RORATE CÆLI

The SSPX's Ecclesiology of Substitution: Part of the Whole, or a new Whole? — And the Problem with a Crisis that Never Ends.

This long work by Father Clément Barré, a priest of the Archdiocese of Bordeaux, was published on May 28, 2026, not long before the episcopal consecrations of the Society of Saint Pius X (July 1st, 2026), but months after they had been announced. We post an English translation here for the record of events.

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The SSPX's Ecclesiology of Substitution

From the Distinction Between "True Rome" and "False Rome" to the Justification of Consecrations Without a Pontifical Mandate Based on Primary Sources of the SSPX (La Porte Latine, FSSPX Actualités, DICI)

by Father Clément Barré

Archdiocese of Bordeaux

Author's note: This article draws extensively on the work of Father Albert Jacquemain, whom we cite in the introduction. It is from him that we receive the thesis this study seeks to demonstrate.

Introduction

The Society of Saint Pius X, founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, presents itself officially as a work in the service of the Catholic and Roman Church, not as an alternative to it.

Defiant SSPX Declares: "We are neither schismatic, nor disobedient."

Well, the Pope might have a slightly different opinion on that...

A long article by their priest Fr. Daniele de Sorco on several aspects of current events:

Neither Schismatic Nor Disobedient

July 8, 2026

Faced with the profusion of statements, articles and interviews which present the Society of Saint Pius X as responsible for a fracture within the Church, for a very serious disobedience towards the Holy Father, or even for a real schism, it seems appropriate to write a few lines in order to provide some clarification.

Écône: A Sign of Contradiction?

by Côme de Prévigny*

It has been repeated with evident satisfaction over the past few days: "The matter is settled. The schism is consummated. There is nothing more to expect from the SSPX." Very well. Granted. We should have turned the page by now. And yet the file stubbornly refuses to close and continues to occupy a prominent place in the news.

Andrea Grillo: the nemesis of the eucharistic innocence of St. Carlo Acutis -- and of the Traditional Latin Mass. The liturgy professor in the Anselmianum is widely considered the ghostwriter of the Francis document that shut down (with gradual pressure) the Traditional Mass, Traditionis custodes.

People today often ask questions like: “What in the world happened at the time of Vatican II, that the Church seemed in such an unholy hurry to change? Why were the changes so drastic and so sudden? What were the causes, the motives, the expectations, the assumptions about reform and its expected fruits? Who were the main actors? Was it planned out or random? Who benefited (cui bono)? How responsible were the bishops for it, versus the middle managers, versus the laity?” and so forth. It can be very hard to disentangle so many threads.

by Paix Liturgique

July 7, 2026

There is a topic that is rarely discussed by canonists or theologians, and even less so by pastors: Do the faithful have needs that the Church has failed to address?

Rome and the Econe Consecrations: a Dispassionate Analysis of What is at Stake

Polarization and Isolation:

What Can Be Expected of the Relationship Between Rome and the SSPX

by Serre Verweij

for Rorate Cæli

Leo XIV in Castel Gandolfo (July 5, 2025)

Orthodox Catholics are radically split over the Society of Saint Pius X, the consecration of its new bishops, and the excommunications that followed from Rome. Rather than adding yet another polemical perspective to an already heated debate, this analysis focuses on two key questions: how these events appear within the dynamics of Vatican politics, and what they can be expected to mean for the future of the SSPX, a future that, unfortunately, appears rather bleak at this juncture.

Whatever one's position on whether the excommunications were just or unjust, one thing has become indisputably clear: Rome is now treating the Society as a whole as engaged in schism.

A Lifelong Catholic's Appeal to Bishops: Aren't We Trying to Square the Circle?

A Catholic from New Zealand sent a letter to the bishops of his country some time ago, hoping for a response. Having received nothing, not so much as a polite acknowledgment, he sent the letter to me and asked if I might publish it. I am pleased to do so, as this humble layman speaks for a million others who could have written the same thing. Until the bishops choose to unstop their ears and listen to the cry of the poor, the Church’s decline will be credited to them as unrighteousness on the day of judgment, when the Lord judges the quick and the dead.—Dr. Kwasniewski

Your Excellency:

I know you can’t tell us how the works of the Holy Spirit will unfold, but I write to you in a constructive and synodal spirit as a faithful yet confused Catholic, wondering what to think of the crisis in the Church of today, sixty years after the Second Vatican Council closed.

Bishop of Oslo on SSPX Consecrations: I understand you the faithful want the Latin Mass, I will expand its availability

Announcement from Bishop Fredrik Hansen on the "SSPX" and the Excommunications

Diocese of Oslo

July 3, 2026

Dear brothers in priestly ministry,

Dear faithful,

(1) "By unity with the bishop of Rome, in fellowship and in the profession of the true faith, the Church of Christ is one flock under the supreme shepherd. This is the teaching of Catholic truth, and no one can depart from it without endangering his own faith and salvation" (Vatican I, Pastor Æternus, ch. III).

Editorial: Institutional Breakdown and the SSPX: In Negotiations, Both Sides Must Cede Some Ground

[Posted on July 3rd]

Negotiations only reach successful results when both sides cede some ground.

The more vulnerable side also must recognize the imbalance of power: when the dominant party is generous, this should not be misinterpreted as weakness.

After the 1988 consecrations of four bishops, 12 long years were spent by the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) mostly ignored by the Holy See. There were contacts, but subdued.

1988 Address of Cardinal Ratzinger to the Bishops of Chile: On the Attitude of the Holy See Regarding the Lefebvre Movement

Address to the Bishops of Chile: Unity in the Tradition of the Faith

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger

Wednesday, July 13, 1988

Caritas Retreat House, Santiago

(Cardinal Ratzinger at the Catholic University of Chile, July 12, 1988)

Dear and beloved brothers,

First of all, I wish to thank you most warmly for your kind invitation to visit your country, and also for offering me this occasion of fraternal encounter and dialogue. I harbor no illusion that one can come to know a country in a stay of only a few days; nonetheless, the opportunity to see the places where you labor, and to have in some measure the experience of the atmosphere of the Church's life in this land, is of great importance to me.

The thirteenth edition of the Ars Celebrandi liturgical workshops started on Thursday, July 2, 2026, at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Poland, in Licheń. These unique workshops, dedicated to the traditional liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, are intended for priests, altar servers, and singers practicing Gregorian chant. Participants will learn all the skills necessary to celebrate Holy Mass in the classical Roman Rite, the Divine Office, devotions, sacraments, and sacramentalia.

Canonical Analysis: The 2026 DDF Decree on the SSPX

By the Canon of Shaftesbury, a judicial vicar in a major archdiocese. [This contribution is of the sole responsibility of its author; it does not represent the official position of Rorate Cæli.]

The question is whether the Decree and Explanatory Note issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) on July 2, 2026 actually accomplished what many have said, namely, the excommunication of six bishops, over seven hundred priests, and an unspecified number of the faithful. The short answer, reading the documents against the Code of Canon Law, is that they did not.

Cardinal Koch, Prefect of Christian Unity, on the SSPX Consecrations: "We need to rethink Traditionis custodes, especially for those faithful who feel drawn to this liturgy without sharing the ideology of the SSPX."

The Illicit Episcopal Ordinations of the Society of St. Pius X

Interview with Cardinal Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity

[Update: we had erred in the transcription of the name of the interviewer, Prof. Dr. Jan-Heiner Tück. We thank the German-language edition of Communio for allowing us to publish our translation of their podcast. The podcast is available in German on Spotify.]

Communicatio (Podcast of the German edition of Catholic Journal Communio)

July 2, 2026

Jan-Heiner Tück: Yesterday, on July 1, 2026, the two bishops of the Society of St. Pius X, Alfonso de Galarreta and Bernard Fellay, ordained 4 traditionalist priests as bishops in Écône, Switzerland, without a papal mandate. This brings the conflict history between the Popes and the Society of St. Pius X, which has been simmering since the 1970s, to a conclusion. In this episode of the podcast Communicatio, I am speaking about this significant event in the history of the Catholic Church with Kurt Cardinal Koch, who has been the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity since 2010. My name is Jan-Heiner Tück. I am a co-publisher and managing editor of the journal Communio.

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[Interviewer:] Cardinal Koch, how do you, as a theologian and bishop who comes from Switzerland and worked there for a long time, classify the illicit episcopal ordinations that took place yesterday in Écône in the Valais?

It was not because it was proposed to establish a new nation, but because it was proposed to establish a nation on new principles, that July 4, 1776, has come to be regarded as one of the greatest days in history. Great ideas do not burst upon the world unannounced. They are reached by a gradual development over a length of time usually proportionate to their importance. This is especially true of the principles laid down in the Declaration of Independence. Three very definite propositions were set out in its preamble regarding the nature of mankind and therefore of government. These were the doctrine that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain inalienable rights, and that therefore the source of the just powers of government must be derived from the consent of the governed. ...

Letter of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to All Americans on the 250th Anniversary of the Founding of the United States of America

Letter of His Holiness

Pope Leo XIV

on the 250th Anniversary of the Founding

of the United States of America

I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all Americans on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This semiquincentennial marks that defining moment in the history of the United States of America, July 4, 1776, that gave enduring voice to the ideals of liberty, equality, the pursuit of happiness, justice and democratic self-government. For two and a half centuries, generations of Americans have worked together to carry these principles forward through sacrifice, service, innovation and civic participation. This anniversary stands as an invitation not only to celebrate the nation's remarkable journey, but also to reflect upon the responsibilities that the sons and daughters of this country bear to one another, and to the generations who will inherit the nation that is being shaped today.

Benedict XVI's Secretary Abp. Georg Gänswein: "The hardliners prevailed in the SSPX. But Rome should display flexibility on the Latin Mass: Francis made a mistake on Traditionis Custodes, a wrong decision that must be corrected."

Father Georg: "The hardliners prevailed in the SSPX. But Rome should display flexibility on the Latin Mass."

By Gian Guido Vecchi

Corriere della Sera,

July 2, 2026

The harsh judgment of Benedict XVI's long-serving secretary: "He extended his hand; they did not accept it. It is horrible… Their understanding of tradition is not tradition."

Pope Leo XIV received in Rome today the Liberty Medal of the National Constitution Center, in Philadelphia, "for his lifelong work promoting religious liberty and freedom of conscience and expression around the world—ideals enshrined by America's founders in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution."

His Holiness gave the following address upon the reception of the medal:

Dear friends,

I am honored to accept the Liberty Medal of the National Constitution Center in this year that marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. On the eve of this momentous occasion, I offer a warm greeting to all those assembled at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. As a son of this great country, founded by courageous men and women who dreamed of liberty and of a better life for themselves and for their children, I join you in asking God’s blessings upon America’s future, that the lofty ideals enshrined at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence may continue to guide the flourishing of the nation in unity, justice and peace.

SSPX Letter to the Pope Regarding the Excommunications

The Superior General

To His Holiness

Pope Leo XIV

Ecône, 3 July 2026

A Canonical Analysis of the Applicability and Recourses Available to Those Affected by the Potential SSPX Excommunications - by Fr. Albert Marcello

Fr. Albert P. Marcello, III, J.C.D./Ph.D.

a priest in the Diocese of Providence, United States, for Rorate Cæli

Upon the publication of any document emanating from the Holy See, most canonists are often overcome with questions from well-meaning individuals. The decree issued from the Dicastery of the Faith (Prot. N. 99/2009) and the accompanying Nota Explicativa, issued on 2 July 2026, is no exception. A few comments are apposite.

DICASTERY FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH: PROCEDURE FOR THE RECONCILIATION OF PRIESTS AND LAY FAITHFUL COMING FROM THE SSPX (Full translations)

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:

Certainly, for some time now, and once again on this specific occasion, we have heard from some representatives of that community many unpleasant things – arrogance and presumptuousness, an obsession with one-sided positions, etc. Yet to tell the truth, I must add that I have also received a number of touching testimonials of gratitude which clearly showed an openness of heart. 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. And should someone dare to approach them – in this case the Pope – he too loses any right to tolerance; he too can be treated hatefully, without misgiving or restraint.

Full translation in English below (by Rorate)

[Update (11 am EDT): the Dicastery also published afterwards 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. Our translations are available here.]

DICASTERY FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH

Prot. N. 99/2009

DECREE

Notwithstanding the warnings addressed to the Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X, Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, having committed an act of a schismatic nature by means of the episcopal consecration of four priests, without a pontifical mandate and against the will of the Supreme Pontiff, has incurred ipso facto the penalties provided for by can. 1387 and can. 1364 § 1 CIC 2021.

Vatican II Alert: "Golden Anniversary" of 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)

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.

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.

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.

Most Holy Father,

Most Reverend Eminences,