Catholic Word of the Day: EXCOMMUNICATION, 08-08-09

CatholicReference.net ^ | 08-08-09 | Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary

[Salvation]

Featured Term (selected at random):

EXCOMMUNICATION

An ecclesiastical censure by which one is more or less excluded from communion with the faithful. It is also called anathema, especially if it is inflicted with formal solemnities on persons notoriously obstinate to reconciliation. Some excommunicated persons are vitandi (to be avoided), others tolerati (tolerate). No one is vitandus unless that person has been publicly excommunicated by name by the Holy See, and it is expressly stated that the person is "to be avoided," Anyone who lays violent hands on the Pope is automatically vitandus.

In general, the effects of excommunication affect the person's right to receive the sacraments, or Christian burial, until the individual repents and is reconciled with the Church. In order for an excommunication to take effect, the person must have been objectively guilty of the crime charged. (Etym. Latin ex-, from + communicare, to communicate: excommunicatio, exclusion from a community.)

All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

[Salvation]

This should garner some comments!

[Salvation]

Catholic Word of the Day – not linked – but you can do a search to find them.

 

Salvific Will	Holy Spirit	Transplantation of Organs
Spiritual Espousals	Addiction	Coenobium
Irascible Appetite	Development of Doctrine	Equiprobabilism
Advocate	Latency Period	Seven Sacraments
Rosary	Epiklesis/Epiclesis	Consubstantiation
Restitution	Tabgha	Our Lady of Divine Love
Excommunication

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[Salvation]

Catholic Word of the Day (Group One) – not linked – but you can do a search to find them.

La Salette	Liturgy	Andacollo
Kings, Book of	Physiologus	Old Catholics
Baltimore Catechism	Armagh, Book of	Nature
Eulogia	Orders, Sacrament of	Missionary
Dominus Vocbiscum	Ichthus-Fish	Abbacy of St.Jerome
Invalid	Doctrinal Demythology	Metaphysics
Ecclesia Docens	Apostolic Signatura	Octaves
Religion as feeling	Temperament	Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Congregation for Catholic Education	Sponsor	Mystery Play
Paschal Candle	Imitation of Christ	Voluntarism
Matter, Sacramental	Notion	Chancel
Gabbatha	Gregorian Masses	Ordo
Resolution of Amendment	Supreme Evil	Archives, Vatican
Pride	Solovyevism	Natural Law
Revealed Law	Presbyter	First Saturdays
Alma Redemptoris Mater	Divorce	Jubilee
Procession	Teilhardism	Hysteron Proteron
Bodily Immortality	Vicar Forane	Intercommunion, Eucharistic

[Salvation]

 

Catholic Word of the Day (Group Two) – not linked – but you can do a search to find them.

 

Proclamation	Consecration to the Sacred Heart	Nominalism
Rules of Conscience	St. John Lateran	Hermeneutics
Doctrinal Universalism	Good Friday	Our Father
Soul of the Church	Latin Cross	Book of Sentences
Liber Pontificalis	Paraclete	People of God
Bodily Resurrection	Cardinal Electors	Subsidiarity
Striking the Breast	Transfinalization	Ordinary
Titular Sees	Wake	Knowledge
Polygenism	Sede Vacante	Peace Plate or Tablet
Heroic Act	Abbey Nullius	Vulgate
Founder	Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples	Vow
Impassibility	Vitandus	Dedication of the Months
Solemn Vows	Species	Dark Night of the Soul
Social Sin	Dialectical Materialism	Pharisaical Scandal
Inquisition	Precedence	Holy Chrism
Quietism	Natural Family Planning (practice)	Primitive Religion

[kaehurowing]

What the Anglican Communion should do to the Episcopal Cult, although “anathematize” works for me too.

[MaggieCarta]

...persons notoriously obstinate to reconciliation...

How about "notoriously obstinate" CINO politicians?

[Salvation]

I think they fit the definition.

[kosta50]

This is, unfortunately, another latter-day Vatican innovation. Anathema was introduced by +Paulin, who used in a bizarre way, but in the early Church, and certainly in the first Seven Councils, anathema was something way beyond excommunication. When someone was excommunicated it meant exactly what it says: you are denied Holy Communion, but you are still a member of the Church. When you are anathemtized, you are no longer a Christian. That is still the how the Orthodox Church understands it. Nothing's changed.

The Catholic Church made anathema (erroneously) synonymous with excommunication only 1917. Anathema was never eternal damnation as some understand it. Anyone can always return to the Church by repentance.

Excommunication is closer to penance. Eastern priests would excommunicate "unclean" women for a period of time if it could be proven that they attended the Divine Liturgy four times a month.

Orthodox women would gather outside the Church to follow the litrugy during those "unclean" days of the month. But christological heretics, like Nestorian, were not just excommunicated, they were thrown out of the Church.

[Kolokotronis]

“Orthodox women would gather outside the Church to follow the litrugy during those “unclean” days of the month.”

My great grandmother would tell of sticking her head into the church through a window to see the Liturgy during those days

[MaggieCarta]

I think they fit the definition.

So do I. But, seemingly, they are put into the "tolerated" category.

[Salvation]

Not to belittle anyone’s judgment of the politicians, because I agree that they are out of line and are CINOs, but I have been taught that to be excommunicated a person must have a very serious, serious charge against them. Some of the priests who abused fit into that serious, serious category. Also blaspheming the Holy Spirit, I believe, earns you an instant trip out of the Church.

That’s one thing that a lot of posters on the FR site do not realize. (I also wonder about those that deny the Mother of God — what will their misfortune/fortune be?)