Pope Leo XIV urges SSPX to halt unauthorized bishop consecrations, warns of schism

On 29 June 2026, Pope Leo XIV sent an 11‑day‑old letter to Fr. Davide Pagliarani, superior general of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), pleading “with all my heart: please turn back”. The Society plans to consecrate four new bishops on 1 July 2026 at its seminary in Écône, Switzerland, without a papal mandate. The Pope warned that such an act would constitute a schismatic violation of canon law, trigger automatic excommunication for the consecrating bishop and the four ordinands, and could deprive the faithful of licit—often valid—reception of sacraments such as confession and marriage. He described the act as “a sin of extreme gravity” and urged the Society to consider the spiritual welfare of its members, while reiterating the Vatican’s willingness to continue dialogue.

The SSPX, a traditionalist group of roughly 600,000 adherents, 700 priests and 264 seminarians worldwide, has declined to cancel the ceremony, describing it as necessary to preserve “the true tradition” of the Church. The dispute echoes the 1988 schism when Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre ordained bishops without papal approval, leading to excommunication that was later lifted in 2009. Pope Leo XIV’s appeal marks the first major crisis of his pontificate and highlights the ongoing tension between the Holy See and the Lefebvrist movement.