What Pope Leo Can Teach Liberals About Power
The article analyzes Pope Leo XIV's decisive excommunication of the ultra-traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) after the group conducted unsanctioned consecrations of four bishops in Switzerland. The author argues that Pope Leo's firm action against a reactionary splinter group within the Catholic Church offers a lesson for democratic leaders facing growing far-right movements. The SSPX, formed in 1970 in opposition to Second Vatican Council reforms, had a history of defying Vatican authority, including a previous excommunication in 1988 that was later reversed by Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Leo, a progressive ally of Pope Francis, surprised observers by declaring the entire society schismatic and excommunicating its bishops, priests, and loyal laypeople. The piece frames this as a model for confronting anti-democratic forces rather than attempting conciliation.
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