‘A soul has no value’: Fr. Pagliarani’s message of hope for the trustworthy after the consecrations

(LifeSiteNews) — SSPX Superior Common Father Davide Pagliarani has issued a brand new letter of hope and encouragement to the trustworthy within the wake of Rome’s excommunication decree, insisting that “a soul has no value” whereas arguing Rome’s sanctions finally condemn “Custom itself” and, “earlier than God,” such a condemnation “can’t be legitimate.”

In a new letter addressed “to all of the trustworthy” of the SSPX, Pagliarani defined the that means of the 4 episcopal consecrations carried out by the Society on July 1 with out a pontifical mandate, whereas describing what this historic occasion means for the entire Church.

Pagliarani’s message seeks to encourage attendees of SSPX chapels to stay trustworthy to Catholic Custom, arguing that the consecrations have been carried out for the preservation of the religion and the salvation of souls, regardless of the penalties imposed by Rome.

He seeks to interpret the latest disaster between the Society and the Holy See in a theological and religious perspective. The central level of the letter just isn’t merely the protection of the canonical place of the SSPX, however the affirmation that the preservation of the Catholic religion and the salvation of souls stay the supreme causes for which the Society cast forward with the consecrations regardless of the specter of sanctions that adopted them.

The letter follows the July 2 decree of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Religion (DDF), declaring that the 4 newly consecrated bishops had incurred the penalty of excommunication mechanically for performing an episcopal consecration “with out a papal mandate” and for an act of “schism,” understood as carried out “in opposition to the need of the Supreme Pontiff.”

The consecrating bishop, Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, incurred the identical double censure, whereas Bishop Bernard Fellay, as co-consecrator, incurred the censure for participation within the supposed schism.

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In response to an accompanying note revealed the dicastery, clergymen of the Society and any lay trustworthy who “adhere to the schism” additionally incur excommunication.

The identical be aware said that the celebration of sacramental confession and marriage by SSPX clergymen would now not be legitimate, implying that the colleges beforehand granted by Pope Francis for his or her validity have been revoked, though canonists have questioned whether or not such a revocation may take impact with out an specific legislative act on the contrary.

On July 13, the SSPX introduced that it had submitted a preliminary attraction to the DDF as step one towards a “hierarchical recourse” in opposition to the decree.

In his letter, Pagliarani acknowledges the gravity of the scenario and the struggling attributable to the “wholly unjust” sanctions, however insists that “a single soul possesses infinite worth,” arguing that if humiliation and persecution are the worth required “to safe the instructing of the true Religion and the administration of the true sacraments,” then such a sacrifice is justified, “as a result of a soul has no value.”

The Feast of the Most Treasured Blood of Our Lord, celebrated on the identical day because the consecrations, is offered as a providential reminder that salvation has been bought at an infinite price.

A big a part of the letter focuses on the response of the trustworthy in the course of the ceremony at Écône in Switzerland. Pagliarani describes a violent storm that interrupted the liturgy, decoding it symbolically by means of Psalm 17: “On the brightness that was earlier than him the clouds handed … And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the very best gave his voice” (Ps. 17:13-14).

For him, the picture of 1000’s of trustworthy remaining in prayer regardless of the storm represented the religious id of the Society: “Devoted animated by an unshakeable religion that nothing may hassle,” for whom “the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is really the middle of their lives.”

Lastly, the letter calls the trustworthy to persevere within the midst of ecclesial turmoil by preserving the inside life of religion.

Even when the seen expression of Catholic reality seems obscured by disaster, the Christian should maintain alive the “little candle” acquired at Baptism: “the Religion should proceed to stay in souls, regardless of all of the opposite winds that search to extinguish it.”

The full text of Fr. Davide Pagliarani’s “Letter from the Superior Common to all of the trustworthy of the Society of Saint Pius X” might be discovered beneath:

Menzingen, 19 July 2026

Expensive trustworthy,

A number of days after the ceremony of 1 July, I want to tackle these few phrases to you.

To start with, I want to thanks. For a number of years, I had been praying to the Most Holy Virgin that she would put together hearts for this historic occasion. I confess that I’ve been deeply moved to see how all of you’ve gotten accompanied the episcopal consecrations together with your prayer and your gratitude in direction of divine Windfall.

On 1 July, quite a few trustworthy from everywhere in the world have been current at Écône, they usually represented all of you. It was an immense pleasure to see them so quite a few and so fervent. As you definitely know, a storm broke out in the course of the ceremony: “On the brightness that was earlier than him the clouds handed… And the Lord thundered from heaven, and the very best gave his voice” (Ps. 17:13–14). At that second, my pleasure redoubled. On the one hand, I used to be the privileged witness of a liturgy of remarkable magnificence; on the opposite, I had earlier than my eyes one other magnificence, simply as touching: that of an immense crowd of trustworthy remaining of their locations all through the storm, praying to Our Girl for the brand new bishops, for the Church, and for the Pope. Amongst them have been aged women, on their knees, in addition to younger moms carrying their infants of their arms. It was essentially the most lovely picture that might be given of the Society: trustworthy animated by an unshakeable religion that nothing may hassle; souls for whom the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is really the centre of their lives. You can’t think about the comfort that was mine at that second. This scene has been deeply engraved on my reminiscence, and I shall by no means be capable of overlook it.

Proper up till the final day, I hoped for a gesture of goodwill, or a minimum of of straightforward understanding, on the a part of the Holy See. However the consecrations have been condemned, and the harshness of the sanctions imposed is unprecedented. They’re directed first on the bishops, but in addition on the members of the Society. Even the trustworthy are affected. This condemnation, wholly unjust, represents an immense humiliation for individuals who haven’t any different purpose than to defend the true Religion and to work for the salvation of souls. However I would like you to know that this profound humiliation, which touches the members of the Society first, has a that means within the eyes of God that should not escape you. Within the remaining evaluation, these consecrations have been carried out for every one in every of you, expensive trustworthy. Your souls are the true treasure entrusted to the Society, that which it cherishes most. A single soul possesses infinite worth. If such a humiliation is the worth that have to be paid to safe the instructing of the true Religion and the administration of the true sacraments, then it’s price it, as a result of a soul has no value. The feast of the Most Treasured Blood of Our Lord, the worth of our salvation, reminded us of this forcefully on 1 July.

The sanctions are meant to strike you too, in a somewhat merciless method. That is definitely painful, however don’t be too shocked by it. In the end, it’s Custom itself, which we cherish above all else, that’s excommunicated in all those that embody it. It’s evident that, earlier than God, such a condemnation can’t be legitimate, for it might condemn what lies on the very coronary heart of the lifetime of the Church.

However then, within the midst of this new storm, a query arises: what does Our Lord anticipate of you now? It’s within the soul of every one in every of you that the Religion should stay entire and alive. If Windfall permits such a disaster that the instructing of the Religion turns into mysteriously obscured, that very same Religion should proceed to stay in souls, regardless of all of the opposite winds that search to extinguish it. If the outward brightness of the official occupation of Religion ought to disappear, the little candle that every of you acquired on the day of your baptism should stay lit in your coronary heart and thoughts till your final day. That’s, in the long run, the one factor that issues. This little flame is the very first thing we acquired originally of our Christian life, and it is usually the one factor we will maintain till the tip.

I entrust you all to the Most Holy Virgin Mary, to whom the Society of Saint Pius X has been consecrated in a most specific method. Could she all the time defend you amid all storms and all difficulties, and will she maintain this little flame alive in your souls when all of the opposite winds are unleashed. All graces come to us by means of her arms. It’s her we should thank for the grace of the consecrations, and it’s to her we should pray that the brand new bishops could also be devices ever extra docile to her inspirations, and that they could persevere on this constancy to the tip.

The Society won’t ever abandon you. By no means will your souls lose their worth and their price within the eyes of its clergymen.

God bless you!

Davide Pagliarani