The Vatican has excommunicated six traditionalist clerics affiliated with the Society of St. Pius X — two bishops and four priests — for ordaining one another without papal mandate. The ordinations took place yesterday in Switzerland, directly against the explicit will of Pope Leo and in violation of canon law. The decision was issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican body responsible for safeguarding doctrinal orthodoxy.
Consequences for Supporters
The Holy See also warned that lay Catholics who deliberately and consistently participate in liturgical celebrations led by the excommunicated clergy — without prior papal permission — may themselves face canonical penalties. Any sacraments administered by the suspended clerics are to be considered invalid.
Longstanding Tensions
The Society of St. Pius X was founded in 1970 in Switzerland by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, a staunch critic of reforms introduced after the Second Vatican Council. In 1975, the Vatican ordered its dissolution; Lefebvre refused to comply. His 1988 unauthorized episcopal consecrations led to his own excommunication — along with the four newly ordained bishops — by Pope John Paul II.
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI sought reconciliation, lifting the excommunications of the surviving bishops and permitting the traditional Latin Mass. Yet full communion with the Church remained unachieved. In 2019, Pope Francis directed the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to reassess the society’s activities amid ongoing concerns about doctrinal adherence and ecclesial unity.
Who Are the Lefebvrists?
The traditionalist movement rejects key pastoral developments within the Catholic Church — including outreach to divorced and remarried Catholics and LGBTQ+ people — and insists the Church must remain strictly faithful to pre-conciliar tradition. Its members champion the Tridentine Mass in Latin and often accuse recent popes of excessive compromise. Globally, the society includes approximately 720 priests, around 700 chapels or churches, and some 500,000 adherents.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin expressed cautious hope for renewed dialogue: “Despite what has happened, I hope the conversation can restart and a solution found.”