Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, this week explained details of the Vatican’s response to the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) after it carried out illicit episcopal ordinations July 1, outlining to whom the excommunication applies and encouraging everyone to pray for an end to the division.

In a July 8 statement, Bishop Burbidge said the Holy See has decreed that the bishops involved in the illicit ordinations have incurred automatic excommunication and committed a schismatic act. The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) issued a decree and an explanatory note regarding the sanctions, making it clear, Bishop Burbidge said, that the SSPX’s administration of sacraments is illicit, and celebrations of the sacraments of confession and marriage are invalid.

“As bishop, and motivated by care for souls, I therefore instruct the faithful of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington to avoid participating in the activities of the SSPX,” Bishop Burbidge said. “I encourage any persons locally who have been attached to the SSPX and who desire the spiritual nourishment of the Church and the Extraordinary Form of the Mass to become active in any one of the eight locations in our diocese where this is currently possible.”

Bishop Burbidge also spoke about the situation in a July 8 episode of his Walk Humbly podcast, explaining in particular the importance of having the Pope’s permission in consecrating new bishops. He said that earlier this week he attended ordinations for new auxiliary bishops in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., that did have the papal mandate.

Part of the ceremony for the ordinations, he explained, is that the apostolic nuncio, the Pope’s representative to the U.S., reads a papal bull, which is a declaration signed by the Pope that authorizes and chooses the men for the episcopal ordinations.

“It’s a beautiful, powerful moment, showing our unity with our Holy Father, the successor of St. Peter,” Bishop Burbidge continued.

In contrast, the SSPX’s July 1 ordinations did not have that declaration from the Pope, he pointed out.

“So, that’s a lack of unity,” he continued. “And it’s important to make clear that our Holy Father and the Holy See, they have done everything possible, making that path forward, offering, inviting, ‘Let’s do this united,’ and will continue to do so.”

“We don’t let this be the final word, pray God, because we know what Jesus prayed for was unity,” he said, “that we may all be one and that nothing may fracture us, nothing may fracture our Church.”

But, as the Holy See has made clear, there are consequences to the break in unity, the bishop said. In both the July 8 statement and podcast, he related how the Vatican declared the SSPX was in schism.

Bishop Burbidge explained in the statement that out of desire for unity, the Holy See has released the procedure for SSPX priests and lay faithful to come back into Catholic communion. He also explained the scope of who among the lay faithful would need to follow this procedure.

“Although lay faithful who formally adhere to the SSPX are considered schismatic and excommunicated, this does not apply to lay faithful ‘who do not reject the Magisterium of the authority of the Roman Pontiff’ and have engaged with the SSPX for solely liturgical or spiritual reasons,” Bishop Burbidge said. “Such persons must simply resolve not to continue to participate in future SSPX sacramental worship or pastoral ministries.”

In the podcast, Bishop Burbidge acknowledged that the language surrounding the topic may come across somewhat formal or technical but added that “it’s a very sensitive issue, and the vocabulary is important.”

In both the statement and podcast, Bishop Burbidge reiterated a message of charity directly addressed to clergy in the SSPX.

“To my brother priests in the SSPX, please know of my prayers for you and my heartfelt desire for your return to full communion with the Church,” he said in the podcast.

He also invited all the diocesan faithful “to join me in prayer for the end of all division, and for the unity of the Church, so that she may better fulfill the divine commission, to make disciples of all nations.”