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A Vatican dispute has reached San Antonio, where Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller is asking Catholics to stay away from St. Joseph’s Chapel, located on the city's North Side, and warning that recent actions by a traditionalist Catholic group have strained unity within the Church.
In a letter to parishioners, García-Siller said the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (SSPX) consecrated four bishops on July 1, 2026, without approval from Pope Leo XIV. He described the act as a serious violation of Church law that, under canon law, would typically carry the penalty of automatic excommunication if confirmed.
The SSPX operates a chapel in San Antonio and is known for celebrating the traditional Latin Mass. The archbishop said he had previously allowed limited cooperation with the group, including permission for some marriages, in order to ensure pastoral needs were met.
The Vatican took a strong action on Thursday against the SSPX for having consecrated bishops without the pope’s approval. Church officials said the Society of St. Pius X is in schism, that its bishops and priests have been excommunicated, and warned that followers could also face the most serious penalties in the Catholic Church.
After that Vatican guidance issued July 2, García-Siller said that all cooperation with St. Joseph's Chapel will end. SSPX priests will no longer be allowed to officiate marriages or minister in the archdiocese.
He also urged Catholics not to attend services at St. Joseph’s Chapel, stating that the Society of St. Pius X clergy there are in schism and not in full communion with the Catholic Church.
"The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has issued a warning to the lay Faithful that the sacred ministers of the SSPX administer the sacraments illicitly, and that the sacrament of penance administered by them and marriages witnessed by them are invalid," said the letter from the archbishop.
The Catholic Church distinguishes between whether a sacrament is valid and whether it is officially permitted. SSPX priests are not approved by the Church, and the validity of their sacraments can depend on the specific case.
The archbishop directed parishioners to Saint Timothy Catholic Church, which offers the traditional Latin Mass under diocesan oversight.
