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What it means to be excommunicated from the Catholic Church for starting a schism

The Society of St. Pius X has responded defiantly to Pope Leo XIV's excommunication of the neotraditionalist group. What does the excommunication mean — and how will the schism affect the church?

Copyright 2026 NPR

Jason DeRose
Jason DeRose covers religion for NPR News, reporting on the ways belief shapes American public life and the ways American life shapes religious expression.

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