2 hours ago
Computer-translated from the German:
Question: You spoke earlier about the more than 700 priests. Only bishops can ordain priests, right?
Fr. Schmidberger: Only a bishop can ordain a priest.
The Society of St. Pius X still has two bishops, Bernard Fellay and Alfonso de Galarreta. If the brotherhood is to exist, there must be more bishops in the next few years, because without bishops there are no priests.
That's right, that's why we have this coming up sometime soon. I don't say when, and I don't say to what extent. But episcopal ordinations are coming up at some point.
How is that supposed to work where the brotherhood is not regulated by canon law?
A bishop has two functions: he holds the office of ordination on the one hand and jurisdiction on the other. The latter are the diocesan bishops, who often have one or more auxiliary bishops at their side. If bishops were to be ordained here one day, it will be as it was in 1988. Auxiliary bishops are ordained, i.e. bishops who have no jurisdiction, i.e. no command authority, but who are primarily there for priestly ordinations, to administer confirmation, to consecrate churches and chalices, and so on.
Both bishops are approaching seventy. The ordinations would therefore have to be carried out in the coming years.
It is thought of, but I cannot say when that will take place and how many bishops will actually be consecrated. But yes, that will be the big challenge in the near future. The [SSPX] will have to talk to Rome here, that is an essential point, because in a normal situation bishops cannot be consecrated without the permission of the Pope.
Is there any chance of being fully incorporated into the Church under Pope Leo XIV?
We consider ourselves fully in the Church. Whether there will be legal recognition is something the future alone can tell. Exploring this is the task of the Superior General of the [SSPX] and his Council. In any case, synodality as it is understood today is not a good prerequisite.
![[Image: pater-schmidberger-bei-einer-papst-audie...k=akEGYTAH]](https://www.corrigenda.online/sites/default/files/styles/16_10_8_10_col_xl/public/2025-12/pater-schmidberger-bei-einer-papst-audienz-2005-in-rom-mit-benedikt-xvi.jpg.webp?h=efd05f9e&itok=akEGYTAH)
Father Schmidberger at a papal audience with Benedict XVI in 2005.
© Sarto Publishing
Question: You spoke earlier about the more than 700 priests. Only bishops can ordain priests, right?
Fr. Schmidberger: Only a bishop can ordain a priest.
The Society of St. Pius X still has two bishops, Bernard Fellay and Alfonso de Galarreta. If the brotherhood is to exist, there must be more bishops in the next few years, because without bishops there are no priests.
That's right, that's why we have this coming up sometime soon. I don't say when, and I don't say to what extent. But episcopal ordinations are coming up at some point.
How is that supposed to work where the brotherhood is not regulated by canon law?
A bishop has two functions: he holds the office of ordination on the one hand and jurisdiction on the other. The latter are the diocesan bishops, who often have one or more auxiliary bishops at their side. If bishops were to be ordained here one day, it will be as it was in 1988. Auxiliary bishops are ordained, i.e. bishops who have no jurisdiction, i.e. no command authority, but who are primarily there for priestly ordinations, to administer confirmation, to consecrate churches and chalices, and so on.
Both bishops are approaching seventy. The ordinations would therefore have to be carried out in the coming years.
It is thought of, but I cannot say when that will take place and how many bishops will actually be consecrated. But yes, that will be the big challenge in the near future. The [SSPX] will have to talk to Rome here, that is an essential point, because in a normal situation bishops cannot be consecrated without the permission of the Pope.
Is there any chance of being fully incorporated into the Church under Pope Leo XIV?
We consider ourselves fully in the Church. Whether there will be legal recognition is something the future alone can tell. Exploring this is the task of the Superior General of the [SSPX] and his Council. In any case, synodality as it is understood today is not a good prerequisite.
Father Schmidberger at a papal audience with Benedict XVI in 2005.
© Sarto Publishing
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre