Final answer:
Excommunication was the ultimate punishment for disobeying canon law, which is the ecclesiastical authority's legal system governing the members of the Church.
Step-by-step explanation:
Excommunication was the ultimate punishment for disobeying canon law. Canon law is a system of laws and legal principles laid down by the ecclesiastical authority, especially the Church. It governs the Church's members and could lead to severe consequences, such as excommunication, where a person is officially excluded from participation in the sacraments and services of the Christian Church. This was a significant form of social and spiritual punishment during the Middle Ages and beyond, as the church held substantial influence over communities.