New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-13

thee from privileges. deliver thee unto Satan fo
may be saved In the day of the Lord Jesus
Il Corinthians V, 50 The congregation are
thereafter warned to shun all unnecessary con-
verse with the communicated person.
With regard TO accommodation by thu
Roman Catholic Church. 1t may be said to have
been modernized and brought up to date by
Pope Plus TX, who in bull issued in 1867 re-
stricted In very extensive manner those or
fences in which communication is incurred
pso facto and repealed and annulled all pre-
vous ecclesiastical legislation on the subject
He took the ground that there were many thing:
which In former days constituted grave offences
In the eyes Of the Church. but which in view Of
the altered conditions Of life in the nineteenth
century. could no longer be regarded as suhi
GENTLY reprehensible to call forth the anathema
He likewise abolished that form Of minor ex
communication which was formerly incurred by
people holding communication with persons sub
ject to major communication. Save in very ex
treme cases. Intercourse with those who have in
CURED the penalty of major accommodation /!
permitted.
In these modern times 1t is exceedingly rare II
the Roman Catholic Church that the imposition
Of communication forms the subject OF sol
cmn religious rite. as that. for instance, de
sCrbed as having taken place In the Anglican
cathedral Of Iichfeld a couple Of years ago
The usual method is for the diocesan TO an
nOunCe formally to the individual mourning The
wrath of the Church that If he or she perpetrat'
a certain act the doer Of it becomes at once anC
ipso facto eXcommunicate. without any add
ional sentence being pronounced II is only IL
very extreme cases that this practically sclf-in
CURED accommodation is followed by the pro
mitigation Of a further public sentence.
The ban of the Church. no matter in VIVA
form. can only be imposed by the diocesan. or 10y
the Pontf himself. The person against whom i
Is pronounced can always lodge an appeal
either with the Pope himself or else with tn
Archbishop who acts as the Metropolitan II
which the diocese in question is situated. The
Metropolitan can annu the communication /
he sees fit. but has no right to interfere unless
an appeal is made to him. He. like the diocesan
must be guided in the matter by the bull of Pope
Plus TX Onoted. entitled "ApostOlice Sedis."
1t must be understood that excOmmunicatioI
is a form of punishment of which in the Roman
Catholic Church. as in the case of that Of Eng
land and Of other Protestant denominations
most sparng use is made. In fact. IT is re
sorted to only when there is no other alternative
open to the clergy. In the Church Of England !
can be pronounced only after the offender ha
been duly tried and found guilty by a consisto
rial court
ONLY THE POPE CAN DEAL WITH SOM
CASES
Interdict is practically the same as "Xcommu
nication, the latter being the term used whcI
ic ,fttef ind
vidual. whereas the former denotes the cxcom
munication Of an entire community. While IN
jnterdct lasts the people belonging to the com
munity upon which it is imposed are deprived o
all the solemn ministratiOns Of the Church ~
high mass is said for them. and other religion
rites such as Christian burial, are denied u
them.
Where the chief OF a state. his consort or IN
member Of a reigning family belonging 10 IN
Roman Catholic Church is concerned the d"c
esan has no power to issue any decree OF IN
terdct and it is the Pope alone who poss"sse
the right Of accommodation. That Is to say, J
q Roman Catholic Is ever elected TO the Prcsi
dency Of the United States it is the Pontii
alone who will have the prerogative Of caln
him to account in religious matters and. !
necessary. of communicating him.
KING HUMBERI"s POSITION
Among the royal pcrsOnages or the Ola Wor'
who are at the present moment subjected 10 III
ban Of the Church by the Pontif In person ar
| the King Of Italy. Prince Ferdinand or Bul6ari
and the Crown Prince Of Rumania In the cas-
Of Humbert the accommodation Is not nom
natim"-that is TO say. by name'-but IS Oh
/ rccted against him in his capacity as the hea
OF that Government which has deprived IN
Catholic Church Of its temporal possessions.
fact he may be said to have Inherited the pen
alty in question from his father, against Whor