The Louisiana Supreme Court in the southern United States has issued a decision that may require a priest to violate the secrecy of confession. The case involves the possible confession of a 12-year-old, who was allegedly abused by a parishioner in 2008. The complainant said she told the priest in three separate confessions of her Read more
Pope Francis used the e-word against the mob for the first time this weekend. The Holy Father was celebrating mass on Saturday in Calabria, a mob-heavy region in southern Italy, when he deviated from his prepared remarks and announced that the mafia are excommunicated. “Those who go down the evil path, as the Mafiosi do, are Read more
A young Vietnamese priest has been excommunicated after accusations he taught false beliefs against the Catholic faith. Fr Peter Nguyen Van Tuong was excommunicated “latae sententiae”, the apostolic administrator of Vinh Long diocese announced. Administrator Fr Peter Duong Van Thanh accused Fr Tuong of “preaching false beliefs against the Catholic Church doctrine” and “being too Read more
Pope Francis has told the Italian mafia that they are excommunicated and an example of the adoration of evil. It is believed to be the first time a pope has used the word excommunication in direct reference to organised crime groups. “Those who in their lives follow this path of evil, as mafiosi do, are not Read more
The head of the international pro-reform We Are Church movement has been excommunicated by the Vatican. Austrian Martha Heizer and her husband Gert suffered this penalty for regularly “simulating the Mass” without a priest present. According to a statement from Innsbruck diocese, the pair publicised this practice, which forced Bishop Manfred Scheuer to take legal Read more
The Vatican has ordered the excommunication of Catholic priest Greg Reynolds over his support for women priests and gays. The Australian news site The Age reported that the excommunication document – written in Latin – was dated May 31. Reynolds, who resigned as a parish priest in 2011 and last year founded Inclusive Catholics, said Read more
Cleveland’s Bishop Richard Lennon has formally excommunicated a priest who followed his parishioners into an independent worship community after the bishop improperly closed their parish. The conflict between the diocese and the parish of St Peter in downtown Cleveland began in 2009 when Bishop Lennon announced the closure of 50-plus parishes and churches in a Read more
The proliferation of excommunications in recent years is sapping the energy out of that formerly most-feared weapon in the church’s quiver. Once upon a time, excommunication was seen as a virtual death penalty to the soul of the unfortunate recipient. And in the Middle Ages, it could lead to a literal death sentence for the Read more