On
May 11, 2017, at the St. Athanasius church in Vienna, Virginia, Bishops Richard
Williamson, Jean-Michel Faure and Tomas de Aquino will consecrate Father
Gerardo Zendejas a bishop of a schismatic community, that is, a group that
refuses to submit to the ecclesiastical authority of the Roman Pontiff.
St.
Athanasius is not a church in communion with the Roman Catholic Church or the
Diocese of Arlington, and its clergy do not lawfully celebrate the sacraments
in the Diocese of Arlington. As the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arlington,
I cannot and will not recommend or condone attendance at St. Athanasius at any
time for anyone in communion with the Roman Pontiff and the Roman Catholic
Church.
Bishop
Williamson was expelled from the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) in 2012. Since
that time he has affiliated himself with an independent church formed by groups
around the country. While authoritative information about these groups is
incomplete, it appears that they are currently in schism from the Catholic
Church, refusing to submit to the authority of Pope Francis, the legitimately
elected and governing Successor of Saint Peter. Under church law, “schism”
refers to a refusal to submit to the Pope or a withdrawal from communion with
the members of the Church subject to him (Canon 751).
The
illicit consecration of a bishop is an act of grave disobedience, a wounding of
the unity of the Church and a source of serious scandal. Canon law states, “A
bishop who consecrates someone a bishop without a pontifical mandate and the
person who receives the consecration from him incur a latae sententiae [that
is, automatic] excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See” (Canon 1382). Since
Bishop Williamson previously consecrated Bishop Faure and Bishop Tomas without
a mandate from the Holy See, these three bishops who plan to participate in the
consecration scheduled to take place on May 11 have each already incurred
excommunications under Canon 1382.
Please
join me in praying that all those involved in this illicit episcopal
consecration may, through Our Lady’s intercession, return to full unity with
the Catholic Church.