This is a repost of my article from 2022. It comes from a time when things were pretty quiet on the front of the SSPX and Rome. Obviously, things have ramped up quite a bit in 2026! I will write about the news next week. But today, I think it’s good to review this old article because it simply highlights recent Church history in a non-biased way. In fact, most of my article is taken from the currently-live Vatican website.>Although canonically-irregular, the SSPX (Society of Pope St. Pius X) founded by Archbishop Lefebvre (above picture) in the 1970s, is not schismatic. In traditional papal encyclicals, a “schismatic community” is a Christian community adhering to valid sacraments but without recognizing the primacy of place of Rome or the importance of the papacy. An example of this would be the Eastern Orthodox: The Eastern Orthodox have valid sacraments, but many do not realize the primacy of place of Rome (or believe it was transferred due to error a thousand years ago.) >In any case, the SSPX has always recognized the papacy and the primacy of Rome. The reciprocal is also true, namely, that every Pope since the foundation of the SSPX in the 1970s has recognized the validity of their sacraments. Thus, they do not fit the classic definition of “schism.” Not even by a long shot.

Originally published in Padre Peregrino. Read original article