The Vatican on Wednesday issued a final warning to a breakaway group of traditionalist Catholics that their planned consecrations of bishops without papal consent constitutes a schismatic act that incurs automatic excommunication.

Pope Leo XIV is praying for enlightenment so that the leaders of the Society of St. Pius X “may reconsider the extremely grave decision they have made,” said a statement from the Vatican’s doctrine czar, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández.

The statement appeared to be a last-ditch effort to head off the group’s planned July 1 consecrations of four new bishops.…