What does it take to get excommunicated? Well, there are a variety of ways to achieve that if you're a priest or a bishop. But for regular folks like us... what are the ways?
Well, one of the major ones is to get an abortion or to help someone else get an abortion. I'm not sure if a charitable donation to Planned Parenthood or Unicef would count. Ignorance is always a loophole to escape excommunication. But if you know that those groups support abortion and/or contraception, well... it might work.
Another way is to be an apostate from the faith, a heretic or a schismatic. Quite a mouthful there...
An apostate from the faith is someone who renounces Christianity. So, if you were to become a Muslim or a Jew, or a Jehovah's Witness or anything else that isn't Christian... you'd be in line for excommunication.
A heretic is someone who doesn't believe what the Church believes and teaches. So if you had some issues with the doctrines of the Church, then you'd be considered a heretic. Maybe you don't believe in the Immaculate Conception of Mary, that would do it.
Schism is when someone fails to submit to the authority of the pope or church leaders. So, the pope says that women should not be ordained and women go ahead and get ordained by some renegade bishop. They would be schismatics.
Looking over that list... I'm thinking I know quite a few apostates from the faith, quiet a few heretics and quite a few schismatics. Of course, all of these excommunications are "automatic". The Church rarely does an official ceremonial excommunication but... it would be interesting for the Church to know all of the automatic "excommunicants" out there... I think.
1 comment:
Very interesting blog. I wonder how much is matters, i we are excommunicated etcetc. Are we excommunicated from Jesus Christ? I have huge problems with Catholic 'doctrine' but no problem with people who chose that faith and remain with their choice because that is where they feel 'called'. However I know women who have been ordained by a renegade Bishop too. I love the United Church for one reason because it admits it's own 'unknowingness' and who of us can really say we KNOW? It is about FAITH and this is about 'walking on water' sometimes...or just making a leap....Interestingly, a number of priests etc have encouraged my journey with the UC..priests whom I met through RTS....
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