Summary
The Vatican has proposed a pathway towards resolving the status of the Priestly Society of St Pius X (FSSPX) after a meeting between Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and FSSPX’s Superior General, Rev Davide Pagliarani. In their February 12 statement, the Vatican confirmed that they approved the meeting with the approval of Pope Leo XIV. The discussions focused on questions raised in correspondence from 2017 to 2019, including issues related to religious pluralism and differing degrees of adherence required by various texts of the Second Vatican Council. Cardinal Fernández proposed a structured theological dialogue, excluding general exchange of views but aimed at identifying concrete points of agreement and divergence. The Vatican emphasized that any episcopal ordinations without papal mandate would constitute a “decisive rupture of ecclesial communion” (schism) with serious consequences for the Fraternity as a whole. Pope John Paul II’s 1988 apostolic letter Ecclesia Dei and a 1996 explanatory note from the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts reinforced the Holy See’s stance on this matter. To proceed, FSSPX’s Superior General must suspend announced episcopal ordinations as proposed by Cardinal Fernández. The meeting concluded with the FSSPX presenting its proposal to their council and providing a response to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Key Topics
Vatican City, SSPX, Dialogue
