The Vatican excommunicates the Lefebvrists, now it's official.
Yesterday's consecrations "constitute the crime of schism," the sacraments celebrated by the new bishops are null and void.The bishops of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X Alfonso de Galarreta and Bernard Fellay (principal consecrator and co-consecrator respectively) and the newly consecrated bishops Pascal Schreiber, Michael Goldade, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry and Marc Hanappier have been excommunicated .
They incurred "ipso facto" excommunication "latae sententiae" for having carried out "an act of a schismatic nature", the "episcopal consecration of four presbyters, without a pontifical mandate and against the will of the Supreme Pontiff" .
This is what we read in the decree signed by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, which sanctions the excommunication of the Lefebvrists, who yesterday defied the Pope by consecrating four new bishops.
The Dicastery also warns: «All the faithful are exhorted to remain firm in communion with the Roman Pontiff, with the Bishops in communion with him and with the whole Church and to abstain from participating in the celebrations and activities promoted by the aforementioned Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X».
The Vatican also warns that the sacred ministers of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X " administer the sacraments illicitly and that the sacrament of penance administered by them and the marriage assisted by them are invalid" , underlining that "the Church, as a caring mother, will welcome with sincere affection and lively solicitude all those who wish to return to full communion".
The Dicastery further explains that "with regard to the lay faithful, those who formally adhere to the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X are to be considered schismatic and excommunicated," thus approving the act of doctrinal disunity that occurred yesterday in Econe. In other words, those who occasionally participate in activities without fully embracing the break with the Pope will not be "punished."
"The multiple attempts to bring the members of the movement initiated by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre back into full communion with the Catholic Church have proven futile. This situation has been further aggravated by the recent episcopal consecrations celebrated without papal mandate, against the will of the Holy Father, in open violation of canon law ," the Vatican concludes, explaining that this act "constitutes the crime of schism."
(Unioneonline)