Ecclesia Dei (Motu proprio)
Ecclesia Dei Adflicta (German: "The Church of God has with great sadness") is a papal motu proprio of July 2, 1988, Pope John Paul II. On by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre illicitly conducted ordinations of four members of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X responded.
Referring to Lefebvre's actions, Pope John Paul II stated:
“The act as such was disobedience to the Roman Pope in a very serious matter that was of the greatest importance to the unity of the Church, such as the ordination of bishops, with which apostolic succession is sacramentally passed on. That is why this disobedience, which implies a real rejection of the Roman primacy , represents a schismatic act (cf. Codex Iuris Canonici, can. 751). Since they performed this act in spite of the official monitum granted to them by the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for the bishops received last June 17th, Msgr. Lefebvre and the priests Bernard Fellay , Bernard Tissier de Mallerais , Richard Williamson and Alfonso de Galarreta are subject to the severe punishment of excommunication , as provided by ecclesiastical discipline. (Cf. Codex Iuris Canonici, can. 1382 ). "
At the same time, John Paul II made an appeal to all those
“Who were previously in some way connected with the movement of Archbishop Lefebvre: that they fulfill their serious duty to remain connected with the Vicar of Christ in the unity of the Catholic Church and in no way to continue to support that movement. Everyone needs to know that formal consent to a schism is a grave insult to God and entails excommunication , as stipulated in canon law. (Cf. Codex Iuris Canonici, can. 1364) "
He also stated:
“Furthermore, the feelings of those who feel connected to the tradition of the Latin liturgy must be respected everywhere, in that the guidelines for the use of the Roman missal published by the Apostolic See a long time ago in the Editio typica of 1962 are broadly and generously applied. (See Congregation for Divine Worship, Letter Quattuor abhinc annos. , October 3, 1981) "
Ecclesia Dei Commission
Based on the motu proprio, Pope John Paul II established the Ecclesia Dei Commission on July 2, 1988 .
literature
- R. Scheulen: The legal status of the Priestly Society “St. Peter". A critical examination against the background of the current structure and discipline of the Latin Church . Ludgerus, Essen 2001, ISBN 3-87497-233-X .