BREAKING: Archbishop Cordileone Bars Nancy Pelosi From Communion Until She Ends Abortion Support

well...someone with actual balls to call out the evil genocide for what it really is:

Quote:Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone announced on Friday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should not be admitted to Holy Communion in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, nor should she present herself to receive the Eucharist, until she publicly repudiates her support for abortion.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone announced on Friday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should not be admitted to Holy Communion in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, nor should she present herself to receive the Eucharist, until she publicly repudiates her support for abortion....

came after Pelosi, D-Calif., who has (falsely) described herself as a “devout catholic,” repeatedly rebuffed his efforts to reach out to her to discuss her abortion advocacy....

In a 2008 interview with C-SPAN, Pelosi said being denied Communion would be “a severe blow,” ...(yeah, we'll see how much she really cares)...

Archbishop Cordileone's instructions apply only within the San Francisco Archdiocese. Other bishops have jurisdiction over such matters when Pelosi is in Washington, D.C. (the Arch of D.C. is a Left Wing Tool and openly welcomes communism and racial hatred), and other dioceses around the U.S. and abroad.

In a May 20 letter addressed to lay Catholics, Archbishop Cordileone explained that he issued the instruction in accordance with Canon 915 of the Code of Canon Law, which states, “Those … obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.”

“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,” Archbishop Cordileone wrote in the letter.

In a separate letter to priests of the San Francisco Archdiocese also released Friday, Archbishop Cordileone responded preemptively to criticism that he was “weaponizing the Eucharist.”

He insisted that his decision was “simply application of Church teaching.”

“I have been very clear all along, in both my words and my actions, that my motive is pastoral, not political,” he said in the letter.

In the same letter, the archbishop described his repeated attempts to meet with Pelosi — who represents San Francisco, California’s 12th District, in Congress — since she announced in September 2021 that she would seek to codify Roe. v. Wade into U.S. law.

He said that he wrote to the speaker in April this year, “detailing the extreme position to which she has moved on the abortion question and explaining the scandal that it is causing and the danger to her own soul.”

“I asked her to repudiate this position, or else refrain from referring to her Catholic faith in public and receiving Holy Communion,” he wrote.

“I also advised her that if she refused to do this, I would be forced to make a public announcement that she is not to be admitted to Holy Communion.”

He said that he received no response, but contacted Pelosi again a month later when she described herself as a “devout Catholic” while explaining why she supported abortion, in the wake of the leak of a draft opinion suggesting the Supreme Court could strike down Roe v. Wade.

“In consequence of all this and all that has led up to it,” Archbishop Cordileone told priests, “it is my determined judgment that this resistance to pastoral counsel has gone on for too long, and there is nothing more that can be done at this point to help the Speaker understand the seriousness of the evil her advocacy for abortion is perpetrating and the scandal she is causing.

“I therefore issued her the aforementioned Notification that she is not to be admitted to Holy Communion,” he wrote....

In his letter to priests, Archbishop Cordileone acknowledged that his decision could lead to an increase in attacks on Catholic churches.

“Our churches are already being targeted for violence, and our worship services are being disrupted, which motivated me to send you the memo last week asking you to be more attentive to security measures on your property. These attacks may now likely increase. I realize this,” he said.

“But for us, as faithful disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, this is a cause for rejoicing, for the only reason this is happening is due to the Catholic Church’s consistent defense of the sanctity of human life in all stages and conditions, and especially at its beginning in the womb of the mother.”

Archbishop Cordileone continued, “I am convinced that this is a time that God is calling us to live the last beatitude: ‘Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven’ (Matthew 5:11-12).”

Speaker Pelosi’s Communion Ban: 5 Key Takeaways

Quote:Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, Pelosi's local bishop, has instructed her not to receive Communion because of her extreme pro-abortion rights actions.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco has formally barred Speaker Nancy Pelosi from receiving Holy Communion “until such time as you publically [sic] repudiate your advocacy for the legitimacy of abortion and confess and receive absolution of this grave sin in the sacrament of Penance.” His decision was communicated not only via a direct letter to Speaker Pelosi, who resides in the archdiocese, but also in separate correspondences to the priests and laity of San Francisco.

Here are some significant takeaways from the decision and the reasons behind it.


It’s Pastoral, Not Political

During 2021’s months-long controversy over whether the U.S. bishops should issue a document explicitly prohibiting pro-abortion Catholic politicians from receiving Holy Communion, a common refrain against such a move was to insist that it would be inherently political, not pastoral. The logic went that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as a national body centered in Washington, D.C., and with an active role in American public life, was not in position to make what was fundamentally a decision not about public policy, but the spiritual care of individual Catholics. Such a decision, these voices insisted, could only be made by said individuals’ local bishop, and only then in a decidedly pastoral key.

Well, that’s exactly what’s happened in San Francisco.

In a letter to Speaker Pelosi, but also in his correspondences to the priests and lay faithful of the archdiocese, Archbishop Cordileone goes to great lengths to lay out the pastoral approach he has taken, which ultimately resulted in the measure taken today. He notes that although he has received many letters over the years calling for some form of public reproachment of pro-abortion Catholic politicians like Speaker Pelosi, he has consistently held 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.”

Regarding Speaker Pelosi, those efforts have clearly been made. The two have spoken about the dissonance between her public support for abortion and her Catholic faith previously, something Archbishop Cordileone acknowledges and expresses his gratitude for in his letter the Speaker. But since September 2021, when Speaker Pelosi announced that she would push forward a bill to enshrine extreme abortion-access measures into federal law, the archbishop notes that he has attempted to speak with the archdiocesan resident about her public advocacy for abortion access on five separate occasions, most recently on May 4. In each instance, he has received no reply.

As a result, Archbishop Cordileone has concluded that “there is nothing more that can be done at this point to help the Speaker understand the seriousness of the evil her advocacy for abortion is perpetrating and the scandal she is causing.” The archbishop notes that he “finds no pleasure whatsoever in fulfilling my pastoral duty here,” and has been guided by the three pastoral motives pointed to in Pope Francis’s recent revisions of canon law: responding to the demands of justice, moving the offending party to conversion, and repairing the scandal caused.

He also acknowledges that he has struggled with what he should do regarding this pastoral situation “for many years now,” though he notes that today’s decision is the fruit of “years of prayer, fasting, and consultation with a broad spectrum of Catholic leaders,” and that he is at peace with what he has decided.

With such a clear commitment to dialogue and persuasion, it will be noteworthy to see how those who adamantly opposed the USCCB pushing for any kind of nationwide prohibition on the grounds that it would be “political” respond to Archbishop Cordileone’s pastoral approach, and the decision that came from it.


It’s Consistent with Pope Francis

A talking point that will likely be pushed by those who disagree with Archbishop Cordileone’s decision will be that it deviates from the pastoral example Pope Francis has recently set with regards pro-abortion Catholic politicians. For instance, we’re likely to hear a lot in the coming days about how the Holy Father says he has never knowingly denied a pro-abortion politician communion, or how he apparently told pro-abortion President Joe Biden that he is a “good Catholic” and should continue receiving communion.

Of course, those framings of Pope Francis’ own pastoral approach are misleading in themselves. We don’t actually know what the Pope said to President Biden, and we know that he maintains someone who has broken communion with the Church through their commitment to grave evil should not be receiving the Eucharist, as this amounts to “a total contradiction.”

In fact, Archbishop Cordileone’s measure is in many ways inspired by Pope Francis, to whom he makes frequent reference in his letters to Speaker Pelosi, archdiocesan priests, and the San Francisco faithful. Particularly noteworthy is that the archbishop’s decision flows in part from Pope Francis’s recent revision of Book VI of the Code of Canon Law, the Church’s legislation on penal sanction, promulgated in Pascite Gregem Dei. Although Archbishop Cordileone is not issuing a penal sanction on Speaker Pelosi, and is instead making a public declaration that she is “obstinately preserving in manifest grave sin” according to canon 915, he says that the Pope’s revisions to canon law emphasizes the importance of “insuring the integrity of the Church’s sacramental life.” For instance, the canon punishes by suspension one who “administers a sacrament to those who are prohibited from receiving it.”

The takeaway is that Pope Francis’ pastoral example is not that no one should ever be denied communion, as some will likely falsely claim. Instead, it’s that bishops should make such decisions as pastors, not as politicians. And again, it seems like that’s what’s happened in San Francisco.


It’s ‘Repairing the Scandal Caused’

One of the pastoral motives cited by Pascite Gregem Dei that Archbishop Cordielone says has guided his decision is “repairing the scandal caused.” And in his various correspondences, he makes clear that the grave problem of Speaker Pelosi’s very public advocacy for abortion access is not only that it promotes such an evil practice, but that it sows confusion among the faithful and the wider public about just what the Church teaches regarding abortion.

In fact, the archbishop takes significant issue not only with the fact that Speaker Pelosi has become such a forceful advocate for abortion access, but that she has repeatedly referred to her Catholic faith as a justification for doing so. For instance, in her May 4 comments to The Hill, she not only grounded her support for abortion in her status as a “devout Catholic,” she also described Pope Francis and the Church’s teaching against abortion as an “appalling” invasion of an issue of a “personal nature.”

Archbishop Cordileone’s decision will likely generate attention from the national press, which some will point to in an effort to characterize his motives as political. Instead, the conversation that this will generate is an indication of both the fact that political actions are moral, and that the widespread scandal caused by Catholic politicians who obstinately persist in advancing moral evils must be publicly addressed, especially by those who are bound to be “concerned for all the Christian faithful entrusted to their care.” (Canon 383)


It’s a Spiritual Battle

Archbishop Cordileone is deeply aware that this decision will not help him — or the Catholic Church — win any popularity contests in deeply progressive San Francisco, especially at a time when Catholic churches are already being targeted for violence with the likely overturn of Roe v. Wade on the horizon. “These attacks may now likely increase,” he wrote to his priests. “But for us, as faithful disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, this is a cause for rejoicing, for the only reason this is happening is due to the Catholic Church’s consistent defense of the sanctity of human life in all stages and conditions, and especially at its beginning in the womb of the mother.”

“I am convinced that this is a time that God is calling us to live the last beatitude,” the archbishop continues before quoting Mark 5:11-12: “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

The archbishop also makes clear that the Church is engaged in what is essentially “a spiritual battle.” For this reason, he instructs San Francisco priests to preach about the grave evil of abortion “with great pastoral sensitivity,” and to continue to promote services that assist women and their children, “both during the pregnancy and for years after the birth of the child,” and also programs that support women wounded by abortion. “This is not time to be intimated into silence,” he writes.

Archbishop Cordileone also urges his priests to promote the archdiocese’s consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and other spiritual practices like the daily rosary, fasting on Fridays, and spending one hour a week in adoration.

“What we are facing in this particular moment of history is a powerful reminder to us that the Priesthood is not for the faint-hearted,” he concludes in his letter to the priests. “Of course, it never was. But for a long time, up until recently, we lived in a society that allowed us to imagine that it was. Let us not fool ourselves any longer.”


Its Wider Implications Are Unknown

Many will connect Archbishop Cordileone’s decision regarding Speaker Pelosi with another prominent pro-abortion Catholic politician: President Joe Biden, whose support for abortion has only become more extreme since moving into the Oval Office. The implication may be that because Archbishop Cordileone has moved to prohibit Speaker Pelosi from coming to Communion until she publicly repents, the same thing should necessarily happen to President Biden and other pro-abortion Catholic politicians.

Of course, that’s anything but guaranteed. As Archbishop Cordileone’s approach has demonstrated, the decision to prohibit a pro-abortion politician from Communion is one that the local bishop must make within the context of a pastoral dynamic. The question of whether President Biden will continue to be allowed to receive communion despite his consistent and now heightened support for abortion is ultimately one that only Cardinal Wilton Gregroy of Washington, D.C., can answer.

That being said, San Francisco’s archbishop has demonstrated that one outcome of such a pastoral approach can indeed be prohibiting a politician who consistently manifests formal cooperation with a grave evil like abortion from receiving Communion, opening the door for other bishops to follow his bold example.

Nancy Pelosi’s Faulty Theology: Free Will and Abortion

"Of course, God has given us a free will — but explicitly NOT to be used to do evil."

Quote:A week after Pope Francis again referred to abortion as “murder,” akin to “hiring a hitman,” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi put forward a bill that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called “the most radical abortion bill of all time.”

Pelosi’s bishop in San Francisco, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, described the bill as “nothing short of child sacrifice.”

The proposed legislation was given a typical Orwellian name: the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2021.

The very name was condemned by the bishops. Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, chairman of the U.S. bishops’ pro-life committee, denounced the “deceptively-named, extreme bill [that] would impose abortion on demand nationwide at any stage of pregnancy through federal statute.” The bill seeks to create a national “statutory right” to abortion, attempting to nationalize all abortion laws. It aims to override countless state-based rules and limitations, such as laws requiring waiting periods, laws requiring ultrasounds before a woman can have an abortion, and limits on late-term abortions.

As Archbishop Cordileone notes, it’s a particularly “heinous” piece of legislation.

Nonetheless, Pelosi threw the whole weight of her party behind it. Introduced by Pelosi’s California colleague, Rep. Judy Chu, it passed the House last Friday on a strict party-line vote, 218-211.

Every Democrat but one voted for it. Not one Republican voted for it.

It was a huge victory for lifetime Catholic Nancy Pelosi. She called it “a very exciting day for some of us in Congress.”

Pelosi celebrated, whereas her bishop most certainly did not.

“Any reasonable person with a basic sense of morality and inkling of decency cannot but shudder in horror at such a heinous evil being codified in law,” said Archbishop Cordileone. He said it was “especially shameful that any self-professed Catholic would be implicated in such an evil, let alone advocate for it.”

But Pelosi did that, and then some.

Asked about her advocacy of such an evil by EWTN News Nightly correspondent Erik Rosales, Pelosi, as she often does in these moments, did not hesitate to invoke a theological explanation:

“The archbishop of the city of that area, of San Francisco, and I had a disagreement about who should decide this,” said Pelosi in reference to deciding “family size and timing.” She added: “I believe that God has given us a free will to honor our responsibilities.”

Of course, God has given us a free will, but explicitly not to be used in this way.

“I have set before you life and death,” declares Deuteronomy 30:19, “blessing and cursing: [T]herefore choose life.”

This is affirmed throughout the Old and New Testament. God commands us: “Thou shall not kill.”

What Pelosi affirmed is, of course, utterly contrary to how a Christian and a Catholic understands free will.

The Catechism says of free will: “Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own responsibility. By free will one shapes one’s own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude. … There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to ‘the slavery of sin’” (1731-33).

Pelosi’s party, which includes many pro-abortion Catholics, right up to the president of the United States, has become ever-increasingly beholden to the slavery of sin that is abortion. Pelosi and President Joe Biden, clearly understanding that Roe v. Wade is being challenged unlike ever before, are using every freedom at their disposal to not just preserve “abortion rights,” but to advance them to levels heretofore not achieved.

But for Catholics, using freedom in this way is wholly condemned by their Church. It is an abuse of freedom.

In his 1993 encyclical Veritatis Splendor (The Splendor of Truth), Pope St. John Paul II stated: “The relationship between man’s freedom and God’s law is most deeply lived out in the ‘heart’ of the person, in his moral conscience.” Here, he quoted the Second Vatican Council pastoral constitution on the Church in the modern world, Gaudium et Spes: “In the depths of his conscience man detects a law which he does not impose on himself, but which holds him to obedience. Always summoning him to love good and avoid evil, the voice of conscience can when necessary speak to his heart more specifically: ‘[D]o this, shun that.’ For man has in his heart a law written by God. To obey it is the very dignity of man; according to it he will be judged” (Romans 2:14-16).

John Paul II underscored that the judgment of conscience contains within it an “imperative character,” namely: “Man must act in accordance with it.” If a person “acts against this judgment … he stands condemned by his own conscience.”

John Paul II had long written about this. It was integral to his notion of “The Acting Person,” or the “Person and the Act.” Through our human freedom, granted by God via the gift of free will, a person chooses to act, and that person can act morally or immorally. How the person chooses to act really does define the person. God gave us free will, yes, but to choose good, not evil.

This latest plainly awful theological assertion from Nancy Pelosi in defense of her abortion radicalism is merely that: the latest.

In August 2008, when asked, “When does life begin?” by Tom Brokaw on Meet the Press, Pelosi spoke for her Church and even the Church Fathers, telling a national TV audience: “I would say that, as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time. And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the Church have not been able to make that definition. And Senator — Saint Augustine — said at three months. We don’t know. The point is that it shouldn’t have an impact on a woman’s right to choose.”

Then there was an infamous exchange in June 2013, when an annoyed Pelosi told a reporter asking about her defense of late-term abortion, “as a practicing and respectful Catholic, this is sacred ground to me.”

Another moment was Easter 2014, when Pelosi told Planned Parenthood, which had just awarded her its highest honor, its annual Margaret Sanger Award, that pro-lifers were “dumb.” She told the Planned Parenthood faithful: “When you see how closed their minds are, or oblivious, or whatever it is — dumb — then you know what the fight is about.”

More recently, just this past May, when asked her reaction to the bishops considering the question of whether abortion-advocating Catholic politicians like herself could be denied the Eucharist by their priests, Pelosi instructed the reporter with a firm, “No,” adding: “I think I can use my own judgment on that.”

I referred to this at the time as a new doctrine of not in persona Christi, but “In Persona Pelosi.”

These are just a few of many examples of a lifelong Catholic who has further dug in and set her own rules for unborn life and the Church and continues to create public scandal by her choices, further emboldening pro-abortion Catholic politicians from Joe Biden to the new Catholic governor of New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is militantly pro-abortion.

All of this will soon come to a head, one supposes, as the bishops formulate a statement on whether “pro-choice” politicians should be permitted to receive the Eucharist. Nancy Pelosi has effectively offered herself as the poster girl for that issue. Each day, her false pronouncements make it more so. Her butchering of the Church’s teachings on abortion, from when life begins to even free will, continues unabated.

Interestingly, the House, Senate, and White House are full of pro-abortion Catholics. But the SCOTUS furor is supposedly about catholic justices voting their religion.

some historical context here:

Quote:Precedent: The OTHER Catholic Politicians Who Were Denied Communion

CV NEWS FEED // Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Archdiocese of San Francisco announced Friday that he was denying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, Communion over her unbending support for abortion. The news fueled an eruption of resistance from abortion advocates and others, including some Catholics.

Cordileone made clear that he believed his decision was a “pastoral” rather than a “political” one, and personally pledged to personally pray and fast for Pelosi. Nonetheless, some Catholic critics on the political Left argue that denying Communion to pro-abortion Catholic politicians only politicizes the Holy Sacrament, or “weaponizes” the Eucharist.

Catholic supporters of Cordileone’s decision, on the other hand, point out that the Church itself teaches clearly that denying Communion to Catholic public figures serves an important purpose that is conciliatory rather than combative: drawing the wayward politicians more fully back into the fold by pointing out their error and motivating them to correct it.

Public debates over Cordileone’s move this week are likely to continue along the same pattern as the discussions that surrounded Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield’s decision in 2019 to deny Communion to two prominent pro-abortion Democrats in Illinois.

At the time, CatholicVote produced a video explainer about Paprocki’s move, which also highlighted another example of barring political figures from Communion.

“In the spring of 1962, Archbishop Joseph Rummel of New Orleans excommunicated a Democratic judge named Leander Perez and two other politicians,” CatholicVote’s video reported:

Rummel had spent a decade pleading with white Louisiana Catholics to repent of the sin of racism. Earlier that year he had officially ordered the schools in his diocese to desegregate. With the first racially integrated school year in diocesan history approaching, local politicians resisted, including Judge Perez. They organized protests, boycotted Sunday collections, and threatened to pull children out of the newly desegregated schools.

“At the time, the archbishop’s decision to deny Communion to these Catholic politicians was shocking to many,” CatholicVote pointed out. “And what might Judge Leander Perez say? That the archbishop was inappropriately ‘weaponizing’ Holy Communion against racist white Catholics? ‘Politicizing’ the Eucharist against segregation?”

Despite the initial public resistance of some, “in the Fall of 1962, Louisiana Catholic schools opened fully integrated. For the first time, black and white students attended classes side-by-side at Catholic schools. There was no violence.”

“Today the debate continues over whether bishops should deny Communion to persistent abortion promoters in public office,” the video continued:

Some argue that barring politicians from Communion could alleviate scandal and show Catholics in the pews once again that the Church will not allow powerful men to flout human dignity without consequences. After all Catholic teaching against abortion is no less adamant than that against racism, and if Rummel’s confrontation of wayward Catholic politicians could help end segregation, perhaps Paproki’s could help save infant lives.

Regarding the point about alleviating scandal, CatholicVote ran a poll last year which found that a large majority (74%) of Catholics who go to Mass believe public officials who defy the Church’s teaching on abortion should not present themselves for Communion.

In addition, Paprocki made a further argument when he made the decision to deny Communion to the Illinois lawmakers – an argument echoed by Cordileone this week. “It’s my hope and prayer these lawmakers reconcile themselves with the Church so they can receive Communion,” Paproki said.

“According to the Catholic Catechism, that is a central purpose of denying Communion; to warn that a person’s soul is in danger, and to encourage him lovingly to repent and return home,” CatholicVote’s video concluded:

In fact after the Church’s victory over segregation in 1962, Bishop Rummel won another, spiritual victory. Judge Leander Perez eventually repented, and knelt once again to receive the Eucharist, in full communion with the Church.

link to separate video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgL-prjcG3k

Quote:Here is a List of Bishops Speaking Out in Support of Archbishop Cordileone

NOTE: This is a developing story. Readers are encouraged to come back again for updates.
Last update: 7:00pm, Sunday, 5/22/2022

CV NEWS FEED // After Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone announced Friday that he is barring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, from receiving Communion in her home Archdiocese of San Francisco, a growing number of other American bishops and archbishops have voiced their support for the decision.

As of Saturday evening, 13 prominent Catholic churchmen had weighed in with support for their brother bishop.

Archbishop Joseph Fred Naumann, Archdiocese of Kansas City, KS

Archbishop Joseph Naumann, a previous chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued this statement the same day Cordileone announced his decision regarding Pelosi:

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 Donald Hying, Diocese of Madison, WI

The Diocese of Madison issued a statement from Bishop Donald Hying regarding what the Diocese called “Nancy Pelosi’s choice to separate herself from full communion with the Catholic Church.”

“I fully support Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone’s prudent decision to recognize that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, has persistently taken public positions in support of legal abortion, contrary to her professed Catholic faith, choosing to separate herself from full communion with the Catholic Church, and therefore is not to present herself for the reception of Holy Communion in the Archdiocese of San Francisco,” Hying stated:

Archbishop Cordileone’s public statement made it clear that this serious measure is ‘purely pastoral, not political’ in a further attempt ‘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…’ This is not a decision that was made rashly, but rather one made after almost ten years of patient dialogue and repeated attempts at reconciliation with the congresswoman and the consistently held teachings of the Catholic Church. Please join me in prayer for Speaker Pelosi, that she may embrace the sacred truth and dignity of the human person, formed in the womb, in the image of God.

Archbishop Samuel Aquila, Archdiocese of Denver, CO

“I support and commend my brother bishop for making this courageous, compassionate, and necessary decision,” wrote Archbishop Samuel Aquila in a statement Friday. “I know Archbishop Cordileone to be a shepherd with the heart and mind of Christ, who truly desires to lead others towards Christ’s love, mercy, and promise of eternal salvation.”

“He has made every attempt to try and avoid this step,” Aquila added.

Bishop Joseph Strickland, Diocese of Tyler, TX

Bishop Joseph Strickland posted a report on Archbishop Cordileone’s decision on social media, adding: “Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Archbishop Cordileone for loving Nancy Pelosi in the Truth of Jesus Christ!”

“Now may every bishop follow the lead of [Archbishop Cordileone] & make it clear that elected leaders who vehemently speak against the sanctity of life must be strongly corrected & if Catholic admonished to live their faith,” Strickland added.

Bishop James Conley, Diocese of Lincoln, NE

“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,” wrote Bishop James Conley:

We fervently pray for a conversion of heart for Speaker Pelosi and for all those who advocate for the destruction of human life in the womb. Let us pray that all people recognize the dignity of every human soul: man, woman and child, born and unborn.

Bishop Robert Vasa, Diocese of Santa Rosa, CA

Bishop Robert Vasa, “the bishop of the California diocese where Pelosi has a vacation home,” said Friday that “he will uphold the prohibition when Pelosi attends Mass in his diocese,” the Pillar reported:

Bishop Robert Vasa of the Diocese of Santa Rosa told The Pillar May 20 he has instructed priests to observe the decision of Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone when Pelosi attends Mass at the parish nearby her Napa Valley vacation home and vineyard.

“I have visited with the pastor at [Pelosi’s parish] and informed him that if the Archbishop prohibited someone from receiving Holy Communion then that restriction followed the person and that the pastor was not free to ignore it,” Vasa said in a statement provided to The Pillar by the Santa Rosa diocese.

Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ, Diocese of Oakland, CA

“I support [Archbishop Cordileone] in the heroic and compassionate stance he took today in the protection and defense of human life,” wrote Michael Bishop Barber on Friday. “As Pope Francis said, ‘Every child who, rather than being born, is condemned unjustly to being aborted, bears the face of Jesus Christ.'”

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, OK

“I applaud the courage of Archbishop Cordileone and his leadership in taking this difficult step,” wrote Archbishop Paul S. Coakley on Friday:

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 Thomas Paprocki, Diocese of Springfield, IL

Bishop Thomas Paprocki on Friday wrote:

I fully support and earnestly commend Archbishop Cordileone’s action in regard to Speaker Pelosi. All politicians who promote abortion should not receive holy Communion until they have repented, repaired scandal, and been reconciled to Christ and the Church.

Bishop David Ricken, Diocese of Green Bay, WI

“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,” tweeted Bishop David Ricken on Friday:

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 through 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.

Bishop Liam Cary, Diocese of Baker, OR

“Representative Nancy Pelosi proudly combines ‘devout’ practice of Catholic faith in her personal life with high-profile promotion of legalized abortion in her political life,” wrote Bishop Liam Cary in a statement Friday. “The scandalizing gap between belief and behavior on the part of the Speaker of the House grievously misleads her fellow believers about Catholic teaching on social justice and seriously handicaps Catholic efforts to defend unborn life in the womb.”

Cary went on to point out Cordileones repeated pastoral efforts to discuss the matter with Pelosi, which she rebuffed. Cordileone’s notification to Pelosi set “conditions [that] invite Representative Pelosi’s return to Communion and show her the way to do so on the Church’s terms, not her own,” Cary wrote. “May our merciful Lord grant her the grace to accept them. May He strengthen Archbishop Cordileone to walk the path of courage with confidence.”

Bishop Thomas Daly, Diocese of Spokane, WA

“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,” tweeted Bishop Thomas Daly on Saturday morning. “I fully support Archbishop Cordileone. No bishop enjoys making these decisions but we are all bound to teach the truth with love, compassion and without compromise.”

Bishop Michael F. Olson, Diocese of Fort Worth, TX

“Please join me in praying for [Archbishop Cordileone] for his protection during these times as he shepherds all of his flock with perseverance and fortitude,” wrote Bishop Michael Olson on Saturday afternoon. “Please pray for the ongoing conversion of [Speaker Pelosi] and for others who place themselves at odds with the Gospel of Life.”

Bishop James S. Wall, Diocese of Gallup, NM

Bishop James Wall has approvingly shared Cordileone’s message to the faithful about Pelosi with followers on social media.

Abortion Victim: Its Time To Confront the Violence
May 19, 2022 This is what abortion propaganda does do to women and unborn children. Thank you for your brave testimony!

Southern Baptist Convention leaders publish long-secret list of accused ministers

Quote:A top Southern Baptist Convention committee long kept a secret list of accused ministers.

On Thursday night, SBC leaders finally released the 205-page list.

Southern Baptist Convention leaders published Thursday a list of accused abusive ministers that previous staff maintained in secret for more than a decade.

The list's release is seen as an important first step in response to a historic report from investigative firm Guidepost Solutions into SBC leaders' failure to address sexual abuse for more than two decades.

The list contains the names of nine individuals who remain in ministry, two of whom reportedly are at SBC affiliated churches.

“Each entry in this list reminds us of the devastation and destruction brought about by sexual abuse," they said. "Our prayer is that the survivors of these heinous acts find hope and healing, and that churches will utilize this list proactively to protect and care for the most vulnerable among us.”

The list, published on the SBC's website at http://www.sbc.net, itself is 205 pages long, including numerous links to news articles as well as descriptions of charges and convictions.

It is being released in the exact form it was provided to Guidepost Solutions, with entries included in their entirety that referenced “an admission, confession, guilty plea, conviction, judgment, sentencing, or inclusion on a sex offender registry.”

Names of survivors and other individuals not related to the offender were redacted.

“Other entries where preliminary research did not indicate a disposition that fits within the described parameters have been redacted," Slade and McLaurin said in the statement. "Entries that do not relate to sexual abuse or that resulted in an acquittal are also redacted."

Some of the redacted entries may be released after further research, they said.

In 2007, Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee staff began logging news articles and other public reports of ministers accused of sexual misconduct. A year later, one of those officials later led the committee to reject a proposal for a clergy abuser database.

"Releasing this list is a symbolic gesture. 'This is the bare minimum thing we can do,'" Todd Benkert, an Indiana pastor who has pushed for abuse reform initiatives in the SBC, said in an interview Tuesday.

The executive committee manages denomination business when the full convention isn't in session during the annual meeting, and is comprised of about 30 staff and a board of elected members.

The staff who maintained that list no longer work for the executive committee. The list's existence was largely a secret until the release of Guidepost's report on Sunday, which revealed many shocking examples of leaders habitually blocking abuse awareness and reform.

The list and officials' maintenance of it, though only one example in the report, embodies those leaders' behavior toward abuse.

'Nothing wrong with our doing it'

An unnamed employee and Roger "Sing" Oldham, former executive committee vice president for convention communications, maintained the log for August "Augie" Boto, former executive committee general counsel and then interim president/CEO, Guidepost investigators found.

"No action was ever taken to share these materials outside a small cadre of people, or to take action to address the possibility that these accused individuals might continue in ministry in SBC churches," Guidepost's report found.

In August 2013, Boto asked the unnamed staff member to send the list to Jim Guenther, an attorney with the executive committee's longtime law firm, Guenther, Jordan & Price.

"We are going to keep doing this and there is absolutely nothing wrong with our doing it. Basically, we are stuffing newspaper clippings in a drawer," Boto emailed the employee, according to Guidepost's report. "Anybody could do that."

Guidepost investigators confirmed the list was sent to Guenther, but the attorney told investigators his firm didn't receive it.

In May 2019, Oldham mentioned the list in an email to Ronnie Floyd, then executive committee president & CEO, and others, saying they previously considered publishing the list, but were concerned about subsequent liability.

Floyd told investigators he never received the list.
'Tip of the iceberg'

Investigators said at one point, the list contained 703 names, with 409 believed to have been at SBC-affiliated churches.

"If they’re not even willing to do that (publish the list), then the writing would be on the wall for future things. It’s some saying ‘We’re serious about this. This is the stuff we can take today and we’re going to take it,'" Benkert said.

A motion from Benkert at the 2021 SBC annual meeting led to an assessment of sexual abuse in the SBC, which is different than Guidepost's investigation into the executive committee and is set to conclude by 2024. That assessment will survey the issue throughout SBC churches and potentially identify cases of abuse that have not been publicly reported.

The list published this week is based on information already out there. "That’s just the tip of the iceberg," Benkert said.

To report abuse

The Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee has also formed an agreement with Guidepost to maintain a hotline for survivors and others to submit allegations of abuse. Guidepost will not be inquiring into the allegations at this time, but will hold the information confidentially while the SBC’s Sexual Abuse Task Force establishes processes for inquiries.

For victims of sexual abuse or for those who suspect sexual abuse by a pastor, staff member or member of a Southern Baptist church or entity. The hotline can be reached at 202-864-5578 or SBChotline@guidepostsolutions.com.

Read the list on SBC's site: List of ministers accused of abuse

Guidepost report: 'Ignored, disbelieved': Southern Baptist Convention sexual abuse report details cover up, DECADES of inaction

The list, released by the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), followed a report that contained more than 700 names, with more than 400 included via direct affiliation with the religious denomination.

On the list are four individuals who remain in leadership positions within the denomination’s churches. The list was primarily a secret until Guidepost’s report was made public on Sunday. [/url]

Wait a minute, didn't they get the memo it was only Cathoic Priests who were abusers? Must be some kind of mistake? Still waiting for the release of the tens of thousands of Publik Skewl abusers that seems to be still suppressed, might the unions have something to do wit dat? Oh, and the Boy Scouts list, and the DNC lists...et cetera....Decades of inaction? Oh, my Mr. Sulu....

Speaker Pelosi now barred from Communion in at least four dioceses

Quote:Washington — Since San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone barred House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from receiving the Eucharist in his jurisdiction on May 20, three other bishops from the conservative wing of the U.S. Catholic Church have followed, citing her support for abortion rights as cause to invalidate her right to the sacrament.

The same day that Cordileone determined in a public letter that Pelosi was "not to be admitted to Holy Communion unless and until she publicly repudiate her support for abortion 'rights' and confess and receive absolution," Bishop Robert Vasa barred the speaker from Communion in the Diocese of Santa Rosa, which borders Cordileone's archdiocese.

"I have visited with the pastor at St Helena and informed him that if the Archbishop prohibited someone from receiving Holy Communion then that restriction followed the person and that the pastor was not free to ignore it," Vasa's statement read.

On Wednesday Vasa was joined by Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington, in Virginia, and Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, a known conservative firebrand.

Cordileone, Vasa, Burbidge and Strickland are part of a small but increasingly strident group in the U.S. bishops' conference that feuded with their colleagues last summer over whether clerics should deny the sacrament to Biden for his support of abortion rights. More liberal-leaning bishops, such as Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego, accused supporters of the idea of having "weaponized" the Eucharist.

A report on the issue delivered months later chiefly recommended that American Catholics be given more education on the meaning of the Eucharist.

In his statement Friday, Vasa invoked an article of canon law that, in his words, "makes it clear that providing sacraments to someone prohibited from receiving them has its own possible penalties." According to Vasa, canon law says a person can be "punished with suspension" for intentionally administering a sacrament to "those who are prohibited from receiving it."

Canon 915 states: "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."

Fr. John Beal, a canon lawyer and professor at the Catholic University of America, was dismissive of Vasa's argument, which contradicts the commonly held belief that Communion denials are limited to an individual bishop's diocese.

"Bishops are rarely punctilious about procedural niceties," Beal said in an email.

Burbidge appeared to echo Vasa when he declared on a podcast that he intends to respect Cordileone's ban on Pelosi because "he is her bishop and as that bishop the direction and guidance he provides is not limited to just a geographical area." Representatives of the Arlington Diocese said they could not confirm whether Burbidge was making the same argument as Vasa.

Strickland, for his part, said in an email to Religion News Service that he is less concerned with the canonical question, referring to it as "a question of jurisdiction" and acknowledging "interpretations of Canon Law will differ." But he insisted his own ban arose primarily from his "desire was to emphasize that what Archbishop Cordileone is doing is considered to be 'medicinal' for the state of Mrs. Pelosi's soul."

Asked about the new bevy of bans levied against Pelosi, a spokesperson for the Diocese of San Diego replied, "We don't really go out of our way to comment on what's going on in other dioceses."

On May 22, two days after Cordileone's public letter, Pelosi received Communion at a Jesuit church in Washington, where Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, has signaled his opposition to the idea of barring politicians from Communion because of their views on abortion.

Fr. Wilton Gregory has long been known to not follow Catholic teachings. He was given his position not because of his capabilities or his adherence to the fath, but to pomote a Maxist philosophy instead. Fr. Gregory is an embarassment to the Church and should be removed.

(05-28-2022 10:23 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  Speaker Pelosi now barred from Communion in at least four dioceses

Quote:Washington — Since San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone barred House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from receiving the Eucharist in his jurisdiction on May 20, three other bishops from the conservative wing of the U.S. Catholic Church have followed, citing her support for abortion rights as cause to invalidate her right to the sacrament.

The same day that Cordileone determined in a public letter that Pelosi was "not to be admitted to Holy Communion unless and until she publicly repudiate her support for abortion 'rights' and confess and receive absolution," Bishop Robert Vasa barred the speaker from Communion in the Diocese of Santa Rosa, which borders Cordileone's archdiocese.

"I have visited with the pastor at St Helena and informed him that if the Archbishop prohibited someone from receiving Holy Communion then that restriction followed the person and that the pastor was not free to ignore it," Vasa's statement read.

On Wednesday Vasa was joined by Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington, in Virginia, and Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, a known conservative firebrand.

Cordileone, Vasa, Burbidge and Strickland are part of a small but increasingly strident group in the U.S. bishops' conference that feuded with their colleagues last summer over whether clerics should deny the sacrament to Biden for his support of abortion rights. More liberal-leaning bishops, such as Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego, accused supporters of the idea of having "weaponized" the Eucharist.

A report on the issue delivered months later chiefly recommended that American Catholics be given more education on the meaning of the Eucharist.

In his statement Friday, Vasa invoked an article of canon law that, in his words, "makes it clear that providing sacraments to someone prohibited from receiving them has its own possible penalties." According to Vasa, canon law says a person can be "punished with suspension" for intentionally administering a sacrament to "those who are prohibited from receiving it."

Canon 915 states: "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."

Fr. John Beal, a canon lawyer and professor at the Catholic University of America, was dismissive of Vasa's argument, which contradicts the commonly held belief that Communion denials are limited to an individual bishop's diocese.

"Bishops are rarely punctilious about procedural niceties," Beal said in an email.

Burbidge appeared to echo Vasa when he declared on a podcast that he intends to respect Cordileone's ban on Pelosi because "he is her bishop and as that bishop the direction and guidance he provides is not limited to just a geographical area." Representatives of the Arlington Diocese said they could not confirm whether Burbidge was making the same argument as Vasa.

Strickland, for his part, said in an email to Religion News Service that he is less concerned with the canonical question, referring to it as "a question of jurisdiction" and acknowledging "interpretations of Canon Law will differ." But he insisted his own ban arose primarily from his "desire was to emphasize that what Archbishop Cordileone is doing is considered to be 'medicinal' for the state of Mrs. Pelosi's soul."

Asked about the new bevy of bans levied against Pelosi, a spokesperson for the Diocese of San Diego replied, "We don't really go out of our way to comment on what's going on in other dioceses."

On May 22, two days after Cordileone's public letter, Pelosi received Communion at a Jesuit church in Washington, where Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, has signaled his opposition to the idea of barring politicians from Communion because of their views on abortion.

Fr. Wilton Gregory has long been known to not follow Catholic teachings. He was given his position not because of his capabilities or his adherence to the fath, but to pomote a Maxist philosophy instead. Fr. Gregory is an embarassment to the Church and should be removed.

Life is simple when everybody with whom you disagree in an implanted Marxist...

(05-29-2022 08:45 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  

(05-28-2022 10:23 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  Speaker Pelosi now barred from Communion in at least four dioceses

Quote:Washington — Since San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone barred House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from receiving the Eucharist in his jurisdiction on May 20, three other bishops from the conservative wing of the U.S. Catholic Church have followed, citing her support for abortion rights as cause to invalidate her right to the sacrament.

The same day that Cordileone determined in a public letter that Pelosi was "not to be admitted to Holy Communion unless and until she publicly repudiate her support for abortion 'rights' and confess and receive absolution," Bishop Robert Vasa barred the speaker from Communion in the Diocese of Santa Rosa, which borders Cordileone's archdiocese.

"I have visited with the pastor at St Helena and informed him that if the Archbishop prohibited someone from receiving Holy Communion then that restriction followed the person and that the pastor was not free to ignore it," Vasa's statement read.

On Wednesday Vasa was joined by Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington, in Virginia, and Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, a known conservative firebrand.

Cordileone, Vasa, Burbidge and Strickland are part of a small but increasingly strident group in the U.S. bishops' conference that feuded with their colleagues last summer over whether clerics should deny the sacrament to Biden for his support of abortion rights. More liberal-leaning bishops, such as Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego, accused supporters of the idea of having "weaponized" the Eucharist.

A report on the issue delivered months later chiefly recommended that American Catholics be given more education on the meaning of the Eucharist.

In his statement Friday, Vasa invoked an article of canon law that, in his words, "makes it clear that providing sacraments to someone prohibited from receiving them has its own possible penalties." According to Vasa, canon law says a person can be "punished with suspension" for intentionally administering a sacrament to "those who are prohibited from receiving it."

Canon 915 states: "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."

Fr. John Beal, a canon lawyer and professor at the Catholic University of America, was dismissive of Vasa's argument, which contradicts the commonly held belief that Communion denials are limited to an individual bishop's diocese.

"Bishops are rarely punctilious about procedural niceties," Beal said in an email.

Burbidge appeared to echo Vasa when he declared on a podcast that he intends to respect Cordileone's ban on Pelosi because "he is her bishop and as that bishop the direction and guidance he provides is not limited to just a geographical area." Representatives of the Arlington Diocese said they could not confirm whether Burbidge was making the same argument as Vasa.

Strickland, for his part, said in an email to Religion News Service that he is less concerned with the canonical question, referring to it as "a question of jurisdiction" and acknowledging "interpretations of Canon Law will differ." But he insisted his own ban arose primarily from his "desire was to emphasize that what Archbishop Cordileone is doing is considered to be 'medicinal' for the state of Mrs. Pelosi's soul."

Asked about the new bevy of bans levied against Pelosi, a spokesperson for the Diocese of San Diego replied, "We don't really go out of our way to comment on what's going on in other dioceses."

On May 22, two days after Cordileone's public letter, Pelosi received Communion at a Jesuit church in Washington, where Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, has signaled his opposition to the idea of barring politicians from Communion because of their views on abortion.

Fr. Wilton Gregory has long been known to not follow Catholic teachings. He was given his position not because of his capabilities or his adherence to the fath, but to pomote a Maxist philosophy instead. Fr. Gregory is an embarassment to the Church and should be removed.

Life is simple when everybody with whom you disagree in an implanted Marxist...

Equally simple when they are all racists…

But I really must say, I oppose Marxism. Unlike Obama, who sought out Marxist professors…and proudly wrote about it in his book.

On the matter of Pelosi vs. the Catholic Church, i think that that is a matter between Pelosi and the church. But I have long wondered why so many nominal Catholics are pro-abortion. Maybe it is the same as Baptists who drink and dance.

(05-29-2022 09:16 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(05-29-2022 08:45 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  

(05-28-2022 10:23 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  Speaker Pelosi now barred from Communion in at least four dioceses

Quote:Washington — Since San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone barred House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from receiving the Eucharist in his jurisdiction on May 20, three other bishops from the conservative wing of the U.S. Catholic Church have followed, citing her support for abortion rights as cause to invalidate her right to the sacrament.

The same day that Cordileone determined in a public letter that Pelosi was "not to be admitted to Holy Communion unless and until she publicly repudiate her support for abortion 'rights' and confess and receive absolution," Bishop Robert Vasa barred the speaker from Communion in the Diocese of Santa Rosa, which borders Cordileone's archdiocese.

"I have visited with the pastor at St Helena and informed him that if the Archbishop prohibited someone from receiving Holy Communion then that restriction followed the person and that the pastor was not free to ignore it," Vasa's statement read.

On Wednesday Vasa was joined by Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington, in Virginia, and Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, a known conservative firebrand.

Cordileone, Vasa, Burbidge and Strickland are part of a small but increasingly strident group in the U.S. bishops' conference that feuded with their colleagues last summer over whether clerics should deny the sacrament to Biden for his support of abortion rights. More liberal-leaning bishops, such as Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego, accused supporters of the idea of having "weaponized" the Eucharist.

A report on the issue delivered months later chiefly recommended that American Catholics be given more education on the meaning of the Eucharist.

In his statement Friday, Vasa invoked an article of canon law that, in his words, "makes it clear that providing sacraments to someone prohibited from receiving them has its own possible penalties." According to Vasa, canon law says a person can be "punished with suspension" for intentionally administering a sacrament to "those who are prohibited from receiving it."

Canon 915 states: "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."

Fr. John Beal, a canon lawyer and professor at the Catholic University of America, was dismissive of Vasa's argument, which contradicts the commonly held belief that Communion denials are limited to an individual bishop's diocese.

"Bishops are rarely punctilious about procedural niceties," Beal said in an email.

Burbidge appeared to echo Vasa when he declared on a podcast that he intends to respect Cordileone's ban on Pelosi because "he is her bishop and as that bishop the direction and guidance he provides is not limited to just a geographical area." Representatives of the Arlington Diocese said they could not confirm whether Burbidge was making the same argument as Vasa.

Strickland, for his part, said in an email to Religion News Service that he is less concerned with the canonical question, referring to it as "a question of jurisdiction" and acknowledging "interpretations of Canon Law will differ." But he insisted his own ban arose primarily from his "desire was to emphasize that what Archbishop Cordileone is doing is considered to be 'medicinal' for the state of Mrs. Pelosi's soul."

Asked about the new bevy of bans levied against Pelosi, a spokesperson for the Diocese of San Diego replied, "We don't really go out of our way to comment on what's going on in other dioceses."

On May 22, two days after Cordileone's public letter, Pelosi received Communion at a Jesuit church in Washington, where Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, has signaled his opposition to the idea of barring politicians from Communion because of their views on abortion.

Fr. Wilton Gregory has long been known to not follow Catholic teachings. He was given his position not because of his capabilities or his adherence to the fath, but to pomote a Maxist philosophy instead. Fr. Gregory is an embarassment to the Church and should be removed.

Life is simple when everybody with whom you disagree in an implanted Marxist...

Equally simple when they are all racists…

But I really must say, I oppose Marxism. Unlike Obama, who sought out Marxist professors…and proudly wrote about it in his book.

On the matter of Pelosi vs. the Catholic Church, i think that that is a matter between Pelosi and the church. But I have long wondered why so many nominal Catholics are pro-abortion. Maybe it is the same as Baptists who drink and dance.

There are plenty of Catholics out there who have decided that the church is not infallible in their decision-making and therefore perhaps adhering to staunch Catholic dogma is not necessary

(05-29-2022 01:32 PM)Rice93 Wrote:  

(05-29-2022 09:16 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(05-29-2022 08:45 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  

(05-28-2022 10:23 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  Speaker Pelosi now barred from Communion in at least four dioceses

Quote:Washington — Since San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone barred House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from receiving the Eucharist in his jurisdiction on May 20, three other bishops from the conservative wing of the U.S. Catholic Church have followed, citing her support for abortion rights as cause to invalidate her right to the sacrament.

The same day that Cordileone determined in a public letter that Pelosi was "not to be admitted to Holy Communion unless and until she publicly repudiate her support for abortion 'rights' and confess and receive absolution," Bishop Robert Vasa barred the speaker from Communion in the Diocese of Santa Rosa, which borders Cordileone's archdiocese.

"I have visited with the pastor at St Helena and informed him that if the Archbishop prohibited someone from receiving Holy Communion then that restriction followed the person and that the pastor was not free to ignore it," Vasa's statement read.

On Wednesday Vasa was joined by Bishop Michael Burbidge of the Diocese of Arlington, in Virginia, and Bishop Joseph E. Strickland of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, a known conservative firebrand.

Cordileone, Vasa, Burbidge and Strickland are part of a small but increasingly strident group in the U.S. bishops' conference that feuded with their colleagues last summer over whether clerics should deny the sacrament to Biden for his support of abortion rights. More liberal-leaning bishops, such as Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego, accused supporters of the idea of having "weaponized" the Eucharist.

A report on the issue delivered months later chiefly recommended that American Catholics be given more education on the meaning of the Eucharist.

In his statement Friday, Vasa invoked an article of canon law that, in his words, "makes it clear that providing sacraments to someone prohibited from receiving them has its own possible penalties." According to Vasa, canon law says a person can be "punished with suspension" for intentionally administering a sacrament to "those who are prohibited from receiving it."

Canon 915 states: "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."

Fr. John Beal, a canon lawyer and professor at the Catholic University of America, was dismissive of Vasa's argument, which contradicts the commonly held belief that Communion denials are limited to an individual bishop's diocese.

"Bishops are rarely punctilious about procedural niceties," Beal said in an email.

Burbidge appeared to echo Vasa when he declared on a podcast that he intends to respect Cordileone's ban on Pelosi because "he is her bishop and as that bishop the direction and guidance he provides is not limited to just a geographical area." Representatives of the Arlington Diocese said they could not confirm whether Burbidge was making the same argument as Vasa.

Strickland, for his part, said in an email to Religion News Service that he is less concerned with the canonical question, referring to it as "a question of jurisdiction" and acknowledging "interpretations of Canon Law will differ." But he insisted his own ban arose primarily from his "desire was to emphasize that what Archbishop Cordileone is doing is considered to be 'medicinal' for the state of Mrs. Pelosi's soul."

Asked about the new bevy of bans levied against Pelosi, a spokesperson for the Diocese of San Diego replied, "We don't really go out of our way to comment on what's going on in other dioceses."

On May 22, two days after Cordileone's public letter, Pelosi received Communion at a Jesuit church in Washington, where Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, has signaled his opposition to the idea of barring politicians from Communion because of their views on abortion.

Fr. Wilton Gregory has long been known to not follow Catholic teachings. He was given his position not because of his capabilities or his adherence to the fath, but to pomote a Maxist philosophy instead. Fr. Gregory is an embarassment to the Church and should be removed.

Life is simple when everybody with whom you disagree in an implanted Marxist...

Equally simple when they are all racists…

But I really must say, I oppose Marxism. Unlike Obama, who sought out Marxist professors…and proudly wrote about it in his book.

On the matter of Pelosi vs. the Catholic Church, i think that that is a matter between Pelosi and the church. But I have long wondered why so many nominal Catholics are pro-abortion. Maybe it is the same as Baptists who drink and dance.

There are plenty of Catholics out there who have decided that the church is not infallible in their decision-making and therefore perhaps adhering to staunch Catholic dogma is not necessary

To paraphrase, Joe, they aren't really Catholics then, are they? What they really are is former Catholics who have not yet found a church that agrees with them. Maybe they are CINOs.

Still, I think this is between Pelosi and the archbishop. Not my job to pontificate on other people's religions.

(05-29-2022 07:16 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(05-29-2022 01:32 PM)Rice93 Wrote:  

(05-29-2022 09:16 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(05-29-2022 08:45 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  

(05-28-2022 10:23 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  Speaker Pelosi now barred from Communion in at least four dioceses


Fr. Wilton Gregory has long been known to not follow Catholic teachings. He was given his position not because of his capabilities or his adherence to the fath, but to pomote a Maxist philosophy instead. Fr. Gregory is an embarassment to the Church and should be removed.

Life is simple when everybody with whom you disagree in an implanted Marxist...

Equally simple when they are all racists…

But I really must say, I oppose Marxism. Unlike Obama, who sought out Marxist professors…and proudly wrote about it in his book.

On the matter of Pelosi vs. the Catholic Church, i think that that is a matter between Pelosi and the church. But I have long wondered why so many nominal Catholics are pro-abortion. Maybe it is the same as Baptists who drink and dance.

There are plenty of Catholics out there who have decided that the church is not infallible in their decision-making and therefore perhaps adhering to staunch Catholic dogma is not necessary

To paraphrase, Joe, they aren't really Catholics then, are they? What they really are is former Catholics who have not yet found a church that agrees with them. Maybe they are CINOs.

Still, I think this is between Pelosi and the archbishop. Not my job to pontificate on other people's religions.

I love the verb 'pontificate' especially when it used in relation to the Catholic church. Seems so apropos. Especially if and when the pontiff himself opines.

(05-29-2022 07:16 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(05-29-2022 01:32 PM)Rice93 Wrote:  

(05-29-2022 09:16 AM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(05-29-2022 08:45 AM)Rice93 Wrote:  

(05-28-2022 10:23 PM)GoodOwl Wrote:  Speaker Pelosi now barred from Communion in at least four dioceses


Fr. Wilton Gregory has long been known to not follow Catholic teachings. He was given his position not because of his capabilities or his adherence to the fath, but to pomote a Maxist philosophy instead. Fr. Gregory is an embarassment to the Church and should be removed.

Life is simple when everybody with whom you disagree in an implanted Marxist...

Equally simple when they are all racists…

But I really must say, I oppose Marxism. Unlike Obama, who sought out Marxist professors…and proudly wrote about it in his book.

On the matter of Pelosi vs. the Catholic Church, i think that that is a matter between Pelosi and the church. But I have long wondered why so many nominal Catholics are pro-abortion. Maybe it is the same as Baptists who drink and dance.

There are plenty of Catholics out there who have decided that the church is not infallible in their decision-making and therefore perhaps adhering to staunch Catholic dogma is not necessary

To paraphrase, Joe, they aren't really Catholics then, are they? What they really are is former Catholics who have not yet found a church that agrees with them. Maybe they are CINOs.

Still, I think this is between Pelosi and the archbishop. Not my job to pontificate on other people's religions.

I especially enjoy the use of the verb 'pontificate' when in a discussion of or relating to the Catholic church. Seems so apropos. Especially if and when the pontiff himself opines.

(05-29-2022 07:16 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  To paraphrase, Joe, they aren't really Catholics then, are they? What they really are is former Catholics who have not yet found a church that agrees with them. Maybe they are CINOs.

Where else could they go? It's not like there's a denomination that has all the liturgical tradition and structure of Catholicism -- even bishops with funny hats -- but lets people do pretty much whatever they want.

(05-29-2022 08:27 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(05-29-2022 07:16 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  To paraphrase, Joe, they aren't really Catholics then, are they? What they really are is former Catholics who have not yet found a church that agrees with them. Maybe they are CINOs.

Where else could they go? It's not like there's a denomination that has all the liturgical tradition and structure of Catholicism -- even bishops with funny hats -- but lets people do pretty much whatever they want.

George, I hate to admit it, but Episcopal comes about as close as possible.

(05-29-2022 08:27 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(05-29-2022 07:16 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  To paraphrase, Joe, they aren't really Catholics then, are they? What they really are is former Catholics who have not yet found a church that agrees with them. Maybe they are CINOs.

Where else could they go? It's not like there's a denomination that has all the liturgical tradition and structure of Catholicism -- even bishops with funny hats -- but lets people do pretty much whatever they want.

The Church of Nihilism is a pretty fun concept to ponder, when you think of it.

Kind of like in law school when I petitioned to start a local club of 'Attorneys for Anarchy'. The dean was not very amused at that.

Maybe the the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (so-called Pastafarians...)

(05-29-2022 08:27 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(05-29-2022 07:16 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  To paraphrase, Joe, they aren't really Catholics then, are they? What they really are is former Catholics who have not yet found a church that agrees with them. Maybe they are CINOs.

Where else could they go? It's not like there's a denomination that has all the liturgical tradition and structure of Catholicism -- even bishops with funny hats -- but lets people do pretty much whatever they want.

Russian Orthodox?

Or they could stay home - as I suspect they do anyway.



But when they insist on rights (rites?) of a member, it would seem they owe a duty to agree with the Church.

(05-29-2022 08:44 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(05-29-2022 08:27 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(05-29-2022 07:16 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  To paraphrase, Joe, they aren't really Catholics then, are they? What they really are is former Catholics who have not yet found a church that agrees with them. Maybe they are CINOs.

Where else could they go? It's not like there's a denomination that has all the liturgical tradition and structure of Catholicism -- even bishops with funny hats -- but lets people do pretty much whatever they want.

George, I hate to admit it, but Episcopal comes about as close as possible.

Gosh, you don't say!