Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-08-30
3dIy Eeaaehft 9ouraal.
accommodation.
4 Brief history Of Il and What Il Would
Mean Applied 10 the Duellists.

prince Henri of Orleans, because az
their participation in she recent duel.
which has challenged the attention Of
the civilized world, renews interest in
one of the great powers claimed for the
Papal see.
IN its broadest sense eXcommuntca-
ton is an ecclesiastical censure by
which a Christian is separated from the
communion of the church. Catholic
authorities hold tlhat it is a power in
Guided in the power of the keys. or If
binding and loosenfnS, given by Christ
to Peter and the Apostles. They de-
duce it from our Saviours words, H
that will not hear the church. let him
he to thee as the heather and the pub
llcan" CMatt. Xviii. IL For to treat
a man as a h.athen and a publican is
10 repel him from the church and all
things sacred-thN, is, to excommun..
cafe him.
The same authorities hold that ST
Paul put into practice the power of ex.
communication when he said of the in
cestuous CCfir,Aian. Il have already
Judged him mat hath so done, in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ you be-
ing gathered together, and my spirit.
with the power of our Lord Jesus, II
deliver such one to Satan" q. CORN
thians, v, 81
st. Augustine comments thus upon
this passage "Because outside tn,
church is the devil, as within it is
Christ, and accordingly he who is sep
arated from the communion of thu
church is, as it were, delivered to the
devil
There are two forms of excommuni-
cation recognized by the church, thu
major and the minor. The minor is an
ecclesiastical censure 10y which the
Christian is deprived of the right to
participate in the sacraments This is
a religious discipline inflicted for rela-
lively small faults.
In former times the victim of a major
communication was a pariah, an ou,--
cast, from whose presence the faithful
fed shuddering. The sentence was pro-
nounced upon him with the most SOL
emn and awful accomplishments. The
church was clothed in black, the priests
donned their most sombre habits. Tho
organ was silenced. All the assistants
held lighted candles in their hands Tile
officiating clergymen solemnly read
from book the curses which We're -
follow the offender, sleeping, waking or
dying. When he was through a bell
rang. The assistants reversed their
candies and crushed the light out I'M
der foot, terrible symbol of the fact
that the spiritual light had been extin-
gulsned in the soul of the condemned
ons
Hence the communication is still
popularity known as excommunicatiUn
by bell, book and candle
II the victim were a sovereign and re-
fused to make submission, the Pope re-
leased his subjects from their vows of
allegiance, but made them in so far re-
sponsi3le for the acts of their ruler
that services of all sorts We're suspend
ed throughout the whole country No
priest could say mass, or celebrate
marriage. or hear confessions, or grant
absolutions, or give the sacraments
even to the new born or the dying.
If the sovereign finally repented, his
reception back into the fold was equal
~ solemn. The bishop, accompanied
ny twelve priests in SUPPLIES, met him
al the door of the church. There the
bishop questioned the penitent whethtg
ne was truly cOntrite. Satisfied of this
"e ana Inc assistant priests recited the
seven penitantial psalms, iEterrlptina
themselves from 4iroa 70 ti,,,a ., 40.
the victim with whip or a staff. Their
TIRE lorHluia OF aDSolution was pro-
nouncCd and more PRAYERS were said.
at the end of which tho ,ani+e,,4 -,
rea,lr,i., =, 80
.'eu Iito the communion OF IN"
laltAiul.
The communication of Robert H..
King of France. is perha15; the most IA
nous instance of a wholesale excommu-
nicaton of this sort II was pronounced
by Roman council on The ground that
MS marriage to his fourth cousin Bertha
was incestuous. Cardinal Saint Pierre
p3nfien. his contemporary. in letter
written to the Ahbc du Mont -CaSsln re-
ports tndt the terror felt by the people
at this sacerdotal cdict is so great that
everybody has hcd from me presence of
the king, and only two little slaves re-
main in the palace to care for him Even
These look upon The vessels from which
ne drinks or eats as having been con-
taminaTrd by his touch and they throw
them at once into the fire" Robert,
man of gentle and pioiis character.
eventually yielded no lthe Pope's demands
Many othcr s0vareFpng have suffered
from the PapaI inter4Ifct with less and
les iuCon,.arf.n.. ~, bt,o.,e1I,.,e no Ia