Vatican II Alert: "Golden Anniversary" Same-Sex "Couple" Celebrated with mass in London, with Homily by Cardinal

Is this why the SSPX exists, and why it consecrates bishops ? Yes, this sorry set of circumstances is what makes their attitudes understandable on a human level.

Report by the pro-deviancy group "New Ways Ministry", which is gleeful about it:

 

On June 13, 2026, two gay men in one of England’s leading pastoral outreaches to LGBTQ+ people gathered friends and family from far and wide to celebrate a “Mass of Thanksgiving for 50 Years of Friendship, Partnership, and Commitment in the Pursuit of Justice.”

SSPX Consecrations: Sermon of the Ceremony, by Superior-General Fr. Davide Pagliarani (translation of full text)

The Sermon of the Episcopal Consecrations

Father Davide Pagliarani

Superior-General

Écône, July 1, 2026

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Your Excellencies, dear confreres, dear sisters, dear faithful,

At last, this day has arrived. What a joy to see you here in such great numbers, come from the four corners of the world!

The Écône Consecrations of July 1, 2026: The Chronos and Kairos of an Event -- Comprehensive Historical Analysis by ROBERTO DE MATTEI

 The Écône Consecrations of July 1, 2026: The Chronos and Kairos of an Event

By Roberto de Mattei

July 1, 2026

“Habetis mandatum apostolicum?” (Do you have the apostolic mandate?). With this traditional formula, used to verify that candidates have pontifical approval, the rite of episcopal ordination began on July 1 in Écône. A priest responded by reading a brief text—devoid of canonical value—drafted by Father Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX):

Cardinal Müller on the SSPX Consecrations: The Time Has Come to End Traditionis Custodes and Free the Latin Mass Once More

 "Let the Ancient and Modern Rites Coexist. Banning Latin? That Would Be a Gift to the Rebels." 

By Nico Spuntoni

Il Giornale

July 1, 2026

Gerhard Müller: "Demanding blind obedience is not the Christian style. No compromises on dogma — but more tolerance in pastoral practice."

Benedict XVI appointed him to lead the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Francis created him a cardinal. Gerhard Ludwig Müller is one of the most eminent living theologians and one of the most authoritative members of the College of Cardinals. In this interview with Il Giornale, the German cardinal argues that the time has come to close the chapter of restrictions on the Tridentine Mass opened in 2021 with the promulgation of Traditionis Custodes, and to return to liberalizing the ancient liturgy as Ratzinger had done.

Your Eminence, do you believe that the imminent Lefebvrian schism should lead the Church to rethink the restrictions on the Latin Mass still in force?

TU ES PETRUS

Tu es Petrus

 et super hanc petram ædificabo Ecclesiam meam, 

et portæ inferi non prævalebunt adversus eam, 

et tibi dabo claves regni cælorum.

Consummata Est: There are four more Bishops in the world

Four new bishops consecrated in Écône, Switzerland, 38 years and one day after the first consecration. (video and schedule here)

The ceremony of consecration of bishops has in its traditional form (kept in the Novus Ordo version), in its very beginning, a question about the Apostolic Mandate. From the booklet of today's ceremony - Habetis mandatum apostolicum? (Have you the Apostolic Mandate?)

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.

Magnifica Humanitas: Explaining the Encyclical of Pope Leo XIV

 by Serre Verweij, 

for Rorate Caeli

Pope Leo Has Finally Released His First Encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas

Pope Leo has finally released his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, to the world. As expected, it deals with AI and technological innovation. Surprisingly, however, it also deals extensively with a variety of other social topics and tips Pope Leo's hand just a bit on multiple divisive issues.

SSPX Announces Names of Four Priests to be Consecrated on July 1st

The General House Announces the Names of Future Bishops

Published May 26, 2026

Communiqué from the General House

On this octave of Pentecost, Fr. Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), has the joy of announcing the names of the priests of the Society who have been chosen to receive episcopal consecration on July 1st at Écône.

Liturgy conference in Leuven, Belgium - October, 2026 | Tradition and Reform in the Roman Rite: The Usus Antiquior in Contemporary Catholicism

Tradition and Reform in the Roman Rite: The Usus Antiquior in Contemporary Catholicism

Thursday 22nd – Friday 23rd October 2026

 This conference aims to provide a rigorous, interdisciplinary investigation of the tensions between tradition and reform within the Roman Rite, with particular attention to the renewed interest in the pre‑Vatican II liturgy (usus antiquior) in contemporary Catholicism. Moving beyond ideological polarizations, the conference accepts papers that deepen scholarly understanding of how liturgical forms function historically, socially, and theologically in the life of the Church.

First Encyclical of Pope Leo XIV, on the 135th Anniversary of Rerum Novarum

ENCYCLICAL LETTER

MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS

OF HIS HOLINESS

POPE LEO XIV

ON SAFEGUARDING THE HUMAN PERSON

IN THE TIME OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 

INTRODUCTION

Pope Leo XIV assures Coptic Patriarch there is no such thing as "blessings" to same-sex "couples"

And just like that, in a phone call between Pope Leo XIV and Coptic Tawadros II, the atrocious Francis-Tucho document "Fiducia Supplicans" was filed away in a drawer of non-issues.

From the Holy Synod of the Coptics:

"Discord in the Bergoglian Camp -- The Crux of the Matter: the Lefebvrian Ordinations."

 Discord in the Bergoglian Camp - The Crux of the Matter: the Lefebvrian Ordinations

By Americo Mascarucci

For Marco Tosatti's Stilum Curiae

May 19, 2026

The Bergoglian camp is in chaos over the Society of Saint Pius X and the episcopal consecrations it has announced for July 1st, with the consequent threat of excommunication from the Vatican.

Pope and Armenian Patriarch talk about a "Third Vatican Council"

 

There was nothing about it in the Vatican text and news -- but in the Armenian language release by the Patriachate we find this gem:

On Monday, 18 May, 2026, the two heads of Churches held a private meeting where they addressed the following issues: the establishment of a common date for Easter, a day of commemoration for all martyrs, and the convening of a Third Vatican Council.

Full text:

On the 135th Anniversary of Rerum Novarum: An Overview of Pope Leo XIII

 by Serre Verweij

for Rorate Caeli

Pope Leo XIII is a widely known but not widely grasped Pope. Pope Leo XIV took his name (in part) as a tribute to Leo XIII. This instantly resulted in a renewed focus on Pope Leo XIII as the Pope who started addressing so called social issues with Rerum Novarum in 1891 and who cared about dealing with new developments in the world. This basic picture is true, but much is missing or misinterpreted in how Leo XIII is often described nowadays.

Event: International Fatima Gregorian Chant Workshop

The first International Fátima Gregorian Chant Workshop will take place form 17^th to 20^th  September, 2026, with days filled with practical and theoretical lessons in chant for beginner and advanced participants, vocal coaching, daily sung Mass the participants rehearse for, plus a tour of the Shrine of Fatima’s organ - the largest organ in the Iberian Peninsula, with shrine’s principal organist Sílvio Carreira Vicente.

Fr. Albert Jacquemin, formerly of the SSPX: "The SSPX Is Explicitly Developing an Ecclesiology of Substitution Foreign to Catholic Tradition"

 The SSPX Is Explicitly Developing an Ecclesiology of Substitution Foreign to Catholic Tradition

Interview granted to French website Le Salon Beige

Having been a member of the Society of Saint Pius X until the consecrations of June 1988, Father Albert Jacquemin subsequently joined the Diocese of Paris. A doctor of both legal history and canon law, he is a lecturer at the Faculty of Canon Law of the Institut Catholique de Paris and has presided since 2022 over the National Canonical Penal Tribunal of the French Bishops' Conference. He has just published The Choice of Rupture: Archbishop Lefebvre, Rome, the Consecrations, 1974–2026. 

Official Website for the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) 2026 Consecrations

 

The SSPX has just launched an official website for their 2026 episcopal consecrations, in Écône, Switzerland. 

It's here -- and, in order to view it in different languages, you may just switch the language icon on the top.

Preparing for the Pontificate’s First Encyclical: Catholic Social Teachings before Vatican II

 

Catholic Social Teachings before Vatican II

by Serre Verweij

Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical is due to be released and almost certain to become a valuable addition to the collection of papal encyclicals dealing with social issues. This was to be expected, as he took the name Leo XIV as a reference to Pope Leo XIII, who became famous as the Pope who established Catholic Social Teaching (CST) through his encyclical Rerum Novarum in 1891. Pope Leo's teachings, and the tradition based on it, have unfortunately been frequently misunderstood or misrepresented, especially since the Second Vatican Council.

SSPX Superior publishes "Declaration of Catholic Faith", addressed to Pope Leo XIV

[Cf. Vatican statement, May 13, 2026]

Declaration of Catholic Faith addressed to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV by Fr. Davide Pagliarani Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X

May 14, 2026

Most Holy Father,

For more than fifty years, the Society of Saint Pius X has endeavoured to set before the Holy See a matter of conscience in the face of the errors that are destroying Catholic faith and morals. Regrettably, all the discussions entered into have remained without result, and none of the concerns expressed have received any truly satisfactory response. 

Homily for the Ascension of the Lord, Pope Saint Leo the Great

“You shall receive  the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth.

A RORATE CÆLI EDITORIAL -- Traditionis Custodes IS the State of Emergency: While it Exists, the Ecclesial Situation of Traditional Catholics Remains Precarious

There were many reasons for Summorum Pontificum, the motu proprio document by Benedict XVI that gave back full rights of citizenship to the Traditional Liturgies of the Latin Church in our age.

Justice, for one. The then-Cardinal Ratzinger had written extensively on the mistakes of the Pauline liturgical reform. But also, and very importantly, the situation of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX).

The SSPX had long defended the full freedom of the Traditional Mass as one of its conditions for a final settlement with the Apostolic See. Then, Benedict XVI accomplished the other condition: the lifting of the excommunications of the four SSPX bishops consecrated by Abp. Marcel Lefebvre in 1988; and the German response to the lifting of one of them (that of Bp. Richard Williamson) created one of the gravest storms of the Ratzinger Pontificate. The reaction gave rise to one of the most traumatic writings ever composed by a Pontiff in the modern age:

New Vatican Declaration on SSPX Consecrations

 

Statement of His Eminence Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith 

May 13, 2026 

Prayers for Bishop Robert Mutsaerts

The bravely orthodox auxiliary of Den Bosch, Netherlands, Bp. Robert Mutsaerts, was injured in a car accident on Saturday evening.

The Scandal of "Safe Environment Training": Diocesan Bureaucracy as a Violation of Childhood Innocence

The following letter was sent by a father to his local diocese. He has offered it for publication and I am only too happy to publish it, because I agree with every word. Having been forced to sit through such trainings myself, I have first-hand experience of what he is speaking about. —PAK

To Our Catholic Leadership and Fellow Catholics, Especially Parents:

Leo XIV - The First Anniversary: Pope's Brother Says Leo XIV and the President Have Much in Common - Full Interview

The Roman Pontiff's oldest brother granted a special interview to Spanish daily ABC speaking about his brother and also his thoughts on the President of the United States.

HOW CAN WE VIEW THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PONTIFICATE OF LEO XIV?

 One Year of Pope Leo XIV

by Serre Verweij

for Rorate Caeli

It has been a year since our new Pope appeared on the balcony, after the election of Robert Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV was announced. Initially, he was largely unknown to most of the world. Not a progressive star like Tagle, nor the candidate many had pegged as the counterrevolutionary choice, Cardinal Peter Erdő. Many did not know what to expect, though two mainstream narratives soon emerged: that Pope Leo XIV represents a return to normalcy, and that he is a moderate. The idea was that Leo is more institutionalist and more reserved than Francis, but that he will preserve — even if he will not double down on — at least some of Francis's key reforms, especially the much-touted concept of synodality.

One Year of Leo XIV: Back to the Substance of Faith - a German Perspective

 One Year of Leo XIV: Back to the Substance of Faith

By Richard Meusers von Wissmannfor Die WeltMay 7, 2026

Pope Leo XIV has now been in office for one year. He is less interested in the socio-political hot-button issues of the West. Instead, his focus is on the unity of the Church and the proclamation of the Gospel.

For the Record - Dom Jeremias Schröder, Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation: "The Traditional Latin Mass Can No Longer Be Pushed Out Entirely."

This major interview was published in German by the official news website of the German Bishops, Katholisch.de, last week. It has essential content for Traditional Catholics, and we post the translation here for the record of current events.

 

Abbot Primate: The Old Mass Can No Longer Be Pushed Out Entirely 

"I am very curious to see how Pope Leo will approach the problem" 

Ludwig Ring-Eifel, for KNA

April 30, 2026

Amid the dying of monasteries and the challenges of digital transformation, Abbot Primate Jeremias Schröder sees opportunities for religious life. In this interview, he also speaks about the liturgy dispute and the Benedictine perspective on it.

On Excommunication and the SSPX: A Canonical, Theological, and Pastoral Defense Against the Proposed Excommunication of the Society of Saint Pius X

By the Canon of Shaftesbury

Introduction

In July 2026, the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) is expected to proceed with the consecration of new bishops without a pontifical mandate; an act that Rome has signalled may result in automatic excommunication under canon law. The argument here is that, if imposed, would be not be canonically sensible, theologically coherent, nor pastorally sound. Drawing upon the Church’s own legal tradition, historical precedents, and the pastoral imperatives consistently invoked by the current and previous pontificates, one can contend that the proposed excommunication is arbitrary, inconsistent, and counterproductive to the unity and mission of the Catholic Church.

LEO XIV - One Year, by Roberto de Mattei

 Leo XIV: One Year of Pontificate 

by Roberto de Mattei

May 6, 2026

One year ago, on Monday, May 8, 2025, the pontificate of Leo XIV began — Robert Francis Prevost, the 267th pontiff of the Catholic Church, the first American Pope, and the first member of the Order of Saint Augustine.

Abandoned Shepherds: Fear, Fatherhood, and the Crisis of Episcopal Support in the Contemporary Catholic Priesthood

by the Canon of Shaftesbury

 

Introduction

On the traditional feast of Saint Pius V: “Quo Primum”

APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTION

Important - Vatican told German Bishops to Stop Blessings of Same-Sex “Couples” and Irregular Couples - Full Translation of Letter from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith

 The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith sent the following letter to the then-President of the German Conference of Bishops, Bishop Bätzing,* making clear the Vatican's position on the German proposal on blessings for same-sex "couples."

The letter, from November 2024, was made public today. It makes Cardinal Marx's move last month even more egregious. Our translation of the Italian original is below:

***

DICASTERIUM PRO DOCTRINA FIDEI

00120 Città del Vaticano Palazzo del S. Uffizio

 

November 18, 2024

Prot. N. 731/2023 – 102543

Your Excellency,

New Winds: Apostolic Nuncio to Poland Confers Traditional Rite Confirmation

 Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, Apostolic Nuncio to Poland, conferred the Sacrament of Confirmation according to the Traditional Latin Rite this past Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, in Warsaw.

FSSP Diaconal Ordinations

 

20 Deacons were ordained for the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP) this spring -- 8 in Nebraska, and 12 yesterday in Bavaria.

Event in July: Poland (Liturgical Workshops)

The 13th Edition of the "Ars Celebrandi" traditional liturgy workshops will take place in Licheń, on July 2-9, 2026.

Event in July: Choral Symposium in Ontario

The Fifth Annual Catholic Choral Symposium will take place this July 2 - 5 at St. Peter's Church, New Hamburg, ON. 

Get Ready: Traditional October Pilgrimage to Rome again this year, with Mass in Saint Peter’s

 The Mass inside Saint Peter’s Basilica is assured this year once again.

Schedule of the Pilgrimage Ad Petri Sedem which will take place in Rome from October 23 to 25, 2026 (registration is not necessary to participate in the pilgrimage) Friday October 23, 2026