Pope's warning defied as controversial bishops ordained in Switzerland
Despite an appeal by Pope Leo XIV, the traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) ordained four new bishops in Switzerland, raising fears of a schism in the Catholic Church.
Thousands gathered in the tiny Swiss village of Écône to witness the ordination of four new Catholic bishops, defying a last-minute appeal by Pope Leo XIV. The four bishops—one from the United States, one from Switzerland, and two from France—belong to the controversial Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), which rejects key modernizing reforms introduced by the Vatican in the 1960s and 1970s, including the permission to hold Mass in local languages instead of Latin.
Earlier this week, Pope Leo urged SSPX leaders not to proceed with the ordination, calling it a "schismatic act" that could "tear the seamless garment of Christ." On Wednesday morning, under grey Alpine skies, the society ignored the appeal. At least 15,000 people watched as hundreds of robed priests processed through the village to a large tent where the ceremony took place.
During the ritual, the four bishop candidates prostrated themselves before an altar, their heads on red velvet pillows. Organ music played, and the ordination vows were taken in Latin. However, their time as bishops may be brief. The last time SSPX ordained new bishops, in 1988, they were immediately excommunicated. Although Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunication in 2009 in an unsuccessful attempt to heal the rift, Pope Leo is also expected to exclude the new bishops from the Catholic Church.
Founded in 1970 by controversial French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, SSPX has always sought to preserve a medieval mystique where priests and the Mass are seen as closer to God and separate from ordinary people. The society has consistently opposed Vatican policies aimed at making the Church more accessible, such as interfaith relations and religious freedom.
SSPX Superior General Davide Pagliarani denied trying to sustain the rift, saying the ordination was taking place out of love for the Pope. The defiance poses a challenge to Pope Leo, who is relatively new in his role. Although SSPX is small—with an estimated 600,000 followers compared to the Catholic Church's 1.4 billion—it is present in dozens of countries, including the US. The ordination was live-streamed on YouTube in seven languages, and attendees could buy commemorative baseball caps and Swiss wine bottles at $92 each. While Pope Leo views the new bishops as illegitimate, he may avoid further actions that could worsen the feared schism.
