In 2009 Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunication of the bishops of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). The traditionalist Catholic group had entered into schism in 1988 when its founder, Marcel Lefebvre, consecrated four bishops without papal approval. However, Benedict clarified that the SSPX still had no canonical status and its ministers’ authority remained illegitimate in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church.
In 2017 Pope Francis made further concessions to the society, including approving a provision that guaranteed the validity of marriages celebrated by SSPX priests in traditionalist churches, under the condition that a canonically regular bishop had authorized the SSPX priest with the ability to witness or officiate the ceremony.
In early 2026 the SSPX announced plans to consecrate new bishops. Yet again the group did not have papal approval to do so, and the SSPX received several warnings from the Vatican that bishops who participated in the unauthorized consecrations would be automatically excommunicated. Despite these warnings, the SSPX consecrated four new bishops on July 1.