If a Catholic converts to some Protestant religion is he excommunicated or given any official rebuke by the Church?
score:10
This is a legal issue (since "punishments" are legal consequences), so we'll need to look at canon law.
When one leaves the Catholic Church, one may be rejecting the Christian Church and her teachings altogether, or (as seems more likely in the case you mention) simply rejecting certain of her truths and her ability to authoritatively speak the Truth. The former is technically known as apostasy; the latter may be either schism, heresy, or both. Canon 751 of the Code of Canon Law of the Latin Church states:
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.
The distinction between heresy and schism is mostly that heresy requires "obstinacy"; that is, it requires that one be specifically told that a declared belief or doubt is contrary to Catholic doctrine, and then one must persist in that belief or doubt. Schism simply requires that one, in effect, believe that it's not necessary to follow the Pope and be part of the Church. For the remainder of this discussion, I'll assume that heresy is out of the question, and what is at issue is schism.
(Note: the noted canonist Dr. Edward Peters appears to agree that joining another church is a schismatic act; he refers to Rod Dreher's act of joining the Russian Orthodox Church, for example, as an act of schism.)
Formally speaking, one who commits an act of schism is subject to latae sententiae excommunication, that is, to being excommunicated without the act needing to be declared:
... an apostate from the faith, a heretic, or a schismatic incurs a latae sententiae excommunication.
(Canon 1364)
It should go without saying that since a schismatic has voluntarily declared themselves no longer part of the Church, the Church may in turn declare the same thing—not that the individual will feel its effect immediately; but the hope is that if or when the person may return to the Catholic Church, they may feel the gravity of their action, in that they can't just "come back" but must first have their excommunication lifted.
However, it isn't that easy and straightforward. Canons 1321–1324 establish some pretty strict limitations on when excommunications and similar penalties may be imposed. Probably the strictest limitation of all is Canon 1323, section 2:
The following are not subject to a penalty when they have violated a law or precept: ... a person who without negligence was ignorant that he or she violated a law or precept; inadvertence and error are equivalent to ignorance.
If this is not specific enough, canon 1324 goes further, specifying in section 1 note 9 and section 3 that
a person who without negligence did not know that a penalty was attached to a law or precept ... is not bound by a latae sententiae penalty.
And since, indeed, most people are unaware of the punishment to be imposed by Canon 751, it is generally inapplicable (unless of course the violator is someone like a priest, bishop, or theologian, who certainly ought to be aware of this in particular).
More post
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for the belief that there are humans in heaven now?
- 📝 Absent apostolic succession, what is the argument for the authority of the church?
- 📝 Was the adoption of the Marian Dogma due to miracles, visions, any signs or any other guidance?
- 📝 How do those who believe the Son is not Almighty God interpret Revelation 2:23?
- 📝 What is "Traditionalist Catholicism"
- 📝 What is the difference in original sin and our nature to sin from a Reformed or Calvinist view?
- 📝 Contemporary Evidence for Jesus
- 📝 What did St. Theresa of Àvila mean by the "Prayer of Recollection"?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for the idea that "hell is locked from the inside"?
- 📝 Confession and Penance in the Catholic church
- 📝 Do any Christian traditions hold the belief that Adam was androgynous?
- 📝 Is there a biblical basis for the division caused by theology?
- 📝 What is the Roman Catholic stance on levitation?
- 📝 Was David mainly upset about Uzzah's death?
- 📝 Why is use of the phrase "for God's sake" often considered sinful?
- 📝 A Question regarding arguments against the Nicene Creed
- 📝 What are the arguments in favor of the proposition that it was man's spirit that died in the Garden of Eden?
- 📝 Why is it a custom in Baptist Churches to vote on new congregation members?
- 📝 Forgiveness Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit
- 📝 Why are some clergy referred to as "Monsignor" and others not?
- 📝 Why don't young-earth creationists just explain things (usually considered as miracles) as miracles?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, how did Jesus go in secret (disguise) to the Feast of Tabernacles?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for the belief that separation from God is in itself sin?
- 📝 What is the theological justification for believing in the real presence of Mary in the Eucharist?
- 📝 Is the Summa Theologia infallible to Catholics or not?
- 📝 What is the origin and basis for the Catholic teaching regarding Mary's vow of celibacy prior to her betrothal?
- 📝 Relevance of the word 'ICTHUS'
- 📝 Were some parts of the law abolished or "not one jot will by any means pass from the law"?
- 📝 How does dominion theology affect eschatological views?
- 📝 According to Roman Catholicism, is it a sin to vote for pro-choice politicians?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 If a Catholic converts to some Protestant religion is he excommunicated or given any official rebuke by the Church?
- 📝 Can Catholic converts attend worship and participate fully in their family's Protestant church?
- 📝 If both the Orthodox and Catholic Church affirm salvation by grace through faith, why did the Protestant Reformation happen?
- 📝 Why does Catholic Church (and possibly some other denominations) approve natural family planning and condemn different kinds of contraception?
- 📝 From a Roman Catholic point of view, what should a Protestant chaplain do for a dying Catholic?
- 📝 Why is the word ‘concupiscence’ so important in understanding the difference between a Catholic view and a Protestant view of ‘Original Sin’?
- 📝 Did the disagreement between the Catholic Church and Protestant Church on the issue of salvation by grace alone end in 1999?
- 📝 How did the Virgin Mary's title "Mirror of Justice", used in some Catholic prayers, originate?
- 📝 Since when did the Catholic church accept Protestant baptism, and what was the original rationale for accepting?
- 📝 Does Roman Catholic Church recognize some Eastern Orthodox Saints?
- 📝 What are the main differences between the Catholic and Protestant definitions of Biblical inerrancy?
- 📝 Are politicians who are integral to passing pro-abortion laws automatically excommunicated from the Catholic Church?
- 📝 Protestant rejection of the Catholic implementation of confession
- 📝 What do the words Catholic and Protestant mean?
- 📝 Does the Catholic Church teach that some who died before Christ are still in Limbo? Why?
- 📝 On what grounds does the Catholic church reject sacraments of protestant denominations?
- 📝 Where are the majority of Roman Catholic converts from today?
- 📝 Given a Catholic understanding of Hell and individual judgment, do Catholics believe that all Protestants will go to Hell?
- 📝 What contemporary criticism was given to Belloc's claim that the Protestant Reformation was the work of a few oligarchs?
- 📝 Has Madonna been excommunicated by the Catholic Church?
- 📝 Why does the Catholic Church consider protestant baptisms valid sacraments, but not protestant marriages?
- 📝 How do the Catholic and Protestant understandings of "Regula Fidei" differ?
- 📝 What is the Catholic biblical or canon basis saying some moral works without grace (transient or permanent) are good (or not have the nature of sin)?
- 📝 Do any Protestant denominations organize a canon starting from a collection of books other than the Roman Catholic Church's canon?
- 📝 Can a practicing Catholic who joined a Protestant church still receive communion in the Catholic church?
- 📝 In Catholic evening prayer, why do some days have Psalm prayers, other days do not?
- 📝 Can a Catholic cite a religion as a reason for not doing something even if that thing isn't officially prohibited by the Church?
- 📝 What does a returning Catholic who contracted marriage in a Protestant church need to do when the spouse wants to remain Protestant?
- 📝 Is the Roman Catholic understanding of forgiveness different from the Protestant understanding?
- 📝 Are there any differences between Protestant and Catholic theology concerning the distinction between demonic possession from mental illness?