Marcel Lefebvre, was a French Roman Catholic bishop. Following a career as a missionary in Africa with the Holy Ghost Fathers, he took the lead in opposing the changes within the Church associated with the Second Vatican Council.
In 1970, Lefebvre founded the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), which continues to be the world's largest Traditionalist Catholic priestly society. In 1988, Lefebvre consecrated four bishops to continue his work with the SSPX. He took this step against the orders of Pope John Paul II, and the Holy See accordingly declared the following day that he had incurred the penalty of excommunication from the Catholic Church. The canonical validity of this declaration is strongly disputed by Lefebvre's supporters.
In a 1987 sermon Lefebvre, at age 81, announced his intention to consecrate a bishop to carry on his work after his death. This was controversial, as, under Catholic canon law, the consecration of a bishop requires the permission of the Pope.
On 5 May 1988, Lefebvre signed an agreement with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger to regularise the situation of the Society of St Pius X. The Cardinal agreed that one bishop would be consecrated for the Society. However, Lefebvre came to the view that he was obliged both to reject that arrangement and to ordain a successor, if necessary without papal approval. The Pope appealed to him not to proceed in "a schismatic act", warning of "theological and canonical consequences".
On 30 June, Archbishop Lefebvre, with Bishop Emeritus Antônio de Castro Mayer of Campos, Brazil, as co-consecrator, consecrated four SSPX priests as bishops: Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson, Alfonso de Galarreta and Bernard Fellay.
On 1 July, the Congregation for Bishops issued a decree stating that this was a schismatic act and that all six people directly involved had thereby incurred automatic excommunication.
On 2 July, Pope John Paul II condemned the consecration in the apostolic letter Ecclesia Dei, in which he stated that the consecration constituted a schismatic act, and that, by virtue of canon 1382 of the Code of Canon Law, the bishops and priests involved were automatically excommunicated.
Lefebvre declared that he and the other clerics involved had not "separated themselves from Rome" and were therefore not schismatic and that they "found themselves in a case of necessity", not having succeeded, as they said, in making "Rome" understand that "this change which has occurred in the Church" since the Second Vatican Council was "not Catholic". In a letter addressed to the four priests he was about to consecrate as bishops, Lefebvre wrote: "I do not think one can say that Rome has not lost the Faith."
Some canon lawyers have considered that the latae sententiae excommunication was not incurred. The grounds that they adduce in favour of their opinion are indicated in the article on the Ecône Consecrations.

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