After twenty years

Excommunicaton does still exist as a penalty in the Catholic Church. It is very rarely imposed, but sometimes there is no other option. Speaking of options, there are some cases where an excommunicaton can be imposed by the mere fact of having committed a certain grave sin. Referred to as latae sententiae, each of the seven instances incur an excommunication immedately upon the commission of the wrongful act.

What are these acts, you may ask?

• Apostasy, heresy or schism (cn. 1364, 1);
• Profanation of the consecrated species (cn. 1367);
• Physical violence against the Pope (cn. 1370, 1);
• Attempting to absolve an accomplice (cn. 1378, 1);
• Ordination of a bishop without a pontifical mandate (cn. 1382);
• Violation of the sacramental seal by the confessor (cn. 1388, 1); and
• Procuring an abortion (cn. 1398).

On June 30, 1988, His Excellency, Marcel Lefebvre, then titular Archbishop of Tulle (France) unlawfully ordained four bishops. The resulting latae sententiae excommunication has remained in effect until yesterday.

In two separate declarations, issued in Italian only by the Vatican's Press Office and by the Congregation for Bishops, three of the four bishops were re-communicated yesterday. There has obviously been much discussion going on behind the scenes because the tradition of the Church is that we always hope and pray for reconciliation, even in the gravest of situations.

According to the declaration, dated January 21, 2009 and published on yesterday, Their Excellencies, Bernard Fellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson e Alfonso de Galarreta have now been re-admitted to full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.