The Vatican announced the excommunication of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) and all members formally adhering to the group following the organization’s ordination of bishops without authorization from Pope Leo. Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, head of the Holy See’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, stated that the group had committed “an act of a schismatic nature” subject to automatic excommunication under canon law. The Vatican also invalidated sacraments previously administered by SSPX priests and reversed concessions granted by the late Pope Francis.
The SSPX, founded in the Swiss village of Écône in 1970, conducted an ordination ceremony on Wednesday that attracted approximately 16,500 attendees. Pope Leo had attempted to prevent the ordinations before the ceremony, characterizing them as a “schismatic act” and a “sin of extreme gravity.” The society maintained that ordaining bishops faithful to Catholic tradition constituted a “sacred duty.”
The SSPX rejects several reforms established during the Second Vatican Council held between 1962 and 1965, including the use of local languages in Mass rather than Latin exclusively. The organization also rejects interfaith dialogue and does not recognize other Christian churches. Despite its relatively small membership of approximately 1,500 priests and seminarians, the society claims a following of 150,000 to 200,000 people worldwide, particularly in the United States, France, and Argentina.
This confrontation marks the first significant clash between the Vatican and SSPX since 1988, when the group’s founder Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and four bishops he had ordained were excommunicated by Pope John Paul II. Pope Benedict XVI lifted those excommunications in 2009. Pope Leo, who took office in May, has prioritized church unity and attempted dialogue with traditionalist factions before pursuing the excommunication decision.
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