Leo XIV has written to the SSPX.
LETTER OF POPE LEO XIV
TO THE SUPERIOR GENERAL
OF THE PRIESTLY FRATERNITY OF SAINT PIUS X
___________________________________
To The Reverend
Davide Pagliarani
Superior General
of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X
With a paternal heart, and aware of the responsibility entrusted to me by the Lord as the Successor of the Apostle Peter, I address you and, through you, the bishops, priests, seminarians and faithful connected to the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X.
The Church recognizes the devotion to liturgical life, commitment to priestly formation, apostolic zeal and desire for fidelity to Tradition that characterize many people and communities connected to your Fraternity. This has motivated the attentive and generous attitude that my Predecessors have consistently shown to you.
In this spirit, and filled with Christian affection, I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: please turn back! I urge you to consider carefully the spiritual good of the faithful, because the schismatic act you are about to undertake would deprive them of the licit and, in some cases, even valid reception of the Sacraments, which they love and seek for their sanctification.
The Church is open to a path of dialogue and understanding that the Holy Spirit can make possible and fruitful.
I pray for you, because to tear the seamless garment of Christ is a sin of extreme gravity. May the Lord enlighten your consciences and awaken your hearts. With a sorrowful yet hopeful heart, I feel it is my duty, through the authority received from Christ, to ask you to desist from your intended act. I entrust these intentions to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Good Counsel.
From the Vatican, 29 June 2026
Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
LEO PP. XIV
I sincerely don’t understand why Pope Leo refused to have a face to face meeting with them. And to pretend that the papacy and the cardinals and bishops who have waged open war (and are STILL waging open war) against diocesan Catholics devoted to the TLM (priests and laity), tossing them out of parishes, suppressing their communities, denying them the sacraments, have not also participated in the rending of the unity of the Church seems disingenuous.
This is a sad short letter, there is nothing in it that attempts to reconcile the situation. It is a legal step allowing them to move forward with excommunications. If the Holy Father truly cared with all of his heart, he would have granted them an audience and talked to them.
There was a path to reconcile this and the Holy See has chosen not to take it. The hammer of justice will fall hard on this traditional group of faithful priests. Meanwhile Rome will allow women pretending to be Bishops into St. Peter’s, will not sanction Bishops ripping out altar rails or canceling ad orientem, even though that is beyond their authority. Will allow open supporters of gay marriage and abortion into their audience and “synodal” way.
I am extremely disappointed with our Holy Father. I had hoped he would be a healing element for the Church after Pope Francis tore open old wounds that has started to heal.
I pray for a peaceful end to this situation and mercy from the Holy See.
So disappointed in Pope Leo, but I’m not surprised.
Notably, no one from Rome has said the Consecrations will never happen, just that they must not occur tomorrow.
The attempt at reconciliation is right there in the second to last paragraph. Underscoring it, of course, is the requirement that the Society ceases and assists from their intended objectively excommunicable action.
Again, no one has said that they’ll never get new bishops, just that now is not immediately the time. I wonder if anyone at the Dicastery for Bishops has yet vetted the candidates.
It would be good to avoid a repeat of last time, when Bishop Williamson proved himself to be of questionable character and has even schismized from the Society. We pray that it’s not the case this time, and it’s not reasonable to presume that it is. But by the same token, the Society seems to be operating according to a pretty arbitrary timeline.