Posted on 05/23/2022 5:16:38 AM PDT by Kaslin
On Friday, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone announced in a letter addressed to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that she is not to present herself for Holy Communion. This comes as she professes to be a “devout Catholic” despite her support for abortion, in direct contradiction of teachings of the Catholic Church. As the archbishop said in his announcement, he has made several efforts to steer Pelosi in the right direction before it came to this.
Archbishop Cordileone referenced the numerous attempts in tweeting a link to the announcement also pointing to “the grave evil she is perpetrating, the scandal she is causing, an[d] the danger to her own soul she is risking” regarding Pelosi.
The archbishop wrote his decision came after his letter from April 7, 2022, informing Pelosi “that, should you not publically repudiate your advocacy for abortion ‘rights’ or else refrain from referring to your Catholic faith in public and receiving Holy Communion, I would have no choice but to make a declaration, in keeping with canon 915, that you are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.”
In a pastoral letter from last May, “Before I Formed You in the Womb I Knew You: A Pastoral Letter on the Human Dignity of the Unborn, Holy Communion, and Catholics in Public Life,” Archbishop Cordileone laid out the “gravity of the evil of abortion” and also discussed the “moral evil” involved, including with “cooperation.”
The reaction from those opposed to Friday’s announcement was apoplectic.
Several trends to do with the announcement found their way onto Twitter, including "#TaxTheChurch." Those in favor claim that the archbishop engaging in a matter with one of the faithful as high-profile as Pelosi is engaging in political activity.
Archbishop Cordileone also wrote a letter to the faithful of San Francisco, in which he referenced how he “received letters from very many of you over the years expressing distress over the scandal being caused by such Catholics in public life who promote such grievously evil practices as abortion.”
He also shared that he “responded that conversion is always better than exclusion, and before any such action can be taken it must be preceded by sincere and diligent efforts at dialogue and persuasion.”
In a pastoral letter from last May, “Before I Formed You in the Womb I Knew You: A Pastoral Letter on the Human Dignity of the Unborn, Holy Communion, and Catholics in Public Life,” Archbishop Cordileone laid out the “gravity of the evil of abortion” and also discussed the “moral evil” involved, including with “cooperation.”
The reaction from those opposed to Friday’s announcement was apoplectic.
Several trends to do with the announcement found their way onto Twitter, including "#TaxTheChurch." Those in favor claim that the archbishop engaging in a matter with one of the faithful as high-profile as Pelosi is engaging in political activity.
Archbishop Cordileone also wrote a letter to the faithful of San Francisco, in which he referenced how he “received letters from very many of you over the years expressing distress over the scandal being caused by such Catholics in public life who promote such grievously evil practices as abortion.”
He also shared that he “responded that conversion is always better than exclusion, and before any such action can be taken it must be preceded by sincere and diligent efforts at dialogue and persuasion.”
Those who make such arguments condemning the archbishop’s actions also surely did not read this point made by the archbishop: “Please know that I find no pleasure whatsoever in fulfilling my pastoral duty here. Speaker Pelosi remains our sister in Christ. Her advocacy for the care of the poor and vulnerable elicits my admiration. I assure you that my action here is purely pastoral, not political. I have been very clear in my words and actions about this.”
Archbishop Cordileone is not wading into political matters of the U.S. Congress. He is fulfilling his pastoral duty to lead a member of the Church back into the light. Speaker Pelosi remains the speaker.
Pelosi is indeed a high-profile figure. She is not only one of the most well-known Catholics in the country, but the world. By professing herself as a “devout” Catholic, she is creating a grave public scandal by also fighting in favor of abortion as strongly as she does.
The Church does not seek to remind the faithful about the truth of its stance firmly rejecting abortion because of politics, but because of truth. Abortion may have been a political issue for the past several decades, this month especially. The Church and her teachings, though, have been around for millenia.
For all the complaints about Pope Francis, he does affirm the Church’s stance on abortion. “His Holiness, Pope Francis, in keeping with his predecessors, has likewise been quite clear and emphatic in teaching on the dignity of human life in the womb,” Archbishop Cordileone reminded in his opening of Friday’s announcement.
He went into even greater detail in the letter to the faithful. “Pope Francis, as much as any pope in living memory, has repeatedly and vividly affirmed the Church’s clear and constant teaching that abortion is a grave moral evil,” the archhisop wrote, also pointing out that the pope’s remarks in standing up for life have been made “eloquently.”
In his announcement, as well as his letter to the faithful, Archbishop Cordileone laid out Speaker Pelosi’s recent support for abortion with her vowing to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), which would not only codify, but expand Roe v. Wade. The House passed the WHPA last September.
Pelosi has also pushed to get rid of the Hyde Amendment, which protects taxpayers from having to fund elective abortions. The House has voted to do as much as well. Pelosi even referenced her Catholic faith while flagrantly touting her disregard for Hyde.
Most alarming is that Pelosi won’t even allow for a vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would enforce legal protections for babies born alive from abortions. Republicans currently have a discharge petition to try to force a vote.
While some may take issue with Cordileone’s act of fulfilling his pastoral duties, the archbishop is not only acting for the good of the Church, but for the good of Pelosi herself, and her soul.
The archbishop closed in part by mentioning that he “will continue to offer up prayer and fasting for [Pelosi]” and asks “all of the faithful of the Archdiocese of San Francisco to pray for all of our legislators, especially Catholic legislators who promote procured abortion, that with the help and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they may undergo a conversion of heart in this most grave matter and human life may be protected and fostered in every stage and condition of life.”
The letter to the faithful goes even more deeply. “Speaker Pelosi has been uppermost in my prayer intentions ever since I became the Archbishop of San Francisco. It was my prayer life that motivated me to ask people all around the country to join me in praying and fasting for her in the ‘Rose and Rosary for Nancy Campaign.’ I especially pray that she will see in the roses she has received a sign of the honest love and care that many thousands of people have for her,” Archbishop Cordileone wrote.
It is not merely Speaker Nancy Pelosi who professes to be a “devout” Catholic while being so pro-abortion. President Joe Biden is in the same position, though it does not appear that Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C., or Bishop William E. Koenig of Wilmington, Delaware, will be so bold in standing up for not just the truth on abortion, but for President Biden’s soul.
Nevertheless, when it comes to the prayers of the faithful, one might also wish to pray for the courage of other pastors to have the same care and consideration as Archbishop Cordileone.
The Pelosibitch is as Catholic as is Muhammed.
Throw some Holy water on Pelosi - Watch the Holy Smoke!
She lost her soul a looong time ago.
Sorry, Nancy, them’s the rules. Maybe you should join the Unitarian Universalists?
Can I impose on someone to explain what the significance of this is?
Assume the reader is reasonably smart, but whose knowledge of this religion is watching various factors beat each other up while dressed very ornately each year around Passover or Hanukkah over who get use what religious location in Jerusalem or Bethlehem at that time.
At her age she should be “studying for her finals”, as in get right with God. I doubt this rebuke by th Archbishop will get her on the right path, but I’d love to be proven wrong.
Many would say Catholic teaching is meaningless and has been for hundreds of years. There was a Protestant Reformation
She should have been excommunicated decades ago.
What about the millions of Catholics who support abortion?
Pope Stupid the First will probably intervene on Pelosi’s behalf. He loves him some left wingers.
“Let’s see, loss of my soul or loss of the millions of dollars I get from Planned Parenthood, NARAL, Emiliy’s List, ...plus all the votes I get from suburban women, ...”
Tough decision.
“The Pelosibitch is as Catholic as is Muhammed.”
Actually she’s as Catholic as the archbishop. She received all the sacraments. She is fully aware that abortion is murder and that she is publicly promoting it. That she knows it makes it a mortal sin. On judgement day she will be judged as a Catholic. The Archbishop is protecting the Eucharist.
To receive communion in the state of mortal sin is to defile the Eucharist. In this case the priest is aware of the mortal sin as it is public and not confessed. He has to protect the Eucharist
That’s all.
“ She should have been excommunicated decades ago.”
She has been excommunicated for decades. Tge is archbishop is choosing to acknowledge it.
Heresies can last for generations.
If anything, being excommunicated rallies Nancy's current constituents.
Presently, there are too many “heretics “ to murder them all
One question - what took them so loooong!
The Church has always professed this fact and Catholics who espouse abortion as an option are not observing a central tenet of our faith - and for politicians - or anyone - who profess to be Catholics yet promote abortion are in a state grave sin and cause scandal to the Catholic faith.
Excommunication is a last resort, yet Ms Pelosi has had more than enough chances to denounce abortion and return to her faith.
And no, "Catholics" who back abortion are not actually Catholics.
The significance is the destiny of the immortal soul of Nancy Pelosi, and the souls of the several hundred million (or perhaps a billion) people around the world whose lives, physical bodies, faith, and deeds will be affected in one way or another by what Mrs. Pelosi does or professes in public concerning abortion.
The other interesting point is that each of us--including non-famous people--influence multitudes of other people for good or ill, depending on what we do or say. Mrs. P, through her office, influences a whole lot of them.
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