Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants the Vatican to defy her archbishop’s decision to bar her from communion. Pelosi, a Democrat from California, describes herself as a Catholic, despite her fervent advocacy for abortion. Abortion is strictly forbidden by the Vatican, and the archdiocese that governs her area has barred her from taking communion.
Former Speaker Pelosi requested the Vatican review San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone’s decision to bar her from receiving Communion. The case is still pending. The 84-year-old Democrat said she’s “never been denied” Communion despite traveling all over the nation. She neglected to name any of the priests who disobeyed the orders of Archbishop Cordileone.
As we reported, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Archdiocese of San Francisco wrote a letter to Pelosi in 2022. “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 publicly repudiate your advocacy for the legitimacy of abortion and confess and receive absolution of this grave sin in the sacrament of Penance,” wrote Cordileone.
He instructed her to “repudiate her support for abortion rights” and to confess her sins. However, Pelosi was unbothered. “My Catholic faith is, Christ is my savior,” she glibly added. “It has nothing to do with the bishops,” Pelosi says that she’s been taking communion anyway. “I received communion anyway. That’s his problem, not mine.”
He also cited a section from the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, where God wars the prophet to “warn the just to avoid sin.” Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who would become Pope Benedict XVI, explained the Church’s position on politicians who advocate for abortion. “When a … Catholic politician… campaignin[s] and vot[es] for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws, his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion …he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.”
Pelosi’s team has not issued an additional statement. A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of San Francisco said “There has been correspondence with the Vatican, but the Vatican indicates that it is to be held as strictly confidential.” Pelosi has also leveled criticism at the Vatican for their relationship with the Chinese government. Pope Francis has agreed to allow the CCP to weigh in on how bishops are appointed in the nation.
She is one of many U.S. politicians who are critical of China. However, she is one of the most radical supporters of the nation of Taiwan. “Why should the Chinese government be having a say in the appointment of bishops?” former House Speaker pointed out. “We have, for decades, seen the suffering of Catholics in China,” she told NCR.
Abortion has always been a hot-button issue. However, it has become especially controversial in Catholic circles since 2020. While the Vatican strictly forbids abortion, many prominent Catholic politicians, such as Pelosi and Joe Biden, are outspoken supporters. In 2021, a collection of Bishops wrote a document to address the issue. “As Christians, we bear the responsibility to promote the life and dignity of the human person, and to love and to protect the most vulnerable in our midst: the unborn, migrants and refugees, victims of racial injustice, the sick and the elderly,” the document extolled.