What is the Society of St. Pius X?
The Society of St. Pius X is a priestly fraternity, founded by His Grace Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consisting of well over 300 priests and 100 brothers and nuns worldwide. The Society ministers to souls in over 600 chapels and churches in over twenty-five countries including: Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Italy, Sri-Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Recently, there has been strong expansion into central and eastern Europe, with particular success in Poland. The Society also has a strong presence in South America, the Philippines and Japan.
Who was Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and what were his qualifications for founding a priestly congregation?
They were, in fact, excommunicated, as quoted below:Marcel Lefebvre was born (November 1905) in France into a firmly Catholic family (five of the eight children would become priests or nuns). He was ordained a priest in 1929. In 1932, he entered the Holy Ghost Fathers, one of the largest missionary congregations in the world, and became a missionary in Gabon, Africa. In 1947, he was consecrated a bishop and was appointed as Apostolic Vicar of Dakar, Senegal. From 1948-1959, Bishop Lefebvre was the Apostolic Delegate of Pius XII for 18 African countries. In 1955, he was made the first archbishop of Dakar. In 1962, His Grace returned to France to be the Bishop of Tulle. The same year he was elected as the Superior General of the Holy Ghost Fathers. He filled this position until 1968, at which point he resigned rather than assist in the changes that his Congregation would force him to implement. In 1969, Archbishop Lefebvre founded the Society of Saint Pius X and acted as its Superior General for the following twelve years. His Grace ensured that the Society would be able to continue without him by consecrating four bishops in 1988. Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre died three years later on March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation.
From the Office of the Congregation for Bishops, 1 July 1988.
Monsignor Marcel Lefebvre, Archbishop-Bishop Emeritus of Tulle, notwithstanding the formal canonical warning of 17 June last and the repeated appeals to desist from his intention, has performed a schismatical act by the episcopal consecration of four priests, without pontifical mandate and contrary to the will of the Supreme Pontiff, and has therefore incurred the penalty envisaged by Canon 1364, paragraph 1, and canon 1382 of the Code of Canon Law.
Having taken account of all the juridical effects, I declare that the above-mentioned Monsignor Marcel Lefebvre, and Bernard Pellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson and Alfonso de Galarreta have incurred ipso facto excommunication latae sententiae reserved to the Apostolic See.
Moreover, I declare that Monsignor Antonio de Castro Mayer, Bishop emeritus of Campos, since he took part directly in the liturgical celebration as co-consecrator and adhered publicly to the schismatical act, has incurred excommunication latae sententiae as envisaged by canon 1364, paragraph 1.
The priests and faithful are warned not to support the schism of Monsignor Lefebvre, otherwise they shall incur ipso facto the very grave penalty of excommunication.
From the Office of the Congregation for Bishops, 1 July 1988.
Here’s a Jimmy Akin link on the whole thing.–BERNARDINUS Card. GANTIN
Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops