Whats excommunication by the Catholic Church about?
Excommunication is invoked when someone has done something so contrary to the teachings of the church that he/she is declared to be “out of communion” with the church. They are forbidden from taking the Eucharist/Lord’s supper/communion (by whatever name you wish to call it), I’m not sure if a priest can hear their confession, and they are thus denied absolution of sin until they find their way back into communion; usually by recanting their sins and seeking the forgiveness of the church. In the medieval world, excommunication was a powerful weapon against kings. If a king were excommunicated, anyone in his domain was forbidden to receive communion. In essense, condemning them to Hell if they died during the interdiction and inciting many to rebellion. Any loyal king was granted permission to attack the offending monarch and take his lands. You can see how powerful that could be. In today’s world, it’s a little different. Excommunication no longer has the power that it once had. Many p
