In a July 19 letter addressed to the faithful of the Society of Saint Pius X, Father Davide Pagliarani decried the Vatican response to the consecration of four bishops without a pontifical mandate.
“Right up until the last day, I hoped for a gesture of goodwill, or at least of simple understanding, on the part of the Holy See,” said Father Pagliarani, the Society’s superior general. “But the consecrations were condemned, and the harshness of the sanctions imposed is unprecedented.”
“This condemnation, wholly unjust, represents an immense humiliation for people who have no other aim than to defend the true Faith and to work for the salvation of souls,” he continued, adding:
The sanctions are intended to strike you too, in a rather cruel way. This is certainly painful, but do not be too surprised by it. Ultimately, it is Tradition itself, which we cherish above all else, that is excommunicated in all those who embody it. It is evident that, before God, such a condemnation cannot be valid.