Extraordinary evil requires extraordinary efforts to resist.
Sadly, I don't think it would have taken extraordinary efforts to keep pro-deathers from Holy Communion.
Politicians could have been “whitelisted.” Any politician who checked out as not having obviously endorsed the culture of death would get a small red rose to wear on his or her outfit, and upon approaching for Holy Communion, could be readily identified. Even with several hundred politicians to check out, it would have taken some low-level lackey less than a day to do the research.
Failing that, a simple explanation that due to the presence of demonic pro-abort politicians in large numbers, politicians would not be welcome to receive the Sacrament.
Pope Francis was very clear upon his election that he is the Bishop of Rome. Let the discipline start there.
If he can't figure out how to do it, maybe he isn't up to the job.
The scandal of the scum receiving at parishes in Georgetown reflects poorly on the whole Church, but most especially on Donna Wuerl. The new pope could have shown Washington's best-dressed cleric a thing or two on how it's done. Leading by example.
I'll be the first to applaud when some of these folks start doing the right thing. And, indeed, occasionally, one of them does. The monster Sebellius’ bishop has told her not to present herself for the Sacrament. Good on him! It's a very, very, tiny start, but it's a start!
But I'm no longer willing to make excuses for the abject failure of the hierarchy. I understand that they may think this time or that time, or this event or that event, or the other time or event, or the one after that, or the one after that, isn't the right one at which to start ceasing to do evil and starting to discipline these demonically-guided wayward Catholics. But I no longer accept that they are in the right to delay further the things that need getting done.
The hierarchy, in failing to discipline the likes of Biden, Pelosi, Mikulski, Giuliani, Casey, Schwarzennegger, Durbin, Leahy, Pataki, Harkin, Kaine, Jerry Brown, Kerry, Menendez,..., are leading millions of laity to Hell.
sitetest
...O’Mutley (a Gonzaga grad), Anthony Brown (a “proud” Knight of Columbus), Cuomo I, Cuomo II, Landrieu I, Landrieu II, Collins, Murray, Reed, Cantwell, Gillibrand, McCaskill, Kaptur, Cuellar, Neal, Dingell, Frank, Moran, Rangel, DeFazio, Markey, Pallone, Pastor, Sanchez, Velazquez, Bishop, Becerra, Capuano, Connolly, Lujan, McCollum, Murphy, ...
Let us have this conversation in six months to a year. I refuse to condemn him as a failure in his first week on the job.
He may be the pope we need. He may be the pope we deserve. Only God knows at this juncture which is which. One thing for certain, though, he is the pope.
Can. 331 The bishop of the Roman Church, in whom continues the office given by the Lord uniquely to Peter, the first of the Apostles, and to be transmitted to his successors, is the head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ, and the pastor of the universal Church on earth. By virtue of his office he possesses supreme, full, immediate, and universal ordinary power in the Church, which he is always able to exercise freely.
And we are the Christian faithful:
Can. 212 §1. Conscious of their own responsibility, the Christian faithful are bound to follow with Christian obedience those things which the sacred pastors, inasmuch as they represent Christ, declare as teachers of the faith or establish as rulers of the Church.
So I don't see too much of an alternative to trusting that the Holy Spirit will work with him (or, at a minimum, keep him from doing permanent damage):
Mat 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."