excommunication?

Question

One of my teachers and I were talking the other day about the Catholic Church and excommunication (removing someone from the faith as punishment). And she asked me a question I have no answer to.

"If someone is excommunicated, is there any way for them to come back or is it forever?"

I had no idea, since I never heard of anyone trying to re-enter the Catholic faith after being excommunicated. Is there such a thing?

Honest and respectful answers only.

Answer 1

I am not Catholic, but I have never heard of anyone trying to re-enter the Catholic faith, instead I hear them badmouthing it instead. That is a great question though, one that I have wondered as well, so I looked it up.

In the Roman Catholic Church excommunication is usually terminated by a statement of repentance, profession of the Creed (if the offense involved heresy), or a renewal of obedience (if that was a relevant part of the offending act) by the person who has been excommunicated; the lifting of the excommunication itself, by a priest or bishop empowered to do this; and then the reception of the sacrament of penance. In many cases, this whole process takes place within the privacy of the confessional and during the same act of confession.

Offenses that incur excommunication must be absolved by a priest or bishop empowered to lift the penalty. This is usually the local ordinary (bishop or vicar general) or priests whom the local ordinary designates (in many dioceses, most priests are empowered to lift most excommunications otherwise reserved to the bishop, notably that involved with abortion).

Also here are some reasons as to why someone can be excommunicated

There are a few offenses for which Latin Rite Roman Catholics are automatically excommunicated:

Apostasy (canon 1364),
Heresy (canon 1364),
Schism (canon 1364),
Desecration of the Eucharist (canon 1367),
Physical violence against the Pope (canon 1370),
Attempted sacramental absolution of a partner in a sin against the sixth commandment of the Decalogue ("Thou shalt not commit adultery.") (canon 1378 §1),
Ordination of a bishop without papal mandate (canon 1382),
Direct violation of the sacramental seal of confession by a confessor (canon 1388),
Procurement of a completed abortion (canon 1398), or
Being a conspiring or necessary accomplice in any of the above (canon 1329).

So by reading this I would say yes they can return, but only if they choose to.

Answer 2

Quite a few churches practice church discipline. It usually begins with admonition among two people, and eventually ending in excommunication when there is clear ongoing sin and no repentance.

We don't do it to punish, but to get a person back, and we don't do it because it is easy, but because it is biblical. (Read eg. Matthew 18, starting at the parable of the lost sheep, but through to the discipline mentioned eg. in verse 17.

We treat it serious (we don't have many excommunications), especially because of what Christ mentions in verse 18: "whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." When as elders (undershepherds of Christ) excommunicate someone, we do it with a heavy heart and great sadness.

We rejoice when a person repents and comes back. In our church this has nothing to do with money or kissing and making up, it is on evidence of true repentance. This is like the prodigal son returning.

I can't speak much for or about the Catholic church. If excommunication can only be reversed by the pope, I think that is a bad thing. Excommunication is best determined by the local body of elders (with advice from the neighbouring churches) and readmittance in the case of repentance also by the local eldership.

Cooperation between churches is good and biblical, large permanent hierarchy is not.

Answer 3

excommunication is where the church not just catholic faith either would say you have blasfeamed and you would be excommunicated which means they have no contact or recognise you and this is something that went through the whole country and remember that all our countries at some stage were run by churches and faith just like the moslems
and with our lack of faith i fear we have all become heratics
and this can only be reconciled by the church or by high church athority

Answer 4

Hi Sister Steph, well Niecey gave an excellent answer and I just wanted to agree with what she wrote.

Yes, excommunication can be lifted, and the process starts with the person who is under the penalty and is finalized or lifted by a priest or bishop.

In some instances historically where it was the Pope who imposed the excommunication, then it was the Pope who lifted it.

Pax Vobiscum+

Answer 5

Many of the Saints were excommunicated at one time or another. When it comes down to it, the Theologian Thomas Aquinas, on who the most accepted Catholic Theology today was created by, was Excommunicated early in his Preistly career. Piere Teilhard de Chardin, whose Evolution Science is standard in Catholicism today, wasn't excommunicated but was not allowed to publish his writings during his lifetime. Pope John the 23rd revoked many of these wrongful silencings.

Answer 6

They don't really use this political tool anymore. I wrote to the Vatican seeking excommunication and they responded like I was just a lost sheep. I mean you can commit almost any heresy today without consequence that would have gotten you executed or at least excommunicated in the Middle Ages.

Answer 7

I don't know about the Catholic faith. Some faiths treat the ex ones as if they are dead, and even their families that way. I believe that the Catholic Church would have mercy (since they are Christian) and would have a means for this.

Answer 8

Yes there is a way when some one is excomunicated the one sacrament they can recive is confession- to reconsile them to the church. In fact even Arius was on his way to confession when he died- if he had made it he would have been welcomed back though just as a layman. I think had he recanted even Judas would have been taken back. Excomuication is to bar you from the Eucherest as you can not take comunion unworhtily. Some priest wont give any one communion if they have gone 4 weeks or more with out confesion.

Answer 9

Henry the VIII was excommunicated. But he wanted to be. Hence the church of England and his ability to divorce as often as he liked.

Answer 10

Well i am not seeing why it should be a forever thing god forgives all correct....just because a Church excommunicates you doesn't mean that you have given up your faith correct..