Roma Locuta Est

February 2, 2026 (Steven O’Reilly) – Today, the SSPX issued a press release indicating that the Society intends to consecrate new bishops this coming July 1, 2026. The release reads in part:

If the SSPX bishops are excommunicated come July 1st, they should not be allowed to reconcile unless they declare their acceptance of the positions consistent with that of the FSSP within the Church. Enough of this divisive nonsense.

“The feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, the Reverend Father Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X, during the ceremony of the taking of the cassock which he presided over at the International Seminary of Saint-Curé-d’Ars in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, France, publicly announced his decision to entrust the bishops of the Society with the task of proceeding with new episcopal consecrations, on 1 July next.” (see HERE)

The press release is based on the recent sermon of Fr. Davide Pagliarani, the Superior-General of the SSPX which makes clear the Society will consecrate bishops this coming July 1, 2026. It is also clear in this sermon that the SSPX has not convinced Rome to accept the SSPX plan. Though it is not explicitly stated, the SSPX seem set on going ahead regardless of whether or not the pope agrees to their plan or not.

The SSPX statement hardly strikes me as ‘filial’ toward the Holy Father, as the statement effectively says to the pope: ‘give us your permission to consecrate new bishops, or we’re doing it without your permission.’ This announcement, without any prior statement of the Holy See on the topic, certainly suggests that any ongoing talks with Rome have not been going in the direction the SSPX wanted. Thus any ‘negotiations’ that might still be underway — or which might yet occur — have been reduced by the SSPX’s pre-emptive statement to being little more than the ‘hashing’ out of the terms of Pope Leo XIV’s surrender which are acceptable to the SSPX.

However, SSPX plan is a serious crisis for various canonical reasons. For one, to consecrate a bishop against the will of the pope is a schismatic act. Per canon law, “…schism is the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him” c. 751; see also c. 1382 which reads:

“A bishop who consecrates someone a bishop without a pontifical mandate and the person who receives the consecration from him incur a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See.” (see New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, edited by John P Beal, et al).

In addition, along similar lines, someone [1] on X earlier today cited Pope Pius VI in Claritas: “For the right of ordaining bishops-belongs only to the Apostolic See, as the Council of Trent declares; it cannot be assumed by any bishop or metropolitan without obliging Us to declare schismatic both those who ordain and those who are ordained, thus invalidating their future actions” (10).

In sum, there are noifs, ands, or buts about it that justify such schismatic consecrations — only self serving rationalizations. If the SSPX goes through with these consecrations against the will of the pope, SSPX bishops will likely continue to claim they are in union with the pope even when they are willfully guilty of schismatic acts, and are excommunicated. Undoubtedly they will reuse or invent arguments as to why these valid excommunications are not valid ones, thereby making themselves the judge of their own cause. However, such arguments will be specious.

Unfortunately, the Church has seen all this before with the SSPX. Pope John Paul II excommunicated bishops involved in SSPX consecrations in 1988. Pope Benedict XVI later lifted the excommunications in the hopes of working on attempts at reconciliation with the Society. Needless to say, it is Pope Leo XIV’s call as to whether he wants to, or whether he will allow himself to be so pressured, or bent to the will of the SSPX. But a definitive ‘heck no’ and ‘go pound sand’ would be quite warranted.

It seems to me that Pope Leo XIV has no choice but to excommunicate them–if the July 1st consecrations come to pass. But this ambiguity with the SSPX has gone on long enough. If Rome relents without any major concessions by the SSPX, we’ll be back here in the same place in another 20 to 30 years. Rinse and repeat. If Pope Leo XIV does excommunicate them, I doubt whether he or any future pope will lift such potential excommunications as Pope Benedict XVI once did — at least not without major concessions on the part of the SSPX.

And, that would be a good thing for the Church in the long run. And I say this as one who wants the TLM to continue, and to be made more widely available for all Catholics, whether in new FSSP parishes, or in novus ordo parishes. I speak as one who has voiced great concerns about certain interpretations of Amoris Laetitia, and has opposed Fiducia Supplicans, and other ongoing confusion in the Church.

While there is, undoubtedly, much confusion in the Church that needs to be addressed by the pope and bishops, the crisis in the Church is not helped by adding an ecclesiastical crisis brought on by the SSPX, and others (e.g., Benepapsists). I am not “anti-SSPX” in terms of either the Latin mass or Tradition. However, I am ‘anti’ ignoring the authority of the pope and local bishops. Also, I oppose the spiritually unhealthy attitude among at least some SSPX laity — including a popular Youtuber or two — who voice the opinion that attending a Novus Ordo mass is not necessary to fulfill Sunday obligation, even if no SSPX mass option is available them. This sort of attitude is “schismatic-ish” and will only further encourage and solidify divisiveness in the Church over time. All this nonsense needs to come to an end.

Steven O’Reilly is a graduate of the University of Dallas and the Georgia Institute of Technology. A former intelligence officer, he and his wife, Margaret, live near Atlanta. He has written apologetic articles, and is author of Book I of the Pia Fidelis trilogy, The Two Kingdoms; and of Valid? The Resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. He writes for Roma Locuta Est He can be contacted at StevenOReilly@AOL.com. Follow on Twitter: @S_OReilly_USA.