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Imminent Excommunication for Kerry, Kennedy and Company?

Is the Catholic Church on a course to excommunicate John Kerry for his public support of abortion? Has he been excommunicated already [more from Catholic World News]? "Yes," say some. "No," says the author of a letter alleged to be the basis for the claim.

The New York Times reports:

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."

The letter to Balestrieri from a church official concludes,

"It should be obvious from all that I've said that for anyone to maintain a right to abortion piggybacks on the heresy and becomes part of its darkness. Consequently, 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 ..."

Balestrieri asserts, "The often-cited 'Cuomo defense': 'I am personally opposed but I support the right to choose' has now been cut in half."

However, Washington Dispatch editor, Shane Cory, says "not so fast." She interviewed Fr. Basil Cole, the letter's author. He revealed that he does not speak for the Vatican but unofficially provided his personal opinion. Lifesite seems to disagree.

The Evangelical Outpost, who I just noticed beat me to this story, has more and Sidesspot, commenting on the EO posting, points out the dilemma the Vatican faces.

Update:

Backcountry Conservative states, "If this is true (and I'm not sure it is) then it could be a major blow to the Kerry campaign in my opinion...". Not surprising, BlogsforBush has more.

Hindrocket at Powerline has picked up the story, writing, "Kerry will certainly not put himself in a position between now and November 2 where he will be denied Communion, and failing that, there is no reason why the media should take up this issue--if it is an issue--at all." I disagree. In the last debate Kerry said, "And I think that everything you do in public life has to be guided by your faith, affected by your faith." If you claim "faith" and IF your church declares that you are "faithless" it is a big deal.

Posted by tim at October 18, 2004 11:29 PM

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