In an unprecedented move during a turbulent year for the Catholic Church, the Priestly Society of St. Pius X has been granted permission to join a Jubilee pilgrimage to the Vatican later this month.

According to Washington Examiner, the traditionalist Catholic fraternity, which remains outside full communion with Rome due to longstanding doctrinal disputes, will participate in the Jubilee Year events in Rome as part of its third such pilgrimage since 1975.

The Jubilee Year, celebrated every 25 years, is a sacred tradition in the Catholic Church marked by spiritual renewal, the offer of plenary indulgences, and a call to repentance. It holds special significance in 2025, the first Jubilee since 2000, and the first after the death of Pope Francis in April of this year.

Society's Origins and Controversial Legacy

The Society of St. Pius X, known as SSPX, was founded in 1970 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. The group grew in response to sweeping doctrinal and liturgical changes introduced by the Second Vatican Council, especially reforms to the Mass.

Its most serious break with Rome came in 1988, when Lefebvre defied Pope John Paul II by consecrating four bishops without papal mandate. This act was labeled schismatic by the Vatican, and all involved faced automatic excommunication.

Pope Benedict XVI rescinded those excommunications in 2009, expressing hope for full reconciliation. However, significant differences remained over the group’s rejection of Second Vatican Council teachings and the post-conciliar Mass.

Official Participation Without Endorsement

The upcoming pilgrimage is the first such participation by SSPX since the 2000 Holy Year. The group’s inclusion on the Vatican calendar does not imply any formal approval or sponsorship, Church officials have emphasized.

Despite being canonically irregular, SSPX views the pilgrimage as a reaffirmation of its Catholic identity. In a February letter, the group declared its aim of openly demonstrating fidelity to the pope and the universal Church.

The event concludes on August 20 with a solemn procession at the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, marking the anniversary of Pope St. Pius X’s death, the group’s namesake, and a symbol of traditional Catholic values.

Mixed Signals From Vatican Hierarchy

Pope Francis took a complex stance on SSPX, suppressing broader use of the Traditional Latin Mass—celebrated exclusively by the group—while granting its priests faculties to validly hear confessions and officiate weddings.

Francis once cautioned that those who reject Vatican II liturgies suffer from a “nostalgic disease,” a comment seen by many as aimed directly at society and its adherents. Such criticisms did not halt SSPX’s global expansion, which now spans over 60 countries with more than 780 clergy.

Following Francis’s death, the election of Pope Leo XIV in May 2025 introduced a new chapter. The first American pontiff has not publicly expressed views on SSPX or its liturgical positions.

Leadership Welcomes New Pope and Pilgrimage

Fr. John Fullerton, the society’s U.S. District Superior, welcomed Leo XIV’s election as "momentous" and asked the faithful to pray for the new pope’s success and resolve. The group emphasized its hope for spiritual renewal under the new pontificate.

The group’s director of communications, James Vogel, noted the significance of returning to Rome “following in the footsteps" of their founder. He described the journey as both penance and proclamation, devoted to helping the Church “regain her splendor.”

According to SSPX statements, the pilgrimage is intended as an act of devotion and a testament to its claim of being “children of the Church” committed to remaining faithful regardless of past disputes.

Continued Debate Over Vatican II Teachings

SSPX has consistently opposed elements of modern Catholicism that it believes are contaminated by “modernism.” On its website, the society criticizes the post-Vatican II Mass for shifting the focus from God to humanity.

Its critiques go further, arguing that truth has become relative in the modern age, suggesting that many Church reforms are guided by subjective feelings rather than eternal divine law. This doctrinal rigidity is one major barrier preventing reconciliation with Rome.

While the society acknowledges the authority of the pope and the apostolic lineage of Catholic bishops, it rejects aspects of the current ecclesial direction. Its actions, such as organizing the pilgrimage, are simultaneously expressions of defiance and loyalty.

Global Reach and Future Prospects

SSPX currently reports approximately 600,000 lay adherents attending its chapels and Mass centers worldwide. It operates six seminaries and maintains a missionary presence across six continents.

Their planned procession in Rome is both a spiritual journey and a demonstration of visibility within the broader Catholic world. For many who attend, it will mark a rare opportunity to stand, quite literally, in the heart of the Church they feel has drifted from tradition.

Whether this symbolic return to Rome will rekindle dialogue with the Vatican remains uncertain, but for SSPX, the pilgrimage itself is a statement: they believe they never truly left the Church at all.