The schism of the traditionalist Priestly Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), and its aftermath, has highlighted how the unity in the Church that Leo XIV set as the primary goal of his pontificate is still far from being achieved.
Indeed, the debate within the Church is still too heated, so much so that it’s difficult to fully understand the scope of what is happening.
On July 29, Father Francis Xavier Duan Yongkun was ordained bishop with papal approval, the latest ordination since the 2018 signing of the provisional agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China that included lifting the excommunications of their bishops. His ordination comes one week after the country’s ordination of Bishop Joseph Chang Yanfeng, his appointment having been approved by Leo on July 15.
Meanwhile, after the July 1 episcopal ordinations without papal mandate and the consequent excommunication latae sententiae for all SSPX members, many so-called traditionalists — ranging from sympathizers to full-fledged members of the society — have highlighted a sort of disparity in treatment.
“Why are followers of the traditional Mass excommunicated,” they ask, “while new Chinese bishops, some of whom were directly appointed by the government and whose appointments
