top of page

Is the SSPX in schism? Here’s what the Magisterium says.

Writer's picture: Andrew MioniAndrew Mioni

Updated: 4 days ago

Quotes and opinions abound on the question of whether the SSPX is in schism, and for every sympathetic prelate who claims they are not, another statement from another less sympathetic prelate can be found that says the opposite (Schneider vs Burke, etc). But the Magisterium has been very clear on the question, and its declarations hold the authoritative weight to which Catholics are subject, not individual priests or bishops. Here is what the Holy See has officially declared.


In 1988, Pope John Paul II said the following in Ecclesia Dei, referring to Marcel Lefebvre’s illicit consecrations of the four bishops:


3. In itself, this act was one of disobedience to the Roman Pontiff in a very grave matter and of supreme importance for the unity of the church, such as is the ordination of bishops whereby the apostolic succession is sacramentally perpetuated. Hence such disobedience - which implies in practice the rejection of the Roman primacy - constitutes a schismatic act.

Supporters of the SSPX will typically object that any declaration of schism was specifically in reference to the consecrations, not to the organization. But paragraph 5c of Ecclesia Dei says otherwise:


c) In the present circumstances I wish especially to make an appeal both solemn and heartfelt, paternal and fraternal, to all those who until now have been linked in various ways to the movement of Archbishop Lefebvre, that they may fulfil the grave duty of remaining united to the Vicar of Christ in the unity of the Catholic Church, and of ceasing their support in any way for that movement. Everyone should be aware that formal adherence to the schism is a grave offence against God and carries the penalty of excommunication decreed by the Church's law.

John Paul II was clearly addressing the movement as a whole, not the isolated act of episcopal consecrations. This was subsequently confirmed by the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts in 1996, when it said the following:


…it also appears clear from the aforementioned documents that such a most grave act of disobedience formed the consummation of a progressive global situation of a schismatic character.
2. In effect no. 4. of the Motu Proprio explains the nature of the "doctrinal root of this schismatic act," and no. 5. c) warns that a "formal adherence to the schism" (by which one must understand "the movement of Archbishop Lefebvre") would bring with it the excommunication established by the universal law of the Church (CIC, can. 1364 para.1). Also the decree of the Congregation for Bishops makes explicit reference to the "schismatic nature" of the aforesaid episcopal ordinations and mentions the most grave penalty of excommunication which adherence "to the schism of Monsignor Lefebvre" would bring with it.
3. Unfortunately, the schismatic act which gave rise to the Motu Proprio and the Decree did no more than draw to a conclusion, in a particularly visible and unequivocal manner — with a most grave formal act of disobedience to the Roman Pontiff — a process of distancing from hierarchical communion. As long as there are no changes which may lead to the re-establishment of this necessary communion, the whole Lefebvrian movement is to be held schismatic, in view of the existence of a formal declaration by the Supreme Authority on this matter.

(It should be noted, the PCILT clarified that one is not a schismatic simply because they attend an SSPX chapel, and that the criteria for “formal adherence” would need to be determined on a case by case basis, but that holding “positions contrary to the magisterium of the Church” and “exclusive participation in Lefebvrian ‘ecclesial’ acts, without taking part in the acts of the Catholic Church” would likely constitute “formal adherence.”)


Now again, supporters of the SSPX will say that the declaration of schism is only in reference to the consecrations, and that since Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications in 2009, they are no longer in schism. At face value, this would appear to align with the PCILT’s statement above, which states that the schism continues as long as no changes are made which will re-establish communion between the SSPX and the Church. (Unfortunately this misconception has led to a number of priests and even bishops mistakenly believing they are no longer formally in schism.)


But Pope Benedict XVI himself has stated that this is not the case. In his letter explaining his decision to lift the excommunications of the four bishops, he wrote that this censure was initially declared “with the aim of calling those thus punished to repent and to return to unity. Twenty years after the ordinations, this goal has sadly not yet been attained. The remission of the excommunication has the same aim as that of the punishment: namely, to invite the four Bishops once more to return. [...] The remission of the excommunication was a measure taken in the field of ecclesiastical discipline: the individuals were freed from the burden of conscience constituted by the most serious of ecclesiastical penalties. This disciplinary level needs to be distinguished from the doctrinal level. The fact that the Society of Saint Pius X does not possess a canonical status in the Church is not, in the end, based on disciplinary but on doctrinal reasons. As long as the Society does not have a canonical status in the Church, its ministers do not exercise legitimate ministries in the Church.”


(As an aside, one has to wonder how the declared schism would only relate to the consecrations when Pope St. John Paul II mentioned "formal adherence" to the schism. How exactly does one formally adhere to an episcopal consecration? The context of the passage just does not support this position. )


It is true that Pope Francis extended faculties to SSPX priests to absolve sins and encouraged diocesan bishops to grant them the permission to witness marriages, but as he wrote in his apostolic letter Misericordia et Misera, which extended their faculty for absolutions indefinitely:


For the Jubilee Year I had also granted that those faithful who, for various reasons, attend churches officiated by the priests of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, can validly and licitly receive the sacramental absolution of their sins. For the pastoral benefit of these faithful, and trusting in the good will of their priests to strive with God’s help for the recovery of full communion in the Catholic Church, I have personally decided to extend this faculty beyond the Jubilee Year, until further provisions are made, lest anyone ever be deprived of the sacramental sign of reconciliation through the Church’s pardon.

After both of these actions, he still wrote the following in his letter accompanying Traditionis Custodes in 2021:


Most people understand the motives that prompted St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI to allow the use of the Roman Missal, promulgated by St. Pius V and edited by St. John XXIII in 1962, for the Eucharistic Sacrifice. The faculty — granted by the indult of the Congregation for Divine Worship in 1984 and confirmed by St. John Paul II in the Motu Proprio Ecclesia Dei in 1988— was above all motivated by the desire to foster the healing of the schism with the movement of Mons. Lefebvre. 

Notice that, once again, the Pope referred to the schism of the movement of Lefebvre, not the individual consecrations. This is the most recent official declaration from the Holy See, and remains consistent with Francis’ predecessors.


Rome has made its understanding of the matter quite clear since the very beginning. The movement of Archbishop Lefebvre is a schismatic one. The numerous diocesan statements that explicitly refer to the SSPX as a schismatic organization are also in line with this declaration, and notably, even those few that mistakenly identify them as no longer in formal schism (due to attributing the schism to the 1988 consecrations) still warn the faithful that they are not in communion with the Church and operate illicitly. And as long as the SSPX remains outside of communion with the Church, "the whole Lefebvrian movement is to be held schismatic." Roma locuta est, causa finita est.


642 views4 comments

Recent Posts

See All

4 comentarios


Elizabeth L.
Elizabeth L.
15 jul 2024

Hmmm when the priest instructs you from the confessional to pray the rosary to keep the Sabaath holy rather than bear witness to transubstantiation at a Novus Ordo, he is adhering to the Lefebrevrian notion that Jesus made present in the Eucharist is bad for one’s soul and SCHISM. If you adhere to this admonition because you believe him, YOU are in schism.

Me gusta

Andrew Bartel
Andrew Bartel
13 jul 2024

You’ve honed in on several important details, Andy M, this is very good.


One decent objection I have heard is this: Pope Francis’ statement on the SSPX in Traditiones Custodes was a passing historical observation, and was not intended as a declaration on their current status. However, this argument falls apart when you read the statement in TC in conjunction with the pope’s last official action on the SSPX in Misericordia et Misera, which granted them faculties under certain conditions to hear confessions and witness marriages and where he declares:


“For the pastoral benefit of these faithful [who attend churches officiated by the SSPX], and trusting in the good will of their priests to strive with God’s help for the…

Editado
Me gusta
Andrew Mioni
Andrew Mioni
2 days ago
Contestando a

I revisited this post and added your source above. Thanks!

Me gusta

Great information!! I have read the letter or at least some of the letter attached to TC but I did not remember seeing the line about the Schism of Mon. Lefebvre.

On a somewhat related note I recently watched Pope Paul VI: Pope in the Tempest on formed which has a scene in which Pope Paul VI and Mon. Lefebvre meet. I think it clearly shows there Mon. Lefebvre and theSPPx are schismatic.

Me gusta
bottom of page