July 3, 2026 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

I regret that the leadership of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has not responded to the plea of Pope Leo XIV for the preservation of unity within the Church and have instead carried out the schismatic act of bishops without a pontifical mandate. The unity of the Church, for which Christ prayed, is gravely harmed by this action. I am especially concerned for Catholics who, to this point, have been attached to the SSPX. 

On July 2, 2026, Victor M. Cardinal Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued a decree clarifying that those who participated in the ordination of the SSPX bishops without the pontifical mandate have committed the crime of schism. An explanatory note issued by the Dicastery on the same date clarifies that all sacred ministers (bishops, priests, and deacons) belonging to the Society of St. Pius X must be considered schismatic. Lay faithful who formally adhere to the SSPX are also to be considered schismatic.  

In the Diocese of Covington, the priests of the SSPX operate Our Lady of the Assumption Church & Priory, Assumption Academy, and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Academy, all in Walton, Kentucky. Any sacraments celebrated by the priests of the SSPX are illicit. This means that the celebrations are not permitted by the law of the Church and the cleric offering the Sacrament commits the canonical and moral fault of disobedience in each instance. The Masses these priests celebrate are an abuse of the Eucharist, insofar as they make the Sacrament of Unity into an occasion of division within the Church, and so they should be firmly rejected and avoided by all the Catholic faithful. 

The Sacraments of Penance and Marriage carried out by these schismatic ministers are invalid. Sacraments are invalid when one or more essential elements are lacking, so that the attempted sacrament does not impart the associated grace and does not sanctify the Christian person. 

Because Assumption Academy and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Academy are associated with the SSPX, Catholic parents should not enroll their children in these schools. To do so is to entrust the religious formation of children to those who participate in schism against the Roman Catholic Church. The Diocesan Catholic Schools Office will be happy to assist the parents of these students with appropriate placement in a local Catholic School. 

I invite those in the Diocese of Covington who are in any way attached to the SSPX to separate themselves from this schismatic sect, repent where necessary, and seek (or hold fast to) union with the Ministry of Peter in the person of the Bishop of Rome — Pope Leo XIV. With solicitude and charity, the Church remains open to receiving our brothers and sisters who, until now, have been members or associates of the SSPX. Priest members of the Society should leave the SSPX and seek reconciliation with the Roman Catholic Church. The Lay faithful should practice their Catholic faith in a parish that maintains full communion with the Catholic Church by remaining united with me and our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.   

Finally, I want to emphasize that St. Pius X Parish in Edgewood is a Catholic parish of the Diocese of Covington where the full sacramental life of the Church is authorized and respectfully celebrated. St. Pius X Parish in Edgewood is not associated with the SSPX. 

I pledge to pray for the bishops and priests of the SSPX and for their faithful return to regular order in the Catholic Church. I also assure the lay faithful who have been attached to the SSPX of my prayer for their good and for the restoration of unity in the Church. I ask all faithful Catholics to pray for restored unity and order in the Church and in our Diocese. Please beg the intercession of Pope St. Pius X, that his name may always give glory to God and never be a sign of division in the Eucharistic community that he cherished. 

Together with the priests of the Diocese, I invite all Catholics who have been attending the SSPX liturgy to practice their faith in one of the parishes, missions, or chapels of the Diocese. You will find the Catholic Mass and the sacramental life celebrated faithfully and respectfully throughout the Diocese of Covington. Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Park Hills, where the older usage is authorized and celebrated, may be of particular interest to Catholics who have been attached to the SSPX. 

May Christ protect and restore the unity of his Church! Pope St. Pius X, pray for us. 

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend John C. Iffert
Bishop of Covington

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