Replies

Dear pnh102,

“All this talk is nice and all, but until the US Catholic Church starts excommunicating pro-abortion politicians, it means very little.”

I think I disagree with your view, here.

While I'd love to see the bishops excommunicate the whole damned bunch of pro-abort “Catholic” politicians, Democrat and Republican alike, I'm probably not very representative of Catholic laypeople in the United States.

We'll have to see where the bishops take things. We'll have to see what happens after Ms. Pelosi meets formally with the Archbishop of San Francisco, for the formal reason of receiving instruction and correction from her bishop.

We'll have to see what Bishop Malooly of Wilmington, DE does with Mr. Biden.

If, before the election, these bishops make clear that these members of their flock hold views and take political positions, with full knowledge and obstinately, that are in conflict with the Church's teaching on life, and furthermore, provide for some formal sanctions against them, no matter how mild, it will cause a modest political earthquake. If, for instance, their bishops publicly ask that these two to refrain from receiving the Blessed Sacrament until they publicly repent of their heretical views and political positions - even without formally barring them from same - these two will be entirely disgraced among serious Catholics.

If the other bishops continue to make supportive comments, as has Bishop Vasa here, as has Cardinal Egan of New York, as has Cardinal Rigali of Philadelphia, then the Church will have taken on the two most high-profile “Catholic” pro-aborts in the United States.

The impact will be stunning, even though the actions by the bishops will be well short of excommunication.

sitetest

...I'm probably not very representative of Catholic laypeople in the United States.

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!