What is a bull of excommunication?

Answer 1

AnswerA bull of excommunication or papal bull, is an official notice from the church authorities or the pope which notifies the recipient of their excommunication from the church. It is given to people who the church see as a threat or a cause of disruption to the current system. These people lose their credibility where the local populace is strongly religious as a result of excommunication. The bull is delieved by a legate or messenger to the person in question notifying them of the churches decision and giving them an ultimatum in which to recant and apologise to the church authorities. The excommunication prevents the person from any religious sanctity, which means that when they die, they won't go to heaven. MoreExcommunication was particularly important when it came to kings and other people in authority. When a king was excommunicated, the people who swore loyalty to him were freed of that oath, other kings were often given licence to invade, and anyone who supported the excommunicated king was also excommunicated. As a political move, it was something a king wanted very much to avoid, unless he was pretty sure of where he stood. It was not possible for kings to stand up to such a thing until after the Middle Ages. Two monarchs who were excommunicated, much to their disadvantage, were King John of England, and Emperor Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire.

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