The vast majority of the Catholic bishops in the U.S. are ignoring their strict obligation to obey Canon 915—i.e., to deny Communion to a large number of Catholics who promote abortion. (A category that is coterminous with those who promote same-sex marriage, euthanasia, fetal experimentation, etc.)
There are many reasons for this. Some bishops are secretly pro-abortion. Others are leading, or have led, personal lives of serious corruption, and could be easily exposed by angry pro-aborts. Then there is the Church’s deep dependence on government money. Many bishops are socialists, and agree with the Abortion Party’s socialist agenda, and refuse to protect the Eucharist from sacrilege because doing so would lose some votes for the socialists.
These motives are clear in the public statements of Cardinals Wuerl, Dolan, and O’Malley, and other bishops. They have spoken of the “need” not to “appear to be singling out one political party.”
What we have is an overwhelming lawless majority among the bishops.
As long as bishops can make the call and never be questioned about their decisions, it will never change.
http://www.canonlaw.info/canonlaw915.htm
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Catholics in Political Life”, Origins 34/7 (1 July 2004) 97, 99, on-line here.
“Given the wide range of circumstances involved in arriving at a prudential judgment on a matter of this seriousness, we recognize that such decisions rest with the individual bishop in accord with the established canonical and pastoral principles. Bishops can legitimately make different judgments on the most prudent course of pastoral action”.