As Siliri non possum accurately writes in their commentary found HERE:
What stands out in this unbroken series of utterly senseless acts, which began with the announcement of episcopal consecrations, is the persistent contradiction: a principle is solemnly proclaimed, only to be denied in practice. It brings to mind other areas in which these circles are rigid in words and conspicuously lax in reality. In short, the very body that signs a profession of obedience to the Vicar of Christ is the one which, in seven days’ time, on 1 July, has announced that it will consecrate new bishops at Ecône without a papal mandate.
On 2 February, the SSPX announced that it would consecrate new bishops on 1 July without authorisation from the Holy See, a decision that will in all likelihood result in the automatic excommunication of the bishops involved. This is not a polemical opinion. It is the legal characterisation provided by the law of the Church. Under canon 1387 of the Code, a bishop who consecrates someone a bishop without a pontifical mandate, and the person who receives consecration from him, incur latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See. It is the same act which Saint John Paul II, in the case of Lefebvre, described in his 1988 motu proprio Ecclesia Dei as “an act of a schismatic nature”.
Open Letter to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV
and to the Cardinals of the Holy Church
Most Holy Father,
Your Most Reverend Eminences,
On the eve of the Consistory scheduled for the end of this month, and only days before the episcopal consecrations planned for 1 July at Ecône, it seems to us that the time has come for the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X to make an integral profession of the Catholic faith, which we wish to place into the hands of Your Holiness and of each of the Cardinals.
Today the Church suffers under the pressure of new forces, arising both from within and from without, which are driving her in every possible direction except—so it seems to us—the right one. Faced with such suffering, we cannot remain indifferent.
It does not belong to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X to indicate the path to be followed, but rather to the Church’s bimillennial Tradition, faithfully preserved and handed down by the Apostolic See throughout the centuries, and which many now regard, in practice, as an outdated reality, subject to continual evolution.
It is in the name of this same Tradition, and in its light alone, that we today formulate this profession of the Catholic faith in the face of the principal errors and the gravest dangers of our time.
We are convinced that Tradition contains all the remedies for the deepest evils from which the Church and the world suffer, and for which solutions are sought in vain outside it. The immutable and integral faith is the principle, the foundation, and the root of the salvation of souls. This faith, contained in Tradition and taught by the Church’s constant Magisterium, constitutes the true foundation of the Church’s unity and, consequently, the necessary means of establishing union and communion among the members of the Mystical Body of Christ.
Above the changes and vicissitudes of time stands immutable Tradition, the echo within history of eternal Truth.
We can only hope and implore that this Tradition and the purity of the faith may once again be placed at the foundation of the Church’s life, so that from them an authentic regeneration may begin. It is for this intention that we pray with insistence.
We are convinced that, within the unstable and extremely dangerous circumstances now before our eyes, the greatest contribution that can be offered to the universal Church is that of a sincere and integral profession of the Catholic faith.
We hope that one day this doctrinal text may serve as the basis for a frank discussion with the Holy See, in a peaceful, fraternal, and charitable spirit.
The text that we present to you is not the sterile litany of a group of nostalgics, but the necessary expression, peaceful yet resolute, of our faith.
Non enim possumus aliquid adversus veritatem sed pro veritate.
“For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.”
And according to the Psalmist, as taken up by Saint Paul:
Et nos credimus propter quod et loquimur.
“We too believe; therefore we speak.”
With gratitude for the attention that you will be willing to devote to this text, we assure you of our constant prayers for you and for the universal Church.
Menzingen, 24 June 2026, Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Davide Pagliarani
Superior General
+ Alfonso de Galarreta
First Assistant General
Christian Bouchacourt
Second Assistant General
+ Bernard Fellay
First General Councillor
Former Superior General
Franz Schmidberger
Second General Councillor
Former Superior General
15 comments:
Do you have a sense of how many "regular" Roman Catholics care about the SSPX or even are aware of its existence?
Atlanta has a chapel and they are building a new larger church, but by Atlanta’s standards of mega parishes, they are tiny. This doesn’t affect in any way 99 % of practicing Catholic. A little bit of.
That was my thought, as well. Here in KC, there are several large "regular" Roman Catholic churches near our house alone (a couple of which are brand new), but there is only one SSPX church in town (not counting the US District House that's a few miles from where we live).
I just assume that most Roman Catholics are pretty much fine with whatever liturgy and teaching they're getting from the mainstream.
If Catholics are pretty much fine with whatever liturgy, why is the Catholic Church still shedding members and shuttering Churches as they are in Chicago? Cupich is the reverse of the late, great Cardinal Mundelein. There are lots of nominal Catholics there who no longer go to Church. They aren't fleeing to the suburbs, they are just rejecting Brand X created compliments of Bugnini!
Have you taken a look at the Immaculata, a huge church built by the SPPX in St. Mary's, Kansas?
https://www.anewimmaculata.org/
I still have not seen a list of those matters of Catholic Doctrine that SPPX rejects. I would appreciate it if someone would enlighten me
It is canonical and bishops promise obedience to the pope as do priests and deacons to their bishop. Breaking that promise has canonical consequences!
SSPX States, "I wish to remain faithfully subject to the Holy Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Church, Mistress of truth, and to the Pope, Vicar of Christ,..." Yet SSPX rejects the authority of the Pope in the matter of ordaining bishops.
SSPX states, "I therefore reject false ecumenism, which rests upon the idea that the Holy Ghost would not refuse to use separated communities as means of salvation, as though the Church of Christ were present and active in them, or as though these communities possessed in themselves a salvific value whose efficacy would derive from the fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church" which appears to be to be a direct contradiction to Vatican Two and Dominus Iesus and other authoritative sources.
SSPX Says, "4.I finally profess that the Old Covenant has been fulfilled, surpassed, and rendered obsolete by the New Covenant,..." which appears to be a direct contradiction of St. Paul when he wrote, "They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Messiah. God who is over all* be blessed forever. Amen."
Then there's SSPX's #106 : "I also reject that modern form of personalism which would assign to the Church the mission of safeguarding the dignity of the human person, and of establishing a universal fraternity upon the foundation of this allegedly common dignity of the human race — without making any distinction between, on the one hand, the true dignity of the Christian who renounces sin in order to live according to evangelical morality in the Catholic Church, and, on the other, the false dignity of those who, lost in error and vice, refuse the path of salvation."
It appears to be that SSPXers contention is that the Church has no obligation to - and, in fact, should NOT - recognize and protect the human dignity of the sinful. Tell that to Jesus as he defended the dignity of the woman caught in adultery.
Father McDonald,
I asked a legitimate question about which articles of faith that SSPX are rejecting. I will otherwise assume nothing and the Vatican is just being contumacious because some folks legitimately believe what they are selling ain't working and the Vatican cannot admit they made a mistake with their Bugnini special. I suspect what Pope Benedict was doing with SP, was allowing to see which form of the Roman Rite would ultimately carry the day without admitting the Bugnini special was a mistake.
I believe that the question was concerning rejecting the teachings of Vatican II that go beyond the matter of the consecration of bishops. The charge is thrown around a lot but no one ever explains what particular defined teachings are being rejected. In the meantime, however, we have bishops openly rejecting church teaching on sexual morality without consequences.
I’m familiar with the Immaculata, but I’ve not driven over there. It looks pretty impressive from the photos!
You’re right that there’s a lot of folks leaving Roman Catholicism. I’d imagine that is likely more due to apathy than a displeasure with liturgics, though.
No; they are quite clearly rejecting an idea of dignity that does not include the rejection of sin and resentence. You cannot quote their words and ignore what you just quoted..
monkmcg - SSPX's #106 : "I also reject that modern form of personalism which would assign to the Church the mission of safeguarding the dignity of the human person, and of establishing a universal fraternity upon the foundation of this allegedly common dignity of the human race — without making any distinction between, on the one hand, the true dignity of the Christian who renounces sin in order to live according to evangelical morality in the Catholic Church, and, on the other, the false dignity of those who, lost in error and vice, refuse the path of salvation."
Every person, saint or sinner, has inherent dignity. CCC 1700 "The dignity of the human person is rooted in his creation in the image and likeness of God;..."
The Church teaches that there is not an "allegedly common dignity of the human race," but a true common dignity that encompasses all.
A person does not possess less dignity due to sin. DECLARATION “DIGNITAS INFINITA” ON HUMAN DIGNITY - DICASTERY FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH "The most important among these is the ontological dignity that belongs to the person as such simply because he or she exists and is willed, created, and loved by God. Ontological dignity is indelible and remains valid beyond any circumstances in which the person may find themselves."
CCC 2267 "...the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes..."
The Church/We have an obligation protect the stranger, the widow, the orphan, we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the sick, visit those in prison, welcome the stranger not because they are holy, but because they are human.
It does seem SSPC rejects this fundamental understanding of who possess true human dignity and who is, therefore, obligated to respect and protect all humans.
It is odd to expect doctrinal precision from a brief statement of faith. Since dignity arises as a gift - the gift of being made in the Divine image and likeness - it is unchanging. It can, and usually is, obscured by sin. The "false dignity" they speak of refers to a dignity that is divorced from the truth of the human person who is at once both imago Dei AND a sinner. To invoke human dignity as something that demands/requires turning a blind eye to criminality or acceptance of lifestyles/identities centered on sins that cry out to Heaven for vengeance is a false claim made in the name of dignity.
monkmcg - "I also reject that modern form of personalism which would assign to the Church the mission of safeguarding the dignity of the human person, and of establishing a universal fraternity upon the foundation of this allegedly common dignity of the human race — without making any distinction between, on the one hand, the true dignity of the Christian who renounces sin in order to live according to evangelical morality in the Catholic Church, and, on the other, the false dignity of those who, lost in error and vice, refuse the path of salvation."
Where does this SSPX statement say anything about turning a blind eye to sin?
The statement does reject the Church's teaching on the common dignity of all people - dignity shared by all - when it calls that notion "allegedly common dignity."
Sinners of ANY shape or form have a common dignity that comes from being made in the image of God.
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