A heavy thunderstorm interrupted the episcopal consecrations conducted by the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) at Écône, Switzerland, on July 1, 2026, the feast of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, assisted by Bishop Bernard Fellay, conferred the episcopate on four priests – Fr Pascal Schreiber of Switzerland, Fr Michael Goldade of the United States, Fr Michel Poinsinet de Sivry of France and Fr Marc Hanappier of France – in a large outdoor ceremony without pontifical mandate, despite appeals from Pope Leo XIV warning of automatic excommunication.
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Thunderstorm interrupts SSPX episcopal consecrations
A severe thunderstorm interrupted the Society of Saint Pius X’s consecration of four bishops at Écône despite Pope Leo XIV’s appeal that the ceremony should not proceed
Thomas Colsy

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