UPDATE: POPE LEO XIV EXCOMMUNICATES BREAKAWAY CATHOLIC BISHOPS . (PHOTO).

 POPE LEO XIV EXCOMMUNICATES BREAKAWAY CATHOLIC BISHOPS 

Bishops a splinter group "fired"

By Christopher Lamb  

Rome — The Vatican announced Thursday that priests and members of a breakaway Catholic group that ordained four new bishops without Pope Leo XIV’s approval are in schism (split over belief, doctrine, loyalty) and excommunicated. 

The Society of Saint Pius X, SSPX went ahead with the ordinations on Wednesday, July 1 at its seminary in Econe, Switzerland, despite appeals from Pope Leo to reverse the decision. 

The Vatican’s doctrinal office published a decree saying: 

1. The four new bishops are excommunicated 

2. The two bishops who ordained them are also excommunicated 

3. Priests and lay members who “formally adhere” to SSPX are in schism and excommunicated 

4. Any marriage or confession offered by the group will be considered “invalid” 

Excommunication excludes them from the sacraments of the Church. 

The doctrinal office set out steps for priests to return: write to the pope asking for the penalty to be lifted, sign a profession of faith, and pledge not to publicly attack the pontiff. The note said, “the Church... will welcome with sincere affection and active care all those who wish to return to full communion.” 

Background: SSPX 

Founded in 1970 in Switzerland by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. In 1988 the group ordained four bishops without papal approval and were excommunicated. This week’s action goes further than 1988, applying to priests and lay adherents too. 

At the core is rejection of reforms from the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s — including religious freedom, ecumenism, and Mass in languages other than Latin. 

On June 16, Pope Leo said the group “refuse to accept certain fundamental elements of the Church.” On Monday he warned the ordinations would be a “schismatic” act and a “sin of extreme gravity.” He has not commented since. 

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, said Wednesday the ordinations “break the unity of the Church and incur... excommunication.” 

 

One of the newly ordained bishops is Fr. Michael Goldade, who leads the SSPX seminary in Dillwyn, Virginia. The group has a U.S. headquarters in Missouri. CNN