# Pope cuts off conservative group — retained record

> Retained news record from news:semafor.

Canonical: https://highsignal.app/data/records/d4ade4efcda81fd8

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source: [news](https://highsignal.app/data/news) (news:semafor)  published 2026-07-02 22:59 ingested 2026-07-03 09:04

[original source ↗](https://www.semafor.com/article/07/02/2026/pope-cuts-off-conservative-group)

## retained text



```
Pope Leo XIV excommunicated at least 750 priests belonging to the ultraconservative Society of St. Pius X on Thursday, a rare measure that produced the church’s largest schism in 150 years.
Formed in opposition to 20th-century reforms, SSPX has long maintained ties to Europe’s far right, and has grown its US footprint in recent years.
Its excommunication, coming after it ordained four bishops in defiance of the Vatican, delivers a “blow to [Leo’s] stated efforts to bridge divisions,” The New York Times noted, but reflects a pope who is “not afraid of making firm decisions,” Reuters wrote. The move presents a dilemma for some conservative Catholics, an expert told the Financial Times: “They either follow Leo or break with the Church.”
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document fetched 2026-07-03 09:04 · canonical https://semafor.com/article/07/02/2026/pope-cuts-off-conservative-group