Rev. Davide Pagliarani told Pope Leo XIV that the Society of St. Pius X would keep acting despite what he called “unjust and invalid” sanctions, framing the group as defending tradition and saving souls.
Four bishops were consecrated Wednesday at the SSPX seminary in Econe, Switzerland, without papal consent after Leo explicitly urged the group not to proceed — a grave breach of church law that triggered the schism ruling.
Within 24 hours, the Vatican excommunicated SSPX bishops and priests and warned followers they too could face excommunication for participating in the rupture with Rome.
The unusually swift, severe response signaled that after negotiations under three pontificates, Leo’s Vatican was drawing a hard line against a movement founded in 1970 to resist Second Vatican Council reforms.