Are there other groups out there like De Fide, seemingly organized with the purpose of punishing just one person for the "heresy" of supporting the right to choice? You might remember them, especially if you peruse the right-wing press a lot -- michnews.com, cns.com, worldnetdaily.com, EWTN, lifesite.net, etc. They made a little splash last summer by announcing they were bringing up charges against John Kerry for the Ecclesiastical crime of heresy for supporting the right to choice. As I can find no record for the organization before this, it seems to be their raison d'etre. So why are they continuing as a group if their reason for being, hounding Mr. Kerry in imitation of Swift Boat Liars, has been yanked from under them in the November 2nd debacle we call American elections? Are they so vindictive about a Catholic politician not toeing the Anti-Choice line? Do these folks have ANYTHING better to do, like help the homeless or the hungry?
I have no answer for that. Today, however, the group is pressing forth with its complaint against Mr. Kerry, and it has added Ted Kennedy, Susan Collins, Tom Harkin and Mario Cuomo to the list. In short, they are going after a group of traditional liberals, with Susan Collins thrown in to warn the no-so-extreme right of the Republican Party.
On the one hand you could admire this grass roots organizing if it were not so blatantly partisan. I'm curious, though, if any other lay members of churches have ever militated to get someone put on trial by the church, whether Catholic or some other denomination. Seems to me they are not just bullying politicians, but also the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. I'd be further curious to know who is on the Board of this group. I'm finding no listing for them as a nonprofit at www.guidestar.org, but you can give them a piece of your minds at this email address for Brian Mershon, their Media Relations Director.
