A fundamental ecclesiological problem.
A number of faithful Catholics were, to say the least, surprised to hear a simple priest deliver the sermon at the episcopal consecrations in Écône on July 1, 2026.
It may be objected that this is a logical consequence of the position of the Society of Saint Pius X, which maintains that it does not possess ordinary jurisdiction over the faithful. Yet this explanation raises a difficulty: does it not tend to minimize the bishop's proper mission, whose first duty is to teach and preach the faith?
If one holds that a bishop consecrated under the present circumstances cannot publicly exercise this teaching office, it seems difficult to justify a simple priest exercising it in his stead. According to classical Catholic doctrine, the priest shares in the bishop's ministry, but he is not, properly speaking, a subject of the Magisterium; by divine institution, the bishop remains a member of the teaching Church.
The recent history of the Society itself appears to confirm this understanding. At …More
"Apostolic succession is certainly ensured materially through a valid consecration, but the question remains whether episcopal authority is fully manifested when the consecrating bishop no longer appears to exercise the decisive personal judgment"
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Oh, then what about all those poor bishops throughout the Church history, a multitude of them, elected by cathedral chapters? Did they also have "episcopal authority in not-so-full manifestation"?
"A number of faithful Catholics were, to say the least, surprised to hear a simple priest deliver the sermon..."
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Oh, I hear a simple priest delivering a sermon every time I go to the Mass with the sermon so I am not surprised.