Timeline: Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X vs. the Holy See

October 11, 1962: Pope John XXIII opens the Second Vatican Council, in which Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre participates as Superior General of the Spiritans. During the debates, the archbishop joins a pressure group, Coetus Internationalis Patrum, which brings together conservative members, a minority who are trying to oppose certain directions taken by the Council.

December 4, 1963: Pope Paul VI promulgates the conciliar constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, which profoundly reforms the Catholic liturgy.

November 21, 1964: Paul VI promulgates the conciliar constitution Lumen Gentium on the status of the Catholic Church. Archbishop Lefebvre had intervened during the debates to oppose the principle of collegiality in the Church and the powers granted to episcopal conferences.

October 28, 1965: Paul VI promulgates the declaration Nostra Aetate on the Catholic Church's relations with other religions. Archbishop Lefebvre strongly opposed it.

December 7, 1965: Paul VI promulgates the declaration Dignitatis Humanae, which affirms religious freedom. Archbishop Lefebvre intervened several times to denounce the core of this text, which he considered a break with the magisterium of previous popes.

December 8, 1965: Paul VI officially closes the Second Vatican Council. Despite his positions, Archbishop Lefebvre signed all the conciliar documents and didn’t show any clear opposition in the first years following the Council.

October 29, 1968: During the General Chapter of the Spiritans, Archbishop Lefebvre is replaced by Father Joseph Lécuyer and is completely removed from the leadership of the order. He is deeply affected by this decision and finds himself without a position of leadership.

April 3, 1969: Promulgation of the New Roman Missal. Archbishop Lefebvre participates with the Dominican Michel Guérard des Lauriers in the drafting of the “Brief Critical Study of the New Ordo Missae” addressed to Pope Paul VI and signed by Cardinals Alfredo Ottaviani and Antonio Bacci. This text, published on June 5, directly criticizes the new missal and would later become one of the pillars of Lefebvrist action.

November 1, 1970: The Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X (SSPX), a “pious union”—an association of priests—is founded by Archbishop Lefebvre. Its statutes are approved by the Bishop of Geneva, François Charrière. The association's goal is to protect priestly traditions from the consequences of the Second Vatican Council. They adopt the pre-conciliar liturgical form as the reform comes into effect.

1971: The Fraternity is recognized by the Congregation for the Clergy. Opening of the Saint Pius X Seminary, the first of the SSPX, in Écône (Switzerland). The seminary becomes a bastion against “modernist drift.”

September 22, 1974: Foundation of the Sisters of the Society of Saint Pius X, the female branch of the movement, led by Archbishop Lefebvre's sister.

November 11, 1974: An apostolic visit to the SSPX is ordered by Paul VI. It is led by the Belgians Archbishop Albert Descamps (secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission) and Archbishop Willy Onclin (canonist in charge of drafting the new Code of Canon Law). The visit causes considerable tension.

November 21, 1974: Archbishop Lefebvre publishes a declaration in which he affirms his categorical rejection of the conciliar reform. Rome will demand a retraction but will not obtain it. The text of this declaration subsequently becomes one of the founding acts of the SSPX.

May 6, 1975: In response to Archbishop Lefebvre's declaration, the Bishop of Geneva, Pierre Mamie, withdraws the authorization granted by his predecessor. Archbishop Lefebvre appeals to the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, but his appeal is dismissed.

June 1976: Archbishop Lefebvre ordains 13 priests despite Rome's refusal.

July 29, 1976: Archbishop Lefebvre is suspended a divinis—prohibited from administering the sacraments—by Paul VI.

August 4, 1976: In an interview with Le Figaro, Archbishop Lefebvre declares the Council “schismatic” and announces his refusal to submit to Rome’s judgment.

August 29, 1976: Archbishop Lefebvre celebrates the “Lille Mass” in a hangar in front of several thousand people. During the highly publicized event, he openly criticizes the Second Vatican Council and asks Paul VI to “restore the true Mass.” He insists that he will continue despite the risk of sanctions from Rome.

September 11, 1976: Archbishop Lefebvre is received in an audience by Paul VI at Castel Gandolfo. The pope firmly orders him to publicly retract his statements and submit to the discipline of the Church.

February 27, 1977: The Church of Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet in Paris is illegally occupied by supporters of the SSPX. The situation continues to this day.

November 18, 1978: Shortly after his election, John Paul II receives Archbishop Lefebvre for a very brief meeting in Rome. Lefebvrist circles are optimistic following this meeting.

January 10-12, 1979: The bishop of Écône is heard by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

January 12, 1979: Archbishop Lefebvre sends a letter to Pope John Paul II protesting his trial by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, claiming to have been subjected to “17 series of questions asked twice over three hours by five interrogators accompanied by a secretary, forbidden to have a single witness.”

July 20, 1983: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, sends a letter to Archbishop Lefebvre establishing the limits of acceptable criticism of the Second Vatican Council.

October 3, 1984: John Paul II authorizes the publication of the letter Quattuor abhinc annos, liberalizing the celebration of the pre-conciliar Mass. It is seen as a gesture towards traditionalist Catholics.

1986: John Paul II participates in the first interreligious meeting in Assisi, a gesture that Archbishop Lefebvre heavily criticizes. That same year, the Polish pope establishes a commission of cardinals to set standards favorable to the old Mass, which will specify that it was never abolished or prohibited by Paul VI.

June 29, 1987: Archbishop Lefebvre, whose health is failing, announces his intention to consecrate bishops without Rome's consent.

October 17, 1987: Cardinal Ratzinger began discussions with Archbishop Lefebvre to prevent a schism and received him in Rome with the agreement of Pope John Paul II.

November 11, 1987: Cardinal Édouard Gagnon, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, began an apostolic visit at the request of Pope John Paul II. The aim is to reflect on the conditions that would bring an end to the conflict between the SSPX and the Holy See. The visit lasts less than a week.

May 5, 1988: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger receives Archbishop Lefebvre in Rome on May 4 and 5. At the end of their meeting, the two men sign a memorandum of understanding in which Archbishop Lefebvre accepts certain conditions imposed by Rome, notably full obedience to the pope. The plan provides for the creation of a Society of Apostolic Life, the creation of a commission including members of the SSPX, and the ordination of a bishop. The Fraternity must also return the parish of Saint-Nicolas-du-Chardonnet.

May 6, 1988: In a letter to Cardinal Ratzinger, Archbishop Lefebvre recants and announces that he intends to celebrate three episcopal ordinations in June. He threatens to renege on the agreement signed the day before, demanding that members of the Fraternity constitute a majority within the commission. After consulting with John Paul II, Cardinal Ratzinger sends a letter on May 30 asking Archbishop Lefebvre to postpone the episcopal consecrations until August 15 and to respect the document signed on May 5.

June 2, 1988: Archbishop Lefebvre announces in a letter to Pope John Paul II that he considers that the authorization granted for a single episcopal ordination on August 15 allows him to legitimately celebrate several episcopal ordinations on June 28.

June 9, 1988: John Paul II sends a letter to Archbishop Lefebvre ordering him to renounce the episcopal ordinations and to respect the memorandum of understanding signed on May 5.

June 17, 1988: Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, warns Archbishop Lefebvre of the risk of excommunication if he celebrates the episcopal ordinations on June 30.

June 19, 1988: In a communiqué, Archbishop Lefebvre announces that he is breaking off dialogue with Rome.

June 29, 1988: On behalf of John Paul II, Cardinal Ratzinger asks Archbishop Lefebvre to come to Rome and not to proceed with the episcopal ordinations.

June 30, 1988: Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, assisted by Brazilian Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer, illegally consecrates four bishops in Écône: Bishop Alfonso Ruiz de Galarreta, Bishop Bernard Fellay, Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, and Bishop Richard Nelson Williamson. The Holy See issues a statement announcing that all participants are de facto excommunicated.

July 1, 1988: Cardinal Gantin issues a decree declaring that Archbishop Lefebvre, Bishop de Castro Mayer, and the four ordained bishops are excommunicated.

July 2, 1988: John Paul II creates the Ecclesia Dei Commission to welcome former members of the SSPX who broke with Archbishop Lefebvre after the episcopal ordinations. He denounces the schism caused by Archbishop Lefebvre.

July 18, 1988: The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter is founded by former members of the Society of St. Pius X.

March 25, 1991: Archbishop Lefebvre dies at the age of 85.

July 1994: Bishop Bernard Fellay is elected superior of the Society of Saint Pius X. He distinguishes himself from his predecessor by his desire not to appear schismatic.

December 30, 2000: On the occasion of the Great Jubilee of 2000, John Paul II receives Bishop Fellay. The latter agrees to continue the dialogue on two conditions: authorization for all priests worldwide to celebrate the Tridentine Mass, and the lifting of censorship against the bishops of the SSPX.

August 29, 2005: Shortly after the election of Benedict XVI, Bishop Fellay is received by the German pope. At the end of the audience, the bishop acknowledges progress.

2006: Foundation of the Institute of the Good Shepherd by former members of the Society of Saint Pius X, which is immediately recognized by Rome.

July 7, 2007: Benedict XVI publishes the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, which liberalizes the “extraordinary form” of the Roman rite. The Society shows little enthusiasm, believing that they are still being asked to approve the Council.

December 15, 2008: Bishop Fellay writes to Benedict XVI asking him to lift the excommunications.

January 21, 2009: Benedict XVI lifts the excommunications by decree, a decision that does not resolve the problem of the SSPX's lack of canonical status. A controversy erupts over the case of Bishop Williamson when Holocaust-denying remarks he made a few months earlier are revealed. He will be expelled from the Society in 2012.

2009-2011: Meetings between leaders of the SSPX and the Holy See are held behind closed doors until April 2011. They do not result in any compromise.

September 14, 2011: Cardinal Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, meets with Bishop Fellay and proposes a canonical status for the SSPX, a text similar to the 1998 protocol. The SSPX does not accept the proposal.

March 17, 2015: The SSPX is recognized as an association of the faithful under diocesan law in Buenos Aires, the former archdiocese of Pope Francis.

March 20, 2015: After ordaining a new bishop, Bishop Williamson, expelled from the Society, is once again excommunicated by the Catholic Church.

September 1, 2015: On the occasion of the Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis, in the bull of indiction, extends the faculty of hearing confessions to all priests of the Society of Saint Pius X.

November 21, 2016: At the end of the Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis extends sine die the faculty of SSPX priests to hear confessions.

March 27, 2017: The Pope authorizes Cardinal Müller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, to publish a letter allowing SSPX priests, with the authorization of the local bishop, to celebrate marriages.

July 11, 2018: Father Davide Pagliarani is elected the new Superior General of the SSPX. In previous years, Bishop Fellay's desire to pursue a rapprochement with Rome had been a source of tension within the community.

November 22, 2018: Father Pagliarani is received by the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Luis Ladaria Ferrer. The latter insists on the doctrinal nature of the disagreement and invites a resumption of theological discussion.

January 17, 2019: The Ecclesia Dei Commission is abolished by Pope Francis, and its activities are transferred in their entirety to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

October 8, 2024: Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, ordained by Archbishop Lefebvre, dies.

January 29, 2025: Death of Bishop Williamson, who no longer belongs to the SSPX.

August 19-21, 2025: 7,200 members of the SSPX participate in a pilgrimage to Rome organized on the occasion of the Jubilee.

February 2, 2026: Father Davide Pagliarani announces his decision to entrust the bishops of the Society with the consecration of new bishops on July 1 of the same year.

February 3, 2026: The Holy See announces its desire to avoid a new schism.

February 12, 2026: Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, receives Father Pagliarani. At the end of the meeting, the Holy See announces that it has proposed a path of dialogue to the SSPX, with the condition that episcopal consecrations be suspended. The SSPX announces that it will take time to reflect and declares that it has requested an audience with the Pope.

February 19, 2026: One week after Rome extends its hand, the SSPX declines the proposed doctrinal dialogue. Citing the impossibility of reaching a common agreement, the society announces it would maintain the date for its episcopal ordinations.

May 13, 2026: In a brief statement, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández once again warns the SSPX against ordaining bishops without Rome’s approval. He calls the planned ordinations “a schismatic act.”

May 26, 2026: The SSPX announces the names of the four priests it intends to ordain on July 1. They are Pascal Schreiber of Switzerland, Michael Goldade of the United States, and two Frenchmen, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry and Marc Hanappier.

June 16, 2026: When questioned about the SSPX outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV says that he’s considering making another appeal to tell them, “Do not do this, let us try to live in communion within the Church.” “But it is their choice,” he adds. He notes that the traditionalist society refuses to accept “certain fundamental elements of the Church, starting with several points from the Second Vatican Council.” “If they make that choice, I am sorry, but we must move forward,” Leo XIV concludes.

June 24, 2026: The SSPX publishes a 154-point “Declaration of Catholic Faith” defending Tradition. In a letter addressed to Leo XIV and the College of Cardinals, the society describes the text as a potential basis for future dialogue with the Holy See.

June 30, 2026: Leo XIV sends a letter to Father Davide Pagliarani, the superior general of the SSPX. In the text, the Pontiff asks the society one last time to abandon its plan for episcopal consecrations, emphasizing the gravity of this “schismatic act.”

July 1, 2026: Ignoring all pleas and warnings from the Vatican, the SSPX proceeds with the ordinations of the four bishops without a papal mandate, during an open-air ceremony in Écône, Switzerland. The ceremony, allegedly attended in person by as many as 17,000 people, was also broadcast live.

July 2, 2026: The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issues a decree confirming the excommunication latae sententiae of the four bishops who were consecrated, the presiding bishop, and another bishop who co-consecrated. As the dicastery explains in an additional document, the excommunication also applies to all the priests of the SSPX, who are also in schism. Consequently, all the sacred ministers of the SSPX administer the sacraments illicitly. In particular, weddings and confessions they preside are invalid.

The status of laity is more particular and must be assessed case by case, depending on their degree of adherence to the SSPX and their subjective responsibility for adhering to the schismatic act.

The dicastery also publishes on the same day directives for those affected by the excommunication to return to full communion with the Church.

July 13, 2026: The SSPX announces that it has filed an initial recourse against the decree of excommunication, based on canons 1454 and 1734 (and following) of Canon Law. The effect of this first recourse, according to the law, is to suspend the execution of the decree for thirty days, during which they must file a formal and detailed appeal.

Importantly, a canonist noted to Aleteia, the decree only gives juridical certainty to the excommunication which was already incurred latae sententiae. Since the facts that led to this penalty are not in doubt, the appeal "does not have a suspensive effect on the obligation to observe the effects" of this excommunication.