Excommunicated priest celebrates mass in a hotel. The bishop: «The followers? sinners»
He never accepted Bergoglio's pontificate. But the former priest continues to have his following of devoted faithful
He was excommunicated in 2020 for failing to recognize Bergoglio as Pope .
Nevertheless the former priest Enrico Bernasconi did not stop at the provisions of the Church, organizing - last weekend - a meeting with his (still) faithful in a hotel in Brindisi, where he celebrated mass in Latin . Monsignor Giovanni Intini, archbishop of the diocese of Brindisi-Ostuni , had been clear: " Whoever participates will commit a mortal sin ".
In the official communication published on the Archdiocese's website, the explanations for the ban: «Mr. Bernasconi ipso facto incurred excommunication latae sententiae and, as there has been no act of repentance or retraction on his part to date , he remains outside the communion ecclesial. Furthermore, he is not in communion with the universal Church and therefore cannot legitimately exercise the priestly ministry: the celebrations he presides over and the sacraments he administers are illicit and no faithful can and must take part in them. Whoever takes part in it will have to ask his confessor for the absolution of the sin".
The final admonition to the faithful is clear: " The faithful, who have ecclesial communion at heart, are therefore invited not to take part in this meeting ". But the extraordinary turnout at the event proved that his words did not have the desired effect. And the many who will not confess will go "to hell".
(Unioneonline/vf)
