Grace Thompson
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it. It is practiced by many ancient churches, including the Catholic Church, and is also used more generally to refer to similar types of institutional religious exclusionary practices and shunning among other religious groups. In the Catholic Church, excommunication is a censure and thus a medicinal penalty intended to invite the person to change their behavior or attitude, repent, and return to full communion. Excommunication severs one from communion with the Church; excommunicated Catholics are forbidden from receiving any sacrament and refused a Catholic burial, but are still bound by canonical obligations such as attending Mass or fasting seasonally. The Pope, Bishop of Rome, and Peter's successor, is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful. The Pope has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, which he can always exercise unhindered. While the Pope has the authority to excommunicate members of the Catholic Church, there is no historical record of a Pope being excommunicated.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who can the Pope excommunicate? | Members of the Catholic Church |
| Who can't the Pope excommunicate? | Non-Catholics |
| Who decides if someone is excommunicated? | The Pope or a bishop in communion with him |
| What is excommunication? | A censure and a "'medicinal penalty' |
| What is the purpose of excommunication? | To invite the person to change their behaviour or attitude, repent, and return to full communion |
| What does excommunication do? | It severs one from communion with the Church |
| What are excommunicated Catholics forbidden from? | Receiving any sacrament and refused a Catholic burial |
| What are excommunicated Catholics still bound by? | Canonical obligations such as attending Mass or fasting seasons |
| What happens when an excommunicated person receives the sacraments? | The sacraments are valid, but the grace of the sacrament would be of no effect |
| What happens when an excommunicated person confesses? | The sacrament would be invalid because all mortal sins must be confessed for a valid confession |
| What happens when a priest knows that someone has been excommunicated? | He is forbidden to administer Holy Communion to that person |
| What happens when a person's offence is a "manifest grave sin"? | The priest is obliged to refuse their communion by canon 915 |
| What happens when a person's excommunication is resolved? | There is a declaration of repentance, profession of the Creed (if the offence involved heresy) and an Act of Faith, or renewal of obedience (if that was a relevant part of the offending act) |
| What is the final step to resolve an excommunication? | Lifting of the censure (absolution) by a priest or bishop empowered to do this |
| Can a Pope be excommunicated? | No |
| What are some reasons for excommunication? | Heresy, procuring an abortion, desecration of the Eucharist, physically attacking the Pope, a bishop consecrating another bishop without a papal mandate, a priest violating the seal of the confessional, etc. |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Pope Pius VII excommunicated Napoleon
Excommunication is a censure and a "medicinal penalty" intended to invite the person to change their behaviour or attitude, repent, and return to full communion. Excommunication severs one from communion with the Church; excommunicated Catholics are forbidden from receiving any sacrament and refused a Catholic burial, but are still bound by canonical obligations such as attending Mass or fasting during seasons of fasting.
Pope Pius VII, an Italian pope from 1800 to 1823, had dramatic conflicts with Napoleon, which led to a restoration of the church after the armies of the French Revolution had devastated the papacy under Pope Pius VI. In 1801, Pope Pius VII and Napoleon Bonaparte agreed on the Concordat, which reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church as the majority church of France and restored some of its civil status. However, the Concordat largely favoured the interests of the French state, and the balance of church-state relations had tilted in Bonaparte's favour.
In 1804, Napoleon forced Pope Pius VII to come to Paris to consecrate him as emperor. At the ceremony, Napoleon took the crown from the pope's hands and crowned himself, spurning the pope's intention to crown him. Napoleon also placed the pope under his influence by taking Rome in 1808 and the Papal States in 1809. On 17 May 1809, Napoleon issued two decrees from Schönbrunn Palace near Vienna, declaring that the territories still under the direct control of the Papal States were to be annexed by the French Empire. In response, Pope Pius VII excommunicated Napoleon on 10 June 1809.
French Brigadier-General Étienne Radet took the opportunity to gain favour with Napoleon and arrested the pope on the night of 5 July 1809. Napoleon did not approve of Radet's actions and had the pope taken to Fontainebleau, where he forced him to sign a humiliating concordat on 25 January 1813. Pope Pius VII renounced the concordat two months later. After Napoleon's downfall in 1814, the pope returned to Rome, where he revived the Society of Jesus and encouraged the religious orders to reorganise themselves.
The Catholic Canon: How Many Books?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Pope Leo XIII excommunicated Gregorio Aglipay Cruz y Labayan
Excommunication in the Catholic Church is a censure and, thus, a "medicinal penalty" intended to invite the person to change their behaviour or attitude that incurred the penalty, repent, and return to full communion. Excommunication severs one from communion with the Church; excommunicated Catholics are forbidden from receiving any sacrament and refused a Catholic burial, but are still bound by canonical obligations such as attending Mass or fasting during seasons of fasting.
Gregorio Aglipay Cruz y Labayan was a Filipino former Roman Catholic priest and revolutionary during the Philippine Revolution and Philippine–American War. He was the first Filipino Supreme Bishop of the Philippine Independent Church, a new Protestant nationalist church that later became an Anglo-Catholic church.
In 1898, he accepted a post as military chaplain of the revolutionary army of General Aguinaldo. He was the only priest-member of the revolutionary congress, which appointed him vicar-general, for which he was later excommunicated. He convened the Paniqui Assembly of clergy, which set up a provisional government for the church until such time as the Pope would name Filipino bishops. When Rome refused, the Philippine Independent Church was formed, and Aglipay was consecrated supreme bishop.
Aglipay was excommunicated by Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda y Villa of Manila in May 1899, upon the expressed permission of Pope Leo XIII, due to his involvement in revolutionary activities and "usurpation of ecclesiastical jurisdiction". The sentence of excommunication was exposed from May 4 to June 5 in the archiepiscopal tribunal of Manila. The Roman Catholic Church made attempts to bring Aglipay back to their fold, but failed.
Jesus' Baptism: Fulfilling Scripture and Catholic Faith
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Pope Francis recognised Chinese bishops
Excommunication is a censure and thus a "medicinal penalty" intended to invite the person to change behaviour or attitude that incurred the penalty, repent, and return to full communion. Excommunication severs one from communion with the Church; excommunicated Catholics are forbidden from receiving any sacrament and refused a Catholic burial, but are still bound by canonical obligations such as attending Mass or fasting season.
In September 2018, Pope Francis recognised seven bishops appointed by China, with an eighth bishop recognised posthumously. This was part of a historic Vatican-Beijing deal to resolve the issue of who has the authority to appoint bishops. The agreement gave Chinese officials some input on the appointment of bishops, with the Vatican saying that the pope had veto power over candidates. The Vatican described the agreement as "the fruit of a gradual and reciprocal rapprochement", with the potential to improve diplomatic relations.
The recognition of the Chinese bishops was intended to heal the divisions between the “official” and “underground” Catholic communities in China. The “underground” community, which includes bishops, priests, women religious and lay people, refuse to be part of the Patriotic Association that the Chinese authorities set up in 1957 to control the Catholic church in China. Pope Francis established a new diocese in China, the diocese of Chengde, with the hope that the official and underground communities would be reconciled.
The agreement has been criticised by some, who fear greater suppression if the Vatican cedes more control to Beijing. Others are concerned about the legitimacy of the newly recognised bishops, including whether they are baptised.
Catholic Confirmation: Robes, a Symbol of Faith
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Pope Leo X's bull Exsurge Domine
Exsurge Domine, which translates to "Arise, O Lord" in Latin, is a papal bull issued by Pope Leo X on June 15, 1520. It was written in response to Martin Luther's Ninety-Five Theses, which opposed the views of the Catholic Church. The bull censured forty-one of the Ninety-Five Theses and threatened Luther and his colleagues, including Andreas Karlstadt, with excommunication unless they recanted their teachings within sixty days of the bull's publication in Saxony, Germany, and its neighbouring regions. Luther and his colleagues refused to recant, and Luther responded by writing tracts rebuking the papacy and publicly burning a copy of Exsurge Domine on December 10, 1520, at the Elster Gate in Wittenburg.
The breach between Luther and the papacy was finalized on January 3, 1521, when Pope Leo X issued the bull Decet Romanum Pontificem, formally excommunicating Luther and his colleagues. Exsurge Domine is significant as it marks a watershed event in Christian history, highlighting the growing divide between Luther and the Catholic Church.
The bull specifically condemned Luther's theses as heresy and included any other works by Luther or those who supported him. Pope Leo X only wrote the introduction and conclusion of the piece, which bears the Latin title "Bulla contra errores Martini Lutheri et sequacium" ("Bull against the errors of Martin Luther and [his] followers"). However, it is commonly known by its Latin incipit, Exsurge Domine.
In addition to censuring Luther's theses, Exsurge Domine also addressed the nature of excommunication itself. In its twenty-third proposition, the bull condemned the view that "excommunications are merely external punishments, nor do they deprive a man of the common spiritual prayers of the Church". This proposition was in response to Pope Pius VI's bull Auctorem Fidei, issued in 1794, which stated that excommunication was only exterior in nature, excluding individuals only from exterior communion with the Church.
Overall, Exsurge Domine represents a significant moment in the religious history of the Catholic Church, as it showcases the Church's response to the challenges posed by Martin Luther's teachings and the subsequent rift that formed, leading to Luther's eventual excommunication.
The Catholic League's Global Reach
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Pope Eugene III held a synod to deal with heretical groups
Excommunication in the Catholic Church is a censure and thus a "medicinal penalty" intended to invite the person to change their behaviour or attitude that incurred the penalty, repent, and return to full communion. Excommunication severs one from communion with the Church; excommunicated Catholics are forbidden from receiving any sacrament and refused a Catholic burial, but are still bound by canonical obligations such as attending Mass or fasting during seasons.
In the mid-12th century, Pope Eugene III held a synod to deal with the large number of heretical groups. Mass excommunication was used as a convenient tool to squelch heretics who belonged to groups that professed beliefs radically different from those taught by the Catholic Church. Pope Eugene III held synods in northern Europe at Paris, Rheims (March 1148), and Trier in 1147 that were devoted to the reform of clerical life. To ensure the strict execution of these canons, the bishops who should neglect to enforce them were threatened with suspension.
Pope Eugene III, born Bernardo, called Bernardo da Pisa, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1145 to his death in 1153. He was the first Cistercian to become pope. In response to the fall of Edessa to the Muslims in 1144, Eugene proclaimed the Second Crusade. The crusade failed to recapture Edessa, which was the first of many failures by the Christians in the crusades to recapture lands won in the First Crusade.
It is important to note that excommunication has been used as a tool by the Catholic Church to deal with heretical groups and individuals throughout history. While Pope Eugene III's synod is a notable example, other instances include the excommunication of Napoleon by Pope Pius VII for ordering the annexation of Rome and a long period of anti-Papal orders.
The Catholic Mortal Conundrum: Government Intervention Needed?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
It has never happened in the history of the Catholic Church that a Pope has been excommunicated. However, in theory, a Pope could commit an excommunicable offense, such as heresy or being directly involved in procuring an abortion.
Some notable people who have been excommunicated by the Catholic Church include Napoleon, Pope Julius II, Fr. Michel Collin of France, Fr. Leonard Feeney, and Juan Perón.
Excommunication is a medicinal penalty of the Church. Its purpose is not to obtain justice or satisfaction but to awaken an individual's conscience to repentance. Excommunicated persons are cut off from the Church and are deprived of receiving the sacraments.
