"Kerry is excommunicated in the internal forum."
Good.
"The external forum, for a public official, is another matter entirely. Balesteri, the original petitioner, wants a formal public excommunication, which he is simply not going to get."
Why does that matter?
Because it will remain known only to those of us on obscure websites who have access to this letter.
I prefer that, actually. I want to freeze the Catholic vote where it is, right now.
Formalize the excommunication after the election.