Vatican Warns of Automatic Excommunication Over Unauthorized Bishop Ordinations
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The Vatican has issued a warning against planned ordinations of four bishops without papal approval, which would result in automatic excommunication for all participants. The ordinations are being planned by the Society of Saint Pius X, a traditionalist Catholic organization that has been in conflict with Rome over liturgical and doctrinal issues. The Society, founded in 1970 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, has operated in a state of irregular canonical status since 1988 when Lefebvre ordained four bishops without Vatican permission, leading to his excommunication. The current situation represents a fresh challenge to Vatican efforts to maintain unity within the Catholic Church and prevent further schisms with traditionalist groups.