Storia do Mogor 362.2.6

362.2.6

Upon this Father Michel Ange said that this single reason should have been stated in the Declaration, and not the two others. He followed this up by praying his Lordship to tell him this. If a man menaced a priest with violence, saying he would beat him or even slay him, did he incur excommunication under the Bull ' In Caena Domini ' or not ? The Lord Bishop answered at once that it was not enough to threaten, that there must be an overt act. This was so, because the Bull said: ' Si quis percuserit clericum anathema sit.' After hearing these words Father Michel Ange said to him : ' Then Father Esprit has not incurred excommunication, for, besides the fact that he has not opened his mouth since the Pastoral, of itself a severe enough punishment for us, even had he spoken after the issue of the Pastoral it was impossible for him, until he had done some overt act, to become liable to excommunication. The use of words only is not a sufficient ground for excommunication ; acts are necessary. Where, then, are the acts as a cure performed by Father Esprit after the publication of your Pastoral? Has he married, baptized, buried, any Malabar? No one can assert this, much less prove it.'