Catholic group goes medieval on Vatican, welcomes excommunication, says they would ‘rather die than renounce’ their principles

The Catholic Church is currently in the middle of an intense standoff with a rebel group known as the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). On Wednesday, the Vatican issued the ultimate religious threat, excommunication if the group sticks to its plans to ordain new bishops without the necessary approval from Pope Leo. Per Newsweek, the Vatican is making it clear that such an action would be viewed as a formal rupture, or schism, with the Church.

If you know your history, you know that all of those terms came with every major medieval clash with the Church.  Excommunication is the most severe penalty the Catholic Church can issue. It bars anyone who incurs it from receiving the sacraments or even participating in worship. If a member were to die while under this sanction, they would even be unable to receive a Catholic burial. 

The SSPX isn’t backing down, though. Their Superior General, Davide Pagliarani, sent a letter to the pope that laid out their position in no uncertain terms. He argued that the group has been warning the Vatican for more than 50 years about modernist “errors that are destroying Catholic faith and morals.” He also expressed frustration that the only response they’ve received from leadership has “appeared to be that of canonical sanctions.”

The level of threat issues is the best indicator of how serious the divide is, although SSPX seems to be confused

Despite their stand, the group insists they want to stay within the fold. Their letter stated that members “have no other desire than that of living and being confirmed in the Roman Catholic Faith,” but it also contained a defiant message: “we would rather die than renounce” our principles. 

The SSPX was founded by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in 1970. It was in response, or rather, rejection of the Second Vatican Council, which took place between 1962 and 1965. 

The council introduced major shifts in how the Church operates, including the use of local languages for services instead of the traditional Latin and the simplification of various rites. The SSPX has always pushed back against these changes, favoring the Latin Mass tradition because they believe it maintains a sense of mystery and formality.

Reuters notes that the group has been clashing with the Vatican for decades. In 1988, Archbishop Lefebvre actually consecrated four bishops without permission from the pope, which led to his automatic excommunication. While Pope Benedict XVI later lifted those sanctions in 2009 in a bid for reconciliation, the relationship has remained incredibly rocky ever since.

Michele Dillon, a professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, mentioned that the SSPX has been a “stubbornly sharp thorn in the side for every pope” since it was established. She thinks that Pope Leo is in a tough spot where he has to balance his desire for unity with the necessity of holding the line on papal authority. 

The Vatican’s discipline chief, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, was very blunt about the consequences of moving forward with these ordinations. He stated that the planned ceremony would constitute “a schismatic act” and noted that “formal adherence to the schism constitutes a grave offense against God and entails the excommunication established by the law of the Church.” He emphasized that these ordinations simply do not have the required papal mandate.

While the confrontation looks like the point of no return, some observers think the Vatican is still trying to keep the door open for a peaceful outcome. Robert Orsi, a professor of history at Northwestern University, suggested that the warning is a sign of the Vatican’s pastoral interest in finding a resolution. 

He pointed out that the authorities are giving the group a way to avoid the most extreme punishment and remain in a sound relationship with the Church. Despite the warning, the group has planned to proceed with its ordinations in July. Now it is a question of whether they will follow through and call the bluff of the 1.4-billion-member Church. 

The Vatican has had a few entertaining months, with a lot of conflict around the world. Most recently, it was a strong battle of words with Trump over the war in Iran. One that even prompted practicing Catholic, JD Vance, to caution the Pope.