In the quiet Swiss hamlet of Écône, four priests from the United States, France, and Switzerland were consecrated as bishops. This event was carried out by the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), a traditionalist organization founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre that rejects many reforms adopted by the Vatican since the 1960s.
Pope Leo XIV had personally urged the group to cancel the event, characterizing the move as a schismatic action that threatens the unity of the Catholic Church. Despite this plea, roughly 15,000 supporters attended the ceremony, which was conducted entirely in Latin within a large tent. The SSPX remains at odds with the Vatican regarding liturgical practices, specifically the group’s insistence on using the traditional Mass while rejecting modern initiatives like interfaith dialogue and more egalitarian church structures.
SSPX Superior General Davide Pagliarani defended the ordination, claiming it was motivated by a desire to protect the integrity of the Church, despite the clear defiance of the Pope’s authority. While the Society counts approximately 600,000 members worldwide, the ordination of bishops without papal consent is considered a severe canonical violation. Similar actions in 1988 resulted in automatic excommunications, and the Vatican is expected to take formal disciplinary measures against these newly ordained men as well.
