Quote:
Originally Posted by AOII Angel
So basically every time you sin you are excommunicated until you go to confession and do your penance? You just don't have a priest declaring it to the world that you've been excommunicated for having dirty thoughts about your boss!?
|
No it has to be something bad enough to get that label. Otherwise you're just a sinner.
Although technically, you're not supposed to receive communion without receiving confession pretty much immediately before. Used to be people only got communion once a year and same with confession. Now it's more relaxed and there's a point in the Mass where (at least so I was taught) any tiny little sins you've accrued are forgiven.
So excommunication is like the big punishment and is almost always accrued from when you do this big bad thing. There's an announcement generally when it's a public figure/action/big fuss about it. Confessing is a remedy but not just for something big like excommunication, but also for thinking dirty things about your boss (tsk tsk!).
Priests and nuns have to do a bit more, re-promise obedience, submit a statement to the head of their diocese/order etc.