Quick Bytes
- A community of Poor Clare nuns in Spain commits schism, facing excommunication.
- Archbishop Carlo MarĂa Vigano is under Vatican process for schism.
- Schism is severing ties with the Church, leading to automatic excommunication.
- Excommunication is a severe penalty aimed at repentance and conversion.
Understanding Schism and Excommunication in the Catholic Church
In a recent development, a group of Poor Clare nuns in Spain has chosen to break away from the Catholic Church, an act known as schism, which has resulted in their excommunication. Similarly, Italian Archbishop Carlo MarĂa Vigano is facing a Vatican extrajudicial process for the same canonical crime.
Schism is defined as the act of cutting off ecclesiastical union with the Church, which is seen as separating oneself from the mystical body of Christ. The Catholic Church’s Canon Law states that schism involves refusing to submit to the Pope or to maintain communion with the Church’s members. The consequence of schism, according to Canon 1364, is immediate excommunication.
Excommunication is the most severe censure in the Catholic Church, barring the individual from participating in the sacraments and the ecclesiastical community. It is a spiritual penalty intended not just to punish but to encourage the offender to repent and return to the fold. Cardinal Mauro Piacenza emphasized that excommunication’s goal is to prompt the guilty party to seek repentance and conversion, rather than to withhold mercy.
The Church also has provisions to correct those whose behavior causes scandal or public disturbance, ensuring that the actions taken are appropriate to the situation and the individual’s actions.
Image Credits
- Getty Images: Photo of Poor Clare nuns.
