I wish to dwell on a concept that is frequently invoked in an ambiguous and contradictory manner — above all to justify the episcopal consecrations that took place at Écône on July 1, 2026: the “state of necessity.” A fundamental point must be clarified at the outset: one must not confuse the term “state of necessity” with the grave crisis the Church is passing through today. This crisis is an undeniable historical and sociological datum. Some trace its origins to Pope Francis, others to the…
It is the duty of every Christian to maintain coherence between words and deeds. But what happens when deeds contradict words? When, for example, one publicly proclaims respect for and obedience to the Roman Pontiff and then, in fact, publicly defies him before the entire Christian people — as occurred at Écône with the episcopal consecrations of July 1, 2026? The answer is furnished by one of the oldest principles of the Western legal tradition: facta sunt potentiora verbis — “deeds are more powerful than words” (cf.…
“Habetis mandatum apostolicum?” (Do you have the apostolic mandate?). With this traditional formula, used to verify that candidates have pontifical approval, the rite of episcopal ordination began on July 1 in Écône. A priest responded by reading a brief text—devoid of canonical value—drafted by Father Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX): “The authorities of the Church manifest an attitude contrary to the faith and act against Sacred Tradition and the constant Magisterium of the Church,” therefore “we believe it…
In the sixty years between the Council of Nicaea (325) and the Council of Constantinople (381), the Church experienced, through the Arian crisis, one of the most difficult moments of its history. It was an era of defection from the faith, in which strenuous defenders of orthodoxy stood out — figures such as Saint Athanasius of Alexandria and Saint Hilary of Poitiers. Athanasius, in particular, became the symbol of the struggle against Arianism, which had penetrated to the very summit of the ecclesiastical hierarchy. In…