Vatican excommunicates the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X. Schismatics have a chapel in Minsk where everything is in Russian — what now awaits these believers
The Vatican has officially announced the excommunication of the leaders of the ultraconservative Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, who, without the Pope's permission, consecrated four new bishops the day before. This is the biggest schism in decades, outlawing hundreds of thousands of faithful worldwide, including the Lefebvrist community in Minsk.
Consecration of four new bishops of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X in Ecône, Switzerland. Photo: fsspx.news
On July 1, an open revolt against the authority of Rome took place in Ecône, Switzerland, where the main seminary of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) is located. Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, with the assistance of Bishop Bernard Fellay, consecrated four new bishops from Switzerland, the USA, and France without a papal mandate.
About 15,000 people observed the ceremony, and the Fraternity's superior general, Davide Pagliarani, stated that they "are ready to pay any price to save the Church" and would ignore any Vatican sanctions. The day before, Pope Leo XIV, in a personal letter, literally pleaded with the Lefebvrist leadership to abandon the consecrations and "not tear the Seamless Garment of Christ," but his appeal was rejected.
Consecration of four new bishops of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X in Ecône, Switzerland. Photo: fsspx.news
Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta at the consecration of new bishops in Ecône, Switzerland. Photo: fsspx.news
Rome's reaction was as harsh as possible. Already on July 2, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a decree signed by Cardinal Victor Fernández. According to the document, all bishops who participated in the ordination automatically fall under excommunication (latae sententiae). The Dicastery confirmed the fact of an official schism.
As for the rest of the clergy and lay faithful, the Vatican issued a strict warning: anyone who formally joins this schismatic act will also be automatically excommunicated.
Who are the Lefebvrists and why did they go into schism?
The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X is not a local marginal group, but a gigantic global structure with more than 700 priests, about 260 seminarians, its own monasteries, schools, and a presence in dozens of countries worldwide. The number of its followers is estimated at 600,000 people, with the largest centers located in France, Switzerland, and the USA.
Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the traditionalist Catholic Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX). Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The conflict between this powerful organization and the Vatican has deep roots. It began with the rejection of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). The founder of the Fraternity, French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, and his followers categorically rejected the transition to national languages in worship, the course towards ecumenism, and interreligious dialogue.
The Fraternity recognizes exclusively the pre-reform Tridentine Mass in Latin and requires strict dress code from believers: women attend services in long skirts and veils, wearing trousers is considered unacceptable.
The consecration of four bishops in 1988 also resulted in excommunication by Pope John Paul II. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The current events are a mirror image of the historical crisis of 1988. At that time, Marcel Lefebvre himself, citing an "emergency" in the Church, arbitrarily consecrated four bishops (including the current consecrators de Galarreta and Fellay) and was likewise excommunicated by Pope John Paul II.
The International Seminary of Saint Pius X in Ecône (Switzerland) — the first and main educational institution of the Fraternity, founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970. It was here in 1988 and 2026 that the unauthorized consecrations of bishops took place. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Symbol of the traditionalist Catholics of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X — the Hearts of Jesus and Mary under the Catholic crown. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Subsequent pontiffs tried for many years to bring the traditionalists back into the fold of the Church.
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI even lifted the excommunications of the Fraternity's bishops, which caused a worldwide scandal, as one of them, Richard Williamson, turned out to be an open neo-Nazi and Holocaust denier.
Pope Francis made even greater concessions, recognizing the validity of confessions and marriages among the Lefebvrists. However, the new consecrations in Ecône definitively nullified all diplomatic efforts of the Vatican and established an official schism.
Chapel on the eighth floor, Russian language, and PR from Judge Szmyt
Altar in the Minsk chapel of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X. Photo: Facebook group "Tridentine Mass in Minsk, fsspx"
Despite its global scale, this schism has a direct bearing on Belarus. In the country, the Lefebvrists operate absolutely legally. They are registered as the religious community "Adherents of the Heart of Jesus Christ," although they still do not have their own separate church.
Sunday Mass is held in a chapel located in a room on the eighth floor of the "Ocean" business center at Dziaržynski Avenue, 3B. However, at the beginning of 2024, the community even announced a "Rosary Crusade," collecting prayers for the construction of their own churches in Minsk and Warsaw.
Project of a Lefebvrist church near Warsaw, for the construction of which funds are being collected by the Minsk community of the Fraternity. Photo: Facebook group "Licytacje na rzecz budowy nowego kościoła FSSPX"
At the same time, the activities of the Lefebvrists in Belarus have a clear Russifying bias. All their official internet resources, social media pages, and quarterly magazine "Pray for Us" are conducted exclusively in Russian.
Viktor Pasichnik (left). Photo: ruscatholic.org
Swiss priest Werner Böesiger. Photo: fsspx.by
Service in the Minsk chapel. Photo: Facebook group "Tridentine Mass in Minsk, fsspx"
Spiritual care for the Minsk community is provided by priests of the Fraternity, among whom the Swiss Werner Böesiger constantly appears. It was in Minsk that the solemn primatial (first) Mass of Viktor Pasichnik — the first Russian-speaking FSSPX priest in history — took place, making the Belarusian capital an informal center of attraction for traditionalists from neighboring countries.
Visit to Minsk by the General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, Bishop Bernard Fellay, now excommunicated by the Pope. 2012. Photo: fsspx.by
The Tridentine Mass according to the old Latin rite is also served in other Belarusian cities: Lielčycy, Si︠a︡nno, Viciebsk, Mahilioŭ, and Kareličy. However, it is important to understand a significant nuance: not all of them are related to the schismatics. In the regions, such services are often conducted by official priests recognized by the Vatican, for example, Dominican fathers or diocesan priests.
Interestingly, the schedule of the Latin Mass, including in the chapel of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X, was advertised on his Instagram by the notoriously known Polish defector judge Tomasz Szmyt.
What awaits the adherents of the Fraternity
The decree of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Vatican radically changes the status of the Fraternity's adherents. If previously the Catholic Church, thanks to Pope Francis's gesture of goodwill, allowed believers to confess to Lefebvrists and recognized the validity of their marriages, these concessions are now annulled.
Wedding ceremony of a couple in the Minsk chapel. 2013. Photo: fsspx.by
The Holy See officially announced: the sacraments of Penance and Matrimony performed by FSSPX priests are invalid as of July 2, 2026. This means that confession or marriage in the Minsk chapel on Dziaržynski Avenue no longer have any canonical force.
Moreover, the Vatican issued a harsh warning: any lay faithful who knowingly and formally joins the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X will automatically fall under excommunication from the Church as a schismatic.
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19. але ў царкве лепей хачу пяць словаў сказаць розумам маім, каб і іншых наставіць,чым процьму словаў незнаёмаю моваю.
23. Калі ўся царква сыдзецца разам і ўсе пачнуць гаварыць незнаёмымі мовамі, і ўвойдуць да вас недасьведчаныя альбо няверуючыя, - дык ці ня скажуць, што вы шалееце?" (Біблія, Новы Запавет)- гэта СЛОВА БОЖАЕ.
Хвала Хрысту, хвала навекі!
"Сытуацыя ўскладняецца тым, што лібэральная дрэсіроўка грамадзтва на антыхрысьціянскіх псэўдакаштоўнасьцях і на збочанай маралі ўжо прывяла да зьніжэньня чалавечага чыньніку і волі людзей. Заходне-эўрапейскае грамадзтва страціла ініцыятыву салідарнасьці і рахунак волі. Яно як супольнасьць ужо ня ў стане аказаць сур'ёзнае супраціўленьне тэрору і дыктату прышэльцаў, хоць «інтрусы» (эмігранты) складаюць яшчэ нязначную частку грамадзтва. Парушанымі аказаліся істотныя сувязі між жанчынай імужчынам у грамадзтве. Калі коратка (па схеме), то выглядае так: мужчына там ужо ня здольны абараняць жанчыну і змагаццаза яе, а жанчына ня здольная ахвяравацца дзеля мужчыны. Такое грамадзтва – слабое. Не кажу ўжо тут пра ўпадак сямейных каштоўнасьцяў. Мы бачым яшчэ толькі пачатак упадку. Мушу яшчэ раз паўтарыць тое, пра што казаў ня раз. Левалібэралізм як форма лявацтва ў аснове сваёй больш небясьпечны для культуры і цывілізацыі, чым камунізм, хоць і не суправаджаецца генацыдам і людзкімі ахвярамі. Левалібэралізм прыводзіць да таго, што грамадзтва і асобны чалавек мэнтальна і маральна згніваюць знутры. У выніку зьнікае самае галоўнае ў культуры – надзейная асоба, дэградуе характар і маральная індывідуальнасьць чалавека, зачыняецца духоўнасьць і цывілізацыйная пэрспэктыва."
2016 г.