The Lefebvrists have proceeded with the ordination of four new bishops without the papal mandate , despite yesterday's final appeal by Leo XIV.
An act that automatically triggers excommunication and prefigures a schism in the Church.
The ceremony to consecrate the Swiss Pascal Schreiber, the American Michael Goldade and the Frenchmen Michel Poinsinet de Sivry and Marc Hanappier began this morning in a tent set up next to the Swiss seminary in Econe.
The consecration took place with the imposition of hands on the heads of the new bishops by the celebrant , Msgr. Alfonso de Galarreta, and by Msgr. Bernard Fellay, co-consecrator.
At the beginning of the celebration, a brief address was chosen by the Superior General, Father Davide Pagliarani, replacing the apostolic mandate usually used in episcopal ordinations. The leader of the Lefebvrians spoke of a "completely exceptional circumstance" that prompted the ordination: "Since, from the Second Vatican Council until today, the Church authorities have manifested an attitude contrary to the faith and act contrary to sacred tradition, no longer enduring sound doctrine but, turning away from the truth, turning away to myths, as St. Paul writes, we consider it our duty, before the Church and souls, to proceed with the consecration of bishops faithful to sound tradition and the constant magisterium of the Church."
The homily
"We are ready to pay any price to save the Church ," Pagliarani said in his homily.
"We are accused of not loving the Pope, we are accused of not respecting him, but it is precisely because we love the Pope as the Vicar of Christ that we no longer want to see the Pope humiliated, put on the same level by false shepherds."
"How many times have we seen the Pope in this situation? Precisely because we love the Vicar of Christ, we do not want this humiliation, a humiliation that falls on the entire Church, placed on the same level as false religions," added the leader of the Lefebvrists.
