What to know about the Society of St. Pius X, the schismatic group excommunicated by the Pope

The Society of St. Pius X was excommunicated by Pope John Paul II in 1988 after the group ordained four bishops without papal authorization. The organization, founded in 1969 by French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, rejects the reforms of the Second Vatican Council and maintains its own seminaries, schools, and parishes. Members of the society continue to perform Latin Mass and reject certain church modernizations established in the 1960s. The group has remained outside the Catholic Church despite periodic discussions with Vatican officials about reconciliation.

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