Politics
Monday July 5, 2004
Presidential Candidate John Kerry charged in Catholic Court for Abortion Stand
TODAY'S HEADLINES
E-MAIL
PRINT
BOSTON, July 5, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A Catholic canon lawyer has filed suit with the Archdiocese of Boston, charging John Kerry with causing a "most serious scandal to the American public," for continuing to take Communion while being an active proponent of the grave sin of abortion.
Marc Balestrieri, a Canon lawyer and Associate Judge for the Los Angeles archdiocese tribunal, launched the suit June 14, which was released to the public on Sunday.
"Heresy is a public, ecclesiastical crime," Balestrieri told the Washington Times. "It affects entire communities. It is one of the greatest sins you can commit."
The ultimate result of a heresy charge, if entertained by the Boston archdiocese, would be excommunication from the Church. "My goal is his repentance, not excommunication," Balestrieri said. He is not suing for financial damages.
A Catholic layman can lawfully bring charges against a fellow layman, according to Rev. Arthur Espelage, executive coordinator for the Canon Law Society in Alexandria. "I have never heard of a case like this being processed before," he said.
If the Boston archdiocese rejects the charges, Balestrieri can appeal directly to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome. "I'd suspect there will be communication between the [Boston] Archdiocese and the Holy See on this," Rev. Espelage said.
"The Criminal Complaint alleges that US Senator John F. Kerry, as a baptized Catholic, has committed a court-martial offense under Canon Law by professing the Right-to-Murder heresy, commonly known as the 'Right to Choose' doctrine," Balestrieri's web-site describes. De fide, the name given to the organization behind Balestrieri's action, "aims to stop the monumental scandal which has been ongoing for the past thirty-one years of baptized Catholic politicians claiming to be Christian while professing the life-threatening Right-to-Murder heresy."
Balestrieri added the additional charge that John Kerry's stance does harm to himself, because canon law entitles that Catholics possess "the faith unharmed." "By spreading heresy, he is endangering not just mine but every Catholic's possession of the faith," Balestrieri said. "I am inviting all baptized Catholics who feel injured by Kerry to join the suit as third parties."
"People are saying you can be pro-choice and be a good Christian, that it is not contrary to the faith to support aborted murder," he said. "This is a life-threatening heresy."
Read the complaint: http://www.defide.com/
Join the Class-Action Lawsuit: http://www.defide.com/join.html
Tv
Back to TopLatest Headlines
- US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 220 - 215
- Stupak Amendment to Health Care Bill Passes 240 - 194 Saturday Evening
- NY Times: Dems Banking on Later Squeezing Pro-Life Language Out of Bill in Committee
- USCCB Spokesman: "Definitely Not True" that Bishops Support Bill As it Stands
- TIME Got it Wrong - Prof. George Opposed Grandiose Kennedy Funeral
- Major Health Care Development - Pro-Life Stupak Amendment Vote OK'd for Saturday
- USCCB Condemnation Tears Facade off "Phony" Abortion Compromise for Health Bill
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholic Left
- Dirty Fighting on Abortion Funding: Word-Games and Health-Care Theatrics Boggle the Mind
- Commentary on November 6 News
- Note to LifeSiteNews Subscribers with Rogers email addresses
- New York Gov. Declares Nov. 10 Extraordinary Legislative Session for Same-Sex "Marriage"
- Washington's Pro-Family Amendment Effort Defeated - R-71 Almost Certain to Pass
- Vote Pushed Back on Canadian Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Bill to Dec. 2
- Elderly U.K. Couple in Good Health Commit Suicide, Complain of Assisted Suicide Law
- Texas Late-Term Abortionist and Baptist Minister Admits: "Am I killing? Yes, I am"
- New Evidence Contradicts CCHD's Findings on Accused Pro-Abortion Partner
- Quebec Priest Denies Possibility of Sexual Reorientation Therapy on TV
- New Hampshire Same-Sex "Marriage" Law in Crosshairs after Maine's Law Crumbles
- Brooklyn Bishop Criticized for Recorded Message Praising Pro-Abortion Politician
- First Group of "Traditionalist" Anglicans in Britain Votes to Enter Catholic Church
Most Read this Week
- Planned Parenthood Director Resigns after Watching Ultrasound of Abortion Procedure
- Nun Defiant Following Rebuke, but Stops Abortion Escorting
- Breaking: Dominican Community Apologizes for Nun Caught Acting as Abortion Escort
- TIME Article Setting Burke Against O'Malley Called "Tactical strike" on Behalf of Catholics Left
- Over 200 Christendom College Students Protest Abortion at Planned Parenthood Clinic
- US Congress Passes Health Care Reform Bill 218 to 215
- Newly Identified Corporate Supporters of Planned Parenthood Named
- Scottish Gay Rights Activists Found Guilty of Pedophilia Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
- Major Health Care Bill Development - Stupak Hyde Amendment Vote OK'd
- Health Care Bill Includes Monthly Abortion Premium: House Minority Leader Boehner
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.