The Vatican excommunicated members of the Society of Saint Pius X on July 2, 2026, one day after the traditionalist group ordained four bishops without papal permission in Switzerland, triggering expressions of sorrow and calls for prayer from six United States bishops whose dioceses are home to SSPX communities.

The ordinations, carried out July 1 in defiance of Vatican authority, prompted the Holy See to declare the sacraments of penance and matrimony administered by SSPX clergy invalid. Vatican officials outlined a path for reconciliation with members of the breakaway group, though the path requires acceptance of the Church’s teaching authority and the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

Bishops Signal Pastoral Concern

Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. of Kansas City–St. Joseph, Missouri, under whose jurisdiction the SSPX maintains its United States headquarters, described the ordinations as “unfortunate and indeed, a source of grief.” His counterpart in Kansas City, Kansas, Bishop Shawn McKnight, also issued a statement acknowledging the gravity of the moment.

Three bishops in the Northeast—Douglas J. Lucia of Syracuse, New York; Terry R. LaValley of Ogdensburg, New York; and Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota—joined in expressing concern. Bishop LaValley stressed that the division between the SSPX and the Church extends far beyond liturgical practice. “The division is not simply about the celebration of Mass and the sacraments,” he stated, pointing to deeper doctrinal disagreements.

Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison, Wisconsin, also released a statement supporting the Vatican’s action.

SSPX Presence Across U.S. Dioceses

The SSPX maintains a significant footprint in several American dioceses. Syracuse contains two SSPX parishes, a priory, and a school. Kansas City, Kansas, is home to what SSPX members describe as the world’s largest church built by the organization. The group’s American administrative center operates in Missouri under Bishop Johnston’s pastoral authority.

The SSPX has rejected the teachings and reforms of the Second Vatican Council since the 1960s, including the Council’s positions on religious liberty, ecumenism, the collegial relationship between the episcopate and the papacy, and the Church’s engagement with Judaism. That foundational disagreement with the magisterium has defined the group’s stance for decades.

Path Forward

The Vatican, in its July 2 decree, set conditions for reconciliation with SSPX members. Those seeking to return to full communion with the Church must accept papal authority and the validity of the Second Vatican Council’s teachings and reforms. The Holy See indicated that the sacraments administered by SSPX priests—except for penance and matrimony, which it declared illicit—retain their sacramental effect, though pastoral complications remain.

The ordination of the four bishops without authorization represents a formal challenge to papal jurisdiction. Under Catholic canon law, only the Pope may ordain bishops or authorize their ordination. The SSPX’s decision to proceed unilaterally triggered the automatic excommunication of those involved and deepened the schism that has separated the group from the universal Church.

Bishops across the country have called the faithful to prayer during this period of division. The statements emphasize pastoral accompaniment for Catholics affected by the SSPX presence in their communities and invite members of the traditionalist society to seek reconciliation by accepting the full teachings of the Church.