Q. What about excommunication? What about marriage law?

A. Excommunication does not 'throw someone out of the Church,' but it does prevent someone from receiving the sacraments, including Holy Communion (hence ex-communication). Excommunication is a penalty that is intended to prevent a person who is in a state of mortal sin from committing a sacrilege, and to encourage a person's self-reflection and conversion of heart.

For the most part, people effectively, albeit informally, excommunicate themselves when they intentionally violate a grave moral law after sufficient reflection and full consent of the will.

However, in rare cases, a sentence of excommunication may be declared formally by a bishop or Church tribunal. This is done infrequently, most often as a result of public formal heresy, apostasy or schism. When such a sentence of excommunication is imposed, it is part of an effort to avert the scandal of someone's publicly acting against an important teaching of the Church and then publicly presenting themselves for Holy Communion as if they were in accord with the Church's belief and morals. Excommunication therefore provides notice to the penalized person that he or she has some soul-searching to do, and also gives public notice that the Church's doctrine and practice have definite limits. In this sense, excommunication teaches something to the entire Church.

The 'bottom line' on excommunication is that the person in question is still Catholic, and is encouraged to repent of the sin which led to the excommunication. There are times when, in addition to confession, the sentence of excommunication must be officially lifted. These occasions are not common, and a priest must be consulted about them.

As regards to marriage, there is one situation in which Church law treats a Catholic as if he or she were no longer a Catholic. The Church recognizes the marriage of a Catholic who has formally, publicly renounced his or her Catholic faith and then married in a non-Catholic ceremony. The person is still a Catholic and can return to the Church any time he or she chooses to come to reconciliation, but the Church still recognizes this non-Catholic marriage ceremony as valid. In all other cases, the marriage of a Catholic in a non-Catholic ceremony is recognized as valid only when a Church dispensation (i.e. a formal permission) has been sought and granted.