Italian Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X, delivers the sermon during the episcopal consecrations held in Ecône. Credit: fsspx.news
The Vatican excommunicated six bishops linked to the Society of St. Pius X after the traditionalist group consecrated four new bishops without papal approval, opening the deepest rupture between Rome and the movement since 1988. The decree, issued one day after the ceremony in Écône, Switzerland, declares the ordinations a schismatic act under Catholic canon law.
It also warns that priests and lay Catholics who formally adhere to the group place themselves outside full communion with the Catholic Church. The decision follows repeated appeals from Pope Leo XIV urging the society to cancel the ordinations before they took place.
Vatican declares a formal schism after unauthorized bishop ordinations
French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre founded the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) in 1970, reacting against Second Vatican Council reforms that introduced vernacular languages to the Mass and promoted ecumenical dialogue. The group has continued to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass and rejects several teachings adopted during the council.
Church law requires papal approval before bishops can consecrate new bishops. Even so, SSPX bishops Alfonso de Galarreta and Bernard Fellay proceeded with the consecration of Pascal Schreiber, Michael Goldade, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry and Marc Hanappier during a ceremony attended by thousands of supporters in Écône. The Vatican responded by declaring that all six bishops incurred automatic excommunication and that the consecrations created a formal schism.
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has sent a communication to bishops around the world outlining what must be done to welcome back those who decide to leave the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X following the schismatic act that led to excommunication.…
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) July 2, 2026
The decree came from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith under Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández. It states that SSPX clergy may no longer validly celebrate the sacraments of confession or marriage. The Vatican also warned that Catholics who formally align themselves with the society share responsibility for the schism unless they return to full communion with Rome.
Four decades of fragile dialogue shattered in Écône
The confrontation effectively shatters nearly four decades of delicate diplomatic efforts to repair relations between Rome and the traditionalist movement. In 1988, Archbishop Lefebvre’s original unauthorized consecrations triggered excommunications that Pope Benedict XVI later lifted in 2009 to restore dialogue. Years later, Pope Francis extended further olive branches by granting SSPX priests the authority to validly hear confessions and solemnize marriages, though the society still lacks full canonical status.
Pope Leo XIV had personally sought to maintain these open channels after his election, issuing direct appeals to SSPX leadership to halt the new ordinations. However, the group rejected those overtures, arguing that the consecrations were a necessary emergency measure to preserve traditional Catholic teaching.
For Vatican officials under Cardinal Fernández, that defiance crossed a definitive red line, reaffirming that total acceptance of the Second Vatican Council remains a non-negotiable condition for unity.
While previous pontiffs favored prolonged dialogue and selective concessions, Pope Leo’s administration has opted for immediate legal clarity, signaling the most severe canonical crackdown on the movement since the 1988 crisis. Beyond the automatic excommunications of the six bishops, the Holy See’s decree isolates the society’s 733 priests and its global network of schools and chapels, presenting lay Catholics with a stark ultimatum: recognize papal authority or face the severe canonical consequences of a formal schism.