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CONCERNING THOSE WHO FOLLOW LEFEBVRE When Lefebvre ignored the Pope's express wishes and went ahead to ordain four bishops in June, 1988, according to Murray, he was clearly disobeying the Pope, and he therefore brought his own punishment upon himself: a decree of excommunication signed by Cardinal Bernardin Gantin and dated July 1, 1988. But the decree of excommunication (the actual text, along with a number of other relevant documents, was published in Inside the Vatican, August-September, 1993) is not entirely clear about who besides Lefebvre is being excommunicated, Murray argues. The decree mentions Lefebvre by name, and also names a concelebrating bishop (Castro Mayer) and the four men Lefebvre ordained to the episcopate - but all the other priests and laypeople in the Lefebvrist movement are lumped together. These priests and laypeople are warned not to "adhere" to "the schism of Monsignor Lefebvre" and they are advised that, if they adhere to his schism, they will "by that fact (ipso facto) incur the very grave penalty of excommunication." Part of Article found on Catholic Net
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