Ecclesia Dei

Ecclesia Dei is the papal document (technically speaking, a Motu Proprio ) that Pope John Paul II wrote in reaction to Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and Bishop Antônio De Castro Mayer ’s unlawful consecration in 1988 of four bishops.

Referring to Archbishop Lefebvre’s action, the Pope declared: "In itself, this act was one of disobedience to the Roman Pontiff in a very grave matter and of supreme importance for the unity of the Church, such as is the ordination of bishops whereby the apostolic succession is sacramentally perpetuated. Hence such disobedience – which implies in practice the rejection of the Roman Primacy – constitutes a Schismatic act (cf. Code of Canon Law, can. 751). In performing such an act, notwithstanding the formal canonical warning sent to them by the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops on 17 June last, Mons. Lefebvre and the priests Bernard Fellay , Bernard Tissier De Mallerais , Richard Williamson and Alfonso De Galarreta have incurred the grave penalty of Excommunication envisaged by ecclesiastical law (cf. Code of Canon Law, can. 1382)."

Pope John Paul II made "an appeal both solemn and heartfelt, paternal and fraternal, to all those who until now have been linked in various ways to the movement of Archbishop Lefebvre, that they may fulfil the grave duty of remaining united to the Vicar of Christ in the unity of the Catholic Church , and of ceasing their support in any way for that movement. Everyone should be aware that formal adherence to the Schism is a grave offence against God and carries the penalty of Excommunication decreed by the Church's law (cf. Code of Canon Law, can. 1364.)."

He also stated: "Respect must everywhere be shown for the feelings of all those who are attached to the Latin liturgical tradition, by a wide and generous application of the directives already issued some time ago by the Apostolic See for the use of the Roman Missal according to the typical edition of 1962 (cf. Congregation for Divine Worship, Letter Quattuor abhinc annos. 3 Oct. 1984: AAS 76 (1984) pp. 1088-1089)."

The term ''Ecclesia Dei'' can refer also to the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei , which Pope John Paul II set up in the same document. The task of this pontifical commission is "to collaborate with the bishops, with the Departments of the Roman Curia and with the circles concerned, for the purpose of facilitating full ecclesial communion of priests, seminarians, religious communities or individuals until now linked in various ways to the Fraternity founded by Mons. Lefebvre, who may wish to remain united to the Successor Peter in the Catholic Church, while preserving their spiritual and liturgical traditions."

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Ecclesia Dei