We love the pope precisely because we don't want to see him humiliated
In the Alpine valley of Econe, Switzerland, the Society of St. Pius X consecrated four bishops without papal consent on a rainy Wednesday in early July 2026, defying an explicit appeal from Pope Leo XIV and invoking the ancient logic of necessity over obedience. The act, witnessed by more than sixteen thousand faithful, represents one of the most direct challenges to papal authority in modern Catholic history — a community convinced it is preserving the faith by fracturing the institution that houses it. Church law is clear on the consequences, yet the Vatican has not moved to formally declare excommunications, leaving the wound open and the question of unity unresolved.
- Pope Leo XIV personally appealed to the SSPX the day before the ceremony, calling the consecrations a sin of extreme gravity — and was ignored anyway.
- Four men were ordained as bishops in defiance of Rome, triggering automatic excommunication under canon law and what the Vatican's own secretary of state called a formal act of schism.
- Over sixteen thousand attendees traveled from across the globe to witness the ceremony in a downpour, buying commemorative wine sets and baseball caps stamped 'Econe2026' in a mood that was celebratory, not penitent.
- The SSPX now fields six bishops, 751 priests, and hundreds of seminarians across five continents — a parallel Catholic structure that insists its disobedience is itself an act of love for the pope.
- The Vatican has yet to formally confirm or announce penalties, leaving the church in an ambiguous limbo that tests whether Leo XIV's priority of healing traditionalist tensions can survive this direct rupture.
On a rainy Wednesday in early July, in the Swiss Alpine valley of Econe, the Society of St. Pius X consecrated four bishops without the approval of Pope Leo XIV — an act the Vatican had explicitly forbidden and the pope himself had called, in a letter sent the day before, a sin of extreme gravity. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, had warned it constituted schism. Neither appeal stopped the bells from tolling across the seminary grounds, nor the procession of hundreds of priests toward an altar beneath a tent. By day's end, Pascal Schreiber, Michael Goldade, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, and Marc Hanappier had been consecrated in defiance of Rome.
The SSPX was founded by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre to resist the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council — the 1960s council that opened the church to other faiths and permitted Mass in languages other than Latin. The organization views itself as the true guardian of Catholic tradition, and now operates as a parallel structure within global Catholicism: 751 priests, 264 seminarians, and religious communities representing 50 nationalities. With the four new consecrations, it counts six bishops. It claims the act was not defiance but necessity — a sacred duty to serve the faithful who reject the church's modern direction.
The ceremony drew an estimated 16,500 people who sat through a downpour to witness velvet vestments, incense, and ancient chant. Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta — himself excommunicated in 1988 for the same offense — laid hands on each new bishop in the rite meant to confer the Holy Spirit. The event was livestreamed with simultaneous translations in multiple languages, and the atmosphere was festive: commemorative wine sets, baseball caps, and photographs among smiling priests and nuns. SSPX superior Rev. Davide Pagliarani declared in his homily that the act served, rather than opposed, the pope. A statement read aloud insisted any censure would carry no validity.
Among the crowd were Catholics from the Philippines, Gabon, Mexico, and beyond — people who saw in the ceremony a stand for a faith they believed the institutional church had abandoned. Yet many conservative and traditional Catholics outside the SSPX condemned the act as severe disobedience. Ethics scholar Rev. Robert Gahl stated plainly: you cannot serve tradition while defying the authority that tradition itself upholds.
Church law is unambiguous: unauthorized episcopal consecration triggers automatic excommunication and constitutes formal schism. Yet Pope Leo XIV, who had made reconciliation with traditionalists a priority, had not moved to formally declare penalties. Cardinal Parolin acknowledged Rome did not yet know when or how such declarations would come. Whether Leo's efforts at unity can survive this rupture — and how the Vatican will ultimately respond — remains an open and consequential question.
In a misty Alpine valley in Switzerland on a Wednesday in early July, the Society of St. Pius X went ahead with what the Vatican had explicitly forbidden: the consecration of four bishops without papal approval. Pope Leo XIV had sent a letter the day before, calling the act a sin of extreme gravity. His secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, had warned it constituted schism. Neither appeal stopped the ceremony. Bells tolled across the seminary grounds in Econe as hundreds of priests processed toward an altar beneath a tent, and by day's end, four men—Pascal Schreiber of Switzerland, Michael Goldade of the United States, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry of France, and Marc Hanappier, also of France—had been consecrated as bishops in defiance of Rome.
The Society of St. Pius X, known as the SSPX, has spent decades in opposition to the modernizing reforms of Vatican II, the 1960s church council that revolutionized Catholic relations with other faiths and allowed Mass to be said in languages other than Latin. Founded by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the organization views itself as the true defender of Catholic tradition against what it sees as heresy and error spreading through the modern church. It now operates as a parallel structure within global Catholicism: 751 priests, 264 seminarians training across five seminaries, 145 religious brothers, 88 oblates, and 250 religious sisters representing 50 nationalities. With the four new consecrations, it now has six bishops. The organization claims it acts out of necessity—a sacred duty to minister to the faithful who prefer the traditional Latin Mass and reject the church's modern direction.
The ceremony itself drew an estimated 16,500 people to the field near Econe, sitting through a downpour to witness what the SSPX had been counting down to for days. The liturgy was rich with velvet vestments trimmed in gold, chanting, and incense—a stark contrast to the modern Mass most Catholics experience. Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, himself excommunicated in 1988 after being consecrated without papal consent, placed his hands on the head of each new bishop in the ancient ritual meant to confer the Holy Spirit. The four received their miters, gloves, and pastoral staffs, then processed through the crowd blessing the faithful. The entire event was livestreamed on the society's YouTube channel with simultaneous translations in multiple languages, underscoring both its international reach and its defiant organization.
The Vatican's response remained uncertain. Church law is unambiguous: consecrating a bishop without papal mandate triggers automatic excommunication for both the bishops and the consecrating bishop, and constitutes a formal schismatic act—an intentional rupture of church unity. Yet Pope Leo XIV, who has made healing tensions with traditionalists a priority after they worsened under his predecessor Pope Francis, had not immediately declared the excommunications or announced what penalties the Holy See would impose. Cardinal Parolin acknowledged the church did not yet know how or when such declarations would be confirmed.
The atmosphere at Econe, however, was celebratory rather than penitent. The SSPX had distributed baseball caps stamped with "Econe2026" and sold commemorative wine sets—a "Cuvee des Sacres" gift box featuring four bottles with labels depicting a bishop's miter, ring, cross, and crozier staff—for 75 Swiss francs. Priests posed for photographs. Nuns smiled. Volunteers in orange vests handed out water during the downpour. A priest read aloud a statement declaring that any punishment or censure brought against the consecrations would have no validity. The SSPX superior, Rev. Davide Pagliarani, insisted in his homily that the act served the pope and the church, not opposed it. "We are accused of not respecting the pope," he said. "But it is precisely because we love the pope as the vicar of Christ, as the head of the church, that we don't want to see the pope humiliated anymore."
Among the attendees were Catholics from across the globe who saw in the ceremony a stand for tradition against a church they believed had lost its way. Arlina Onglao, a 71-year-old travel agent from the Philippines, said she felt she was on "a safer road to heaven" and was not frightened by the prospect of excommunications. Wulfran Lindzondzo, a 42-year-old medical researcher from Gabon living in France, said he wanted to "rediscover tradition" through the society. Eduardo Limón from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, expressed both sadness and contentment—sad that Rome continued to reject tradition, happy that the SSPX had shown courage in proceeding despite papal opposition.
Yet the consecrations deepened a crisis for Leo, who had prioritized church unity. Many Catholics, including conservative and traditional ones outside the SSPX, opposed the act as severe disobedience. Rev. Robert Gahl, an ethics expert at the Catholic University of America, stated plainly: "You can't serve tradition while disobeying the church and her authority." The SSPX had no legal standing in the church, and while Catholics who attended its services did not themselves incur penalties, the organization remained in formal rupture with Rome. What remained unclear was how the Vatican would respond to this direct challenge to papal authority—and whether Leo's efforts to heal the traditionalist schism had been irreparably damaged.
Notable Quotes
We are accused of not respecting the pope. But it is precisely because we love the pope as the vicar of Christ, as the head of the church, that we don't want to see the pope humiliated anymore.— Rev. Davide Pagliarani, SSPX superior
You can't serve tradition while disobeying the church and her authority.— Rev. Robert Gahl, Catholic University of America ethics expert
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did the SSPX go ahead knowing excommunication was automatic?
Because they believe they're defending the true faith against what they see as heresy spreading through the modern church. They invoke a "state of necessity"—the idea that saving souls justifies acting without permission.
But doesn't that logic undermine the entire structure of papal authority?
Completely. That's why Rome calls it schism. The SSPX is saying the pope himself has strayed so far that they must act independently. It's a direct challenge to the foundation of Catholic hierarchy.
The attendees seemed joyful, not fearful. Why weren't they scared?
Many of them have already rejected Rome's authority on this issue. They see the SSPX as the true church and the Vatican as corrupted. An excommunication from an institution you believe has lost credibility doesn't carry the same weight.
What does Pope Leo XIV actually want here?
He's trying to heal the traditionalist wound that opened under Pope Francis. But the SSPX won't compromise on Vatican II reforms, and Leo won't reverse them. So he's caught between two irreconcilable positions.
Is this the end of the conflict, or the beginning?
It's an escalation. The SSPX has now openly defied a direct papal order. Rome has to respond—but how it does will determine whether reconciliation is even possible.