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Unless the Pope starts excommunicating Catholic politicians for their stances on abortion, I doubt many bishops will resort to that drastic step.

But, public advocacy of abortion, as Davis and others have done, is contrary to Catholic teaching and Bishop Weigand and other priests who encounter Davis when he presents himself to receive the Eucharist should give him a blessing, and send him on his way.

If there's a "backlash," well, then, so be it.

Thomas More in "The Sadress of Christ,"spokes of the "two swords," saying that Christ not only discouraged the use of the sword of iron(which belongs to the secular magistrate) but even of the spiritual sword (of excommunication). "Rather wield with vigor that sword of the word, whose stroke, like that of the scapel, lets the pus out and heals by wounding. As for that other and heavy sword of excommunication, I desire it to be kept hidden in the sheath of mercy unless some urgent and fearful necessity requites that it be withdrawn."

This report has been sooo heartwarming to read! A Catholic, myself, I have felt like my Church has very much let me down over the past few years. So hearing about a Bishop...from California, no less...who's basically fed up with Gov. Davis' sacrilegious behavior, and is in the advanced stages of calling him on it, is as sweet to my ears as the Ave Maria.

Unless the Pope starts excommunicating Catholic politicians for their stances on abortion, I doubt many bishops will resort to that drastic step.

But, public advocacy of abortion, as Davis and others have done, is contrary to Catholic teaching and Bishop Weigand and other priests who encounter Davis when he presents himself to receive the Eucharist should give him a blessing, and send him on his way.

There is another reason to take a firm stand on this and that is others are placed at risk of being lead astray from the Church's teaching on this subject. Davis places himself in a further state of sin because his example can lead others to believe that it is permissible to take contrary positions and still remain in good standing wrt receiving the sacraments. Likewise, church leaders who fail to act decisively send a similar message (we've seen the results of that in the sexual abuse scandal). In either case, the wounds fester and when it comes time to deal with the problem once and for all the cure will be that much more difficult and painful.