What is SSPX, the secretive rebel Catholic group expelled by the Pope

The SSPX, a group of ultra-conservative Catholics, consecrated four bishops and livestreamed the ceremony in defiance of Pope Leo. The Vatican was quick to expel the members. The incident has revived scrutiny of the traditionalist group's long conflict with the Church.

In Short

• The society was founded in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in France
• It emerged from fierce opposition to reforms introduced by Vatican II
• The council under Pope John XXIII sought to modernise the Catholic Church

A secretive rebel group of ultra-conservative Catholics, known as the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), has come under global spotlight for openly defying the Vatican. Earlier this week, the SSPX consecrated four bishops in defiance of Pope Leo XIV. The group did not carry out the ceremony in secret. It livestreamed the event, sending a clear message to the Pope. It has drawn renewed attention to the controversial group, which has firmly put itself in a direct collision course with the Vatican.

On Thursday, the Vatican formally excommunicated the priests and members of the SSPX who were involved in the consecration ceremony. This means the SSPX members are now officially barred from taking part in religious rites of the Church. It has also been declared to be in schism, which means the group is no longer under the authority of the Vatican.

The ceremony was led by Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, who himself was consecrated without the consent of the Pope in 1988. In fact, the group has a long history of being at odds with the Vatican.

Before diving into the controversies, it is important to understand what the SSPX is, how it came into existence, and why it has remained in conflict with the Vatican for decades.

WHAT IS SOCIETY OF ST. PIUS X OR SSPX?

The Society of St. Pius X, or SSPX, was founded in 1970 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. It was born out of its strict opposition to the liberal reforms to the church introduced by the Second Vatican Council, which was held from 1962 to 1965.

It is regarded as among the landmark gatherings in the church's history. Held under Pope John XXIII, the Second Vatican Council took steps to modernise the Catholic Church, much to the chagrin of some traditionalist Catholics.

The SSPX believes it alone is upholding the traditions of the church and the Catholic faith. Its key aim is to bring a better, purer version of Catholicism.

While Lefebvre died in 1991 at the age of 85, other members have carried the group. Today, it has around six lakh followers. In comparison, the Catholic Church has more than 1.4 billion members.

The SSPX runs priories, chapels, and missions around the world. Several hundred priests are under its command.

Despite its controversies, the SSPX has endured. It claims to have representation in dozens of countries, including the United States, France and Argentina.

Over the decades, the SSPX has consistently defied the Vatican over multiple policies.

Previously, it has opposed "ecumenism", which was adopted in the Second Vatican Council to promote cooperation and unity among different Christian denominations. The SSPX is also against replacing Latin with local vernacular languages in the Mass.

It has also clashed with the Vatican's move to have priests face the congregation when holding Mass, preferring the medieval practice of facing the altar.

Perhaps the biggest controversy involving the outfit happened in 1988. The SSPX found itself in a similar situation to the one at present.

Then Archbishop Lefebvre, the society's founder, consecrated four bishops without the permission of the Pope, John Paul II. The Pope expelled all the members, including a British bishop, Richard Williamson. However, Pope Benedict lifted the order in 2009.

The outfit now finds itself in another major controversy. As of today, the SSPX has no legal standing in the church.

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