Category talk:People excommunicated by the Catholic Church

Lifting of excommunications

I feel that this category should not include individuals whose excommunication has been lifted. The four bishops of the Society of St. Pius X are a prominent example, but there are surely more. When the penalty is lifted, it simply goes away, unless new abuses are subsequently committed which would deserve a second or a third excommunication. But if no such abuses are committed, then the ecclesiastical situation would presumably return to normal and it would be inappropriate to re-assert that these individuals had previously been excommunicated, because it would create an illegitimate Church caste of dis-excommunicated people. ADM (talk) 06:44, 13 May 2009 (UTC)

I would second the above (to avoid misapprehension of meaning or imprecise information about the of nature of a Catholic's excommunication). Or at least differentiate between those Catholics whose excommunications have been lifted (historically or otherwise) and those still under excommuniation, since the "lift," as it were, releases or historically exonerates the person deprived of "good standing," footing, estimation, rank, status, etc. in the Catholic community. We do that in law, in civil or secular society, noting differences in correction, ensure, indifference, rehabilitation, etc.

In his ASPECTS OF THE THEORY OF SYNTAX, Chomsky notes that mistakes or errors can be divided into two types: (1)competence mistakes that arise from ignorance of or ineptness in using a language on the one hand and (2) performance mistakes where one knows what to say or write but through tiredness, anger, emotion makes a slip of the tongue or leaves a word or meaning out. Sometimes popes (or their advisors) and non-popes, lay people, make mistakes. When these are recognized or when there is more clarity and communication between the two parties, an excommunication is often either lifted or reaffirmed. When it is lifted, it should be noted for the sake of the person's historical standing. The Franciscan priest, William of Ockham, for example, had his excommunication lifted and is a Franciscan in good standing in the Franciscan order. Prattlement (talk) 16:34, 31 July 2009 (UTC) Likewise, is Joan of Arc, who is a saint now.

Alongside lifted and unlifted excommunications , one should also differentiate between a minor excommunication (as in the sentence of English Jesuit, George Tyrrell), and a major excommunication (as in Alfred Loisy's case).

Finally, secular institutions have types of "excommunications" called expulsions (as in the recent case of Ward Churchill from the University of Colorado) and dishonorable discharges (as in the army). Institutions such as universities and the army always, however, note when the person expelled or discharged has been exonorated or rehabilitated for the sake of the person's (and his/her family's or community's) regard, repute, name, mark, account, character, etc. Always that distinction is made. Not to differentiate in this matter leaves the excommunicates' reputations (or the names of the expelled, discharged persons) at the mercy of profligacy and ignorance (to be increased or diminished at the will of the uninformed), not on the table of nuanced scholarship.Prattlement (talk) 17:27, 1 August 2009 (UTC)

"Category:Former Roman Catholics"

Hello, the nature of excommuncation is not one that removes "Catholic" status from a person. An excommunicated person is still a member of the Church. Therefore, Category:Former Roman Catholics does not apply here. 2600:8800:1880:188:5604:A6FF:FE38:4B26 (talk) 09:06, 25 November 2018 (UTC)

Dimadick (talk · contribs) correctly points out that Category:People temporarily excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church is the child category of this one. Therefore by his own assertion, it is the grandchild of "Former Roman Catholics" and must be removed from that category. 2600:8800:1880:188:5604:A6FF:FE38:4B26 (talk) 09:12, 25 November 2018 (UTC)