Could signing a healthcare law truly trigger a rare religious penalty for a governor, or is it merely a symbolic pressure tactic?

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A governor’s signature alone is unlikely to trigger excommunication on the current facts, though it can be used to intensify church pressure. CatholicVote argues that Maura Healey’s approval of the Massachusetts abortion law could make her an “accomplice” under canon law, which in some cases carries automatic excommunication. But canon lawyers cited in the broader coverage say that reading is generally considered too broad. The relevant canon on abortion-related excommunication has typically been applied narrowly to people directly involved in a specific abortion, such as procuring, performing, or materially enabling that act. Signing a law that expands legal access is usually seen as more remote cooperation, not the kind of immediate involvement that would clearly incur the penalty. That does not mean the issue is only symbolic. Bishops do have real disciplinary tools, and public pressure campaigns can push them to consider them. The more plausible church response would be under Canon 915, which concerns denying Communion to someone who “obstinately persist[s] in manifest grave sin.” That route has precedent in cases involving Catholic public officials and is often viewed as more legally supportable than declaring automatic excommunication. Excommunication itself is rare and considered a medicinal penalty aimed at repentance, not simply punishment. Any formal move would rest with Healey’s local bishops, not advocacy groups or the national bishops’ conference. So while Catho…

CatholicVote Urges Bishops to Excommunicate Healey Over Massachusetts 24-Week Abortion Law

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CatholicVote Urges Bishops to Excommunicate Healey Over Massachusetts 24-Week Abortion Law

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