The latest excommunication call (A canon lawyer weighs in)

canonlawblog ^ | January 23, 2013 | Edward Peters, JD, JCD, Ref. Sig. Ap.

[Biggirl]

Maybe by not recieving holy communion, it will help those not recieving to SEEK the mercy of God.

[Rashputin]

When half the troops are weasels you can’t employ tactics suited to lions.

Regards

[Deacon Augustine]

Yes, he is patronizing, but on this issue of the law I am sure that he is technically correct.

The problem lies in the 1983 Code itself - it contains great lacunae which need to be filled. Politicians who actively promote immorality, genocide of the unborn, undermine and seek to destroy the Church, should be eligible for the prescription of the strongest medicine to call them to repentance.

When you read the Canons of the early Councils, people were excommunicated for far less. The fact that these politicians can proceed merrily on their path, claiming they are Catholics in good standing, without sign of any sanction from the Church, gives great scandal to the faithful and undermines the witness of the Church to the world.

While their actions may not incur the sentence of excommunication under the current Code, the heresy which underlies their actions might do so. The revival of ecclesiastical courts and heresy trials may be what they need to purge their souls.

[Deacon Augustine]

Hello Dr Kopp,

Sorry, my account won’t let me post private replies to you!!

Yes, it has been a while since I’ve been on, but good to see that some of the old names are still around. I have been wondering how things have progressed for you since we spoke on the phone?

Things have been going much better on this side of the pond - we have actually been blessed to receive an orthodox bishop who has been the first to break the English bishops’ silence on Humanae Vitae - Deo gratias!

His Pastoral Letter, if you are interested, can be found here:

http://quovadispetre.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/an-english-bishop-teaches-on-humanae.html

God bless.

A