Excommunication

The excommunication is, at the Catholique S and the orthodoxe, most serious of the canonical sorrows. It prevents the reception of the Sacrement S and the exercise of certain ecclesiastical acts. Excommunication strikes inter alia the schismatic and the heretics.

The word comes from ecclesiastical Latin ex-communicare , “to put out of the community”. It is the canonical sorrow oldest in Christianity. Among first Christians, it consists of an exclusion of the eucharistic assembly: it is the resumption of the Jewish practice of the exclusion of the Synagog, to which New Testament refers in various passages. The Christian design deviates some however thereafter: the Church of the Christians is not designed only like one community of faithful, like the Jewish synagog, but also as being the body of Christ.

Among catholics

In the Catholic church, excommunication relates to only the baptized catholic ones. According to the definition of the Code of right canonical of 1917, always into force, it consists of “the exclusion of the communion of faithful” (gun 2257 §1). Excommunicated is not excluded from the Catholic church, but from the communion in sacris (or full communion), i.e. of the participation in different the Sacrement S.

At the end of the Code of right canonical of 1983, are struck of excommunication:

the apostate, the schismatic and the heretic (Can. 1364-1);
that which makes a physical act of violence against the Pape (Can. 1370-1);
the priest which exonerates “the accomplice of a sin against the sixth command of the Decalog” (i.e. the prohibition of adultery);
that which throws or conceals “with a fine sacrilege” of the matters (bread or wine) devoted (Can. 1367);
the bishop which orders to a bishop without mandate of the Pape, as that which was ordered (Can. 1382). For a recent illustration of this case, cf the Fraternité Saint-Pie X;
the priest which violates the secrecy of the Confession, as well as the interpreter if necessary (Can. 1388)
that which practices a Avortement which succeeds (Can. 1398).

The canonical Droit distinguishes two types of excommunication:

ferendæ sententiæ : excommunication which does not strike the culprit as long as it was not inflicted by a court order or administrative;
latæ sententiæ : incurred excommunication of the fact even of the commission of the offense (the canonical right must envisage these cases expressly), provided that it were the subject of a declaration.

Excommunicated cannot any more:

if he is priest: to celebrate the mass or another religious ceremony, a fortiori to celebrate a Sacrament or a Sacramental ;
for all the baptized catholic ones: to receive sacraments, to obtain an office, a dignity or a load in the Church.

Contrary to a common opinion, a catholic divorced and remarié civilly is not excommunicated. On the other hand, owing to the fact that he lives in a state of mortal sin since from the point of view of the Church he makes the Adultère permanently, he cannot take part in the Eucharistie (the catholics are supposed communier only exonerated of very mortal sin (in a state of grace), and divorced remarié cannot be exonerated, because the discharge requires a sincere repentance and a firm intention to be amended, condition which cannot be filled as long as the second civil wedding exists).

Excommunication would apply still nowadays against the freemasons. However, in the facts, we do not have a case of priests applying to the letter this measurement. It does not remain about it less than the Pape Benoit XVI is very hostile with the Franc-maçonnerie, and than for a roman catholic, the fact of adhering to any maconnic obedience can raise a real questioning. On certain sites French diocesans, certain bishops excommunicate without ambiguity the freemasons.

In Austria, many catholics seek to leave the Catholic church to more have to pay tax with this one. This tax at summer adopted in 1939 after the annexation with the Third Reich. Since the refusal to pay this tax or to leave the Church are perceived by the latter like a refusal of the Christian belief, they involve excommunication automatically.

Excommunication in the Western Middle Ages

One distinguished two types of excommunication:

minor excommunication deprived, in a temporary way, the faithful one of the sacraments, and especially that of the Eucharistie.
major excommunication or Anathème deprived the person of blessed ground burial and any contact with the other catholics.

It was perpetual and more severe.

Excommunication could be marked by the pope, a Concile or a bishop. The excommunicated person was likely to reinstate the Church, provided that it goes until the end of her Pénitence.

At the time Carolingian, the king controls excommunications and makes a frightening political weapon of it. After the year 1000, with the Gregorian Reform, the Church takes again the control of excommunication to impose the Paix of God. Throughout excommunication of a lord, the vassal one is delivered of its oath of fidelity towards him. The II {{E}} council of Lateran (1139) punishes excommunication all those which attack the clerks. At the 16th century, critical Luther excommunication and makes of it the symbol of the tyranny of the Catholic church.

Some excommunicated famous of the Middle Ages:

the emperor Henri IV (11th century), during the Quarrel of the Nominations;
his/her son Henri V, excommunicated in same the circumstances;
the king of France Philippe I {{er}} following its second marriage with Bertrade;
Philippe IV Beautiful the.

See also: List of excommunicated famous the

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