Ultraconservatives x Leo XIV: Vatican declares Society of Saint Pius X in schism and excommunicates bishops

Pope Leo XIV faces crisis with traditionalist groups
The Vatican declared this Thursday (2) that the Society of Saint Pius The Holy See also announced the excommunication of the bishops linked to the organization, declared the sacraments celebrated by them invalid and instructed the faithful not to join the group.
The decision was announced one day after the fraternity challenged Pope Leo XIV by ordaining four bishops without authorization from the Holy See, in a ceremony held in Écône, Switzerland, considered by the Vatican to be a "schismatic act". to the superior of the Society of Saint Pius X, Father Davide Pagliarani, to give up the ceremony. In a letter released by the Vatican, the pontiff asked the group to "renounce the project" and warned of the consequences of the decision.
Four new bishops were consecrated - two French, one American and one Swiss - in front of thousands of faithful gathered at the fraternity's headquarters.
Schismatic consecration of bishops carried out by the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), a traditionalist Catholic group, in Ecône, in western Switzerland, on July 1, 2026.
AFP
According to the Holy See, the ordination of bishops without the pope's consent breaks communion with the Catholic Church. With the decision announced this Thursday, the Vatican states that the bishops of the fraternity are excommunicated, that the sacraments celebrated by them are invalid and that priests and lay people who join the group will also be considered in schism.
Group rejects Church reforms
The Fraternity of Saint Pius masses in Latin, celebrations with the priest facing the altar - with his back to the faithful - and the rejection of part of the liturgical and pastoral reforms adopted by the Church in recent decades.
The Vatican's decision marks a new escalation in the crisis between the Holy See and the Society of Saint Pius (FSSPX) in Ecône, in western Switzerland, on July 1, 2026
FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP
What does the Society of Saint Pius X stand for?
Founded in 1970 by the French bishop Marcel Lefebvre, the Society of Saint Pius council marked one of the greatest reforms in the recent history of the Catholic Church. Among the changes, masses were no longer necessarily celebrated in Latin and began to be held in the language of each country. Priests also began to celebrate with the faithful in mind, and the Church expanded dialogue with other religions.
The fraternity, however, considers that these reforms distorted the Catholic tradition. The group advocates the preservation of the liturgy prior to the Second Vatican Council and a stricter interpretation of the Church's doctrine.
This photograph shows the tonsure of consecrated French bishop Michel Poinsinet de Sivry during the schismatic consecration of bishops by the Society of Saint Pius AFP
A conflict that spans decades
The confrontation between the Society of Saint Pius X and the Vatican did not start now. In 1988, the founder of the community also ordained four bishops without authorization from the then Pope John Paul II, despite an appeal to withdraw from the decision.
At the time, the ordination led to the excommunication of those involved. The punishment was suspended in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI, in an attempt at rapprochement, but the canonical situation of the fraternity remained irregular and the differences were never fully resolved.
Now, with the ordination of four new bishops, the group once again directly challenges the authority of the Vatican, reopening an impasse that spans six pontificates and places Leo XIV facing one of the first major crises of his government.
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Ultra-conservative group challenges Leo XIV and deepens crisis with the Vatican
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Source: G1