The Archbishop of San Francisco forbade Nancy Pelosi to receive communion: how did she anger him

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone has announced that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is barred from receiving communion due to her commitment to abortion. This is further evidence of the escalation of years of tension between the Roman Catholic Church and liberal democratic politicians over abortion. Read more about this publication Fox News.

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Cordileone wrote to Pelosi and said that she should not come to Holy Communion at Mass. And if she comes, then the priests will not give communion to her.

“A Catholic legislator who supports induced abortion, knowing the teachings of the church, commits an obviously grave sin, causing a serious scandal. Therefore, the universal church law provides that such persons should not be admitted to Holy Communion,” the letter says.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is unequivocal on the issue of abortion, both in its implementation and in its support: “From the first century, the Church affirmed the moral evil of all abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unshakable. Abortion is seriously against the moral law.”

The letter called abortion an infanticide and a heinous crime.

The archbishop states that “formal cooperation is a serious crime. The Church connects the canonical punishment of excommunication with this crime against human life.”

However, liberal Catholic politicians are constantly trying to reconcile their Catholic beliefs with support for the right to abortion. In 1984, New York Governor Mario Cuomo stated that he was personally opposed to abortion, but said he could not force that view on everyone.

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But since then, Democrats like Pelosi have become more vocal in their support of abortion policy. US President Joe Biden, also a Catholic, once supported the Hyde Amendment, which prevented US funding of abortions abroad. He dropped the amendment when he ran for president in 2020 and recently called "a woman's right to choose is fundamental."

Cordileone wrote to Pelosi on April 7 that "unless you publicly renounce your defense of the 'rights' to abortion, or refrain from publicly mentioning your Catholic faith and receiving Holy Communion, then, in accordance with canon 915, you should not be admitted to Holy Communion."

After she did not do what was required, he decided not to allow her to take communion.

“In light of my duties as Archbishop of San Francisco to “care for all faithful Christians,” I hereby notify you through this message that you are not to present yourself for Holy Communion. If you do, you will not be admitted to Holy Communion until you publicly renounce your defense of the legality of abortion and repent until you receive absolution for this grave sin in the sacrament of penance,” the archbishop said.

Pelosi has been arguing with the church over this for years, as she tried to portray herself as a "devout" Catholic as well as a strong supporter of a practice that the Catholic Church denounces as a moral evil.

In a 2008 interview, Pelosi said that "as a devout, practicing Catholic," the church "failed to define" when life begins, a remark that drew criticism from a number of top U.S. bishops. And then she explained: “The fact is that this should not affect the right of a woman to choose.” She also said in that interview that she wanted abortions to be "rare."

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But after a view leaked this month that the Supreme Court would soon overturn Roe v. Wade (a case over the legality of abortion), Pelosi did not talk about reducing the number of abortions, but continued to argue that her pro-choice stance was in line with Catholic teaching.

“For too long, Catholic government officials have created confusion and division by advocating policies that destroy innocent human lives that are in direct conflict with the teachings of the Catholic faith,” Brian Burch, president of the Catholic Vote advocacy group, said in a statement. “The constant disobedience of officials is a source of great sadness.”

Last year, Pelosi met with Pope Francis, but it is not known if the topic of abortion was discussed at that time. Pope Francis compared abortion to hiring a hit man, but was also cautious about banning politicians from taking communion.

“I have never refused the Eucharist to anyone,” the Pope said, although he remarked that he did not remember a time when a politician would strongly oppose the Church’s teaching on abortion and come to receive communion.

However, he stressed that the Catholic Church views abortion as murder.

“He who has an abortion kills,” the Pope summed up. “This is human life.”

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