Vatican: a rift with the Lefebvrian traditionalists, in Leo's church it is now an air of schism

First 'internal trouble' for Leo XIV, who has been calling for unity since the beginning of his pontificate. Indeed, a schism within the Catholic Church is now likely, with the separation of the 'rib' of the Lefebvrians, the followers of the late French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

This would be the consequence - despite the Vatican's call to order - of the ceremony for the consecration of new bishops on 1 July 2026 in Écône in Switzerland, where Lefebvre consecrated new followers within the traditionalist Catholic movement he founded in opposition to the reforms desired by the Second Vatican Council. A minimal tear in itself, if referred to numbers, but one that would nevertheless open a rift in old Europe, which for Prevost is an area of Catholicism to be recovered and relaunched (the announcement of his trip to France in September is confirmation of this).

The traditionalist movement in recent hours has been clear: "The episcopal consecration ceremony announced by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X (the Lefebvrians, ed.) will be held as planned on 1 July 2026, in the Écône meadow, at the very place where the 1988 consecrations by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre were celebrated," reads an official statement. "This historic event will bring together almost 15,000 faithful, as well as about 1,300 priests, monks and nuns from all over the world". Last 13 May, the Vatican had tried one last time to reconcile the distance with the Saint Pius X Fraternity by reminding them that all episcopal ordinations outside the 'pontifical mandate' have no validity. And going so far as to use heavy words: "This gesture (the ordination of new bishops, ed.) constitutes a schismatic act and formal adherence to the schism constitutes a grave offence against God and entails excommunication established by Church law".

On that occasion, the response of Lefebvre's followers, who had always been critical of the reforms opened by the Second Vatican Council, was harsh: 'Holy Father, for more than fifty years, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X has endeavoured to present to the Holy See its case of conscience against the errors that destroy Catholic faith and morality. Unfortunately, all committed discussions have remained fruitless and all concerns expressed have not received any truly satisfactory response," reads an epistle. "For more than fifty years, the only solution that the Holy See is really considering seems to be canonical sanctions. To our great regret, it seems to us that the canonical right is thus being used not to confirm in the faith, but to deter from it."

The first major rift had taken place in 1988, on the occasion of the episcopal ordinations, which, however, in 2009 Benedict XVI (much misguided by his entourage) had tried to recompose In fact, Ratzinger lifted the excommunication of four bishops of the St. Pius X Priestly Fraternity, who had been illegitimately ordained in 1988. The decision created a bitter international debate because one of them, Richard Williamson, was known for his Holocaust denier positions. And that was one of the major incidents of the pontificate, creating rifts especially with the Jewish world. In 1988, John Paul II had written a letter on ordinations that began: 'With great affliction the Church has taken note of the illegitimate episcopal ordination conferred on 30 June last by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, which has thwarted all the efforts made over the years to ensure full communion with the Church on the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X, founded by Archbishop Lefebvre himself. Indeed, these efforts, especially intense in recent months, in which the Apostolic See has used understanding to the limit of what was possible, have been to no avail'.