2026 Écône consecrations

Uncommon card · No. 84224

On 1 July 2026, members of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) in Écône, Switzerland, consecrated four bishops against the orders of Pope Leo XIV, causing the Pope to declare a schism between the SSPX and the Catholic Church. The consecrations were performed by the SSPX Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, and assisted by Bishop Bernard Fellay. The four men consecrated were Michael Goldade, Marc Hanappier, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, and Pascal Schreiber. The SSPX denies being in schism. SSPX was founded in opposition to the Second Vatican Council's reforms, including the use of vernacular language instead of Latin during Mass. Its founder, Marcel Lefebvre, previously consecrated bishops without papal consent in 1988. This led to the participants at the time, along with SSPX adherents, being declared excommunicated from the church. The Holy See warned in advance that the 2026 consecrations would constitute a "schismatic act" under canon law. The consecrations took place despite this warning, and...

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