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Vatican rift deepens as breakaway Catholic group defies Pope, ordains bishops

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • An ultra-traditionalist Catholic group consecrated four new bishops in Switzerland, defying Pope Leo XIV's plea to cease the "schismatic act."
  • The Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), which opposes Vatican II reforms, consecrated bishops in Econe, the same location where a similar rift occurred in 1988.
  • By proceeding without papal approval, the six involved bishops face automatic excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church.

An ultra-traditionalist Catholic group has consecrated four new bishops in Econe, Switzerland, in direct defiance of Pope Leo XIV's appeal to halt what he termed a "schismatic act." The ceremony, held on Wednesday, saw the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) ordain two French bishops, one American, and one Swiss national.

Are we breaking with the Church in order to keep the faith? That is a false dilemma. We belong to the Church first through faith, through the integral profession of the Church’s faith.

— Davide PagliaraniThe Superior General of the SSPX justified the group's actions during his homily.

The SSPX, which counts around 600,000 followers, comprises fundamentalist Catholics who reject the liberal reforms introduced by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. The group, founded by Bishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970, previously caused a major rift with the Vatican in 1988 when it consecrated four bishops without papal consent. Wednesday's consecrations took place in the same location near the society's seminary, with thousands of worshippers in attendance.

Davide Pagliarani, the SSPX's Superior General, described the day as "historic." He stated, "Are we breaking with the Church in order to keep the faith? That is a false dilemma. We belong to the Church first through faith, through the integral profession of the Church’s faith." Despite this assertion, proceeding without the pontiff's approval means the six bishops involved are automatically excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church.

I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: please turn back!

— Pope Leo XIVThe Pope appealed to the SSPX to abandon their plan to consecrate bishops.

However, the SSPX's secretary general, Foucault Leroux, declared at the start of the ceremony that they considered "all penalties and censures… null and void." Pope Leo XIV had pleaded in a letter on Monday, "I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: please turn back!" He characterized the act as a "sin of extreme gravity" that tears the "seamless garment of Christ."

To tear the seamless garment of Christ is a sin of extreme gravity.

— Pope Leo XIVThe Pope described the act of defying the Vatican as a grave sin.

The mass, conducted entirely in Latin, lasted five and a half hours. The ritual included the priests lying face down during the Litany of the Saints before receiving the laying on of hands and anointing from the bishops. Swiss worshipper Marie Borgeat, 30, called it a "magnificent moment" when the newly consecrated bishops stepped forward to bless the faithful.

that all penalties and censures… are null and void

— Foucault LerouxThe SSPX secretary general stated their view on any potential excommunication.
DistantNews Editorial

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

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