A Work of the Church
“The Society of Saint Pius X is a work of the Church. It was born providentially in the Church and for the Church.” Every religious community or priestly fraternity in the Church has a unique form of governance and internal hierarchy. The Society of Saint Pius X is governed by its own Statutes written by Archbishop Lefebvre.
Hierarchical work
As a work of the Church, the Fraternity recognizes Pope Francis as Pope of the Holy Catholic Church and promises obedience to the Roman Pontiff in all his legitimate acts.
The Fraternity adheres wholeheartedly, with all its soul, to Catholic Rome, guardian of the Catholic faith and of the traditions necessary to maintain this faith, to eternal Rome, teacher of wisdom and truth.
On the other hand, it refuses and has always refused to follow the Rome of neo-modernist and neo-Protestant tendencies, which manifested itself clearly in the Second Vatican Council and in all the reforms that followed from it."1
Structured work
The practical organization of the Fraternity follows its Statutes, recognized and praised by the Church. These Statutes, which focus on the sanctification of the priest, provide the framework and rules that its members strive to follow. In particular, by living together in priories, members find "an environment where an air of faith, prayer and fraternal charity breathes"2 .
Apostolic work
"The Fraternity is essentially apostolic."3
When not training future priests in seminaries, its members devote themselves to serving the faithful in chapels, schools, missions and apostolic works.
We have only one desire: to make Catholic priests, because the Catholic Church cannot continue without priests. We have no other ambition than to be able to exhale our last breath saying that we have contributed to the construction of the Church and not to its destruction."4