Should anathema (ended 1983) be reenstated for abortion? (RC Only)

[StevenMerten]

Hello all,

For milleniums Church leaders enforced Church law using the Christ given "Keys to the Kingdom", to bind and to loost, through anathemas. When I read through some of the many Church auto-anathemas, I agree that it is good that many of them were disengaged by Pope John Paul II in 1983. However, for the protection of the unborn and to detter spiritually destructive immorality inside and outside the Church, I believe that auto-anathema should be reengaged by Pope Benedict XVI to enforce God's law against abortion.

What do you think?

NAB MAT 16:13

Jesus replied, "Blest are you, Simon son of John! No mere man has revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. I for my part declare to you, you are 'Rock,' and on this rock I will build my church, and the jaws of death shall not prevail against it. I will entrust to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you declare bound on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you declare loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven."​

NAB JOH 20:20

At the sight of the Lord the disciples rejoiced. "Peace be with you," he said again. "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." Then he breathed on them and said: "Recieve the Holy Spirit. If you forgive men's sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held bound."


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Anathema

In passing this sentence, the pontiff is vested in amice, stole, and a violet cope, wearing his mitre, and assisted by twelve priests clad in their surplices and holding lighted candles. He takes his seat in front of the altar or in some other suitable place, amid pronounces the formula of anathema which ends with these words: "Wherefore in the name of God the All-powerful, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, of the Blessed Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and of all the saints, in virtue of the power which has been given us of binding and loosing in Heaven and on earth, we deprive N-- himself and all his accomplices and all his abettors of the Communion of the Body and Blood of Our Lord, we separate him from the society of all Christians, we exclude him from the bosom of our Holy Mother the Church in Heaven and on earth, we declare him excommunicated and anathematized and we judge him condemned to eternal fire with Satan and his angels and all the reprobate, so long as he will not burst the fetters of the demon, do penance and satisfy the Church; we deliver him to Satan to mortify his body, that his soul may be saved on the day of judgment."

Quoted from New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia: Anathema​

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[Servus Iesu]

Abortion still incurs automatic excommunication.

 

[StevenMerten]

Abortion still incurs automatic excommunication.

Hello Servus Iesu,

Would you agree that modern excommunication is like a pee shooter compared to anathama? If the Vatican is attacked, should the Pope send out some monks with pee shooters to protect the Vatican or should he unleash the full assault capabilities of the Swiss Guard? If the immorality of individuals is in full assault on the spirituality of the body of the Church (1.1 billion Catholics) should the Pope use a pee shooter to protect Her or should he unleash the most deadly detterant known to man, anathema.

Can we say that modern excommunication basically reduces Catholics to the level of Protestants? Modern excommunicated Catholics are not removed from the life of the body of the Church as they are in anathema. Successors have not used the "Keys to the Kingdom" to call upon Jesus to bind culprits souls to sin in heaven and on earth. In modern times, excommunicated Catholics simply cannot recieve the sacraments, as Protestants do not recieve the sacraments.

While abortion still carries the Church automatic punishment of excommunication, Successors have taken the teeth out of the Church punishment of major excommunication. Would you agree?

 

[Servus Iesu]

I'd say the Church has taken the teeth out of almost all of its juridical prerogatives. With that said, excommunication effectively does what anathema proclaims. When we are cut off from the sacraments we are removed from the life and grace of the Church.

Perhaps I am a softy, but I believe the Church should be much more severe towards abortion doctors and the men (lousy fathers) who pressure women into getting abortions than the women themselves. Don't get me wrong, it is absolutely abominable and horrid what the woman does, but often times the consent of her will is impaired by dark forces around her.

In a Catholic society I believe that abortion doctors should be subject to the death penalty. Women on the other hand would be given very strict penances. It would have to depend in part on the situation though. Some women are pressured into abortions by evil men around them, others just do it because a baby will get in the way of their selfish plans. This would all be for a Confessor to sort out.

Lamentably, we don't live in a Catholic society though. Should the Church return to the old ways and exercise her full juridical power over souls? I believe yes. Alas, neither you or I has the power to bind and loose on heaven and earth though. I believe the Church and her bishops should do a lot of things but all of that is out of my hands. All we can do is pray, do penance, make reparation, and work to end the holocaust of abortion in any way that is open to us.

 

[StevenMerten]

I'd say the Church has taken the teeth out of almost all of its juridical prerogatives. With that said, excommunication effectively does what anathema proclaims. When we are cut off from the sacraments we are removed from the life and grace of the Church.

Hello Sevus Iesu,

I do not have a quote at the moment but, as I understand it, modern excommunication does not damn a culprits soul to spiritual death. The Church states that those, though excommunicated, are still within the body of the Church. Modern excommunication is not like pre-1983 anathema excommunication where the Christ given "Keys to the Kingdom" are invoked to have Jesus bind souls to sin, cutting them off from the life of the body of the Church and leaving their souls damned. Maybe another reader has a quote and can verify or counter this statment. I will see if I can find a Church document stating so.

I agree with you that it is the doctors of abortion and also the fathers of those children being aborted who should be punished. I never specified who and how anathema should be used to protect the body of the Church from abortion, only that it should be used.

Peace in Christ,
Steven Merten