Pope Leo XIV and SSPX conflict

On 4 July 2026 Pope Leo XIV issued a decree excommunicating six members of the Society of Saint Pius X after the traditionalist group ordained four bishops without papal mandate. The Society’s superior, Davide Pagliarani, responded with an open letter calling the sanction unjust, expressing sorrow, and reaffirming loyalty to the Catholic Church while rejecting post‑Vatican II reforms.

By 27 July 2026 criticism of the pope’s handling of the ordinations intensified. Senior cardinals—including Raymond Leo Burke, Robert Sarah and Gerhard Ludwig Müller—publicly urged Leo XIV to intervene, calling for suspension of the ongoing synodal process, a doctrinal review, and a reassessment of recent reforms such as the “Traditionis custodes” restrictions. Their statements highlighted growing impatience among conservative clergy over perceived doctrinal drift and procedural excesses within the Church.

The two snapshots trace the escalation from an initial excommunication and Society rebuttal to broader ecclesiastical pressure on the pope to curb synodal reforms and address the unauthorized ordinations.