Church history

Excommunicable Offenses, Ranked

Laurens, Excommunication of Robert the Pious
Laurens, Excommunication of Robert the Pious
  • Rejecting representational art (Nicea, 787)
  • Disobeying multiple popes (Fourth Council of Constantinople, 870)
  • Faking illness to avoid a summons (Constantinople, 870)
  • Claiming people have two souls rather than one (Constantinople, 870)
  • Capturing the city of Benevento (First Lateran Council, 1123)
  • Posing as a nun in order to run an off-license bed-and-breakfast (Second Lateran Council, 1139)
  • Using a crossbow against fellow Christians (Second Lateran Council, 1139)
  • Calling yourself Pope without a two-thirds majority vote (Third Lateran Council, 1179)
  • Attending tournaments between the years 1215 and 1218 ( Fourth Lateran Council, 1215)
  • Giving advice to Emperor Frederick II (Lyons, 1245)
  • Attending tournaments between the years 1245 and 1248 (Lyons, 1245)
  • Failing to attend the Council of Basel (Basel, 1431)
  • Dueling (Trent, 1545)
  • Forcing a woman to become a nun against her will (Trent, 1545)
  • Dueling again (Apostolicae Sedis Moderationi, 1869)

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Daniel Lavery