Some questions about excommunication

[McatholicN]

I found this list of sins that bring about automatic excommunication:
Code of Canon Law:

1. An apostate from the faith, a heretic, or a schismatic
2. Profanation of the Eucharist

What does this one mean exactly? Is it only serious profanation, or something like receiving the Eucharist with dirty hands? I’d be worried to shake anyone’s hand during the sign of peace if the latter was the case.
Code of Canon Law:

1. Physical attack against the Roman Pontiff
2. Absolution against an accomplice in a sin against the sixth Commandment

Does this mean that being an accomplice to a sexual sin in any way is, essentially, unforgivable, seeing as a priest would be excommunicated for absolving such?
Code of Canon Law:

1. Consecration of a bishop without a pontifical mandate
2. A priest who violates the sacramental seal of confession
3. A person who procures a completed abortion

But, there are these that make it impossible for excommunication:
Code of Canon Law:

Can. 1323 The following are not subject to a penalty when they have violated a law or precept:

1. a person who has not yet completed the sixteenth year of age;

So someone who hasn’t had their seventeenth birthday yet cannot be excommunicated?
Code of Canon Law:

1. a person who without negligence was ignorant that he or she violated a law or precept; inadvertence and error are equivalent to ignorance;

Does this imply someone who didn’t know it was a sin, or someone who didn’t know it brought about excommunication?
Code of Canon Law:

1. a person who acted due to physical force or a chance occurrence which the person could not foresee or, if foreseen, avoid;
2. a person who acted coerced by grave fear, even if only relatively grave, or due to necessity or grave inconvenience unless the act is intrinsically evil or tends to the harm of souls;
3. a person who acted with due moderation against an unjust aggressor for the sake of legitimate self defense or defense of another;
4. a person who lacked the use of reason, without prejudice to the prescripts of cann. 1324, §1, n. 2 and 1325;
5. a person who without negligence thought that one of the circumstances mentioned in nn. 4 or 5 was present.

There was more in the Catholic Encyclopedia, including automatic excommunication for reading a heretical book, I believe.

Also, can an excommunicated person go to Confession?

 

[promethius]

I found this list of sins that bring about automatic excommunication:

Okay

What does this one mean exactly? Is it only serious profanation, or something like receiving the Eucharist with dirty hands? I’d be worried to shake anyone’s hand during the sign of peace if the latter was the case.

Deliberate disrespectful actions. An example would be throwing the Eucharist to the ground and crushing it under your heel. Having bacteria on your hands is something that is a natural state and not controllable or even known by you at the time. Being that it is both a natural state and unknown by you, you are not taking part in intentionally profaning the Eucharist.

If it worries you that much, do what I do and receive on the tongue…

Does this mean that being an accomplice to a sexual sin in any way is, essentially, unforgivable, seeing as a priest would be excommunicated for absolving such?

No. It means a priest who has participated in adultery cannot hear the confession and absolve the object of his affair. Example: Father Bob sleeps with Layman Jim’s wife, Sally. Layman Jim’s wife comes to confession with Father Bob and confesses her adultery (with him). Father Bob cannot absolve her of this sin. If he tries, he incurs excommunication as a result. Conversely, Father Bob hears Layman Jim’s wife’s confession that she has slept with Father Billy. Father Bob CAN offer absolution on this, but he must counsel her that he cannot absolve her of their (Bob and Sally’s affair.

So someone who hasn’t had their seventeenth birthday yet cannot be excommunicated?

That is correct. A person who has not reached the level of moral understanding has no culpability because they lack the free will/implicit understanding to commit grave error in a way that is mortally sinful. They are, in effect, invincibly ignorant.

Does this imply someone who didn’t know it was a sin, or someone who didn’t know it brought about excommunication?

If they are truly ignorant and not through negligence. We are commanded to form our conscience according to church teaching, and thus to familiarize ourselves with church teaching. If we fail to do so, even though we have the means, we are negligent. Ignorance does not necessarily entail INVINCIBLE ignorance. The invincibly ignorant would not suffer grave sin or latae excommunication from such actions, but the negligently (or vincibly) ignorant would.

Also, can an excommunicated person go to Confession?

In most cases of latae (automatic) excommunication, these are minor excommunications and can be absolved by attending confession with your priest. However, when a person has incurred a major excommunication this takes more than just confession to absolve.

 

[McatholicN]

Promethius:

That is correct. A person who has not reached the level of moral understanding has no culpability because they lack the free will/implicit understanding to commit grave error in a way that is mortally sinful. They are, in effect, invincibly ignorant.

Does this apply to those under seventeen who are “morally understanding” and know the law?

Promethius:

In most cases of latae (automatic) excommunication, these are minor excommunications and can be absolved by attending confession with your priest. However, when a person has incurred a major excommunication this takes more than just confession to absolve.

What’s major and what isn’t?

 

[kbwall]

This brings up a question for me too.

1. An apostate from the faith, a heretic, or a schismatic

Does this mean that once somebody has left that they can never go back?

 

[beth40n2]

This brings up a question for me too.

Does this mean that once somebody has left that they can never go back?

NO, Those who left the faith are in excommunication. Of course they can come back. They need to go to confession and be truely sorry for the sin and show repentance. Such as start attending mass every week and participating in the church.

 

[baltobetsy]

Does this mean that once somebody has left that they can never go back?

Excommunication is not meant as a punishment, as in, “Get out and never come back!” Its purpose is to be a healing remedy by pointing out the seriousness of the sin and providing a formal way to return to the Church.