Controversial bishops ordained as Pope warns of 'schism' in Catholic Church

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock Image caption, Four priests from Switzerland, the US and France were ordained during a ceremony in the Alpine village of Écône By Imogen Foulkes Geneva correspondent Published 25 minutes ago Thousands of people have gathered in a tiny village in Switzerland to witness the ordination of four new Catholic bishops, in defiance of an appeal by Pope Leo XIV. The four, one from the United States, one from Switzerland, and two from France, are members of the controversial Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), also sometimes known as Lefebrvistes after SSPX's founder Marcel Lefebvre. The Society rejects key modernising reforms introduced by the Vatican in the 1960s and 1970s, including permission to hold Mass in languages spoken by the congregation, rather than only in Latin. Pope Leo made a last minute appeal to SSPX leaders earlier this week not to proceed with the ordination, describing it as a "schismatic act", which could "tear the seamless garment of Christ". But on Wednesday morning, under cool grey Alpine skies, the society defied the Pope – regarded by millions of Catholics as God's representative on Earth – and proceeded with the ordination. At least 15,000 people gathered in Écône to watch hundreds of robed priests - carrying candles and crosses, and dispensing incense - progress through the village into a pasture where a large tent had been set up. Image source, EPA/Shutterstock Image caption, Thousands of worshippers attended the controversial ordination of the four priests There, the four candidates for bishop prostrated themselves before an altar, their heads buried in red velvet pillows. Ceremonial organ music played, the ordination vows were taken, of course, in Latin. But for these four men, their time as bishops may be very short. The last time the Society ordained new bishops, in 1988, they were immediately excommunicated. Although Pope Benedict XVI repealed the excommunication in 2009 in an unsuccessful attempt to heal the rift, Pope Leo is also expected to exclude the new bishops from the Catholic Church. To some, the Vatican's objections to SSPX may seem exaggerated; after all, many Churches have separate branches, some more conservative than others. But ordaining bishops without the Pope's consent is regarded as a serious violation of the unity of the Church. Image source, AFP via Getty Images Image caption, The Lefebvreists number some 600,000 people worldwide The split is not just about SSPX's desire to conduct Mass only in Latin. The Society, founded by controversial French archbishop Marcel Lefebre in 1970, has always wanted to preserve a kind of medieval mystique in which priests, bishops, cardinals, and the Mass itself are seen as somehow closer to God, and therefore separate from ordinary people. SSPX has consistently defied the Vatican over multiple policies designed to make the Church more accessible and egalitarian, including establishing ties with other religions, recognising the right t