[Salvation]

**this penalty applies to any who are “actively involved” in bringing about the abortion. “That is called active participation … from the woman concerned, the husband who helped her, the abortionist, or the **

This is indeed, the case with the Catholic Church all over the world.

[navyblue]

So what was the end result in the case of the nun in Phoenix? She was excommed, but what happens after that? And what about the sacrament of confession? Being a life=long Catholic, I didn’t think there was any sin that could not be taken away by absolution. Anybody have the 411 on this?
Does the sister have a way to get back into the church or is she a lost cause?

[old republic]

Isn't the penalty of automatic excommunication a ridiculous concept? Doesn't every mortal sin automatically excommunicate a person? After all every grave sin separates one from communion with the body of Christ and one who has committed such a sin (like one who is excommunicated) cannot receive any of the sacraments licitly save for confession.

The whole point of excommunication was to prevent public scandal by formally proclaiming that judgment upon the unrepentant sinner. There is no such thing as a private excommunication which is effectively what automatic excommunication is. It does nearly nothing to prevent scandal, especially since many priests still give communion to those who are known to have committed a sin that incurs this penalty anyway. (So what is the point of an automatic excommunication) If a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it does it make a sound? The code of canon law needs to be revised to revive the old rite of excommunication and the bishops need to get a little more courage and actually use excommunication ferendae rather than these pointless latae sententiae excommunications that seem to never be enforced anyway.