Traditionalist Catholic bishops are consecrated in Switzerland despite a direct refusal to obtain Pope Leo XIV’s approval, according to multiple outlets. The ceremony involves four bishop consecrations carried out without the pope’s consent, carried out by the ultratraditionalist Society of St. Pius X at its seminary in Econe. Several reports say the group continued with the planned rite even after the Vatican threatened canonical penalties, including excommunication, for those participating in the consecrations and for the priests involved. One report also describes that Leo XIV issues a last-ditch appeal for the consecrations to be called off. The pope also warns that consecrating bishops without his approval amounts to a “sin of extreme gravity” that will harm the faithful. The Society of St. Pius X and its supporters reject the pope’s authority in this matter, saying the move is a “sacred duty” to defend the Catholic faith. Outlets describe a large attendance of priests and faithful, a Latin Mass focus, and a livestream of the event, while the group publicly dismissed the expected excommunications and signaled a break with the Holy See.