FSSPX Files Appeal against the July 2 Decree
The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X is formally challenging the Vatican decree issued on 2 July by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith that excommunicated its six bishops. On 11 July, it filed the required preliminary appeal under canon law. According to the Society, this filing temporarily suspends the enforcement of the decree while the appeal process is underway.
Communiqué of 13 July
The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X announces that, in response to the decree issued on 2 July 2026 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, it submitted on 11 July a preliminary recourse to the same Dicastery, in accordance with canons 1734 and following of the Code of Canon Law.
This request, which constitutes the mandatory preliminary step before the possible introduction of a hierarchical recourse, has the effect of suspending the execution of the decree, in accordance with canon 1353 of the Code of Canon Law.
By this recourse, the Society intends to exercise the right which …More
The outcome of the purported excommunication of the six bishops today will be far different from the outcome of the 1988 excommunications.
In 1988, there was no visible reason for Catholics to doubt Pope John Paul II’s sincerity as a faithful Catholic. In the minds of most of the laity at the time, he at least appeared to be faithfully following the authentic teachings of the Church, at the same time. The SSPX was completely unknown to the world and was easily labeled as a breakaway religion. Yet, they survived and grew unimaginably.
That is not the case today, as many Novus Ordo Catholics, whether they follow them or not, recognize that the SSPX strictly adheres to the authentic teachings of the Catholic Church, and that it is the leaders in Rome who are following the teachings of Vatican II.
I would be greatly surprised not to learn that Rome is looking (praying?) for a lifeline at this time.
@V.R.S.
I appreciate your perspective, and I share many of your concerns regarding the errors of Pope John Paul II's pontificate. My intention was not to defend any of his teachings or beliefs, but rather to offer some historical context on how the global Catholic landscape has shifted since 1988. Like any other faithful Catholic today, I recognize many of Pope John Paul II’s teachings as being false and heretical.
However, it helps to look at that era through a pre-internet lens. In 1988, the vast majority of regular churchgoing Catholics had very limited access to traditionalist perspectives, and the SSPX was largely unknown to the average parishioner. To the laity at the time, the visible structure of Rome appeared continuous with the church of their youth, and the Traditional Latin Mass was a rarity.
The widespread awareness of theological issues that faithful Catholics discuss today simply did not exist in the collective consciousness back then. I hope this helps clarify my point: it was not about defending the teachings of a Modernist Pope, but about understanding the unique state of mind and limited information available to the laity in that specific moment in history, compared to today.
" ... did not exist in the collective consciousness back then "
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Reminds me of:
"What, then, is the Church? It is the product of the collective conscience, that is to say of the society of individual consciences which by virtue of the principle of vital permanence all depend on one first believer "
(Pascendi, of course)
There is a new generation of Catholics in a far more chaotic situation now than then for sure.