Latae sententiae

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Latae sententiae is a Latin term used in the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church meaning "by the law itself". A latae sententiae penalty follows automatically, by force of the law itself, when the law is contravened.

For example, canons 1367 and 1370 of the Code of Canon Law lay down that, unless the excusing circumstances outlined in canons 1321-1330 are verified, desecration of the consecrated Eucharistic species and a physical attack on the person of the Pope or a bishop, respectively, bring about the penalty of excommunication without any need for a formal decree of excomunication. The guilty individual is said to have incurred excommunication latae sententiae.

Note that latae sententiae is an adjectival phrase accompanying a noun, such as "excommunication". In connection with a verb, the corresponding adverbial phrase is in ablative absolute form, as in: "He was excommunicated lata sententia."

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