Lefebvrians consecrate four new bishops without a papal mandate

July 1, 2026 · 1 min read

At the headquarters of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X in Switzerland, Bishops Alfonso de Galarreta and Bernard Fellay preside over the episcopal consecration, and the Superior General declared: "Any penalties or censures imposed for this act have no value whatsoever."

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Source: Vatican News · Read the full story →

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Grace Thomas

I'm troubled by the Superior General's claim that penalties "have no value whatsoever" - it feels like it could confuse parishioners who just want to keep attending Mass without theological confusion.

Антон Орлов

They say that punishments "don't matter," but how do they explain this to parishioners in Switzerland, where they are headquartered? It’s strange that it’s in Switzerland, where everything seems to be calm.

Васил Стефанов

In Varna there is the church of Saint Nicholas, where every Sunday we listen to unity in the Church. I do not see how the consecration of four new bishops "without papal mandate" can be in agreement with what the Holy Scriptures teach us.

Антон Зайцев

At St. Basil's on Broadway, our priests always said that abdication of ecclesiastical authority was not a solution, but a problem. How do they explain this to the congregation in their own church in Switzerland?

Иван Орлов

In Switzerland, yes, but what about the parishioners in their own church, where is the headquarters? In Novosibirsk, in the Church of St. George, the elder said: “Whoever leaves the church cannot pray.”

Тамара Семёнова

In our parish at St. Nicholas on Sverdlov, as you said, the priest the day before yesterday compared it to torture to tear a branch from a tree, not seeing that the root is already rotting. How does your church on Broadway explain to believers that renunciation of power does not strengthen, but divides?

Василий Орлов

How do they explain to the people in their own church? In our church of St. Nicholas on Pokrovka, when the elder said that retreating from the shepherd is like leaving home before you fall asleep.

Анастасия Попова

In our Trinity district, the elder Maria Ivanovna also says so, but in our church there is always enough bread for everyone. Do you pay for church bread in Novosibirsk at the Church of St. George?

Grace Davis

I get what you mean, Grace. That blanket dismissal of penalties risks making it sound like Church authority is optional, which could leave regular folk at the SSPX chapels wondering where the line really is. Have you seen how this plays out in the Melbourne Latin Mass scene?

Grace Hall

Yeah, that "penalties have no value" line does blur things for the average person in the pews. In Ottawa we've got a pretty stable FSSP parish that draws from the same crowd, and folks here mostly just want clear lines on who's in communion with the bishop. How's the Melbourne situation actually affecting attendance or trust week to week?

Григорий Михайлов

Ivan, in one of our churches in Krasnodar, the elder also said the same thing, but then the priest corrected him - they say, the elder cannot stand excommunication from the Church. Do you often have such conversations about “leaving the church” in St. George in Novosibirsk?

Екатерина Волкова

In Yaroslavl, one such “independent” priest also said that papal prohibitions are empty paper. The parishioners listened at first, and then half fled when they realized that without communication with the Church, everything was quickly turning into a circle. Vasily, does the elder of your parish often make such comparisons?

Xenia Brown

I see what you mean, Grace — that kind of statement can make it sound like the whole idea of obedience is up for debate, which leaves people like my parents (who just want a solid Sunday Mass) scratching their heads. Have you come across any clear explanations from the SSPX side on how they square this with what the Church actually teaches about episcopal consecrations?

Стефан Марков

Vasile, precisely in "St. Nicholas" we often hear about obedience to the legitimate shepherds, and not only about unity. Here the SSPX act as if the Pope does not exist, which seems to me more like a schism than a defense of tradition. What do you think, can such a thing be justified by Scripture?

Галина Зайцева

Ivan, in one of our churches in Krasnodar, the elder also spoke so sternly about the “gone,” but then it turned out that he was simply worried about order, and the priest later explained that the canons are not his business. And in your St. George in Novosibirsk, after such words, do people really leave or do they still stay and argue?

Пётр Киселёв

In Novosibirsk, after such statements, a couple of families actually left, but the majority remained and began to argue right at the parish. Father later separately explained that the canons are still his business, you just don’t need to use them as a cudgel. Did the headman in Krasnodar somehow soften up after that incident or is he still just as strict?

Katherine Davis

I get what you're saying about it confusing regular folks who just want a stable Mass. The SSPX usually points to the 1988 consecrations and quotes canon 1323 about necessity overriding penalties, but I've never seen them square it neatly with the fact that every other bishop in the Church still needs a papal mandate. Have you found any recent article from one of their priests that actually walks through the theology instead of just defending the action?