Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre , founder of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) , made public his decision to consecrate bishops without a papal mandate in his letter to Pope John Paul II on 2 June 1988 . The consecrations occurred 4 weeks later, on 30 June 1988 , the Feast of Corpus Christi that year. When were the names of the priests to be consecrated bishops* first known to the public? *On "June 13 […] the four candidates appeared together at Ecône"; they were: "the Englishman Richard Williamson [48.3 yrs], rector of the North American seminary; the Spaniard Alfonso de Galarreta [31.4yrs], the District Superior in South America; the young Swiss Bernard Fellay [30.2yrs], the General Bursar, who had spent his youth close to Ecône; and the Frenchman Bernard Tissier de Mallerais [42.7yrs], the Secretary General." —+Tissier de Mallerais, SSPX, *Marcel Lefebvre: The Biography* pt. 4, ch. 19, § IV.

**Is the SSPX still in full communion with Rome?** The Society of Saint Pius X is a traditionalist Catholic priestly fraternity founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Monsignor Lefebvre was a leading traditionalist at the Second Vatican Council with the *Coetus Internationalis Patrum* and Superior General of the Holy Ghost Fathers until 1968. The society was originally established as an Association of the Christian faithful of the Roman Catholic Church with the expressed permission of the Swiss Bishop of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg, François Charrière. This Catholic Association was in full communion with Rome until 1988 with the Écône consecrations: Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated four bishops without the Apostolic Mandate and against a personal warning by Pope John Paul II, resulting in the Vatican declaration that the bishops who consecrated or were consecrated had incurred Latæ Sententiæ (automatic) excommunication. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications on the remaining living bishops whom Lefebvre had consecrated back in 1988. However certain sanctioned remained in place. On February 12 2026, [the head of the Society of St. Pius X will meet with Vatican officials](https://www.osvnews.com/sspx-leader-to-meet-cardinal-fernandez-after-announcing-unauthorized-bishop-consecrations/) after [announcing (on Feb 2)](https://fsspx.news/en/news/interview-superior-general-priestly-society-saint-pius-x-57064) their intention to consecrate bishops (seemingly without papal approval) in July 2026. I know this is treading on thin ice according to Catholicism, as unsanctioned consecration will provoke an automatic excommunication. Is this society really in full communion with Rome when they actually threaten Rome with open disobedience to get their way? Excommunication remains a ecclesiastical penalty against Catholics. [“Excommunicated Catholics are still Catholic. Bad Catholics, sure; but Catholics.”](https://canonlawblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/20/excommunicated-catholics-are-still-catholic/)