Vatican offers ‘dialogue’ with SSPX, warns against ordinations [News Analysis]

February 12, 2026

At a February 12 meeting with Father Davide Pagliarani, the superior general of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), Cardinal Victor Fernandez proposed a “theological dialogue” with the traditionalist group—but insisted that the SSPX must abandon its plan to proceed with the ordination of new bishops without a papal mandate.

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In a brief statement released after the private meeting, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) warned that if the SSPX proceeded with the ordination of bishops—which has been scheduled for July 1—the act “would imply a decisive rupture of ecclesial communion (schism), with grave consequences” for the SSPX.

Cardinal Fernandez suggested that further conversations between the DDF and the SSPX, if successful, could lead to a regularization of the canonical status of the SSPX. Father Pagliarani said that he would discuss the DDF proposal with the group’s governing council.

Carrot and stick

The DDF statement reported that the conversation between Cardinal Fernandez and Father Pagliarani was “cordial and sincere.” But the difficulties between the two parties remain serious, reflecting more than forty years of tense debate. The DDF prefect clearly took a carrot-and-stick approach to the discussion: on one hand offering the prospect of giving the traditionalist group a secure canonical standing; on the other hand using the term “schism” to emphasize the gravity of a further break.

Ordaining bishops without a papal mandate incurs the automatic penalty of excommunication, and the Vatican officially announced the excommunication of the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and the four SPXX bishops he consecrated in 1988. But Pope Benedict XVI lifted those excommunications (which had applied only to the bishops themselves), and Pope Francis followed up by granting SSPX priests the faculty to hear confessions. Today the canonical status of the SSPX is best described as “irregular.”

However, any lack of clarity about the status of the SSPX would be eliminated if the Vatican were to declare the group to be in schism. The DDF certainly used that word intentionally in its February 12, to resolve any uncertainty about whether an excommunication would also bring that additional break.

Still Cardinal Fernandez offered some new opening to the SSPX, promising a serious discussion of the theological issues that trouble the traditionalists. He proposed a “very precise” discussion to clarify points of contention in the interpretation of Vatican II documents, including the degrees of assent that should be required and the “minimum requirements for full communion with the Catholic Church.” The wording of the DDF statement raised the possibility that the Vatican might accept some differences of opinion, and proceed on that basis with the regularization of the Society.

A lack of trust?

Still the DDF offered no guarantees, and all previous efforts to find a mutually acceptable agreement between the Vatican and the SSPX have failed. Cardinal Fernandez, in his proposal, said that the theological dialogue could address questions that the SSPX had raised in a letter from January 2019: an indication that the dialogue has been stalled for several years.

From the Vatican’s perspective, that dialogue has taken on new importance because of the continued growth of the traditionalist movement, and the urgent calls from faithful Catholics—not just from members of the SSPX—for a reversal of Traditionis Custodes, with which Pope Francis dramatically tightened access to the traditional Latin liturgy. And of course the SSPX threat to ordain new bishops has lent special urgency to the matter.

From the perspective of the SSPX, however, the offer from Cardinal Fernandez may not be sufficiently enticing. By renouncing their plan to ordain bishops, the SSPX would be losing its most valuable bargaining chip, without any assurance that the new “path of dialogue” would be more productive than those of previous years. Father Pagliarani will be hard pressed to persuade the SSPX council to accept the Vatican offer. Indeed the SSPX must face the real possibility that hard-liners within their movement would reject any accord with Rome, causing a new split in the traditionalist ranks.

The toughest obstacle to a rapprochement was identified by Joseph Shaw in an article in the Catholic Herald: a lack of trust:

Whatever assurances Pope Leo might be giving the Society about future policy towards the Traditional Mass, recent history has taught us all a painful lesson in how easily such policies can be reversed. On the other hand, if the SSPX continues to have its own bishops, perhaps in an Ordinariate structure, they would retain the ability to go back into an ‘irregular’ situation the moment the Holy See does something they do not like.

The DDF statement understandably concluded with a request for the entire Church to pray for the success of the talks.

—PFL

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Show 1 Comments? (Hidden)Hide Comments

• Posted by: todonnell - Today 5:28 PM ET USA

  There are 3 distinct questions: (1) governance and decision-making within the SSPX (2) doctrine and assent/acceptance of elements of Vatican II; (3) liturgy. The real issue isn't #3 or else they could all just join the FSSP, no? And #2 might be able to be hashed out via some distinctions (as proposed above). It seems like #1 is the issue that will be most difficult long-term. But if #1 can be worked out, it is a sign of hope for all churches/groups not in full communion. We must keep praying!