abortion and excommunication

Document Title: "
Question from on 04-17-2007:
Unlike the previous poster, I had an abortion at the age of 19 and I'm pretty sure that I knew about the excommunication penalty at the time. Anyway, I married at age 24. It wasn't until age 29 that I went to confession. I confessed my abortion, my sinful life as a teenager, etc... My question to you - am I really married if I was excommunicated at the time of the wedding? Was my later confession valid? Can only the bishop absolve from the sin and lift the excommunication? I vaguely remember calling the priest after my confession to ask him this very question - did he have the power to lift the excommunication. He said that in our diocese, priests did. The problem is that was 15 years ago and I'm worried that I'm remembering it wrong. What should I do?
Answer by Rev. Mark J. Gantley, JCL on 04-17-2007:
If the excommunication was in place, then the marriage would have been illicit but still valid.
I cannot be certain that you incurred the excommunication. However, I would mention this concern to a priest in confession and ask him if he has the faculty to remit the penalty. (In most dioceses in the U.S., it is common for bishops to delegate all priest this faculty.) If he has the faculty, he can remit the penalty verbally right there on the spot. If he doesn't have the faculty, he can contact the diocesan bishop for the faculty and arrange a time for you to meet him again (even within the confidentiality of confession). At that time, he can then remit the penalty. There should be not need for you to contact the bishop yourself. "