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Vatican punishes SSPX with schism and excommunication for ordaining bishops despite pope’s warning
The Vatican has formally declared the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) in schism and excommunicated its leaders after they consecrated four new bishops despite Pope Leo XIV’s warning that it would be ‘an extremely grave sin.’ The society’s sacraments are now considered invalid.
Ordination Ceremony and Excommunication Decision
The Vatican formally declared the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) in schism with the Catholic Church. In a decree issued Thursday, the society’s bishops, priests, and lay members who knowingly participated in the consecration of four new bishops without Pope Leo XIV’s approval were excommunicated; they will no longer be considered Church members, and their sacred rites are now considered illicit.
The crisis erupted with a five-hour ordination ceremony on Wednesday at the SSPX seminary in Econe, Switzerland. The ceremony, attended by around 16,500 faithful, saw Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta consecrate Pascal Schreiber, Michael Goldade, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, and Marc Hanappier as bishops through the laying on of hands.
Pope Leo XIV had warned in a letter on Tuesday ahead of the ceremony that the unauthorized consecration would be ‘an extremely grave sin’ and would ultimately harm the faithful. Despite the pope’s appeal, the SSPX leadership went ahead with the ordination, stating that defending traditional Catholic faith against modernizing reforms was a ‘sacred duty.’
Automatic Excommunication and SSPX’s Response
According to Catholic Church law, any bishop who consecrates a bishop without papal approval, and the newly consecrated bishops, incur automatic excommunication. The Vatican’s doctrinal office stressed in its decree that SSPX’s sacraments—such as marriages and confessions—are now invalid.
SSPX, meanwhile, rejected the penalties. A statement read during the liturgy argued that the consecration was a ‘sacred duty’ to preserve the Catholic faith. The society’s superior general, Father Davide Pagliarani, said: ‘Many will see this as a rebellion; but the greatest sacrifice God could ask of us is to be treated as rebels while wanting to serve a mother who is struggling.’
SSPX and the Second Vatican Council
Founded in 1970 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, SSPX is a traditionalist movement that opposes the reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), particularly the abandonment of the Latin Mass tradition. Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly emphasized that the council contains ‘essential elements’ of Catholic teaching, while SSPX rejects some of those reforms.
Today, SSPX operates worldwide with its own bishops, hundreds of priests, seminaries, and religious communities. Although it considers itself Catholic, according to the Vatican it has no official status within the Church.
A Similar Schism in 1988
The current crisis echoes an episode from 1988, when SSPX founder Lefebvre consecrated four bishops without Pope John Paul II’s permission, and the Vatican declared the act schismatic and excommunicated them. One of those consecrated was Alfonso de Galarreta, who played the leading role in this week’s ceremony.
Pope Benedict XVI lifted the 1988 excommunications in 2009 to promote dialogue, but SSPX never gained legal status within the Church. That reconciliation effort turned into an embarrassment for Benedict and sparked a crisis with Jewish leaders because one of the four bishops whose excommunication was lifted was Holocaust denier Richard Williamson.
The Vatican’s latest decision is seen as the most serious challenge to Pope Leo’s authority since his election last year, and a heavy blow to efforts to heal divisions within the Church.
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