The Catacombs - The New-Conciliar SSPX

Leo XIV Rumored to Prepare Excommunication of FSSPX

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 10:23:36 +0000

It's all rumor and conjecture, from anonymous sources at this point. We must wait and see...

Leo XIV Rumored to Prepare Excommunication of FSSPX

gloria.tv | April 26, 2026

Pope Leo XIV has "decided to follow the '1988 jurisprudence'" with regard to the episcopal consecrations of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) on 1 July, reports Rorate-Caeli.Blogspot.com on 25 April, referring to anonymous Roman sources.

This means: "He is said to have already had a decree prepared that is similar in tone and content to the one promulgated by Pope John Paul II through Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, on 1 July 1988."

The decree would declare the excommunication of the bishops involved, denouncing these episcopal consecrations as a "schismatic act".

Excommunication of entire FSSPX ?

Other Vaticanists have confirmed the core of the rumour.

Niwa Limbu (Catholic Herald) reported on X.com that the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is "preparing for the possibility of excommunicating the entire FSSPX, not just the bishops".

Nico Spuntoni (Il Giornale) wrote that the Dicastery is "preparing for the possibility of a schism following the ordinations in the FSSPX".

SSPX Announcement of New Bishops Confirmed for June

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:53:19 +0000

BREAKING: SSPX Announcement of New Bishops Confirmed for June

Don Davide Pagliarani, (Source: The Fatima Center)

Rorate Caeli | April 21, 2026

Via the most reliable of sources, confirming agreement by both Don Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), and Father Fullerton, District Superior for the US, the names of the new bishops to be consecrated for the Society on July 1st at Econe will be announced in June.

Is This a Leaked List of the SSPX Bishops to be Consecrated?

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 13:51:28 +0000

Is This a Leaked List of the SSPX Bishops to be Consecrated, or a Hoax?

The date seems to be suspicious.

Radical Fidelity | Apr 10, 2026

About four hours ago an image appeared online, that is claimied to be an official list of the SSPX priests who will be consecrated as bishops on June 1.

The French document at first glance seems to have an air of officialdom, but the date in the bottom corner suggests it might have been a hoax.

Here is an AI translation of the document:

Quote:“Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X

FSSPX

COMMUNIQUÉ
FROM THE GENERAL HOUSE

Following the information already communicated concerning the holding of episcopal consecrations within the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X on July 1st, the Superior General now wishes to make known the names of the priests called to receive episcopal consecration.

After careful reflection and consultation with his Council, Father Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, has designated the following priests to be consecrated bishops in the service of the Fraternity and the souls entrusted to its apostolate:

Father Daniel Themann

Father Bernard de Lacoste Lareymondie

Father Gabriele d’Avino

Father Christophe Legrier

These consecrations are intended to ensure the continuity of the apostolate of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X and the transmission of the Catholic priesthood according to the Tradition of the Church, for the good of souls and in the service of the Holy Church.

The Superior General entrusts these future bishops to the prayers of priests, religious, and the faithful. He earnestly asks that the rosary and sacrifices be offered for these priests called to a particularly grave responsibility in the Church, as well as for the Holy Father and for the good of the whole Church.

Menzingen, April 1st, 2026”

[...]

This is a developing story.

NB: This has yet to be confirmed or verified. At this point this is just an internet rumor. - The Catacombs

SSPX will consecrate bishops on July 1 despite Vatican ‘threat’

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 20:02:42 +0000

SSPX will consecrate bishops on July 1 despite Vatican ‘threat’
The Society of St. Pius X rejected Cdl. Fernández's call to suspend the July 1 consecrations, insisting the state of ‘grave necessity’ demands action to preserve Catholic Tradition.

godongphoto/Shutterstock

Feb 19, 2026
(LifeSiteNews [Slightly adapted - not all hyperlinks included from original]) — The SSPX episcopal consecrations will go forward as planned.

Today, February 19, Father Davide Pagliarani, the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), published a communique, as well as a letter to Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández – and several annexes – to announce that the SSPX has decided to go ahead with the episcopal consecrations on July 1.

After the SSPX first made known on February 2 its intention to consecrate more bishops, Fernández, the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) met with Pagliarani on February 12, insisting that he should halt these consecrations and first enter into a theological dialogue with the Vatican.

In response to Fernańdez’s proposal for dialogue, Pagliarani wrote, “[W]hile I certainly rejoice at a new opening of dialogue and the positive response to my proposal of 2019, I cannot accept the perspective and objectives in the name of which the Dicastery offers to resume dialogue in the present situation, nor indeed the postponement of the date of 1 July [for the episcopal consecrations].”

He noted also that he had requested this dialogue himself in 2019, “when I suggested a discussion during a calm and peaceful time, without the pressure or threat of possible excommunication, which would have undermined free dialogue—as is, unfortunately, the situation today.”

On February 2, the head of the SSPX argued for the consecrations on the grounds of a “state of grave necessity”: “After having long matured his reflection in prayer, and having received from the Holy See, in recent days, a letter which does not in any way respond to our requests, Father Pagliarani, in harmony with the unanimous advice of his Council, judges that the objective state of grave necessity in which souls find themselves requires such a decision,” the official statement reads.

In his now-published February 18 response to Fernández, Pagliarani welcomes such a theological dialogue and reveals for the first time that he had “proposed it exactly seven years ago,” in January of 2019, to the Vatican. Pagliarani had been elected into his office as superior general of the SSPX in July of 2018. As he now states in his letter to the head of the DDF, “the Dicastery did not truly express interest in such a discussion, on the grounds – presented orally – that a doctrinal agreement between the Holy See and the Society of Saint Pius X was impossible.”

That is to say, Pagliarani himself had offered to start such a doctrinal discussion with the Vatican in 2019, which was then rejected by officials in Rome. He goes on to explain to Fernández in his letter that the SSPX “always” welcomes a doctrinal discussion, calling it “desirable and useful.”

While in 2019 such a discussion could have taken place “during a calm and peaceful time, without the pressure or threat of possible excommunication, which would have undermined free dialogue,” Pagliarani points out that “unfortunately” this is now not the case.

And indeed, in a February 12 statement after the meeting with Pagliarani, Fernández had warned that, should the Society go ahead with the episcopal consecrations without approval from Rome, these consecrations would “constitute a decisive rupture of ecclesial communion (schism), with serious consequences for the Fraternity [of St. Pius X] as a whole.” He thus not only threatened the soon-to-be bishops with canonical penalties, but also all the members of the SSPX.

Read more here.

BREAKING: Cdl. Fernandez urges SSPX to drop plan to consecrate bishops

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:45:10 +0000

BREAKING: Cdl. Fernandez urges SSPX to drop plan to consecrate bishops
If the consecrations go ahead, the Vatican will recognize the crime of 'schism' on the part of the Society of St. Pius X.

Argentine cardinal and Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith Victor Manuel Fernández presides over the sixth Novemdiales Mass held for the late Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica, on May 1, 2025 in Vatican City
Photo by Antonio Masiello/Getty Images

Feb 12, 2026
VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews [Emphasis The Catacombs]) — Hopes for an agreement between the Vatican and the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) were dashed this morning after a meeting between the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) and Father Davide Pagliarani.

Today Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández and Fr. Pagliarani, the superior general of the SSPX, met in Rome for what the Vatican’s media chief, Matteo Bruni, had described on February 5 as “an opportunity for an informal and personal dialogue.” However, a communique released after the meeting revealed that Fernández threatened Pagliarani and the SSPX with the crime of “schism” if the episcopal consecrations announced by the Society go ahead.

The message noted that Fernández offered Pagliarani the initiation of a dialogue on several contentious issues, including whether God willed the plurality of religions, and the degree of the binding authority of the documents of the Second Vatican Council. However, this dialogue would presuppose the suspension of the SSPX’s intention to create bishops without papal sanction. According to the document:

Quote:It was reiterated by the Holy See that the ordination of bishops without the mandate of the Holy Father, who holds supreme ordinary power, which is full, universal, direct, and immediate, and direct (cf. CDC, can. 331; Dogmatic Constitution Pastor aeternus, chaps. I and III), would imply a decisive rupture of ecclesial communion (schism) with grave consequences for the Fraternity as a whole (JOHN PAUL II, Apostolic Letter Ecclesia Dei, July 2, 1988, nos. 3 and 5c; PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR 1 LEGISLATIVE TEXTS, Explanatory Note, August 24, 1996, no. 1). Therefore, the possibility of carrying out this dialogue presupposes that the Fraternity suspend the decision of the announced episcopal ordinations.

The communique reported that Fernández had, after clarifying theological points on which the SSPX and the DDF have disagreed, proposed “a path of specifically theological dialogue, with a well-defined methodology.” He also “proposed to address a series of issues listed by the FSSPX in a letter dated January 17, 2019.”

This dialogue would contain the carrot of a clear canonical status for the Society.

“The purpose of this process would be to highlight, among the issues under discussion, the minimum requirements for full communion with the Catholic Church and, consequently, to outline a canonical statute for the Fraternity, along with other aspects to be further explored,” the communique stated.

According to the DDF, Pagliarani will now “present the proposal to his Council and give his response to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

In the event of a positive response, the steps, stages, and procedures to be followed will be established by mutual agreement.”

“The whole Church is asked to accompany this journey, especially in the coming days, with prayer to the Holy Spirit. He is the principal architect of the true ecclesial communion desired by Christ,” the statement concluded.

This morning’s meeting, proposed by Fernández, followed the Society’s February 2 announcement that they would consecrate new bishops this July 1. The late founder of the Society, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, famously ordained four bishops without the permission of Pope John Paul II on June 30, 1988. He took this step to ensure that Catholic Tradition, as he and the SSPX understood it, would survive in the post Vatican II-era Church.

Lefebvre, together with the new bishops Bernard Fellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson, and Alfonso de Galarreta, were subsequently declared excommunicated latae sententiae by the pope. The excommunications of the four bishops were lifted by Pope Benedict on January 21, 2009; Lefebvre had died on March 25, 1991. As of today, only two of those prelates are still living: Fellay and De Galaretta.

In its February 2 communique, the SSPX explained that Pagliarani had approached the Vatican on the subject of consecrating new bishops in August:

Quote:Last August, he sought the favour of an audience with the Holy Father, making known his desire to present to the Holy Father, in a filial manner, the current situation of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X.

In a second letter, he explicitly expressed the particular need of the Society to ensure the continuation of the ministry of its bishops, who have been travelling the world for nearly 40 years to respond to the many faithful attached to the Tradition of the Church and desirous, for the good of their souls, that the sacraments of Holy Orders and Confirmation be conferred.

However, despite the support and encouragement the Society had been offered by his late predecessor Francis, who had explicitly permitted SSPX priests to hear confessions and officiate at weddings, Pope Leo apparently did not give the Society permission to ordain new bishops. As the communique continues, Pagliarani decided to plan new episcopal consecrations anyway:

Quote:After having long matured his reflection in prayer, and having received from the Holy See, in recent days, a letter which does not in any way respond to our requests, Father Pagliarani, in harmony with the unanimous advice of his Council, judges that the objective state of grave necessity in which souls find themselves requires such a decision.

This clearly follows Lefebvre’s precedent, and the SSPX quoted their late founder in explaining Pagliarani’s rationale:

Quote:The Society [of Saint Pius X] is not primarily seeking its own survival. It primarily seeks the good of the Universal Church and, for this reason, the Society is, par excellence, a work of the Church, which, with unique freedom and strength, responds adequately to the specific needs of an unprecedentedly tragic era.

This single goal is still ours today, just as it was 50 years ago. “That is why, without any spirit of rebellion, bitterness, or resentment, we pursue our work of forming priests, with the timeless Magisterium as our guide. We are persuaded that we can render no greater service to the Holy Catholic Church, to the Sovereign Pontiff and to posterity (Abp. Lefebvre, Declaration of 21 November 1974).”

It is yet unknown who the candidates for the SSPX’s planned episcopal consecrations are.

Developing….

FSSPX Accepts Proposal from Vatican: Meeting on February 12

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:32:14 +0000

FSSPX Accepts Proposal from Vatican: Meeting on February 12

gloria.tv | February 5, 2026

The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X published another press release on 5 February. The text:

COMMUNIQUÉ FROM THE GENERAL HOUSE

Following the announcement, on 2 February, of future episcopal consecrations for the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, His Eminence Cardinal Fernández wrote to the Superior General to propose a meeting in Rome.

The Superior General accepted this proposal. The meeting will take place on Thursday, 12 February.

We invite the members and faithful of the Society to offer their prayers for the good outcome of this meeting.

Abp. Viganò gives ‘full support’ to SSPX consecrations, Bishop Eleganti calls them ‘schismatic'

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:24:13 +0000

Archbishop Viganò gives ‘full support’ to SSPX consecrations, Bishop Eleganti calls them ‘schismatic’
Archbishop Viganò declared new SSPX consecrations necessary for the ‘good of souls’ while Bishop Eleganti believes the ‘salvation of souls’ is not an excuse.

Courtesy of Archbishop Viganò

Feb 3, 2026
(LifeSiteNews [slightly adapted, not all hyperlinks from original included below; emphasis mine]) — Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò expressed his “full support” for the upcoming Priestly Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) episcopal consecrations, as Bishop Marian Eleganti has condemned the plans as a “schismatic act.”

“When the Hierarchy becomes complicit in the demolition of the Church, the only solution is to appeal to the state of necessity and guarantee that Apostolic Succession continues for the good of souls,” Viganò wrote in a X post. “Nothing has changed since 1988, and we can even say that the situation has dramatically worsened.”

“I therefore express my full support for the decision taken by the Society of Saint Pius X,” he concluded.

Viganò had highlighted the “double standard” demonstrated by the Vatican’s “refusal to comply with” the requests of an orthodox Society as it promotes “synodality” that “opens to the way to schism,” something admitted by Bishop Eleganti himself.

According to Viganò, the Vatican has denied the SSPX permission to consecrate new bishops “precisely because it has not compromised with the conciliar revolution, the highest expression of which is synodality.”

By contrast, Bishop Eleganti, who has defended the Catholic faith from post-conciliar innovations such as synodality, denounced the SSPX’s plans for episcopal consecrations as “schismatic.”

The General House of the SSPX announced Monday that it plans to proceed with new episcopal consecrations without Vatican approval on July 1:

“After having long matured his reflection in prayer, and having received from the Holy See, in recent days, a letter which does not in any way respond to our requests, Father Pagliarani, in harmony with the unanimous advice of his Council, judges that the objective state of grave necessity in which souls find themselves requires such a decision,” read an SSPX communiqué dated February 2, 2026.

Bishop Eleganti maintained in a statement received by LifeSiteNews that the SSPX’s appeal to a state of emergency and prioritizing “the salvation of souls” “cannot in any way legitimize” episcopal consecrations without papal approval. The Catholic Church, he said, is “visibly realized in unity with the pope,” and this unity must be realized “canonically by refraining from obvious acts of canonical disobedience.”

“Popes adhere to tradition and do not contradict their predecessors on the Chair of St. Peter,” Bishop Eleganti said.

The SSPX and other orthodox clergy and Catholics have maintained, on the contrary, that popes have demonstrably contradicted their predecessors, particularly Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV. For example, Francis’ document Traditionis Custodes, which directly touches on a key part of the SSPX’s mission, the preservation of the TLM, contradicts Summorum Pontificum as well as Quo Primum by declaring that bishops have the right to restrict the traditional Latin Mass in their dioceses.

Quo Primum, by contrast, specifically states that the traditional missal “is hereafter to be followed absolutely, without any scruple of conscience or fear of incurring any penalty, judgment, or censure, and may freely and lawfully be used … We likewise declare and ordain … that this present document cannot be revoked or modified but remains always valid and retains its full force.”

In another example of papal contradiction to predecessors, Pope Leo XIV recently declared that different Christian churches are “already” “one,” contrary to Catholic catechisms, as well as Pope Leo XIII’s teaching in the encyclical Satis Cognitum that Christian unity is grounded in shared faith, the sacraments, and governance.

[Read the rest of the article here.]

Fr Pagliarani Wants to Meet Leo XIV Before Consecrations

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:22:38 +0000

Fr Pagliarani Wants to Meet Leo XIV Before Consecrations

gloria.tv | February 2, 2026

Fr Davide Pagliarani, the Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of St Pius X (FSSPX), wants to meet Pope Leo XIV before the bishops’ consecration on July 1, he said in his homily today at the seminary of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, France. Relevant quotes.

- We wrote to the Holy Father to explain the particular situation in which the Fraternity finds itself, and to let him take the means to continue this work.

- This work has only the purpose of preserving tradition for the good of souls.

- These reasons have not found yet an open door at the Holy See. We regret this very much.

- We think that July 1 could be a good date, an ideal date for episcopal consecrations.

- In the coming days, we plan to provide further clarification.

- I would like one day to be able to meet the Pope before July 1st.

- I would like to explain our intentions and our attachment to the Church to him.

FSSPX Announces Consecration of New Bishops on July 1, 2026

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:21:04 +0000

FSSPX Announces Consecration of New Bishops on July 1, 2026

gloria.tv | February 2, 2026

The Priestly Fraternity of St Pius X (FSSPX) has announced that on 1 July 2026, they will consecrate new bishops without the Vatican's approval. This follows their request to Pope Leo XIV in August, to which they did not receive a satisfactory response.

Full Statement

On 2 February 2026, the feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, the Reverend Father Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X, during the ceremony of the taking of the cassock which he presided over at the International Seminary of Saint-Curé-d’Ars in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, France, publicly announced his decision to entrust the bishops of the Fraternity with the task of proceeding with new episcopal consecrations, on 1 July next.

Last August, he sought the favour of an audience with the Holy Father, making known his desire to present to the Holy Father, in a filial manner, the current situation of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X.

In a second letter, he explicitly expressed the particular need of the Fraternity to ensure the continuation of the ministry of its bishops, who have been travelling the world for nearly forty years to respond to the many faithful attached to the Tradition of the Church and desirous, for the good of their souls, that the sacraments of Holy Orders and Confirmation be conferred.

After having long matured his reflection in prayer, and having received from the Holy See, in recent days, a letter which does not in any way respond to our requests, Father Pagliarani, in harmony with the unanimous advice of his Council, judges that the objective state of grave necessity in which souls find themselves requires such a decision.

The words he wrote on 21 November 2024, for the fiftieth anniversary of the historic declaration of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, are more than ever the reflection of his thought and intentions:

"It is only in the Catholic Church as it has always been, and in her unchanging Tradition, that we have the guarantee of possessing the Truth, of being able to preach it, and of being able to serve her. […]

The Society [of Saint Pius X] is not primarily seeking its own survival. It primarily seeks the good of the Universal Church and, for this reason, the Society is, par excellence, a work of the Church, which, with unique freedom and strength, responds adequately to the specific needs of an unprecedentedly tragic era.

This single goal is still ours today, just as it was fifty years ago. That is why, without any spirit of rebellion, bitterness, or resentment, we pursue our work of forming priests, with the timeless Magisterium as our guide. We are persuaded that we can render no greater service to the Holy Catholic Church, to the Sovereign Pontiff and to posterity (Abp. Lefebvre, Declaration of 21 November 1974)."

In the coming days, the Superior General will provide further explanations regarding the present situation and his decision.

“Nos cum Prole pia benedicat Virgo Maria.
May the Virgin Mary bless us, together with her divine Son.”

Once again, the SSPX is administering Confirmations within Novus Ordo confines

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 15:00:15 +0000

Bishop Fellay Administers Confirmations in Florida Novus Ordo Church

Once again the SSPX in utilizing a Florida Novus Ordo church for Confirmations. This first occurred in 2023 when Bp. Tissier de Mallerais administered Confirmations in this same Novus Ordo church.

Once again, we see yet further evidence of the SSPX's ongoing cooperation and alignment with the Conciliar Church, which was brought into the public's view with it's Doctrinal Declaration of 2012 though it was later revealed that the SSPX has been working secretly with the Conciliar Church much earlier through it's association with GREC.

Here is the local SSPX church bulletin announcing the upcoming Confirmations for the parishioners of St. Thomas More Chapel in Sanford, FL - notice no location is provided to the public - as was done the first time as well in 2023. Curious that this fact is downplayed and hidden:

Screenshot taken January 20, 2026 from here

The Recusant, Issue 61, highlighted the significance of Bp. de Mallerais' Confirmations in 2023 in this N.O. chapel, which certainly rings true again now:

Screenshot of Issue 61, page 54

The Recusant: SSPX Watch - Epiphany 2026

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 18:30:50 +0000

Taken from The Recusant #65 Epiphany 2026

SSPX Watch

Fr. Henri Wuilloud moved to Britain

Long-time readers might remember the name of this priest. Ordained in 1998, from 2004 to 2016 he was the District Superior of Switzerland, and from 2016 District Superior of Africa, making him a member of the Chapters of 2006, 2012 and 2018. A liberal and a keen supporter of Bishop Fellay he is also, we gather, that man’s nephew. As District Superior of Africa, he used his position to openly encourage SSPX faithful to go to two Ecclesia Dei priests approved-of by modern Rome, one of whom had jumped ship from the SSPX to the Institute of Christ the King some years before, the other a military chaplain who also said the New Mass, praising the latter as “a man of sound doctrine” in the SSPX’s African district newsletter! He also used the district newsletter to make fun of anyone who might have a problem with this new arrangement or view it as Trad-ecumenism, as we reported at the time (Issue 49, p.31).

In the summer July/August Ite Missa Est we learn that he has now stationed here, at Bristol. Why he is now being sent to our shores, and more to the point, why as a simple priest and no longer a superior is anyone’s guess. Perhaps it is nothing too serious: it may be that his English needs improving. Or might it simply be a case of nepotism no longer being possible since his uncle is no longer Superior General..?

SSPX Episcopal Consecrations latest

The most recent SSPX British District newsletter contains the following news arising from last October’s visit to our country by the SSPX Superior General, Fr. Davide Pagliarani:

Quote:“In addition to meeting the priests and brothers individually, the Superior gave two talks. One of the matters addressed in these conferences was the forthcoming consecration of new bishops. Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated four bishops in 1988 for the survival of Tradition, because the Pope and the bishops were openly acting to the detriment of the Faith and of the flock by hiding the Catholic Truth and, worse still, placing heresy and other errors on a level with this Truth. The situation forty years later is worse. … It is for this reason that, sooner or later, the current Superior General of the Society will have to imitate Archbishop Lefebvre’s prudent, courageous and fully justified decision to conse

crate bishops. Let us pray for him that the Holy Ghost may guide him and his assistants in this matter.”

Sooner or later? Some would say it’s already 15 or 20 years too later, but ‘better late than never’ perhaps. If a new SSPX episcopal consecration does end up somehow taking place (and that is a big “if”!), further questions suggest themselves. How many bishops-elect will there be, and who will they be? Who will the consecrating bishop be, and who will his coconsecrators be? What are the chances that this will be done in defiance of modernist Rome, versus done with Rome having a say in all of the above? Even if Rome has no say whatsoever and no conciliar priests or bishops representing the Vatican are present at any stage of the proceedings, how much confidence can anyone have that the new bishops will be chosen for their zeal for the Faith as opposed to their unquestioning corporate loyalty? So our advice to our SSPX readers is not to go getting your hopes up!

In any case, we feel justified in maintaining our original prediction: the SSPX leadership will never have the courage to repeat 1988. If they had the courage, they would have done it already. Either it will be a ceremony vitiated with conciliarists and their dubious holy orders, or it simply won’t ever happen at all.

1st Jan. - “Feast of the Circumcision”..?

Two years ago these very pages (Recusant 61, p.55) pointed out a change in the SSPX liturgical calendar so small if you blink you’ll miss it. The first day of January, Traditionally the feast of the Circumcision and a Holy Day of Obligation and yet since 2008 the British District newsletter had it listed simply as “Octave Day of the Nativity, 1st class”. The December 2025 newsletter has it down as “(Feast of the Circumcision)” - in parentheses and with no mention of it being a Holy Day of Obligation. The January 2026 newsletter, however, has added to this the words “Traditional Holy Day of Obligation.” Well: bravo Fr. Sherry, or whoever made that change. You’re almost there! Now just remove the word “Traditional” and you’ll be back to where you started! And yes, this is, of course, only a little thing but still, credit where credit is due…

SSPX Supporting U.N. NGOs..?

From Germany comes an interesting tale, but one which we were able to verify fairly easily, and so can you. Look up an organisation headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland called “Christian Solidarity International” and then in connection with it, look up a young German Novus Ordo priest called Fr. Peter Fuchs (not to be confused with Fr. Martin Fuchs, who left the SSPX for the Resistance in January 2014!).

Their own website (www.csi-int.org) lists their activities in bullet points, the first of which is that Christian Solidarity International “campaign for religious liberty and human dignity”. They are particularly concerned for places such as Armenia, Nigeria, the Sudan and Syria. To be fair to them, many of their goals sound eminently worthy: liberating “people who are abducted, enslaved or imprisoned because of their faith,” for instance, even if they don’t specify which “faith” (and really, when the name is “Christian Solidarity” and not “Catholic Solidarity” how sure can anyone be that we aren’t talking about Protestants, or Greek Orthodox?). Its Wikipedia entry tells us that CSI has: “... consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council.”

And what about Fr. Peter Fuchs, what is his connection? On the “About us” (“Our Identity”) page of the CSI website, Fr. Peter Fuchs is listed as one of the six members of the “International Coordinating Committee”. Fr. Fuchs is also a priest stationed at one of the most important SSPX priories in Germany, namely Munich where he says daily Mass despite never having been conditionally ordained. In April 2025, he visited the SSPX girls’ school Schoenenberg to give a talk promoting CSI and raise funds for them. He was billed as “Geschäftsführer von CSI -Deutschland” (“Managing Director of CSI Germany”). Faithful in the German SSPX District have been encouraged to donate to support CSI almost as though it were an apostolate of the SSPX. Is this now normal?

SSPX head says ‘catastrophic’ Pope Francis decisions would justify new bishops

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 12:52:58 +0000

SSPX head says ‘catastrophic’ Pope Francis decisions would justify new bishops
SSPX Superior General Fr. Pagliarani said the Francis pontificate embodied a lasting state of necessity, citing 'epochal,' 'catastrophic' decisions which remain on the books.

Shutterstock

Jan 7, 2026
(LifeSiteNews) — Father Davide Pagliarani, superior general of the Society of St. Pius X, addressed questions surrounding episcopal consecrations and the Church’s present crisis during a December 13 talk in Friedrichshafen, Germany, urging prayer, patience, and what he called “supernatural prudence.”

Speaking in French and translated at points into German, Pagliarani told those present that he would not offer “dates or names” regarding future consecrations, instead asking the faithful to take the matter up as a serious prayer intention. The address was attended by senior SSPX figures, including former Superior Generals Bishop Bernard Fellay and Father Franz Schmidberger.

Pagliarani framed the discussion around the question of a “state of necessity,” recalling that in 1988 Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre judged such a state to exist in the wake of the 1986 Assisi interreligious meeting. He argued that the situation has only intensified since then, particularly in light of the pontificate of Francis.

“After the pontificate of Pope Francis,” Pagliarani said, that period contained decisions that were “epochal, catastrophic … and which remain.”

He added that “his pontificate, from beginning to end, represents and expresses this state of necessity – which in general, independent of the consecrations, justifies the apostolate of the society.”

While noting that Francis has since died, he insisted that the effects of those decisions endure. In his assessment, the entire pontificate “represents and expresses this state of necessity,” a condition that, he said, already justifies the society’s apostolate independently of any question of consecrations.

He defined the state of necessity in concrete terms:

Quote:When we enter a normal church, an ordinary, common parish, we unfortunately no longer find today the guarantees of finding the necessary means to work out our salvation: the preaching of truth, and the sacraments.

According to Pagliarani, this reality is “much easier to observe” today than it was in 1988.

Turning to Lefebvre’s actions, Pagliarani described the 1988 consecrations not merely as a bold decision, but as “an act of virtue” and, more precisely, “an act of supernatural prudence.” He stressed that Lefebvre waited, prayed, and acted publicly only when the moment was ripe, despite significant disagreement at the time.

“The more time passes,” he said, “the wider is the camp of those who recognize” the value of that act. He emphasised that the SSPX does not act in defiance of the Church, but to serve her, even when using “extraordinary means” proportionate to the gravity of the crisis.

The 1988 episcopal consecrations resulted in a declaration of an automatic excommunication on the part of Lefebvre, his co-consecrator Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer, and the four men consecrated. The validity of this excommunication was always contested by the Society of St Pius X. In 2009, several years after the deaths of the consecrators, the Vatican declared that the excommunication of the remaining four men had been lifted. Since then, two of the bishops have died, leaving only Bishops Bernard Fellay and Alfonso de Galarreta.

If further consecrations were ever to take place, Pagliarani said, the society would need to prepare not only arguments and ceremonies, but “hearts,” through prayer and spiritual readiness. Any such step, he added, would be undertaken for the good of the Church herself, not merely for the society’s internal needs.

Pagliarani concluded by reaffirming continuity within the SSPX: when the time comes, the society would explain its actions to Rome and to the faithful “in the greatest transparency.” The SSPX’s spirit, he said, “is the same as always,” likening it to a rocket that may change speed or altitude, but remains the same rocket.

Quote:
Fr. Davide Pagliarani’s address

Translated with the help of AI and checked by a French speaker.

“The future belongs to God, and to Eternal Truth.”

It’s a million-dollar question, it’s a question… Of course, I risk disappointing most of you. I’m not here to give dates or names, but certainly to entrust you with this prayer intention.

So what can we say? First, the question of the state of necessity. Is there today a state of necessity, as in ’88? If you remember, Archbishop Lefebvre considered the ecumenical meeting of ’86 in Assisi somewhat a sign of providence.

Today, especially after the pontificate of Pope Francis, a pontificate that contains decisions which were… epochal, catastrophic… and which remain. Pope Francis has entered into eternity, but all these decisions remain. For my part, I believe his pontificate, from beginning to end, represents and expresses this state of necessity – which in general, independent of the consecrations, justifies the apostolate of the society.

This is very important to understand.

And this state of necessity, concretely – because we must always return to these principles – the state of necessity is the fact that when we enter a normal church, an ordinary, common parish, we unfortunately no longer find today the guarantees of finding the necessary means to work out our salvation. The preaching of truth, and the sacraments. This, I would say, is much easier to observe, to demonstrate today than in ’88.

In this extremely delicate question, we would like as much as possible to follow the supernatural prudence of Archbishop Lefebvre. What Archbishop Lefebvre did in ’88 is an act of virtue. I would say more than that, it’s an act of supernatural prudence which shows, I would say, his docility to the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t so obvious: not everyone agreed in ’88 with this decision.

Archbishop Lefebvre knew how to wait, knew how to pray; the matter matured well, and when the moment came, he made his decision in a clear, noble, and public manner, explaining the reasons. And we would like, as much as possible, to imitate this supernatural prudence of Archbishop Lefebvre.

It’s an act by which Archbishop Lefebvre made it work (sic). The more time passes, the more… the camp of those who recognize them is wide, wider. It’s an act that was done, accomplished with the Spirit, to serve the Church. That’s what’s very important. That’s what must be well explained to all new faithful. Everything the society does, it is not a challenge to the Church. It’s a way to serve the Church, and I would say – to return to the consecrations – if one day we arrive there, we must not only prepare the ceremony, give the apologetic reasons, if I may say; we must prepare hearts.

It’s a grace, it’s a grace, and above all it’s something, once again, that we accomplish for the good of the Church herself. It’s something that goes beyond our immediate necessity. Why? Because the society itself is a work that exists to serve the Church, certainly with extraordinary means, but which are proportionate to the gravity of the crisis. It’s very important, I think, to prepare the heart in prayer.

And that’s it.

Certainly, when the time comes, the society will make its approaches to the Holy See to explain the situation, the reasons, to explain our spirit; and of course when the time comes, in the greatest transparency, everything will be explained to the faithful; what we say, what we do, and in what spirit.

But I would say the spirit; you already know it, I think, with what we’ve just said, you can already grasp that the spirit of the society is the same as always. Yes, and this rocket changes speed, changes altitude a bit, but it’s always the same rocket.

I think that’s the whole beauty of today, it’s really to feel that the society has remained faithful to the reasons for which it was founded. And the person of Father Schmidberger and Bishop Fellay in particular, was no less so.

"I Am Not Here to Give Dates or Names of Future Bishops" - Father Pagliarani FSSPX

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 08:43:22 +0000

"I Am Not Here to Give Dates or Names of Future Bishops" - Father Pagliarani FSSPX

gloria.tv | December 23, 2025

The Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, Fr Davide Pagliarani, spoke on December 13 in Friedrichshafen, Germany, about the future of the Fraternity. Main quotes, video sequence below.

- The question of future bishops' consecrations is the million-dollar question.

- I am not here to give dates or names.

- Does a state of necessity exist in the Church today, as it did in 1988 when Marcel Lefebvre consecrated four bishops? This state of necessity is more clearly recognisable today than in 1988.

- After the pontificate of Pope Francis, we find ourselves in an emergency situation. Although the Pope has passed away, his decisions remain epoch-making, problematic and far-reaching. This pontificate exemplifies the state of necessity within the Church from start to finish.

- In ordinary parishes, the means for the salvation of souls are often lacking. The preaching of the truth and the administration of the sacraments are no longer guaranteed.

- The consecration of bishops is not about an internal problem of the Priestly Fraternity, but about the good of the Church.

- It is not only necessary to prepare the ceremony of bishops' consecration, but also hearts. Such decisions must be made through prayer.

Video here: https://gloria.tv/post/ry2gLtGG78VR6KERaNAaR1nc8

Excerpt: Interview with Fr. Schmidberger [December 2025]

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:45:44 +0000

Computer-translated from the German:

Excerpt from a longer Interview with Fr. Schmidberger by Corrigenda [December 8, 2025]:

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.

Leo XIV Grants Apostolic Blessing to FSSPX Chapel in Charlotte

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:24:15 +0000

Leo XIV Grants Apostolic Blessing to FSSPX Chapel in Charlotte

gloria.tv | December 8, 2025

Pope Leo XIV granted an Apostolic Blessing to Fr John Bourbeau FSSPX and the faithful of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) at Saint Anthony of Padua Chapel in Mount Holly, North Carolina.

The blessing commemorates the 25th anniversary of the chapel’s founding. The Vatican document is dated November 18 and signed by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski.

The chapel is in the Charlotte area. Many Catholics gather there for Mass because Bishop Michael Martin of Charlotte curtailed most celebrations of the Mass in the Roman [Latin] rite in diocesan parishes. He now permits the Roman rite only in a single diocesan chapel with capacity for approximately 350 people.

St. Anthony’s community was formed in the early 1980s and spent 19 years worshipping in various temporary locations, including a private residence, a rented floor of a bank building, and facilities of the Junior League of Charlotte.

In 2000, community members identified a church building for sale. The first Mass in the new chapel took place on August 22, 2000.

Due to continued growth, the FSSPX leadership recently authorized a search for new property on which to build a larger church.

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Archbishop Lefebvre on favors from an unconverted Rome:

“For fifteen years we dialogued to try to put the tradition back in its place of honour, in that place in the Church which it has by right. We ran up against a continual refusal. What Rome grants in favour of this tradition at present is nothing but a purely political gesture, a piece of diplomacy so as to force people into compromise. But it is not a conviction of the benefits of Tradition.” (Fideliter No. 79, January-February 1991)

“When they say they [Dom Gerard and the Fraternity of St. Peter] don’t have to give anything up, that’s false. They have given up the ability to oppose Rome. They cannot say anything anymore. They must remain silent given the favours that have been granted them. It is now impossible for them to expose the errors of the Conciliar Church. Softly, softly they adhere, even be it only by their Profession of Faith that is requested by Cardinal Ratzinger. I think Dom Gérard is about to publish a small book written by one of his monks on Religious Liberty and which will try to justify it. From the point of view of ideas, they begin to slide ever so slowly and end up by admitting the false ideas of the Council, because Rome has granted them some favours of Tradition. It’s a very dangerous situation” (Fideliter No. 79, January-February 1991)