Many years ago, I had an abortion. After many years as a lapsed Catholic, I returned to the Church and to confession. The abortion sin was confessed to a chaplain while I was in the hospital. Although he said something about abortion carrying with it an excommunication, he gave me absolution. I gave it no additional thought and continued to receive the sacraments (Communion, Reconciliation, and even remarriage within the Church.) It wasn?t until recently that I read something about the "rite" of removing an excommunication that I began to fear I had done and continue to do something wrong.