The Vatican has excommunicated all members of the ultra-conservative Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) after the group ordained four bishops without Pope Leo's consent, creating a formal schism within the Roman Catholic Church. The announcement, made on Thursday by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, declared that the SSPX had committed a schismatic act under canon law, resulting in automatic excommunication.
The Vatican's response went further than anticipated, stating that all SSPX priests and Catholics who formally adhere to the group are now in schism and excommunicated. Additionally, the Vatican reversed concessions on sacraments granted by the late Pope Francis, meaning confessions and marriages performed by SSPX priests are considered invalid.
Background and Context
The SSPX was founded in 1970 in the Swiss village of Écône. It rejects key reforms from the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), including the use of local languages in Mass instead of Latin, and opposes interfaith dialogue. The group has an estimated 1,500 priests, seminarians, and other vocational members, with a following of 150,000 to 200,000 people worldwide, particularly in the US, France, and Argentina.
Pope Leo had made a last-ditch effort to stop the ordinations, labeling them a schismatic act and a sin of extreme gravity. However, the SSPX argued that ordaining bishops faithful to Catholic tradition was a sacred duty.
Details of the Ordination Ceremony
The ordination ceremony, held on Wednesday, drew an estimated 16,500 attendees, including members of Italy's neofascist New Force party and the far-right National Future party, which threatens Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's re-election prospects. The event highlighted the SSPX's ties to far-right political movements.
Andrea Vreede, Vatican correspondent for NOS, explained that the Vatican hopes the harsh measures will lead some to repent and return to the Church. She noted that the SSPX pursued ordinations due to a shortage of aging bishops, a hope that Pope Leo would be more tolerant than Francis, and a desire to capitalize on the global far-right resurgence.
Historical Precedent and Impact
This is the first major clash between the Vatican and the SSPX since 1988, when founder Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and four bishops he ordained without Pope John Paul II's permission were excommunicated. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI lifted those excommunications, but shortly after, Bishop Richard Williamson caused controversy by denying the Holocaust.
Vatican journalist Marco Politi noted that while the SSPX staged a big show, the schism will not dramatically impact Pope Leo or the Church, given the global Catholic population of 1.4 billion. He emphasized that Leo's attempts at dialogue and subsequent firm stance are likely to be appreciated by Catholics.
Vreede added that the schism, while a nuisance, will not damage Pope Leo, as it is a minor group. She expects Leo to continue prioritizing unity without appeasing traditionalists.
