But that's just it! You just nailed it.
It doesn't matter if your views are representative of laypeople or not. The tail has been wagging the dog far, far too long on the issue. If we cannot trust our Bishops to take a truly meaningful stand in support of church teaching--and by meaningful, I mean significantly more than some harsh public outcry--absolutely nothing will change vis-a-vis heretically pro-abortion pols. Nothing will change!
I think that it would be ground-moving if the bishops merely mentioned by name various Catholic politicians who should refrain from approaching to receive the Blessed Sacrament. Even if the bishops left the final decision to the individual politicians, I think that it would move the political geography tectonically if, for instance, the Archbishop of San Francisco, after meeting with Ms. Pelosi, were to issue this statement:
“I have met with Ms. Pelosi. While I respect her right to form her own conscience and make her own decisions, and I respect her intellect and capabilities, especially as a political leader, sadly, her obstinately-held beliefs about abortion and other right-to-life issues are not congruent with binding Catholic teaching.
As a result, her communion with the Catholic Church is badly impaired. She is objectively in a state of mortal sin, and she is objectively and obstinately holding to heresy.
“Therefore, for the sake of her soul and to avoid scandal to the flock of the Church of San Francisco, I have instructed her to refrain from receiving the Blessed Sacrament until she can be publicly reconciled with the Catholic Church.
“Obviously, I cannot prevent her from approaching for Holy Communion, and I do not want ministers of Holy Communion in the Archdiocese of San Francisco to make a scene should she present herself for the Blessed Sacrament, but should she receive, it will be unworthily, and her crime of sacrilege will be on her head and no one else's.”
Mind you, this wouldn't be what I'd do. If I were the archbishop, after meeting with her, if she didn't publicly repent her position, I'd announce that she is a formal heretic, and ask the pope to confirm the ultimate verdict of heresy, with the resulting excommunication reserved to the Holy See. And then invite all the other pro-abort Catholic politicians in San Francisco for their own little personal “talks.”
But that ain't gonna happen.
But if the Archbishop of San Francisco merely made the announcement I suggested above, followed by the Bishop of Wilmington doing likewise to Mr. Biden, and other bishops picking out one or two pro-aborts in their own dioceses to so discipline, I think that the effects would significantly change the spiritual condition of the Church in the United States dramatically for the better, and it would also improve our politics.
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