Every papacy is defined by an overarching theme. Pope St. John Paul II’s, “Be not afraid” and his emphasis on creating a culture of life were woven throughout his pontificate. Pope Benedict XVI focused on the synthesis of faith and reason. Pope Francis defined his papacy around mercy and care for the marginalized, seeing the Church as a “field hospital.” Pope Leo XIV’s papacy has been defined by his insistence on universal unity. His episcopal motto is “In Him we are one.”
Pope Leo XIV’s focus on the Church’s unity received its greatest challenge earlier this month when the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) – a traditional Catholic priestly society – proceeded to ordain four new bishops without papal mandate on July 1 in Écône, Switzerland.
The SSPX was founded in 1970 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in response to modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council, specifically the liturgical reforms of the Latin Mass, ecumenism, and religious dialogue. In the 1970s, the SSPX continued to strictly celebrate the Latin Mass while rejecting the liturgical reforms of Pope Paul VI, moving the Vatican to officially suppress the society.
1988 was a defining moment for the SSPX when, in defiance of Pope John Paul II, Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated four new bishops in Écône, Switzerland without a papal mandate. In response, the Vatican promptly excommunicated Archbishop Lefebvre and the newly consecrated bishops, declaring the consecrations without papal approval a schismatic act.
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI extended an olive branch to the SSPX by lifting the excommunications of the four surviving bishops. He maintained that the SSPX lacked canonical standing and that their priests operated irregularly. It was a sign of goodwill and a pastoral heart to bring them back into the fold of Christ’s Church.
Sadly, the SSPX made the unfortunate decision once again to defy the Holy Father and do things their own way. Despite multiple pleas from Pope Leo XIV, the SSPX went ahead and consecrated four new bishops without papal mandate, once again tearing the seamless garment of Christ.
For the Vatican and Pope Leo XIV, enough was enough. They crossed a bridge too far. In response, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) issued a decree formally confirming that the six bishops involved in the ceremony were automatically excommunicated. The decree also warned that any priests or laity who formally adhered to the SSPX’s schism also faced automatic excommunication. Finally, the DDF stated that the sacraments such as confession and matrimony administered by the SSPX priests are invalid, meaning they do not exist.
What are we to make of this recent sad event in the life of the Church? It is a little ironic that in the same week, the Church celebrated Saints Peter and Paul, the two great pillars of the Church’s unity, and just two days later a schismatic group with a propensity for rebellion defied the Holy Father and wounded the Church’s unity by ordaining four bishops without papal mandate.
The Vatican’s prompt decree formally declaring the automatic excommunication of the four bishops is a great reminder that while we have a big sandbox to play in as Catholics, we do not get to create our own sandboxes apart from the Holy Father and Christ’s Church.
The Vatican’s swift move could also be a shot across the bow warning those on the left side of Christ’s ship such as the German bishops to change course. For decades, the German bishops have been holding a match in one hand and a gasoline can in the other by creating liturgical prayers for same sex blessings, questioning God’s plan for marriage, and attempting to change the very structure of Christ’s Church by diminishing the role of bishops as shepherds of the Church.
For over 40 years, the SSPX has been digging a new sandbox to the right of the Church. The German bishops, for their part, have been digging their own sandbox to the left. Both errors are a great reminder that we do not get to create churches in our own image but rather receive, embrace, and help build up Christ’s Church given to us through the Apostles and watched over by the Holy Father. Jesus gave the keys to Peter, not to renegade groups who think they know better.
For our part, Christ challenges us to remain faithful to the Holy Father, who is the Vicar of Christ, the protector, and the sign of unity for the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Please pray for the unity of the Church and do all you can to build it up! Christ asked Peter three times if he loved Him. In saying “yes,” Jesus reminded Peter to feed and tend His lambs. In other words, if you love me, express it by building up my Church that I died for and love with all my heart.
~St. Thérèse, pray for us!