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JMJ
Part 1 Introduction
As expected, the SSPX has determined that the time has arrived to consecrate new bishops. I knew that it was being considered and guessed that a decision would be made soon. From my point of view it couldn’t be soon enough.
Now, here we are.
My collection SSPX & Rome web hits has exploded and there are a lot of opinions being voiced on the internet. So I feel that I need to synthesize what’s happened, happening and likely to happen.
What’s Happened?
The planned 2026 consecrations, as an event in the life of the Church was preceded by five key events. Obviously, the first is the consecration of four bishops by Archbishop Lefebvre in 1988. He was ready to do the consecrations without the normal accompanying bishop if needed. This is done partially as a safeguard to ensure validity. In this case of necessity, Archbishop Lefebvre was ready to proceed on his own and the last-minute arrival of Bishop Castro-de-Mayer provided the safeguard.
This consecration was the first step.
The second step came in 2012, when Bishop Williamson, one of the four bishops was expelled from the SSPX. The workload was redistributed amongst the remaining three bishops. Any wish for Bishop Williamson to rejoin the SSPX was snuffed out when he passed away in 2025.
As a side note, while some would state that the six SSPX ‘Resistance’ bishops could be called upon to ordain priests, that is not a real option as there are fundamental differences in theology between the ‘Resistance’ and the SSPX that render such a though incompatible with right-reason.
The third step was the 2024 death of Bishop Tissier de Mallerais (link), several days after fracturing his skull in a bad fall. Bishop TdM held a special place canonically (IIRC) in that he was not suspended due to his ordination to the priesthood as the supression of the SSPX and suspension of Archbishop Lefebvre (++L) etc came a year later. So while, from the perspective of the Church, he was only excommunicated while the others were both suspended and excommunicated.
So now the SSPX has two bishops, the standard minimum for consecrating additional bishops.
The fourth step was taken when in early April 2025, Bishop de Galarreta had a medical emergency. If already present, in my opinion, this highlighted the SSPX’s precarious position.
The final step was the death of Pope Francis (April 21, 2025). The Church soon had a new pontiff (Pope Leo XIV) whose name selection was a cause for some hope.
What’s Happening?
However, I long suspected, we now know that the SSPX had reached out Rome in 2019 (link) to propose discussions that were declined by the CDF.
The seven years of ‘silence’ meant something … it could have been internal conflict within the Vatican about what to do about the SSPX or simply oddly misplaced intransigence when considering how open Rome has been to China and other theological aberrations. Rationally, it makes sense that the SSPX should be allowed to consecrate bishops if China is? Rationally, the SSPX should be allowed to celebrate the Tridentine Mass if the Neocatechumical Way is allowed to carry out its own ‘rites’.
This situation is not rational. The SSPX is the only order (yes it was founded within the Catholic Church) that is so maligned … ok maybe the Society of Jesus (aka the Jesuits) have a similar history of being persecuted. The SSPX’s crimes are that they believe what the Catholic Church taught authoritatively before the Second Vatican Council.
Two key teachings would be that the Catholic Church IS the Church of Christ and that there is no Salvation Outside the Church (Tradicat Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 ). The CDF tried to clarify this V2 statement that the Church of Christ Subsists in the Catholic Church (link). The SSPX questioned this explanation here (link).
Side note, as I was looking for these references, I came across LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON SOME ASPECTS OF THE CHURCH UNDERSTOOD AS COMMUNION (link) that Chatgpt summarizes as:
Communionis Notio (Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of the Church Understood as Communion)_ — is a teaching letter issued on 28 May 1992 by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (approved by Pope John Paul II) that clarifies how the Catholic Church understands the concept of “communion” (Latin communio; Greek koinonia) as foundational to its self-understanding and ecclesiology.
Core Meaning — The Church as Communion
At its heart, the document teaches that:
1. The Church is fundamentally a “mystery of communion.”
Communion means a personal union of each believer with God (vertical dimension) and with others (horizontal dimension), grounded in faith and rooted in Christ’s Paschal mystery. This communion is both invisible (a sharing in the divine life through the Holy Spirit) and visible (expressed through apostolic teaching, sacraments, and hierarchical order).
2. Communion integrates key Catholic concepts.
It must be understood in harmony with:
People of God
Body of Christ
Church as sacrament
These help explain how the Church exists as a community of believers united to Christ and to one another.
3. The Eucharist and the episcopate are central to Church unity.
The Eucharist is described as the creative source of communion — making the faithful into Christ’s Body — and the unity of bishops, especially through the successor of Peter (the Pope), contributes to the visible unity of the universal Church.
4. The universal Church and local (particular) Churches are in a mutual relationship.
The universal Church is not merely a sum or federation of local Churches; rather, it is ontologically prior and gives birth to them, even as each particular Church participates in the one communion.
5. Communion shapes the Church’s mission and ecumenical engagement.
Because the Church is a sacrament of unity, she is missionary and open to others, and the document encourages ecumenical commitment toward full visible unity with other Christian communities.
In Summary
Communionis Notio articulates that the essence of the Church is communion — a gift from God realized in Christ through faith, baptism, the Eucharist, and ecclesial structures — and that understanding this communion correctly is crucial for Catholic theology, ecclesiology, mission, and ecumenism.
So what is happening now is that, seeing an impasse almost identical as that of 1988, the advancing age of its two remaining Auxiliary Bishops, the SSPX has declined to enter into a dialogue of the deaf, proceed with the consecrations, continue to work for the salvation of souls, and wait for someone to look at the situation rationally.
What’s Likely to Happen?
I think that, barring an Act of God, on July 1, 2026 4+ bishops will be consecrated by Bishop Fellay and de Gallarreta to serve as auxiliary bishops for the SSPX.
There are a two scenarios how this will take place.
SSPX Consecrates Bishops without Papal Mandate
In this case the consecration will be canonically identical to the 1988 consecrations (Not Full Communion link) with the predictable reactions.
The first of these will be that the SSPX has committed the sin of schism. This would be more than a little inconsistent as … nothing has canonically changed since 1988 except that the excommunications were ‘lifted’. So … I don’t think you can be doubly schismatic. In other words, you have to be in the Church in order to leave it by the act of schism. So … if the SSPX is not in schism because of the 1988 consecrations … why would these create a schism?
You see my point … I suspect that someone will realise the inconsistency in the reasoning being spewed about on the internet.
So in this scenario life goes on pretty much as it has since 1970 (SSPX’s Founding Documents link).
SSPX Consecrates Bishops with Papal Mandate
This scenario is the one that creates a great deal of change and potentially turmoil within the Catholic Church.
Why? You may ask…
The Modernists and other even less orthodox members of the clergy, religious and laity of the Catholic Church are apparently incapable of tolerating Traditional Catholics, the Pre-V2 Liturgy and Rites and Doctrine.
In short … we may see a real schism or civil war within the Catholic Church.
I can almost hear Trads and ‘Resistors’ around the world screaming “Bring it!!!”. That would be the wrong response … I mean if you are Catholic and believe in the virtue of Charity. If unorthodox people separate themselves from the Catholic Church – what hope of salvation do they have? The rational Feeneyite, along with the Sedvacantists and ‘Resistors’ would say none.
Not a good look.
However, I pray, hope and look forward to this scenario because I, for one, would like to see the ‘cancelled’ bishops and cardinals – like Cardinal Burke, Sarah, Schneider, and Strickland attend the consecrations and even be co-consecrators.
P^3
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