Vatican Excommunicates SSPX's 1,500 Members After 4 Unauthorized Bishop Ordinations
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 2
Vatican Excommunicates SSPX's 1,500 Members After 4 Unauthorized Bishop Ordinations
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 2
Summary
Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández said the Vatican now considers all SSPX priests and Catholics who formally adhere to the group excommunicated, widening sanctions beyond the six bishops tied to Wednesday's ordinations in Ecône.
The Holy See said the four bishop ordinations, carried out without Pope Leo's consent, were a schismatic act under canon law despite his last-minute appeal to halt them.
About 16,500 people attended the Ecône ceremony as SSPX defended the move as a sacred duty to preserve Catholic tradition and reject post-Vatican II reforms such as vernacular Mass.
The rupture poses Pope Leo's first major crisis since his election in May last year, testing his push for church unity as the traditionalist group retains strong bases in the US, France and Argentina.
Will Pope Leo XIV's first major act heal the Church's divisions, or create a permanent rift with traditionalists worldwide?
After decades of failed talks, does this schism mark the end of Catholic traditionalism or the birth of a new church?
SSPX Defies Pope Leo XIV: Four Bishops Consecrated Illicitly in 2026, Prompting Vatican Excommunications
Overview
On July 1, 2026, the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) defied Pope Leo XIV’s direct appeal and proceeded with unauthorized episcopal consecrations in Écône, Switzerland, using the Traditional Latin Mass. This act echoed the 1988 event when Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre similarly consecrated bishops without Rome’s approval, leading to excommunication. The timing underscored the SSPX’s ongoing challenge to Vatican authority. Despite the new bishops swearing loyalty to the pope, their actions resulted in swift excommunication by the Vatican, highlighting the deep and persistent rift between traditionalist groups and the Holy See.