Fr Franz Schmidberger, the former superior general of the Society of St Pius X (SSPX), has told members of the society that, if it gains official status within the Church, it will create a “healthy turmoil” in which “the good would be encouraged, the malevolent will suffer a defeat”. Fr Schmidberger, currently rector of the SSPX seminary in Germany, wrote a letter addressed to “all members”, discussing the possibility that, under Pope Francis, the society’s situation will be regularised. Speculation of a Vatican-SSPX agreement has grown since a meeting earlier this month between Pope Francis and the society’s current superior general, Bishop Bernard Fellay. The letter criticised the Pope for his “liberal ideas” and for creating “a great confusion in the Church”. But it added that Jesus Christ “allowed his ascent to the papal throne”, and suggested that perhaps “only Pope Francis is able to take this step [normalisation], by unpredictability and improvisation.” Fr Schmidberger said that Pope Francis’s popularity might allow him to take the step, whereas Benedict XVI could not have done. The SSPX, founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970, lacks a canonical status within the Church. Agreement has broken down over the Second Vatican Council, whose statements on religious freedom, ecumenism and liturgical revision the SSPX says it cannot accept in their present form. In 1988 Archbishop Lefebvre and a fellow bishop consecrated four bishops without Vatican permission, resulting in the excommunication of all six. The excommunications were lifted in 2009, but discussions broke down three years later. Under Pope Francis, however, there has been some progress in discussions. Fr Schmidberger’s letter suggested that the SSPX could become a “personal prelature”, like Opus Dei. He answers possible objections to such a deal, including the possibility that the SSPX would have to water down its positions. He wrote: “We will not be silent; moreover we will point out the errors by name. Before and after our normalisation.” Before concluding with a prayer to the Virgin Mary, Fr Schmidberger wrote: “If God wants to help His Church indeed He has many means. One of them is the recognition of the SSPX by the Roman authorities.”