A.—Excommunications Very Specially Reserved to the Holy See

Canon 2320 I. Qui species consecratas abjecerit vel ad malum finem abduxerit aut retinuerit, est suspectus de haeresi, incurrit in excommunicationem latae sententiae specialissimo modo Sedi Apostolicae reservatam, est ipso facto infamis, et clericus praeterea est deponendus. (Whoever throws away the consecrated species, or carries them off or keeps them for an evil purpose, is suspect of heresy, incurs an excommunication latae sententiae reserved to the Apostolic See in a most special manner, is ipso facto infamous, and a cleric is besides to be deposed.) Abjecerit—Spit them out, throw them away.

Abduxerit—Take them away for superstitious purposes, to treat them irreverently.

Retinuerit—Keep them for show, out of curiosity to see what would happen to them. Canon 2343 II. Qui violentas manus in personam Romani Pontificis injecerit excommunicationem contrahit latae sententiae Sedi Apostolicae specialissimo modo reservatam, et est ipso facto vitandus; est ipso jure infamis; (Whoever lays violent hands on the person of the Roman Pontiff contracts an excommunication latae sententiae reserved to the Apostolic See in a most special manner, and is ipso facto to be shunned; he is infamous by the law itself.) clericus est degradandus, It is a censure which safeguards the personal immunity of the Roman Pontiff by a special form of the privilege of the canon. Canon 2367 III. Absolvens sive fingens absolvere complicem in peccato turpi incurrit ipso facto in excommunicationem specialissimo modo Sedi Apostolicae reservatam; idque etiam in mortis articulo si alius sacerdos, licet non approbatus ad confessiones, sine gravi aliqua exoritura infamia et scandalo, possit excipere morientis confessionem, excepto casu quo moribundus recuset alii confiteri.

Eamdem excommunicationem non effugit absolvens vel fingens absolvere complicem qui peccatum quidem complicitatis a quo nondum est absolutus non confitetur, sed ideo ita se gerit, quia ad id a complice confessario sive directe sive indirecte inductus est. (One who absolves, or pretends to absolve, an accomplice in a sin of impurity incurs ipso facto an excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See in a most special manner; and this even at the point of death, if another priest, even though not approved for hearing confessions, is available.)

See the comments on this censure above, Penance, Chapter XI.

Canon 2369 IV. Confessarium qui sigillum sacramentale directe violare praesumpserit, manet excommunicatio specialissimo modo Sedi Apostolicae reservata; qui vero indirecte tantum, obnoxius est poenis [suspensionis a celebratione Missae, et ab audiendis sacramentalibus confessionibus vel etiam pro delicti gravitate inhabilis ad ipsas excipiendas declaretur, privetur omnibus beneficiis, dignitatibus, voce activa et passiva, et inhabilis ad ea omnia declaretur, et in casibus gravioribus degradationi quoque subjiciatur. (A confessor who presumes to violate the sacramental seal directly lies under an excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See in a most special manner; but one who violates it only indirectly is liable to the penalties of suspension from celebrating Mass and from hearing sacramental confessions, or may even, according to the gravity of the offence, be declared unfit to hear them; he is to be deprived of all benefices, dignities, and of active and passive voice, and declared unfit for them all, and in graver cases he is to be subjected to degradation as well.)] Only a confessor who with full knowledge of the crime which he is committing, and of its penalty, directly violates the seal of confession and incurs ipso facto excommunication very specially reserved to the Holy See. The penalties assigned by the Code in punishment of others besides confessors, and of confessors who presume to violate the seal indirectly, are ferendae sententiae.