Vatican excommunicates ultra-conservative Catholic group SSPX after defying Pope's warnings

The Vatican has officially excommunicated the ultraconservative Catholic group, the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), and all its formally adhering members, following their defiance of Pope Leo. The group proceeded with the ordination of four new bishops without papal consent, despite explicit warnings from the Pontiff against such an act. This significant move by the Holy See declares the SSPX to be in schism.

This decision extends beyond the newly consecrated bishops and the clergy who performed the ceremony, encompassing all priests within the SSPX and any lay faithful who formally affiliate with the society. Pope Leo had previously made earnest appeals to halt the ordinations, characterizing the unsanctioned consecrations as a "schismatic act" and a "sin of extreme gravity."

The excommunication marks a serious rupture within the Roman Catholic Church, representing one of the most significant schisms in decades. The SSPX, founded in 1970, has a long history of opposing modernizing reforms within the Church and views itself as upholding traditional Catholic faith.