A hardline Catholic breakaway faction is challenging Pope Leo on ordinations

Leaders of a fringe ultra-conservative Catholic group called the Society of St. Pius X, based in Switzerland, say they're going to consecrate new bishops without consent from the Vatican starting this summer. This presents a challenge to Pope Leo XIV because, under Catholic doctrine, installing bishops outside of papal authority is an offense that leads to automatic excommunication. A Vatican spokesman says talks with SSPX, as the traditionalist group is known, will continue. But this would not be the first time a pope clashed with clergy from SSPX. Its founder was excommunicated in 1988.