San Francisco archbishop bans Nancy Pelosi from receiving communion over abortion support

ByTim Johns KGO logo

Saturday, May 21, 2022

SF archbishop bans Pelosi from communion over abortion support

The archbishop of San Francisco said he won't allow House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to receive Communion because of her support for abortion rights.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone notified House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a letter Friday that she is banned from receiving holy communion due to her continued support of abortion rights.

Cordileone said that he sent her a letter April 7 expressing his concerns after she vowed to codify the Supreme Court's Row vs. Wade decision into law once Texas approved a law banning most abortions. He said Pelosi never responded.

Cordileone said he told Pelosi in the April letter that she must either repudiate her support of abortion rights or stop speaking publicly about her Catholic faith and that if she didn't, he would have no other choice but to declare she is not allowed to receive Communion.

"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," he said in the letter.

"Please know that I stand ready to continue our conversation at any time, and will continue to offer up prayer and fasting for you," the archbishop added.

Throughout the past year, Cordileone has been among the most outspoken U.S. bishops advocating that Communion be denied to President Joe Biden and other politicians who support abortion rights.

You can read the full letter from Archbishop Cordileone here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.