Unauthorized Appointment of Bishops by the Society of St. Pius X Causes Potential Split
聖庇護十世會未經授權任命主教，可能導致教會分裂
Introduction
The Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) has appointed four new bishops in Switzerland without the permission of Pope Leo XIV. This action leads to automatic excommunication under church law.
聖庇護十世會（SSPX）在瑞士任命了四位新主教，但未獲得教宗利奧十四世的許可。根據教會法，此舉將導致自動被逐出教會。
Main Body
The ceremony took place at the SSPX seminary in Écone, Switzerland, where Michael Goldade, Pascal Schreiber, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, and Marc Hanappier were appointed. This happened despite a formal request from Pope Leo XIV, who described the move as a serious sin and an act of division. The SSPX defended their decision by claiming a 'state of necessity.' They emphasized that they had very few bishops left and needed new leaders to provide religious services at their 800 locations worldwide.
儀式在瑞士 Écone 的 SSPX 神學院舉行，任命了 Michael Goldade、Pascal Schreiber、Michel Poinsinet de Sivry 與 Marc Hanappier。儘管教宗利奧十四世正式要求停止，並將此舉形容為嚴重的罪行與分裂行為，但任命仍照常進行。SSPX 以「必要狀態」為其決定辯護，強調他們僅剩極少數主教，需要新領導人在全球 800 個據點提供宗教服務。
Historically, the SSPX was started in 1970 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre to oppose the modern changes of the Second Vatican Council, such as using local languages during Mass. A similar conflict occurred in 1988, which also led to excommunications that were not removed until 2009. While Pope Francis later offered some concessions regarding marriage and confession, he also limited the use of the traditional Latin Mass.
從歷史來看，SSPX 是由總主教 Marcel Lefebvre 於 1970 年創立，旨在反對第二次梵蒂岡大公會議的現代化改革，例如在彌撒中使用當地語言。類似的衝突曾於 1988 年發生，同樣導致被逐出教會，直到 2009 年才被解除。雖然教宗方濟各後來在結婚與告解方面做出了一些讓步，但他也限制了傳統拉丁彌撒的使用。
Pope Leo XIV, who became Pope in May 2025, has focused on bringing the church together. However, the current defiance by the SSPX presents a major challenge to this goal. Although the appointments are considered spiritually valid, they are illegal under canon law. Consequently, both the bishop who performed the ceremony and the four new bishops have been excommunicated.
教宗利奧十四世於 2025 年 5 月就任，一直專注於促使教會團結。然而，SSPX 目前的挑釁對此目標構成了重大挑戰。雖然這些任命在靈性上被視為有效，但在教會法下是非法的。因此，主持儀式的主教與四位新主教均已被逐出教會。
Conclusion
The Vatican has not yet released an official public statement, but the excommunications remain in effect while the Holy See decides how to respond to this defiance.
梵蒂岡尚未發布正式的公開聲明，但在聖座決定如何回應此次挑釁之前，逐出教會的命令依然有效。
Vocabulary Learning
⚡ The 'Logic Link': Moving from Simple to Complex
At the A2 level, you likely use simple connectors like and, but, and because. To reach B2, you need to use Logical Transition Words that show a sophisticated relationship between two ideas.
Look at how this article connects ideas using 'B2 Bridge' words:
1. The 'Result' Connector: Consequently
- A2 style: "They broke the law, so they were excommunicated."
- B2 style: "...they are illegal under canon law. Consequently, both the bishop... have been excommunicated."
- Why it works: Consequently sounds more formal and academic than so. It tells the reader that the second part is a direct, legal result of the first.
2. The 'Contrast' Connector: Despite
- A2 style: "The Pope asked them to stop, but they did it anyway."
- B2 style: "This happened despite a formal request from Pope Leo XIV..."
- Why it works: Despite allows you to link a noun phrase ("a formal request") to an action, creating a more compact and professional sentence structure.
3. The 'Opposing Idea' Connector: However
- A2 style: "The Pope wants unity. But the SSPX is fighting."
- B2 style: "...focused on bringing the church together. However, the current defiance... presents a major challenge."
- Why it works: However signals a pivot in the narrative. It is stronger than but and usually starts a new sentence to give the contrast more weight.
💡 Coach's Tip for Growth: Next time you write a paragraph, find every 'but' and 'so'. Try to replace one 'but' with 'however' and one 'so' with 'consequently'. This is the fastest way to make your English sound 'Upper-Intermediate' without learning 1,000 new vocabulary words.