An ecclesiastical crime is a crime (delict) committed against Catholic canon law vis-à-vis civil law.
Examples The crime of simony is the ecclesiastical crime of paying for offices or positions in the hierarchy of a church. The crimes of schism and heresy are also ecclesiastical crimes. The deep wound of schism in the archdiocese, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke - schism in context of the St. Stanislaus Kostka Church (Saint Louis)
Financial and donation related The term is also specifically used today for misappropriation of donation monies. In the International Bulletin of Missionary Research, January 2009, David B. Barrett, Todd M. Johnson, Peter F Crossing, in a study titled, "Christian World Communions: Five Overviews of Global Christianity, AD 1800–2025", show that "ecclesiastical crime" is growing at 5.77% per annum and in mid-2009 is estimated to be US$27 billion on a total "giving to Christian causes" of $410 Billion. Unchecked this crime will be valued at $65 Billion by 2025. (PDF) Extract from International Bulletin of Missionary Research, Vol. 33, No. 1
See also Ecclesiastical courts Ecclesiastical ordinances Ecclesiastical prison Canon law Sacrament of Penance
References