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The Écône consecrations were a set of episcopal consecrations that took place in Écône, Switzerland on 30 June 1988. They were performed by Roman Catholic Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and Bishop Antonio de Castro Meyer, and the priests raised to the episcopacy were four members of Lefebvre's Society of St. Pius X (SSPX). The consecrations, performed against the explicit orders of Pope John Paul II, represented a milestone in the troubled relationship of Lefebvre and the SSPX with the Church leadership. The Holy See's Congregation for Bishops issued a decree signed by its Prefect Cardinal Bernardin Gantin declaring that Lefebvre had incurred automatic excommunication by consecrating the bishops without papal consent. On 24 January 2009, Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunications of the four bishops (Bernard Fellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson, and Alfonso de Galarreta) consecrated by Archbishop Lefebvre. Bishop Fellay, superior general of SSPX, issued a statement in which the society expressed its "filial gratitude to the Holy Father for this gesture which, beyond the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X, will benefit the whole Church," and that "() wishes always to be more able to help the pope to remedy the unprecedented crisis which presently shakes the Catholic world, and which Pope John Paul II had designated as a state of 'silent apostasy.'"〔(Press Release from the Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X ), January 24, 2009.〕 Reaction to the lifting of excommunications was divided. Many Traditionalist Catholics attributed the decision to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But other Catholics, especially those of progressive stance, said they were surprised that the Pope has acted in such a positive way toward bishops holding such reactionary positions. The inclusion of Bishop Williamson in the measure was particularly controversial, because some of his remarks were seen as opening him to accusations of being a Holocaust denier.〔(/17845/Excommunication-lifted-from-dissident-Catholics Excommunication lifted from dissident Catholics ), January 24, 2009.〕 The lifting of his excommunication presented problems for Catholic-Jewish relations, culminating in the Chief Rabbinate of Israel severing ties with the Holy See on 28 January 2009 in protest.〔(Israel's chief rabbinate severs ties with Vatican ), January 24, 2009.〕 ==Canon law== Criticism of the Écône consecrations centred on the fact that they were carried out against the explicit orders of the then reigning Pope John Paul II. Under the Catholic Code of Canon Law, the consecration of a bishop requires the permission of the Pope,〔(Canon 1013 of the ''Code of Canon Law'' )〕 and (unless a papal dispensation has been granted) at least three consecrating bishops.〔(Canon 1014 of the ''Code of Canon Law'' )〕 Violation of the rule about the Pope's permission expressed in Canon 1013 has, since 1951, entailed automatic (''latae sententiae'') excommunication reserved to the Holy See both for the consecrator and for the recipient of the consecration,〔(Canon 1382 of the Code of Canon Law )〕 and in this case there was not only an absence of permission but an actual prohibition by the Pope.〔 Lefebvre and his supporters argued that the circumstances under which the consecrations took place were such that none of the clergy involved were truly excommunicated. One of their arguments was that a 'state of necessity' existed in which the ordinary provisions of canon law could be set aside. John Paul II himself rejected this argument, stating in his apostolic letter ''Ecclesia Dei'' that "there is never a necessity to ordain Bishops contrary to the will of the Roman Pontiff". Consecrating a bishop without papal approval was also condemned by Pope Pius XII after the Chinese government set up the state-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. Pius XII stated that the sacramental activity of illicitly consecrated bishops was "gravely illicit, that is, criminal and sacrilegious", and rejected the defence of necessity put forward by those involved.〔(Encyclical ''Ad Apostolorum Principis'' ))〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ecône consecrations」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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