Priests and laity affected as well…
Leo Drops the Hammer: SSPX Excommunicated for Schism, Two Sacraments Henceforth Invalid
As expected, the ‘Holy See’ today published a decree declaring the latae sententiae excommunications incurred by the bishops of the Society of St. Pius X, both the consecrator Alfonso de Galarreta and the co-consecrator Bernard Fellay, as well as the newly-consecrated bishops Pascal Schreiber, Michael Goldade, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, and Marc Hanappier, for the crime (acc. to Novus Ordo Church law) of having consecrated bishops without papal mandate. A separate ‘explanatory note’ was also released.
Although this event had been announced months in advance, the Vatican did not trouble itself to ensure that the two brief documents published against the FSSPX be translated into other languages in time for publication. At present, only the Italian versions have been published on the Vatican web site:
According to a translation published by Rorate Caeli, the decree, signed by the Vatican’s mystical kissing expert and head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, ‘Cardinal’ Victor Manuel Fernandez, states:
Notwithstanding the warnings addressed to the Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X, Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta, having committed an act of a schismatic nature by means of the episcopal consecration of four priests, without a pontifical mandate and against the will of the Supreme Pontiff, has incurred ipso facto the penalties provided for by can. 1387 and can. 1364 § 1 CIC 2021.
I therefore declare for all juridical purposes that both the aforementioned Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta and Pascal Schreiber, Michael Goldade, Michel Poinsinet de Sivry, and Marc Hanappier have incurred ipso facto the latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See.
I further declare that Bishop Bernard Fellay, having directly participated in the liturgical celebration as co-consecrator, and having thereby publicly adhered to the schismatic act, has incurred the latae sententiae excommunication provided for by can. 1364 § 1 CIC 2021.
Clerics and lay faithful are warned not to adhere to the schism of the Society of Saint Pius X, as they would thereby incur ipso facto the penalty of latae sententiae excommunication.
The decree was signed also by the Dicastery’s two secretaries, John J. Kennedy and Armando Matteo.
As noted above, in addition to this decree, the Unholy See also released an explanatory note, the text of which follows below (translation via Rorate Caeli again):
From the time of Pope Paul VI up to the most recent conversations held at this Dicastery, the many attempts to bring the adherents of the movement initiated by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre back to full communion with the Catholic Church have proven fruitless. This situation has been further aggravated by the recent episcopal consecrations celebrated without a pontifical mandate, against the will of the Holy Father, in open violation of canon law.
Accordingly, this Dicastery, in the faithful exercise of the functions entrusted to it, considers it necessary to note that this act has constituted the offense of schism, with the resulting canonical consequences for the sacred ministers and lay faithful involved. Indeed, as was already declared in 1988, “such disobedience — which carries with it a practical rejection of the Roman Primacy — constitutes a schismatic act” (cf. John Paul II, Apost. Letter Ecclesia Dei, 3).
In this regard, henceforth:
1. The sacred ministers belonging to the Society of Saint Pius X are in schism and must therefore be considered schismatics (cf. Ecclesia Dei, 5c; Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, Explanatory Note on the excommunication for schism incurred by adherents of the movement of Bishop Marcel Lefebvre, 24.08.1996, 5–6), and are subject to the excommunication provided for by law (can. 1364 § 1 CIC).
2. With regard to the lay faithful, those who formally adhere to the Society of Saint Pius X under the conditions established in the Explanatory Note of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts of 1996 (cf. ibid., 7) — still in force, and hereby adopted by this Dicastery — are to be considered schismatics and excommunicated.
3. The holy People of God is hereby informed that the sacred ministers of the Society of Saint Pius X administer the sacraments illicitly, and that the sacrament of penance administered by them and the marriages they assist at are invalid.
The Church, as a devoted mother, will receive with sincere affection and eager care all those who desire to return to full communion. The Apostolic Nuncios will have at their disposal the procedures that Ordinaries may employ in the various cases.
Finally, 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 (cf. Lumen Gentium, 22; can. 751 CIC), and to refrain from participating in the celebrations and activities promoted by the aforementioned Society of Saint Pius X.
Here are some initial reports on the matter:
- Excommunication decreed for Lefebvrian episcopal ordinations
- Holy See rules SSPX bishops excommunicated, strips faculties for two sacraments
- The Holy See excommunicates the bishops of the FSSPX and confirms the schism
- Vatican rules SSPX confessions, marriages invalid after schism declaration
- The Vatican excommunicates even lay members of the FSSPX in the harshest measure of recent history
We will have more posts on this topic coming soon.
Image source: composite with elements from Shutterstock (Cherdchai Chaivimol and Marco Iacobucci Epp)
Licenses: paid
;
No Comments
Be the first to start a conversation