It is generally accepted that excommunication from the Church is one of the most terrible punishments that can befall a believer for actions incompatible with the way of life of a decent Christian.
But is this really so, and what interesting facts are known about excommunication in Orthodoxy?
A bit of history
The Orthodox Church distinguishes between penance, one of the forms of which is excommunication from Holy Communion and anathema (excommunication itself). These concepts are often confused, however, during the penance, a person still remains an Orthodox Christian, despite the fact that his participation in the life of the Church is significantly limited. Those who were anathematized are considered completely cut off (excommunicated) from the Church.
I. The main reasons why a person can be anathematized (excommunicated from the Church) are heresy and schism, however, history knows more interesting cases: insulting the king, veneration of "wrong icons", too zealous worship of certain saints.
II. It is believed that the lifting of the anathema depends solely on the repentance of the convicted person, but in the whole history there has not been a single person who repented of his deed so convincingly that the anathema was lifted.
Procession. Illarion Pryanishnikov, 1893.
Promotional video:
III. It is especially noteworthy that in Orthodoxy anathema is not a certain final form of condemnation of the sinfulness of life. It is believed that only God is the true judge and repentance is always possible.
IV. In practical terms, the very meaning of imposing an anathema is twofold:
- Warn the condemned person and urge him to repentance.
- Prevent others from falling into such delusions.
The very purpose of such actions is the salvation of the soul.
Vi. In the entire history of the Russian Orthodox Church, the lifting of the anathema took place only once - in 1971 and concerned the Old Believers (opponents of the church reform of Patriarch Nikon, which led to the split of the Russian Orthodox Church itself in the 1650s).
Dispute about faith. Nikita Pustosvyat, 1880-81.
Vii. It sounds surprising, but so famous for his victory in the Battle of Kulikovo, Prince Dmitry Donskoy was excommunicated from the Orthodox Church for anti-church activities, which, however, absolutely did not prevent him from glorifying him in the face of saints in 1988 (even without lifting the anathema itself).
VIII. In Russia, right up to the 18th century, the practice of excommunicating not only heretics with blasphemers, but also state criminals who had absolutely no relation to the Church, was very widespread.
IX. During the period of Byzantine iconoclasm (750s) St. John of Damascus was already excommunicated four times for his teachings, but the Second Council of Nicea fully restored his rights.
Saint John of Damascus. Illustration from a Greek Psalter of the 16th century.
X. In the times preceding the Great Schism (the final split of the Church into Eastern and Western), the Popes and Patriarchs of Constantinople with enviable regularity imposed anathema on each other against the background of not only religious, but also personal contradictions.