It is not the task of the bishops to throw anyone out of the Church, but rather to urge those who are not Catholic to become Catholic and those who are Catholic to deepen their faith. When a bishop determines that it is necessary to take action against a Catholic who is causing public scandal by claiming, for example, that a good Catholic can support abortion “rights,” the purpose is not to strip the person of his Church affiliation but to alert the person to the seriousness of his actions and the need to reconcile with God and his Church.
