Text 3873, 127 rader
Skriven 2004-10-21 01:47:00 av LEE LOFASO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av JOHN HULL
Ärende: Kerry Excommunicated
============================
Hello John,

>JH>Just picked up this breaking story.

>LL>Ho-hum.  Another silly story by JH.  :)

>JH>/*Kerry said to be excommunicated*/

>LL>Yep.  Definitely another silly story by JH.  :)

JH>The source is in the article, wise guy.

The only *source* cited was Canon 751.  And Canon 751 is totally
meaningless in regards to supporting the consultant's contention.

>JH>Los Angeles, Oct. 18 (CWNews.com) - A consultant to the Vatican has
>JH>said Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has incurred the
>JH>penalty of excommunication from the Catholic Church.

>LL>Really?  On what basis?

>JH>The consultant made his statement in a highly unusual letter to
>JH>Marc Balestrieri, a Los Angeles canon lawyer who formally sued John
>JH>Kerry in ecclesiastical court for heresy.

>LL>Uh-huh.  And what part of Canon Law does the consultant claim is
>LL>applicable?

>JH>Balestrieri, who launched his case earlier this year by filing a
>JH>heresy complaint in Kerry's home archdiocese of Boston, told EWTN's
>JH>"World Over" program on Friday that he had received an unusual,
>JH>indirect communication fr the Vatican's Congregation for the
>JH>Doctrine of the Faith regarding the pro-abortion stance.

>LL>One problem with that statement - John Kerry is not
>LL>"pro-abortion". At no time has John Kerry ever said he is "pro-abortion

>LL>So no matter how many times others might say otherwise, the fact remain
>LL>that John Kerry is a practical Catholic who views abortion as being a
>LL>grave sin, in accordance with his Catholic faith.

JH>He most certainly is pro-abortion.

John Kerry claims he is a practical Catholic, and views abortion
as a grave sin, in accordance with his Catholic faith.  He also has
specifically stated that he is *not* "pro-abortion".

>JH>That communication provides a basis, he said, to declare that any
>JH>Catholic politician who says he is "personally opposed to abortion,
>JH>but supports a woman's right to choose," incurs automatic
>JH>excommunication. It also provided basis for Balestrieri to broaden
>JH>his canonical actions and file additional complaints against four
>JH>more pro-abortion Catholic politicians: Democrat Senators Ted
>JH>Kennedy of Massachusetts and Tom Harkin of Iowa; Republican Senator
>JH>Susan Collins of Maine; and former New York Governor Mario Cuomo,
>JH>a Democrat.

>LL>Really?  What part of Canon Law states such a thing?  And what
>LL>about Tom Ridge, who holds the same position as Kerry?  After all, Ridg
>LL>is Catholic.  And what about Arnold Schwarzenegger, who also holds
>LL>the same position as Kerry.  Is he to be "excommunicated" as well?

>LL>Oh, that's right.  Only Catholics who are Democrats can be
>LL>excommunicated.  Never Catholics who are Republicans.  :)

JH>Read the friggin' article, Lee.  As for Canon Law, ask Vern or Stan,
JH>they are both practicing Catholics.  I'm not even catholic.

Vern and Stan may *claim* to be practicing Catholics.  However, that
does not make them so.  In any event, Canon Law is not difficult to
understand, being that Canon Law is written in very clear and concise
language.

>JH>The current action could be significant as it could undercut the
>JH>entire deba over denying Communion to pro-abortion politicians. An
>JH>excommunicated Cathol may not receive any of the sacraments of the
>JH>Church, including the Eucharist marriage, and even Christian burial.
>JH>The type of excommunication outlined in the new information is
>JH>called /latae sententiae/, which means that it occurs automatically
>JH>and does not require a formal pronouncement by any Church official.

>LL>Golly gee.  Where does Canon Law say that Kerry and other
>LL>Democratic politicians are automatically excommunicated?

>JH>Balestrieri said he went to Rome in late August to discuss his
>JH>canonical cas with experts, including an official of the
>JH>Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith. Less than 10 days later, he
>JH>received a letter from Father Basil Cole, Dominican theologian and
>JH>consultant to the congregation based in Washington, DC, who said he
>JH>had been "delegated" by Father Augustine DiNoia, undersecret of the
>JH>congregation, to give an unofficial response to the question that
>JH>Balestrieri had submitted.

>LL>This is getting sillier and sillier.  Nowhere does this article
>LL>say where Canon Law stipulates that Kerry and other Democratic
>LL>politicians are automatically excommunicated.

JH>Yes, it did.  It quoted the pertinent section.

The article did nothing of the sort.  It did mention Canon 751
(without quoting the text of Canon 751), but are you aware of what
Canon 751 says?  If not, let me bring you up to speed -

Canon 751

"Heresy is the obstinate denial or doubt, after baptism, of a truth
which must be believed by divine and catholic faith.  Apostasy is the
total repudiation of the christian faith.  Schism is the withdrawal of
submission to the Supreme Pontiff or from communion with the members
of the Church subject to him."

The consultant called John Kerry a heretic, without qualifying
why.  IOW, the consultant had no evidence to submit in support of
his constention that John Kerry is a heretic.

I have already cited Canon 915 and Canon 1398, which likewise do not
offer a basis for John Kerry to be automatically excommunicated.

However, if John Kerry ever gets an abortion, he will definitely
be automatically excommunicated, as noted in Canon 1398.  :)

--Lee


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