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{{Short description|1988 controversial consecrations performed by Catholic Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre}}
The '''Écône consecrations''' were a set of [[bishop|episcopal]] [[consecration]]s that took place in [[Écône]], [[Switzerland]], on 30 June 1988. They were performed by [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] Archbishop [[Marcel Lefebvre]] and witnessed by Bishop [[Antonio de Castro Mayer]], and the priests who were consecrated were four members of Lefebvre's [[Society of Saint 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, thus putting himself and his followers in [[Schism in Christianity|schism]].
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== Consecration of four bishops ==
On 3 June, Lefebvre wrote from [[seminary at Ecône|Écône]], stating that he intended to proceed with the consecrations. On 9 June, the Pope replied to him with a personal letter, appealing to him not to proceed with a design that "would be seen as nothing other than a [[schism (religion)|schism]]atic act, the theological and canonical consequences of which are known to you."<ref>{{Cite web|date=9 June 1988
On 17 June, Cardinal [[Bernardin Gantin]], Prefect of the [[Congregation for Bishops]] sent the proposed bishops a formal canonical warning that they would automatically incur the penalty of [[excommunication]] if they were ordained by Lefebvre without papal permission.<ref>{{Cite web|date=
On 29 June, Ratzinger sent a telegram to Lefebvre to say that "For the love of Christ and His Church, the Holy Father asks you paternally and firmly to depart today for Rome, without proceeding on 30 June with the episcopal ordinations that you have announced."<ref name=latimes>{{cite news | work = Los Angeles Times | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-01-mn-6377-story.html | date = 1 July 1988 | title = Rebel Prelate Consecrates Bishops in Catholic Schism | first = William D. | last = Montalbano | access-date = 9 November 2021 }}</ref><ref name="telegram">{{Cite web|date=
On 30 June, Lefebvre consecrated four SSPX priests: [[Bernard Fellay]], [[Bernard Tissier de Mallerais]], [[Richard Williamson (bishop)|Richard Williamson]] and [[Alfonso de Galarreta]].<ref>{{cite news | access-date = 12 October 2021 | work = New York Times | first = Steven | last = Greenhouse |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/01/world/rebel-archbishop-anoints-4-bishops.html | date =1 July 1988 | title =Rebel Archbishop Anoints 4 Bishops }}</ref> A later SSPX account said that Bishop de Castro participated with his "crucial presence" and was "found at Archbishop Lefebvre's side", but did not describe him as participating in the consecration ritual.<ref>{{cite web | access-date = 12 October 2021 | url = https://sspx.org/en/bishop-antonio-de-castro-mayer | title = Bishop Antonio de Castro Mayer | website = Society of St. Pius X | quote = This brief biography originally appeared in the July 1991 issue of ''The Angelus'' upon Bishop De Castro Mayer's death. }}</ref>
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