The former district superior of the traditionalists, Father Firmin Udressy, is moving to the conservative but Vatican II-orientated Community of Saint Martin (Communaute Saint Martin).
This emerges from a communiqué published on Platform X by the Swiss district of the Priestly Fraternity of St Pius X (FSSPX).
The communiqué speaks of the "pain" and "trial" caused by Udressy's move. Nevertheless, they continue to pray for him.
Active in Switzerland since 2019
Udressy, who comes from French-speaking Switzerland, took over the leadership of the German district in 2013 at the age of 36. It is the third largest in the world after the USA and France. Udressy last worked in Switzerland in 2019.
The Society of St Pius X rejects most of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).
The main points of contention are the liturgy, religious freedom and ecumenism.
The founder of the Brotherhood, French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre (1905-1991), broke with Rome in 1988 by consecrating four bishops without the Pope's authorisation.
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunication against the bishops consecrated by Lefebvre. The canonical status of the community of priests has remained unresolved ever since.
The Communaute Saint Martin is an association under pontifical law of priests and deacons who work in various European dioceses and in Cuba.
The community of priests has its only branch in the German-speaking world in Neviges in the Archdiocese of Cologne.
The motherhouse with the largest seminary in France is located in Evron in western France.