With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Bishop Richard Williamson, a fearless defender of Catholic Tradition, who departed this life at the age of 84 on January 29, 2025, following a brain haemorrhage suffered on January 25. A priest for 48.5 years, a bishop for 36.5 years.

“Heaven is a reality. This life is a reality.
And the fact that I am going to die is a reality;
and the judgment seat of God is a reality.”
Bishop Richard Williamson

Few men in the post-conciliar era have stood so unapologetically against the tide of modernism, and fewer still have borne the full weight of exile, derision, and ecclesiastical censure for the sake of preserving Catholic Tradition. His life was one of conviction, combat, and consequence, and his legacy remains intertwined with the history of resistance to the ecclesiastical revolution of Vatican II.

Bishop Richard Williamson was undeniably a controversial figure, both within the traditionalist Catholic movement and the broader Church. Admired by many for his unyielding defence of Catholic Tradition, he was equally criticized for his outspoken views, uncompromising stance, and willingness to defy ecclesiastical authority when he believed the integrity of the Faith was at stake.

His forthright personality and provocative rhetoric often placed him at odds not only with the post-conciliar hierarchy but also with his own allies within the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). His refusal to moderate his criticism of Vatican II, modernist Rome, and even his former SSPX superiors eventually led to his expulsion from the Society in 2012, marking him as a bishop in exile.

Beyond his theological battles, Bishop Williamson’s controversial statements on historical and social issues further fueled his reputation as a polarizing figure, drawing widespread condemnation and legal scrutiny in certain jurisdictions. However, his supporters viewed him as a prophetic voice in an age of compromise, a man who remained steadfast in his convictions despite facing public and ecclesiastical censure.

Whether seen as a fearless defender of Catholic Tradition or an intransigent polemicist, Bishop Williamson’s legacy remains one of uncompromising resistance—a bishop who, for better or worse, never wavered in his belief that he was standing for the unaltered truth of the Catholic Faith.

A Journey from Anglicanism to Tradition

Richard Nelson Williamson was born on March 8, 1940, in Finchley, north London, England and raised in an Anglican household. Educated at Winchester College, one of England’s most prestigious schools, and later at Clare College, Cambridge, where he earned a degree in English literature, he distinguished himself early on by his intellectual rigor and unyielding pursuit of truth. After graduating, he spent a brief period teaching in Ghana, yet his restless search for something greater ultimately led him to the one true Faith. Recognizing the fullness of divine revelation in the Catholic Church, he was received into the Church by Fr. John Flanigan in 1971.

Seeking to deepen his newfound faith, he embarked on a pilgrimage to France’s Marian shrines, an experience that confirmed his vocation. Though he briefly entered the Brompton Oratory as a postulant, he soon realized that the post-Vatican II Church, already embracing an aggiornamento of rupture, was not the faith of the Fathers he had sought. Instead, he found that faith preserved and defended within the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), the traditionalist fraternity founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre to uphold the unchanging doctrine, liturgy, and discipline of Holy Mother Church in the face of modernist innovations.

In 1976, after completing his seminary formation at Écône, Fr. Richard Williamson was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre—an event that would not only shape his vocation but define the very course of his life. From that moment forward, he dedicated himself wholly to the defense of the Traditional Latin Mass, the unaltered doctrine of the Catholic Faith, and the priesthood as Christ instituted it, unsullied by the innovations and compromises of the post-conciliar Church. His ordination placed him among the foremost warriors of Tradition, setting him on a path that would lead to both great influence and great controversy, as he tirelessly fought against the modernist errors that threatened to obscure the perennial truths of the Faith.

He served in the Society of St Pius X as the rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Ridgefield, Connecticut (USA) from 1983, and continued in the position when the seminary moved to Winona, Minnesota in 1988.

The 1988 Consecrations: A Bishop for Perilous Times

As the post-conciliar hierarchy accelerated its embrace of ecumenism, religious liberty, and doctrinal ambiguity, it became clear to Archbishop Lefebvre that the transmission of apostolic succession for the preservation of Tradition could not depend on Rome’s approval. Thus, on June 30, 1988, Archbishop Lefebvre and Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer consecrated four bishops—among them Richard Williamson—without the sanction of the Holy See, an act that resulted in their excommunication by Pope John Paul II.

That sentence, though juridically severe, became in many ways a crown of fidelity for those who stood in uncompromising opposition to the spirit of Vatican II. Far from deterring his mission, it only strengthened Bishop Williamson’s resolve to defend Catholic Tradition without concession.

Following his episcopal consecration, he served as the Society of St. Pius X’s (SSPX) Second Assistant General from 1988 to 1994, while simultaneously remaining rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Winona, Minnesota. During this period, he played a key role in forming generations of priests dedicated to the Traditional Latin Mass and immutable Catholic doctrine.

As a bishop, he carried out various episcopal functions, including confirmations and priestly ordinations, ensuring the uninterrupted transmission of valid sacraments within the traditionalist movement. In 1991, he played a pivotal role in assisting the consecration of Licínio Rangel as bishop for the Priestly Society of St. John Mary Vianney (SSJV), following the death of its founder, Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer. This consecration ensured the continuity of the traditional apostolate in Brazil, particularly for those who remained steadfast in their rejection of Vatican II’s ecclesial innovations.

In 2003, Bishop Williamson was appointed rector of the Seminary of Our Lady Co-Redemptrix in La Reja, Argentina, where he continued his work of priestly formation. His tenure was marked by unwavering doctrinal rigor, emphasizing the necessity of rejecting the errors of modernism and holding fast to the faith as it had been handed down through the centuries.

“Firstly however, if a man really and truly envies the certainty of Catholic believers, he should apply his mind to studying how reasonable are Catholic beliefs. They may be above human reason, but they are not against it. How could they be? How could God both be the creator of our human reason and then impose on it to believe truths flouting that reason? He would be contradicting Himself. St. Thomas Aquinas in his “Summa Theologiae” is constantly showing how faith and reason are quite distinct, but in perfect harmony with one another. (letter #174)”
Bishop Richard Williamson, Eleison Comments Volume 1

Though his excommunication was officially lifted by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009, it did nothing to moderate his opposition to the ongoing doctrinal and liturgical disintegration within the Church. If anything, it reinforced his conviction that Catholic Tradition could not be reconciled with the modernist ethos prevailing in post-conciliar Rome. He continued to speak boldly, challenging both compromise within the SSPX and the ever-deepening crisis in the Church, remaining to the end a defiant voice for Tradition in an era of widespread ecclesiastical capitulation.

Bishop Richard Williamson’s remarks on the Holocaust, made during a 2008 Swedish television interview, became a source of significant controversy, drawing criticism from both civil authorities and Catholic leaders. His statements, which questioned aspects of the historical narrative regarding World War II, led to legal proceedings in Germany and contributed to his eventual expulsion from the SSPX in 2012. The Vatican, while clarifying that his views were entirely separate from the Church’s position, requested that he reconsider his statements in light of historical evidence. The incident further distanced him from mainstream traditionalist circles, reinforcing his reputation as an independent and often polarizing figure.

A Bishop in Exile: The Preservation of Apostolic Succession

By the early 21st century, as the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) navigated its complex relationship with Rome, signs of a more conciliatory posture began to emerge from its leadership. Increasing overtures toward regularization with the post-conciliar Church sparked deep concerns among those within the Society who feared that such negotiations would come at the cost of doctrinal compromise.

Among those most vocal in his opposition to these developments was Bishop Richard Williamson, whose unwavering commitment to Catholic Tradition made him an uncompromising critic of any perceived rapprochement with what he saw as a Rome lost to modernism. Viewing the Society’s increasing engagement with the Vatican as a dangerous departure from Archbishop Lefebvre’s original mission, he repeatedly warned against any movement toward reconciliation that did not first require an unequivocal rejection of the errors of Vatican II.

This stance placed him in direct conflict with the SSPX leadership, particularly Bishop Bernard Fellay, then-Superior General, who sought a path toward canonical recognition while maintaining the Society’s independence. The tension between Bishop Williamson and the SSPX hierarchy became increasingly public and contentious, with Williamson issuing sharp rebukes against any willingness to negotiate with Rome under the prevailing conditions.

As the 2012 SSPX General Chapter approached, this growing discord reached its breaking point. In what was seen as both a tragic rupture and an inevitable conclusion, Bishop Williamson was expelled from the Society on October 24, 2012, officially on the grounds of disobedience and insubordination. For his supporters, however, his expulsion marked the Society’s final departure from its original militant stance in defense of uncompromising Tradition.

Despite his dismissal, Bishop Williamson remained undeterred. Refusing to abandon the fight for Catholic orthodoxy, he pressed forward with even greater resolve, determined to ensure that the legacy of Archbishop Lefebvre’s resistance would not be lost to history. He founded the St. Marcel Initiative, bringing together some 60 priests from around the world, mostly former members of the SSPX. Seeing the grave crisis afflicting the post-conciliar Church and recognizing that Traditional Catholicism needed bishops who would not capitulate, he undertook the consecration of bishops without Rome’s mandate, a move that was as controversial as it was, in his mind, necessary.

The Bishops Consecrated by Bishop Williamson

Bishop Richard Williamson has consecrated several bishops to uphold and propagate Catholic Tradition. Below is a detailed overview of each individual:

1. ✠Jean-Michel Faure (French, born September 1941, Algeria)
   Consecrated on March 19, 2015, in Nova Friburgo, Brazil, Bishop Faure was a former member of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) ordained priest by Archbishop Lefebvre, June 1977 at Écône, Switzerland. He was a founding member of the South American apostolate of the SSPX, variously seminary rector, professor in Argentina and District Superior of Mexico. He opposed the Society’s discussions with Rome and later founded the Société des Apôtres de Jésus et de Marie (SAJM), on August 22, 2016 to continue Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre’s work.
2. ✠Tomás de Aquino (Miguel) Ferreira da Costa (Brazilian, born in Rio de Janeiro, 1954)
   Consecrated on March 19, 2016, in Brazil. Ferreira da Costa, was a Benedictine monk (solemnly professed 1976) and after his priestly ordination by Archbishop Lefebvre at Écône, Switzerland, a founding member of the monastery at Le Barroux in 1980. On May 3rd, 1987 the monastery of Santa Cruz was officially founded and Father Thomas Aquinas became the prior. The monastery sought episcopal oversight from Bishop Williamson when he left the SSPX in 2012.
3. ✠Gerardo Zendejas (Mexican, born 1963 in Mexico City)
   Consecrated on May 11, 2017, in Vienna, Virginia. He received his theological education and clerical formation at the FSSPX seminary in La Reja, Argentina, where he was ordained a priest in 1988. That same year, he became pastor of the FSSPX in Colombia and was appointed prior of Bogotá in 1989. In 1992, he founded a school for underprivileged children under the Fraternity’s patronage. From 1996, he worked in Mexico, first in Guadalajara, then at a nursing home in Zapotiltic (1997). In 1998, he was sent to the United States, managing the FSSPX-run retirement home in Ridgefield, where he later became prior (2000). Transferred to Texas in 2009, he served as prior in Dickinson and oversaw a school there. In 2014, he joined the FSSPX Resistance, eventually affiliating with the Priestly Fraternity of the Apostles of Jesus and Mary (SAJM) in 2017.
4. ✠Giacomo Ballini (Italian)
   Consecrated in January 2021, Bishop Ballini is an Italian priest (ordained at Écône, Switzerland on June 29 2011) who was leading the Cork branch of the St. Marcel Initiative, a group founded by Bishop Williamson to promote traditional Catholicism. He famously led a procession in protest at the Irish Government’s handling of the Covid pandemic. Bishop Williamson announced this consecration, which was in secret, on January 5, 2023.
5. ✠Paul William Morgan (British, born in England, 11 August 1963)
   Consecrated on February 14, 2022, in Cork, Ireland, Bishop Morgan was ordained by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre at Écône on 29 June 1988. He has served in the United States and the Philippines, served as Principal of St. Michael’s, the Society’s school, and was Superior of the SSPX in Great Britain between 2003 and 2015. He is the son of William J. Morgan, a lay theologian who was an advocate of the sedevacantist theory
6. ✠Michał Stobnicki (Polish, born in Poland in 1987)
   Consecrated on August 15, 2022, in Poland, Bishop Stobnicki was a Polish priest (ordained by Bp Williamson on 1 July 2017,) who was leading the Polish branch of the St. Marcel Initiative, a group founded by Bishop Williamson to promote traditional Catholicism. He attended the SSPX seminary in Zaitzkofen, Germany, until 2008 and spent a few weeks at the new seminary of the Institute of the Good Shepherd in Courtalain, before continuing formation under the direction of Bishop McKenna OP and Bishop Andrés Morello. In 2014 he graduated from law school in Poland.
7. ✠Carlo Maria Viganò (Italian, born Varese, Italy, 16 January 1941)
   In January 2024, it was reported that Bishop Williamson performed a conditional episcopal consecration for Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò. He was ordained a priest on 24 March 1968 by Bishop Carlo Allorio. He earned a doctorate in utroque iure (both canon and civil law). On 3 April 1992, Viganò was appointed Titular Archbishop of Ulpiana and Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Nigeria by Pope John Paul II. At the close of his mission to Nigeria in 1998, he was assigned to functions within the Secretariat of State as delegate for Pontifical Representations, then as Secretary-General of the Governorate of Vatican City State from 2009 to 2011. He then served as Apostolic Nuncio to the United States from 2011 to 2016, and is an outspoken critic of the current papacy.

These consecrations, performed without papal approval, led to renewed accusations of schism and automatic excommunication under Canon 1382 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law. However, Bishop Williamson saw them as acts of moral necessity, undertaken in the same spirit that animated Archbishop Lefebvre in 1988: to ensure that valid, uncompromised sacraments would continue for future generations of faithful Catholics.

A Legacy of Fidelity Amidst Persecution

Bishop Williamson’s final years were marked by an unyielding commitment to Catholic Tradition. He continued to confirm, ordain, and instruct, drawing both admiration and condemnation in equal measure. To his critics, he was an intransigent polemicist; to his supporters, he was a prophetic voice in a time of apostasy.

While not a sedevacantist, Bishop Williamson occupied a unique position in the traditionalist landscape—more radical than the mainstream SSPX but refusing to deny the existence of a legitimate pope. His approach can be best described as “practical sedeprivationism”—acknowledging the reigning pope while regarding him as so doctrinally compromised that he is unfit to govern. This ambiguity allowed him to engage with both SSPX-aligned traditionalists and sedevacantists, while also making his precise stance a subject of debate even among his supporters. [See Impact]

Regardless of one’s stance on his more controversial views, one thing remains certain: Bishop Williamson never wavered. In an age when so many clerics sought compromise, he remained a sign of contradiction, bearing in his person both the burden and the blessing of standing with the immutable Faith.

His death marks the passing of one of the most uncompromising voices in the post-conciliar resistance, but his legacy endures in the bishops he consecrated, the priests he formed, and the countless faithful who, through his ministry, remained rooted in the Faith of their fathers.

May his soul rest in peace, and may his labours continue to bear fruit in the Church he loved and fought for with such unswerving conviction.

✠Requiescat in pace.