The Laity and the Society of Saint Pius X

 Home -> Archive

On 5th May 1988 Archbishop Lefebvre, assisted by Bishop de Castro Mayer, consecrated four priests of the Society of St. Pius X as bishops, defying the authority of Rome. Archbishop Lefebvre and the five bishops incurred the penalty of excommunication. Ever since that time it has been a source of much confusion, debate, and misinformation as to the status of lay men and women that assist at the Masses of the Society of Saint Pius X. Are they schismatic? Excommunicated? The following document deals specifically with this question and may help to clarify what is a difficult and complex situation. In both cases one can only conclude that the sentiments expressed accurately reflect the view of the Roman authorities.

PONTIFICIA COMMISSIO

"ECCLESIA DEI"

Rome, 28^th September 1999

Dear Mr. R,

With regard to the schismatic Society of St. Pius X we can say the following:

1. The priests of the Society of St. Pius X are validly ordained, but suspended, that is prohibited from exercising their priestly functions because they are not properly incardinated in a diocese or religious institute in full communion with the Holy See and also because those ordained after the episcopal ordinations were ordained by an excommunicated bishop. They are also excommunicated if they adhere to the schism. While up to now the Holy See has not defined what this adherence consists in, one could point to a wholesale condemnation of the Church since the Second Vatican Council and a refusal to be in communion with it. Further, it is likely that these priests, after eleven years in a society whose head is now an excommunicated bishop, effectively adhere to the schism.
2. Concretely this means that the Masses offered by the priests of the Society of St. Pius X are valid, but illicit i.e, contrary to Canon Law. The Sacraments of Penance and Matrimony however, require that the priest enjoys the faculties of the diocese or has proper delegation. Since that is not the case with these priests, these sacraments are invalid. It remains true, however, that, if the faithful are genuinely ignorant that the priests of the Society of St. Pius X do not have the proper faculty to absolve, the Church supplied these faculties so that the sacrament was valid (cf. Code of Canon Law c.144).
3. The situation of the faithful attending chapels of the Society of St. Pius X is more complicated. They may attend Mass there primarily because of an attraction to the earlier forms of the Roman Rite in which case they incur no penalty. The difficulty is that the longer they frequent these chapels, the more likely it is that they will slowly imbibe the schismatic mentality which stands in judgement of the Church and refuses submission to the Roman Pontiff and communion with the members of the Church subject to him. If that becomes the case, then it would seem that they adhere to the schism and are consequently excommunicated.

   For these reasons this Pontifical Commission cannot encourage you to frequent the chapels of the Society of St. Pius X. On the other hand it would seem that you are among those who attend Mass in chapels of the Society of St. Pius X because of the reverence and devotion which they find there, because of their attraction to the traditional Latin Mass and not because they refuse submission to the Roman Pontiff or reject communion with the members of the Church subject to him. At the same time it must be admitted that this is an irregular situation, even if the circumstances which have caused it have come about through no fault of your own, and it should be remedied as soon as circumstances permit.

With prayerful best wishes I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Msgr Camille Perl (Secretary)

[Taken from the Latin Mass Society's February 2001 Newsletter.]

Related links:

• Ecclesia Dei Commission Regarding SSPX Masses via Una Voce America