Oh the hierarchy can certainly speak the words but most just ignore them. It’s a silly proclamation for the church of 2012. No man can tell another that he or she is no longer part of the Body of Christ. No one human being has that authority. The current hierarchy has lost its’ authority as well as its’ respect in this world. If excommunication is the law then why doesn’t it apply to the bishops who covered up the rape of children? Why are they forgiven by the Church? Why are they not excommunicated? Hypocrites!
People can and do ignore what the hierarchy say and do, this doesn’t make the people right nor does it mean the clergy is not authoritative. And yes one man can tell another he or she is no longer a Catholic in good standing, or that they have been excommunicated. And yes it does mean this person would be on the outside looking in, and yes this would mean unless the person chooses to stop blaspheming the Holy Spirit, their sin will not be forgiven, as Jesus Himself told us this is the only unforgivable sin.
Do you understand what blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is? It is precisely what you describe, ignoring the authority God given to the very men you seem to dislike, the hierarchy. The Code of Canon Law is the teaching of Christ, from Scripture and from Tradition and revelation through the Holy Father’s infallibility in faith and morals. To ignore these teachings and to “go it alone” is B of the HS, and does separate one from His Grace which flows through His Church.
No, I may not feel I am excommunicated if I choose to go against some precept, but that doesn’t mean anything more than I don’t understand truth. What the world thinks has no meaning what so ever as to what the Church does or what Her actions mean. Excommunication means exactly now what it has always meant, that the one who has been excommunicated, either by Church action or by personal action, is most definitely outside of the Church until reparation is made, and the Sacrament of Confession is received properly depending on the sin.
You may not agree with these things I write, but that doesn’t mean anything but prove that some are suffering from relativism, “I can believe anything I want. It doesn’t matter what the Church says.” As far as the sex abuse scandals, the Church is working towards making amends and has repeatedly made apologies and making corrections to assure it doesn’t happen again, are you doing the same to correct your deeply rooted problems? If not, stop throwing stones at the Church you claim to be a part of. You hurt the Church, and Jesus every time you continue bashing the Church He built.
