It is false to say that Biden has excommunicated himself by being pro-abortion. Only those directly complicit in an actual abortion are excommunicated automatically. (Canon 1397)
He DOES, however, have the obligation NOT to present himself to receive Communion, because being pro-abortion is a mortal sin. (Canon 916) Cf. the guidelines on Communion printed in the front of every Missalette published in the U.S.
Ministers of Communion have the OBLIGATION to refuse Communion to people who are notorious for promoting abortion. (Canon 915) Follow these links to become an instant expert:
http://www.tinyurl.com/canon915
http://www.canonlaw.info/canonlaw915.htm
http://www.tinyurl.com/peters915
http://www.tinyurl.com/pont915
Ahhh I think a bit of research on John Kerry’s self-excommunication also applies here.
The Pope, pro-abortion politicians, Holy Communion, and self-excommunication
“In other words, Senator Kerry believes that the Catholic Church’s pro-life position is a sectarian position, whose imposition on a pluralistic society would be constitutionally unwarranted — something like the Catholic Church trying to force all Americans to abstain from hot dogs on Fridays during Lent.
“This is simply not true. For the past thirty-one years, the Catholic bishops of the United States have made public arguments that can be engaged by any serious person on behalf of the right to life. You don’t have to believe in Petrine primacy, seven sacraments, or the two natures of Christ to engage the Catholic pro-life argument; you don’t even have to believe in God. You simply have to be willing to take elementary embryology and elementary logic seriously. For the senator to suggest that the Church’s position is sectarian is either woefully ignorant or deliberately mendacious.”
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/gaynor/070520
Incorrect.
Only those directly complicit in an actual abortion are excommunicated automatically. (Canon 1397)
Wrong Canon Arthur.
Can. 1397 One who commits murder, or who by force or by fraud abducts, imprisons, mutilates or gravely wounds a person, is to be punished, according to the gravity of the offence, with the deprivations and prohibitions mentioned in can. 1336. In the case of the murder of one of those persons mentioned in can. 1370, the offender is punished with the penalties there prescribed.
Can. 1398 A person who actually procures an abortion incurs a latae sententiae excommunication.
2272 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. "A person who procures a completed abortion incurs excommunication latae sententiae,"76 "by the very commission of the offense,"77 and subject to the conditions provided by Canon Law.78 The Church does not thereby intend to restrict the scope of mercy. Rather, she makes clear the gravity of the crime committed, the irreparable harm done to the innocent who is put to death, as well as to the parents and the whole of society.
Can. 1314 A penalty is for the most part ferendae sententiae, that is, not binding upon the offender until it has been imposed. It is, however, latae sententiae, so that it is incurred automatically upon the commission of an offence, if a law or precept expressly lays this down.
Can. 1364 §1 An apostate from the faith, a heretic or a schismatic incurs a latae sententiae excommunication, without prejudice to the provision of Can. 194 §1, n. 2; a cleric, moreover, may be punished with the penalties mentioned in Can. 1336 §1, nn. 1, 2 and 3.
This raises the question of what "directly" means. Is someone who passes laws enabling more abortions and who directly funds the perpetuation of thousands of abortions which wouldn't occur otherwise "directly complicit"? I sure wouldn't want to risk my eternal soul relying on semantic hair splitting in this regard. I don't think God gives a pass for doing indirectly what is prohibited to do "directly".