"PaxChristi2", "Pax Vobis", John Salza, Robert Siscoe:
The fact that no theologian or canonist on earth has ever taught that heresy is in its nature a crime would give pause to them to assert this theological-canonical monstrosity; but these fanatical legalist-fundamentalists are so blindly entrenched in their errors, that they seem to have become impervious to reason itself. Their error is as crude as saying that since Peter is white, therefore white is Peter -- Since what defines heresy falls within the parameters of the definition of a crime; crime therefore pertains to the nature of heresy! However, that which defines "crime" does not fall within the definition of heresy -- ERGO: Heresy is a crime because it falls within the defining parameters of a crime; but it is not in its nature a crime; because what defines "crime" does not fall within the definition of heresy. They still don't get it -- "Duh?"
So, they perform an amputation of words on Fr. Charles Augustine's exposition on the nature of a crime, inverting his meaning to at least make it appear that the great scholar of canon law agrees with them. I provided the missing texts which expose their fraud, along with the exposition on the same canon in the Salamanca commentary. Ultimately what they don't grasp is that even if heresy in its nature were an ecclesiastical delict (absurd on its face as that would be!), it would still sever one from the body of the Church by itself, suapte natura, without any judgment by the Church, because heresy is an act that by its nature separates the heretic from membership in the Church, as Mystici Corporis teaches, and St. Thomas explains exactly why, and the Fathers taught in unison (as Bellarmine explained); and ERGO: Heresy severs the juridical bond of membership in the Church ipso jure, and therefore without any penalty, declaration, or any act "by legitimate authority", which would be required for all other crimes to provoke a separation from membership in the Church (as Pius XII teaches in Mystici Corporis).