Pope Leo excommunicates bishops over unauthorized consecrations
Pope Leo excommunicates bishops over unauthorized consecrations
The Vatican has formally declared the traditionalist Society of St Pius X (SSPX) to be in schism after the group consecrated four bishops without the approval of Pope Leo XIV, escalating one of the Catholic Church’s longest-running internal disputes.
In a decree published on July 2 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican announced the automatic excommunication of all bishops involved in the consecration ceremony held at the SSPX seminary in Econe, Switzerland.
The decree stated that Bishops Alfonso de Galarreta and Bernard Fellay, who presided over the ceremony, together with newly consecrated Bishops Pascal Schreiber, Michael Goldade, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry and Marc Hanappier, had incurred excommunication latae sententiae under canon law.
A schism is a formal division or split within a group, organisation, or movement, typically caused by a deep disagreement over ideas or beliefs.
According to the Vatican, the excommunications can only be lifted by the pope.
The SSPX carried out the consecrations despite repeated warnings from the Holy See and a final personal appeal from Pope Leo XIV, urging the group to reconsider the move for the sake of church unity.
“In this spirit, and filled with Christian affection, I plead with you and ask you with all my heart: Please turn back,” Pope Leo XIV wrote in his letter to the society before the ceremony.
The Vatican had earlier warned on May 13 that proceeding with the consecrations without papal approval would constitute a schismatic act resulting in automatic excommunication for all bishops involved.
The ceremony nevertheless proceeded on Wednesday before thousands of followers, deepening the decades-long rift between the traditionalist movement and Rome.
Founded in 1970 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the SSPX rejects several teachings and reforms introduced during the Second Vatican Council, including positions on religious freedom, interfaith relations and the use of vernacular languages during Mass.
In addition to excommunicating the bishops, the Vatican declared SSPX priests schismatic and invalidated certain sacraments administered by them, including confession and marriage.
The latest sanctions reverse years of Vatican outreach aimed at reconciling the group with Rome, including efforts by Pope Benedict XVI, who lifted the earlier excommunication in 2009 in an attempt to reopen dialogue.
Further, the SSPX had previously faced similar sanctions in 1988 after Archbishop Lefebvre consecrated bishops without papal approval, prompting the Vatican at the time to declare the act schismatic and automatically excommunicate those involved.
