[SteveMcKing]

The Vatican makes idle threats about excommunication. They never do anything though.

[al_c]

The Church has not made idle threats. It has stated fact and that fact is that by promoting abortion, these yahoos have excommunicated themselves. There does not need to be a formal proclamation from the Holy See for each and every offender.

[Scotswife]

“The Vatican makes idle threats about excommunication. They never do anything though.”

The Vatican doesn’t have to issue an official decree.
This would be automatic excommunication based on the action itself.
These senators should consider themselves automatically excommunicate and should not present themselves for communion, although they are allowed to attend mass.

In order to receive communion again, they would need to confess and reconcile.

[Campion]

Look at this thread, especially beginning at post #8.

When a Catholic bishop actually calls out a pro-abort "Catholic" politician and tells him unambiguously that he's not fit to receive communion, some people will go so far as to accuse the bishop of "violating the separation of church and state" (huh? what? for daring to impose church discipline on someone claiming to be a Catholic?!?).

It's really amazing ... the bishop is damned if he does, and damned if he doesn't.

[Salvation]

These people excommunicate themselves. Here is the link to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Catechism of the Catholic Church and what it says about those who support abortion

So what do you think this says about these congressmen?