Anathema

[Truthseeker4]

Hi all,

I have many questions and hopefully you all will be patient with me. From what I have read this is a respectful group of people who are more than happy to provide answers lovingly.

Since I come from a Protestant background you guessed it I am ignorant on Catholicism. Right now I consider myself protesting the Protestants. My main purpose is education not ignorance. I believe in going straight to the source. There are a lot of things I do not understand. Some of it does make sense. Other points do not.

My journey so far has been a wonderful experience. I do not want to make this long and drawn out so the bottom line is that I have found the most important answers. Jesus is my Messiah! I completely trust him!

I invite you all to share this adventure with me.

What is the Catholic Church’s definition of Anathema?

The basic understanding from my standpoint is that it means excommunication and/or cursed. I really do not understand how I could be viewed as excommunicated if there was no knowledge about Catholic belief’s in the first place. It does make sense that I am categorized as “separated brethren” since I am not a member of the Catholic Church.

Respectfully,
Melissa

 

[Tantum_ergo]

You will find this article very helpful. It is from the Catholic publication, “This Rock” and in fact, if you put “anathema” in the “search” box on the Catholic Answers library page, this is the FIRST answer you will receive. Here is the link. catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0004chap.asp

Basically you will be interested in four things: One. Anathemas have nothing to do with Protestants. Two. Anathemas do not exist today, and have not since 1983. Three. Anathemas are not “automatic”. Four. Anathemas do not “damn a person to hell”.

Hope this helps!

 

[Truthseeker4]

Thank you for your reply. I did not think about the search function. I did not know the 1983 document existed. The article did clear up my questions and confusion. Thanks again.

Melissa

 

[Semper_Fi_1]

Truthseeker4:

Hi all,

I have many questions and hopefully you all will be patient with me. From what I have read this is a respectful group of people who are more than happy to provide answers lovingly.

Since I come from a Protestant background you guessed it I am ignorant on Catholicism. Right now I consider myself protesting the Protestants. My main purpose is education not ignorance. I believe in going straight to the source. There are a lot of things I do not understand. Some of it does make sense. Other points do not.

My journey so far has been a wonderful experience. I do not want to make this long and drawn out so the bottom line is that I have found the most important answers. Jesus is my Messiah! I completely trust him!

I invite you all to share this adventure with me.

What is the Catholic Church’s definition of Anathema?

The basic understanding from my standpoint is that it means excommunication and/or cursed. I really do not understand how I could be viewed as excommunicated if there was no knowledge about Catholic belief’s in the first place. It does make sense that I am categorized as “separated brethren” since I am not a member of the Catholic Church.

Respectfully,
Melissa

Hi Melissa,

Anathema is reserved for heretics (i.e. Catholics who outright deny with knowing the Truth 100%). It comes from Gal. 1:8-9 where St. Paul said:

 [8]() But though we, or an angel  from heaven, preach a gospel to you besides that which we have preached to you,  let him be anathema.       ../images/spacer.gif

9 As we said before, so now I say again: If any one preach to you a gospel, besides that which you have received, let him be anathema.
and also from 1 Cor. 12:3 as well as 1 Cor. 16:22:

         [3]() Wherefore, I give you to  understand that no man, speaking by the Spirit of God, saith Anathema to Jesus.  And no man can say The Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost.
        
           [22]() If any man love not our Lord  Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maranatha.                          
        
           ../images/spacer.gif

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Tantum ergo:

You will find this article very helpful. It is from the Catholic publication, “This Rock” and in fact, if you put “anathema” in the “search” box on the Catholic Answers library page, this is the FIRST answer you will receive. Here is the link. catholic.com/thisrock/2000/0004chap.asp

Basically you will be interested in four things: One. Anathemas have nothing to do with Protestants. Two. Anathemas do not exist today, and have not since 1983. Three. Anathemas are not “automatic”. Four. Anathemas do not “damn a person to hell”.

Hope this helps!

This sounds to me like we are trying to say that because the term does not appear in the 1983 Code some how all the canons of Councils prior to Vatican II no longer apply or have any force. That is not what Vatican II says about Canons from prior Councils!

 

[Steven_Merten]

Hello Mellisa,

Welcome!

Anathema is the Church’s use of the Keys to the Kingdom that Jesus left with the Apostles (Apostolic Successors). It really does not matter what religion a person is. If Jesus holds a person bound to sin in heaven, due to His sworn oath to Apostolic Successors or other wise, the person, Catholic or non-Catholic cannot go to heaven.

Please visit Throwing Stones

Anathema
In passing this sentence, the pontiff is vested in amice, stole, and a violet cope, wearing his mitre, and assisted by twelve priests clad in their surplices and holding lighted candles. He takes his seat in front of the altar or in some other suitable place, amid pronounces the formula of anathema which ends with these words: “Wherefore in the name of God the All-powerful, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, of the Blessed Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and of all the saints, in virtue of the power which has been given us of binding and loosing in Heaven and on earth, we deprive N-- himself and all his accomplices and all his abettors of the Communion of the Body and Blood of Our Lord, we separate him from the society of all Christians, we exclude him from the bosom of our Holy Mother the Church in Heaven and on earth, we declare him excommunicated and anathematized and we judge him condemned to eternal fire with Satan and his angels and all the reprobate, so long as he will not burst the fetters of the demon, do penance and satisfy the Church; we deliver him to Satan to mortify his body, that his soul may be saved on the day of judgment.”

He who dares to despise our decision, let him be stricken with anathema maranatha, i.e. may he be damned at the coming of the Lord, may he have his place with Judas Iscariot, he and his companions.

Quoted from New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia. newadvent.org/cathen/01455e.htm

**NAB MAT 16:13 **

Jesus replied, “Blest are you, Simon son of John! No mere man has revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. I for my part declare to you, you are ‘Rock,’ and on this rock I will build my church, and the jaws of death shall not prevail against it. I will entrust to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you declare bound on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you declare loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

NAB REV 1:16

A sharp, two-edged sword came out of his mouth, and his face shone like the sun at its brightest. When I caught sight of him I fell down at his feet as though dead, he touched me with his right hand and said: “There is nothing to fear. I am the First and the Last and the One who lives. Once I was dead but now I live-- forever and ever. I hold the keys of death and the nether world.”

NAB ISA 11:4

The Rule of Immanuel

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.​

**NAB JOH 20:20 **

At the sight of the Lord the disciples rejoiced. “Peace be with you,” he said again. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Then he breathed on them and said: “Recieve the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound.” NAB MAT 5:22

What I say to you is: everyone who grows angry with his brother shall be liable to judgement; any man who uses abusive language toward his brother shall be** answerable to the Sanhedrin,** and if he holds him in contempt he risks the fires of Gehenna. **NAB MAT 18:17 **

“If he ignores them, refer it to the church . If he ignores even the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. I assure you, whatever you declare bound on earth shall be held bound in heaven, and whatever you declare loosed on earth shall be held loosed in heaven.”

 

[Tantum_ergo]

EEK! Gosh no, that is NOT what I tried to say. Admittedly it’s late and a long day, but I really do not think that I implied anything at all about things not existing PRIOR to 1983, did I?

 

[Truthseeker4]

Br. Rich SFO:

This sounds to me like we are trying to say that because the term does not appear in the 1983 Code some how all the canons of Councils prior to Vatican II no longer apply or have any force. That is not what Vatican II says about Canons from prior Councils!

I did not take it that anathema has no place for today. It would and should be applicable within the Christian community. An example would be for someone who is unrepentant. The question that I had is how could I, out of ignorance, be considered unrepentant and has an anathema?

The article and the other one’s that I read sufficiently answered my question.

Melissa

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Truthseeker4:

I did not take it that anathema has no place for today. It would and should be applicable within the Christian community. An example would be for someone who is unrepentant. The question that I had is how could I, out of ignorance, be considered unrepentant and has an anathema?

The article and the other one’s that I read sufficiently answered my question.

Melissa

Remember that usually Councils are in response to something. An anathema would apply to a person who knowing the truth refuses to accept it and continues to teach otherwise.
The question that I had is how could I, out of ignorance, be considered unrepentant and has an anathema?

You wouldn’t be.

 

[francisca]

The word “anathema” means “to be placed on high” / “hung” / “suspended”. Just like Joshua hung God’s enemy, to be consecrated before God, for His case, for all people to see. They are usually the guilty ones. But when Jesus came, he said :

John 3
14 And just as Moses lifted up 5 the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 6 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."

The word “lifted up” there in John 3:14, is literally “anathema”.

God bless you

 

[Fidelis]

There is an interestin discussion of this on Jimmy Akin’s blog:

jimmyakin.org/2005/10/anathema_sit.html

Actually, the word has at least two definitions. From a Greek lexicon based on the KJV:

Strong’s Number: 331
**Original Word Word Origin ** ajnavqema from (394)

**Transliterated Word ** Anathema
TDNT Entry 1:354,57
**Phonetic Spelling: ** an-ath’-em-ah
**Parts of Speech: ** Noun Neuter

Definition

1. a thing set up or laid by in order to be kept
   specifically, an offering resulting from a vow, which after being consecrated to a god was hung upon the walls or columns of the temple, or put in some other conspicuous place

1. a thing devoted to God without hope of being redeemed, and if an animal, to be slain; therefore a person or thing doomed to destruction
   a. a curse
   b. a man accursed, devoted to the direst of woes

King James Word Usage - Total: 6
accursed 4, anathema 1, bind under a great curse + (332)&version=kjv 1

KJV Verse Count
Acts 1
Romans 1
1 Corinthians 2
Galatians 2​

Total 6

 

[porthos11]

Anathema used to be the highest penalty the Church imposed on a person. It was more severe than excommunication. While excommunication barred people from the sacraments, anathema declared them cut off from the Church. St. Paul exercised this authority to anathemize when he ordered the Corinthian church to hand an immoral Christian “over to Satan” (1 Cor 5:5). Anathema was actually conducted with a fairly creepy ceremony.

Anathema is no longer part of Church law. The present Code of Canon Law specifies excommunication (either declared or automatic) as the highest penalty now. This does not mean that the dogmas defined in previous Councils do not apply; only the attached disciplines or penalties have been reduced.

Now for non-Catholics who have been born into their faith and have never been Catholic: you cannot be under Church penalties because you were never under the jurisdiction of the Church. Therefore you are not anathema or excommunicated. These penalties apply to Catholics to commit the offenses specified.

 

[Steven_Merten]

porthos11:

Anathema used to be the highest penalty the Church imposed on a person. It was more severe than excommunication. While excommunication barred people from the sacraments, anathema declared them cut off from the Church. St. Paul exercised this authority to anathemize when he ordered the Corinthian church to hand an immoral Christian “over to Satan” (1 Cor 5:5). Anathema was actually conducted with a fairly creepy ceremony.

Anathema is no longer part of Church law. The present Code of Canon Law specifies excommunication (either declared or automatic) as the highest penalty now. This does not mean that the dogmas defined in previous Councils do not apply; only the attached disciplines or penalties have been reduced.

Now for non-Catholics who have been born into their faith and have never been Catholic: you cannot be under Church penalties because you were never under the jurisdiction of the Church. Therefore you are not anathema or excommunicated. These penalties apply to Catholics to commit the offenses specified.

Hello Porthos,

Can you give us the official Church source where the Church elliminated spiritually deadly anathemas. It was Pope John Paul II in 1983 who elliminated them, right?

On another link there was a new Catholic convert who was wondering what on earth he had gotten his soul into by converting to Catholocism. As a Protestant, the Church teaches that he had full access to the benefits of eternal life through Protestant baptism into the bosom of the Catholic Church with absolutely no threats of spiritual punishments from Popes. Now as a Catholic, he had all the many papal bindings waiting to damn his soul, should he violate one, which he did not have as a Protestant. I think he had a very valid point.

With the double standard the Catholic Church puts on Church punishments, I cannot advise a person to convert to Catholocism until they have full knowledge of all the Church papal bindings of mortal sin and spiritual punishments they are binding themselves to by converting, which they are not bound to as Protestants.

In the old days there was “No salvation outside the Church”. Now Protestants are safely within the bosom of the Catholic Church, according to the Catholic Church, and it is now Catholics only who are in jeapardy of eternal damnation, due to papal bindings of mortal sin and Church punishments. This is really not a selling point when seeking Protestant converts.

 

[porthos11]

Steven Merten:

Hello Porthos,

Can you give us the official Church source where the Church elliminated spiritually deadly anathemas. It was Pope John Paul II in 1983 who elliminated them, right?

1983 Code of Canon Law: Can. 6, sec. 1 abrogating the 1917 code of Canon Law, sec. 3, abrogating all penal laws enacted by the Apostolic See, unless resumed. Anathema is not resumed, only excommunication.

On another link there was a new Catholic convert who was wondering what on earth he had gotten his soul into by converting to Catholocism. As a Protestant, the Church teaches that he had full access to the benefits of eternal life through Protestant baptism into the bosom of the Catholic Church with absolutely no threats of spiritual punishments from Popes. Now as a Catholic, he had all the many papal bindings waiting to damn his soul, should he violate one, which he did not have as a Protestant. I think he had a very valid point.

No he did not. By converting to Catholicism, he got on his soul full access to the truth of Christ, and full access to his grace in the sacraments. The threats of spiritual punishments have existed since apostolic times. See 1 Cor 5:5, and are medicinal in nature. No Church punishment damns anyone to hell, but is meant to send a strong point to the offender and cause him to repent and return. Excommunications can always be lifted.

With the double standard the Catholic Church puts on Church punishments, I cannot advise a person to convert to Catholocism until they have full knowledge of all the Church papal bindings of mortal sin and spiritual punishments they are binding themselves
to by converting, which they are not bound to as Protestants.

There are not “many” “papal bindings.” My goodness, what offenses even merit excommunication today? Public declaration of heresy, successful abortion, attacking the Roman Pontiff, pretending to be a priest, breaking the seal of Confession? Who in his right mind commits these things anyway? And even then, they have to be well aware that these offenses have excommunication attached to be even excommunicated in the first place.

In the old days there was “No salvation outside the Church”. Now Protestants are safely within the bosom of the Catholic Church, according to the Catholic Church, and it is now Catholics only who are in jeapardy of eternal damnation, due to papal bindings of mortal sin and Church punishments. This is really not a selling point when seeking Protestant converts.

NO. Read the Catechism. It goes on to say that should they know and be convinced that the Church is the true Church, then there can be no salvation is they refuse to enter it. Those who convert out of love for Christ and his Church have nothing to fear. I am a Catholic, and I do not fear the Code of Canon Law. In fact I welcome it, and I have no problem pledging obedience to it.

 

[johnshelby]

Steven Merten:

Hello Porthos,

Can you give us the official Church source where the Church elliminated spiritually deadly anathemas. It was Pope John Paul II in 1983 who elliminated them, right?

On another link there was a new Catholic convert who was wondering what on earth he had gotten his soul into by converting to Catholocism. As a Protestant, the Church teaches that he had full access to the benefits of eternal life through Protestant baptism into the bosom of the Catholic Church with absolutely no threats of spiritual punishments from Popes. Now as a Catholic, he had all the many papal bindings waiting to damn his soul, should he violate one, which he did not have as a Protestant. I think he had a very valid point.

With the double standard the Catholic Church puts on Church punishments, I cannot advise a person to convert to Catholocism until they have full knowledge of all the Church papal bindings of mortal sin and spiritual punishments they are binding themselves to by converting, which they are not bound to as Protestants.

In the old days there was “No salvation outside the Church”. Now Protestants are safely within the bosom of the Catholic Church, according to the Catholic Church, and it is now Catholics only who are in jeapardy of eternal damnation, due to papal bindings of mortal sin and Church punishments. This is really not a selling point when seeking Protestant converts.

hi… actually todays reading speaks to that situation…

Luke 12: NASB
42And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?
43"Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
44"Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
45"But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk;
46the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
47"And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes,
48but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

as Catholics, we know His will, and much is required of us…
the more we know, the more that is required… but, also, the
more we share…

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Steven Merten:

In the old days there was “No salvation outside the Church”. Now Protestants are safely within the bosom of the Catholic Church, according to the Catholic Church, and it is now Catholics only who are in jeapardy of eternal damnation, due to papal bindings of mortal sin and Church punishments. This is really not a selling point when seeking Protestant converts.

To use a word picture:

A train speeding down the track toward it’s destination is the Catholic Church. Catholics are seated in the cars and have access to all the services on the train. A Protestant is like a person hanging on the hand rail on the outside of the car! They have no access to any services and could fall off at any time. However even though they are attached to the train. They would be much better off if they would ask to be helped into the car.

 

[Steven_Merten]

1983 Code of Canon Law: Can. 6, sec. 1 abrogating the 1917 code of Canon Law, sec. 3, abrogating all penal laws enacted by the Apostolic See, unless resumed. Anathema is not resumed, only excommunication.

No he did not. By converting to Catholicism, he got on his soul full access to the truth of Christ, and full access to his grace in the sacraments. The threats of spiritual punishments have existed since apostolic times. See 1 Cor 5:5, and are medicinal in nature. No Church punishment damns anyone to hell, but is meant to send a strong point to the offender and cause him to repent and return. Excommunications can always be lifted.

There are not “many” “papal bindings.” My goodness, what offenses even merit excommunication today? Public declaration of heresy, successful abortion, attacking the Roman Pontiff, pretending to be a priest, breaking the seal of Confession? Who in his right mind commits these things anyway? And even then, they have to be well aware that these offenses have excommunication attached to be even excommunicated in the first place.

NO. Read the Catechism. It goes on to say that should they know and be convinced that the Church is the true Church, then there can be no salvation is they refuse to enter it. Those who convert out of love for Christ and his Church have nothing to fear. I am a Catholic, and I do not fear the Code of Canon Law. In fact I welcome it, and I have no problem pledging obedience to it.

 

[Steven_Merten]

porthos11:

There are not “many” “papal bindings.” My goodness, what offenses even merit excommunication today? Public declaration of heresy, successful abortion, attacking the Roman Pontiff, pretending to be a priest, breaking the seal of Confession? Who in his right mind commits these things anyway? And even then, they have to be well aware that these offenses have excommunication attached to be even excommunicated in the first place.

Hello porthos,

Sorry for fumbling my above post.

It is my understanding that leaving the Catholic Church for the Protestant church merits automatic excommunication yet today? Is this not correct? Some people leave the Church for the Protestant church when they marry?

Do you think that Church leaders think it is better not to inform Catholics of automatic excommunication for leaving Catholocism, so they are not aware of it, so that it does not effect them “in the first place”?

Does excommunication spiritually harm a person in any way. Can it effect a person’s eternal salvation in your opinion?

Do you think that it bothered Pope John Paul II that anathema’s were still (name removed by moderator)lace to damn souls to hell (eternal death) in the first five years of his papacy? Especially with his stong vocal opposition to state physical capital punishment?

Are Protestants held bound by papal bindings of mortal sin in regard to divorce and remarriage and contraception as Catholics are? It is my understanding that modern Catholic Church teaching says Protestants are safely with in the bosom of the Catholic Church through Protestant baptism, yet outside papal bindings on divorce and remariage and contraception, which they bind as mortal sin. Thus only Catholics are effected by papal bindings on contraception and divorce and remariage. What is your thinking on this?

 

[porthos11]

Steven Merten:

Hello porthos,

Sorry for fumbling my above post.

It is my understanding that leaving the Catholic Church for the Protestant church merits automatic excommunication yet today? Is this not correct? Some people leave the Church for the Protestant church when they marry?

Well, I am not a canon lawyer, but essentially yes, because you are leaving the Church for another. The Church is not excommunicating them (since they are disconnecting themselves voluntarily), but they are effectively excommunicating themselves.

Do you think that Church leaders think it is better not to inform Catholics of automatic excommunication for leaving Catholocism, so they are not aware of it, so that it does not effect them “in the first place”?

No it isn’t better. Church leaders, and in fact, every Catholic is obliged to catechize fellow Catholics as best they could. If they intentionally withold informing, then they themselves will be culpable and answerable to God for their neglect.

Does excommunication spiritually harm a person in any way. Can it effect a person’s eternal salvation in your opinion?

Do you think that it bothered Pope John Paul II that anathema’s were still (name removed by moderator)lace to damn souls to hell (eternal death) in the first five years of his papacy? Especially with his stong vocal opposition to state physical capital punishment?

Excommunication is a disciplinary action, but does have spiritual effects. As mentioned, excommunication does not damn a person to hell, but it does deprive the person from validly receiving the Sacraments, including Confession. Some excommunications can be lifted by the confessor himself, others by the bishop who imposed it, and the most severe can by lifted only by Rome. Since an excommunicated person is barred from the sacraments, he is deprived of the Church’s sacramental grace. But a true repentance can get the excommunication lifted and the offender reconciled to the Church. So excommunication itself does not damn a person.

As for HH John Paul II, I couldn’t read his mind. Not even anathema damned a person to hell (although the anathema ritual did consider the person in the world with Satan), but if he refused to be reconciled, he was indeed at risk because he was outside the Church, and separated from the mystical body of Christ. The idea was that if the person would not be reconciled out of love, then he would be reconciled out of fear (and the Church will then supply all that is lacking), but if he still refused, then he must have been so persistent in his mortal sin that he cuts himself off intentionally, and therefore risks damnation.

Are Protestants held bound by papal bindings of mortal sin in regard to divorce and remarriage and contraception as Catholics are? It is my understanding that modern Catholic Church teaching says Protestants are safely with in the bosom of the Catholic Church through Protestant baptism, yet outside papal bindings on divorce and remariage and contraception, which they bind as mortal sin. Thus only Catholics are effected by papal bindings on contraception and divorce and remariage. What is your thinking on this?

Divorce and remarriage and contraception are not mortal sins due to papal bindings. They are mortal sins due to divine law. This is therefore a matter of morals, not of discipline. Therefore they bind EVERYONE, including Protestants. So to contracepting Protestants sin? Oh yes. Mortally? not necessarily. Since most Protestant churches have caved, most have not been privileged to hear the truth of the evils of contraception from people they look up to, such as their ministers and pastors. Therefore, for many of them, the “full knowledge” requirement for mortal sin is not met. But it is objectively sinful anyway, so it is at least venial. See Bro. Rich’s post above. He clearly shows that while Protestants are indeed connected to us imperfectly, they are far from “safe.”

 

[Steven_Merten]

porthos11:

As for HH John Paul II, I couldn’t read his mind. Not even anathema damned a person to hell (although the anathema ritual did consider the person in the world with Satan), but if he refused to be reconciled, he was indeed at risk because he was outside the Church, and separated from the mystical body of Christ. The idea was that if the person would not be reconciled out of love, then he would be reconciled out of fear (and the Church will then supply all that is lacking), but if he still refused, then he must have been so persistent in his mortal sin that he cuts himself off intentionally, and therefore risks damnation.

Hello porthos,

When Jesus holds a man bound to his sin in heaven, does this not mean eternal damnation to the man? Is there another way into heaven when Jesus refuses to forgive a man’s sin?

In anathema the Church uses the Christ given power to call upon Jesus to hold sins bound in heaven. Jesus has given Apostolic Successors His sworn oath that he will hold sins bound in heaven that, from earth, they call upon Him to bind. Can Jesus go back on this sworn oath to Apostolic Successors? Do you see no eternal death threat in Jesus binding a man to sin in heaven?

Provided Church leaders do not put any clauses in their anathem where they call upon Jesus to bind a man to sin, a sin that the man is guilty of, is not Jesus bound by his oath to Apostolic Successors to damn the culprit to hell lest Apostolic Successors loost thier anathema binding?

AnathemaIn passing this sentence, the pontiff is vested in amice, stole, and a violet cope, wearing his mitre, and assisted by twelve priests clad in their surplices and holding lighted candles. He takes his seat in front of the altar or in some other suitable place, amid pronounces the formula of anathema which ends with these words: “Wherefore in the name of God the All-powerful, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, of the Blessed Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and of all the saints, in virtue of the power which has been given us of binding and loosing in Heaven and on earth, we deprive N-- himself and all his accomplices and all his abettors of the Communion of the Body and Blood of Our Lord, we separate him from the society of all Christians, we exclude him from the bosom of our Holy Mother the Church in Heaven and on earth, we declare him excommunicated and anathematized and we judge him condemned to eternal fire with Satan and his angels and all the reprobate, so long as he will not burst the fetters of the demon, do penance and satisfy the Church; we deliver him to Satan to mortify his body, that his soul may be saved on the day of judgment.”

He who dares to despise our decision, let him be stricken with anathema maranatha, i.e. may he be damned at the coming of the Lord, may he have his place with Judas Iscariot, he and his companions.

Quoted from New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia. newadvent.org/cathen/01455e.htm

**NAB MAT 16:13 **

Jesus replied, “Blest are you, Simon son of John! No mere man has revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. I for my part declare to you, you are ‘Rock,’ and on this rock I will build my church, and the jaws of death shall not prevail against it. I will entrust to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you declare bound on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you declare loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

NAB REV 1:16

A sharp, two-edged sword came out of his mouth, and his face shone like the sun at its brightest. When I caught sight of him I fell down at his feet as though dead, he touched me with his right hand and said: “There is nothing to fear. I am the First and the Last and the One who lives. Once I was dead but now I live-- forever and ever. I hold the keys of death and the nether world.”
**NAB ISA 11:4 **The Rule of Immanuel

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.​

**NAB JOH 20:20 **

At the sight of the Lord the disciples rejoiced. “Peace be with you,” he said again. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Then he breathed on them and said: "Recieve the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men’s sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound."