Reasons for excommunication in the Catholic Church?

Question

What are some reasons one might get excommunicated from the church? For how long is one excommunicated? What happens during that time?

Thanks and God Bless!

No bashing please.
Peace.

Answer 1

Excommunication is a severe penalty resulting from grave crimes against the Catholic religion.

It is imposed by church authority or incurred as a direct result of the commission of an offense.

Excommunication excludes the offender from taking part in the Eucharist or other sacraments and from the exercise of any ecclesiastical office, ministry, or function.

In other words, it kicks you out of the Catholic Church. It does not necessarily condemn you to hell.

There are two types of excommunication
+ a jure - by law. The law itself decalres that whosoever shall have been guilty of a definite crime will incur the penalty of excommunication.
+ ab homine - by judgicial act of man. An ecclesiastical prelate issues a serious order under pain of excommunication or imposes excommunication by judicial sentence and after a criminal trial.

A Jure excommunication comes in two type:
+ latæ sententiæ - incurred as soon as the offence is committed and by reason of the offence itself
+ ferendæ sententiæ - inflicted on the culprit only by a judicial sentence

There are a few offenses for which Latin Rite Roman Catholics are automatically excommunicated (the Latin term is Latæ Sententiæ):
+ Apostasy - the formal renunciation of one's religion, especially if the motive is deemed unworthy
+ Heresy
+ Desecration of the Eucharist
+ Physical force against the Pope
+ Attempted sacramental absolution of a partner in adultery
+ Ordination of a bishop without a Papal mandate (e.g. all bishops in the government-run Chinese Patriotic Church)
+ For non-electors present in the conclave, revelation of the details of the conclave
+ Simoniacal provision of the Papal office
+ Violation of the sacramental seal of confession by a priest or bishop
+ Procurement of a completed abortion

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Catholic Excommunication

Answer 3

Automatic excommunication is required for the following 9 actions. Remember, only a Roman Catholic can be excommunicated, so Muslims, Jews, Protestants, and all other faiths aren't included.

1. Apostasy
2. Heresy
3. Schism
4. Desecrating the Eucharist
5. Physical force against the Pope
6. Attempted sacramental absolution of a partner in adultery
7. Ordination of a bishop without Papal mandate
8. A priest's or bishop's direct violation of sacramental seal of confession.
9. Completing an abortion in any way.
10. Acting as an accomplice in 1-9.

However, excommunications are only required in those situations if the person is old enough, knowledgeable enough, and free enough to know the weight of such a penalty for those various actions.

*Edit*
Lengths of excommunication vary on the act which brought about excommunication. For example, a heretic would no longer be in excommunication if they realized the wrongness of their heresy and confessed. However, I'm not sure about abortions, which cannot be reversed.

Answer 4

It all depends on what they said. If they declared heresy, then they are automatically excommunicated. Even in the case of automatic excommunication, a person can still come to Mass - though they cannot receive the Sacraments, hence one must not receive Communion at Mass. When one comes to Mass, once is supposed to be in the proper spiritual state of mind and heart. Coming to Mass drunk AND shooting one's mouth off - at the priest of all people - is legit grounds for the priest to throw them out - so as not to create any more disturbance/disruption of the Mass. They were not "banned" indefinately. They were merely thrown out of the Mass - with good cause I might add. Unfortunately, it seems that your grandparents, and your father, don't know enough about their Catholic Faith to fully understand what transpired that day. Even if they had declared a heresy to the priest, the fact they were drunk lessens their culpability.

Answer 5

One can be "repelled from the Communion Rail" - i.e., not be allowed to receive Communion - without being excommunicated.

That's the first step....and it comes with a warning from the Priest...as long as he lets his Bishop know - in writing

Actually being excommunicated....well....that takes the act of a Bishop with Ordinary Authority (i.e., a diocesan Bishop)

True excommunication is rare...but it's usually for heresy (denial and or teaching against basic dogma, the Trinity, the Deity of Christ, etc.), or sacrilege (Bishops who insisted upon "ordaining" a woman "priest" is one that has happened lately) - Apostasy - leaving the faith if you are a Priest.

Excommunication, in the RCC, I believe is forever....until you repent and ask the Pope to let you back in.

Answer 6

Wow so many wrong/stupid answers. FYI:

- excommunication does NOT "kick you out of the Catholic Church" as the so-called "best answer" states
- nor is it automatically "forever."
- nor are you "automatically excommunicated if you do not go to mass on Christmas day or Easter Sunday"

And don't get me started on the nut farms like "butterfly princess." back to neverneverland with you now.

"Nowhere Man's" answer is the only one that is even worth reading and doesn't sound like it was written by a child. Try a little research people.

Answer 7

I think that they have lost so many followers that they might have done away with that already, you know like they did with:

You can't eat meat on Fridays...now its ok
Women have to cover their heads...now they don't have to
You can't have communion unless you confess to a priest...now you just have to say The Act of Contrition

It used to be if you were living out of wedlock you were not allowed to go to church, I have not been practicing this religion for many years and was baptised into it, no choice there I believe I was 7 days old, anyway, I choose not to follow this religion but I choose to follow Christ Almighty the Son of the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Amen.

Remember priests, vicars, popes they are just human beings and they are not perfect and some pedophiles have been hiding behind this church and protected for many years, also that they keep all the money to keep the vadican going when they have enough to feed the whole starving world. such greed yuk. of course they still expect you to give on Sunday so don't forget. I also find that most catholics are the most self righteous people, and they believe that anyone who is not catholic will perish in hell and damnation, how horrible and unchristian like that is. But that is what the church teaches, I praise and thank God every day that He showed me the truth, by inspiring me to search for the truth by reading the Bible, which was read to us less than 50 years ago in total latin to keep us ignorant of the scriptures. anyhow this does not answer your question, but I really don't think they do that anymore if they do I wish to be excommunicated of free will. Amen.

Answer 8

You are automatically excommunicated if you do not go to mass on Christmass day and Ressurection (Easter Sunday). Most people don't know this, and don't know they've excommunicated themselves. Mass is an obligation on these two Holy days at the least.

Answer 9

>Only reason is Pissing Off the Pope.

Excommunication is forever. During that time one can emulate Martin Luther, form one's own religious sect and make a bundle of easy cash.<

Answer 10

This practice comes from Matt.18 ; But the only Christian group that I am aware of that still observes it is the Mennonite sects.