Excommunication of SSPX

 By the time I write this, I expect that the illicit ordination of bishop by the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) will have taken place. Pope Leo XIV has told the Society: "I pray for you, because to tear the seamless garment of Christ is a sin of extreme gravity." When he uses the expression "extreme gravity" he is alluding to the canonical offences outlined under the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI as graviora delicta (more serious offences/crimes) which was codified in the new Book of Processes included in the 1983 Code of Canon Law. This means that if SSPX do indeed proceed with the ordinations they will be excommunicated latae sententiae, that is, by the law itself. No trial is required. The Pope can choose to declare the excommunication to confirm that the penalty has been incurred.

How did we get to this? It is a long story. I will restrict myself to a brief narrative. When SSPX, whose founder had been present at Vatican II and signed the documents in the affirmative, illicitly ordained bishops, in defiance of Pope St John Paul II, the offending bishops were excommunicated. Subsequently, the excommunications were lifted in 1 July 1988 by Joseph Ratzinger the prefect for the CDF. When he became Pope Benedict XVI had talks with the Society. In those the society recognized him as the legitimate successor of Peter. This had the effect of recognizing his predecessors going back to Pope St John XXIII. Some of the members of SSPX refused to accept this and remain as sede vacantists, that is, they do not recognize the popes after Pope Pius XII as true popes. The Holy Father also granted the indult Summorum Pontificum in July 7, 2007 to give greater access to the Mass in the extraordinary form, as it was termed. Furthermore, once this agreement was reached Pope Benedict moved the discussion with SSPX from the competence of the Congregation for Divine Worship to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In other words, this was no longer a situation of disagreement over liturgy but one of potential heresy since SSPX refused to accept the decrees of an Ecumenical Council.

Recently, SSPX have sent an affirmation of faith to the Holy See. It is interesting that it mentions there a repudiation of errors stating: "I consequently reject all errors contrary to this Faith, and in particular those of liberalism, indifferentism, modernism, ecumenism, and laicism, condemned by Popes Pius IX, Leo XIII, Saint Pius X, Pius XI, and Pius XII." In other words, it seems they allege these errors against all popes from Pope St John XXIII onwards. They have effectively returned to a sede vacantist posture. This is also a complete rejection of the Second Vatican Council which entails a rejection of canon 749 paragraph 2 in the 1983 Code declaring the infallibility of Ecumenical Councils, when they declare doctrine which is to be held as definitive by the faithful. The ordinations of bishops reveals a deeper truth. SSPX have a position that can only be maintained by those who repudiate the popes from Pope St John XXIII onwards. This position becomes more and more untenable as time passes. It is inconceivable that the Holy Spirit would deny the Church a pope for a long period of time. Such protests end up in the position of the Protestants which accuse the papacy of being a fraud perpetrated on the true Church which remain invisible and incorrupt. When you have one of the pillars of Protestantism the others will follow: faith alone, grace alone, Scripture alone and the priesthood of the baptized.

Given that there are congregations and religious orders, that celebrate the Mass in the extraordinary form and are in full communion with the Holy See, I anticipate that those who love the Mass in its pre-conciliar form will have to make a choice. They either follow the hierarchy of SSPX and risk schism along with them, or they adhere to full communion with the Catholic Church which maintains the legitimacy of the Second Vatican Council and the legitimacy of the popes. I do not think there is room for compromise. the theology of Communion which is fundamental to understanding Vatican II is not up for debate. As a dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium, by definition, is fixed doctrine that has been stated by the Church to be free from error. The excuse of SSPX for the ordinations was to meet the pastoral needs of the people but the excommunication latae sententiae will damage the pastoral life as followers of SSPX will receive invalid sacraments from the hands of excommunicated bishops.