Pope Leo XIV begs traditionalist group to halt bishop consecrations and avert new schism
Pope Leo XIV has made a last-ditch appeal to the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X to cancel four bishop consecrations planned for 1 July in Switzerland, an act that would trigger automatic excommunication and reopen a decades-old schism.
Background
The Society of St. Pius X (FSSPX), founded in 1970 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in Switzerland, today counts 720 priests, about 700 churches, and nearly half a million faithful worldwide. It rejects the Second Vatican Council's reforms, especially its teaching on religious freedom. A first schism occurred in 1988 when Lefebvre consecrated four bishops without papal permission.
Pope Leo XIV's final appeal
In a letter dated 29 June and made public on 30 June, Pope Leo XIV implored FSSPX Superior General Don Davide Pagliarani to cancel the scheduled consecration of four new bishops in Ecône on 1 July.
the pontiff wrote, warning thatFilled with Christian affection, I beg and ask you with all my heart: turn back from your path!
The Pope stressed that the Church is open to dialogue and recognized the group's attachment to traditional liturgy, but the act would trigger automatic excommunication (latae sententiae) and deprive the faithful of valid sacraments.tearing the seamless tunic of Christ is a sin of extreme gravity.
The FSSPX responds
On the evening of 30 June, the society responded that it sees its action as a way to mend Christ's tunic, torn by forces incompatible with authentic Catholicism.
We ask simply that the authenticity of this intention be considered before a decision is made on the Fraternity. It is not too late. Far from us the idea of separating from the Roman Church; on the contrary we desire to serve it in an extraordinary way.
What is really at stake: doctrine, not liturgy
Sociologist Massimo Introvigne, director of CESNUR, explained that the conflict goes beyond liturgical preferences.
The group holds that the State should recognize the Catholic Church and suppress public worship of "false religions," which they call "works of the devil." This position, Introvigne added, puts them at odds with the modern Catholic understanding of religious freedom as a fundamental human right.Even if the Pope were to restore the pre-conciliar rite in full, the schism would not heal because the FSSPX rejects Vatican II's teaching on religious freedom.
A new schism?
With the consecrations set for 1 July and no last-minute reversal apparent, the Holy See faces a repeat of the 1988 rupture. The automatic excommunication would apply to the consecrating bishop and the four ordained, deepening a decades-old fracture that goes to the heart of the Church's relationship with modernity.
- Pope Leo XIV sends a letter to FSSPX Superior Don Davide Pagliarani pleading to halt the consecrations.
- FSSPX responds, stating they believe they are mending Christ's tunic and do not intend to separate from the Roman Church.
- Planned consecration of four bishops in Ecône, Switzerland, expected to trigger automatic excommunication.
