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Ron_Conte
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Can. 750 §1. A person must believe with divine and Catholic faith all those things contained in the word of God, written or handed on, that is, in the one deposit of faith entrusted to the Church, and at the same time proposed as divinely revealed either by the solemn magisterium of the Church or by its ordinary and universal magisterium which is manifested by the common adherence of the Christian faithful under the leadership of the sacred magisterium; therefore all are bound to avoid any doctrines whatsoever contrary to them.
Can. 751 Heresy is the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt after the reception of baptism of some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.
Canon 1364 §1: “an apostate from the faith, a heretic, or a schismatic incurs a latae sententiae excommunication.”
The phrase “latae sententiae” means a judgment or sentence which has already been brought, in other words, a sentence or judgment which does not need a future additional judgment from someone in authority; it refers to a type of excommunication which is automatic. Such a sentence of excommunication is incurred “by the very commission of the offense,” (CCC 2272) and does not require the future particular judgment of a case by competent authority. Apostasy, heresy, and schism are all offences which incur a sentence of excommunication automatically.
Heresy is material when a person believes a doctrine that is contrary to, or obstinately denies or obstinately doubts, “some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith”.
Heresy is formal when it is committed with knowledge and deliberation. An accidental error on doctrine, due to some misunderstanding as to what the Church actually teaches, would not be formal heresy. Only formal heresy excommunicates; mere material heresy does not.
How common is material heresy among persons who call themselves Catholic today? Unfortunately, it is very common. Examples of truths which must be believed with divine and Catholic faith and yet which are commonly denied:
Can. 751 Heresy is the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt after the reception of baptism of some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.
Canon 1364 §1: “an apostate from the faith, a heretic, or a schismatic incurs a latae sententiae excommunication.”
The phrase “latae sententiae” means a judgment or sentence which has already been brought, in other words, a sentence or judgment which does not need a future additional judgment from someone in authority; it refers to a type of excommunication which is automatic. Such a sentence of excommunication is incurred “by the very commission of the offense,” (CCC 2272) and does not require the future particular judgment of a case by competent authority. Apostasy, heresy, and schism are all offences which incur a sentence of excommunication automatically.
Heresy is material when a person believes a doctrine that is contrary to, or obstinately denies or obstinately doubts, “some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith”.
Heresy is formal when it is committed with knowledge and deliberation. An accidental error on doctrine, due to some misunderstanding as to what the Church actually teaches, would not be formal heresy. Only formal heresy excommunicates; mere material heresy does not.
How common is material heresy among persons who call themselves Catholic today? Unfortunately, it is very common. Examples of truths which must be believed with divine and Catholic faith and yet which are commonly denied:
- direct abortion is always gravely immoral;
- the use of contraception is always gravely immoral;
- the Magisterium is able to teach infallibly, through papal infallibility, ecumenical councils, and the universal magisterium;
- euthanasia is always gravely immoral;
- so-called ‘same-sex marriage’ is never a true natural or Sacramental marriage;
- sexual acts outside of marriage are always gravely immoral;
- Christ is truly and fully present in the Eucharist;
- everyone who dies in a state of unrepentant actual mortal sin is condemned to Hell forever