Traditionalist Catholics gather in Utrecht after Vatican excommunication

In Utrecht, a small congregation of around fifteen traditionalist Catholics gathered for Mass at the neo-Gothic St. Willibrord Church. The service marked the first Mass held since the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X (Pius X Brotherhood), to which their priest, Carlo de Beer, belongs, was excommunicated by the Vatican. This deepening schism occurred after the brotherhood consecrated four new bishops without papal consent in Écône, Switzerland.

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I don't come here every week, but because of the news, my conscience told me that I should come and see.

The Vatican declared a schism, a break within the church, and excommunicated the six bishops, the priests of the movement, and warned that ordinary believers also risked the same fate. Despite the gravity of the situation, the attendees, dressed in conservative attire, came to show their support and gauge the atmosphere. Georgios Vangelakakis, 29, stated that his conscience compelled him to attend, especially now, to observe the priest's words and the general mood. "We must not live in fear, especially continue to seek restoration," he added.

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We must not live in fear, especially continue to seek restoration.

Lima Simons, 29, a regular attendee, expressed her confusion and concern about the implications for ordinary believers. "I had not expected ordinary believers to be addressed about this. I don't really know what to do with it, that's why I'm here today. Am I also excommunicated? I don't even know that," she said, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding their standing within the Catholic Church.

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I had not expected ordinary believers to be addressed about this. I don't really know what to do with it, that's why I'm here today. Am I also excommunicated? I don't even know that.

Father Carlo de Beer criticized the Vatican's judgment as "substandard," calling the label of "schismatic" applied to his brotherhood a "double standard." He argued that while the brotherhood is condemned, "everything is possible" at the Vatican, where "everything is tolerated." De Beer, who has been with the brotherhood for decades, stated that they are accustomed to such treatment and are not "angry, no." The Pius X Brotherhood estimates having between five hundred and seven hundred members in the Netherlands and between 200,000 and 600,000 worldwide. The movement's founding stemmed from a segment of Catholics who opposed the modernization of the Catholic Church.

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I find it substandard.