The Vatican announced the excommunication of six bishops associated with the ultraconservative Society of St. Pius X on July 2, 2026. This decision followed the group’s decision to consecrate four new bishops in Econe, Switzerland, a move that directly defied a formal request from Pope Leo XIV to stop the ceremony.
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith labeled the event an act of schism, stating that these ordinations violated canon law. The penalties apply to the four newly ordained men—two French citizens, one American, and one Swiss—as well as the two existing bishops who oversaw the rite. The Vatican further warned that any lay Catholics who formally support the group will face the same excommunication, declaring that sacraments like marriages or confessions performed by the new bishops are invalid.
Society of St. Pius X leadership, including Superior General Davide Pagliarani, described the event as a historic necessity to preserve traditional faith, citing opposition to reforms from the Vatican II Council. The group, founded in 1970 by Bishop Marcel Lefebvre, maintains a strict adherence to pre-1960s Roman Catholic practices, such as the Latin Mass. Despite years of efforts by the Holy See to reconcile with the movement, officials expressed that these latest actions have once again wounded the unity of the Church.
