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Lefebvrians cause new schism in Catholic Church
🇨🇱 Chile /Culture & Society

Lefebvrians cause new schism in Catholic Church

From Cooperativa · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The traditionalist Catholic group Priests Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) ordained four bishops in Switzerland without papal authorization.
  • Pope Leo XIV requested the group reverse the ordinations, but they proceeded, leading to excommunication and a new schism.
  • This ultraconservative group, founded in 1970, opposes certain tenets of the Second Vatican Council, having caused a schism in 1988.

The ultratraditionalist Catholic group known as the Lefebvrians has caused a new schism within the Catholic Church by ordaining four bishops in Écône, Switzerland, without the Pope's permission. Pope Leo XIV had urged the Priests Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX) to halt the ordinations, but the group disregarded the request. The ceremony, attended by approximately 15,000 faithful and onlookers, was broadcast online in multiple languages.

The FSSPX, founded in 1970 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, rejects certain principles established by the Second Vatican Council. This is not the first time the group has clashed with the Vatican. In 1988, Pope John Paul II excommunicated Lefebvre and four bishops he had ordained without papal approval, marking a previous schism. While Pope Benedict XVI lifted those excommunications in 2009, the FSSPX has continued its standoff with the Church.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Cooperativa in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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