A group of traditionalist Catholics directly defied Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday by consecrating four bishops without his consent, dismissing the resulting excommunications and stating the break with the church was necessary to defend the Catholic faith. The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) proceeded with the ceremony at its seminary in Econe, Switzerland, despite a final appeal from Pope Leo to call it off.
In a letter Tuesday, the Pope warned that consecrating bishops without his approval constituted a “sin of extreme gravity” that would ultimately harm the faithful. The consecrations created a crisis for Pope Leo, who has prioritized church unity and mending fences with traditionalists, a relationship that deteriorated during the pontificate of Pope Francis.
The SSPX, which opposes modernizing reforms within the Catholic Church, now has six bishops, 751 priests, 264 seminarians, 145 religious brothers, 88 oblates, and 250 religious sisters from 50 nationalities, according to its own statistics. The group represents a parallel, ultra-Catholic movement.
Bells tolled in Econe as hundreds of priests participated in the five-hour ceremony. An estimated 16,500 faithful who prefer the traditional Latin Mass over modern liturgies attended, sitting in a field during a downpour. The Mass, characterized by rich vestments, chanting, and incense, was livestreamed on the society’s YouTube channel with multilingual commentary. The event highlighted the society’s international reach and its appeal to conservative Catholics wary of secularization.
At the beginning of the Mass, a priest read a statement justifying the consecrations as a "sacred duty" and asserting that any penalties would be invalid. Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, who was himself excommunicated after a similar consecration in 1988, presided over the ceremony, placing his hands on the heads of the four new bishops.
According to church law, consecrating a bishop without papal approval incurs automatic excommunication for all involved and is considered a schismatic act, representing a rupture of church unity.
The SSPX was founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in opposition to the Second Vatican Council, which introduced reforms in the church’s relations with other faiths and allowed Mass to be celebrated in vernacular languages instead of Latin. In 1988, the Vatican excommunicated Lefebvre and four bishops he had consecrated without papal consent, labeling the act as schismatic. Pope Benedict XVI lifted those excommunications in 2009, but the SSPX still lacks official standing within the church.
The society has accused the church of embracing heresies and errors, asserting that it alone upholds the true faith. It justified the recent consecrations by citing a "state of necessity" to minister to its followers.
The newly consecrated bishops were identified as Pascal Schreiber of Switzerland, Michael Goldade of the United States, and Michel Poinsinet de Sivry and Marc Hanappier, both of France. The SSPX superior, Davide Pagliarani, stated in his homily that the consecrations were essential for the salvation of souls and also claimed they served Pope Leo.
The ceremony had a celebratory atmosphere, with participants receiving commemorative items and attendees expressing their commitment to the society's traditionalist stance, with some stating they felt the Vatican had lost credibility. Others expressed sadness that Rome did not accept tradition as the sole hope for faith, while still commending the courage of the SSPX leadership.
However, many Catholics outside of Econe, including conservatives and traditionalists, viewed the consecrations as an act of severe disobedience that harms the church. Father Robert Gahl, an ethics expert at the Catholic University of America, stated, “You can’t serve tradition while disobeying the church and her authority.”