I do not think I have met anyone who has been excommunicated before: plenty who wonder about the wisdom of some church teachings, plus others who have left because they disagree so fervently with it over questions of doctrine, or have been so damaged or appalled by its behaviour (notably over the abuse scandal), but no one until now who has officially been shown the door by Rome. On the face of it, it is hard to have much sympathy for Christine Mayr-Lumetzberger, a 58-year-old Austrian ex-nun and teacher, who was one of seven Catholic women who, in 2002 on a boat in the middle of the River Danube, chose to be ordained by Argentinian Catholic bishop Antonio Braschi, well known to Pope Francis, but out of step with Rome. They were simply breaking the Church’s laws. The ban on female o