Mass confusion

Update, on how we got here:

Pastoral Incoherence

I agree with the Pillar, that the real problem is not a lack of teaching about the Eucharist, but a dearth of teaching about sin and penance from the pulpits. 

I also know from CatholicVote's surveys that Sunday-going Catholics want this clarity, whereas nominal, dissenting, or lapsed Catholics (all of whom claim the distinction of being Catholic without the moral lifestyle choices attendant to that) are the problem.  

That being said, here are some very good questions from Catholic Herald about what the problem consists:

The answers are not obvious. Does withholding Communion depend on how important the teaching is in the Church? Or on how vigorously the politicians disavow it? On how publicly they disavow it? Does it matter whether the person is currently a Catholic who is very connected to the Church or walked away from the Church years ago?