Vatican Engages in Dialogue with SSPX to Prevent Excommunications
The Vatican has initiated a dialogue with the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) to prevent further excommunications due to the illicit ordination of bishops. Cardinal Victor Fernandez, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, met with SSPX's Superior General, Father Davide Pagliarani, to discuss theological issues and potential paths to full communion with the Catholic Church. The SSPX, founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970, has been in conflict with the Vatican since 1988 when it consecrated bishops without papal approval, leading to excommunications. Pope Francis has extended certain faculties to SSPX priests, such as the ability to hear confessions, as a gesture of goodwill. The Vatican's current proposal includes a structured theological dialogue to address unresolved issues from the Second Vatican Council.