Perhaps unexpectedly the Catholic Church of St Pius X has links to a group that sparked outrage. This group is the Society of St Pius X. It faced controversy when one of its bishops denied the Holocaust.
The Society of St Pius X wished to buy St George’s Church in Gorton. This defunct church belonged to the Church of England. The Diocese of Manchester strongly objected to the sale. They believed it would harm community relations.
Many letters of objection flooded in. These came from various groups and individuals. Objectors included members of Parliament. Objections also came from Manchester City Council. Even the Roman Catholic Church voiced concerns. Richard Leese was the leader of Manchester City Council at the time. He described the Society of St Pius X as an organization that denies the Holocaust. He asserted that such views have no place in Manchester.
Let’s delve deeper into the Society of St Pius X. It was founded in 1970. Its purpose was to oppose reforms from the Vatican. This ultra-traditional group still conducts services in Latin. It also opposes dialogue with other faiths. One of its bishops Richard Williamson caused significant anger. He claimed there were no Nazi gas chambers. He later apologized for his statement.
The Church Commissioners ultimately denied the sale to the Society of St Pius X. The Bishop of Manchester welcomed this decision. He emphasized that such a sale would not benefit community cohesion. It would also damage ecumenical relations. Furthermore it would hinder inter-faith work. The Diocese of Manchester planned to collaborate with partners. Together they would find a viable future for the building.
The Society of St Pius X has a complex history. Tensions arose between the society and the Holy See. This peaked in 1988. Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated four bishops without papal approval. Rome declared this act resulted in automatic excommunication. Though the SSPX denied any penalty the excommunication of the surviving bishops was removed in 2009. This removal occurred hoping for full reconciliation.
In 2017, Pope Francis indefinitely extended papal recognition. This extended to confessions heard by priests of the Society of St Pius X. Local authorities could also allow its priests to witness marriages.
Worldwide about 600000 people attend SSPX Mass centers. The society maintains a traditionalist stance. It opposes changes that followed the Second Vatican Council. Marcel Lefebvre founded the society. He was a leading traditionalist. He served as Superior General of the Holy Ghost Fathers.
As of March 2021 the Society had 3 bishops. It also had 676 priests in 36 countries. They operated 760 Mass centers and 159 priories. The society also had seminaries and pre-seminaries. These were located in various countries.
The story of Catholic Church of St Pius X is linked to the Society of Saint Pius X. This has intertwined faith with controversy. It shows tradition facing modern challenges.