% ▁of ▁the ▁" R oman ▁Catholic " ▁total ); ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁census ▁recorded ▁ 8 , 0 9 4 ▁( 0 . 2 1 %). ▁▁ ▁Pres ent ▁canon ▁law ▁▁ ▁Today , ▁a ▁Catholic ▁who ▁la ps es ▁to ▁the ▁extent ▁of ▁becoming ▁an ▁apost ate , ▁a ▁her etic ▁or ▁a ▁sch ism atic ▁is ▁automatically ▁ex communic ated , ▁and , ▁until ▁the ▁ex communic ation ▁is ▁lifted , ▁is ▁forb idden ▁to ▁have ▁any ▁minister ial ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁celebr ation ▁of ▁Mass ▁or ▁other ▁worship ▁cer emon ies , ▁to ▁celebr ate ▁or ▁receive ▁the ▁sacr aments ▁or ▁to ▁exercise ▁any ▁Church ▁functions . ▁This ▁is ▁an ▁oblig ation ▁that ▁bind s ▁the ▁ex communic ated ▁person . ▁Unless ▁the ▁ex communic ation ▁has ▁been ▁public ly ▁declared ▁by ▁the ▁Church ▁and ▁not ▁merely ▁in cur red ▁automatically , ▁the ▁ex communic ated ▁person ▁cannot ▁on ▁that ▁ground ▁alone ▁be ▁public ly ▁refused ▁the ▁sacr aments , ▁even ▁by ▁a ▁priest ▁who ▁knows ▁of ▁it . ▁However , ▁to ▁assist ▁at ▁the ▁marriage ▁of ▁someone ▁who ▁has ▁" not or iously " ▁( i . e . ▁widely ▁known ▁to ▁have ▁done ▁so ) ▁rejected ▁the ▁Catholic ▁faith , ▁a ▁priest ▁needs ▁the ▁permission ▁of ▁the ▁ordinary ▁and ▁the ▁same ▁promises ▁required ▁by ▁sp ouses ▁in ▁mixed ▁mar ri ages ▁are ▁also ▁required . ▁The ▁Code ▁of ▁Can on ▁Law ▁l ays ▁down ▁no ▁particular ▁penalty ▁for ▁a ▁la ps ing ▁that ▁consists