He had no other recourse. He watched Miroslav because Miroslav was the only man he knew - the only man he had ever truly known - and took note of how he moved. Watched his hands. Watched when Eleanore came by to see if he needed more wine and he leaned into her hip, looked up and inquired, "Why? Are you trying to tell me that I should have more wine?" ... And he wondered, for the slipped end of a moment, what Miroslav saw from that vantage point, temple to belly, ear to hip. The soft curve of a breast and the delicate hollow of the throat? She smiled down and patted the side of his head.

"Maybe not," she said, and took his glass from him. And then she was off to the kitchen, and Miroslav was left to slouch himself vertical again. He smiled at Serafeim from beneath scattered strands of hair, but there was no reaction and the smile eventually faded. The clock on the mantel continued to count the moments. Serafeim leaned forward just slightly, fingers tangled; moved again and glanced towards the kitchen. Strained across the space. Mute. Levity brushed to one side, Miroslav glanced and said, "What is it? What's wrong? Hey - hey, just - " and swung his legs around to sit. "What?"

Serafeim stared. Eyes flickered: once, twice, over and down again. He swayed with elbows on his knees, palms touching for reassurance. An eternity of seconds went by. He watched the slight tic in the temple of the only man he had ever known. "What?" said Miroslav, and without thinking, without quite forming the words, Serafeim asked how it felt. Miroslav stayed still for a moment, brow knit in concern. The darkness was not quite dispelled a moment later, when he wavered backward. Half a flinch, the eyes remained fixed, and "Warm," said he. His hand went to his mouth mid-shrug, and completed the motion. The bottom of his voice fell out of the phrase, "People feel warm when you touch them."

:.. In Darkness Let Me Dwell ...:
 

The Code of Canon Law establishes that, "Those upon whom the penalty of excommunication or interdict has been imposed or declared, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to Holy Communion" (can. 915).

Excommunication may result from:

Something possibly useful for later:

In other news, I wrote to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to ask about the alteration of canon law after Vatican II. Why, you ask? Because I enjoy making men of the cloth uncomfortable. I worry that I shall get some hopelessly bureaucratic form letter in return, thanking me for my correspondence and wishing me joy and contentment in the Lord's blessed light and so forth. NPR gave me a helpful snippet, either way: The Vatican defines heresy as "the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine or catholic faith, or it is likewise and obstinate doubt concerning the same." ... The drowning may hold up after all.

. . .