House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will no longer be allowed to receive communion in her home diocese due to her support for abortion.
In a letter to Pelosi on Friday, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone wrote, “A Catholic legislator who supports procured abortion, after knowing the teaching of the Church, commits a manifestly grave sin which is a cause of most serious scandal to others. Therefore, universal Church law provides that such persons ‘are not to be admitted to Holy Communion’ (Code of Canon Law, can. 915).”
He explained, “I communicated my concerns to you via letter on April 7, 2022, and informed you there that, should you not publically repudiate your advocacy for abortion ‘rights’ or else refrain from referring to your Catholic faith in public and receiving Holy Communion. I would have no choice but to make a declaration, in keeping with canon 915, that you are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.”
“As you have not publically repudiated your position on abortion, and continue to refer to your Catholic faith in justifying your position and to receive Holy Communion, that time has now come,” he continued.
The letter went on:
“Therefore, in light of my responsibility as the Archbishop of San Francisco to be ‘concerned for all the Christian faithful entrusted to [my] care’ (Code of Canon Law, can. 383, §1), by means of this communication I am hereby notifying you that you are not to present yourself for Holy Communion and, should you do so, you are not to be admitted to Holy Communion, until such time as you publically repudiate your advocacy for the legitimacy of abortion and confess and receive absolution of this grave sin in the sacrament of Penance.”
Pelosi has described herself as a devout Catholic. However, she has voice support for abortion access.
Last year, Pope Francis reiterated the Catholic Church’s view that “abortion is murder,” according to the Catholic News Agency.
“Scientifically, it’s a human life. The textbooks teach us that. But is it right to take it out to solve a problem? And this is why the Church is so strict on this issue because it is kind of like accepting this is accepting daily murder.”
When asked about the issue of pro-choice politicians receiving communion, the pope said, “For me, I don’t want to particularize … the United States because I don’t know the details well, I give the principle … Be a pastor and the pastor knows what he has to do at all times, but as a shepherd. But if he comes out of this shepherding of the Church, immediately he becomes a politician,” he added.
President Joe Biden, who is also Catholic and supports abortion access, told reporters that the pope told him he should still take communion.