Holding Fast to the Rock of Peter
A Pastoral Letter to the Faithful Attached to the Society of St. Pius X
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I write to you today aware that many of you are experiencing pain, confusion, and uncertainty regarding the recent clarification of the canonical status of the Society of St. Pius X. Because the St. Pius V Chapel falls within the boundary of St. James the Less Parish in Mukwonago, I have spent the last few years trying to understand the history and status of the Society more completely. I think that it is helpful to recall this history in a condensed form for greater understanding of the current reality.
While the Society was formed with good intentions, its history is a tumultuous one. Following the Second Vatican Council, Archbishop Lefebvre sought to preserve the beauty of the liturgy and the truths of the Catholic faith through the establishment of a seminary in Ecône, Switzerland, and a pious union ad experimentum dedicated to the formation of priests. Unfortunately, because of Lefebvre’s public Declaration which called into question the validity of the Second Vatican Council and the authority of the Roman Pontiff, the Society was formally suppressed in 1975. When it was suppressed, it lost its canonical status. At that time, the Holy See directed Lefebvre to close the seminary in Ecône and to cease all activity of the Society. This action was formally approved by Pope St. Paul VI in forma specifica which he communicated directly to Lefebvre in a letter.
Despite the lawful suppression of the Society by the Roman Pontiff himself, Lefebvre did not listen to the command to close the seminary or to cease the activity of the SSPX. Brothers and sisters, it was at this point that the Society entered onto the path of schism. According to the Code of Canon Law in 1917, which was the law in force at the time, the definition of schism is when a baptized Catholic “refuses to be under the Supreme Pontiff or refuses communion with the members of the Church subject to him.” This same definition exists in the current Code of Canon Law. According to the law, the penalty for schism is latae sententiae excommunication. This penalty is incurred automatically upon the commission of the delict, provided the conditions required by law for the incurrence of the penalty are present, and it does not need to be formally declared to take effect.
Since 1975, Pope St. Paul VI, Pope St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis, and Pope Leo XIV each in their own way made great efforts to engage in dialogue with the Society by listening to their doctrinal and liturgical concerns. However, they each also clearly asked for them to cease their activity because of a loss of canonical status. Regrettably, this never occurred. While Lefebvre and the leaders of the Society have often declared fidelity to the Holy Father with their words, for decades they refused “to be under the Supreme Pontiff” by ignoring this command. I say this very gently, but this is the definition of schism.
As you know, in 1988, despite incredible progress made in discussions with the Holy See and plans by Pope St. John Paul II to consecrate a bishop in August of that year, Lefebvre changed course and consecrated four bishops without a pontifical mandate in June instead. This act was formally defined in the Code of Canon Law to carry with it the penalty of automatic excommunication for Lefebvre and the four bishops he consecrated. Pope St. John Paul II formally declared that the excommunications had been incurred. But he also established the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter as a society of apostolic life of pontifical right and broadened the use of the 1962 Missal in efforts to keep the faithful in communion with the Church. However, he made clear that “formal adherence to the schism is a grave offense against God and carries the penalty of excommunication decreed by the Church’s law.”
In a 1996 Note from the Pontifical Council of Legislative Texts, the Holy See explained that “formal adherence” requires an interior assent to the schism and an outward manifestation of this assent. It stated that the clergy of the SSPX qualify as adherents to this schism and are subject to a formal declaration of an already incurred latae sententiae excommunication. The faithful, on the other hand, needed to demonstrate that adherence, something difficult to measure. The excommunication of the lay faithful could not be presumed but needed to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Sadly, Archbishop Lefebvre died before being reconciled with the Church. Since his death, we have seen the remission of the excommunications of the bishops of the Society and the issuance of Summorum Pontificum by Pope Benedict XVI. Both were done primarily in efforts to bring the Society back into communion. Pope Francis gave the priests of the Society the faculty to validly hear confessions and witness marriages in certain circumstances, again in efforts to bring the Society back into communion. But each made clear that the Society still lacked canonical status, as it had since 1975. They each declared that the Society needed to submit to the authority of the Pope and assent to the Second Vatican Council to be regularized and given permission to continue its activity. Unfortunately, none of their efforts led to full communion.
After over fifty years of pastoral efforts, the Society again decided to consecrate bishops on July 1, 2026, manifesting that the schismatic spirit is deeply embedded in its ecclesial life. The situation then was the same as in 1988. Consecrating bishops without a pontifical mandate carries with it an automatic excommunication. Despite warnings and a plea from Pope Leo XIV, they went ahead with this schismatic act, deepening the divide. The law in force in 1988 is the law in force today, as clarified by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. Anyone who adheres to the schism is also subject to the penalty of automatic excommunication, clergy and faithful alike.
And so, brothers and sisters, here we are. This is a painful moment for all of us. The Society has for so long refused to submit to the authority of the Holy Father, and the consequences of that decision now touch each of you in a deeply personal way. Many of you are faithful sons and daughters of the Church who long for reverent liturgy that lifts your hearts in worship of the transcendent God. I know that you deeply desire the truths of the faith to be preserved and proclaimed so that error may be corrected, and souls may be led to salvation and saved from perdition. These are good and holy desires that should be encouraged and cultivated. Considering those desires, I plead with you to separate yourselves from the Society of St. Pius X. It is in schism. It is no longer in communion with the Catholic Church. Please find a home at one of the churches in our diocese that offer the celebration of the Mass using the 1962 Missal, like the Sacred Heart Retreat Center in Burlington, or a parish that celebrates a reverent Novus Ordo Mass as we seek to do at our parishes and keep yourself in communion with the Church so that your own soul is not in danger of perdition. If you have questions, concerns, or simply wish to speak with a priest, I would be grateful to meet with you. I know that this is not an easy moment. My desire is not to condemn you, but to accompany you with charity, to listen to your concerns, and to help you remain in full communion with the Church. Please know that the doors of our parishes are open to you, and we would be blessed by your presence among us.
Jesus Christ gave authority to Peter when He said, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” When we assert our own judgment over and above our superiors who have been given the authority to judge by the Church, who has Herself been given the authority to judge by Christ, on what foundation do we stand? The foundation of our own intellect? Our own interpretation? Our own piety? This is a shaky foundation. The only firm foundation is on the Rock of Peter. The Church desires to preserve all that is beautiful and true in your love for the sacred liturgy and doctrines of the faith while holding fast to this rock. I beg you, for the sake of your soul and for the unity of Christ's Church, please come home.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
Fr. Jordan Berghouse
