Editing Lapsed Catholic (section)

== Present canon law ==

Today, a [[Latin Catholic]] who lapses to the extent of becoming an [[apostate]], a [[Heresy in the Catholic Church|heretic]] or a [[Schism (religion)|schismatic]] is [[Latae sententiae and ferendae sententiae|automatically]] excommunicated;<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/cic_index_en.html|title=Code of Canon Law: Table of Contents|website=www.vatican.va|access-date=2022-04-14|archive-date=2007-12-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224152526/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P4W.HTM|url-status=live}}</ref> and, until the excommunication is lifted, is forbidden to have any ministerial part in the celebration of [[Mass in the Catholic Church|Mass]] or other worship ceremonies, to celebrate or receive the sacraments or to exercise any church functions.<ref name="auto"/> This is an obligation that binds the excommunicated person. Unless the excommunication has been publicly declared by the church and not merely incurred automatically, the excommunicated person cannot on that ground alone be publicly refused the sacraments, even by a priest who knows of it. However, to assist at the marriage of someone who has "notoriously" (i.e. widely known to have done so) rejected the Catholic faith, a priest needs the permission of the [[ordinary (Catholic Church)|ordinary]] and the same promises required by spouses in mixed marriages are also required.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=JKgZEjvB5cEC&pg=PA1269 John P. Beal, James A. Coriden, Thomas Joseph Green, ''New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law''] (Paulist Press 2002 {{ISBN|978-0-80914066-4}}), p. 1269</ref>

The [[1983 Code of Canon Law|1983 ''Code of Canon Law'']] lays down no particular penalty for a lapse in one's religious duties as a Catholic that consist in failure to attend Sunday Mass<ref name="auto" /> and failure to receive [[Eucharist in the Catholic Church|Communion]] during [[Eastertide]] other than a recommendation toward [[penance]] and [[Reconciliation (Catholic Church)|reconciliation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P39.HTM|title=Code of Canon Law - IntraText|access-date=2020-03-15|archive-date=2011-06-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628182123/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P39.HTM|url-status=live}}</ref>

None of this prevents an individual who was baptised a Catholic from completely ignoring the Catholic Church's laws or ideas and not disclosing their personal views or beliefs. As a consequence, the lapsing of a person to become an apostate is neither obvious nor can it follow that they are automatically excommunicated. In a sense it highlights the dichotomy of religious law which may be completely disregarded without effective penalty (whether that would be justified or not).