Pope Francis Warns Against Schism as Four Bishops Ordained by Traditionalist Group

Pope Francis has cautioned against a formal schism within the Catholic Church after the traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) proceeded with the ordination of four new bishops without Vatican approval. The ceremony, held at the SSPX's seminary in Écône, Switzerland, drew thousands of adherents, underscoring the group's continued defiance of Rome.

The Vatican considers these ordinations illicit, as the SSPX rejects several reforms introduced by the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), particularly regarding religious freedom, ecumenism, and the revised Mass. The society maintains that it is preserving orthodox Catholic tradition in the face of perceived modernising deviations within the Church.

The SSPX was founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who himself was excommunicated in 1988 for consecrating four bishops without papal mandate. While Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of these bishops in 2009 in an attempt at reconciliation, the underlying doctrinal disagreements have persisted. This latest act by the SSPX leadership marks a further hardening of positions, making any immediate rapprochement unlikely and intensifying concerns in Rome over a formal split.