The Vatican says the ordination of any priests by a hardline Catholic fraternity would be illegitimate even though Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of the group's leaders, including Holocaust denier Bishop Richard Williamson this year.In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Vatican reiterated that the traditionalist Fraternity of Saint Pius X had no status within the Catholic church.
The group announced earlier this month it planned to ordain three priests and three deacons on 27 June at a seminary in southern Germany.
The Vatican's media office on Wednesday responded to questions about the ordinations with a statement referring to comments that Benedict made on 10 March.
"As long as the society (of St. Pius X) does not have a canonical status in the church, its ministers do not exercise legitimate ministries in the church," he said.
"Until the doctrinal questions are clarified, the society has no canonical status in the church, and its ministers ... do not legitimately exercise any ministry in the church".
In January, Benedict provoked outrage from Jews and Catholics worldwide by lifting the excommunication of the society's four bishops, including Bishop Richard Williamson, who has denied the Holocaust.
German chancellor Angela Merkel also expressed concern about the move because Holocaust denial is a crime in Germany.
Benedict's predecessor Pope John Paul II excommunicated Williamson and three other bishops. The move came after traditionalist leader and Fraternity of Saint Pius X founder Marcel Lefebvre ordained them as bishops of his separatist church in 1988.
Their fraternity rejected reforms passed by the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s, including a declaration which ended a church doctrine under which the Jews were held responsible for killing Jesus Christ.
Williamson, who claims that no Jews were killed in Nazi gas chambers, has apologised to anyone offended by his remarks but has refused to retract his claims.
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