ABIURA. — Retraction of an error in matters of faith. In classical Latin and in Late Latin (cf. Du Cange, Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, Paris 1840), the terms abiurare and abiuratio were used in the proper sense of denying under oath: ab-iurare. In present-day language it means renunciation or retraction of an idea or doctrine and, in ecclesiastical juridical language, the retraction of an error by a non-Catholic in order to be admitted or readmitted to communion with the Church.
The current canonical discipline imposes a formal act of a. on all those who, after having incurred, in the external forum, the offense of apostasy, heresy, or schism, wish to be readmitted to the communion of the faithful (CIC, can. 2314, § 2) and to the use of the sacraments (can. 731, § 2). The reason is that when heresy, schism, or apostasy is public in character, it causes scandal to others, and scandal requires adequate reparation; whereas, if these do not appear externally, repentance and confession suffice.
1. SUBJECT OF THE A
The a. is imposed only on adults, because only adults are considered capable of having given the error full and genuine adherence. Children and minors, before receiving baptism, merely make a profession of faith in the presence of witnesses (Holy Office, 8 March 1882). And these adults must be Christians. For pagans, Muslims, and Jews who wish to enter the Catholic Church, baptism alone suffices. Now the cases in which a. is required of an adult Christian are two: either it concerns a Catholic who has publicly become a heretic, schismatic, or apostate (by passing to Judaism or Protestantism, or to a dissident Church, etc.), or a non-Catholic Christian, that is, one baptized in heresy or schism, who wishes to convert to Catholicism. In the first case, since the guilty person has incurred excommunication ipso facto (CIC, can. 2314, § 1), the following procedure is followed: a., then absolution from excommunication in
in the external forum, and consequently also in the internal forum (can. 2251); finally, the guilty party may request sacramental absolution for his sin from any confessor (can. 2314, § 2). In the second case: a) if the convert has received a baptism that is certainly invalid, there is no need for a.; it is sufficient to administer baptism; b) if the baptism is certainly valid, the following process is followed: a., absolution from the censure in the external forum, sacramental confession; c) if the baptism is doubtful, the following is done instead: a., baptism under condition, sacramental confession, absolution under condition.
2. CEREMONIES AND FORMULA OF A
A. may be received only by the Ordinary of the place (excluding the vicar general lacking a special mandate) or by a delegate appointed by him on a case-by-case basis. And it must be made in the presence of at least two witnesses (can. 2314, § 2). The rite to be followed, the formalities, and the precautions are set out in the Pontificale romano (Par. III, tit. Ordo ad reconciliandum apostatam, schismaticum vel haereticum) and in certain documents of the S. Uffizio, among which we shall recall those of 20 July 1859, 28 March 1900, and 19 February 1916. The phrase « aliisque servatis de iure servandis » in the cited can. 2314, § 2, refers to these formalities and precautions. Certain formulas were approved by the S. Uffizio in 1925, 1933, and 1936, respectively for dissidents (and particularly for Russians) and for Protestants. The Ordinary of the place, moreover, remains free to prescribe an even shorter formula.Formulas of a. are also found for infidels (pagans, Jews, Muslims) (cf. Rituale Romanum, tit. II, cap. IV: Ordo baptismi adultorum), but evidently this is not a. in the proper sense.
quaedam circa haeresis, in Jus Pontificum, 9 (1931), pp. 32-55; F. Bohm, Taufe und Absolutian von der Haeresie bei Konversionem, in Theologische praktische Quartalsheft, (Linz 1933), pp. 382-790. Agatangelo da Langasco