Nonetheless, Pope John Paul II tried to preserve unity. Ordaining bishops without the permission of the pope is an ecclesiastical crime, and the penalty was excommunication for Lefebvre as well as for the new bishops he ordained. Without the permission of the pope, and despite Pope John Paul II’s personal outreach, Lefebvre ordained four new bishops for the society in 1988. Things became more complicated when Lefebvre began to consider ordaining more bishops for his society. As such, the priests of the SSPX continue to celebrate Mass, and their bishops ordain new priests (these two sacraments are valid, but are administered against the law of the Church).

But, unlike our sheriff analogy, no one could take the power of the sacrament of holy orders away from those who were validly ordained. As a result, some of their sacraments would not be valid (particularly confession and marriage). When the SSPX order was suspended, it, too, lost jurisdiction.Īmong other things, this means members could not obtain permission to minister in dioceses. Then, if the sheriff takes the deputy’s badge, that deputy has lost all jurisdiction and authority to act as an officer. The Holy See eventually suppressed their congregation, detaching it from any official relationship with the Church.Īs an analogy, imagine that a sheriff sees one of his deputies in serious misbehavior. Fearing a theological split, the Holy See began discussions with Lefebvre to clarify any theological issues and prevent any potential disunity.ĭue to many factors, the discussions between the Holy See and the SSPX did not bear fruit, and the SSPX continued to teach against Vatican II. They became convinced that the teachings of the Council departed from the long-standing teachings of the Church. Pius X (SSPX) are the most famous of these. Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and his Society of St. The Council aimed to approach this goal from a pastoral perspective by expressing our beliefs in new ways so to further spread the truth.Īmidst all the new ideas and energy surrounding the Council, there were also those who voiced their concerns. The Council sought to bring a greater experience of unity to the Church: unity among Catholics, with other Christians and with all the peoples of the world. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) ushered in a time of fresh enthusiasm for our Catholic faith.

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