The Vatican, as widely expected, issued on July 2 an unequivocal decree declaring that six bishops of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X involved in the episcopal ordination ceremony in Switzerland yesterday are in schism and automatically excommunicated.

Today’s Vatican decree also goes a step further, warning the priests and lay members of the SSPX that “from now on” they, too, will be in schism and automatically excommunicated if they “adhere” to the schism.

What “adhere” means is largely clarified in the 1996 explanatory note of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts on the “Excommunication for Schism Incurred by the Members of the Movement of Bishop Marcel Lefebvre,” which was referred to in an explanatory note attached to today’s decree. That 1996 note explains that if Lefebvrite deacons and priests freely carry out their ministry within the schismatic movement, in disobedience to the pope, then that is formal adherence to the schism. The question of the laity’s adherence to the schism depends on the person’s intention, and whether he or she adopts the SSPX’s attitude toward doctrine and obedience to the pope.

The decree was issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on July 2, the morning after the SSPX’s ordination of four new bishops in Écône, Switzerland, without the papal mandate and against the explicit will of Pope Leo XIV.

The decree and accompanying explanatory note were signed by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the dicastery; Msgr. Armando Matteo, the secretary of its doctrinal section, and Archbishop John J. Kennedy, the secretary of its disciplinary section.

It is noteworthy that nowhere is Pope Leo mentioned in the decree or explanatory note, nor that he approved either.

The D.D.F. has today taken a stricter, more inflexible position, more akin to the stance of Pope John Paul II than the positions taken under Popes Benedict XVI and Francis. A canon lawyer, who asked not to be named, observed that the D.D.F. “brings all that happened to the logical but extreme conclusions,” a position that would appear to be less nuanced than what Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state, told journalists last evening. 

While expressing “great sorrow” over the schismatic act and the automatic excommunication, Cardinal Parolin said, “My hope is that, despite what has happened, dialogue can resume and a solution can truly be found.” At the same time, he underlined “the fundamental issue is the Council—whether or not to accept the Second Vatican Council” and said, “One cannot think that the history of the church comes to a halt at a certain point, because the Second Vatican Council is a milestone in the church’s history that must be accepted and properly implemented.”

The texts, written in Italian and without translations, were sent to Vatican-accredited media soon after 9 a.m Rome time. 

The decree

The decree opens by saying that “despite the warnings addressed to the Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X”—presumably referring to the letter from Pope Leo and various communications from Cardinal Fernández—“Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, having committed an act of a schismatic nature through the episcopal consecration of four priests, without a papal mandate and against the will of the Supreme Pontiff, has ipso facto incurred the penalties provided for in can. 1387 and can. 1364 § 1 of the Code of Canon Law of 2021.” 

Continuing in the first person (presumably referring to Cardinal Fernández as author), the decree makes clear that all six bishops involved in the illicit ordination on July 1 are excommunicated: “I therefore declare, for all legal purposes, that both the aforementioned Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta and Pascal Schreiber, Michael Goldade, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, and Marc Hanappier have incurred ipso facto the latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See.”

It adds, “I further declare that Bishop Bernard Fellay, having participated directly in the liturgical celebration as a conconsecrator, and having thereby publicly adhered to the schismatic act, has incurred the latae sententiae excommunication provided for in canon 1364 § 1” of the 2021 Code of Canon Law.

The decree concludes by issuing a stern warning to the some 600,000 members of the SSPX, saying: “The clerics and the lay faithful are warned not to adhere to the schism of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X, as they would thereby incur ipso facto the penalty of latae sententiae excommunication.”

The explanatory note

The explanatory note attached to the decree goes beyond what is stated in the decree, and sources say this raises the question as to the weight it carries. 

The D.D.F. note begins by recalling that from the time of Pope Paul VI “up to the most recent discussions, which took place recently at this Dicastery,” referring to the meeting between the cardinal and Father Davide Pagliarani, the SSPX’s superior general, in February of this year, “the numerous attempts to bring the adherents of the movement founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre back into full communion with the Catholic Church have proved fruitless.”

It adds, “this situation has been further exacerbated by the recent episcopal consecrations celebrated without a papal mandate, against the will of the Holy Father, in open violation of canon law.”

For these reasons, it says, the D.D.F. “deems it necessary to note that this act constitutes the crime of schism, with canonical consequences for the ordained ministers and lay faithful involved.” 

It recalls that Pope John Paul II, in the apostolic letter “Ecclesia Dei” of July 2, 1988, issued following the ordination of four SSPX bishops by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre without the papal mandate on June 30 of that year, declared that “such disobedience—which entails a practical rejection of the Roman Primacy—constitutes a schismatic act.” 

According to the D.D.F. note, “from now on, sacred ministers belonging to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X are in schism and must therefore be considered schismatics.” It cited the apostolic letter “Ecclesia Dei” and the 1996 explanatory note of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts on the “Excommunication for Schism Incurred by the Members of the Movement of Bishop Marcel Lefebvre.” It said that “they are therefore subject to the excommunication provided for by law.”

Moreover, referring specifically to “the lay faithful,” the D.D.F. note said, “those who formally adhere to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X under the conditions set forth in the 1996 explanatory note issued by the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, which remains in force, are to be considered schismatic and excommunicated.”

It warns “the holy People of God” that “the sacred ministers of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X administer the sacraments unlawfully” and says “the sacrament of penance administered by them and the marriages solemnized by them are invalid.” This statement raises questions, the same canon lawyer told America, because Pope Francis had granted SSPX priests such faculties in his apostolic letter for the Jubilee of Mercy (“Misericordia et Misera”) on Nov. 20, 2016, and this lawyer thinks it would require a decision by Pope Leo to reverse this.

The D.D.F. note assured the members of the SSPX that “the church, as a caring mother, will welcome with sincere affection and deep concern all those who desire to return to full communion.” Moreover, papal nuncios “will establish the procedures” that the bishops may use for this purpose.

It concludes by encouraging the SSPX faithful “to remain firm in communion with the Roman Pontiff, with the bishops in communion with him, and with the entire Church” and “to refrain from participating in the celebrations and activities promoted by the aforementioned Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X.”

Gerard O’Connell is America’s senior Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Story of the Conclave That Changed History. He has been covering the Vatican since 1985.