Author: Roberto de Mattei
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…
What is one to think, and what is one to do, in the face of the episcopal consecrations announced by the Society of Saint Pius X at Écône for July 1st, and the consequent latae sententiae excommunication that will be reaffirmed by the Holy See? The first consideration to be made is that, if this comes to pass, we will be confronted with a painful trial — not only for the world of Catholic Tradition, of which the Society of Saint Pius X has been a part…
De Maria numquam satis — so runs a saying attributed to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. An international conference will be held on this theme in Rome this October, with the aim of deepening the unfathomable mystery of the greatness of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. But 13 May reminds us that 109 years have passed since the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima, which began on 13 May 1917 and concluded on 13 October of the same year. In these apparitions, Our Lady entrusted a prophetic message…
One year ago, on Monday, May 8, 2025, the pontificate of Leo XIV began — Robert Francis Prevost, the 267th pontiff of the Catholic Church, the first American Pope, and the first member of the Order of Saint Augustine. “Peace be with all of you… This is the peace of the Risen Christ, a peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering” — these were the first words of the new Pontiff, spoken from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica. From the very outset,…