There will be no new Ecclesia Dei commission -- instead, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, following the publication of the Decree of Excommunication and its Explanatory Note, has published a "Procedure for the Reconciliation of Priests of the Society of Saint Pius X", and another for the Lay Faithful, with Profession of Faith and Formula of Adherence.
This is our translation of the Italian and Latin original - first, the text relative to priests; followed by the procedure relative to some of the lay faithful; followed by the texts of the Profession of Faith and Formula of Adherence in Latin, and in our translation:
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DICASTERY FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH
PROCEDURE FOR THE RECONCILIATION
OF PRIESTS COMING FROM
THE PRIESTLY FRATERNITY OF SAINT PIUS X
The procedure followed by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, effective July 1, 2026, provides that a priest who has decided to leave the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, who is willing to accept the Second Vatican Council and the legitimacy of the Novus Ordo Missae, while remaining attached to the usus antiquior, must:
(1) Find an Ordinary (a diocesan bishop, a major superior of a clerical pontifical institute of consecrated life, a clerical pontifical society of apostolic life, etc.) who is willing to receive him ad experimentum.
(2) Write, in his own hand, a letter to the Holy Father introducing himself and requesting the remission of the censures incurred either because he received priestly ordination from an excommunicated or otherwise canonically irregular bishop, or because, although validly and licitly ordained, he subsequently joined the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X.
(3) Attach his certificate of priestly ordination.
(4) Attach the Profession of Faith and the Formula of Adherence, dated and signed (see Appendices A and B).
(5) Have the Ordinary send the above-mentioned three documents to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith together with a covering letter expressing the Ordinary's willingness to receive the priest ad experimentum into his diocese or institute.
Upon receipt of these three documents from the Ordinary, the Dicastery shall prepare the Rescript remitting the censures, to be signed by the Prefect and the Secretary of the Doctrinal Section.
The Dicastery will then transmit the Rescript to the Ordinary together with a covering letter authorizing him to receive the petitioner for a probationary period of not less than one year and not more than three years, at the conclusion of which the priest may be incardinated.
It has recently been decided that, should the probationary period not prove successful, the Ordinary is to return the Rescript to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith together with a report explaining the reasons why incardination did not take place.
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DICASTERY FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH
PROCEDURE FOR THE RECONCILIATION
OF CERTAIN LAY FAITHFUL COMING FROM
THE PRIESTLY FRATERNITY OF SAINT PIUS X
This procedure concerns the question of imputability, or the degree of personal responsibility, of lay members of the faithful who have formally adhered to, or regularly attend, the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X and who seek to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church.
The imposition of a canonical penalty upon lay persons belonging to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X is not to be presumed automatically, but must instead be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Since imputability requires full knowledge and deliberate consent, examples of established imputability may include:
(1)Lay members of the Third Order of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X;
(2) Lay faithful who habitually participate in SSPX liturgical celebrations while formally sharing its doctrinal positions.
Conversely, the following are not ordinarily to be considered imputable:
(3) Lay faithful who attended the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X solely for liturgical or spiritual reasons;
(4) Lay faithful who, although aware of the tensions with the Holy See, do not reject either the Magisterium or the authority of the Roman Pontiff.
If a lay member of the faithful belonging to the categories described in nos. 1–2 has incurred a canonical penalty and seeks full communion with the Catholic Church, the procedure requires a formal act expressing full adherence to Catholic doctrine and obedience to the Church's hierarchy under the jurisdiction of the local Ordinary, who is the guarantor of the unity of the particular Church.
Accordingly, such a lay member of the faithful must:
- Present to the local Ordinary the Profession of Faith and the Formula of Adherence, duly dated and signed (see Appendices A and B).
After receiving the required documentation, the local Ordinary shall receive the lay faithful at the time and in the manner he judges most appropriate, making use, for example, of the Rite of Reception into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church of Those Already Validly Baptized, suitably adapted.
With respect to the lay faithful described in nos. 3–4, it is sufficient that they approach a priest who is in full communion with the Church and resolve not to attend the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X in the future.
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APPENDIX A
PROFESSIO FIDEI
[Original Latin]
Ego _______________________________________________
firma fide credo et profiteor omnia et singula quae continentur in Symbolo fidei, videlicet:
Credo in unum Deum Patrem omnipotentem, factorem caeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium; et in unum Dominum Iesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula, Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero, genitum non factum, consubstantialem Patri, per quem omnia facta sunt; qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de caelis, et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est; crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato, passus et sepultus est; et resurrexit tertia die secundum Scripturas, et ascendit in caelum, sedet ad dexteram Patris, et iterum venturus est cum gloria iudicare vivos et mortuos, cuius regni non erit finis.
Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem, qui ex Patre Filioque procedit; qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur; qui locutus est per Prophetas.
Et unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam.
Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum.
Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum et vitam venturi saeculi.
Amen.
Firma fide quoque credo ea omnia quae in Verbo Dei scripto vel tradito continentur et ab Ecclesia sive sollemni iudicio sive ordinario et universali Magisterio tamquam divinitus revelata credenda proponuntur.
Firmiter etiam amplector ac retineo omnia et singula quae circa doctrinam de fide vel moribus ab eadem definitive docentur.
Insuper religioso voluntatis et intellectus obsequio doctrinis adhaereo quas sive Romanus Pontifex sive Collegium Episcoporum enuntiant cum Magisterium authenticum exercent, etsi non definitivo actu easdem proclamare intendant.
In loco ______________________
Die ______________________
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[English translation (Rorate)]
PROFESSION OF FAITH
I, _______________________________________________
with firm faith believe and profess each and every article contained in the Creed, namely:
[Nicene Creed]
Amen.
With firm faith, I also believe everything contained in the word of God, whether written or handed down in Tradition, which the Church proposes as divinely revealed, whether by solemn judgment or by her ordinary and universal Magisterium.
I likewise firmly accept and hold each and every teaching definitively proposed by the Church regarding faith and morals.
Moreover, with religious submission of will and intellect, I adhere to the teachings which either the Roman Pontiff or the College of Bishops proclaim when exercising their authentic Magisterium, even if they do not intend to proclaim them by a definitive act.
Given at ______________________
Date ______________________
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APPENDIX B
FORMULA ADHAESIONIS
[Original Latin]
Ego _______________________________________________
Promitto fidelitatem erga Ecclesiam Catholicam et erga Romanum Pontificem, Ecclesiae Pastorem Supremum, Vicarium Christi, Successorem beati Petri in eius Primatu et Caput Episcoporum Collegii, abstinens me ab omni publica declaratione, quae eiusdem personae vel Magisterio adversetur (cf. cann. 1373 et 1365 CJC).
Accipio doctrinam, quae in n. 25 Constitutionis dogmaticae Lumen Gentium Concilii Vaticani II de Magisterio Ecclesiae et de adhaesione illi debita docetur.
Circa aliquas doctrinas, quas Concilium Vaticanum II docuit, aut circa instaurationes posteriores sive Liturgiae sive Iuris Canonici, quae aliquibus difficulter cum praecedentibus Magisterii declarationibus conciliari posse videntur, obligationem assumo sequendi lineam positivam ad doctrinam interpretandam sub ductu Magisterii ne quis eam a reliquo sacro doctrinae Ecclesiae patrimonio disiungat.
Declaro etiam me accipere validitatem Sacrificii Missae et Sacramentorum celebratorum cum intentione faciendi quod facit Ecclesia, et secundum ritus qui inveniuntur in editionibus typicis Missalis Romani necnon Ritualium a Summis Pontificibus Paulo VI et Ioanne Paulo II editis.
Promitto in fine me disciplinae communi Ecclesiae eiusque legibus adhaerere, imprimis illis quae in Codice Iuris Canonici a Summo Pontifice Ioanne Paulo II promulgato continentur.
Quae omnia manu propria subscripsi.
In loco ______________________
Die ______________________
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[English translation (Rorate)]
FORMULA OF ADHERENCE
I, _______________________________________________
promise fidelity to the Catholic Church and to the Roman Pontiff, the Supreme Pastor of the Church, the Vicar of Christ, the Successor of Blessed Peter in his primacy, and the Head of the College of Bishops, refraining from every public statement that would oppose either his person or his Magisterium (cf. canons 1373 and 1365 of the Code of Canon Law).
I accept the doctrine taught in No. 25 of the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium of the Second Vatican Council concerning the Magisterium of the Church and the adherence owed to it.
With regard to certain doctrines taught by the Second Vatican Council, or subsequent reforms in either the Sacred Liturgy or Canon Law, which may appear to some to be difficult to reconcile with previous declarations of the Magisterium, I undertake to follow a positive approach to their interpretation under the guidance of the Church's Magisterium, so that none of these teachings may be separated from the remainder of the Church's sacred doctrinal patrimony.
I further declare that I accept the validity of the Sacrifice of the Mass and of the Sacraments celebrated with the intention of doing what the Church does, and according to the rites contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal and the ritual books promulgated by the Supreme Pontiffs Paul VI and John Paul II.
Finally, I promise to adhere to the common discipline of the Church and to her laws, especially those contained in the Code of Canon Law promulgated by Pope John Paul II.
I have signed all of the above in my own hand.
Given at ______________________
Date ______________________
[Original source, in Italian (for the procedures) and Latin (for the Profession of Faith and Formula)]
