Vatican issues final warning to breakaway traditionalist group SSPX
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- The Vatican issued a final warning to the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), stating their planned consecration of bishops without papal consent on July 1 constitutes a schismatic act leading to automatic excommunication.
- SSPX, founded in 1970 opposing Vatican II reforms, broke with Rome in 1988 after consecrating bishops without approval, resulting in excommunications; the group has since grown globally with schools, seminaries, and clergy.
- SSPX leader Rev. Davide Pagliarani insists on the need for new bishops to serve their expanding faithful, citing a crisis in the Church regarding faith and morals, despite ongoing but stalled Vatican dialogue.
- The consecrations pose the first major challenge to Pope Leo XIV, who aims to heal divisions with traditionalist Catholics worsened under Pope Francis, whose 2021 restrictions on the Latin Mass sparked controversy.
- Traditionalist Catholics sympathetic to SSPX are closely watching Leo's response, with critics arguing that Francis’ crackdown (Traditionis Custodes) created the crisis by limiting traditional liturgical practices and alienating faithful.