TRANSCRIPT
After years of Nancy Pelosi declaring publicly she’s a devout Catholic while also supporting the killing of preborn children, a prince of the Church is finally taking action.
Church Militant’s Paul Murano reveals what brought San Francisco’s archbishop to deny the U.S. House Speaker Holy Communion, and which bishops are supporting him.
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, archdiocese of San Francisco: “I’ve been trying to speak with her about this, so I’ve been debating this within my own conscience for many years.”
After a decade of repeated attempts at dialogue with congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco archbishop Salvatore Cordileone is now denying her Holy Communion, and a number of bishops are showing their support.
In a letter released Thursday, Cordileone informed Pelosi she will not be offered 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.”
Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.: “This is an assault on privacy.”
In many statements over the years, Pelosi has presented herself as a devout Catholic, even linking her faith to her support for child murder.
For example, last September she said [about abortion], “I come to this as a Catholic mother. … We should not be making decisions for the women in America.”
Abp. Salvatore Cordileone: “Worthiness to receive Holy Communion — to be free from serious sin.”
The growing list of U.S. bishops publicly supporting Cordileone includes Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas; Hying of Madison, Wisconsin; Aquila of Denver, Colorado; Strickland of Tyler, Texas; and Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska.
Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, where Pelosi works, has yet to respond. Father Richard Heilman of the diocese of Madison, however, minced no words.
Fr. Richard Heilman, pastor, St. Mary of Pine Bluff, diocese of Madison:
We have some of the weakest bishops we’ve ever had in our 2,000 years. Not only are the vast majority — almost all of them — remaining silent for fear of upsetting those who prefer the darkness. But they’re punishing and canceling any priest who dares bring light and truth into the world.
The pope, to this point, has been silent on this controversy, but has said in the past he’s never refused anyone Holy Communion.
Pope Francis: “Whoever commits an abortion murders. … Is it right to hire an assassin to resolve a problem?”
While Heilman wonders why it’s taken 10 years for appropriate action, others wonder in the midst of the scandal: Where are all the other bishops and priests?
On Friday, Bp. Robert Vasa of nearby Santa Rosa said Cordileone’s restrictions “follow” Pelosi, meaning pastors in his diocese are not free to ignore it.
