Scottish Catholic Bishop excommunicates Rector of Redemptorists

Bishop Hugh Gilbert of Aberdeen, Scotland, has declared Father Michael Mary Sim, rector of the Congregation of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, to be excommunicated from the Catholic Church.

In a statement released on July 25, Bishop Gilbert said: “Regrettably, I find Father Michael Mary guilty of the charges brought against him, most notably that of schism. He is therefore declared to be excommunicated, dismissed from ecclesiastical office, and prohibited from the celebration of Mass or the other sacraments.”

The bishop’s decision followed Father Sim’s participation in an illicit ordination, which Gilbert described as “a clear break with the Church.”

Bishop Gilbert further stated that Father Sim and his congregation “have removed themselves from the communion of the Catholic Church, and the faithful of the diocese should have no dealings with them.”

Excommunication is the Church’s most serious penalty, intended to call the person back to full communion while protecting the faithful from scandal and division.