Canon 1324 is acanon of the1983Code of Canon Law that enumerates situations according to which penalties prescribed incanon law must be diminished or replaced by apenance. The canon does not automatically remove the penalty completely except in cases oflatae sententiae (automatic)excommunication.[1]
The diminution or replacement of the penalty must be applied if the offence was committed by:[1]
In the circumstances listed abovelatae sententiae (automatic)excommunications do not apply.
A judge may diminish or replace a prescribed penalty also in view of other circumstances that reduce the gravity of the offence.
TheSSPX argues thatMarcel Lefebvre's ordination of four bishops on 30 June 1988 (theEcône consecrations) in contravention of a direct order fromPope John Paul II, was due to a state of necessity, citing in his defense canons 1323 and 1324 of the1983Code of Canon Law.[2]
In March 2009, after an abortion on a nine-year-old girl raped by her stepfather and pregnant with twins had been performed to save her life, ArchbishopJosé Cardoso Sobrinho ofOlinda and Recife stated thatlatae sententiaeexcommunication had been incurred by the girl's mother and the medical team. TheNational Conference of Bishops of Brazil disowned his statement, saying that, in accordance withcanon law, the mother was certainly not excommunicated, since she had acted "out of grave fear" (cf. no. 5 of this canon) and there was insufficient evidence to show that any member of the medical team was acting with the full awareness and contumacy envisaged in this canon (cf. nos. 8 and 9).[3][4]Bishop Jean-Michel di Falco ofGap, France also denied the applicability to the girl's mother ofcanon 1398 of the1983Code of Canon Law, which imposesautomaticexcommunication for procuring a completed abortion, pointing out that canon 1324 states that automatic censures, such as that which applies for such abortions, do not affect those who act out of grave fear.[5]