Bishop of Lourdes bars Society of St. Pius X priests from celebrating Mass at shrine

The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has criticized a decision by the bishop of Lourdes barring its priests from celebrating Mass at the shrine while, it says, ecumenical prayer is permitted there.

The society said it regretted and did not understand the decision by Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Lourdes to prohibit its priests from celebrating Mass and holding liturgical activities at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, in southwestern France. The measure was made public on August 13.

Micas cited the excommunication of six SSPX bishops who were consecrated without papal authorization. He also said SSPX priests and the faithful who accompany them may visit the shrine to pray privately.

Father Gonzague Peignot, superior of the SSPX's French district, announced on August 22 that, despite the ban, the society will go ahead with a pilgrimage to Lourdes for private prayer. The society expressed its "sadness and incomprehension" at the restriction, but said it would abide by the bishop's decision.

In a statement, the society said its members are "simple children of the Catholic Church" who do not seek to replace it but to remain faithful to it. "We are forbidden to gather to pray publicly to our Mother in Heaven," the French district said.

Disagreement over ecumenical prayer

Peignot pointed to the difference between the bishop's permission for "ecumenical" prayers by Muslims at the shrine and the ban on SSPX liturgies. In October 2025, a group of Christians and Muslims took part in a four-day pilgrimage that included a prayer service, Mass, a torchlight procession and interreligious meetings.

The SSPX statement asked how those who do not recognize the divine motherhood of the Virgin Mary, the dogma of her Immaculate Conception or the divinity of Jesus Christ can be welcome at the shrine. SSPX faithful, it said, are excluded from public prayer. "While the doors of the shrine remain closed to the public pilgrimage, the door to the Heart of the Mother of God is never closed to her children," the statement said.

Peignot told Micas that the SSPX maintains "respect and prayers, without resentment," and said he hoped the bishop would recognize its priests as "not rebels, but as sons eager to live and serve in the Catholic Church."