Some of you have heard of the Paraguayan bishop who resigned to run for presidential office. In an interesting next step, the Vatican has maintained its suspension of him, but refused his petition for laicization. And since he then remains a bishop, he can’t run for office – because the Paraguayan constitution forbids it. Hat trick!

In a letter addressed to the San Pedro dioceses and released in Paraguay’s capital Asuncion by the Vatican representative, Lugo is informed that his petition to return to laic condition has not been accepted. The suspension decree also states that the bishop is banned from executing all activities related to his episcopal duties.

“You remain in clergy condition and continue obliged to the inherent duties, although suspended in the sacred ministry”, reads the decree signed by Cardenal Giovanni Battista form the Bishops Congregation.

The official Vatican decree dated January 20 points out that suspended bishop Lugo has already been admonished in December 2006 for having accepted the presidential candidacy with a suspension warning if he persisted with his pretensions.

Furthermore last December 25, “during the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord, Your Excellency publicly declared to be available for political or institutional commissions and so far has not changed opinion of this decision, so with sincere grief I comply with the obligation of imposing through the present decree, the punishment of a divinis suspension”.