San Francisco’s Roman Catholic archbishop has banned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) from receiving Holy Communion during Mass until she repents of her public pro-abortion stance.
“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,” Ssalvatore Cordileone wrote in a public notification Friday. “Therefore, universal Church law provides that such persons ‘are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.’”
“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,” the 65-year-old clergyman wrote.
Cordileone noted that while he and Pelosi had discussed the issue in the past, the archbishop has “not received such an accommodation to my many requests” to speak again following the September passage of a controversial Texas abortion law which bans abortions after a heart beat is detected – usually at six weeks.
At that time, Pelosi vowed to codify the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade ruling into federal law.
In recent weeks, Pelosi has doubled down on that stance in light of a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that indicated Roe will be overturned later this year.
The archbishop noted that he will “continue to offer up prayer and fasting” for the Speaker in the coming weeks.
Pelosi’s office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
It is not the first time Catholic clergy have sought to prevent Catholic pro-abortion lawmakers from receiving sacramental wine and bread, which church doctrine holds becomes the literal blood and body of Jesus.
While on the campaign trial, a South Carolina priest denied Communion to then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden due to his pro-abortion views.
Not long after, Archbishop Charles Chaput, the former head of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, opined that Biden should be blocked altogether for “creating the impression that the moral laws of the Church are optional.”
In May of 2021, Cordileone revealed the president would be prevented from receiving Holy Communion if he decides to visit the archdiocese.
In the same interview, the archbishop said of the possibility that he would have to deny Pelosi Communion during a service: “She knows that I stand by church teaching, and I know she’s respectful enough not to do anything so provocative. So I’m confident that would not happen
In June of last year, US Catholic bishops voted 168-55 to approve the drafting of a “teaching document” that many hoped would rebuke such politicians. The document was approved in November, though the final guidance stopped short of recommending barring politicians who support abortion from receiving the Eucharist.
During his October visit to Rome, Biden met with Pope Francis. However, the two reportedly did not talk about abortion.
Biden did receive communion while in Rome, but the pontiff did not administer it.
As a Catholic, all I can say is “it’s about time the Church stood up for its principles!”
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthy, eateth and drinketh damnnation to himself. I Corinthians 11:28–29