Pope Leo Excommunicates Rebel Bishops Amid Schism Fears

WHO:

CNN - Father Michael Goldade, one of the newly ordained bishops, stated, “The ‘modernist church’ is a desert that kills everything that it touches.”

CNN - Pope Leo XIV

CNN - Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX)

CNN - Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican’s secretary of state

CNN - Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of SSPX

CNN - Father Michael Goldade, one of the newly ordained bishops

WHAT:

NPR - The Society of St. Pius X justified the consecrations by invoking a state of necessity, stating that only two of the four bishops consecrated in 1988 are still alive, limiting the society's capacity to ordain new priests.

NPR - The SSPX has an expanding global community of 800 churches in 77 countries, including 1,482 vocational members, with 733 priests and 264 seminarians, serving an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 lay followers.

BBC News - The ceremony was attended by more than 1,000 clergy and another 15,000 faithful, who wore free "Écône 2026" hats.

CNN - The Vatican’s decree states that the four bishops and two bishops who participated in the ordination are excommunicated.

CNN - The decree warns all “clerics and the lay faithful” not to formally follow the society as they will automatically incur the penalty of excommunication.

CNN - In a final appeal to the Society of Saint Pius X, Pope Leo XIV warned that the ordinations would be a “schismatic” act and a “sin of extreme gravity.”

CNN - The Vatican's latest action goes further than the sanctions imposed in 1988, which were limited to the bishops.

CNN - The Vatican's decree includes a note stating that “the Church, as a caring mother, will welcome with sincere affection and active care all those who wish to return to full communion.”

CNN - Father Michael Goldade, one of the newly ordained bishops, stated, “The ‘modernist church’ is a desert that kills everything that it touches.”

CNN - Cardinal Pietro Parolin expressed his “deep sorrow” about the ordinations, stating they “break the unity of the Church and incur very specific sanctions – fundamentally, excommunication.”

CNN - The Vatican's latest ruling states that any marriage or confession offered by SSPX will be considered “invalid,” a change from previous allowances made by Pope Francis.

CNN - The Vatican announced that priests and members of SSPX are in schism and excommunicated.

CNN - Four new bishops were ordained by SSPX without papal approval.

CNN - The Vatican's decree states that the four bishops and two bishops who participated in the ordination are excommunicated.

CNN - Excommunication means exclusion from the sacraments of the church.

CNN - The decree warns that any clerics or lay faithful who formally follow SSPX will incur excommunication.

CNN - The Vatican ruling states that any marriage or confession offered by SSPX will be considered “invalid.”

BBC News - Thousands of worshippers attended the ordination ceremony in the Swiss Alps.

WHERE:

BBC News - Thousands of worshippers attended a ceremony in the Swiss Alps as part of the breakaway Society of Saint Pius X.

BBC News - Thousands of worshippers attended the ordination ceremony in the Swiss Alps.

CNN - The ordination ceremony took place in Switzerland.

CNN - SSPX has a headquarters in Missouri and a seminary in Dillwyn, Virginia.

WHEN:

CNN - The ordinations occurred on a Wednesday, with the Vatican's announcement following on Thursday.

CNN - The last action from the Vatican goes further than sanctions imposed in 1988.

WHY:

CNN - The schism is rooted in the Lefebvrists' refusal to accept certain fundamental elements of the Church, particularly those established by the Second Vatican Council.

CNN - The ordinations were carried out in defiance of Pope Leo XIV’s wishes and warnings.

CNN - The schism stems from opposition to church reforms introduced in the 1960s by the Second Vatican Council.

HOW:

NPR - The entirety of the five-hour Mass was conducted in Latin, except for the introduction, the sermon, and occasional announcements.

CNN - The Vatican’s doctrinal office published a decree regarding the excommunication and schism, which is described as a wide-ranging clampdown on the SSPX.

CNN - The Vatican’s doctrinal office published a decree regarding the excommunication and schism.

(UPDATED July 2, 2026 23:19 UTC)

The Society of St. Pius X has justified recent consecrations by citing a state of necessity, noting that only two of the four bishops consecrated in 1988 are still alive, which limits their ability to ordain new priests. The society boasts an expanding global community of 800 churches across 77 countries, with 1,482 vocational members, including 733 priests and 264 seminarians, serving an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 lay followers. During a recent ceremony attended by over 1,000 clergy and 15,000 faithful, the entire five-hour Mass was conducted in Latin, aside from the introduction, sermon, and occasional announcements, with attendees sporting free "Écône 2026" hats.

(UPDATED July 2, 2026 15:43 UTC)

In a significant development, the Vatican has issued a decree excommunicating four bishops, including Father Michael Goldade, who recently stated that the "modernist church" is a desert that kills everything it touches. This decree also warns all clerics and lay faithful against formally following the breakaway Society of Saint Pius X, as doing so would result in automatic excommunication. The schism stems from the Lefebvrists' refusal to accept key elements established by the Second Vatican Council, and thousands of worshippers gathered in the Swiss Alps to witness the controversial ordination ceremony.

(UPDATED July 2, 2026 13:37 UTC)

Pope Leo XIV has issued a final appeal to the Society of Saint Pius X, warning that their ordinations would be a “schismatic” act and a “sin of extreme gravity.” This latest decree from the Vatican goes beyond the sanctions imposed in 1988, which were limited to bishops, and includes a note expressing the Church's willingness to welcome back those seeking full communion. The ordination ceremony, attended by thousands of worshippers, took place in the picturesque Swiss Alps, where newly ordained Bishop Father Michael Goldade criticized the “modernist church” as a desert that kills everything it touches.

(UPDATED July 2, 2026 11:49 UTC)

Cardinal Pietro Parolin has expressed his deep sorrow over recent ordinations by the Society of Saint Pius X, stating that they break the unity of the Church and lead to excommunication. In a significant shift, the Vatican has ruled that any marriage or confession offered by SSPX will now be considered invalid, reflecting a departure from previous allowances made by Pope Francis. This decision stems from the longstanding schism caused by the Lefebvrists' refusal to accept key elements of the Church established by the Second Vatican Council, and the Vatican’s doctrinal office has issued a decree to enforce this clampdown on the SSPX.

(UPDATED July 2, 2026 10:01 UTC)

The Vatican has declared that priests and members of the Society of Saint Pius X, or SSPX, are in schism and excommunicated following the ordination of four new bishops without papal approval in Switzerland. This decree states that not only are the newly ordained bishops excommunicated, but also the two bishops who participated in the ordination, and it warns that any clerics or lay faithful who formally follow SSPX will incur the same penalty. The Vatican's ruling further invalidates any marriage or confession offered by SSPX, marking a significant escalation from sanctions imposed back in 1988.