ÉCÔNE CONSECRATIONS 2026: Schedule of Events on July 1st, 2026, and timeline of how things proceeded in Rome in 1988 / Live broadcast

Despite papal appeal and SSPX response, thousands of people are already in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland, ready to witness the episcopal consecrations organized by the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX).

For those who wish to follow the ceremonies, the episcopal consecrations will be broadcast by the SSPX official channel on YouTube (embedded below). The broadcast will start at 8:15 am local and Rome time (Central European Summer Time or GMT+2), or 2:15 am at Eastern Daylight Time in the US and Canada. The consecrations will start at 9 am local time.

Here is the sequence of scheduled events in Écône:

SSPX Superior General Responds to Pope's Appeal

 In response to the appeal sent by letter by His Holiness to him, Fr. Pagliarani, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), sent the following message:

Letter from the Superior General in Response to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV

The Superior General

To His Holiness

Pope Leo XIV

Ecône, 30 June 2026

 

Most Holy Father,

URGENT: POPE SENDS LETTER TO SSPX SUPERIOR

 [Update: Response by the SSPX Superior General]

Letter of the Holy Father to the Reverend Father Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X

To The Reverend
Father Davide Pagliarani
Superior General of the
Society of Saint Pius X

Consecrations, the Papacy, and the Pontifical Mandate: The Episcopal Consecrations of Saint Athanasius - by Roberto de Mattei

 The Episcopal Consecrations of Saint Athanasius

by Roberto de Mattei

In the sixty years between the Council of Nicaea (325) and the Council of Constantinople (381), the Church experienced, through the Arian crisis, one of the most difficult moments of its history. It was an era of defection from the faith, in which strenuous defenders of orthodoxy stood out — figures such as Saint Athanasius of Alexandria and Saint Hilary of Poitiers. Athanasius, in particular, became the symbol of the struggle against Arianism, which had penetrated to the very summit of the ecclesiastical hierarchy.

In the current debate over episcopal consecrations performed without a pontifical mandate, the name of Saint Athanasius is sometimes invoked as an example of a bishop who supposedly consecrated new bishops outside the ordinary disciplinary norms. A rigorous examination of the historical sources, however, leads to very different conclusions.

Casualties of Legalism: Truth and Charity - Guest Article

(photo source)

The following guest article is written by Michael Kakooza, Ph.D. (Wales), who has written for Rorate in the past. It represents the view of its author and not the official stance of Rorate.

In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas. [In necessary things, unity, In doubtful things, liberty, In all things, charity]

But should not the great Church also allow herself to be generous in the knowledge of her great breadth, in the knowledge of the promise made to her? Should not we, as good educators, also be capable of overlooking various faults and making every effort to open up broader vistas? And should we not admit that some unpleasant things have also emerged in Church circles? At times one gets the impression that our society needs to have at least one group to which no tolerance may be shown; which one can easily attack and hate. (Letter of Pope Benedict XVI to the World’s Catholic Episcopate on Remission of Excommunication of the four SSPX Bishops, 10^th March 2009)

 

Papal Homily for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul: Faithful and Patient Concern for Unity

 

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today, in a single Solemnity, we commemorate Saints Peter and Paul, the patron saints of the city and Diocese of Rome. One was chosen by Jesus as shepherd of his flock, and the other as apostle to the Gentiles. In them, we venerate two pillars of the Church.

A Summary of the Various Aspects of the July 1st Consecrations Explained: Rome and the Society of Saint Pius X

Riddes, Canton of Valais, Switzerland, where the district of Écône is located

 We believe this article written by French Catholic news agency I.Media and published by the Swiss Catholic conference's news website presented a good summary of the various points related to the consecrations planned by the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) for July 1st (this upcoming Wednesday).

Most Traditional Catholics are familiar with these aspects, but, since we have many new readers these days, this seems appropriate.

Schism, Excommunication… What Are the Stakes of the SSPX Ordinations?

 

By I.MEDIA at Cath.ch

June 26, 2026

[Written] with the canonical expertise of Pierre Chaffard-Luçon

 

Why do the new episcopal consecrations announced by the Society of Saint Pius X for July 1, 2026 pose a problem? What will be the status of those involved? And what becomes of the situation of the priests and faithful connected to this traditionalist movement?

Il Foglio on Leo XIV and the SSPX Consecrations: "The Schism at the Bottom Right: The SSPX underestimated Leo"

 Main excerpts from Matteo Matzuzzi's piece for today's Il Foglio:

The Schism at the Bottom Right 

Matteo Matzuzzi

Il Foglio Quotidiano

Saturday/Sunday, June 27–28, 2026

Never before have a Pope and the Lefebvrian Society been so close to the breaking point. The mistake was to underestimate Leo XIV: the Augustinians remember what their confrere Luther did when he broke the unity of the Church.

Report from the Consistory - Cardinal Müller and the SSPX: The Ecclesia Dei Commission must be Recreated to Welcome Traditionalists

 From today's Il Giornale, reporting on the proceedings of the Consistory of Cardinals taking place in the Vatican:

The Schism Unsettles the Consistory: "We Must Respond to the Lefebvrians"

Nico Spuntoni

 Il Giornale

June 27, 2026

Leo XIV had asked the cardinals for candor. And some took him at his word. As we can reveal, although the agenda had made no mention of the imminent Lefebvrian schism, a cardinal took it upon himself — already on the first day of proceedings — to use the time set aside for personal interventions to name the elephant in the room: the Society of Saint Pius X's open challenge to Rome.

“Harmony through Obedience”: Address and Homily of the Holy Father at the Beginning of Consistory of Cardinals: Full Texts

 

Address of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on the Occasion of the Opening of the Extraordinary Consistory 

(June 26–27, 2026)

June 26, 2026

Dear Brother Cardinals,

I welcome you and thank you from my heart for having once again accepted my invitation. Your presence manifests the solicitude for the whole Church that we share in the service of the People of God and of the mission entrusted to us by the Lord.

Open Letter to Pope and Cardinals from the superiors of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX)

 

Most Holy Father,

Most Reverend Eminences,

The Situation Regarding the SSPX Episcopal Consecrations of July 1, 2026 - by Roberto de Mattei

Regarding the Episcopal Consecrations of July 1, 2026 

Roberto de Mattei

June 24, 2026

What is one to think, and what is one to do, in the face of the episcopal consecrations announced by the Society of Saint Pius X at Écône for July 1st, and the consequent latae sententiae excommunication that will be reaffirmed by the Holy See?

SSPX and Rome - Toward a Marian Hermeneutic for Modernity (and Vatican II) to Preserve Church Unity

A guest article by Dr. Michaël Bauwens, University of Antwerp. As usual, we share this essay for the benefit of wider and deeper conversation, not as an official Rorate editorial position. ~PAK

The rising tensions concerning the scheduled episcopal consecrations by the SSPX and the announced ensuing excommunications by the Vatican have provoked a range of reactions – from pleas for ecclesial unity, obedience, leniency and pragmatism, to the intricacies of canon law, all the way to ideologically hardened hearts. These are pressing and legitimate ecclesial worries indeed, but the current situation shows that the roots of the problem are really doctrinal and theological, and are still far from being resolved.

Vatican Rejects Lay Preaching in Mass in Germany

 From the Dicastery for Divine Worship:

Good News from Arlington: FSSP Entrusted with New Chaplaincy of Our Lady of Victory

 

Bishop Burbidge speaks at St. Rita

A significant and most welcome development has come from the Diocese of Arlington, VA. Bishop Michael F. Burbidge has announced that, beginning July 1, 2026, the Chaplaincy of Our Lady of Victory will be administered by priests of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter. Fr. Jonathan Romanoski, FSSP, and Fr. John Audino, FSSP, have been appointed to serve the faithful who attend Mass and receive the other sacraments in the Extraordinary Form.

Pope Speaks on SSPX and Consecrations (Updated: Full Video)

 In impromptu declarations to the press, yesterday (June 16, 2026):

“I am considering making another appeal and saying ‘don't do this, let's try to live the communion of the Church.’ But it is their choice. 

Leo XIV in Spain - An Appraisal

 Pope Leo's Successful Apostolic Journey to Spain: 

Popular Piety and Orthodoxy, Yes. Partisan Progressivism, No. 

by Serre Verweij

for Rorate Caeli

Pope Leo XIV's apostolic journey to Spain has been a self-evident success. It drew large crowds of over a million people in a country that appeared to be secularizing, galvanized the young, and avoided any scandals. More important, however, was that he succeeded in preventing the visit from being hijacked by anti-Catholic progressives.

Honorius I, Vatican II and the SSPX - Guest article by James Baresel

As is well known, Pope Honoris I stated in a letter to Patriarch Sergius of Constantinople that “we confess one will of our Lord Jesus Christ”—despite the Church’s dogmatic teaching that Christ has both a divine will and a human will—and was posthumously anathematized by the Third Council of Constantinople.

 

What is not generally known, what is, in fact, virtually unknown, is that Pope John IV taught that Christ “never had two contrary wills [his human will being perfectly subordinate to his divine will] …we fittingly say and truthfully confess [in a metaphorical sense] one will” and that, therefore, Honorius’s letter was not intrinsically heretical its precise wording—because it did not state whether “one will” was meant literally or metaphorically.

 

FSSP Pilgrimage in Italy Denied the Traditional Latin Mass at Multiple Shrines: While Nuns hear "Confessions" and Eastern Orthodox celebrate liturgies

A report from Italy:

We wanted to bring to your attention the story of a group of pilgrims traveling through Italy with a priest of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter.

Why Non-Catholic Religions Offer No Hope for Mankind

A guest article by Joseph Bevan.

What is religion?

A common definition of religion is: ‘the belief in and worship of a superhuman power or powers, especially a God or gods.’ Most human beings acknowledge, to a greater or lesser extent, the existence of some kind of deity or, more often, a vague supernatural force up in the sky: a useful someone that they can blame for their shortcomings and misfortunes. When things are going well the presence of a higher being is usually disregarded.

Archbishop of Sydney: "Restore kneelers in every church where they are missing."

 From the pastoral letter written by Archbishop Anthony Fisher, OP, of Sydney, Australia, on the occasion of the Feast of Corpus Christi:

ADORING THE EUCHARISTIC LORD: 

“LET US KNEEL BEFORE THE GOD WHO MADE US” (PS 94:6): 

Pastoral Letter to the Priests, Religious, and People of the Archdiocese of Sydney

June 7, 2026

Leo XIV's Address to the Spanish Cortes (Parliament): "Can a community that casts into the shadows the unborn child, the elderly, the sick, those who suffer in silence, or those who depend entirely on the care of others be called fully just?"

I thank the President for her kind words, as well as for the invitation the Apostolic See received on the occasion of my visit to this country. I am also grateful for the courtesy of welcoming me to this historic Palace of the Congress of Deputies, a prominent center of the institutional, legal and democratic life of the Kingdom of Spain. I come before you as the Bishop of Rome and Shepherd of the Catholic Church, aware that the mission entrusted to the Successor of the Apostle Peter, as the principle and foundation of the unity of the Bishops and the faithful (cf. Lumen Gentium, 23), places the Holy See, in a special way, in dialogue with peoples and with States.

Papal Homily for Corpus Christi in Madrid: Catholicism “ is not a museum of the past to be visited, but a school of faith from which to draw even today”

 

As I begin my visit to Spain, it is with a heart filled with joy that I preside over this celebration on the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.

Military Chaplains Against the Traditional Mass: A Memoir About Perseverance in Faith

David Sonnier, a 1981 West Point graduate, loved the Army and worked to be a model soldier. A bend in his career path brought him into contact for the first time with the traditional Mass. His life, with that of his family, was changed forever—something quite a few Catholics can relate to! 

Retreat for Priests with Fr Armand de Malleray FSSP - October 5-9 in England

Clergy Retreat on 5-9 October 2026, Stonyhurst, England

SSPX July 1st Consecrations: The Only Variable is what the Vatican will do.

 

You will have noticed that Rorate has covered all sides and most aspects of the July 1st, 2026, Consecrations of four new bishops for the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), in Écône, Switzerland.

"TRUTH: The Core Question Regarding the SSPX" - by Bishop Athanasius Schneider

Bishop Schneider is well known to friends of Rorate, and Tradition around the world, and he has a different perspective on the SSPX Consecrations -- one of balance and, shall we say, understanding.

Diane Montagna posted this text by him on her page, and we paste it here for the ongoing record of debates on current events.

*****

THE CORE QUESTION REGARDING THE SOCIETY OF SAINT PIUS X

By Bishop Athanasius Schneider

"The Performative Contradiction of the Society of St. Pius X" - Guest Article by Vigilius

Recently, this blog published the now widely-discussed essay titled “The Kingship of Christ and the Aporias of the Roman Church.” Now the author applies the analysis of the “total Pope” and the corresponding concept of obedience to the Society of St. Pius X. Needless to say, the following text reflects the personal opinion of its author and is not a Rorate editorial position; rather, it may be seen as part of our ongoing coverage of the SSPX dilemma. - PAK

The SSPX Consecrations: "Separatism Is Not a Catholic Solution" - article by Dom Louis-Marie de Blignières

Dom Louis-Marie de Blignières, a founder and, for a long time, superior of the Fraternity of Saint Vincent Ferrer (FSVF), in Chéméré-le-Roi, France, needs no introduction. He has been a heavyweight figure in French Traditional Catholic intellectual circles for decades. 

Mother Angelica's Sweet Revenge

 

("I am so tired of you, Liberal Church in America!")

Today, Pope Leo XIV named the head of EWTN News, María Montserrat (Montse) Alvarado, as new Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication:

The Holy Father has appointed Dr. Maria Montserrat Alvarado, President and Chief Operating Officer of EWTN News, as Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication. Dr. Montserrat Alvarado will take office on 1 November.

The True, Wild, Inspiring, and Tragic Story of Monastic Britain

Britain is full of monastic ghosts. Street names carry them: Monks Lane, Priory Road, Abbey Close. The landscape, too, still bears the imprint of communities that shaped it for a thousand years. The ruins of Fountains, Rievaulx, Tintern, and dozens of lesser houses stand in fields and valleys across England, Wales, and Scotland, drawing visitors who admire their picturesque qualities while knowing almost nothing of the civilization that produced them.

The Traditional Mass, Recovered — and The Power of Tradition - Op-Ed by Abp. Hector Aguer

 The Recovery of the Mass

by Archbishop Héctor Agüer

Emeritus of La Plata, Argentina 

June 1st, 2026

The media and, especially, social networks point out that in several European countries, particularly among young people, the "Traditional Mass" is being lived with fervor, accompanied by numerous processions and pilgrimages. The youthful crowds that revived the traditional Paris - Chartres pilgrimage have drawn widespread attention, with an average age of 22. It is a recovery of Catholic tradition, which had been suffocated in those countries by liberalism, progressivism, and atheism.