Am I excommunicated?

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heliumspark

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I was raised Catholic, and in my rebellious days of youth, I desecrated a communion host. Over 10 years later, I came back to the Catholic Church, made a confession and obtained absolution, and got confirmed.

Later, I read that desecrating a host means automatic excommunication that can only be undone by the pope. So am I excommunicated? What do I need to do? Go to Rome? Or can I just e-mail the pope?
 
Talk to a priest right away. But I am not sure if you still excommunacated, you had no idea what you were doing.
But if you are, the would take care of it.
 
I’m sure your priest dealt with the matter correctly. You can talk to another priest if you have your doubts.

There are several factors that would block the automatic excommunication, for example, if you were under 18 years old, or if you were unaware, through no fault of your own, that desecration of the sacred species resulted in automatic excommunication.

In the case of someone who is actually excommunicated for this, the priest would take care of contacting the Holy See.
 
I have to disagree with the previous posts.

You said you were Catholic before the desecration. Than you must have been teach about the Eucharist and what’s it about. Even if you don’t have full understanding you still understand at some level what it is. On this ground you are culpable (because if we need to fully understand the consequences of our action and only then we’re punished, then no one would get punished. Because no man knows the full consequences of their sin).

Talk to a priest. This is serious. Desecration of the host is a penalty only removable by the Holy See.
 
The requirement from canon law (c. 1324 §1 9° via c. 1324 §3) is that the latae sententiae penalty of excommunication does not apply when:
one who through no personal fault was unaware that a penalty was attached to the law or precept;
This is not saying that the person was unaware what they did was wrong; it is saying that the person was unaware what they did had the penalty of excommunication attached to it.

Canon 1325 does state, " Ignorance which is crass or supine or affected can never be taken into account when applying the provisions of cann. 1323 and 1324."
 
Cath2003, if that is true, he may be off the hook.

But he better be extremely sure. Ask more priest. Ask in the apologist forum so they could look it up.
 
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beng:
Cath2003, if that is true, he may be off the hook.

But he better be extremely sure. Ask more priest. Ask in the apologist forum so they could look it up.
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no he does not need to ask a priest or an apologist, although he may just to set his mind at rest, he went to confession was honest and contrite and was absolved, the sin is forgiven his soul was cleansed from guilt, and he was returned to the state of sanctifying grace he enjoyed at baptism, and then was further strengthened by the sacrament of confirmation, and I am sure by his many communions since then, and by regular confession. Do not dwell on past confessions made in good faith. This is scrupulosity, if anything had needed to be done the priest would have taken care of it at that time. Relax.
 
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asquared:
no he does not need to ask a priest or an apologist, although he may just to set his mind at rest, he went to confession was honest and contrite and was absolved, the sin is forgiven his soul was cleansed from guilt, and he was returned to the state of sanctifying grace he enjoyed at baptism, and then was further strengthened by the sacrament of confirmation, and I am sure by his many communions since then, and by regular confession. Do not dwell on past confessions made in good faith. This is scrupulosity, if anything had needed to be done the priest would have taken care of it at that time. Relax.
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If he is culpable than his confession is void.
 
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beng:
If he is culpable than his confession is void.
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unless you are the priest who heard his confession you may not make such a statement, the pastoral care of souls is entrusted to the bishops and the priests they ordain, not to contributers on these forums. If he was culpable and the priest was told all the facts, which is the case so he says, then he was absolved and his confession was good. what right have you to raise doubts in his mind? are you a priest? we go to our priests with these questions, not to the internet, and we trust their judgement on things that are in their province. We either believe in the efficacy of the sacraments or we don’t, and if we believe we don’t second guess.
 
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asquared:
unless you are the priest who heard his confession you may not make such a statement, the pastoral care of souls is entrusted to the bishops and the priests they ordain, not to contributers on these forums. If he was culpable and the priest was told all the facts, which is the case so he says, then he was absolved and his confession was good. what right have you to raise doubts in his mind? are you a priest? we go to our priests with these questions, not to the internet, and we trust their judgement on things that are in their province. We either believe in the efficacy of the sacraments or we don’t, and if we believe we don’t second guess.
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:amen:
 
Like everyone else, I recommend talking with your local priest.

Another option is talking with your diocese’s Tribunal - just call your chancery (usually listed in the phone book) and ask for that office. The reason I suggest that is, from personal experience, tribunal folks love to get odd canonical questions that don’t relate to marriages and annullments (99% of their work in the US).
 
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asquared:
unless you are the priest who heard his confession you may not make such a statement, the pastoral care of souls is entrusted to the bishops and the priests they ordain, not to contributers on these forums. If he was culpable and the priest was told all the facts, which is the case so he says, then he was absolved and his confession was good. what right have you to raise doubts in his mind? are you a priest? we go to our priests with these questions, not to the internet, and we trust their judgement on things that are in their province. We either believe in the efficacy of the sacraments or we don’t, and if we believe we don’t second guess.
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He already told us the problem. I’m basing my judgment on that.
 
If he confessed to a priest and was given penance and absolution, he should be able to trust the priest’s handling of the matter and know that he has been forgiven. That should be the end of the discussion. Doesn’t it stand to reason that the priest who heard his confession was given particular details and circumstances about the desecration, the intention with which it was done, mitigating ignorance, etc…? To go to yet another priest and confess it again is to question the faculties of the priest who forgave him. Are we supposed to do that? Suppose I go and confess something, do penance, am absolved, and then later I start nitpicking about whether the priest was right to make the decision he made. That sort of thing could go on and on forever. It does not sound healthy.
 
guys, seriously, no need to argue over all this. i’m sure God will tell him in his heart what is right and what to do. Look at those posts. You all are acting like 5 year olds. dude. chill out.
 
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Megzy:
guys, seriously, no need to argue over all this. i’m sure God will tell him in his heart what is right and what to do. Look at those posts. You all are acting like 5 year olds. dude. chill out.
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I pray that you grow up.
 
heliumspark said:
I was raised Catholic, and in my rebellious days of youth, I desecrated a communion host. Over 10 years later, I came back to the Catholic Church, made a confession and obtained absolution, and got confirmed.

Later, I read that desecrating a host means automatic excommunication that can only be undone by the pope. So am I excommunicated? What do I need to do? Go to Rome? Or can I just e-mail the pope?
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talk to your priest

and remember God has forgiven you :hug1:
 
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