Pope Leo has made a last-ditch plea to the ultra-conservative Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) to abandon its plans to ordain four new bishops without Vatican approval, warning that such a move would constitute a "schismatic act" and a "sin of extreme gravity." The ordination ceremony is scheduled for 1 July at the SSPX seminary in Ecône, Switzerland, the same village where the society was founded in 1970 to oppose liberalising reforms from the Second Vatican Council.
Background on the Society of Saint Pius X
The SSPX, founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, rejects key reforms from Vatican II (1962–1965), including the introduction of local languages into the Mass, which had previously been celebrated only in Latin. The society has a significant following in the United States, with a large base in Kansas, as well as in France, Argentina, and other countries. It currently has nearly 1,500 priests, seminarians, and other vocational members.
Pope's appeal and warnings
In a letter addressed to Rev. Davide Pagliarani, the superior general of the SSPX, Pope Leo wrote: "I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: please turn back!" He emphasised that the ordinations would be a "schismatic act" that could lead to automatic excommunication for the newly ordained bishops and the consecrating bishop. "I urge you to consider carefully the spiritual good of the faithful, because the schismatic act you are about to undertake would deprive them of the licit and, in some cases, even valid reception of the sacraments," the pope wrote. He added: "I pray for you, because to tear the seamless garment of Christ is a sin of extreme gravity."
SSPX response
Marc-André Mabillard, media manager for the SSPX, told the Associated Press that the society is changing "absolutely nothing" in its plans. He expressed "great sadness to not be understood by our leader" and added: "We don't fear it. It pains us immensely, but we believe that the good we seek is greater than the pain that will be inflicted upon us."
Potential consequences and historical context
The ordinations risk further straining the Catholic Church's relationship with rightwing and traditionalist Catholics and could be the first major crisis for Pope Leo, who since his election in May last year has prioritised unity. Church law stipulates that such ordinations constitute an act that could provoke a schism—an intentional rupture of the church's unity—and could lead to automatic excommunication. In 1988, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and four bishops he ordained without permission from Pope John Paul II were excommunicated, including British bishop Richard Williamson. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications, but shortly before, Williamson caused uproar by denying the Holocaust.
Expert insight
Christopher White, author of Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy and a senior fellow at Georgetown University, said: "The fact that he's made it clear that there will be consequences, namely excommunication, attests to the gravity of the situation—and that he's not willing to turn a blind eye to rogue, schismatic behaviour simply for the sake of preserving a false unity."
