Catholic Bishops Back Decision to Deny Nancy Pelosi Communion: She Must Repent

By Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com, May 23, 2022

Over the weekend, more Catholic bishops have come out in support of the decision to deny Nancy Pelosi communion due to her aggressive promotion of abortion up to birth.

As LifeNews reported, Cordileone said he formally notified U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week that she can no longer be allowed communion because she is no longer in communion with the Catholic Church by virtue of her repeatedly promoting abortion. Cordileone, who serves Pelosi’s home district of San Francisco, said he informed the congresswoman of his decision Thursday after repeated attempts to speak with her about the “grave evil” that she is supporting.

After that decision, Pelosi’s bishop in the diocese where she has her vacation home says he has instructed parish priests to implement the decision and refuse her communion if and when she visits their church.

Now, other bishops are speaking out in support, saying the decision is correct because it was Pelosi’s decision to extricate herself from communion with the Catholic Church by virtue of her aggressive pro-abortion agenda.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City issued the following statement:

“I applaud Archbishop Cordileone’s patient and persevering efforts to enlighten Speaker Pelosi about the moral gravity of her extreme efforts to promote, to advocate and to initiate legislation to enshrine legalized abortion into federal law. I fully support the both pastoral and courageous actions that Archbishop Cordileone has now taken in an effort to awaken Speaker Pelosi’s conscience and at the same time to protect Catholics in the Archdiocese of San Francisco and throughout the country from being confused by Speaker Pelosi’s radical support for abortion, while claiming to be a faithful Catholic. I pray that Speaker Pelosi will have a change of heart.”

Bishop Michael Barber of Oakland sent the following tweet: ““I support @ArchCardileone in the heroic and compassionate stance he took today in the protection and defense of human life. As @Pontifex said, ‘Every child who, rather than being born, is condemned unjustly to being aborted, bears the face of Jesus Christ.’”

Bishop Thomas Daly of Spokane, Washington called on Pelosi to repent: “After many attempts to engage speaker Nancy Pelosi in a conversation about her support for abortion, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone has announced that speaker Pelosi is to refrain from receiving holy communion until she answers the call to repentance.”

Another tweet in support came from Bishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City: “I applaud the courage of Archbishop Cordileone and his leadership in taking this difficult step. Let us continue to pray for Abp. Cordileone, priests of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Speaker Pelosi, for the protection of the unborn, and for the conversion of hearts and minds.”

Bishop David Ricken of Green Bay supported the communion ban: “I wish to express my strong support for Archbishop Cordileone’s decision stating he has publicly declared that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi not be admitted to Holy Communion. Speaker Pelosi’s aggressive promotion of abortion and blatant public disregard for Church teaching has consequences. In many ways, she has made this choice herself though her words and actions. Despite repeated pastoral outreach by the Archbishop, his clear teaching on the dignity of each human life, and specific letters and requests to meet personally with Speaker Pelosi, she has chosen not to respond. Let us continue to pray for Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s conversion and a greater respect for life in our country.”

And Bishop James Conley of Nebraska also tweeted: “I support Archbishop Cordileone in his courageous pastoral outreach to a member of his flock. His actions are made as a shepherd with the heart of Christ.”

Also, Bishop Strickland in Texas, who is very outspoken on pro-life issues, added: “Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Archbishop Cordileone for loving Nancy Pelosi in the Truth of Jesus Christ!”

Pelosi professes to be a devout Catholic but supports the killing of unborn babies in abortions up to birth and wants to force taxpayers to pay for their deaths.

In a letter published Friday on the archdiocese website, Cordileone explained his decision to deny communion to the Democrat leader:

“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.”

The archbishop stressed that his decision is “pastoral, not political” and he did not find any pleasure in it. Cordileone said he also has been praying for Pelosi and urging others to join him in the hopes that she will repent and recognize the value of all human life.

Pelosi, a Democrat leader, often mentions her Catholic faith while supporting radical pro-abortion policies that most Americans oppose. Under her leadership, the U.S. House passed a radical pro-abortion bill last fall that would legalize abortions for basically any reason up to birth nation-wide even if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

At the time, Cordileone said the legislation amounts to “child sacrifice” and chastised Catholic politicians who support it. He said the bill is what “one would expect from a devout Satanist, not a devout Catholic.”

A few days later, Pelosi laughed at the archbishop’s statement at a press conference, saying she and Cordileone “have a disagreement about who should decide this.”

This week, Cordileone said he has received many letters from concerned Catholics about Pelosi misleading the public about abortion. And for a long time, he said he tried to be cautious, giving Pelosi the chance to repent and making attempts to talk with her before taking any action.

However, Cordileone said Pelosi’s continuous refusal to repent, her increasingly extreme pro-abortion actions and her public contempt for even Pope Francis’s pro-life teachings prompted him to act.

He thanked everyone who has joined him in praying for Pelosi through the Rose and Rosary for Nancy Campaign and asked people to continue praying for her change of heart.

Cordileone also encouraged people support pro-life advocates who help pregnant mothers in crisis through the archdiocese Stand With Moms programs.

“May God grant us the grace to be true advocates for the dignity of human life, in every stage and condition of life, and to accompany, support and love women who otherwise would be alone and afraid at a most vulnerable time in their lives,” the archbishop said.

Many U.S. bishops and priests have expressed concerns that pro-abortion Catholic politicians like Pelosi and President Joe Biden are “creating scandal” for the Catholic Church by encouraging evil. They have said the church must do something to make it clear that Catholics cannot support the killing of unborn babies in abortions and must repent before participating in Communion.

Among other things, Pelosi wants to force taxpayers to pay for elective abortions and force nuns who serve the poor and elderly to cover contraception that may cause abortions in their employee health plans. Once, she even called late-term abortions “sacred ground.”

This article first appeared HERE.