List of people excommunicated by the Catholic Church


The Catholic Church has excommunicated some of its adherents throughout its existence for various reasons, including heresy, schism, and disobedience to the Church or its teachings.
In Roman Catholic canon law, excommunication is a censure and thus a "medicinal penalty" intended to invite the person to change behavior or attitude that incurred the penalty, repent, and return to full communion. Excommunication severs one from communion with the Church; excommunicated Catholics are forbidden from receiving any sacrament and refused a Catholic burial, but are still bound by canonical obligations such as attending Mass or fasting seasonally. Excommunicated Catholics, however, are barred from receiving the Eucharist or from taking an active part in the liturgy.
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, with 5 separate excommunications from 3 different popes, carries the distinction of publicly being the most excommunicated individual. In this list below there are two popes and six Catholic saints who were issued an excommunication by a church authority.
This list only includes excommunications acknowledged or imposed by a decree of the pope or a bishop in communion with him. Latae sententiae excommunications, those that automatically affect classes of people, are not listed unless confirmed by a bishop or ecclesiastical tribunal with respect to certain individuals.

1st century

2nd century

3rd century

4th century

5th century

6th century

  • , Bishop of Vannes was excommunicated after he abandoned his episcopacy and religious vows to become Count of Vannes in 560.
  • King Charibert I of Paris by Bishop Germain of Paris for immorality.
  • Saint Columba was excommunicated in 562 by the synod of Teltown for allegedly praying for the winning side in an Irish War. The excommunication was later held to be an abuse of justice and the bishops in question removed their charge.
  • The sons of Conall mac Domnaill by Saint Columba some time in the late sixth century, due to their persecution of churches.
  • Archbishop Theodore of Mopsuestia by the Second Council of Constantinople.
  • , Count of Tours, by a synod of bishops in 581 on account of creating scandals and false accusations he made against Bishop Gregory of Tours.
  • A layman named Pelagius was excommunicated by Gregory of Tours in the late sixth century after the former had beaten and robbed some of Gregory's men. Gregory later received him back into communion after he and others made oaths.
  • Eulalius, future Count of Auvergne was excommunicated by Cautinus, Bishop of Clermont as a young man as a result of suspicion of murdering his mother. He protested his innocence and Cautinus agreed to allow him to return to communion.
  • Basina, daughter of Chilperic I, her cousin Chrodield, daughter of the previously excommunicated Charibert I, and their party were excommunicated by a synod of bishops who condemned them for a violent monastic rebellion at Holy Cross Abbey in Poitiers in 589.

7th century

8th century

9th century

10th century

  • In 998, Robert II of France, who had been insisting on his right to appoint bishops, was ultimately forced to back down, after being excommunicated by Pope Gregory V and ultimately also to put aside his wife Bertha of Burgundy who had also been excommunicated. The stated reason was the degree of consanguinity between the two. They had the marriage annulled by Pope Sylvester II in 1000 and were reinstated.

11th century

  • Bishops in France, under orders of Pope Benedict VIII, excommunicated feudal barons who had seized property belonging to Cluny Abbey in 1016.
  • In 1031 the Council of Limoges in France excommunicated feudal barons in the Diocese of Limoges who were conducting private warfare between themselves in the midst of widespread famine and pestilence that was killing off a large portion of the peasantry. The famine and pestilence were thought to be punishments from God for grave sins being committed close to the millennium anniversary of Christ's death and resurrection. The members of the council dashed their candles to the ground in unison after calling out 'As these lights are extinguished before your eyes, so let their joy be extinguished before the angels.'
  • Heribert, Archbishop of Milan, was excommunicated by Pope Benedict IX when he was at enmity with him.
  • Michael Cerularius, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, along with Leo of Ohrid and their adherents, were excommunicated in 1054 after he had erased the pope's name from church diptychs in Constantinople and accused the western Church of heresy. The excommunication was carried out by legates of Pope Leo IX after the pope's death. This excommunication was only directed at these individuals named and not at the wider eastern church; the legates specifically made note that they considered the wider eastern church to remain pious and orthodox. However, in the ensuing years, most of the eastern bishops followed Cerularius and also ceased recognition of the pope by striking his name from their diptychs. This led to the East–West Schism. The legal validity of this excommunication has been questioned as it was issued by legates of Pope Leo IX after the pope's death. It was declared lifted on 7 December 1965.
  • Arialdo was excommunicated by Guido da Velate, Bishop of Milan while he was working against clerical abuses in Milan. He was immediately reinstated by Pope Stephen IX.
  • Guido da Velate was excommunicated in turn because of repeated lapses in his failure to reform.
  • Harold II, King of England, excommunicated for possibly politically motivated reasons by Pope Alexander II in order to justify the invasion and takeover of the kingdom by William the Conqueror in 1066.
  • Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor was excommunicated four times in the eleventh century. He was excommunicated by Pope Gregory VII three separate times, and once more by Pope Urban II. The first was on 22 February 1076 over the Investiture Controversy. This excommunication was lifted on 28 January 1077 after Henry's public show of penitence known as the Road to Canossa. His second excommunication by Gregory was on 7 March 1080, and the third was in 1084 or 1085. Urban II excommunicated Henry in 1088.
  • Bolesław II the Generous, Duke of Poland, was excommunicated in 1080 after murdering Bishop Stanislaus of Kraków.
  • King Philip I of France, first excommunicated in 1094 by Hugh of Die, Archbishop of Lyon for repudiating his marriage with Bertha of Holland and remarrying, and later reaffirmed by Pope Urban II in November 1095 at the Council of Clermont.
  • The Bishop of Autun excommunicated Cluniac monks in his diocese who took over Vézelay Abbey without his permission; the excommunication was removed after they left the diocese.

12th century

13th century

14th century

15th century

16th century

17th century

18th century

19th century

20th century

21st century

  • Bp. Rómulo Antonio Braschi on 5 August 2002 for having "attempted to confer priestly ordination on several Catholic women," the Danube Seven.
  • Chinese bishops Joseph Liu Xinhong, Joseph Ma Yinglin, John Wu Shi-zhen and Bernardine Dong Guangqing were excommunicated by the Holy See in 2006 for engaging in illicit episcopal consecrations. The two who received ordination had their excommunications lifted when the Holy See announced that all bishops in China were formally recognized in 2018.
  • Zambian bishop Emmanuel Milingo was stated to be excommunicated by the Holy See in 2006 after he engaged in illicit episcopal consecrations.
  • The Community of the Lady of All Nations for heretical teachings and beliefs after a six-year investigation. The declaration was announced by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on 12 September 2007.
  • Fr. Basil Kovpak, traditionalist priest of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was excommunicated in 2007
  • Fr. Dale Fushek and Fr. Mark Dippre. Former Priests were issued a Decree of Excommunication by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted for operating "an opposing ecclesial community" in direct disobedience to orders to refrain from public ministry.
  • Fr. Marek Bozek, and the lay parish board members of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in St. Louis, Missouri in December 2005 were declared guilty of the ecclesiastical crime of schism by then-Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke. Their excommunication was ratified by the Vatican in May 2008. Four of the parish board members have since reconciled with the Church.
  • Rev. Fr. Alejandre Galias of the Diocese of Sorsogon was automatically excommunicated on September 21, 2007 by Bishop Arturo Bastes due to someone who accused the Fr. of breaking the Seal of confession in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
  • Both the doctors and the mother of the nine-year-old victim in the 2009 Brazilian girl abortion case were said by Archbishop José Cardoso Sobrinho of Olinda and Recife to have incurred an automatic excommunication. The victim had an abortion after being raped and impregnated by her stepfather. The National Conference of Bishops of Brazil contradicted Sobrinho's statement: it declared that, in accordance with canon law, the girl's mother was not in fact excommunicated and that there were no grounds for stating that any of the doctors involved were in fact excommunicated. Disagreement with the Archbishop's view of the supposed excommunication was expressed also by other bishops.
  • Sr. Margaret McBride, a nun, for allowing an abortion. McBride later reconciled with the Church and is no longer living in a state of excommunication.
  • In 2010 Joseph Guo Jincai was excommunicated by the Holy See for illicitly receiving episcopal consecration to become Bishop of Chengde. This excommunication was lifted in 2018 when Pope Francis recognized all bishops in China.
  • In 2011 Joseph Huang Bingzhang was excommunicated by the Holy See for illicitly receiving episcopal consecration to become Bishop of Shantou. His consecrators were not formally excommunicated and the Holy See noted that it was possible they were forced to take part, however, if they were not forced, they would have also suffered an automatic excommunication. This excommunication was lifted in 2018 when Pope Francis recognized all bishops in China.
  • Lei Shiyin was excommunicated in 2011 by the Holy See for receiving illicit episcopal consecration to become Bishop of Leshan. His consecrators were not formally excommunicated because of the possibility that they were forced, however, they would suffer an automatic excommunication if they were not forced to participate. This excommunication was lifted in 2018 when Pope Francis recognized all bishops in China.
  • In October 2012, the newspapers El Observador and El País reported that all the Catholics who promoted the abortion law in Uruguay were excommunicated. The newspaper Urgente24, in spite of a headline stating that what it called the "abortionist lawmakers" were excommunicated, explained in the body of the article that automatic excommunication applied only to someone who directly carried out an abortion. The bishop's website also explained that excommunication would automatically apply, under Canon 1398, only to anyone carrying out an abortion, and not to lawmakers.
  • Fr. Roy Bourgeois for participating in the attempted ordination of a woman.
  • Yue Fusheng was excommunicated in 2012 by the Holy See for episcopal ordination to become Bishop of Harbin. His consecrators were not formally excommunicated because of the possibility they were forced, but they would suffer automatic excommunication if they had not been forced. This excommunication was lifted in 2018 when Pope Francis recognized all bishops in China.
  • Fr. Robert Marrone on 6 March 2013 by Bishop Richard Gerard Lennon of the Diocese of Cleveland in Cleveland, Ohio for direct disobedience to orders from the bishop regarding the terms of his leave of absence and orders to refrain from public ministry. Marrone set up "an opposing ecclesial community" in a vacant warehouse that is not a Catholic church building and is outside of the authority of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland after St. Peter's Parish in Cleveland was closed.
  • Fr. Roberto Francisco Daniel, known by local community as "Fr. Beto", by Bishop Caetano Ferrari, from Bauru, Brazil. Daniel was excommunicated because he refused a direct order from his bishop to apologize for or retract his statement that love was possible between people of the same sex. The priest also said a married person who chose to have an affair, heterosexual or otherwise, would not be unfaithful as long as that person's spouse allowed it.
  • Fr. Greg Reynolds of Melbourne, Australia was excommunicated in 2013 for continuing to celebrate Mass when not permitted, advocating the attempted ordination of women, and promoting same-sex marriage.
  • Fr. Jose Mercau in 2014 as part of the Catholic Church sexual abuse cases scandal.
  • According to National Catholic Reporter, Pope Francis excommunicated two founders of the 'We Are Church' movement Martha and Gert Heizer on 22 May 2014 for regularly celebrating simulated Masses in their home in Tyrol without a priest.
  • Samantha Hudson, a Spanish drag artist, was excommunicated in 2015 by Bishop of Mallorca Javier Salinas Viñals for a controversial musical video about the oppression the LGBTQ+ community faces due to the Catholic Church. The video was for a school project and was produced when she was 15 years old.
  • Fr. Alessandro Maria Minutella, of the Archdiocese of Palermo, was excommunicated in 2017 by his bishop Corrado Lorefice after his denunciation of Pope Francis as a heretic.
  • In February 2018, Fr. Ezinwanne Igbo, a Nigerian priest working on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia, was excommunicated by Pope Francis for breaking confession secrecy rules after a two-year investigation.
  • Pablo de Rojas Sánchez-Franco, a self-proclaimed bishop, was excommunicated in 2019 by Bishop Mario Iceta of Bilbao. He was later expelled from the convent he had been living as a bishop in following his excommunication.
  • On Christmas Eve, 2019, three hermits named Fr. Stephen de Kerdrel, Sister Colette Roberts and Brother Damon Kelly living in Scotland were excommunicated after accusing Pope Francis of heresy in an online statement.
  • In July 2020, Tomislav Vlašić, a former director of the alleged seers of Our Lady of Medjugorje was excommunicated for holding himself out as a priest and simulating sacraments, after continuing to preach after being laicized for teaching false doctrine, manipulating consciences, disobeying ecclesiastical authority, and of committing acts of sexual misconduct.
  • In August 2020, Fr. Jeremy Leatherby, a priest of the Diocese of Sacramento, incurred an automatic excommunication for schism after refusing to recognize the legitimacy of Pope Francis, most notably substituting his name with that of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI and omitting the name of Bishop Jaime Soto during the Eucharistic Prayer while offering Mass. Bishop Soto announced the excommunication on 7 August.
  • Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik, SJ in 2021 for absolution of an accomplice. Later lifted after he sought forgiveness from Pope Francis.
  • Fr. Ramon Guidetti of the diocese of Livorno was excommunicated by his bishop Simone Giusti in January 2024 following a New Year's Eve homily shared online in which he denounced Pope Francis as an "anti-pope usurper".
  • Fr. Michał Woźnicki SDB on 8 September 2023 for "refusing to recognize the authority of the Roman Pontiff and not remaining in community with members of the Church who recognize his authority".
  • Ten Poor Clares nuns in Belorado, Spain, were excommunicated in June 2024 by Archbishop Mario Iceta of Burgos following a property dispute with Iceta.
  • On 4 July 2024, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the Vatican's former apostolic nuncio to the United States, was excommunicated for schism. The Vatican elaborated: "His public statements manifesting his refusal to recognize and submit to the Supreme Pontiff, his rejection of communion with the members of the Church subject to him, and of the legitimacy and magisterial authority of the Second Vatican Council are well known."
  • On 28 January 2025, Fr. Natale Santonocito, parish priest of the San Cesareo Church in the Diocese of Tivoli was excommunicated for schism by Monsignor Mauro Parmeggiani, Bishop of Tivoli. He claimed that Benedict XVI had never resigned and Francis I was thus an illegitimate anti-pope, saying "Bergoglio is not the legitimate Pope and never has been".
  • Scott E. Peyton, was declared to have incurred a latae sententiae excommunication by Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel on 13 March 2024, after formally resigning from the diaconate, leaving the Catholic Church and joining an Anglican congregation.
  • Anthony Ward of Colorado was excommunicated on November 10, 2025 for being ordained to the episcopacy by Archbishop Telesphore George Mpundu, the retired Archbishop of Lusaka, Zambia, without papal mandate.