Econe, Switzerland — The ultratraditionalist Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) is defying Pope Leo XIV by consecrating four bishops without papal approval at its seminary in Econe, Switzerland. This act results in an automatic excommunication for the involved bishops, constituting a schismatic rupture within the Catholic Church.
The Latin Mass ceremony, held Wednesday before thousands of devotees, marks a pivotal challenge to papal authority. Pope Leo XIV has prioritized reconciliation and addressing tensions with traditionalists that escalated under Pope Francis’s leadership.
Established in opposition to the Second Vatican Council’s reforms, the SSPX rejects Vatican II’s changes, including vernacular Masses and expanded interfaith dialogue. The group was founded in 1970 but faced Vatican suppression after its founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, consecrated bishops without papal consent in 1988.
Lefebvre and the four bishops were excommunicated by the Vatican, and the SSPX remains without canonical status. Despite this, the group has grown, boasting over 750 priests, 264 seminarians, and members from 50 nationalities.
Under canon law, self-consecrated bishops are validly ordained but illicitly appointed. While the excommunication is immediate, experts suggest the Vatican may address the matter publicly due to the SSPX’s visible defiance.
Excommunication serves as a disciplinary measure to prompt repentance, though it does not invalidate the consecrations. Pastor Robert Gahl of Catholic University of America notes the penalty is intended to correct wrongdoing, not to nullify sacraments.
Although Leo could extend excommunications to attendees, including lay Catholics, such action is unlikely. Notably, Pope Francis previously granted limited concessions to the SSPX, allowing confessions and marriages to be validly celebrated by their priests—a policy he later extended.
The Holy See could revoke these concessions as part of its response. While Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montefeltro, a papal advisor, celebrated a Latin Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in 2023 to promote unity, Francis had previously restricted the Latin Mass’s spread, citing concerns over division.
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