Bernard Fellay


Bernard Fellay

Superior General Emeritus of the Society of St. Pius X
Fellay, circa 2008
ElectedJuly 1994
Term ended11 July 2018
PredecessorFranz Schmidberger
SuccessorDavide Pagliarani
Orders
Ordination29 June 1982
by Marcel Lefebvre
Consecration30 June 1988
by Marcel Lefebvre
Personal details
Born (1958-04-12) 12 April 1958 (age 66)
NationalitySwiss
DenominationCatholic Church
Alma materThe International Seminary of Saint Pius X
MottoSpes nostra
(Our hope)
Coat of armsBernard Fellay's coat of arms
Ordination history of
Bernard Fellay
History
Priestly ordination
Ordained byMarcel Lefebvre
Date29 June 1982
PlaceThe International Seminary of Saint Pius X, Écône, Switzerland
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecratorMarcel Lefebvre
Co-consecratorsAntônio de Castro Mayer
Date30 June 1988
PlaceThe International Seminary of Saint Pius X, Écône, Switzerland

Bernard Fellay FSSPX (born 12 April 1958) is a Swiss bishop who opposes the changes brought about by the Second Vatican Council. Fellay is the former superior general of the Traditionalist Catholic priestly fraternity Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX). In 1988, Pope John Paul II announced that Fellay and three others were automatically excommunicated for being consecrated as bishops by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, an act that the Holy See described as "unlawful" and "schismatic".[1] Archbishop Lefebvre, and Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer who co-consecrated these four bishops, were also said to be automatically excommunicated. At that time, he was the youngest bishop of the Roman Catholic Church at 30 years old.

In January 2009, at Fellay's request,[2] the Congregation for Bishops, on instructions from Pope Benedict XVI, rescinded the excommunication.[3]