The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X has officially announced that it will proceed with new episcopal consecrations starting from July 1, 2026, a decision of enormous ecclesial significance that reopens one of the most delicate chapters in its relationship with the Holy See. The announcement was made public on February 2, the feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary, by the superior general of the Fraternity, Father Davide Pagliarani, during a ceremony held at the International Seminary of Saint Curé of Ars, in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, France.
According to the statement issued from the Fraternity’s General House, the decision has been taken after a long process of reflection, prayer, and internal consultations, and after having explicitly requested from the Holy See a solution that would guarantee the continuity of the episcopal ministry within the Fraternity. The text acknowledges that several formal petitions were addressed to the Pope, both to present the current situation of the Fraternity and to emphasize the objective need to have its own bishops capable of administering the sacrament of Confirmation and holy orders to the faithful attached to Tradition.
The statement affirms that, after recently receiving a response from Rome that did not address these petitions, and acting in accordance with the unanimous advice of its General Council, the superior general has reached the judgment that there is a “grave necessity” that obliges taking a decision for the good of souls. The text avoids any polemical tone and emphasizes that the measure does not arise from a spirit of rebellion or confrontation, but from a pastoral conviction that considers the Church’s mission as a priority over its own institutional survival.
In that context, the Fraternity expressly cites the declaration made by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1974, in which he stated that only in the Catholic Church, faithful to its immutable Tradition, is found the guarantee of truth and authentic service to Christ. The statement presents these words as fully relevant half a century later and as the key to interpreting the decision adopted.
The General House also announces that in the coming days the superior general will offer additional explanations to contextualize the situation and detail the reasons for the decision, which is expected to have a strong impact both in the canonical sphere and in the broader ecclesial debate on Tradition, authority, and the unity of the Church. The text concludes with a Marian invocation, entrusting the future of the Fraternity and the Church to the protection of the Virgin Mary, at a moment that the SSPX itself recognizes as especially grave and decisive.
Translation to Spanish:
STATEMENT FROM THE GENERAL HOUSE
On February 2, 2026, feast of the Purification of the Most Holy Virgin, the Reverend Father Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, during the cassock-taking ceremony that he presided over at the International Seminary of Saint Curé of Ars in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, France, publicly announced his decision to entrust the bishops of the Fraternity with the task of proceeding with new episcopal consecrations, on the upcoming July 1.
Last August, he requested the grace of an audience with the Holy Father, expressing his desire to present to the Holy Father, in a filial manner, the current situation of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X. In a second letter, he explicitly expressed the particular need of the Fraternity to ensure the continuity of the ministry of its bishops, who for nearly forty years have traveled the world to respond to the numerous faithful attached to the Tradition of the Church and desirous, for the good of their souls, of receiving the sacraments of holy orders and Confirmation.
After having matured his reflection at length in prayer, and after having received from the Holy See, in recent days, a letter that in no way responds to our petitions, Father Pagliarani, in harmony with the unanimous advice of his Council, judges that the objective situation of grave necessity in which souls find themselves demands such a decision.
The words he wrote on November 21, 2024, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the historic declaration of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, are today more than ever a reflection of his thought and intentions:
«It is only in the Catholic Church as it has always been, and in its immutable Tradition, that we have the guarantee of possessing the Truth, of being able to preach it, and of being able to serve it. […]»
«The Fraternity [of Saint Pius X] does not seek above all its own survival. It primarily seeks the good of the universal Church and, for this reason, the Fraternity is, par excellence, a work of the Church that, with singular freedom and strength, adequately responds to the specific needs of an unprecedented tragic era.»
«This sole objective remains ours today, as it was fifty years ago. Therefore, without any spirit of rebellion, bitterness, or resentment, we continue our work of priestly formation, guided by the perennial Magisterium. We are convinced that we cannot render a greater service to the Holy Catholic Church, to the Supreme Pontiff, and to posterity (Archbishop Lefebvre, Declaration of November 21, 1974).»
In the coming days, the Superior General will offer additional explanations on the present situation and on his decision.
«Nos cum Prole pia benedicat Virgo Maria.
May the Virgin Mary bless us, together with her divine Son.»
Menzingen, February 2, 2026