Vatican excommunicates all members of ultra-conservative rebel group SSPX

The Vatican has officially removed all members of an ultra-conservative Catholic group, the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), from the church. This action, called excommunication, was taken because the group ordained four bishops without the Pope Leo's permission. This has created a serious disagreement, or schism, within the Roman Catholic church.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández announced on Thursday that the SSPX had committed an act of a schismatic nature. According to church law, this automatically leads to excommunication. The Vatican decided to excommunicate not only the bishops but all priests and any Catholics who formally support the SSPX group. The Vatican also cancelled previous agreements that allowed SSPX priests to perform valid sacraments like confessions and marriages.

A schism means a deep and formal break within a religious organisation. Andrea Vreede, a Vatican correspondent, explained that the Vatican hopes this strong action against the leaders and members will encourage them to regret their actions and return to the church. Being excommunicated means you are no longer part of the church community.

Pope Leo had made a final attempt to stop the ordinations, calling them a schismatic act and a sin of extreme importance. However, the SSPX stated that ordaining bishops who were completely loyal to the church's traditions was a sacred duty. This event took place during a ceremony attended by about 16,500 people.

The SSPX is a group that disagrees with major changes made during the second Vatican council, which took place between 1962 and 1965. For example, they prefer that mass be said only in Latin, as it was before the council, and they do not support dialogue with other religions or recognise other Christian churches. Despite being a smaller group, the SSPX has attracted a significant following worldwide, particularly in the US, France, and Argentina.

Since becoming Pope in May last year, Pope Leo has aimed to bring unity to the church and has tried to resolve disagreements with traditionalist groups, which had become more serious during the previous Pope Francis's time. The SSPX believed Pope Leo might be more understanding of their views because he adopted some older traditions, like wearing traditional papal clothing.

The society also needed new bishops as their current ones were getting old. They believed the current global rise in far-right political movements might help their cause. However, Pope Leo has decided to take a firm stance. This situation is the first major clash between the Vatican and the SSPX since 1988, when the founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, and four bishops he ordained were excommunicated. Pope Benedict later lifted these excommunications in 2009.

Vatican journalist Marco Politi suggested that although the SSPX created a significant event, the schism will not greatly affect Pope Leo or the Catholic church, especially when compared to the church's 1.4 billion members. Politi added that it was clear Pope Leo attempted to reach an agreement, and his firm reaction shows his commitment to church rules. He also noted that Catholics who oppose the Pope and are excommunicated are usually not on the side of the majority.