Schismatic priest excommunicates himself, Ukrainian cardinal says

Published: 2004-02-13

LVIV, Ukraine (CNS) -- Ukrainian Cardinal Lubomyr Husar of Lviv said a priest-follower of a schismatic movement founded by the late French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre has excommunicated himself. Father Vasyl Kovpak, former administrator of the Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Lviv, and his followers are welcome to return to the church on the condition that they renounce their connection to the schismatic Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X, Cardinal Husar said. "Despite his declarations of faithfulness to the pope ... (Father Kovpak) recognized the uncanonical foreign Bishop Bernard Fellay, who does not recognize the authority of the pope... and is not united with the Catholic Church," Cardinal Husar said Feb. 10. In line with its French traditionalist founder, the priestly fraternity rejects the liturgical reforms and concepts of religious freedom and ecumenism as formulated by the Second Vatican Council. Followers often celebrate the Tridentine-rite Mass in Latin.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .