The Vatican has moved decisively against the Society of Saint Pius X after the ultra-traditionalist Catholic group ordained four new bishops without papal approval. In its decree, the doctrinal office said the bishops, two participating bishops, priests who belong to the society, and lay members who formally adhere to it are in schism and excommunicated.
The ruling escalates a long-running conflict between the group and the mainstream Church, and it follows direct warnings from Pope Leo XIV. In a final appeal on Monday, Leo said the ordinations would be a “schismatic” act and a “sin of extreme gravity,” but the ceremony went ahead on Wednesday.
What the Vatican Said
According to the decree published Thursday, excommunication means the people involved are excluded from the sacraments of the Church. The Vatican also warned “clerics and the lay faithful” not to formally follow the society, saying they would automatically incur the same penalty.
| Group or Person | Vatican Status | Key Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Four newly ordained bishops | Excommunicated | Ordained without papal approval |
| Two bishops involved in the ceremony | Excommunicated | Participated in the ordination |
| Priests belonging to SSPX | In schism and excommunicated | Covered by the explanatory note |
| Lay members who formally adhere to SSPX | In schism and excommunicated | Also covered by the note |
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, said on Wednesday that he felt “deep sorrow” over the ordinations, adding that they “break the unity of the Church and incur very specific sanctions – fundamentally, excommunication.” Leo has not commented publicly since the ordinations were carried out.
A Break With Rome That Dates Back Decades
SSPX, also known as the Lefebvrists, was founded in 1970 in Switzerland by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. The group was later officially suppressed by the Bishop of Fribourg, and in 1988 it ordained four bishops without papal approval, triggering excommunication at the time.
The latest Vatican action goes further than the 1988 sanctions, which were limited to the bishops. The new ruling says any marriage or confession offered by the group will be considered “invalid,” even though Pope Francis had previously allowed SSPX to administer those sacraments.
The society’s break from the wider Church is rooted in its rejection of reforms from the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. Its supporters reject council teaching on religious freedom, ecumenism, and changes to Catholic worship, including Mass celebrated in languages other than Latin.
The council also condemned all forms of antisemitism, one of the major reforms that the group never accepted. During his pontificate, Leo XIV has made church unity a priority, with the link between the pope and bishops described as a foundation stone of that unity.
The Group’s Reach And The Latest Flashpoint
SSPX maintains an active presence in the United States, with a headquarters in Missouri and a seminary for training priests in Dillwyn, Virginia. One of the newly ordained bishops is Father Michael Goldade, who leads that seminary.
After the ordinations, Goldade said at a service that “The ‘modernist church’ is a desert that kills everything that it touches.” The remark underscored how far the group remains from the Vatican’s position, even as the Church says it remains open to those who want to return.
The Vatican’s note said the Church “as a caring mother, will welcome with sincere affection and active care all those who wish to return to full communion.” But for those who continue to support SSPX formally, the latest decree leaves little ambiguity about the consequences.
