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Objection 1: It would seem that a person does not incur
excommunication for communicating with one who is excommunicated. For
a heathen or a Jew is more separated from the Church than a person who
is excommunicated. But one does not incur excommunication for
communicating with a heathen or a Jew. Neither, therefore, does one
for communicating with an excommunicated Christian.
Objection 2: Further, if a man incurs excommunication for
communicating with an excommunicated person, for the same reason a
third would incur excommunication for communicating with him, and thus
one might go on indefinitely, which would seem absurd. Therefore one
does not incur excommunication for communicating with one who is
excommunicated.
On the contrary, An excommunicated person is banished from
communion. Therefore whoever communicates with him leaves the
communion of the Church: and hence he seems to be excommunicated.
I answer that, A person may incur excommunication in two ways.
First, so that the excommunication includes both himself and whosoever
communicates with him: and then, without any doubt, whoever
communicates with him, incurs a major excommunication. Secondly, so
that the excommunication is simply pronounced on him; and then a man
may communicate with him either in his crime, by counsel, help or
favor, in which case again he incurs the major excommunication, or he
may communicate with him in other things by speaking to him, greeting
him, or eating with him, in which case he incurs the minor
excommunication.
Reply to Objection 1: The Church has no intention of correcting
unbelievers as well as the faithful who are under her care: hence she
does not sever those, whom she excommunicates, from the fellowship of
unbelievers, as she does from the communion of the faithful over whom
she exercises a certain power.
Reply to Objection 2: It is lawful to hold communion with one who
has incurred a minor excommunication, so that excommunication does not
pass on to a third person.
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