The Holy See has declared that all six of the Society of Saint Pius X’s bishops are excommunicated, following the consecration ceremony held on 1 July, which took place against the wishes of Pope Leo XIV.

As anticipated, and as the Vatican warned on 13 May, the Holy See has ruled that the episcopal consecrations carried out by the SSPX on 1 July constituted a “schismatic act”, and declared all of the bishops involved to have incurred latae sententiae excommunication.

The decree formally announcing the excommunications was published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) at 9am Rome time, whilst newly consecrated SSPX Bishop Paschal Schrieber was beginning his first pontifical Mass.

The Vatican stated that, as consecrator, Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta had “committed an act of a schismatic nature through the episcopal consecration of four presbyters, without a papal mandate and against the will of the Supreme Pontiff”, and thus incurred the penalty of latae sententiae excommunication.

The Holy See decreed that all four newly consecrated bishops had likewise incurred the penalty of latae sententiae excommunication.

The Holy See further ruled that Bishop Bernard Fellay, as co-consecrator, had “participated directly in the liturgical celebration as a consecrator, having thus publicly adhered to the schismatic act, incurred the latae sententiae excommunication” as outlined in Canon 1364.

Additionally, the DDF decree warned priests and lay faithful “not to join the schism of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, because they would ipso facto incur the penalty of latae sententiae excommunication”.

Expanding on this aspect in an accompanying note, the DDF stated:

“With regard to the lay faithful, 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 (see ibid., 7) – which remains in force – are to be considered schismatic and excommunicated; this Dicastery endorses that Note.”

The 1996 note cited explains what is meant by “formally” adhering to the schism:

“…one of an internal nature, consisting in freely and consciously sharing the substance of the schism – that is, in opting in such a way for the followers of Lefebvre that this choice is placed above obedience to the Pope (at the root of this attitude there will usually be positions contrary to the Magisterium of the Church);

another of an external nature, consisting in the outward expression of that choice, the most manifest sign of which will be exclusive participation in Lefebvrian "ecclesial" acts, without taking part in the acts of the Catholic Church (this is, however, not an unambiguous sign, since it is possible for some faithful to take part in the liturgical services of Lefebvre’s followers without, however, sharing their schismatic spirit).”

The 1996 document did state, however, that it is possible for members of the faithful “to take part in the liturgical services of Lefebvre’s followers without, however, sharing their schismatic spirit”.

“It is obvious,” continued the 1996 text, “that occasional participation in liturgical acts or activities of the Lefebvrian movement – without adopting the attitude of doctrinal and disciplinary disunity characteristic of that movement – is not sufficient to constitute formal adherence to the movement.”

However, there is also a direct impact for priests. The DDF also issued an accompanying note which went further than the decree of excommunication, stating:

“Clergy belonging to the Priestly Fraternity of St Pius X are in schism and must therefore be considered schismatics, and are thus subject to the excommunication provided for by law (can. 1364 § 1 CIC).”

In a bizarre arrangement, the explanatory note thus appears to go much further than the formal decree of excommunication, appearing to excommunicate not just the bishops but also SSPX priests. It does so first by declaring the clergy to be in schism, before invoking Canon 1364, which reads: “An apostate from the faith, a heretic or a schismatic incurs a latae sententiae excommunication, without prejudice to the provision of can. 194 § 1 n. 2; he or she may also be punished with the penalties mentioned in can. 1336 §§ 2-4.”

The DDF note also decreed that the sacraments of Confession and marriage are no longer lawfully ministered by the SSPX’s “sacred ministers”, meaning that those two sacraments would no longer be valid, since they require the appropriate canonical faculties (Canon 966; can. 974; can. 1109).

It reads: “the sacred ministers of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X unlawfully administer the sacraments and that the sacrament of penance administered by them and the marriage assisted by them are invalid.”

Explaining the reason for the decree, DDF Prefect Cardinal Fernández wrote that, since the era of Pope Paul VI, the Holy See’s “multiple attempts” to bring the SSPX “to full communion with the Catholic Church have proved to be in vain”.

The situation “worsened” because of Wednesday’s consecrations “without a papal mandate, against the will of the Holy Father, in open violation of canon law”, Fernández wrote.

The cardinal also cited Pope St John Paul II’s 1988 letter Ecclesia Dei, writing that “such disobedience – which brings with it a practical rejection of the Roman Primacy – constitutes a schismatic act”.

Fernández also sought to encourage SSPX members to return to the Church, writing that papal nuncios would “have procedures” for local bishops to use for those “who wish to return to full communion”.

He closed by issuing a firm warning against attending Society Masses, stipulating that “all the faithful are urged to remain firm in communion with the Roman Pontiff, with the Bishops in communion with him and with the whole Church, and to refrain from participating in the celebrations and activities promoted by the aforementioned Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X.”

As noted above, the decree and note were both issued during Bishop Schrieber’s first Mass, and it appears that the Society was not informed about either document, learning of them only through members of the media and by reading them online.

At the time of writing, the SSPX had not issued a response to the Holy See’s decree and note, though one is expected later today.

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Michael Haynes is an English journalist in the Holy See Press Corps. He serves as Vatican Correspondent for the Catholic Herald, while readers can follow him at Per Mariam and on X/Twitter @MLJHaynes.