Since I am not Catholic, let me ask you FReepers who are: why can’t and/or doesn’t the Mother Church boot and/or excommunicate these politicians who are obviously anti-Catholic in their embrace of the murder of unborn children and the celebration of sodomy?
I am NOT a Catholic, but I believe it boils down to “Love the Sinner, but hate the sin”.
What would be achieved by ex-communication of every politician who disagrees with the Catholic beliefs?
Would they become embittered enemies, or would they give up their beliefs and humbly fall down on their hands and knees and beg forgiveness? Somehow, knowing the sin of “Pride”, and knowing that many Politicans excell in this particular vice, I see this policy creating far worse enemies than it would win friends. If the Politician is an active member in any church - time, self-examination and prayer can, has and will, change the the mind of many a proud man and woman.
They can excommunicate such politicians. They simply choose not to.
Some of this is related to bad past experiences the Church has had picking sides in political battles where they lost (Mexico and France come to mind). Once you shoot at the King and miss life becomes a whole lot more complicated for you and your followers.
But a lot of them are simply conflicted by their “social justice” leanings (Ted Kennedy may have been responsible for killing millions of babies...but look what he did for the poor) and a desire not to have conflicts with the laity on issues perceived to be partisan.
Contrary to what many people believe, the Church is not a political organization. It is certainly not a top-down "dictatorship," but a bottom-up community. With believers in every country, hundreds of languages and customs, wide latitude is given to Catholics in their daily practices, although the basic dogma is always crystal clear. Also, one other point to understand - the local Bishops are the main administrative managers of the Church, not the Vatican.
Excommunication is a penal measure which essentially prohibits a Catholic from exercising his faith -- he can physically attend Mass, but that's all -- until he repents, formally, of whatever egregious sin caused the excommunication. The point is primarily to encourage the person to repentance.
Formal excommunication by name (called ferendae sententiae in canon law) is almost unheard-of for persons who aren't theologians and can't be misconstrued as speaking for the Church.
All that having been said, I think we're way overdue for the application of canon 915 (denial of communion to manifest, grave, public sinners) for persons like Pelosi and Biden.
(As Salvation mentioned, Sebelius has already been told not to present herself for communion by her diocesan bishop in Kansas, and the Abp. of Washington has said he'll abide by that as well.)