The Vatican has formally declared the traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) to be in schism after the group consecrated four bishops without Pope Leo XIV's approval, warning that some lay Catholics who formally adhere to the society could also face excommunication.
In a decree issued by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican said Catholics who 'formally adhere' to the SSPX could also be considered excommunicated. However, it stressed that simply attending Mass celebrated by SSPX priests or supporting the traditional Latin Mass would not, on its own, incur the penalty.
