In a widely praised March 2026 message, SSPX Superior General Fr. Davide Pagliarani called Catholics to practice patience, kindness, humility, and supernatural charity amid the controversy surrounding the upcoming July 1, 2026 SSPX episcopal consecrations.
Kennedy Hall’s succinct reaction to a message that the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) Superior General, Fr. Davide Pagliarani, delivered to members of the SSPX on March 7, 2026, seems entirely appropriate: “Well, this is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read.” By all means, if given the choice between reading the present article or Fr. Pagliarani’s message, please use the link above to read the latter. For those who can read both, what follows merely presents Fr. Pagliarani’s words on charity and suggests one reason why we really ought to pay attention to them.
Divine Providence is at work in the current debate.
Over the past few months, Fr. Pagliarani has referred to the way in which the announcement of the upcoming episcopal consecrations has served as a salutary jolt to Catholics. In this recent message to members of the SSPX, he referred to the Providential aspect of that jolt:
“There is a positive aspect to this situation. The announcement on 2 February left no one in the Catholic Church indifferent. Almost everyone feels concern and the need to express their approval or disapproval. This is providential, because sometimes words, opinions, and simple statements are no longer enough. They must be accompanied by meaningful actions that Divine Providence can use to shake consciences — and even the Church herself. I firmly believe that Divine Providence is at work in the current debate.”
For sixty years, God has permitted a tremendous crisis in the Catholic Church, one that has led to countless offenses against God, widespread apostasy, and untold suffering. As with other evils throughout salvation history, God has surely drawn good from the crisis by giving souls the graces to resist the evils afflicting the Church and draw closer to Him. But, among all of the works of virtuous opposition to the evils of the current crisis, two in particular stand out for the way in which the actors chose fidelity to the unadulterated Catholic Faith even when it would likely result in tremendously painful opposition: Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre’s 1988 consecrations of bishops, and the consecrations scheduled for July 1, 2026. Like the choices of the martyrs who choose God over everything else, these two actions demand our attention, even if we were to disagree with them.
We ask nothing for ourselves. Our only reward will be to see one day Holy Mother Church reclaim her Traditions.
And so Fr. Pagliarani’s words on charity deserve special attention as they give St. Paul’s words to the Corinthians a life that we all need so desperately today.
Charity is Patient. “First and foremost, we must never succumb to bitterness. While we certainly have a duty to do everything possible to justify and explain the underlying reasons for the consecrations, this must be done with firmness, and never with bitterness, nor even with the slightest hint of bitter zeal. Obviously, we can become bitter because of excessive zeal, but also because we would have preferred a particular date, a particular candidate, or for things to have been done differently. Whatever the material cause of the bitterness, the remedy is always the same: Caritas patiens est — ‘charity is patient.’”
Charity is Kind. “Towards those to whom we speak, whoever they may be, and whether they understand us or not, we must always show kindness. When there is no understanding on the other side, when there is not even a willingness to listen to what we have to say and understand our reasons, it is very easy — humanly speaking — to fall into resentment. Caritas benigna est — ‘charity is kind.’
Charity Dealeth Not Perversely, is Not Puffed Up. “We must always remember that if Divine Providence has been merciful enough to give us a little light, to allow us to maintain the Church’s Traditions and to do what is necessary to defend them, it corresponds to an exceptional grace that we do not actually deserve. The awareness of this fact must entirely condition our attitude. If the consecrations represent a grace for the entire Society — a grace for which we must thank Divine Providence — this profoundly supernatural joy must not be confused with misplaced triumphalism, as if it were a human victory that we could attribute to ourselves, which would inevitably diminish its intrinsic value. Caritas non agit perperam, non inflatur — ‘charity dealeth not perversely, is not puffed up.’”
Charity Seeketh Not Her Own. “Following the example of His Grace, Archbishop Lefebvre, in everything we do, we must not seek our own interests nor the survival of a personal endeavor, but rather the good of souls and the good of the Catholic Church. The Society is nothing more than a means of remaining faithful to the Church. If we are taking exceptional measures today to preserve the faith, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and the priesthood, it is because we want the whole Catholic Church — and every soul without distinction — to be able to benefit freely from them one day. All this belongs to the Church, and we are only its guardians. We ask nothing for ourselves. Our only reward will be to see one day Holy Mother Church reclaim her Traditions. Caritas non quærit quæ sua sunt — ‘charity seeketh not her own.’”
We must know how to remain both firm and gentle at the same time.
Charity is Not Provoked to Anger. “If we must deploy all our efforts to defend the consecrations — and the Society already has a whole ‘arsenal’ at its disposal for this purpose — and if a holy anger is more necessary than ever in the face of the terrible deviations that are shaking the Church, we must nevertheless show neither contempt nor irritation in our explanations to those whom we are speaking to, and especially towards the hierarchy of the Catholic Church! We must know how to remain both firm and gentle at the same time. However, this is only possible with the help of Our Blessed Lord. Caritas non irritatur — ‘charity is not provoked to anger.’”
Charity Rejoiceth Not in Evil. “If we come to be declared excommunicated and schismatic, this would not mean that we seek such a sanction or rejoice in it, for it would be objectively unjust. It is one thing to rejoice in receiving a new humiliation to offer to God, and it is quite another to rejoice (in a spirit of defiance) in an evil and an objective injustice that causes scandal to the whole Church. Caritas non gaudet super iniquitatem — ‘charity rejoiceth not in iniquity.’”
Charity Rejoiceth in the Truth. “If, on the contrary, there is a whole section of the Catholic Church that welcomes and supports the Society’s decision, and if the consecrations become a providential opportunity for renewed courage and enthusiasm — both within and outside the Society — we can only rejoice as God Himself can rejoice. Caritas congaudet veritati — ‘charity rejoiceth in the truth.’”
Charity Beareth All Things, Believeth All Things, Hopeth All Things, Endureth All Things. “No one could summarize the program for the four months separating us from the consecrations, and the strength that must characterize our charity, better than Saint Paul: Caritas omnia suffert, omnia credit, omnia sperat, omnia sustinet — ‘charity beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.’
Charity Never Falleth Away. “This is true — today and in the future: Caritas numquam excidit — ‘charity never falleth away.’”
Regardless of whether or not we agree with the SSPX, may God grant all of us the grace to put these lessons into practice. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
