U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) at the U.S. Capitol on May 19, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (l), and Archbishop of San Francisco Salvatore Joseph Cordileone at St. Peter’s Basilica on June 29, 2013, in Vatican City, Vatican (r). / Kevin Dietsch, Franco Origlia/Getty Images
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 20, 2022 / 13:03 pm (CNA).
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone announced on Friday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should not be admitted to Holy Communion in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, nor should she present herself to receive the Eucharist, until she publicly repudiates her support for abortion.
Cordileone said on May 20 that the step was “purely pastoral, not political” and came after Pelosi, D-Calif., who has described herself as a “devout Catholic,” repeatedly rebuffed his efforts to reach out to her to discuss her abortion advocacy.
Cordileone said that he sent the notification to Pelosi, “a member of our archdiocese,” on May 19. The Democratic leader did not immediately respond publicly to Cordileone’s announcement after it was released to the media Friday afternoon. In a 2008 interview with C-SPAN, Pelosi said being denied Communion would be “a severe blow,” describing herself at the time as a “regular communicant.”
Cordileone’s instructions apply only within the San Francisco Archdiocese. Other bishops have jurisdiction over such matters when Pelosi is Washington, D.C., and other dioceses around the U.S. and abroad.
In a May 20 letter addressed to lay Catholics, Cordileone explained that he issued the instruction in accordance with canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law, which states that “Those … obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.”
“After numerous attempts to speak with her to help her understand the grave evil she is perpetrating, the scandal she is causing, and the danger to her own soul she is risking, I have determined that the point has come in which I must make a public declaration that she is not to be admitted to Holy Communion unless and until she publicly repudiate her support for abortion ‘rights’ and confess and receive absolution for her cooperation in this evil in the sacrament of Penance,” Cordileone wrote in the letter.
Separate letter sent to priests
In a separate letter to priests of the San Francisco Archdiocese also released Friday, Cordileone responded preemptively to criticism that he was “weaponizing the Eucharist.”
He insisted that his decision was “simply application of Church teaching.”
“I have been very clear all along, in both my words and my actions, that my motive is pastoral, not political,” he said in the letter.
In the same letter, the archbishop described his repeated attempts to meet with Pelosi — who represents San Francisco, California’s 12th District, in Congress — since she announced in September 2021 that she would seek to codify Roe. v. Wade into U.S. law.
He said that he wrote to the Speaker in April this year, “detailing the extreme position to which she has moved on the abortion question and explaining the scandal that it is causing and the danger to her own soul.”
“I asked her to repudiate this position, or else refrain from referring to her Catholic faith in public and receiving Holy Communion,” he wrote.
“I also advised her that if she refused to do this, I would be forced to make a public announcement that she is not to be admitted to Holy Communion.”
He said that he received no response, but contacted Pelosi again a month later when she described herself as a “devout Catholic” while explaining why she supported abortion, in the wake of the leak of a draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court could strike down Roe v. Wade.
“In consequence of all this and all that has led up to it,” Cordileone told priests, “it is my determined judgment that this resistance to pastoral counsel has gone on for too long, and there is nothing more that can be done at this point to help the Speaker understand the seriousness of the evil her advocacy for abortion is perpetrating and the scandal she is causing.
“I therefore issued her the aforementioned Notification that she is not to be admitted to Holy Communion,” he wrote.
A long-running impasse
Cordileone and Pelosi have clashed repeatedly over abortion since Benedict XVI appointed Cordileone to lead the San Francisco Archdiocese in 2012.
Tensions rose notably in 2021 as the push to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision reached the Supreme Court and the U.S. bishops engaged in a heated discussion over whether pro-abortion politicians should be denied Communion.
In May 2021, Pelosi said that she was “pleased” with a Vatican letter to the U.S. bishops addressing the debate. She claimed that the Vatican had instructed the bishops not to be “divisive” on the issue.
In response, Cordileone said the Vatican was in fact promoting “dialogue” between bishops and pro-abortion politicians, “to help them understand the grave evil they are helping to perpetrate and accompany them to a change of heart.”
In July 2021, Cordileone sharply criticized Pelosi after she cited her Catholic faith while defending efforts to permit federal funding of elective abortions.
The archbishop launched a prayer campaign in September 2021 aimed at inspiring “a conversion of heart” among politicians supporting abortion, “beginning with the leader of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi.”
Cordileone urged Catholics to sign up for the “Rose and Rosary for Nancy” campaign, which delivered thousands of roses to the speaker as a symbol of prayer and fasting for the 82-year-old mother of five.
In October 2021, Pelosi met with Pope Francis at the Vatican. Commenting on the audience, Cordileone said that “popes meet with everyone” and that the encounter didn’t signal a papal endorsement of the Speaker’s views on abortion.
Warning about reprisals
In his letter to priests, Cordileone acknowledged that his decision could lead to an increase in attacks on Catholic churches.
“Our churches are already being targeted for violence, and our worship services are being disrupted, which motivated me to send you the memo last week asking you to be more attentive to security measures on your property. These attacks may now likely increase. I realize this,” he said.
“But for us, as faithful disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, this is a cause for rejoicing, for the only reason this is happening is due to the Catholic Church’s consistent defense of the sanctity of human life in all stages and conditions, and especially at its beginning in the womb of the mother.”
Cordileone continued, “I am convinced that this is a time that God is calling us to live the last beatitude: ‘Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven’ (Matthew 5:11-12).”
This is a developing story.
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This is discusting. Mandatory reporting of abuse would have saved many children. The practice of Confession is not an original tenet of the church. Human life is more important then ANY church doctrine.
This is why many of us are leaving the Catholic church and religion altogether.
Miss Sherry do you believe that someone would confess those crimes to a priest knowing they would be reported to law enforcement?
The fact is that the Constitution guarantees the free practice of religion just as it guarantees the right of a fair trial. This isn’t a religious issue. It’s constitutional. If you can confess your crimes to your lawyer without fear of those facts being revealed then you can do the same in the confessional. This is your right. Other people aren’t protected because for them it isn’t a constitutional issue.
Also, I wasn’t aware that you were capable of reading the minds of all Catholics in order to determine the reasons why they are leaving the Church. Perhaps you took a poll? It’s my opinion that neither apply. You’re just guessing.
To Sherry Speer: Let us take this apart a little and see how this law will protect no one. The seal of the confessional assures every penitent that his admission of sin to God and his plea for forgiveness from God will remain between the penitent and God. That promise encourages each of us to receive that grace needed to receive the Body and Blood of Christ in Communion with His Church (the Mystical Body of Christ) on earth. That is why priests are bound to keep that seal under penalty of excommunication. If this law takes affect two things likely would result. People will fear going to confession and thereby put their own souls in jeopardy fearing that if the State can do this for child abuse it can start listing virtually all crimes. That is a crime against everyone’s right to practice their faith.
Now consider a child abuser who legitimately is remorseful for his sins and first seeks spiritual counsel in the Confessional where by the priest can give serious counsel to the penitent and even withhold absolution (which is not guaranteed anyway if one is not repentant at all) until the penitent promises to report himself (or herself) to the authorities to make amends. Knowing that possibility the penitent might never go to confession at all. If he does go he might seek the anonymity in the confessional where the voices are muffled and the penitent cannot be seen. If the priest does not know the penitent he cannot report anything but he can still do hid best to press the penitent to confess to proper authorities.
Now, if the priest does know the identity of the penitent and chooses obedience to his priestly vow he risks going to prison himself. Remember, that this scenario can easily be staged as a trap by secular authorities who would tape a fake confession just to see what the priest will do with info. That risks losing a priest to prison. If the priest breaks the seal and reports what he was told to the authorities he breaks his solemn vow as a priest and risks excommunication or at least his priestly orders. Either way we would all be losing priests. That is the ultimate aim of Satan who remains ever so active in our world. Cunning, baffling and powerful he is. The law will serve no one but the Devil himself. And remember that if this comes about it will be the beginning of the end for ALL people of any faith as the government will be free to ursurp the God given rights to all of us to follow our faith as God leads us even if we don’t believe in God.
One last issue that you raise that I am sad does not get more attention than it deserves. Bearing in mind again the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ on earth. We are members of that Body thru our Baptism in Christ though we be all sinners in search of need of forgiveness. While child abuse and the horrific abuse by many against others remain tragic crimes against humanity they are ultimately sins against the very Body of our Lord Jesus Christ. We should be upset and appalled by those horrific sins but leaving the Church because of them is abandoning the victim who is Christ. Again, I am not saying that lawmakers are demonic but I am say we all are at risk for falling into the play of Satan war against God. Please pray for our Holy Catholic Church and all who suffer and sin in it.
The excellent Bishop Barron. A blessing to the church!