The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) has openly raised a question to the Holy See: if Rome has maintained an agreement with China on episcopal appointments, why does it consider unacceptable the consecrations that the Fraternity plans to carry out next July 1 without pontifical mandate?
According to FSSPX News, many faithful are wondering how a severe criterion can be applied to the Fraternity while, in the Chinese case, the Holy See has opted for dialogue and negotiation despite the direct intervention of the State in the life of the Church.
The context of the agreement with Beijing
Since 2018, the Vatican has maintained a provisional agreement with the Chinese Government on the appointment of bishops, subsequently renewed until 2028. Although the details of the pact have not been made fully public, it is considered to allow significant participation by Chinese authorities in the process.
The Fraternity recalls that the Chinese Communist Party, officially atheist, exercises strict control over religious practice in the country. Despite this, Rome has defended the path of dialogue, appealing to the need to avoid a total rupture and to preserve as much as possible of Catholic life in a complex environment.
The Fraternity’s justification
Based on that precedent, the FSSPX maintains that its intention is not to establish a parallel hierarchy or challenge the authority of the Pope, but to ensure sacramental continuity and the formation of priests in accordance with the doctrinal and liturgical tradition that it considers essential.
In this sense, it presents the planned consecrations as an extraordinary measure in the face of what it describes as a profound crisis in the Church. In its view, the supreme principle of canon law—the salvation of souls—should also guide the assessment of its specific situation.
A fundamental debate
Beyond the disciplinary dimension, the Fraternity frames the issue in a broader debate on the interpretation of the current ecclesial situation. According to its approach, if the gravity of the crisis is recognized, certain exceptional measures could be understood as proportionate; if, on the contrary, that crisis is minimized, such measures become unacceptable.
For its part, the Holy See has reiterated that the ordination of bishops without pontifical mandate would imply a grave rupture of ecclesial communion. With the month of July drawing ever closer, the focus is now on the decision that the Fraternity adopts and on the response that Rome may offer in the face of an eventual step forward.