re: #104 Sharmuta

Can’t the Pope excommunicate whomever he wants?

Excommunication is something you do to yourself by choosing to believe something contrary to Church Doctrine, or not believe something that Doctrine requires you to believe.

The Pope simply points out that your (dis)belief is against Church Doctrine and if you persist in it you have hence have cut yourself off from the Church.

You are not a Catholic if you do not believe the teachings of the Catholic Church.