Not excommunication, interdiction.
An interdict is a censure, or prohibition, excluding the faithful from participation in certain holy things. These holy things are all those pertaining to Christian worship, and are divided into three classes:
- the Divine offices, in other words the Liturgy, and in general all acts performed by clerics as such, and having reference to worship
- the sacraments, excepting private administrations of those that are of necessity;
- ecclesiastical burial, including all funeral services.
They are not denied attendance at Mass, nor are they separated from the church body. They are denied certain sacraments because of grave sin continually practiced in their life for which there is no repentance. This is an extreme way to "enforce" one of Paul's writings:
1 Corinthians 11, NASB
27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.
28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.
I'm not sure there is any "enforcement" by the body of Christ dictated in those verses. Seems to me it is an issue before a person's own conscience. Not that I disagree with Burke, I just don't know that the canons of the church in commanding denial of the sacraments is truly biblically supportable.
