(LifeSiteNews) —As traditionalist Catholics await the consecration of four new bishops this week, the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) just ordained more deacons and priests.
On Sunday, June 28, LifeSiteNews Editor-in-Chief John-Henry Westen was present in the SSPX’s headquarters in Écône, Switzerland, for the ordination of three young men to the diaconate and five transitional deacons to the priesthood. The five new priests have been identified as Fathers Bunge, Braun, Gandia, Richter, and Hernanz.
“What a beautiful and reverent ceremony,” John-Henry reported on his X account.
Long, before the ordination mass of the new priests of the SSPX begins, the choir is practising and the seats are filling here in Econe Switzerland pic.twitter.com/HFVCriF5oO
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) June 29, 2026
The beauty of the garments are for the glory of God and in this extreme heat are a real sacrifice pic.twitter.com/qpKNEdjpsS
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) June 29, 2026
Bishop Fellay preaches on sacrifice and following Our Saviour into martyrdom white or red. pic.twitter.com/K6JgipOObj
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) June 29, 2026
Invoking the intercession of the saints for the three men about to ordained deacons pic.twitter.com/G2wQN35EfD
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) June 29, 2026
And on the five men being ordained priests pic.twitter.com/ZWHmLzlywr
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) June 29, 2026
The new deacons are vested by Bishop Fellay pic.twitter.com/zmK4Idh8l8
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) June 29, 2026
The imposition of hands conferring the Holy Priesthood pic.twitter.com/XNhpbFbLpv
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) June 29, 2026
The last of about 150 priests who imposed hands on the new ordinands after the two bishops. What a beautiful and reverent ceremony! pic.twitter.com/VQuAiIawNK
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) June 29, 2026
The new priests are vested by Bishop Fellay pic.twitter.com/ymXJ2DBnK1
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) June 29, 2026
The newly ordained priest’s hands are bound together with a white linen cloth right after the bishop anoints them with sacred chrism (holy oil). The binding symbolizes that the priest’s hands (and his entire life) are now set apart and “bound” or captive to Christ. pic.twitter.com/1Fabzg7MO8
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) June 29, 2026
The SSPX bishops priests deacons religious and faithful profess One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church pic.twitter.com/wvkENAW2jn
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) June 29, 2026
The final imposition of hands and The Unfolding of the Chasuble pic.twitter.com/Cp4KkGKG5O
— John-Henry Westen (@JhWesten) June 29, 2026
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John-Henry will continue to cover the SSPX celebrations on location in Écône, with particular attention to the July 1 consecrations of Fathers Michael Goldade (USA), Pascal Schreiber (Switzerland), Michael Poinsinet de Sivry and Marc Hanappier (France) to the episcopate. These will be performed by Bishops Alfonso de Galarreta (Argentina) and Bernard Fellay (Switzerland).
Both De Galarreta and Fellay were themselves consecrated by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the founder of the SSPX, and Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer on June 30, 1988, without the promised but withheld papal mandate. The next day, the Vatican announced that they and two other newly consecrated bishops were excommunicated; the excommunications of the four new bishops were remitted by Pope Benedict XVI in January 2009.
The Vatican is expected to announce the excommunications of, at very least, the four new SSPX bishops and their consecrators. The SSPX has argued that consecrating new bishops without the papal mandate is necessary because of “the unprecedented crisis facing the Church” in the wake of the novelties introduced by the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).
RELATED: SSPX head calls for ‘charity,’ warns against ‘triumphalism’ ahead of July 1 consecrations