Editing Loss of clerical state (section)

{{Short description|Removal from clerical membership}}
{{distinguish|Lay communion}}
{{canon law}}
In the [[canon law (Catholic Church)|canon law]] of the [[Catholic Church]], the '''loss of clerical state''' (commonly referred to as '''laicization''', '''dismissal''', '''defrocking''', and '''degradation''') is the removal of a [[bishop]], [[priesthood (Catholic Church)|priest]], or [[deacon]] from the status of being a member of the [[clergy]].

The term ''[[defrocking]]'' originated in the ritual removal of [[vestment]]s as a penalty against clergy that was eventually codified within the ''[[Roman Pontifical]]''. [[1983 Code of Canon Law|Contemporary Latin Catholic canon law]] does not contain such a ritual,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otn.cfm?id=656|title='Defrocking' priests: the media keep asking the wrong question|website=www.catholicculture.org|access-date=February 18, 2019}}</ref> leading some to consider it an inaccurate description of laicization.<ref>{{cite book|title=Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Encyclopedia|last=Stravinskas|first=Peter M.J.|page=293|date=1991}}</ref> However, others consider "defrocking" a synonym to laicization that is especially popular in English.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Catholic Dictionary|last=Attwater|first=Donald|author-link=Donald Attwater|edition=3rd|publisher=[[Macmillan Company]]|date=1962|location=New York City|pages=140, 505}}</ref> While the ritual removal of the vestments no longer exists, canon law still prohibits the wear of a [[clerical collar]] by laicized priests.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theconversation.com/theodore-mccarrick-will-continue-to-be-a-catholic-priest-111964|title=Theodore McCarrick will continue to be a Catholic priest|work=The Conversation|date=20 February 2019|first=Mathew|last=Schmalz|access-date=18 December 2022}}</ref>

In the Catholic Church, a bishop, priest, or deacon may be ''dismissed from the clerical state'' as a penalty for certain grave offences, or by a papal decree granted for grave reasons. This may be because of a serious criminal conviction, [[Heresy in the Catholic Church|heresy]], or similar matter. Removal from the clerical state is sometimes imposed as a punishment ({{Langx|la|ad poenam}}),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.archmil.org/reorg/bardate/ClergyOffenders/Hanser.htm|title=David Hanser|website=www.archmil.org|access-date=February 18, 2019|archive-date=March 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331124203/https://www.archmil.org/reorg/bardate/ClergyOffenders/Hanser.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> or it may be granted as a favour ({{Langx|la|pro gratia|links=no}}) at the cleric's own request.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://clergyfiles.la-archdiocese.org/files/Plesetz,%20Gerald.pdf|title=An example of ''pro gratia'' laicization}}</ref> A Catholic cleric may voluntarily request to be removed from the clerical state for a grave, personal reason.<ref name="isbn0-87973-669-0" /> Voluntary requests were, as of the 1990s, believed to be by far the most common means of this loss, and most common within this category was the intention to marry, as most [[Latin Church]] clergy must as a rule be [[Clerical celibacy (Catholic Church)|celibate]].<ref name="isbn0-87973-669-0">{{cite book
|last1=Shaw |first1=Russell B.
|last2=Stravinskas |first2=Peter M. J.
|title=Church & state: a novel of politics and power
|publisher=[[Our Sunday Visitor]]
|location=[[Huntington, Indiana]]
|year=1998
|page=595
|isbn=0-87973-669-0 }}</ref> Canon law was amended in March 2019 to allow dismissal from their community, though not dismissal from the clerical state, for religious who are members of, and desert, a religious community.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=26 March 2019|title=Papa Francesco: motu proprio "Communis vita", il religioso "illegittimamente assente e irreperibile" per un anno è dismesso dall'ordine|url=https://www.agensir.it/quotidiano/2019/3/26/papa-francesco-motu-proprio-communis-vita-il-religioso-illegittimamente-assente-per-un-anno-e-dismesso-dallordine/|access-date=|website=[[Servizio informazione Religiosa]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Brockhaus|first=Hannah|title=Pope Francis changes canon law for religious who desert the community|url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/40877/pope-francis-changes-canon-law-for-religious-who-desert-the-community|access-date=2021-01-15|website=Catholic News Agency|language=en}}</ref> This policy has been in force since 10 April 2019.<ref name="motueffect">{{Cite web|date=2019-04-10|title=Mons. Rodríguez: "Communis vita, don y responsabilidad para la vida religiosa" - Vatican News|url=https://www.vaticannews.va/es/vaticano/news/2019-04/vaticano-mutu-propio-communis-vita-mons-rodriguez-carballo.html|access-date=2021-01-15|website=www.vaticannews.va|language=es}}</ref>