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Holy See Notifies of Milingo's Excommunication For Having Ordained 4 Priests as Bishops Without Authorization

VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 26, 2006 (Zenit.org <http://www.zenit.org> ).- Retired Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo of Lusaka, Zambia, automatically incurred excommunication when he ordained four priests as bishops last Sunday without papal approval, the Holy See announced.

The invalid ordination ceremony took place in Washington, D.C. Those involved in the ceremony confirmed previously that the four priests already had been consecrated bishops in the Old Catholic Church, a branch split from the Catholic Church.

The four took part in a conference, held Sept. 17-19 in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, convoked by the group Married Priests Now!, promoted by the 76-year-old Archbishop Milingo.

The Vatican communiqué released today states that the Holy See "has followed with profound concern the activity begun recently by Monsignor Emmanuel Milingo, archbishop emeritus of Lusaka, with a new association of married priests, spreading division and disconcert among the faithful."

The note reveals that "Exponents of the Church of different levels have tried in vain to contact Archbishop Milingo to dissuade him from continuing with his actions, which cause scandal, especially among the faithful who have followed his pastoral ministry in favor of the poor and sick."

After recalling the "understanding" that Benedict XVI has manifested for the Zambian prelate, the note clarifies: "With this public act, both Archbishop Milingo as well as the four ordained have incurred in excommunication 'latae sententiae'" -- automatically -- "established by canon 1382 of the Code of Canon Law."

Not recognized

The communiqué adds: "Moreover, the Church does not recognize and does not intend to recognize in the future these ordinations or any ordinations derived from them, and considers that the canonical state of the four alleged bishops is the same as it was before the ordination.

"The Apostolic See, concerned about the unity and peace of Christ's flock, had hoped that the fraternal action of people close to Archbishop Milingo would serve for his rethinking and return to full communion with the Pope.
Unfortunately, the latest events have dispelled these hopes."

The note concludes stating that "In moments of ecclesial suffering like this the prayer of the whole community of the faithful must be intensified."

In May 2001 Archbishop Milingo attracted media attention worldwide with his alleged marriage -- not recognized by the Catholic Church -- with Maria Sung, celebrated within Sun Myung Moon's Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

After his subsequent reconciliation with the Church and a long period of spiritual retreat, the archbishop returned to his ministry in the town of Zagarolo near Rome.

Earlier this year his situation changed. After weeks of keeping out of the public eye, he appeared on July 12 in Washington, D.C., to announce that he would again be living with Maria Sung and would publicly contest priestly celibacy.

"Re-ordained"

Sunday's invalid ordination was held in the Imani temple, headed by George Stallings Jr., a former Catholic priest of the Washington Archdiocese who broke from the Church in 1989 to form his own African American Catholic Congregation.

In 1990 Stallings received episcopal "ordination" by bishops of independent Old Catholic churches. Stallings was supposedly re-ordained by Archbishop Milingo on Sunday.

The other three (now excommunicated) said they had already been ordained bishops in the past, in fact, on several occasions.

They are Peter Paul Brennan of the African Orthodox Church and the Ecumenical Catholic Diocese of the Americas; Patrick Trujillo of the Archdiocese of Our Lady of Guadalupe of New Jersey of the Old Catholic Church in America; and Joseph Gouthro of Las Vegas, presiding bishop of the Catholic Apostolic Church International.

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Bishop Andre' Jhohn-William Queen, SCR
Vicar General
Catholic Apostolic National Church
Phone: 773.942.4660