Legal Definitions - excommengement

The term excommengement is an older or less common spelling of excommunication. It refers to the act by which a religious authority formally excludes an individual from participation in the sacraments, rites, or membership of a religious community.

Essentially, it is a severe religious penalty that removes a person from the full communion and privileges of their faith group, often for serious violations of religious law or doctrine. While primarily associated with Christian churches, similar concepts of formal exclusion exist in various religious traditions.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of excommunication:

• Example 1: A Bishop's Doctrinal Disagreement

  A prominent bishop within a specific Christian denomination publicly and repeatedly teaches doctrines that are directly contrary to the established creed and theological principles of that denomination. Despite multiple warnings and opportunities to recant, the bishop persists in promoting these divergent views. After a formal ecclesiastical trial, the church leadership issues a decree of excommunication, stripping the bishop of his clerical office and denying him access to the sacraments and full membership within that religious body.

  This example illustrates excommunication as a consequence of persistent heresy or defiance of core religious doctrine, resulting in the formal removal of an individual from their religious standing and community.

• Example 2: A Layperson's Grave Moral Transgression

  A member of a religious congregation commits a particularly egregious act, such as a serious crime or a public scandal that directly violates fundamental moral tenets of their faith, causing significant harm to the community's reputation and internal cohesion. Following due process within the religious institution, which might include attempts at reconciliation and repentance, the individual is formally excommunicated. This means they can no longer receive communion, hold positions of leadership, or participate in certain sacred rituals until they seek reconciliation and demonstrate genuine repentance.

  This demonstrates excommunication as a disciplinary measure for severe moral offenses that undermine the integrity and values of the religious community, leading to a temporary or permanent exclusion from its full privileges.

• Example 3: Historical Political Conflict

  During the medieval period, a powerful European monarch repeatedly defied the authority of the Pope on matters of church appointments and land control, directly challenging the Pope's spiritual and temporal power. After numerous warnings and diplomatic efforts failed, the Pope declared the monarch excommunicated. This act not only denied the monarch access to religious rites but also had significant political repercussions, potentially freeing the monarch's subjects from their oaths of loyalty and encouraging rebellion, as an excommunicated ruler was considered outside God's grace.

  This historical example highlights excommunication as a potent tool used by religious authorities to assert power and enforce compliance, even against secular rulers, by leveraging the spiritual and social consequences of being cut off from the religious community.