In a significant move, the Vatican has excommunicated followers of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), a traditionalist Catholic group, due to their disobedience in consecrating new bishops against Pope Leo XIV's directives. The decree extends not only to the six SSPX bishops but also to any lay members who openly support the society, effectively making them schismatic and excommunicated. However, those who leave the group will be welcomed back warmly. Founded in 1970 as a reaction to modernizing reforms within the Roman Catholic Church, the SSPX has an estimated global following of around 600,000 worshippers. The group, which is most prominent in the US and France, opposes several contemporary practices within the Catholic Church, including changes in Mass celebrations, women's roles, and interfaith dialogue. The Vatican's decision to excommunicate SSPX members marks a significant distancing of the traditionalist group from the center of power within the Roman Catholic Church. Excommunication is one of the harshest penalties imposed by the Church, effectively expelling the offender from the religion and excluding them from Catholic life, including the sacraments and marriages within the Roman Catholic Church. The Vatican has stated that the SSPX's administration of sacraments is illicit and their marriages invalid. This decision leaves SSPX members with a difficult choice: to remain part of a group in "schism" or to abandon their beliefs to stay within the Catholic Church. Many SSPX members, however, believe it is the Vatican that has strayed from true doctrine.