NY TIMES: Letter Supports Anti-Kerry Bid Over Abortion (Kerry Excommunication)

The New York Times ^ | October 19, 2004 | PAM BELLUCK

[West Coast Conservative]

A canon lawyer seeking to have Senator John Kerry excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church because of his support for abortion rights said on Monday that he had ammunition in the form of a letter issued at the request of a senior Vatican official.

The lawyer, Marc Balestrieri of Los Angeles, who heads a conservative Catholic nonprofit organization called De Fide, also said that, based on the letter, he would now seek to have four other Catholic politicians excommunicated: Senators Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Susan Collins of Maine, and Mario M. Cuomo, the former governor of New York.

"Senator Kerry, and all pro-choice Catholic politicians, who publicly call themselves Catholic yet who blatantly violate canon law by continuing to profess heresy and receive Holy Communion, must publicly reject their abortion advocacy for the sake of their own souls, and the others they have scandalized," Mr. Balestrieri said in a statement. "They have been excommunicated."

Only Ms. Collins is not a Democrat.

The letter to Mr. Balestrieri, written by another American canon lawyer at the request of a Vatican official, says that "if a Catholic publicly and obstinately supports the civil right to abortion, knowing that the church teaches officially against that legislation, he or she commits that heresy" and is "automatically excommunicated."

[ThomasMore]

Any idea why?

Not sure...unless they are looking for the backfire. They'll do what ever it takes to protect Kerry.

[sitetest]

Dear Aquinasfan,

I think that reconciling an excommunicant is often reserved to the local ordinary. In the case of abortion, it is, although in many dioceses, the bishops have delegated authority to priests to reconcile those excommunicated by abortion.


sitetest

[pax_et_bonum]

Love your tag line!

;-)

[pax_et_bonum]

Louisiana would appreciate it very much if you would please add the name of Senator Mary Landrieu to your list of Catholics that support abortion by refusing to vote against it.

This Texas Catholic would like to see Geraldine Ferraro added to that list, too.

[AMHN]

Gore was ruled out by the US Supreme Court in 2000. Looks like we are moving up the ladder in sending a message in 2004 to those who support abortion...now from the Pope. The next message for those still hardened of heart might come from an even higher source...I wouldn't be standing under any trees even on a clear day if I were one holding that belief.

[frog_jerk_2004]

AMEN!

[TheCrusader]

"If the person continues to sin, that is true. But if someone has turned from their evil ways, and has sought and received forgiveness and atonement, I would think that such a person would no longer be condemned by his actions."

I think you're right. An excommunication holds up to the person the nature of his unrepentent sin and asks him to repent and come home. So I just want to reitterate that excommunication isn't to separate a person from God, it's to bring him back into the fold. As it says in Revelation 3:19 "Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent."

God's abundant blessings to you