excommunicated

Excommunication is a formal censure by some Christian churches that excludes a person from participation in the church's rites and full communion for a time or permanently, usually tied to grave offenses or doctrinal violations.

The term comes from Latin excommunicatio, meaning "out of the communion."

In the Catholic Church, excommunication is one of the most serious penalties in canon law. It can be incurred automatically (ipso facto) by certain acts or imposed by a competent authority (latae sententiae or ferendae sententiae). Those excommunicated are barred from receiving the sacraments and from holding ecclesiastical offices while the penalty stands, but they may still be deemed part of the Church and can seek reconciliation. Lifting usually requires repentance and absolution granted by a bishop or other designated authority.

Across other Christian traditions, excommunication or similar discipline exists with variations. The Orthodox Church uses anathema and formal separation from communion; many Protestant groups practice church discipline, such as disfellowshipping, with procedures that differ by denomination.

Historically, excommunication has been a tool for doctrinal enforcement and social influence within Christian societies. In contemporary practice, it is comparatively rare and often framed within broader processes of pastoral care and reconciliation.