Catholic Church Declares Society of St. Pius X in Formal Schism
Your Daily Update for July 6, 2026. Plus: A group of ultra-conservative Catholics known as the Society of St. Pius X has officially separated from the Vatican.
Welcome to today’s daily update for Monday, July 6, 2026. Here’s everything you need to know.
The Breakdown
A group of ultra-conservative Catholics, who call themselves the Society of St. Pius X, have established an formal schism with the Church, separating from the leadership of the Pope. Let’s break down the situation.
Back in the 1960s, the Catholic Church – the central authority for Roman Catholics, the largest sect of Christianity with more than 1.4 billion followers – began to modernize. This looked like changing their official language from Latin to local languages, and fundamental changes to their way of life – for example, becoming more accepting of other religions.
However, a group of ultra-conservatives, led by Archbishop Lefebvre, separated from the Church and created a sect of their own, now known as the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). As Lefebvre neared the end of his life in 1988, he ordained four new bishops without the permission of then-Pope John Paul II, solidifying an official schism from the Church.
In the Catholic Church, the Pope is the supreme authority who has final say on all controversial matters. Below the Pope are cardinals, who are senior bishops that advise the Pope at the Vatican. A bishop oversees a particular region known as a diocese, while archbishops are sightly more powerful and oversee larger areas known as archdioceses. Priests are the lowest in ranking, overseeing individual churches.
In order to reach the ranking of bishop, priests must be formally ordained via a mandate from the Pope. An absence of this mandate is, therefore, seen as an illegitimate ordainment in the eyes of the Church.
Additionally, a schism is an official breakaway from the Catholic Church. This schism is solidified via an excommunication from the Pope, which formally excludes that person or group from mainstream Catholicism.
However, relations with the SSPX improved over the following decades, and Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications on the bishops in 2009. Nevertheless, they remained on the traditionalist side, refusing to agree with the Church’s modernized reforms.
Then, earlier this week, history repeated itself. Two of the four bishops originally ordained in 1988 have since passed away, leaving the SSPX without a set of leaders to continue at the helm of the Society as the remaining two enter their older years. For this reason, the group told Pope Leo XIV earlier this year that they planned to ordain four new bishops – a move which the Pope strongly warned against.
On Wednesday, July 1, the SSPX officially ordained those four bishops at a massive ceremony in Écône, Switzerland, leading the Vatican to once again excommunicate the four bishops from 1988 in addition to the latest four and re-establish a schism with the Church.
However, this time, the Vatican went one step further. The Church established that any Catholic who follows the SSPX will also be excommunicated from mainstream Catholicism, and all sacraments performed by the Society’s priests, including baptism, confession, and marriage, are therefore spiritually invalid.
In Catholicism, a sacrament is considered an encounter with the divine, using physical elements like bread, water, or oil to communicate God’s blessing and presence to believers. Catholics believe that there are seven key sacraments, including baptism, confirmation, confession, and marriage.
The situation is not the same as 1988 – it has escalated, and the 600,000 followers of the SSPX are being forced to choose between the Society and the Catholic Church.
However, the SSPX has remained confident:
“There will one day be another pope who opens the door and welcomes us back. Just like Pope Benedict.”
Georg Kopf, Excommunicated SSPX Priest
The Global Snapshot
Archaeologists have uncovered a revolutionary, relatively well-preserved ancient city from the Byzantine era in western Egypt. The massive site – which includes roads, public spaces, and various buildings – is located at the Dakhla Oasis in Egypt’s western desert, and is helping scientists and historians discover new information about daily life, economic operations, and social situations during the time period.
Firefighters are battling serious wildfires across Portugal, Spain, and Greece as high temperatures move back into Europe. One fire in the region of Vouzela, in central Portugal, has burned more than 30,000 acres, and over 1,200 firefighters have been mobilized to help contain it. Meanwhile, Greece is suffering from multiple major fires, including two that are burning near the cities of Athens and Thessaloniki. Hundreds of firefighters, along with dozens of planes, have joined the fight, but authorities are warning locals to stay inside to avoid inhaling the noxious smoke.
Brazilian soccer star Neymar has confirmed that he will retire from the national team after the country’s loss to Norway in a knockout match yesterday. Norway’s Erling Haaland scored two goals, while Neymar scored one at the tail-end of the match.
Also on the topic of the FIFA World Cup, the decision to suspend a one-match ban for American player Folarin Balogun has sparked outrage, particularly among the Belgian national team. Balogun received a red card in the United States’ game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, which usually warrants a ban for that player for the following match – a crucial round-of-16 knockout match against Belgium, taking place tonight at 8 pm EST. However, Trump himself made a call to the FIFA administration, and the ban was suspended. Critics questioned the ethics behind the decision and argued that the suspension of the ban was simply a move to avoid angering the increasingly unpredictable Donald Trump.
Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): In season 5 of Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul (Jesse) was paid a staggering $150,000 per episode.
Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Investing should be more like watching paint dry or watching grass grow. If you want excitement, take $800 and go to Las Vegas. (Paul Samuelson)
Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Acquisitive (adj, uh-KWIZ-uh-tiv) - Someone or something described as acquisitive is characterized by a strong desire to own or acquire more things.
In a Sentence: The game aims to teach middle schoolers to balance their acquisitive instincts with a consideration of what will benefit society as a whole.
Image: James Capaldi / CC BY 2.0