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The Second Vatican council, held from 1962-1965, was a meeting of the world's bishops which produced a number of documents. Among these were Gaudium et Spes, and Dignitatis Humanae. These documents, while not explicitly doing so, seem to at least some people to contradict earlier constant teaching of the Church. In addition, shortly after the Council, the new form of the Mass was introduced.

The SSPX is a group that is in an irregular situation with Rome. They have continued to offer Mass only in the traditional form, which stayed largely the same for over 1,000 years. In addition to objecting to the new form of the Mass, introduced in 1970, they object to what they see as new, inconsistent teachings introduced at or after the Council, especially those in the above documents.

In 1988, the founder of this group, in response to what he said was an effort to destroy the group, consecrated four bishops without the approval of the Pope. For this, he and the newly consecrated bishops were excommunicated. The excommunications against the four living bishops were recently lifted by the Pope. Now, there are discussions ongoing to try to regularize the situation of the SSPX.

Some of the particular issues under examination have to do with religious liberty, which Dignitatis Humanae said was a human right, but which is close to a previously condemned opinion, and ecumenism.