Vatican excommunicates 6 bishops from rebel Catholic group

The Vatican on Thursday excommunicated six bishops from the ultraconservative Society of St Pius X and said any lay believers who “formally adhere” to the group would suffer the same fate.The Vatican decree comes a day after the traditionalist breakaway group consecrated four new bishops, defying a plea from Pope Leo not to do so.The decree called the ceremony “an act of schismatic nature”.For the Holy See, consecrating bishops without the approval of the pope is a direct act of insubordination, leading to the automatic excommunication of the bishops involved.The excommunication covers the newly ordained bishops and the two existing bishops who presided over the ceremony in Econe in southwest Switzerland.The rite was attended by thousands of worshippers from around the world.