Excommunication Is Not the Last Word: A Gospel Reflection on the Punishment of the Society of St. Pius X

By Rev. Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan

The recent excommunication of the bishops and priests of the Society of St. Pius X following the unauthorized episcopal consecrations in Switzerland has once again placed before the Church an important question:

**What is the purpose of excommunication in the life of the Church?**¹

Is it meant to heal or to punish? To reconcile or to divide? To restore communion or to reinforce exclusion?

 I find this moment deeply significant—not because I agree with the theology or ecclesial positions of the Society of St. Pius X, but because it reveals the continuing tension between authority and conscience within our Church.

I do not share the Society’s rejection of many of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. I embrace Vatican II’s vision of the People of God, baptismal equality, collegial leadership, ecumenical dialogue, and the Church’s engagement with the modern world.² I believe women are called by the Holy Spirit to every ministry in the Church, including ordained ministry. I celebrate Eucharist in inclusive communities where all are welcome at Christ’s table.

Yet the Gospel challenges us to distinguish between disagreement and exclusion.

Jesus consistently chose conversation over condemnation. He welcomed those whom religious authorities rejected. He crossed boundaries of gender, ethnicity, class, and religious purity. He healed before he judged and restored people to community.³

History reminds us that excommunication has often failed to heal divisions. Instead, it has frequently become a symbol of institutional power rather than pastoral care. It has wounded consciences, fractured communities, and silenced prophetic voices.

The worldwide Roman Catholic Women Priests movement knows this reality personally. Women called by God and affirmed by their communities have been declared excommunicated simply for answering what we believe is the Spirit’s call.⁴ Our communities continue to celebrate the sacraments, accompany the marginalized, and proclaim the Gospel with joy.

Ironically, this moment raises an important question.

For decades, the Vatican devoted considerable effort to dialogue with the Society of St. Pius X despite profound disagreements over Vatican II.⁵ If dialogue has long been considered worthwhile with those who reject central teachings of the Council, why has there never been authentic dialogue with women priests and inclusive Catholic communities whose ministries embody many of Vatican II’s deepest hopes?

We are not asking the Church to abandon its tradition.

We are asking the Church to listen.

Listen to women whose priestly vocations have been recognized by the communities they serve.

Listen to Catholics who long for a Church that reflects the baptismal equality proclaimed in the New Testament.⁶

Listen to the countless people who have discovered healing in inclusive Eucharistic communities after years of exclusion because of gender, marital status, sexual orientation, or other circumstances.

The future of the Church will not be secured by stronger penalties or broader exclusions.

It will be secured by courageous listening.

The Final Document of the Synod on Synodality reminds us that “what comes from the Spirit cannot be stopped.“⁷ A truly synodal Church trusts that the Holy Spirit speaks through the whole People of God—not only through hierarchy but also through the lived experience of the baptized.

Our inclusive Catholic communities witness another model of Church: collaborative leadership rather than clericalism, shared ministry rather than domination, open Eucharistic tables rather than guarded boundaries, and communities rooted in compassion, justice, and mutual respect.

This is not a rejection of Catholic tradition.

It is an effort to live more deeply into its heart.

The Eucharist is Christ’s gift to the world, not a reward for institutional conformity.

As Pope Leo continues to shape the future of the Church, I pray he will widen the circle of dialogue. Imagine what healing could occur if he invited women priests, theologians, lay leaders, LGBTQ+ Catholics, survivors of abuse, married clergy, and leaders of inclusive Catholic communities into genuine conversation.

Dialogue is never a sign of weakness.

It is an act of hope.

The Church has nothing to fear from listening to the Spirit speaking through the faithful.

The Risen Christ continues to breathe new life into the Church, often from its margins. Those once dismissed frequently become the very people through whom renewal comes.

Excommunication should never have the final word.

Love does.

Mercy does.

The Holy Spirit does.

May we become the Church Jesus envisioned—a community where justice embraces mercy, authority is exercised through humble service, and every baptized person is welcomed as a full participant in Christ’s mission.

The future of Catholicism depends not on who is excluded, but on how courageously we welcome the gifts God has already poured out among us.

Footnotes

1. The Vatican declared that the Society of St. Pius X entered into a renewed schismatic situation following the unauthorized episcopal consecrations of July 1, 2026. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith announced the excommunication of the bishops involved and imposed additional canonical penalties on SSPX clergy, while also warning lay faithful about formal adherence to the movement. (Vatican News⁠)
2. Second Vatican Council, especially Lumen Gentium, §§9–17, 31–38; Gaudium et Spes, §1.
3. See, for example, John 4:1–42; Luke 7:36–50; Luke 19:1–10; Mark 2:15–17.
4. Roman Catholic Women Priests members who undergo ordination are subject to canonical penalties under the Vatican decree issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2007 and incorporated into the Code of Canon Law in 2021.
5. Since the 1988 episcopal consecrations by Marcel Lefebvre, successive pontificates have engaged in repeated efforts toward reconciliation, including the remission of excommunications by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 and continued doctrinal dialogue under later popes. (Wikipedia⁠)
6. Galatians 3:28; Romans 16:1–7; Acts 2:17–18.
7. Final Document of the Synod on Synodality, §60: “What comes from the Spirit cannot be stopped.”