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Vatican Declares SSPX in Schism and Excommunicates Six Bishops

The Holy See withdrew pastoral concessions and set formal steps for return after the Society of St. Pius X consecrated bishops without papal approval, creating immediate pastoral and canonical consequences.

The consecration of four new bishops was considered a schismic act by Pope Leo XIV
Status of the Immaculata Church in St. Marys within the Catholic Church is uncertain. Pope Leo XIV had urged Society of Saint Pius X leaders to not consecrate their own bishops and threatened excommunication. SSPX went forward with consecrating four bishops July 1.
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(From L) The new traditionalist Catholic bishops French Marc Hanappier, French Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, US' Michael Goldade and Swiss Pascal Schreiber stand next to Swiss traditionalist Catholic Bishop of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) Bernard Fellay during the schismatic consecration of bishops by the traditionalist Catholic Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) in Econe, western Switzerland, on July 1, 2026. On June 30, 2026, Pope Leo XIV urged the Society to abandon its plan to ordain bishops without Vatican approval, warning it would lead to automatic excommunication. Founded in 1970 in Econe by French bishop Marcel Lefebvre, the Society of Saint Pius X categorically rejects the changes in the Church since the Second Vatican Council. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • The Society of St. Pius X went ahead with a five‑hour consecration at its Écône seminary on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, elevating four priests to bishops in a ceremony attended by roughly 15,000–17,000 people.
  • On Thursday, July 2, 2026, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a decree declaring the consecrations a schismatic act and naming six clerics—the two consecrators and the four newly ordained—as excommunicated.
  • The decree said priests and lay members who 'formally adhere' to the SSPX are also in schism and warned that confessions and marriages performed by SSPX clergy will be treated as invalid, reversing prior papal concessions that had allowed some SSPX sacramental ministry.
  • SSPX leaders defended the ordinations as necessary for preserving tradition and called Vatican penalties illegitimate, leaving thousands of faithful and clergy facing immediate uncertainty over sacramental status and canonical standing.
  • The Holy See said it will welcome those who seek return and outlined procedures for reconciliation that include proof of ordination, a profession of faith, and acceptance of Vatican II and Rome’s sacramental norms, though practical steps and the prospects for renewed talks remain unclear.