The Vatican excommunicated priests and lay Catholics belonging to a splinter Catholic group in early July after it ordained bishops without Pope Leo’s approval.

This means that the Society of St. Pius X and all who “adhere formally” to the ultra-traditionalist group are now in a schism and “out of communion” with the wider Catholic Church.

Individuals who are excommunicated cannot receive sacraments, which are key elements of spiritual life for Catholics and believed to be visible signs of the grace of God.

The Society of St. Pius X, formed in 1970 in Switzerland, has several Texas chapels, though its presence in the Corpus Christi area appears limited.

According to a mass locator tool on the Society of St. Pius X’s website, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Mission in Portland is associated with the group, offering Sunday Mass twice a month. Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Mission could not be reached for comment.

Despite the similar names, St. Pius X Catholic Church and St. Pius X Catholic School in Corpus Christi are unrelated to the Society of St. Pius X. These institutions have the same namesake, Pope Pius X, who led the Catholic Church between 1903 and 1914.

St. Pius X Catholic Church and St. Pius X Catholic School are part of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.

“The Diocese of Corpus Christi is aware of the July 2, 2026, decree of the Holy See concerning the Society of St. Pius X,” read an emailed statement from the diocese shared on July 7 with the Caller-Times.

“Any activity of the Society of St. Pius X within the territory of the Diocese of Corpus Christi is conducted without the sanction of the Diocese of Corpus Christi and are subject to what is stipulated in the decree.”

The diocese said in the statement that Catholics should be aware that “the ministry exercised by the Society is not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Father Leo XIV: the sacraments celebrated by its ministers are illicit, and the sacraments of penance and matrimony administered by them are invalid. We ask the faithful to pray for the unity of the Church, one body in communion with the Holy Father.”

The schism has its roots in disagreements related to the Second Vatican Council, which pursued reforms within the Church in the late 1960s and allowed for Mass to be celebrated in local languages. Previously, Catholics celebrated Mass in Latin, a tradition the Society of St. Pius X maintains.

Olivia Garrett reports on education and community news in South Texas. Contact her at olivia.garrett@caller.com.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: What Corpus Christi should know on Catholic excommunications, schism