Anathema vs. Excommunication

[Charms717RM1]

What's the difference?

Is anathema being cut off from the Body of Christ entirely? Is being excommunicated being cut off from the sacraments? Lol, do i have these two mixed up or are they completley different from what i think they are?

I was reading some stuff on the council of Trent, and came across the phrase "let him be anathema", and got confused.

Thanks for the help!

[cappie]

In the New Testament anathema no longer entails death, but the loss of goods or exclusion from the society of the faithful.

At an early date the Church adopted the word anathema to signify the exclusion of a sinner from the society of the faithful; but the anathema was pronounced chiefly against heretics.

All the councils, from the Council of Nicæa to that of the Vatican, have worded their dogmatic canons: "If any one says . . . let him be anathema". Nevertheless, although during the first centuries the anathema did not seem to differ from the sentence of excommunication, beginning with the sixth century a distinction was made between the two.

A Council of Tours desires that after three warnings there be recited in chorus Psalm cviii against the usurper of the goods of the Church, that he may fall into the curse of Judas, and "that he may be not only excommunicated, but anathematized, and that he may be stricken by the sword of Heaven". This distinction was introduced into the canons of the Church, as is proved by the letter of John VIII (872-82) found in the Decree of Gratian (c. III, q. V, c. XII): "Know that Engeltrude is not only under the ban of excommunication, which separates her from the society of the brethren, but under the anathema, which separates from the body of Christ, which is the Church."

Anathema remains a major excommunication which is to be promulgated with great solemnity.

Today in the Church the Catechism and the Code of Canon Law speak only of excommunication and even then as a rule, clauses like this: Unless he becomes repentant, or gives satisfaction, or is corrected are added.

Maybe someone else has some ideas

[Pio Nono]

JMJ
4/19 - Bright Wednesday (St. Expedite)

It seems as if one of two things has happened:

(a) The Church no longer makes a theological distinction between anathemas and excommunications or
(b) The Church has simply dropped the language of anathema, either permanently or temporarily.

Regardless, Vatican Council II pronounced no anathemas to my knowledge. Hope this helps.

Yours,
Pio Nono