#Switzerland – The Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) proceeded Tuesday with the episcopal consecration of four priests at its seminary in Écône, Switzerland, defying an explicit appeal from Pope Leo XIV and Vatican warnings that the move constituted a schismatic act.
Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, assisted by Bishop Bernard Fellay, imposed hands on Fathers Pascal Schreiber of Switzerland, Michael Goldade of the United States, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry of France, and Marc Hanappier of France during a ceremony attended by thousands of faithful, priests, and religious. The rite took place under a large tent outdoors amid heavy security and significant media attention.
The consecrations, announced months earlier by SSPX Superior General Fr. Davide Pagliarani, mirrored the society’s landmark 1988 event in which Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated four bishops without Rome’s approval. SSPX leaders justified the action by invoking a “state of necessity” to ensure the continuation of its apostolate, citing the advanced age of its remaining bishops from the 1988 cohort and the needs of its network of seminaries, priories, and chapels in 77 countries.
In a last-minute appeal on June 29, Pope Leo XIV urged the society to halt the ceremony, warning that unauthorized episcopal consecrations would rupture communion and trigger automatic excommunication under Church law for those directly involved. The Vatican had previously offered doctrinal dialogue on the condition that the event be postponed, a proposal the SSPX rejected.
The society maintained that it acted out of fidelity to Catholic Tradition and concern for souls, insisting it remained in communion with the See of Peter despite lack of papal mandate while preserving the pre-conciliar liturgy and doctrine it believes are under threat. SSPX officials had submitted the candidates’ dossiers to the Holy See as a sign of respect, though without seeking formal approval.
Reactions within the Catholic world were swift and polarized. Cardinal Gerhard Müller described the act as schismatic in interviews, while some traditionalist voices praised it as a necessary step for the survival of the Traditional Latin Mass and associated formation. Critics argued it further entrenched division and complicated any path to regularization.
The SSPX, founded by Lefebvre in 1970, has operated in a canonical gray zone for decades. The 1988 consecrations led to excommunications that were later lifted for the individuals involved, though the society’s overall status remained irregular. Tuesday’s events appeared to reset the clock on reconciliation efforts.
Image: SSPX priests Fr. Pascal Schreiber, Fr. Michael Goldade, Fr. Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, and Fr. Marc Hanappier during the consecration in Switzerland on July 1st, 2026.
