The Society of Saint Pius X in Kenya has released an official statement addressing a pastoral letter issued by the Archdiocese of Nairobi on 9 July 2026, seeking to clarify its position and reassure Catholics who attend the Traditional Latin Mass at Holy Cross Church and Priory in Lavington.
The communiqué, dated Saturday 11 July 2026 and signed from the Society’s Nairobi office on Amboseli Road, was addressed to “the faithful of Holy Cross Catholic Church and Priory, and all who seek the Traditional Catholic Faith.” It comes in the wake of growing discussion within the local Church following the Archdiocese’s recent public communication about the Society.
The Society opened its response by acknowledging the pastoral letter had caused “confusion, concern, or distress among some of you who love the traditional Faith.”
“We address you with sorrow yet with serene confidence in the Providence of God. We wish to reassure you with clarity and charity,” the statement read.
The Society of Saint Pius X, often referred to as SSPX, is a traditionalist Catholic priestly fraternity. In its letter, it reminded the faithful of its founding purpose and canonical standing.
According to the communiqué, the Society was established in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. Its stated mission is “the preservation and transmission of the traditional Faith, the Catholic priesthood and the immemorial Roman Rite of the Holy Mass.”
The group emphasized that its work is focused on “providing sound doctrine and all the sacraments received from Our Lord Jesus Christ, transmitted by the Apostles and which have sanctified the saints throughout the history of the Church.”
Crucially, the Society sought to dispel any notion that it operates outside the Catholic Church.
“We are not a parallel Church. We remain fully Catholic and attached to the See of Peter and to his successor, Pope Leo XIV,” the statement declared.
The Nairobi priory is registered under the Societies Act and operates from Holy Cross Catholic Church in Lavington. It has for years offered the Traditional Latin Mass and related sacraments to Catholics in Kenya who prefer the pre-Vatican II liturgy.
A central part of the Archdiocese of Nairobi’s 9 July pastoral letter reportedly referenced a decree from the Holy See and matters of excommunication. The Society directly addressed this.
“We hold, as the Society has consistently maintained, that these penalties are objectively unjust and invalid,” the Kenyan branch stated.
It gave three reasons for this position. First, it argued the penalties “do not correspond to the true state of necessity in which the Church finds herself today.” Second, it said the penalties “do not invalidate the sacraments we administer according to the traditional rites.” Third, it referenced specific actions taken on 1 July 2026.
Regarding those recent episcopal consecrations, the Society said they “were performed out of grave duty for the continuation of the traditional priesthood amid the ongoing crisis.”
The statement rejected any suggestion of division. “We do not accept the label of schism. We do not have any spirit of bitterness or rebellion. Our only desire is to remain faithful to Our Lord Jesus Christ and his only Church, to His Blessed Mother, to the perennial Magisterium and to the Faith of all time.”
The Society also affirmed it “has not separated ourselves from the Roman Catholic Church” and said it “daily pray for the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, and for His Grace Archbishop Philip Anyolo during the Canon of the Mass.”
The communiqué delved into Church law to explain the rationale behind its actions, particularly the recent consecration of bishops.
“For the peace of mind of the Catholic faithful in Kenya, the recent consecrations of Bishops were performed in a genuine state of necessity, a situation clearly foreseen and provided for by the Church’s own canon law,” it stated.
The Society specifically referenced Canon 1323, 4° of the Code of Canon Law. According to their reading, “no one is subject to any penalty who acts out of necessity or to avoid a grave inconvenience, even if this situation is mistakenly presumed, unless the act is intrinsically evil or harmful to souls.”
This argument of “state of necessity” has been a long-standing theological position used by the SSPX to justify its ministry during periods of disagreement with Rome. The Kenyan branch is now applying that same reasoning to its current context and to the actions taken in early July.
The exchange comes at a sensitive time for the Catholic Church in Kenya. The Archdiocese of Nairobi, led by Archbishop Philip Anyolo, is the largest diocese in the country and has been working to maintain unity amid various pastoral challenges.
The Society’s response suggests it wants to remain in dialogue while continuing its distinct liturgical and pastoral work. By publicly affirming prayers for both the Pope and the Archbishop, it is signaling a desire to avoid open confrontation.
At the same time, by calling the Holy See’s penalties “unjust and invalid,” it is drawing a clear theological line. The group maintains that the crisis in the Church, particularly around the preservation of tradition, justifies its continued operation of seminaries, parishes, and now episcopal consecrations without the explicit mandate of local bishops.
For Catholics who attend Mass at Holy Cross in Lavington, the communiqué appears intended to provide reassurance. The Society is telling its congregation that the sacraments they receive remain valid, that their priests are acting within a framework they believe is permitted by canon law, and that their community is still part of the wider Catholic Church.
The statement also frames the Society’s work as a service. It presents itself not as a protest movement, but as a group trying to “serve souls” by preserving what it calls the Church’s immemorial traditions.
The reference to Pope Leo XIV and Archbishop Anyolo by name in the context of prayer is significant. It positions the Society as loyal, even while disagreeing on matters of discipline and canonical status.
It remains to be seen how the Archdiocese of Nairobi will respond to this latest communiqué. The 9 July pastoral letter and now the 11 July response from SSPX Kenya have put the issue of traditionalist communities back into public discussion within the Kenyan Church.
For now, the Society says its focus is unchanged: the celebration of the Traditional Mass, the formation of priests, and the administration of sacraments “transmitted by the Apostles.”
As the statement concludes, the overarching theme is one of continuity amid crisis. The Society argues that in extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are permitted by the Church’s own laws — and that their actions in Kenya and elsewhere are done not out of defiance, but out of duty.
The full communiqué was issued from the Society of Saint Pius X (Kenya) offices and distributed to faithful at Holy Cross.
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