[Catholicguy]

Politicians who have sold their souls to get elected will not be moved by an excommunication. That will be for them a badge of political courage.

IMO, all this is superfluous. These annual meetings tend to distract all of us - Bishops and laity - from the rudimentary truth; Bishops have the Duty to Teach, Rule, and Sanctify. There is no need for a Bishop to be told by a Committee he ought do his job.

The Bishop could call the pols in his Diocese onto the carpet and he could have a face-to-face with these soulless cretins and first determine if they know what the Living Magisterium Teaches and the Bishop can correct any Doctrinal defecienices before warning the pols their souls are endangered if they do not repent and reform and the Bishop can tell the pols he will explain to his flock that Christians cannot in good conscience vote for any politician who votes to support abortion.

This really isn't complicated.

[redgolum]

"This really isn't complicated."

In theory, no it is not. In practice, it will be made to be. Remember, the bishops, like most higher ups in all denominations, are at least part way political creatures. If they take a hard line on the Pro aborts, they can expect some backlash from the same politicians. Didn't a Msgr tell Former Govenor Davis he wasn't welcome because he was a pro abort? I remember that Davis and many of the "Hollywood elites" blasted the Msgr as intruding on the "persoanl rights" of poor old Davis.

My own denomination doesn't have this problem, because so far the LCMS has refused to do anything political. This is unfortunate and not the best Still, it is a problem. A few months ago, my pastor had an excellent sermon on the evil of abortion. As a result, some families have left the church. I think that is ok (if they don't believe it, why fake it?) but it has hit the budget. Maybe the bishops are in the same boat. They don't want to bit the pols to hard and cut off potential donations?

[RobbyS]

This would deter some poll who have had less than a 55% majority in his district and a substantial Catholic population. But it really needs an effective lay organization in that district to dog the poll during his campaign. Let the bishop speak out and have no public relation with the pol, more or less like ole Tom was treated by the Pennsylvania bishop and then stay out of the way while lay leaders organize what amount to a pro-life opposition. The best way is to get a candidate on the ballot if the Pubblie candidate is not strong enough on the issue. This has worked before.

[dangus]

No, but the congregations will know that their priest is a heretic when he treats the parish as nothing more than a socialist organizing platform. This is not about elections; it's about winning the Church back from heretics.