Vatican warns rebel Catholic group it risks excommunication
By Joshua McElwee
VATICAN CITY, May 13 (Reuters) – The Vatican on Wednesday urged a breakaway group of Catholics devoted to the ancient Latin rite to cancel plans to appoint new bishops without Pope Leo’s permission, warning that the action would lead to excommunication from the 1.4 billion-member Church.
During the first known threat of severe punishment to the Church during Leo’s papacy, the Vatican’s doctrinal office was located in Switzerland-based St. He told the Society of Pius X that any appointment of bishops would create a “schism” or formal break with the pope.
The head of the office, Cardinal Victor Fernandez, said in a statement that the planned ordination “will mark a grave offense against God and warrant excommunication by the Church.”
The Society of St. Pius
The council also allowed the Mass to be celebrated in local languages, which until then had been sung only in Latin. The society rejected this change, citing a desire for the sense of mystery and formality of the Latin rite.
Excommunicated persons are considered completely separated from the Church. They cannot receive the sacraments or hold the office of the Church until they repent. If they die while being excommunicated, they cannot receive a Catholic burial.
Stating that there are 733 priests worldwide, St. The Society of Pius X has had tense relations with the Vatican for decades.
Its late founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, was born in 1988 by then Pope John Paul II. He was excommunicated after four bishops were appointed without John Paul’s permission.
John Paul’s successor, Benedict XVI, sought to renew dialogue with society and lifted the four remaining excommunications.
The current leadership announced in February that it planned to appoint new bishops in July without Vatican approval, citing a need for more bishops to lead the community.
It is a strict teaching of the Church that only the pope can allow the consecration of new bishops to maintain the Church’s ties with the 12 apostles of Jesus, who are considered the first priests and bishops.
Consecration without papal permission leads to the automatic excommunication of both the person being consecrated and the bishop conducting the ceremony.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Crispian Balmer, Alexandra Hudson)
