Holy See offers Lefebvrians dialogue, but calls for a halt to episcopal ordinations

By mandate of Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Manuel Fernandez, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, today met with Father Davide Pagliarani, superior of the Society of Saint Pius X. A path for theological dialogue on the points raised by traditionalists was proposed, but with the precondition of cancelling the consecrations scheduled for 1 July. The Lefebvrian Council will examine the proposal. For the Vatican, the Church should accompany this journey “with prayers”.

Vatican City (AsiaNews) – The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith officially announced today that the Holy See is proposing a path of dialogue to the Lefebvrians with the aim of re-establishing "full communion with the Catholic Church” on the condition that the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X, founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in open opposition to the outcome of the Second Vatican Council, suspends its decision to proceed with new episcopal ordinations on 1 July, which the current Superior General, Father Davide Pagliarani, announced on 2 February.

In its announcement, the Dicastery said that a meeting took place today at the Vatican, with the approval of Pope Leo XIV, between the Prefect Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez and Father Davide Pagliarani. The discussion focused on several points raised by the Lefebvrians in letters sent between 2017 and 2019. The prefect proposed a process of dialogue on specific topics.

In its statement, the Dicastery specifically mentions two: "The difference between an act of faith and 'religious submission of mind and will'" and "the different degrees of assent required by the various texts of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and its interpretation."

The statement goes on to explain that this process seeks to "highlight, in the topics discussed, the minimum requirements for full communion with the Catholic Church and consequently outline a canonical statute for the Fraternity.”

For the Holy See, the prerequisite for this dialogue is, however, that the Lefebvrians suspend their previously announced episcopal ordinations, which would imply, the statement reads, “a decisive break of ecclesial communion (schism) with grave consequences.”

Back on 30 June 1988, in Écône, Switzerland, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, together with Brazilian Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer, consecrated four bishops without papal mandate for the Society of Saint Pius X, thus triggering excommunication by John Paul II.

This disciplinary measure was later revoked in 2009 by the Congregation for Bishops, at the request of Benedict XVI, with the aim of reopening dialogue and fostering a path of reconciliation.

Two of four prelates are still alive: the Swiss Bernard Fellay, former superior of the Society, who is 67, and the Spaniard Alfonso de Galarreta, who is 69.

According to the most recent data released by the Society of Saint Pius X, the fraternity has 1,482 members of about fifty nationalities, with an average age of 47.

Along with the two bishops, it has 733 priests, 264 seminarians, and several consecrated persons: 145 religious, 88 oblates, and 250 nuns. The fraternity is active pastorally in 77 countries, runs five seminaries, has 184 houses of its own, and directs 94 schools, 54 of which are in France.

Announcing the new ordinations on 2 February, Father Pagliarani explained his decision by saying that he recently sent a letter to Pope Leo in which he spoke of the "need to ensure the continuity of the ministry of his bishops, who for nearly 40 years travelled the world to respond to the requests of the faithful, bound to the Tradition of the Church and desiring to receive the sacraments of Orders and Confirmation for the good of their souls."

He added, however, that the Holy See's response did not meet the fraternity’s requests and, therefore, “the objective state of grave necessity in which the souls find themselves" led him to the decision to proceed with the new episcopal ordinations on 1 July.

The statement by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith notes that in today's meeting, Father Pagliarani said that he would present the proposal to the Council of the Society of Saint Pius X and promised to provide a response.

Should the Lefebvrians decide to join, "the steps, stages, and procedures to be followed will be established by mutual agreement."

Cardinal Fernandez ends the dicastery’s statement saying that, “The entire Church is asked to accompany this journey, especially in the coming times, with prayers to the Holy Spirit. He is the main architect of the true ecclesial communion desired by Christ.”

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