Excommunication is a medicinal penalty
By Msgr. John Wynand Katende
Posted on: Friday, 10th July 2026
July 2, 2026, went down as a very stressful day in the history of the Christ’s Church. The Society of St Pius X (SSPX) was excommunicated as being formally in “schism” with the Roman Catholic Church. This was after the traditionalist group defied Pope Leo XIV by consecrating four bishops without papal approval. In his letter begging them not to go through with the consecrations, Leo advised them that doing so would constitute a "sin of extreme gravity." They consecrate their own bishops to preserve their traditionalist movement.
"Schism" and "excommunication" are terms deeply ingrained in the Roman Catholic Church. A schism occurs when a person or group rejects the authority of the pope, whom Catholics believe is the successor to St Peter, the first among Jesus’s 12 apostles (Matthew 16:19, John 21:17).
The term “excommunication” derives from the Latin for “out of communion” with the Church. It bars a Catholic from receiving sacraments, getting married, or holding Church office, among other measures. The Church considers excommunication a “medicinal” penalty; indeed, a temporary measure which can be lifted when the person at fault repents and asks for forgiveness. The penalty is incurred automatically at the exact moment a person commits a specific grave offense. The penalty is imposed when a Church authority issues a formal trial, establishes guilt, and officially hands down the penalty.
The Church is dynamic. It holds councils (official gatherings of bishops and church leaders) to resolve theological disputes, determine doctrines, and establish church discipline. The first was the Jerusalem Council, held by the apostles and elders, which determined that Gentile Christians did not have to follow the Law of Moses (Acts 15).
The Second Vatican Council (1962 and 1965) introduced far-reaching reforms to help it engage better with the modern world. But the SSPX rejected several of the council’s key reforms, arguing they depart from longstanding Church tradition. Named after Pope Pius X for his anti-modernist stance, the society retains the Tridentine Mass and pre-Vatican II liturgical books in Latin. It also rejects the move to improve relations with Jews, other Christian denominations, and followers of other religions. The SSPX considers itself Roman Catholic, but the Vatican says it has no canonical status within the Church.
The Nicene ecumenical creed, which is a foundational statement of Christian faith adopted in 325 AD, and to which SSPX subscribes, clearly states that the Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. The Church is “apostolic" because it was built upon the foundation of Jesus' original twelve apostles and continues their teachings, mission, and unbroken line of authority, under the leadership of the Pope. "Where Peter is, there is the Church.” (St. Ambrose)
Initially, Christ constituted the twelve apostles as a college, a permanent assembly with Peter as head. Therefore, Peter's successor (the bishop of Rome) and the apostles' successors (the other bishops) are united to one another in the episcopal college. This Apostolic Tradition safeguards the unity of the church by ensuring that the foundational teachings, sacraments, and governance established by Christ and the Apostles are continuously preserved and handed down.
Even the Church ministry itself has a collegial character. Jesus chose the twelve apostles and sent them out together to serve the faithful and to witness to the communion of the Trinity. Therefore, every bishop has his ministry only within the episcopal college in union with the Pope, and every priest serves in the presbyterate only in union with the diocesan bishop. Because the Church is in communion with the apostles, all Church members share in this mission.
In Christian theology, the Church is considered the living Body of Christ on earth (1 Corinthians 12:27). When denominations, congregations, or believers fight, exclude, or defame one another, they are seen as tearing apart Christ's spiritual body, much like the physical trauma He endured on the cross. Historically, Christianity has suffered three major schisms: the Chalcedonian Schism (451 AD), the East–West Schism (1054 AD), and the Protestant Reformation (16th century).
Currently, Christians are, under the Ecumenical Movement, focusing on promoting visible unity, cooperation, and reconciliation among different Christian denominations and traditions. The effort directly responds to Jesus’ Priestly prayer for the unity of the unity of the Church He founded (John 71). The desired unity is, ultimately, a mission of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul urges Christians to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope” (Ephesians 4:3).