the motivation behind the recent ordinations that led to the SSPX's excommunication.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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