In defiance of Pope Leo
A dissident group of traditional Catholics directly challenged Pope LeoThe Society of St. Pius Leo warned that consecrating bishops without his approval amounted to a “very grave sin” that would harm the faithful.The ceremony took place 38 years after the Vatican declared the recent consecration of SSPX bishops a “schismatic act.”
Under church law, the mere consecration of a bishop without papal authorization results in the automatic excommunication of the four new bishops and the bishop administering the ritual.The ceremony had a joyful, festive atmosphere. Bells rang in the mountain valley as hundreds of priests headed to the altar, attended by thousands of faithful Catholics who prefer the traditional Latin Mass.One priest read a statement justifying the consecration: “We consider it a sacred duty towards the Holy Church to proceed with the ordination of bishops who are completely faithful to her sacred tradition.
We consider that every penalty and reprimand imposed against this step will be baseless.”Bishop Alfonso de Gallareta, who was consecrated without papal approval in 1988, has placed his hands on the head of the four new bishops. The site has a countdown clock that runs for several days. Participants received a baseball cap stamped “Econe2026” and could purchase commemorative wine.The SSPX was founded in 1970 by French Bishop Marcel Lefebvre, who rejected changes made by the Second Vatican Council, including allowing Mass to be celebrated in local languages.
The Society celebrated the ancient Latin Mass and justified the consecrations under the pretext of a “state of necessity.”“We are not afraid of it,” said Marc-Andre Mapilard, the association’s media director. “It hurts us deeply, but we believe that the good we seek is greater than the pain that will befall us.”This is the first clash between the Vatican and the Socialist Society of the Catholic Church since 1988, when Lefebvre and four bishops were deprived of their ordination without papal permission. But many Catholics oppose the consecrations, seeing them as disobedience to the pope.“You cannot serve tradition while disobeying the church and its authority,” said the Rev. Robert Gall of the Catholic University of America.