Posted on 12/11/2024 8:25:26 AM PST by ebb tide
San Francisco’s Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone has responded to Nancy Pelosi’s rejection of his ban on her receiving Holy Communion, urging Catholics to pray for her “conversion on the issue of human life in the womb.”
Late on December 10, Archbishop Cordileone issued a statement in response to a recent interview former Speaker of the House gave to the dissident National Catholic Reporter (NCR).
The prolifically pro-abortion Democratic politician told NCR that despite her bishop having explicitly banned her from presenting herself for Communion in his archdiocese, “I received Communion anyway.”
“That’s his problem, not mine,” she added. “My Catholic faith is, Christ is my savior. It has nothing to do with the bishops.”
“Nancy Pelosi’s recent interview with the National Catholic Reporter has elicited a number of requests of me to offer a comment on it,” Cordileone began. “First and foremost, I would like to renew my request for prayers for the Speaker’s conversion on the issue of human life in the womb, that it be consistent with the respect for human dignity she displays in so many other contexts.”
The San Francisco prelate drew from Scripture, making an apparent warning for Pelosi’s spiritual welfare if she continued to present herself for Holy Communion:
As for myself, what immediately comes to my mind are the words of the prophet Ezekiel: ‘If the just turn away from their right conduct and do evil when I place a stumbling block before them, then they shall die. Since you did not warn them about their sin, they shall still die, and the just deeds that they performed will not be remembered on their behalf. I will, however, hold you responsible for their blood. If, on the other hand, you warn the just to avoid sin, and they do not sin, they will surely live because of the warning, and you in turn shall save your own life.’ (Ez 3:20-21)
Cordileone continued:
As a pastor of souls, my overriding concern and chief responsibility is the salvation of souls. And as Ezekiel reminds us, for a pastor to fulfill his calling, he has the duty not only to teach, console, heal and forgive, but also, when necessary, to correct, admonish and call to conversion. One of the most the effective ways for a pastor to accomplish these duties is by way of dialogue, honest dialogue, where each party listens openly and honestly, seeking to understand the other, and being honest with one’s own self.
My own personal experience has taught me that this kind of dialogue can dispel misperceptions and melt away hostilities, and build new bonds of friendship. I therefore earnestly repeat once again my plea to Speaker Pelosi to allow this kind of dialogue to happen.
I ask this not only to dialogue in areas of disagreement, such as if and when it can ever be morally permissible to kill innocent human life, but also in other critical areas where our views on behalf of human life and dignity are aligned, especially threats to religious liberty internationally and the plight of immigrants domestically. This should not be a problem, as Catholics are not afraid of the truth.”
In May 2022, Cordileone banned Pelosi from presenting herself for Holy Communion due to her public, continued support for abortion. Despite this, Pelosi continued to receive Holy Communion at public Masses since Cordileone’s declaration, notably at the Vatican on June 29 of that same year.
Pope Francis defended his decision to allow Pelosi to receive Communion by appealing to a need to be “pastoral.”
Cordileone’s 2022 statement caused waves in the US ecclesiastical and political spheres, serving to also highlight the divide amongst the U.S. Catholic bishops as some issued letters of support and many more remained silent.
The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is always wrong because it kills an innocent human being, thus violating the Church’s prohibition on murder, a teaching which “remains unchangeable.”
“Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense,” reads the Catechism of the Catholic Church. “The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life.”
Furthermore, the Church’s Canon Law 915 stipulates that under no circumstances are those who persist in manifest grave sin to receive the Holy Eucharist. “Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.”
It was based on this very directive of Canon Law that Fr. Robert E. Morey of St. Anthony Catholic Church in Florence, South Carolina, famously refused to give Biden Holy Communion in 2019. In comments to media in the aftermath, Morey explained his reasons: “Holy Communion signifies we are one with God, each other and the Church. Our actions should reflect that.”
“Any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching,” he added.
Biden, despite his own prolific support for abortion, has also received support from Pope Francis as regards being admitted to Holy Communion.
This story is developing…
Karma is Hindu.
But I do see your point.
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