Traditionalist Catholics attending the Society of St. Pius X churches face a serious question during Sunday Mass. This group, a fringe movement on the Catholic right, has seen its priests and bishops excommunicated after committing a grave crime in the eyes of the Vatican: consecrating bishops without the pope’s consent, disrupting church unity.
The Vatican has urged Catholics to avoid the group’s services and activities, labeling some sacraments by society priests as illicit and invalid. Yet, within the society’s churches, life appears normal. The Latin Mass continues, baptisms occur, camps and pilgrimages proceed, and many followers show no intention to leave.
Two weeks ago, these consecrations presented a crisis for Pope Leo XIV, who prioritizes church unity. The American pope has reached out to conservative and traditionalist church members alienated during Pope Francis’s tenure. The fallout of this excommunication, however, remains unclear.
Several U.S. bishops echo the Vatican’s guidance, urging the society’s followers to return to churches aligned with Rome. As San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller stated, embracing unity with Christ means being in communion with Pope Leo XIV and Catholic Church hierarchy.
Whether Catholics will heed this call is uncertain. According to R. Andrew Chesnut, Catholic Studies chair at Virginia Commonwealth University, those who’ve long supported SSPX may view such statements through a historical lens of conflict with church authorities and may remain unpersuaded.
The Society of St. Pius X was founded in opposition to the Second Vatican Council’s modernizing reforms, which they see as heretical. The council, held in the 1960s, reformed church relations with Jews and other faiths, promoted religious liberty, and allowed Mass in everyday languages instead of Latin. SSPX leaders defend the July 1 consecrations as crucial for soul preservation and question the validity of the Vatican’s sanctions.
Chesnut observes that the society’s response to this flare-up with Rome mirrors past incidents. SSPX priests reassure followers that their mission to preserve traditional liturgy remains unchanged. The society has appealed the Vatican decree, and U.S. district spokesperson James Vogel states it’s too soon to assess its impact, noting that Masses and activities continue.
Mike Lewis, managing editor of Where Peter Is, explains that such communities have been separate for decades, deeply intertwined with family and social life. A segment of traditionalists appear resolute.
Jim De Piante, deeply connected to the society, feels that excommunication motivates him to uphold tradition more fervently. At St. Anthony of Padua, a church linked to SSPX near Charlotte, attendance has dipped slightly. De Piante witnessed the consecration in Switzerland and remains optimistic about the society’s future, despite others feeling uneasy.
While excommunication is a medicinal sanction and can be lifted, those excommunicated are barred from specific church activities. Bishops like Frank J. Caggiano from the Diocese of Bridgeport invite SSPX churchgoers back to Rome’s fold, assuring them excommunication doesn’t apply if they accept the pope’s authority and attend SSPX churches solely to worship.
Yet going against the pope isn’t trivial, as Caggiano warns of sharing in separation from the pope’s successor. Others experience a crisis of conscience.
Ross McKnight, drawn to SSPX during the pandemic, struggles with this dilemma. He and his family enjoy the supportive traditionalist community at their Lacombe, Louisiana church. Yet, he acknowledges the conflict between loyalty to SSPX and personal duty to the broader church.
In Texas, Archbishop García-Siller prohibits attending local SSPX affiliates and bars their priests from ministering, ensuring church life perseveres. At St. Joseph’s church, announcements continue despite the excommunications.
During Mass, Rev. Stephen Zigrang reassured congregants there’s no need to change course, mentioning building maintenance and a special collection. Zigrang urges members to endure criticism with a smile and invite others to experience the old Mass, despite declining an interview request from The Associated Press.