Father Michael Mary, the New Zealand-born leader of the Catholic monastic community Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, is expected to undergo an unauthorized episcopal consecration in late July on Papa Stronsay, a remote island in Scotland. This act, which would elevate him to the status of bishop without papal approval, has drawn condemnation from official Catholic authorities and is likely to result in excommunication.

Father Mary, whose legal name is Gregory Sim, oversees the Transalpine Redemptorists, a traditionalist group that was ordered to leave Canterbury, New Zealand, following a Vatican inquiry into abuse allegations. The findings of that investigation remain confidential, and the group denies any wrongdoing. The planned consecration, announced by Monseigneur Pierre Roy—a Canadian bishop operating outside the authority of the Catholic Church—is described by the group’s supporters as a necessary step to establish Mary as the only legitimate bishop in Oceania. Roy alleges that the Catholic Church’s leadership is compromised by "enemies of God," justifying the illicit ceremony.

Aberdeen Bishop Hugh Gilbert, who initially helped the Sons gain formal recognition within the Church and permitted them to function in his diocese, confirmed that the consecration would be “unlawful and a grave act of disobedience.” Bishop Gilbert stated that it would be conducted without a papal mandate and by prelates who reject the legitimacy of Pope Leo XIV. He urged the faithful not to participate in the ordination and characterized the move as harmful rather than beneficial to the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Diocese of Christchurch reinforced that any unauthorized consecration would have no effect on existing Church directives in New Zealand, which currently restrict the Sons’ members from celebrating Mass. Religion scholar Peter Lineham identified the upcoming consecration as a significant schismatic event, emphasizing that the creation of bishops requires explicit papal approval. He indicated the Church’s disciplinary process would likely culminate in excommunication and highlighted that the group’s public denunciations of the Vatican deepen the existing rift.

Within the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, internal tensions appear to have increased. Father Colin Marshall, a traditional Latin Mass priest and former longtime associate of Mary, expressed little surprise at this development, describing Mary as consistently anti-authority. Marshall welcomed recent defections of priests and a subdeacon from the community and encouraged more departures. These personnel changes followed the disappearance and subsequent death of 24-year-old monk Justin Evans, known as Brother Ignatius.

Father Anthony Mary, another leader in the order, acknowledged in a recent interview that two priests and a brother attempted to leave the community without permission. According to him, these members had local bishop approval but were intercepted, a situation he cited as evidence of opposition from Church authorities.

The Vatican and Father Michael Mary have been contacted for comment but have yet to respond. As the situation develops, Church officials and observers are closely monitoring the potential repercussions of an unauthorized consecration and its impact on the already fraught relationship between the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer and the institutional Catholic Church.