The Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), a traditionalist Catholic group, proceeded on Wednesday with the consecration of four bishops without authorization from Pope Leo, an action that triggers automatic excommunication under Catholic church law. The ceremony took place in the Swiss village of Ecône and was livestreamed, featuring Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta performing the ritual laying of hands on the four new bishops—individuals from Switzerland, France, and the United States.
The SSPX defended the ordinations through a statement read during the ceremony, declaring them a “sacred duty” toward the church and its tradition. The group maintains that any punishments or censures resulting from this action hold no validity in their view. The pope had previously urged the society to abandon the ordinations, characterizing them as a “schismatic act” and describing them as a “sin of extreme gravity.”
Founded in 1970, the SSPX opposes reforms implemented following the Second Vatican Council, which took place between 1962 and 1965. The council introduced changes including the permission to celebrate mass in local languages rather than exclusively in Latin. Despite the society’s rejection of such modernizations, the Wednesday ceremony itself was conducted in French with translations provided in English, German, Italian, and Polish, and included a QR code for remote donations.
The organization operates internationally with a substantial following, maintaining approximately 1,500 priests, seminarians, and other vocational members across locations including the United States, France, and Argentina. The event represents the first major confrontation between the Vatican and the SSPX since 1988, when the society’s founder and four bishops faced excommunication for similar unauthorized ordinations. Pope Leo, elected in May of the previous year and noted as the first North American pope, has prioritized church unity and reconciliation with traditionalists, making this development potentially significant for his papacy.
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