Society of St. Pius X
 |
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| Abbreviation | S.S.P.X. |
|---|---|
| Motto |
Christus vincit! Christus regnat! Christus imperat! (Christ Conquers! Christ Reigns! Christ Rules!) |
| Formation | 1970 |
| Type | Canonically irregular Catholic priestly society |
| Headquarters | Menzingen, Switzerland |
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Superior General
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Bishop Bernard Fellay |
|
Key people
|
Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre – founder |
| Website | central US district |
The Society of Saint Pius X (Latin: Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Pii X; Spanish: Hermandad Sacerdotal de San Pío X; also informally known as the SSPX) is an international priestly fraternity founded in 1970 by the French Roman Catholic Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. The society is known for rejecting the ecclesial reforms both influenced or institutionalized by the Second Vatican Council with the claim of maintaining orthodoxy and doctrinal purity among its followers.
Pope Benedict XVI declared that, for doctrinal rather than disciplinary reasons, the Society has no canonical status in the Catholic Church and because it lacks canonical status, the ministries exercised by its ministers are not legitimate within the Church. However, the Society maintains that the Holy See gives some recognition to the canonical existence and ecclesial ministry of the Society's priests. Tensions between the society and the Holy See reached their height in 1988, when Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated four bishops against the orders of Pope John Paul II, resulting in a declaration of excommunication against the bishops who consecrated or were consecrated. However, the excommunication was removed in January 2009 with a hope expressed that all members of the society would quickly return to full communion.
Formal discussions between the Holy See and the Society began in 2009 and reached a critical stage in 2012, when Bishop Bernard Fellay rejected the doctrinal document presented to him on 13 June, evaluating a text proposed by the society on 15 April. Fellay asked Pope Benedict if that document had the Pope's personal approval and the Pope sent him a handwritten letter assuring his direct approval. On 27 June 2013, the society's three remaining bishops (it had expelled Bishop Williamson) formally rejected the Holy See's proposals and on 12 October 2013, Bishop Fellay spoke of Pope Francis as a Modernist.
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Wikipedia