Canon Law limits?
Canon law limits the Catholic priesthood to baptized men; Pope John Paul II reaffirmed this in a 1994 apostolic letter, "Ordinatio Sacerdotalis" ("Priestly Ordination").
This is unbelievable considering that this line appeared in a story by the Catholic News Service. Canon law has nothing to do with this issue at all. The article also said:
A Swiss church leader said a lay Catholic theologian faces automatic excommunication after she claimed she was ordained to the priesthood June 24.
How in the world can you face automatic excommunication for an act already done? If an act occured such a penalty it would indeed be automatic upon the action that invokes it. Though in this case of simulating a sacrament would not be considered an act that incurs automatic excommunication. In the past these acts were usually soon followed by a formal decree of excommunication by their diocesan bishop.
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Canon Law does limit ordination to baptized men, but the reason why women cannot be ordained is not because of Canon Law. Instead, Canon Law [and Ordinatio Sacerdotalis] reflects the 2000+ years of teaching on this matter. Unfortunately, if one is not willing to do their homework they will just stop there.
It's not canonical that the priesthood is limited to men, it is dogmatic.
Canon Law just enforces that reality.
I think the excommunication is not even neccesary.
1. They have commiteed a mortal sin(s)
2. The sins were public, therefore the confession becomes valid with public withdraw from errors.
3.They are most probably never going to repent
Ergo, mortal sins are breaking with God and ultimitaley deserving of eternal fire.
Excommunication would only state the obvious.
Actually, I think the lady would incur an automatic excommunication (interdict, actually) in the event she was impersonating a priest or pretending to be one. This is the stipulation of Canon Law:
Can. 1378
§2. The following incur a latae sententiae penalty of interdict or, if a cleric, a latae sententiae penalty of suspension:
1/ a person who attempts the liturgical action of the Eucharistic sacrifice though not promoted to the sacerdotal order;
2/ apart from the case mentioned in §1, a person who, though unable to give sacramental absolution validly, attempts to impart it or who hears sacramental confession.
§3. In the cases mentioned in §2, other penalties, not excluding excommunication, can be added according to the gravity of the delict.
Can. 1379 In addition to the cases mentioned in ⇒ can. 1378, a person who simulates the administration of a sacrament is to be punished with a just penalty.
excommunication or not - these gals are nuts.
From what I have heard, excomunication is usually used in specific circumstances in the case of public sin where the church has warned someone in advance. A de facto excommunication can be earned by anyone who commits a particular sin that has been outlined in advance by the appropriate church authorities.
Excommunication is almost always reserved only for people who have commited mortal sins in public and need a formal declaration as a line in the sand to make fall in line.
A theologian is likely to be aware of the ramifications of this act, so either she's a little insane or she's really expecting the excommunication.
She cannot be excommunicated for impersonating or simulating a priest because she is a woman and women are incapable of being receiving valid ordination. Thus the aforementioned canons are not applicable.