• The Vatican has excommunicated six bishops from the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) after unauthorized ordinations.
• All adherents of the SSPX are also now considered in schism with the Church.
• The decree follows a ceremony in Écône, Switzerland, attended by about 15,000 supporters.
• The Church insists that only the pope can authorize the consecration of bishops, to maintain apostolic continuity.
• This situation echoes a historic rift that occurred nearly 40 years ago when the society first faced excommunication.

The Vatican announced on Thursday that six bishops associated with the ultra-conservative Society of St Pius X (SSPX) have been excommunicated due to their involvement in the unauthorized consecration of four new bishops in Écône, Switzerland. This ceremony was conducted without the approval of Pope Leo XIV, marking a significant breach of the Church's directives, which stipulate that only the pope can authorize such consecrations, thus safeguarding the apostolic ties to the original disciples of Jesus Christ, according to Reuters and CBS News.

This latest decree also declared that any lay Catholics who "formally adhere" to the SSPX have similarly placed themselves outside the communion of the Catholic Church. The act of ordaining bishops without papal sanction is categorized as a "schismatic act," leading to the automatic excommunication of all participants involved in the ceremony, including both newly ordained and presiding bishops, according to South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera.

The Society of St Pius X, which has a significant following of around 600,000 globally, has historically opposed the liberal reforms introduced by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. This group, founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, has sought to maintain traditional Catholic teachings and liturgy, often leading to tensions with the Vatican. The recent ordinations also echo a long-standing feud that dates back to similar actions taken by Lefebvre in 1988, which resulted in a prior round of excommunications, as noted by Reuters and CBS News.

A plea for reconciliation was issued by Pope Leo on the eve of the consecration, expressing his "deep sorrow" over the situation and emphasizing the gravity of such a schismatic act. "To tear the seamless garment of Christ is a sin of extreme gravity," he stated, urging the society members to reconsider their actions, according to South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera.