Discussion on Church Excommunication Changes

But, uh, uh, uh, my point is that why,

uh, in mids- mid-20th century is the

act of excommunication not invoked, whereas it has been invoked

throughout history?

Uh, Tyrrell was excommunicated for far lesser

offenses than are

recited every day in-

Yes

... Commonweal Magazine.

Right.

And I'm asking you to explain that to me.

Well, again, it's a change of the, of the spirit of the times.

I think the Church,

uh,

has become much more patient and kind.

It's more related to the world than it was then.

The Church was very much locked up in itself.

After all, what the Vatican Council did

was to relate us to the world.

First of all, in the Vatican Council, the world came into the Church,

and the Church went out to the world.

But did it?

Yes.

Well, then why doesn't it follow that more people welcomed it, that more

people go to church, more people, uh, take vocations,

study to become priests and

nuns?

It's going to take a long time for the yeast to work through the dough.

But there was the, uh... For example, at Vatican

Council I, there was not one single

bishop from Asia or Africa in 1870.

Mm-hmm.

Not one.

In the Vatican Council II,

61% of the bishops were from Americas,

Asia, and Africa,

so that the Church has become much more related to the world.

Being related to the world, I think, has become much more compassionate of

sinners,

and I would say that perhaps that is the spirit that has changed us

from the rigidity of excommunication

to the patient bearing

of offenses.