Do excommunicated persons go to hell?

[Robert_Judge]

If the Church were to excommunicate someone, say, Martin Luther as an example, or any other heretic for that matter and that individual does not repent prior to dying, and in fact dies without having been reconciled, can we say with certainty that that individual has gone to hell?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

Excommunication is a canonical penalty. It is what’s called a “medicinal” penalty because its meant to awaken the sinner to come back to the Church. In vernacular terms its what we today would call “tough love.” Its intention is not primarily punishment, but rather to bring about repentance.

Excommunication is when external actions are so grave that they require a grave external reaction. However someone’s heart and culpability is known to God alone. Like all sin we can only judge the external, the internal we are not privy to. Excommunication does not send someone to hell nor does it declare someone is in hell. What it does do is point out that the external actions that caused the excommunication are not compatible with true Christian faith and living. Their culpability cannot be known on this side of the Kingdom…