Summary
Don Davide Pagliarani, the General Superior of the Society of St. Pius X (FSSPX), announced on February 2, 2026, his intention to proceed with new episcopal consecrations on July 1, 2026, without papal authorization at a ceremony for seminarians in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, France. This decision echoes the consecrations performed by Monsignor Marcel Lefebvre in 1988 that led to the excommunication of the bishops involved and a profound schism with Rome. The current motivation is doctrinal and pastoral, based on the conviction that contemporary Church crises necessitate ensuring the continuity of priesthood and sacraments according to traditional practices prior to Vatican Council II. The announcement was made during the tonsure ceremony at the international seminary San Curato d’Ars. This new step by FSSPX comes after years of dialogue with the Holy See, which concluded in a recent letter deemed unsatisfactory. The decision was approved unanimously by the Society’s General Council and presented as an exceptional measure, not as formal schism from the Roman Church. The current canon law considers episcopal consecrations without papal authorization a grave offense against the unity of the Church, but this practice dates back to early Christian times when bishops were elected at local levels with input from clerics and communities. In the Middle Ages in regions such as the Holy Roman Empire, councils composed of canons elected the bishop, with the Pope primarily acting as a confirming or arbitrating authority. In Germany, various concordats signed after World War I continue to regulate episcopal appointments, granting capitulars (councils of cathedral chapters) significant roles. The Prussian Concordat of 1929, signed during Weimar Republic, affects dioceses including Aquisgrana, Essen, Fulda, Hildesheim, Limburg, Münster, Osnabrück, Paderborn, and Treviri. Despite the end of Prussia’s statehood, this concordat remains valid after German reunification.
Key Topics
Vatican City, FSSPX, Lefebvre
