Vatican denies it responded to lawyer seeking Kerry's excommunication

An official at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said a California canon lawyer seeking a formal decree of heresy against Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, Democratic presidential nominee, has misrepresented his contact with the Vatican office.

"The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has had no contact with Mr. (Marc) Balestrieri," said Dominican Father Augustine DiNoia, undersecretary of the congregation.

The CNS writer, Cindy Wooden, continues later in the article:

The questions Balestrieri wrote in Latin and sent to the congregation asked whether the church's condemnation of abortion is a matter of Catholic faith and dogma for which opposition would constitute heresy.

When he wrote to the congregation, Balestrieri did not identify himself as the head of De Fide, he did not mention Kerry or politicians in general and he said he did not inform the congregation that he was trying to formally sue Kerry for heresy in the Archdiocese of Boston.

This is completely irrelevant and has no bearing on the letter or the responses being given now. The questions were quite clear and the fact that Balestrieri was involved in other issues should have no bearing on the answers to the questions, unless, of course, one is opposed to telling the truth or giving honest answers to honest questions.

It appears that there are a number of people trying to distance themselves from the story and to retreat from their obligations to fully enunciate and clarify the issues which Mr. Balestrieri has asked - and which many more Catholics would liked answered, as well.

What a pity...It appears that many are running from another perfect teaching moment.

Article.