Wuerl and Egan are themselves not really in communion with the Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is homicide. It follows directly from this that “legalized” abortion is a grave social injustice, because it is “legalized” homicide.
Catholics who ARE in communion with the Catholic Church should not attend Masses celebrated by bishops who will not obey Canon 915, because the failure to obey Canon 915 betokens disagreement with the Church on this proposition: It is grave matter (i.e., a mortal sin) to approve, promote, campaign for, or vote for, any law which implies that abortion is something other than homicide. And this is what ALL “pro-choice” politicians do.
Every bishop who is objectively pro-abortion—such as Wuerl in Washington, and Egan in New York—should face congregations in communion with themselves—i.e., composed ENTIRELY of pro-abortion “Catholics.” Pro-life Catholics should stay away, because it makes no sense for Catholics to attend Masses celebrated by priests or bishops who are not in communion with the Church.
Egan is marginally better than Wuerl, but they’re both Dems first and Catholics second. And they’re both desperate not to make waves. Egan retires next year and I hope they replace him with an O’Connor, although men like him are extremely rare in any organization, including the Church.
The Pope had a private talk with all the bishops and met with these two in particular. I don’t think much could have been done at the public masses without creating a scene, which in some ways was probably just what the Dems were hoping for. Also, which priest would have had the job of refusing Communion to them, surrounded by television cameras as they carried on and had hissy fits?
Furthermore, I think the Pope realizes that the whole discipline surrounding Communion in this country is so degraded that the entire country needs re-catechizing. It was known that he actually did not want to celebrate these large masses, partly because many people go to Communion who shouldn’t be anywhere near the sacrament. This includes not only politicians but people who haven’t been to confession for 20 years, people with strange marriage situations (like Giuliani!), and even people who go for the purpose of stealing consecrated hosts.
In any case, the bishops are the ones who have to enforce this and I hope we’ll see something happen soon. Personally, I don’t think BXVI’s earliest appointments here have been very good (Wuerl, Neiderauer) and I wonder who’s advising him on the US. I hope he’s replaced that person, whoever it was - and maybe he has, because some of his more recent appointments seem to have been very good. It will be interesting to see who gets Egan’s place.
Not too tough a call here. The priest’s (or bishop’s) state of grace—or politics— has absolutely nothing to do with the valid administration of sacraments. Secondly, the pope, not his flock or parts of his flock, makes the decision on who’s in communion with the Church.