Pope Leo XIV issues a call to the Society of Saint Pius X, warning that the ordination of bishops without his approval will constitute a grave sin.

Pope Leo XIV is facing a major challenge from the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), a traditionalist group that intends to ordain four bishops without his approval, an action the pope considers 'schismatic'.

In a letter addressed to the group, he emphasizes the seriousness of the sin of breaking the unity of the Church, imploring them to return to communion with the Catholic Church. The ordinations are scheduled to take place at the seminary in Écône, Switzerland, and if they occur, the new bishops will be excommunicated. SSPX, founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, rejects the Church's reforms of recent decades, including the use of modern languages in the liturgy.

This situation highlights the tensions between radical traditionalism and papal authority, endangering the unity of the Catholic Church.