Traditionalist Catholic groups ordain bishops without papal approval in Switzerland and Scotland

On July 1, the Society of Saint Pius X in Écône, Switzerland consecrated four bishops without a papal mandate. The Vatican’s doctrinal office declared that, because the pope did not give consent, the participants incur automatic excommunication.

A separate traditionalist community, the Transalpine Redemptorists, announced that it will ordain a bishop on July 25 on Papa Stronsay in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, also without papal authorization. The bishop of Aberdeen publicly warned that the act constitutes a serious act of disobedience. Both events illustrate the ongoing clash between ultra‑conservative Catholic societies and the Holy See over reforms introduced after the Second Vatican Council.

The controversies have drawn attention from Catholic faithful and conservative political circles, raising concerns about a possible widening schism within the global church.