Traditionalist Catholic Group Ordains Bishops Without Pope's Approval, Deepening Church Rift
A significant crisis is unfolding within the Catholic Church as the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), a traditionalist Catholic movement opposing modern reforms, ordained four new bishops without the approval of Pope Leo XIV. This event took place on Wednesday in the town of Acon, Switzerland, at the SSPX seminary, and was attended by approximately 16,500 believers from various countries. The ordination ceremony lasted about five hours, featured a traditional Latin Mass under a large tent, and was broadcast live in multiple languages.
Pope Leo XIV had personally appealed to the SSPX to cancel the ordinations, warning in a letter sent a day before the event that such unauthorized consecrations constitute a "grave sin that could harm the faithful." Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin condemned the act as "schismatic," meaning a deliberate break in Church unity, which automatically incurs excommunication for the newly ordained bishops and the bishop who performed the consecrations. The ordaining bishop, Alfonso de Galarreta, himself was excommunicated in 1988 for similar unauthorized consecrations.
The SSPX rejected the Vatican's warnings, declaring the ordinations a "sacred duty" to protect Catholic faith and stating that any penalties imposed would be invalid. The newly ordained bishops are Pascal Schreiber from Switzerland, Michael Golder from the United States, and Michel Fauresina de Siberry and Marc Henapier from France.
This crisis traces back to the 1960s reforms of the Second Vatican Council, which introduced changes such as replacing Latin prayers with local languages and expanding interfaith dialogue. The SSPX, founded by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, opposed these reforms, viewing them as damaging to traditional Catholic doctrine. Lefebvre's 1988 unauthorized consecration of four bishops led to his excommunication and a lasting rift with the Vatican. Although Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications in 2009 to promote reconciliation, the SSPX remains unofficial within the Church.
Despite the Vatican's condemnation, the atmosphere at the Acon event was celebratory, with participants receiving commemorative hats and special wine sets marking what organizers called a "historic event." Supporters argue the official Church has strayed from tradition, while critics, including some conservative Catholics, contend that tradition cannot be preserved by defying papal authority.
