Vatican proposes pathway of dialogue with SSPX

Cardinal Victor Fernández with Fr Davide Pagliarani - Image: Vatican Media

Source: Vatican Media

At a meeting with the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) on Thursday morning, the Holy See proposed a path of theological dialogue, aimed at safeguarding the "minimum requirements" for full communion with the Catholic Church - provided the Society suspends the July 1 episcopal ordinations it announced in early February, without papal approval.

The meeting, approved by Pope Leo, was held at the Palace of the Holy Office between Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Father Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the SSPX.

This process, described as having a "well-defined methodology," would establish the minimum requirements for full communion with the Catholic Church and identify a canonical status for the Society.

In a statement released at midday, the Dicastery described the meeting as "cordial and sincere." After clarifying several points raised by the SSPX in letters sent between 2017 and 2019 - particularly the question of God's will regarding religious pluralism - Cardinal Fernández proposed a path of theological dialogue.

The discussions would address themes "that have not yet been sufficiently clarified," including the distinction between "the act of faith" and "the obedience of faith"- that is, the religious submission of intellect and will - as well as the varying degrees of assent owed to different texts of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council and their interpretation. The Argentine cardinal also suggested examining a series of topics listed by the Society in a letter dated January 17, 2019.

The Holy See nevertheless reiterated that the ordination of bishops without a mandate from the Pope - who, according to Pastor Aeternus (1870), holds supreme, full, universal, immediate, and direct ordinary power - would entail "a decisive rupture of ecclesial communion," namely "a schism," with "grave consequences for the Society as a whole," the Dicastery noted.

For this reason, it has proposed suspending the episcopal ordinations announced for July 1, 2026, which were declared without papal approval.

The Superior General of the SSPX will present the proposal to his Council and provide a response to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Should the response be positive, the next steps and procedures will be determined and established "by mutual agreement." Cardinal Fernández has asked the entire Church to pray to the Holy Spirit to accompany this forthcoming journey.

Following the announcement of the ordinations, the Holy See sought to avoid any rupture or unilateral solution. On February 4, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, explained the Vatican's desire "to identify effective means of dialogue capable of yielding positive results."

Forty-eight hours earlier, the Society had announced in a communiqué that episcopal consecrations would take place on July 1. The same statement referred to a letter sent to the Holy See expressing "the particular necessity for the Society to ensure continuity in the ministry of its bishops." The Holy See, the Ecône - based community stated, had sent "a letter that in no way responds" to its requests.

Three days before Thursday's meeting at the Holy Office, Cardinal Fernández was received in private audience on Monday morning, February 9, by Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace.