The Vatican has excommunicated members of the Society of St. Pius X after the ultra-traditionalist group ordained four bishops without papal approval, marking the first major crisis of Pope Leo’s papacy.
According to The New York Times, the ordinations, carried out in Switzerland despite repeated warnings from Rome, amounted to a schismatic act under Church law, triggering automatic excommunication for the bishops involved.
The SSPX, founded in 1970, has long opposed Second Vatican Council reforms, including vernacular Mass and interfaith engagement, operating independently for decades despite past reconciliation efforts. Church authorities described the ordinations as a direct challenge to papal authority.
The SSPX has indicated it will continue its activities, while the Vatican maintains the penalties remain in force unless the group returns to full obedience.
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