Excommunication from the Eucharist: what does it mean, list of sins, description of penance

What is penance

This is a measure of influence on the part of the confessor, which is designed to heal the soul of a Christian. For example, a believer has committed a sin for which he is very ashamed and scared. He believes that it is impossible to simply forgive and forget. A person comes to confession, brings repentance, and if he is only told that the Lord has forgiven his sin, he cannot accept it. It is necessary for the confessor to impose some other penance on him, for him to work hard and do something. And then the person will have the feeling that he has fulfilled his due repentance in full. His soul will be freed from sin and calm down.

So, penance is a form of repentance. There are sins that a priest does not have the right to absolve in confession just like that:

denial of the Lord or blasphemy against him;
murder;
debauchery;
extreme forms of parental humiliation;
some other sins (see below).

In these cases, additional repentance is required in the form of penance. In the church rules, in particular those of Basil the Great, it is written what punishment to bear for what sins. In ancient times, this was excommunication from communion for many years. For example, if a married man cheated on his legal wife, he did not have the right to cross the church threshold for 20 years. That is, it was possible to pray without entering the temple, but there was no talk of communion. If an unmarried person fell into fornication, excommunication from the Eucharist was imposed for 15 years.

Now such severe punishments are not used by the church, since they will bring more harm than good to modern man. The amount of penance depends on the ability, strength, and capabilities of each individual person. The degree of repentance is also taken into account. The confessor, taking into account the repentance of each of them, can impose different penances on two people who have committed the same sin.

One should be excommunicated from communion for two years, the other for two months.

Increasingly, confessors prescribe an enhanced prayer rule, reading the Gospel, bowing, and increased fasting as penance, if health and life circumstances allow. The confessor must be uncompromisingly strict towards those who deliberately commit sin. A person who is overcome by passion, but then repents, humbles himself, bows his head, and asks for forgiveness, the confessor must, with reasoning, help him get closer to God again. This is what many holy fathers did.

Can a priest assign penance without the desire of the penitent? Who can remove penance?

“Penance [Greek] ἐπιτίμιον], church punishment (ban) imposed on the laity.” The main purpose of penance is not to repay believers for criminal acts or to protect them from such, but to heal painful states of the soul of sinners. In the rules of the Holy Fathers, repentance is considered as “healing” (Vas. Vel. 3; Grig. Nis. 8; Trul. 102).

“The essence of church punishments... is that a transgressor of church canons is deprived of all or only some of the rights and benefits that are at the exclusive disposal of the church. Hence the common name for these church punishments: “excommunication” (ἀφορισμός, excommunicatio). It can be either complete, consisting in the complete exclusion of the criminal from among the members of the church (ἀνάθεμα, excommunicatiomajor), or incomplete, when the guilty person is deprived of only some rights and benefits at the disposal of the church.”

Can a priest assign penance without the desire of the penitent?

At present, the ancient practice of penance is not applied in all severity, but the confessor still has the right to choose between a milder punishment and strict instructions, if this serves to heal the soul of the sinner.

Thus, “penance, as a rule, comes down to sanctions of an ascetic nature: “The priest can impose penance only in the form of bows, distribution of alms, especially fervent prayers of repentance” and informal excommunication for a short period. And such severe punishments as long-term excommunication from communion or anathematization are imposed only by decision of a church court and only for offenses of such a level as organizing a schism.” Albert BONDACH, teacher of the history of sources of church law at PSTGU.

At the same time, the very question of the right to impose penance and remove it must proceed from a correct understanding of the very spiritual life of the believer himself, but if the priest does not see this, then he must explain and convey to the understanding of the believer the norms of church life.

Who can remove penance?

There is no rule according to which only the priest who imposed it can dispense with penance.

Currently, the majority of parishioners are not connected to the church by community life, and therefore the very practice of church bans has lost its system and practice. At the present time, the main task of pastoral care is to show, as it is said in the clergy’s handbook, that penance should help the sinned Christian, firstly, to realize the extent of his sin and feel its seriousness, and secondly, to give him the strength to stand up again, to inspire him with hope for God's mercy, thirdly, gives him the opportunity to show determination in his repentance.

And the main thing that a person must understand is that penance is not a means of binding, but rather receiving the necessary recommendations on the path of spiritual life. Thus, in spiritual life, penance is “wings” and not “bridle”.

Sources:

A clergyman's handbook.
Fundamentals of the social concept of R.P.Ts. M, 2000. P. 57.
Orthodox Encyclopedia. At 38 T. Moscow.
Usatov A., priest. The concept of preparation for Baptism. Methodological recommendations for organizing catechetical courses in the Rostov-on-Don diocese (as a manuscript). P. 44.
Tsypin V., prot. Canon law.

Notes:

Tsypin V., prot. Canon law.

Afanasyev N., prot. Joining the Church

Theodoret of Cyrus, blessed. Interpretation of Chapter 5 of the Song of Songs

Interpretation of Balsamon on the 11th rule of the Ippon Council

Definition of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1994 “On pseudo-Christian sects, neo-paganism and occultism”

Basil the Great, St. To Amphilochius XV, vol. III, p. 230.

Gregory the Theologian, St. Word 40, vol. III, p. 306

Gregory of Nyssa, St. Catechetical speech, chapter 40. T. IV, p. 106–107

“For the Spirit does not give birth to a will that does not want, but He only transforms the willing [will] for deification” (Maximus the Confessor. Questions and Answers to Thalassius, VI)

Apostolic Tradition 16.10, 20

Apostolic Tradition 16.7, 24

Apostolic Tradition 16.12, 14–15

Apostolic Tradition 16.21–22

John Chrysostom, St. Discourses on Hebrews IV, 2

Saint John Chrysostom. Catechetical homily. — Tver: Hermeneutics, 2006, p. 70

John Chrysostom, St. Catechetical homily. — Tver: Hermeneutics, 2006, p. 153

Wed. “Concerning the catechumens and those who have fallen away, it pleases the holy and great council that for three years they should only be among those listening to the Scriptures, and then pray with the catechumens” (14th canon of the First Ecumenical Council, and 5th canon of the Neocaesarea Council)

Mark the Ascetic, Rev. Word 4. About baptism

Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Seventeenth Catechetical Teaching

Saint John Chrysostom. Catechetical homily. — Tver: Hermeneutics, 2006, p. 87

Kozlov Maxim, Rev. Answers to questions about Baptism

“Those who are sick and cannot bear witness for themselves, let them be baptized when, by their will, others bear witness to them, under their own responsibility” (54th canon of the Council of Carthage and 4th canonical answer of His Holiness Timothy of Alexandria)

“Those who received baptism in illness and then received health should study the faith and recognize that they have been vouchsafed the Divine gift” (Canon 47 of the Council of Laodicea)

“When a demoniac has not yet been cleansed of the unclean spirit, he cannot receive holy baptism, but when he departs from this life he is baptized” (2nd canonical answer of His Holiness Timothy of Alexandria)

“A catechumen woman, if on the day of baptism the usual thing for wives happens to her, do not baptize until she is cleansed” (6th canonical answer of His Holiness Timothy of Alexandria)

Fundamentals of the social concept of the Russian Orthodox Church (XII. Problems of bioethics)

Breviary of Metropolitan Peter Mogila. T.1, p. 31

“On the participation of the faithful in the Eucharist.” The document was approved at the Bishops' Conference of the Russian Orthodox Church, held on February 2–3, 2015 at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.

"The Sacrament of Marriage and obstacles to it." Chambez. 2016.

Tsypin V., prot. Canon law.

Orthodox Encyclopedia. T 18. M, 2013. P. 533.

Pavlov A.S. Course of Church Law. St. Petersburg, 2002. P. 296.

Orthodox Encyclopedia. T. 18. M, 2013. P. 535.

Methods of disposal

The sacrament of repentance, that is, confession, completely delivers a Christian from the sin committed. The person will no longer be guilty of the confessed offense. But in reality, the degree of repentance can be different. If passions are not completely eliminated in the soul, the repentant sinner commits the same unrighteous acts again and again.

Penance, in particular excommunication from communion, helps a person realize the degree of his moral and spiritual decline, overcome attachment to sin, and feel disgust for it. Self-justification, characteristic of fallen human nature, does not allow the repentant sinner to fully realize the depth of his fall. Therefore, practicing good deeds such as fasting, prayer, almsgiving and abstinence helps one realize the degree of sinfulness of one’s deeds and strengthens repentance.

Prayers

Very often, as penance, the confessor prescribes an extended prayer rule or reading the Gospel. For example, it is prescribed to read the canon of repentance, Our Father or other prayers for a certain period. In addition, prayer can also mean other acts of reverence and piety.

Charity

Alms and help provided to neighbors well cleanse a person’s heart from sins and passions. She instills love in the heart, makes sinners repent of their sins towards themselves and their neighbors. Almsgiving can be not only material, but also spiritual.

Long fast

By abstaining from pleasing his flesh, keeping it in strictness and fasting, the repentant sinner cleanses and refines his soul. This helps him see his sins more clearly, realize them, and bring deep repentance.

Fasting includes not only food restrictions, but also other methods of mortification and self-affirmation.

Worship during worship

Prostration is a means of regaining the lost connection with God. He symbolizes the prodigal son, who returned home and fell on his knees before the Heavenly Father, asking for forgiveness and return to his native abode. With such a bow-fall we plunge ourselves into the abyss of repentance, where the merciful God will certainly extend his hand to us to save us from sins.

Abstaining from marital debt

There are days in the church calendar when communication between spouses in their family bed must be limited for spiritual purposes. If a husband and wife violate this instruction, the priest may assign them penance in the form of a temporary renunciation of marital duty.

As a rule, the passion that dominates a person’s soul is cured by the opposite action or virtue.

For what sins can they impose

The ban on communion is imposed quite rarely in our time. The reason for such an extreme measure must be sufficiently compelling. Typically, this occurs when a Christian commits one or more mortal sins. And, especially, if he persists in them, not having the spiritual strength to give up the addiction or does not feel sincere repentance for what he has done.

For abortion

Orthodoxy considers abortion a more serious sin than murder. This is explained by the fact that the baby in the womb is still unbaptized and dies as such. This sin is committed by people who forget that every person comes into this world only by the will of God. And they have no right to decide who lives and who doesn’t. It is believed that God punishes aborted children, and both parents must pray for such a sin in church.

For fornication

Bodily incontinence, love for carnal pleasures sometimes exceeds the limits established by God and human society. Fornication refers not only to promiscuous sexual intercourse among men or women who are not bound by marriage and leading a free lifestyle.

Adultery is being unfaithful to your marriage partner, husband or wife. It is considered a more serious sin than the first type of sexual incontinence. Because there is a wife, a husband, and such problems can be solved much easier, without betrayal. Fornication also includes sins such as sodomy, fornication, and bestiality. All of them contradict the natural nature of man, violate it, and are considered in Orthodoxy to be among the most serious sins.

Blasphemy

Recently, cases of renunciation of the Orthodox faith have become more frequent, one of the reasons for this is the founding of numerous sects. The Christian people, having forgotten the faith of their ancestors, began to seek the truth in eastern, pagan religions, dooming themselves to eternal destruction. In the depths of the Orthodox Church itself, schisms began to occur more and more often, sectarian movements and beliefs began to appear. Such people are strictly forbidden to receive communion until they renounce their delusions.

Denial of God is the most serious sin and atonement for it, as a rule, is very difficult for a person. People who return from sects often remain spiritually disabled. They find it difficult to return to church and normal life. The imposition of penance can help, or it can push such a person away from the Orthodox faith. Therefore, priests in this case act with caution, treating a person gently who has already suffered enough from the deception of demonic forces.

Perjury

It is considered one of the most shameful sins committed by word and considered to be the extreme degree of lying. This may be a violation of a given promise, confirmed by an oath in front of witnesses, or an oath. In early Christianity, according to the rules of Basil the Great, clergy who committed this sin were forbidden to receive communion for 10 years, and laymen for 6 years.

In our time, such a sin may not be punished by excommunication from the Eucharist, but is more often replaced by other types of penance.

Theft

Violent and illegal appropriation of material wealth that rightfully belongs to others is a great sin. God, in his commandments, forbids a person not only to take away his property, but also to simply envy, to desire the same for himself.

Lie

Lying means distorting the truth. Deception can extend not only to others, but also to oneself. You can lie not only with words, but also with actions, thoughts, and life.

Magic

In the Orthodox Church, the main active force is the grace of God. If a person turns to the occult, he interacts with other, dark spiritual forces and commits a sin. Thus, he turns away from God and His help.

Alcoholism or drug addiction

Adverse habits have become a real scourge of modern humanity. An alcoholic or drug addict slowly kills his body and soul. He devotes himself entirely not to God, as we are commanded, but seeks other consolations.

Masturbation

In essence, it is self-satisfaction of one’s carnal passions. It is considered an unnatural action that violates human nature. It is also directed against the will of the Creator, who created man and woman and commanded them to be fruitful.

How to prepare for Communion?

They don’t go to Communion without preparation. If a person is baptized, and at the same time he has no doubt that this is the Body and Blood of Christ, the Holy Gifts, the church still requires additional preparation from him. It consists of attending worship services and reading the Holy Scriptures.

On the eve of the day of communion, attendance at the evening service is required. This is a prerequisite for preparing for the Sacrament of Communion. At the end of the service or the next day, you need to confess your sins and receive pardon from the Lord.

Prayers should be said before communion

It is also important to fast for 3 to 7 days and not eat meat, fish, or dairy products. From the evening until the Sacrament, they refuse food and go to Communion on an empty stomach. During this period, you need to realize your mistakes, repent of what you have done, refrain from bodily pleasures, forgive and ask for forgiveness from the offended. Taking communion in hostility is a mortal sin. While preparing, the canons are read every morning and evening:

prayer for sleep on the eve of communion
repentant to our Lord Jesus Christ
canon to the Guardian Angel, the Most Holy Theotokos
following to Holy Communion
morning rule before service

These prayers are a recommended list; it is difficult for a beginner to read and understand everything thoughtfully. Therefore, it is permissible to reduce the number to the required ten prayers, which consist of preparation for Holy Communion. But the abbreviation for Communion must be discussed with the priest after confession, since the required number of prayers must be selected personally for each person.

You should take communion regularly

It is quite difficult for children to follow all the rules of prayer in preparation for Communion. Parents need to determine the appropriate number of prayers that will be easy for the child to handle, then gradually increase the number of prayers. But the child’s faith does not depend on quantity; the main thing is to be able to explain why all this is needed and why it is so important. Parents explain to their children what Communion is in different ways. But they all agree on one opinion - the child will understand the Sacrament gradually and only under one condition, that faith in the family is not just beliefs, but manifests itself as a way of life.

Repentance stages in the past

Among the first Christians, penance was prescribed in the form of temporary excommunication from church life. Such punishment for sinners took place publicly and was divided into several types.

Cry

Repentant Christians (“crying”) were ordered to stand at the entrance to the temple and cry to God for the forgiveness of their sins. They were not allowed to cross the threshold of the temple.

Hearing

Other sinners (“listening”) were only allowed to be in the vestibule of the church. Here they stood and listened to prayers and passages from Holy Scripture. Together with the catechumens they were obliged to leave the temple.

Seizure

Repentant sinners (“those who fall”) were allowed to serve together with the faithful. They fell on their faces during the announcement of a special prayer read by the bishop.

Repentance

The last and easiest penance fell on those “standing together.” These are Christians who could attend the liturgy, but were not allowed to take communion. As we see, only the fourth and final type of repentance has survived to this day.