Vatican excommunicates six Lefebvrist bishops after illicit consecrations in Switzerland, warns followers of same penalty
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith declared the consecration of four bishops without papal consent a schismatic act, imposing automatic excommunication on the six clerics involved and threatening the same for any faithful who formally adhere to the breakaway group.
The consecration
On 1 July 2026, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) consecrated four new bishops during a five-hour ceremony at its seminary in Écône, Switzerland. The principal consecrator was Spanish Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, assisted by Swiss Bishop Bernard Fellay. The four men elevated to the episcopate were Pascal Schreiber (Swiss), Michael Goldade (American), Michel Poinsinet de Sivry (French) and Marc Hanappier (French). Around 15,000 people attended in person, with thousands more watching via streaming. The liturgy followed the Tridentine Missal of 1570, entirely in Latin and with the priest facing the altar.
Pope Leo XIV had sent a personal letter on the eve of the ceremony, pleading with the group to halt.
The letter warned that proceeding would constitute a schismatic act. The FSSPX went ahead regardless.I beg you with all my heart: Turn back!
Vatican response
Less than 24 hours later, on 2 July, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published a decree confirming the excommunication latae sententiae (automatic) of all six clerics. The document, signed by Cardinal Prefect Víctor Manuel Fernández, stated that the consecrations were carried out "without pontifical mandate and against the will of the Supreme Pontiff." The decree also extended the warning to clergy and lay faithful.
A subsequent clarification specified that not all members are automatically excommunicated, but those who "habitually participate" in FSSPX celebrations and "formally share its doctrinal positions."We admonish clergy and lay faithful not to join the schism of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, for they would incur ipso facto the penalty of latae sententiae excommunication.
Historical echo
This is the second time the fraternity has provoked a schism over episcopal consecrations. In 1988, founder Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated four bishops without papal approval, leading to excommunication by John Paul II. Those penalties were lifted by Benedict XVI in 2009. Galarreta and Fellay are the two surviving bishops from that 1988 ceremony. The group, founded in 1970, rejects the Second Vatican Council and the Novus Ordo Mass, insisting on the pre-conciliar liturgy.
- FSSPX announces plans to consecrate four new bishops without papal approval
- Pope Leo XIV sends a personal letter urging the group to turn back
- Consecration ceremony takes place in Écône, Switzerland, before 15,000 attendees
- Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issues decree of excommunication for six clerics and warns followers
Reaction from the fraternity
The FSSPX issued a statement regretting that its superior general had not been able to meet personally with the Pope to explain the "grave reasons" for the consecrations.
The statement added that the "profound joy" of the new bishops could not be overshadowed and described them as "a very great grace for the Fraternity itself and for the whole Church."The Fraternity sincerely regrets that, due to exceptional circumstances, these consecrations had to be conferred without the authorization of the Holy Father.
Path to reconciliation
The Vatican also sent instructions to bishops worldwide on how to receive priests who wish to leave the FSSPX. A priest seeking reconciliation must write a personal letter to the Pope, find a diocesan bishop or religious superior willing to accept him on a probationary basis, and sign a profession of faith that includes acceptance of Vatican II, the legitimacy of the Novus Ordo Missae, and the Code of Canon Law. The same procedure applies to lay faithful who formally adhered to the schism.
