Posted on 09/26/2006 7:47:55 AM PDT by NYer
While many questions remain, the Vatican has released a statement today formally excommunicating Abp. Milingo.
Here is the press release in Italian.
Amy has an unofficial English translation.
Ed Peters posts some initial thoughts on the statement.
Jimmy Akin suggests that consecrating bishops without a Papal mandate should itself be an act of schism, and hints at a very disturbing possibility: "As tragic as [this] situation is, I fear that an even greater tragedy may be about to unfold. Since the debacle following Vatican II, the Holy See has been terrified of a major schism occurring that would involve modernist dissidents." [More...]
Ugly stuff all around.
Update: Do you think Abp. Milingo's recent actions could result in a "major schism"? VOTE NOW!
Milingo must have either contracted some sort of mental illness or found satan.
What is the back story on this?
According to Fr. Amorth, the Vatican exorcist, Archbishop Milingo was brainwashed by Moon's sect and, in particular, by a family living in Rome.
An African archbishop who wants to make celibacy optional for priests installed four married men Sunday as Roman Catholic bishops.
Nice fast action on that one!
Here is the press release in English.
COMMUNIQUE CONCERNING ARCHBISHOP EMMANUEL MILINGO
VATICAN CITY, SEP 26, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today released a communique concerning the present ecclesial position of Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo. The text of the communique is given below:
"With great concern, the Holy See has followed the recent activities of Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, emeritus of Lusaka, Zambia, with his new association of married priests, spreading division and confusion among the faithful.
"Church representatives of various levels have tried in vain to contact Archbishop Milingo in order to dissuade him from persisting in actions that provoke scandal, especially among the faithful who followed his pastoral ministry in favor of the poor and the sick.
"Bearing in mind the understanding shown, also recently, by Peter's Successor towards this aged pastor of the Church, the Holy See has awaited with vigilant patience the evolution of events which, unfortunately, have led Archbishop Milingo to a position of irregularity and of progressively open rupture of communion with the Church, first with his attempted marriage and then with the ordination of four bishops on Sunday, September 24, in Washington D.C., U.S.A.
"For this public act both Archbishop Milingo and the four ordinands have incurred excommunication 'latae sententiae,' as laid down in Canon 1382 of the Code of Canon Law. Moreover, the Church does not recognize, nor does she intend to recognize in the future, these ordinations and all ordinations deriving from them; and she considers the canonical status of the four supposed-bishops as being that they held prior to this ordination.
The Apostolic See, attentive to the unity and peace of the flock of Christ, had hoped that the fraternal influence of people close to Archbishop Milingo would cause him to rethink and return to full communion with the Pope. Unfortunately the latest developments have made these hopes more unlikely.
"At times of ecclesial suffering such as these, may prayers intensify among all the community of the faithful."
OP/ARCHBISHOP MILINGO/... VIS 060926 (330)
that was fast. They gave him every opportunity and warning, even second and third chances.
Milingo let his little head do the thinking.
That's ALWAYS a mistake ... no brains down there.
"For this public act both Archbishop Milingo and the four ordinands have incurred excommunication 'latae sententiae,' as laid down in Canon 1382 of the Code of Canon Law. Moreover, the Church does not recognize, nor does she intend to recognize in the future, these ordinations and all ordinations deriving from them; and she considers the canonical status of the four supposed-bishops as being that they held prior to this ordination.
And there it is. Invalid ordinations. Ironically, the same 4 ordinands were already outside the church; guess they're still there.
In the spirit of our patron Fray Tomas, the malefactors are declared excommunicated. The parallels with a certain other bishop are, or should be, obvious.
I'm LOVING this Pope. JPII was tooooooo slow in acting with these apostates.
Do you think Abp. Milingo's recent actions could result in a "major schism"?
No, I think it is very unlikely 50.0%
No, I think it is somewhat unlikely 37.5%
Yes, I think it is somewhat likely 9.4%
Yes, I think it is very likely 3.1%
No opinion 0.0%
Total votes: 32
Yes, the Vatican pointed it out in the statement. He'd certainly had plenty of time to turn it around, and then when he did this, they really had to take action immediately.
I'm glad, because I've heard that there are a lot of peculiar practices and even doctrines that have crept into African Catholicism; this is typical of a missionary territory with a large indigenous population. Early on, the Church had to send the Inquisition to Mexico to sort out the Mexican tendency to syncretist heresies. Letting a high-profile African bishop get away with peculiar activities would have sent a dangerous message to other African clergy.
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That sums it up for me.
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