Dear Jon:

I am not aware that Ted Kennedy left the Catholic Church.

In any event the Church has made several statements concerning politicians supporting abortion.

Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, n. 57:

Therefore, by the authority which Christ conferred upon Peter and his Successors, and in communion with the Bishops of the Catholic Church, I confirm that the direct and voluntary killing of an innocent human being is always gravely immoral. This doctrine, based upon that unwritten law which man, in the light of reason, finds in his own heart (cf. Rom 2:14-15), is reaffirmed by Sacred Scripture, transmitted by the Tradition of the Church and taught by the ordinary and universal Magisterium.

Canon Law 1398.2 states that anyone who procures an abortion in automatically excommunicated.

There is no debate or exceptions. Procured abortion is grave sin. Any Catholic saying otherwise is in the grave sin of denying an infallible teaching of the Church.

To conspire or be a necessary accomplice to abortion also incurs an automatic excommunication (CIC 1329.2):

In the case of a latae sententiae (automatic excommunication) penalty attached to an offence, accomplices, even though not mentioned in the law or precept, incur the same penalty if, without their assistance, the crime would not have been committed, and if the penalty is of such a nature as to be able to affect them; otherwise, they can be punished with ferendae sententiae penalties.

Politicians become conspirators and accomplices when they support or vote for pro-abortion legislation.

Canon 915 states that such people are to be barred from the Eucharist. Archbishop Burke declared:

...Catholic legislators who are members of the faithful of the Diocese of La Crosse and who continue to support procured abortion or euthanasia may not present themselves to receive Holy Communion.  They are not to be admitted to Holy Communion, should they present themselves, until such time as they publicly renounce their support of these most unjust practices" (canon 915).

Archbishop Burke exhorted, "No good bishops could stand by and let this happen.  These public legislators are in grave sin."

Bishop Carlson instructed Senator Daschle, from South Dakota, to stop referring to himself as a Catholic in his campaign literature because of his support of abortion. That was a behind-closed-doors instruction that was leaked to the public.

In similar manner, many Bishops have probably privately warned politicians in their dioceses. Some bishops have made public statements that such politicians are not to receive communion.

Archbishop Burke has taken a public stand on this, as quoted above, and has been criticized by liberals for it. He writes about this in an article, Catholic politicians and bishops. In fact, here is a whole list of statements from Bishops.

As for excommunication, formal excommunication is rare. In this case it is not necessary for the Church to declare a formal excommunication. People excommunicate themselves when they commit certain sins, such as abortion or accomplice to abortion. This is called automatic excommunication. What is important is that pastors deny the Eucharist to those politicians who support abortion. As list of bishops above shows, many bishop have made such instructions.

Many bishops are following through on this, some are not, but the Church is clear in its teachings and discipline.

As for these politicians being hell-bound, no one can say that. In fact a person sins if he says someone is going to hell. That is presumption and judging a person's heart. We cannot do that.

What we can do is to tell a person they are "on the road to hell" or that they are "risking their soul to hell" by their actions.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary