Common questions about Excommunication

Short answers, pulled from the story.

When did Pope Leo X issue the papal bull Exsurge Domine?

Pope Leo X issued the papal bull Exsurge Domine on the 16th of May 1520. This document condemned Martin Luther's twenty-third proposition and marked the formal declaration that would lead to Luther's excommunication the following year.

What is the meaning of herem in Judaism?

Herem is the highest ecclesiastical censure in Judaism and represents the total exclusion of a person from the Jewish community. Except for cases in the Charedi community, cherem stopped existing after The Enlightenment when local Jewish communities lost their political autonomy.

Who was read out of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting for efforts to convince coreligionists of the evils of slavery?

Benjamin Lay was read out of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting for his efforts to convince his coreligionists of the evils of slavery. This occurred during the 17th and 18th centuries before the founding of abolitionist societies.

What is the term used for a person excommunicated from the Bahá'í community for breaking the Covenant?

The term Covenant-breaker is used by Bahá'ís to refer to a person who has been excommunicated from the Bahá'í community for breaking the Covenant. The Universal House of Justice has the sole authority to declare a person a Covenant-breaker and all Bahá'ís are expected to shun them.

When did the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cease using the term excommunication?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ceased using the term excommunication in 2020 and instead refers to withdrawal of membership. The origins of LDS disciplinary procedures are traced to a revelation Joseph Smith dictated on the 9th of February 1831.