44. How Those Excommunicated Are To Make Satisfaction

Those excommunicated for serious faults from the oratory and the table must, at the hour for celebrating the Work of God in the oratory, lie prostrate before the doors of the oratory, saying nothing. ² He simply lies there stretched out with his face on the ground at the feet of those coming out of the oratory, ³ and he should continue to do this until the abbot judges that he has made satisfaction.

⁴ At the abbot’s command, let him come and prostrate himself at the feet of the abbot himself and then at the feet of all so that they may pray for him, ⁵ and then, if the abbot commands it, let him be received back into the choir and to the place in seniority which the abbot has determined.

⁶ Even so, he should not presume to begin a psalm or a reading, or anything else in the oratory, unless the abbot again commands him, ⁷ and at all the hours, as the Work of God is ending, let him cast himself on the ground at the place where he stands, ⁸ and he should make satisfaction in this way until the abbot again commands that he may now stop this satisfaction.

⁹ Those excommunicated only from the table for minor faults are to make satisfaction in the oratory as long as the abbot commands it; ¹⁰ they will continue this until he gives a blessing and says: “Enough.”