Scoopfeeds — Intelligent news, curated.
Vatican excommunicates hundreds of thousands of splinter sect followers
international

Vatican excommunicates hundreds of thousands of splinter sect followers

BBC World · Jul 2, 2026, 3:44 PM · Also reported by 4 other sources

Key takeaways

  • EPAImage caption, Worshippers at a Mass organised by the Society of Saint Pius X in Switzerland on Wednesday
  • More than half a million Christians who are part of a conservative Catholic splinter sect, the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), have been excommunicated by the Vatican.
  • On Wednesday the sect, named after Pope Pius X known for his resistance to modernisation, consecrated four new bishops in Geneva against Pope Leo XIV's direct instruction.

Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.

EPAImage caption, Worshippers at a Mass organised by the Society of Saint Pius X in Switzerland on Wednesday

More than half a million Christians who are part of a conservative Catholic splinter sect, the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), have been excommunicated by the Vatican.

On Wednesday the sect, named after Pope Pius X known for his resistance to modernisation, consecrated four new bishops in Geneva against Pope Leo XIV's direct instruction.

Article preview — originally published by BBC World. Full story at the source.
Read full story on BBC World → More top stories

Also covered by

Aggregated and edited by the Scoop newsroom. We surface news from BBC World alongside other reporting so you can compare coverage in one place. Editorial policy · Corrections · About Scoop