Excommunicating Pro-Abort Politicians: Peru Cardinal Puts Pols On the Spot, U.S. Drive Wants Same

National Catholic Register ^ | 10/14/01 | by ALEJANDRO BERMUDEZ, BRIAN CAULFIELD

[Dr. Brian Kopp]

National Catholic Register

Excommunicating Pro-Abortion Politicians

Two stories:

Peru Cardinal Puts Lawmakers On the Spot

U.S. Drive Wants the Same, But Critics Raise Questions

---

Excommunicating Pro-Abortion Politicians:
Peru Cardinal Puts Lawmakers On the Spot

National Catholic Register
10.14.01-10.20.01

by ALEJANDRO BERMUDEZ
Latin America Correspondent

LIMA, Peru - The archbishop of Lima and primate of Peru, Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, has instructed pastors to eventually deny Communion to politicians and other public figures if they support abortion.

At the request of Cardinal Cipriani, the archdiocese's Pastoral Commission has sent all his pastors a document titled "The Moral and Legal Dimension of Abortion," aimed to provide "a pastoral and sacramental response to the worsening culture of death, as well as consistent criteria to deal with this grave moral problem."

The impact of the document has gone beyond the Archdiocese of Lima, and even beyond Peru.

Judie Brown, president of the American Life League, in Stafford, Va., says the document is a source of inspiration for a national campaign asking the Holy See to step in and excommunicate pro-abortion Catholic politicians in the United States.

According to Peru's Father José Antonio Eguren, episcopal vicar and member of the archdiocese's Pastoral Commission, Cardinal Cipriani requested the document after several pastors told him about a "breach" in the common position of Catholic priests regarding the moral gravity of abortion and its total incompatibility with Catholic doctrine.

"One priest taking a relativistic stand regarding abortion is enough to create confusion among Catholics, so the cardinal decided to provide pastors with the main theological, canonical, moral and pastoral criteria to understand the gravity of abortion as a crime and to act accordingly," Father Eguren told the Register.

The document, in its Questions & Answers section, reminds pastors that the Church describes abortion as "a horrendous crime" because "it takes away the life of an innocent creature entitled to be loved by her parents, and who has been deprived from enjoying the goods of this life, in particular Baptism and the graces of Christianity."

Regarding politicians and other public figures that support abortion, the text says that those assuming such a position "are committing a grave sin, because they are supporting a crime."

For this reason, the document instructs: "[T]he pastor who has a parishioner in this condition can deny him or her holy Communion in public, after warning him or her in private."
Judy Brown told the Register; "The archbishop of Lima has inspired all of us, and in fact we are in communication with his office in hopes of acquiring a copy of the booklet, in English, that we might then provide to all American bishops and cardinals."

Brown explained that her organization did not originate the idea for the petition campaign, but merely mirrored the cardinal's efforts, and the many other groups now involved (See Brian Caulfield's story, Page 1).

The excommunication petition was started by Tim Chichester, a Catholic administrator of a Web site dedicated to promoting the initiative. His Web site now refers people to the news reports regarding Cardinal Cipriani.

More Than Excommunication

Father Eguren stressed that Lima's policy includes more positive measures than restrictive ones.

"This pastoral policy, personally requested by Cardinal Cipriani, is fully consistent with the Church's teachings and legislation," he said, "and has been issued after being carefully reviewed by several specialists in moral theology and canon law."

It calls on pastors to promote the culture of life "with positive initiatives," including:
- praying for legislators,
- assisting and supporting women in crisis pregnancies,
- supporting media that promote the culture of life and denouncing those doing the contrary,
- educationg women about the stages in the development of unborn children.

But it also clarifies excommunication. The text recalls that the excommunication latae sententiae (automatically imposed) is still applied to all those associated directly with an abortion.

"If the conditions that constitute an abortion are given," says the document, "the excommunication falls upon the woman that aborts voluntarily and all who have provided a collaboration without which the abortion would not have taken place - those who practice it, those who suggest it or encourage it decisively, and those who actively participate in it: the anesthetist, the nurse, the person who provides the money, and so on."

At his weekly radio program, Cardinal Cipriani said that the Catholic Church "has always considered abortion as one of the worst crimes from a moral point of view," and said that the newly released document provides quotes from the Second Vatican Council as well as the Catechism of the Catholic Church in that regard.

In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in No. 2270 and following, teaches:

"Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person - among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life ... Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.

"Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law: You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.

"God, the Lord of life, has entrusted to men the noble mission of safeguarding life, and men must carry it out in a manner worthy of themselves. Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes."

The Catechism also explains that "formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life."

Now More Than Ever

According to Cardinal Cipriani, the increasing influence of the culture of death, which makes Church's teaching appear "harsh" and "outdated," shouldn't dissuade the Church but "is an even stronger reason to underscore Catholic doctrine."

"Precisely the role of the Church as mother and teacher," the cardinal told the Register, "is to resist the tendencies of the culture of death and loudly proclaim the culture of life.

"The more we feel the pressure to make concessions in this critical field," he added, "the more we have to be faithful to the deposit of the doctrine we have inherited from Christ himself."

The document, in fact, states that "the Catholic doctrine on abortion does not come from the will of Church authorities, but is based upon the laws of God, of which the Church is just the custodian."

U.S. Plans

In the United States, Judie Brown said her petition campaign is "currently in a stage that requires additional signers and careful examination by a team of canon lawyers, which is currently under way."

She added that the campaign is also meant to be educational. "We are hopeful that the campaign focuses attention," she said, "on the fact that bishops can act to make it clear to elected officials who claim to be Catholic that their advocacy and approval of abortion is a sin and that they are no longer welcome to receive [Communion], and have in fact excommunicated themselves from the Church."

"In the process," she concluded, "we pray that those politicians will repent of their involvement with abortion and come back to the Church and swear their faith in all the teachings of the Church."

Alejandro Bermúdez writes from Lima, Peru.

------------------------

Excommunicating Pro-Abortion Politicians:
U.S. Drive Wants the Same, But Critics Raise Questions

National Catholic Register
10.14.01-10.20.01

by BRIAN CAULFIELD
Register Correspondent

STAFFORD, Va. - Signs calling for the excommunication of pro-abortion Catholic politicians have appeared at pro-life rallies and prayer vigils for years. Many Catholics have wondered why some penalty has not been brought against elected officials who vote for partial-birth abortion one day and go to Mass another.

A group of lay people, claiming that now is the time for action, has decided to press the issue all the way to Pope John Paul II with a petition calling for the excommunication of some 50 pro-abortion Catholic politicians, named in the document as "defendants."

Among those targeted are Democratic Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry of Massachusetts, Joseph Biden of Delaware, Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut.

Signed by prominent pro-life advocates, including Judie Brown, president of American Life League in Stafford, Va., and a corresponding member to the Pontifical Academy for Life in Rome, the excommunication petition has gained thousands of signatures on its Web site and soon will be circulated in hard-copy form.

Its sponsors, listed as "plaintiffs," plan to bring the petition to the Vatican.

Citing a list of Church canons and sections from the Pope's encyclical Evangelium Vitae, the petition argues that Catholic politicians who consistently support abortion are a source of scandal in the Church and in the larger society, harming the faith of Catholics and lowering the image and standing of the Church in the world. Non-Catholics are asked to sign the petition as "friends of the court" to witness to the latter claim.

Act of Mercy

The sponsors say that the goal of the petition is not necessarily to get pro-abortion politicians out of the Church, but to urge them to see and admit their errors.

"We see this as an instrument of mercy, an opportunity for each of these elected officials to repent and come back to the Church," said Brown, whose signature organizers consider important because she attends Vatican meetings as a member of the Pontifical Academy headed by Bishop Elio Sgreccia.

Brown realizes that the effort will be seen even by faithful Catholics as heavy-handed or futile, but stated, "The Holy Spirit never stops working, and we should never write these politicians off. It's so hard for someone to say 'I'm wrong and I'm sorry,' but we hold out hope."

She added, "The bishops have this tremendous teaching office. If this is an opportunity for something good to happen, I'm all for it."

Also signing as plaintiffs are Philip Lawler, editor of Catholic World Report, Joe Scheidler, head of Pro-Life Action League in Chicago, Chris Ferrara, president of the American Catholic Lawyers Association in New Jersey, and Donna Steichen, author of the book Ungodly Rage.

A spokesman for Sen. Kennedy said the senator was aware of the petition but had no comment. Spokesmen for the half dozen other senators contacted by the Register said they had not heard about the petition.

Precedents

A high profile case of a bishop disciplining a Catholic public official took place in 1983 when Sister of Mercy Agnes Mary Mansour, head of Michigan's Department of Social Services, which provided funds for abortion, left her order after the Detroit Archdiocese intervened.

A few years earlier, Jesuit Father Robert Drinan, a congressman from Massachusetts who supported abortion funding, resigned after the Vatican banned priests from holding elected office in a decree that was was seen as directed at the Jesuit, among others.

Canon lawyers consulted for this article said they support the goal of having people who favor abortion repent, but they doubted whether a petition for excommunication was the proper vehicle.

Father Gerald Murray, a canonist and pastor in New York, said that Church law generally leaves to local bishops the responsibility for bringing charges and enforcing penalties.

Bill Cotter, head of Operation Rescue Boston, who presented a similar petition to the Vatican 10 years ago, acknowledged that the chances of the present effort going forward are slim. He signed the petition to raise the issue within the Church and to inform consciences.
"We are advancing it on the principle of the issue, against the counter principle of pro-abortion figureheads who try to maintain that they can be pro-abortion and Catholic at the same time," Cotter said, who has a link to the petition at the Web site www.excommunication.net.

Tim Chichester, a computer technician and father of five children in upstate New York, is the main sponsor of the petition. He picked up the text of Cotter's decade-old petition, amended it with the help of those versed in canon law and posted it on the Internet. The effort picked up speed when the tens of thousands at the March for Life last January saw his banner calling for the excommunication of pro-abortion politicians.

To Chichester, the issue is clear. "If pro-abortion politicians are going to wave the Catholic flag, we have an obligation to say that they do not act as Catholics," he said. "We don't judge them, their record judges them."

His petition has a "frequently asked questions" section attached which cites canon law that every Catholic has the right to petition the Pope directly, and claims that the action is necessary because local bishops have neglected their duty for decades to educate the faithful and discipline the unfaithful.

Among the many canons cited to support the petition is Canon 1369, which states that a person is to be punished with "a just penalty" who in public or by other means of social communication "gravely harms public morals." Cited from Evangelium Vitae are the Pope's statements that abortion is a crime that no human law can legitimize, and that it is never licit to obey such a law or take part in "a propagation campaign" in favor of it or to vote for it.

Lincoln's History

Msgr. Daniel Seiker, an official of the Diocese of Lincoln, where five years ago Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz excommunicated anyone belonging to Planned Parenthood and anti-Catholic organizations, said that there are important differences between what was done in Lincoln and what the lay petitioners are doing.

Bishop Bruskewitz laid a legislative groundwork before promulgating his threat of excommunication, which was based on membership in organizations, not on public statements or votes. By naming so many "defendants," the petitioners make it almost impossible for the Vatican to handle the case, he said, since evidence would have to be brought against each one individually.

He said that it is a scandal that Kennedy and others publicly claim the name Catholic and "pro-choice," but explained that the "penal process [in canon law] is very long and hard to follow, and that's because the Church wants to try every other means of correction before imposing the penalty."

He thought the petition might end up backfiring. If it gets a lot of publicity and then goes nowhere, he explained, it might appear to some inside and outside the Church that the pro-abortion politicians somehow won the case.

Brian Caulfield writes from New York.

---

Subscribe Now... Letters to the Editor...About the Register...Send Us News to Cover...Back to Homepage

Copyright © 2000-2001 Circle Media, Inc.    All rights reserved.
Last modified: Thursday September 20, 2001 .

 

[Dr. Brian Kopp]

A Canonical Petition to Excommunicate Culture of Death "Catholics"

[Dr. Brian Kopp]

bump-ping

[The Kitten]

Gotta love those Cardinals with balls.

[Dr. Brian Kopp]

He thought the petition might end up backfiring. If it gets a lot of publicity and then goes nowhere, he explained, it might appear to some inside and outside the Church that the pro-abortion politicians somehow won the case

Final analysis?

If it goes nowhere, it won't be seen so much as pro-aborts winning but the bishops and cardinals refusing to even get in the game. The ball is firmly in their lap, and their peer in Peru has given them the example to follow.

If the American hierarchy continues to do nothing of substance (publishing pastoral letters that no one reads, then patting themselves on the back for their pro-life work, is "doing nothing" compared to the example set forth by the Peru Cardinal) then all will see that our hierarchy is useless in the pro-life battle and all hope for the pro-life fight rests on the shoulders of the laity.

[AgThorn]

A month has now passed since the September 11 attacks and many pro-life issues are surfacing once again in Congress.

In the coming days, Congress must pass the appropriations bills to fund the federal government. Many of these bills include amendments and language that impact the pro-life debate.

****ACTION NEEDED****
The Petition For Life wants to rally 200,000 pro-life citizens for these final legislative issues for this year. That means we need your help to rally 22,000 citizens to sign the petition in the next 14 days.

Please forward this alert to your friends and urge them to sign:

Petition for the Unborn

(AOL Users click the line below, all others use the above link: ) Click here

****KEY PRO-LIFE ISSUES RIGHT NOW****
#1---FUNDING FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH
Sen. Arlen Specter is promoting a bill in the Senate that could expand federal funding for stem cell research beyond President Bush's state parameters. Call the Capitol Hill switchboard (202-224-3121) and ask your senators to oppose the Specter stem cell research bill.

#2---ABSTINENCE EDUCATION
The amount of abstinence funding in the Labor-HHS appropriations bill is now under debate; Rep. Istook seeks to expand abstinence funding by $33 million.

#3--- THE "MORNING-AFTER" ABORTION PILL
It's shocking but true; many school districts distribute the "morning-after" abortion pill to students. The Hart amendment would prohibit federal funding to any school that distributes the morning-after pill.

If you haven't already done so, please add your signature to the petition for the unborn (and ask others to do likewise). These little ones need our voice to speak out for them.
God Bless you!
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b7c063605a8.htm

Thank you for helping to give the unborn a voice on these crucial issues!

Petition For Life
Your Sponsor: Grassfire.net

P.S. To date, 178,753 have joined the Petition for Life. If we can reach 200,000 in the next 14 days, we can increase your impact on pro-life issues. Please help by forwarding this message to your pro-life friends.

[Dr. Brian Kopp]

This is an INTERNATIONAL Ecclesial Legal ACTION.  Catholics from all nations are invited to sign and become legal Plaintiffs .  Non-Catholics are invited to sign and participate as Amicus Curiae -'friends of the court'.

A Canonical Petition to Excommunicate Culture of Death "Catholics"

TO:

Pope John Paul II,
Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church

FROM:

PLAINTIFFS
Mr. Stephen G. Brady, President, Roman Catholic Faithful
Mrs. Judie Brown, President, American Life League, Inc.
Mr. Richard L. Bucci, President, Catholic Radio, Syracuse, NY
Mr. Michael Cain, Editor, The Daily Catholic
Mr. William Cotter, President, Operation Rescue-Boston
Mr. Timothy A. Chichester, Executive Director, Yankee Samizdat
Mr. Christopher A. Ferrara, President, American Catholic Lawyers Association, Inc
Dr. Chris Kahlenborn, Author, "Breast Cancer: It's Link to Abortion and the Birth Control Pill"
Dr. Brian J. Kopp, Columnist
Mr. Phillip F. Lawler, Editor, Catholic World News
Dr. Claude E. Newbury, President, Pro-Life South Africa; Founding Member, Intrnl. Right to Life
Regional Representative for Human Life International
Charles P. Prezzia MD, MPH, President, Catholic Medical Association
Mr. Joseph Scheidler, Director, Pro-Life Action League
Donna Steichen, Author of "Ungodly Rage"
Rev. Fr. John Trigilio, PhD, Editor, SAPIENTIA Magazine; Co-host EWTN's Web of Faith
(Remainder to be filled upon closing of the signatory phase)
                    CLICK HERE TO SIGN THIS PETITION
AGAINST:

DEFENDANTS

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) Gov. Mario Cuomo (D-ex-Gov. of NY) Gov. Gray Davis, (D-Gov. of CA) Rep. John Baldacci (D-ME) Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) Rep. Robert Brady (D-PA) Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA) Rep. William Clay (D-MO) Rep. William Coyne (D-PA) Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) Rep. William Delahunt (D-MA) Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL) Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D-Texas) Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) Rep. John Larson (D-CT) Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) Rep. Bill Luther (D-MN)

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Sen. Barbara Milkulski (D-MD) Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) Sen. Jack Reed (RI) Ambassador Paul Celluci (R-MA) Gov. Tom Ridge (R-PA) Fr. Robert Drinan, S.J. (frmr US Rep) Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) Rep. Karen McCarthy (D-MO) Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) Rep. James McGovern (D-MA) Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) Rep. Marty Meehan (D-MA) Rep. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) Rep. George Miller (D-CA) Rep. Connie Morella (R-MD) Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA) Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) Rep. Ed Pastor (D-AZ) Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas) Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA)

all of whom are nominally members of the Catholic Church and all other of such members unnamed who commit or make the same or similar acts and/or statements as the Defendants as alleged herein.

SUMMARY OF PETITION
The Plaintiffs are professed Catholics who bring this Petition on behalf of themselves as members of the Catholic Church. Non-Catholics join this petition Amicus Curiae as members of other faiths who are stricken by the scandal of notorious Catholics who relentlessly distort the most basic teachings of Christ in their pursuit of a Culture of Death.

Catholics and non-Catholics are both painfully aware of the wreckage to our national society that is the apparent result of failure to discipline members within the Catholic Church. Be it the Defendants enabling of the genocidal attack of the abortionists upon our Black and Hispanic population or the acquiescence to, or promotion of, anti-family homosexual movements, the result is the same: a great loss of faith, the diminution of the Catholic Church in the eyes of both Christians and non-Christians, and the unspeakable spiritual and physical woe of living in a society formed in law by the Defendants.

The Plaintiffs are sorely aware that petitions for the remediation of the errors of the Defendants have repeatedly reached the ears of the American Episcopacy during three decades of pleading by the laity and faithful clergy.

We can no longer afford a Potemkin Episcopacy, so timid in action. While a case for a gentler approach to the Defendants could be made in the past, the rejection of these pleas and the utter failure of the most of the American Episcopacy to properly catechize the faithful of the sin of voting for anti-life politicians has seen a horrific extension of the Culture of Death at the hands of the Defendants and like minded anti-Christians.   While a case could be made that Public Excommunication could result in the decreased influence of Catholic politicians, we Plaintiffs ask "If they reject Christian teaching and actively promote the murder of the innocent now, what influence exists? At what price?"   Indeed, the State of Massachusetts is a spiritual cesspool in which virtually every elected Federal and State officeholder is a nominal Catholic and staunch supporter of abortion and the horror called Partial Birth Infanticide, while the laity hardly ever hear a peep from the pulpit.

We have now reached a point where the results of the chronic failure to apply remedial Public Excommunication to recalcitrant elected Catholic officials, such as the Federal and state officeholders listed above, has so encouraged these nominally Catholic Defendants in the practice of pragmatic atheism that our nation appears to be hopelessly mired in the abyss of blood, gore and sodomy that attends societies constructed on the principles of atheism. Our nation is being destroyed, and we are exporting this Culture of Death as official policy. The Defendants are powerful enabling forces in full cooperation with these policies.

The Defendants who have been, are and will be accomplices of abortions and sodomite lifestyles by reason of their public and notorious acts and/or statements which enable, support or condone abortion and sodomy. Plaintiffs seek a declaration that such acts and statements are contrary to and inimical to the faith of the Catholic Church; that Defendants commit a scandal to the Mystical Body of Christ and a sacrilege to the Eucharistic Body of Christ when received by them, and that they are subject to formal Public Excommunication unless they publicly recant of their explicit and implicit scandalous support of laws, policy and people that assault the innocent and profane the Catholic faith.

In summary, the Plaintiffs seek the following directives and orders :

1. Order that such acts and statements by Defendants be stopped;
2. Order public repentance and retraction by Defendants for their acts and statements;
3. Prohibit Defendants from Eucharistic receptions until they have complied with 1 & 2
4. Order Public Excommunication of any Defendant who does not follow such orders.

JURISDICTION

Can. 1311: The Church has the inate and proper right to coerce offending members of the Christian faithful with penal sanctions. Jurisdiction lies under Canons 1417 and 1442 of the Code of Canon Law which permit any of the faithful to introduce their case personally before the Roman Pontiff as the Supreme Judge for the whole Catholic world. The Church has its own and exclusive right to judge whatever is sinful to determine guilt and impose ecclesiastical penalties under Canon 1401.2.
 

ALLEGATIONS

1)   Each one is an elected official holding high office and has publicly held that, contrary to the requirements of an informed conscience, the moral position of the abortionists and homosexuals command a higher allegiance than the moral teachings of their Catholic faith. They exhibit the conscience of the pragmatic atheist.

2)   They have consistently worked to enable laws and regulations and otherwise ACTED in such a way as to affirm the moral desirability of the taking of innocent life and the protection of lethal homosexual lifestyles at the expense of the most basic Christian morality.

3)  Because their malformed consciences are capable of any rationalization, however bizarre,they distort Christian teaching by conveying the image of a hovering Christ nodding approval while the abortionist holds a writhing baby in hand and sucks her little brains out during the procedure of Partial Birth Infanticide.

4)  Most have consistently applied a LITMUS TEST, a defacto religious test , for those Christians who have come before them for confirmation to office. They have politicized religious belief and found Christianity wanting. They forget that Dred Scott was "settled law" - and only reversed by a torrent of blood and a century and a half of heartache.

5)   They seek to emplace judges that are pragmatic atheists and block those that truly act as Christians. They wish to confirm to the bench only those who reject the idea that the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence DO guarantee "an unalienable" right to life and liberty.

6)   They uniformly cooperate to enable the genocidal population policies against Hispanics and Blacks within and without our nation.

7) The acts and statements of Defendants physically or morally enable abortions and constitute the following violations of Canon Law:
a. Accomplices to abortion, in violation of Canons 1329.2, 1397 and 1398.
b. Disobedience to the teaching of the United States Bishops who represent Christ, have
              declared as teachers of the faith that "no Catholic can responsibly take a 'pro-choice'
              stand when the 'choice' in question involves the taking of innocent human life", in
              violation of Canon 212.1.
c. Grave harm to public morals, in violation of Canon 1369.
d. Sacrilegious reception of the sacrament of the Eucharist, in violation of Canons 1399 and 915.
e. Ex-communion from the Church, in violation of Canon 209.1.
f. Ex-communication from the Church as an apostate, heretic or schismatic, in violation of Canon 1364.

8)   Because of these external violations, imputability is presumed under Canon 21.3.

9)   Because of Defendants' public positions of dignity and abuse of their position of authority and office and long standing contempt and the gravity of scandal, a more serious punishment should be inflicted, pursuant to Canons 1364.2 and 1326.2.

10)   Regarding Defendants' violations, their Bishops are bound to defend the unity of the universal Church to foster discipline which is common to the whole Church and to press for the observance of all ecclesiastical laws, pursuant to Canon 392.1.

11)   Regarding Defendants' violations which give rise to scandal and serious disturbances of public order, their Bishops can correct defendants in a way appropriate to their particular conditions and of what has been done, pursuant to Canon 1339.2.

12)   Regarding Defendants' violations, their Bishops should have started judicial procedures for the imposition or declaration of penalties, pursuant to Canons 1311, 1341.

13)   Notwithstanding such, and the undisputed facts alleged herein, on information and belief, Defendants' Bishops have not followed or implemented Canons 1311,1326.2, 392.1, 1339.2, 1341 and 915 and have not imposed any public sanctions upon Defendants.

14)   Because of such failure to act and the gravity of the situation, harm to human life and public morals, Plaintiffs as members of the faithful introduce this petition directly to the Roman Pontiff pursuant to Canons 1417.1 and 1442.

15)   Plaintiffs also bring this petition on behalf of the innocent unborn children whose lives are imminently in danger by Defendants' acts and/or statements who have no one but Plaintiffs to act for them. They are not recognized as physical persons under the civil law of the United States of America. However, they are physical persons under Canons 97.1 and 97.2 and Plaintiffs should be appointed as their Guardians under Canon 1478.2.

16)   All defendants and their bishops have been sent copies of this Petition.
(to be implemented upon closing of the signatory phase;
        some defendants have been already contacted.)

 

WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs request the following relief:

A. That Pope John Paul II, Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church take jurisdiction of this petition.

B. That Canon 1398 be changed to read: "A person who actually procures an abortion incurs a latae sententiae excommunication. An elected or appointed official who votes for legislation enabling abortion, euthanasia and other forms of direct attack upon life incurs a latae sententiae excommunication. An elected or appointed official who publicly propagandizes for or promotes abortion, euthanasia and other forms of direct attack upon life incurs a latae sententiae excommunication."

C. That he issue to the bishops specific directives concerning the implementation and enforcement of interdiction and excommunication for public promoters of abortion, euthanasia and other forms of direct attack upon life.

D. That he publicly order Defendants to:
   1. Refrain from any act or statement which enables, supports or condones abortion, euthanasia and other
        forms of direct attack upon life.
   2. Publicly repent and retract their errors and promise no further acts and/or statements
               which enable, support or condone abortion, euthanasia and other forms of direct attack upon life.
   3. Refrain from reception of the sacrament of Eucharist until the above orders have been followed.

E. That he publicly declare that Defendants' acts and/or statements as alleged are:
   1. Contrary to and inimical to the faith of the Catholic Church ;
   2. A scandal to the Mystical Body of Christ, the faithful of the Catholic Church ; and
   3. A sacrilege to the Real Body and Blood of Jesus Christ when Defendants receive
               the sacrament of the Eucharist.

F. In the event that any Defendant fails to follow any of the above orders to publicly
    excommunicate him or her from the Catholic Church .

Dated at (to be implemented upon closing of the signatory phase) , 2001

 

---

  Copyright © 2000 Yankee Samizdat   Contact Us at Yankee Samizdat    

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Cardinal Cipriani bump.

[xkaydet65]

There is precedent, that even liberals celebrated at the time. Does anyone remember Leander Perez? He was a Louisiana Democratic boss, a pal of the Boggs family, who opposed integration of the schools. When the archbishop of New Orleans integrated the city's Catholic schools Perez objected and called on white parents to remove their children from the schools. He was excommunicated without a by your leave.

[ELS]

When is the petition going to Rome?

[AgThorn]

can't get any links to work so that I can sign it...

[Dr. Brian Kopp]

Sorry, I checked the RCF link before I posted it, it worked so I assumed all of them did. Here's a link to the petition:

A Canonical Petition to Excommunicate Culture of Death "Catholics"

[Dr. Brian Kopp]

When is the petition going to Rome?

T. Athanasius, can you answer this question? (T. Athanasius is the author of the petition.)

[patent]

A Cardinal bump. Just a reminder, this guy will likely be voting for the next Pope. A little good news. Of course, he will just cancel out Cardinal Mahoney's vote (kind of like I cancel my mom's vote here in the states), but there are more like him then like Mahoney.

patent

[ELS]

I read somewhere that JPII has appointed many orthodox/conservative Cardinals. Let's hope his work helps to heal the Church.

[EODGUY]

Patent, thanks for the alert. Proud2bRC, please disregard my private e-mail to you. I was able to sign the petition with the separate link you provided.

God Bless

[father_elijah]

O Jesus, from whose Sacred Heart blood and water gushed forth as a fount of mercy for us, we trust in you. Send forth your Spirit and encircle your Holy Church with Divine Protection; thwart the designs of the apostate and the lukewarm who wish to lead your Church astray; and guide your Holy Church into all truth through your Holy Name. Amen.

[pegleg]

Proud to say I signed the petition and I welcome this great news from Peru!