RE: Church excommunicates a girl for aborting her twins but lets her rapist go free
May 28, 2012 at 3:34 am
Anyone who participates in abortion is excommunicated automatically--there's no input from the Vatican (outside of making abortion an latae sententiae offense in the first place). Its not some case-by-case issue, it happens at the very moment anyone decides to participate in abortion.
That's not to say she is going to hell. She cannot take Eucharist or participate in the liturgy until she repents. And the church doesn't "let the rapist go free". Whaaat? They just didn't excommunicate him probably because imposed/declared excommunications are much rarer (where the Church singles you out specifically instead of just saying "anyone who is an apostate is automatically excommunicated). He is in mortal sin (assuming he raped of his own free will). The rapist also cannot get Eucharist until he repents, and he's going to go to jail (and the Church is not about to bust him out). Usually you get your Excommunication lifted and your sins absolved at once in the Confessional.
I mean...I can see why its sort of a strangle place, why murder of a child isn't an automatic Excommunication (extremely mortal sin), but yet abortion is. And I think the Church does set apart that sin because it is very much the "issue" of our time. If you read the Douay Catechism of 1647 you will see that all the latae sententiae offenses are the same (Heresy, Apostasy, Schism, Sacramental Abuses, etc)--but abortion is less of an issue, and apparently dueling used to be the "issue" of the day which similarly had an automatic excommunication penalty placed on it:
That's not to say she is going to hell. She cannot take Eucharist or participate in the liturgy until she repents. And the church doesn't "let the rapist go free". Whaaat? They just didn't excommunicate him probably because imposed/declared excommunications are much rarer (where the Church singles you out specifically instead of just saying "anyone who is an apostate is automatically excommunicated). He is in mortal sin (assuming he raped of his own free will). The rapist also cannot get Eucharist until he repents, and he's going to go to jail (and the Church is not about to bust him out). Usually you get your Excommunication lifted and your sins absolved at once in the Confessional.
I mean...I can see why its sort of a strangle place, why murder of a child isn't an automatic Excommunication (extremely mortal sin), but yet abortion is. And I think the Church does set apart that sin because it is very much the "issue" of our time. If you read the Douay Catechism of 1647 you will see that all the latae sententiae offenses are the same (Heresy, Apostasy, Schism, Sacramental Abuses, etc)--but abortion is less of an issue, and apparently dueling used to be the "issue" of the day which similarly had an automatic excommunication penalty placed on it:
Quote:Is it lawful to fight duels, appointing a set time and place, for private interest, or punctilios of honour?
No, by no means; for the church hath forbidden it under excommunication, to be incurred ipso facto; and such as die in duels, can be neither have Christian burial nor be prayed for the church.
Mary Immaculate, star of the morning
Chosen before the creation began
Chosen to bring for your bridal adorning
Woe to the serpent and rescue to man.
Sinners, we honor your sinless perfection;
Fallen and weak, for your pity we plead;
Grand us the shield of your sovereign protection,
Measure your aid by the depth of our need.
Bend from your throne at the voice of our crying,
Bend to this earth which your footsteps have trod;
Stretch out your arms to us, living and dying,
Mary Immaculate, Mother of God.
Chosen before the creation began
Chosen to bring for your bridal adorning
Woe to the serpent and rescue to man.
Sinners, we honor your sinless perfection;
Fallen and weak, for your pity we plead;
Grand us the shield of your sovereign protection,
Measure your aid by the depth of our need.
Bend from your throne at the voice of our crying,
Bend to this earth which your footsteps have trod;
Stretch out your arms to us, living and dying,
Mary Immaculate, Mother of God.
