It seems to me that communion is being withheld from Nancy because of her conduct falls perfectly into the scenario I laid out below, not because the Bishop of SF has decided to use withholding communion as a "political weapon". What makes that statement even more bizarre is that no one could ever accuse the Bishop of SF of being a "political" enemy of the Soc/Dems. That's just ludicrous. . No, this is the Pope just making it all right for his political soul mates to get away with murder (so to speak).....rank has its privileges, I guess.
I'm no theologian but the simple logic of your statements just escapes me. The following makes a lot more sense (and is a much more honest analysis) to me:
1. Under Catholic doctrine, abortion is a sin.
2. Those who support, promote or enable someone to sin are sinning themselves
3. To receive communion one has to be in a state of grace....attained by purging their sins through confession.
4. Absolution can't be granted in confession by a priest if the person seeking absolution either doesn't admit what he/she is doing is a sin, or recognizes it is a sin and fully intends to keep committing that sin.
5. To seek and take communion while having a mortal sin on your soul is committing a sacrilege.
6. If one repeatedly commits a sacrilegious act, they can/should be excommunicated from the church
is that about right?
Now if you accept that Joe and Nancy are receiving communion as a fact, I think you have to admit that Nancy and Joe should be in line for #6 above. Unless, of course, the Pope can unilaterally change church doctrine and declare it all nonsense and let the abortionist enablers go scot free. I suppose that's possible, but doesn't he have to make it generally known he's done that? Just telling your political fellow travelers doesn't seem like it could be enough to me. If he doesn't have that authority/power, then he fits into the above analysis as well. Who do I write to in the Curia to start the excommunication proceedings against the Pope?