Thirty-eight years after the historic 1988 ordinations opened a deep wound within the Catholic Church, the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has definitively crossed the threshold into formal schism. The schismatic act was repeated yesterday on Swiss soil with the episcopal consecration of four new bishops without a papal mandate. The Holy See’s response was swift: through a decree and an explanatory note issued today, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith certified the state of schism and the subsequent latae sententiae (automatic) excommunication of those involved.

The Vatican document reconstructs a history of unresolved tensions, highlighting how from the time of Saint Paul VI until the recent talks held at this Dicastery, multiple attempts to bring the adherents of the movement founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre back into full communion with the Catholic Church have proven futile. Rome described yesterday's ordinations as the point of no return, calling them a grave and open violation of canon law.

The official text, signed by the Prefect of the Dicastery, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, pinpoints the precise legal and canonical responsibilities of the individual clerics involved in the illicit celebration. The document states that despite warnings addressed to the Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, by performing an act of a schismatic nature through the episcopal consecration of four priests without a pontifical mandate and against the will of the Supreme Pontiff, has ipso facto incurred the penalties provided for by Canons 1387 and 1364 of the 2021 Code of Canon Law.

The Prefect consequently declared that both the Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta and Pascal Schreiber, Michael Goldade, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, and Marc Hanappier have ipso facto incurred the latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See. The measure also targets other top leaders of the Society who cooperated in the action, officially declaring that Bishop Bernard Fellay, having participated directly in the liturgical celebration as a co-consecrator and thus publicly adhering to the schismatic act, has similarly incurred the latae sententiae excommunication provided for by canon law.

The explanatory note from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith clarifies the heavy repercussions that will now impact the entire Lefebvrian structure, formally defining the status of priests and laity who attend the Society's communities. Echoing the framework established by John Paul II in 1988, the Holy See reiterated that such disobedience, which carries with it a practical rejection of the Roman Primacy, constitutes a schismatic act.

The scope of the sanctions is outlined through three non-negotiable conclusions. First, the sacred ministers belonging to the Society of St. Pius X are in schism and must therefore be considered schismatics, rendering them subject to the excommunication provided for by law. Second, regarding the lay faithful, those who formally adhere to the Society of St. Pius X are also to be considered schismatics and excommunicated. Finally, the Holy See warns the people of God that the sacred ministers of the Society of St. Pius X illicitly administer the sacraments and specifically highlights that the sacrament of penance administered by them and the marriage witnessed by them are completely invalid.

The document concludes on a dual track. On one hand, it issues a stern warning to clergy and laity not to adhere to the schism of the Society of St. Pius X, as they would automatically incur the penalty of excommunication, urging all faithful to abstain from participating in celebrations and activities promoted by the Society. On the other hand, the Holy See leaves a window open for ecclesial reconciliation, assuring that the Church, like a caring mother, will welcome with sincere affection and deep concern all those who wish to return to full communion.