Privation, Ecclesiastical

Privation, Ecclesiastical, is one of the vindictive, i.e. positive, penalties (in opposition to the censures) which the ecclesiastical laws inflict in the Church of Rome on prebendaries for grave and repeated offences against the discipline of the Church. It is the suspension of an ecclesiastic from his office and prebend. It differs from the disciplinary transfer by which the delinquent receives, in place of the prebend which is taken from him, another, though inferior one; it also differs from absolute deposition, by which an ecclesiastic is deprived forever of his office and official income, and declared unfit for any further employment, while the privation does not forbid him the hope of getting some time another prebend. The privation, as long as it lasts, deprives its object of the power of performing the ecclesiastical functions of consecration or jurisdiction, without unfitting him for life for any further employment. This penalty — even because it is a positive penalty — cannot be inflicted for merely administrative reasons, like the transfer, for instance; or for delinquencies which remained secret, and are only known to the bishop, like the suspension; but only in consequence of canonic examination and by judiciary sentence. The canons name among the transgressions which, if proved, are punished with privation: continued negligence in the performance of the official duties (c. 4, Dist. 91), addiction to lucre (c. 8, 10 Ne clen. vel monach. 3, 50), repeated infrinlgements of the law of residence (Conc. Tid. sess. 24 c. 12, De ref:), immoral and scandalous conduct, etc.; if admonitions and gradual corrections have proved unavailing (id. sess. 21 c. 6, De ref; c. 13, 10 De vit. et hon. cler. 3, 1). There are, of course, other transgressions and vices, which can be visited with indefinite suspension; drunkenness, for instance. Wetzer u. Welte, Kirchen-Lexikon, s.v. SEE PRIVATIO COMMUNIONIS.