The Catholic Church says 6 bishops from the ultra-dominant SSPX sect have been excommunicated as a decades-old dispute has been re-opened

in Rome – The Vatican announced on Thursday that six bishops associated with the ultra-conservative Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) were expelled following the unauthorized consecration of four new bishops the previous day in Écône, Switzerland.

The consecration was done without the permission of Pope Leo XIV. Under Catholic church law, only the pope can authorize the consecration of new bishops.

The Vatican said two consecrating bishops and four newly ordained bishops – including one American – found themselves excommunicated “latae sententiae” (automatically). The Church also declared that consecration constitutes an “act of conflict,” which represents a formal separation from the communion of the church.

Excommunication is one of the most severe penalties that can be imposed by the leadership of the Catholic Church. It prevents a Catholic from receiving any sacraments of the church such as baptism, communion or marriage.

Moving forward, the Vatican warned members of the SSPX that those who know and associate themselves with society should put themselves out of full communion with the Church.

The Holy See also revoked the abilities previously granted to SSPX priests to officially celebrate the sacraments of confession and marriage, meaning that those sacraments are no longer recognized as valid when administered by SSPX priests.

On the eve of the consecration, Pope Leo made a final request for unity, writing personally to the General Manager of the Society.

“I beg you and I beg you with all my heart: please go back!” wrote Leo, the first US-born pope.

The SSPX was founded in the 1970s by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in response to the liturgical and religious reforms that followed the Second Vatican Council. The community wanted to preserve the Traditional Latin Mass and what it considered to be the historic teachings of the Catholic Church.

Although initially established with the approval of the Vatican, relations with Rome continued to deteriorate as the SSPX rejected key aspects of the Council, particularly its teachings on religious freedom, the unity of religious groups and episcopal unity – or the principle that bishops collectively share responsibility for the governance of the Church.

The current schism echoes events that took place nearly forty years ago, when, in 1988, Archbishop Lefebvre ordained four bishops without papal consent, resulting in automatic excommunication.

Pope Benedict XVI proposed his excommunication of the surviving bishops in 2009 as part of an effort to promote reconciliation, but the public’s status as a saint has not been resolved.

Over the past fifty years, SSPX has grown into a global organization with approximately 600,000 followers. It operates seminaries, schools, retreat centers and hundreds of chapels around the world.

In the United States, SSPX is based in Kansas and operates the St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Dillwyn, Virginia, serves a nationwide network of chapels and schools.

The community claims to have 25,000 followers in the US

An estimated 15,000 people gathered on Wednesday in Écône to witness the episcopal consecration.

While expressing sadness at the breakup, the Holy See said it continues to pray that SSPX members will one day be restored to full communion with the Catholic Church.