And just exactly what is wrong with that? Seems to me, a perfect opportunity was wasted for the Pope to make his message and the message of the church to be heard 'round the world. Most members of the Catholic faith members detest abortion and hold their noses when they pull the lever for these scums because they are "democrats" which their fathers and their fathers fathers supported. This was a perfect opportunity for the Pope to make a stand loudly and clearly to the masses that listen to him and (in most facets) practice his faith.
Shame on him!
(Flame suit - ON!)
It wouldn’t have been the Pope that was doing it, though, but some hapless priest who has been under a wussy bishop for some time and would probably not be up to the job. It would not have surprised me in the least to see these pols create a scene and I honestly don’t think that would have been helpful at that moment.
If the bishops had come out and said in advance that these people were not supposed to go, it would have been okay; let them try to create a scene, they’d been warned and they’d done it anyway, etc. But these two bishops have consistently said nothing about the issue, to the point of pretending that it doesn’t exist. Even if the pols had been denied Communion on that one occasion at the pope’s request, I bet Egan and - particularly - Wuerl would already have come out and apologized to them and said it was just a misunderstanding. These men value the Dem party much more than they value Rome, and they’re much more afraid of it (since VatII considerably weakened the Pope’s powers of enforcement of Rome’s authority). The Pope’s challenge is to deal with these bishops - and not to appoint any more like them!