Question: What is the difference between schism and excommunication? Is a schismatic automatically excommunicated?
Answer: A schism refers to a formal division or separation from the unity of the Church, particularly in relation to the authority of the pope or the teachings of the Church. The Code of Canon Law states that schism is “the refusal of submission to the supreme pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him” (Canon 751).
A schism can occur when a group or individual breaks away from the Church, often due to disagreements over doctrine, governance, or liturgical practices. The penalty for those who commit schism is excommunication latae sententiae — that is, automatically upon the commission of the offence (1364). This means that by the very act of schism, the individual places him- or herself outside the communion of the Church without the need for a formal declaration of excommunication by Church authorities.
A formally declared excommunication (ferendae sententiae), on the other hand, is a specific ecclesiastical penalty imposed on completion of a process that excludes a person from participating in the sacraments and the communal life of the Church. It is the most serious penalty that the Church can inflict for grave offences against Church law or doctrine, such as apostasy, heresy, crimes against the sacraments and so on.
Excommunication need not, however, be a permanent penalty. The purpose of excommunication is not only punitive but also medicinal, aimed at encouraging the individual to repent and return to full communion with the Church.
For example, a person who directly participates in an abortion incurs automatic excommunication. This excommunication may now be lifted by the person’s sincere contrition and an act of sincere confession in the sacrament of reconciliation.
For an excommunication ferendae sententiae to be lifted, the individual must show sincere repentance and fulfil any required conditions. The proper ecclesiastical authority, such as the bishop, can then formally lift the excommunication.
Asked and answered in the July 2025 issue of The Southern Cross magazine
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