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from a CATHOLIC perspective

      VATICAN CITY (CWNews.com) - In the tenth year of Pope John Paul II's motu proprio "Ecclesia Dei" (July 2, 1988) -- which facilitated the "ecclesial communion" of the faithful formerly loyal to Archbishop Lefebvre -- a pilgrimage has been organized in Rome from October 24 to 26 by various parochial communities and fraternities inspired by this Motu Proprio.

      The groups intend to confirm their unity with St. Peter and to thank him and at the same time to reaffirm their attachment to the Church within the framework of the preparation for the Jubilee of 2000.

      The motu proprio gave rise to a pontifical commission of the same name which is currently chaired by Cardinal Angelo Felici. The mission of this commission was to "collaborate with the bishops, the dicasteries of the Roman curia, and other interested groups in the goal of facilitating the full ecclesial communion of priests, seminarians, communities, and monks and nuns that were connected in various ways with the fraternity founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who wish remain united with the Successor of Peter in the Catholic Church."

      "To all faithful Catholics who feel attached to certain liturgical and disciplinary forms of the former Latin rite," wrote the Pope in his motu proprio," I wish to express my will to facilitate their ecclesial communion by means of measures necessary to guarantee the respect of their legitimate desires."