Dispute over abortion rights: US Archbishop excludes Nancy Pelosi from communion

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"Committing a Manifestly Serious Sin": Nancy Pelosi

Photo: MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA

Should pro-abortion politicians receive communion?

In the dispute over abortion rights in the United States, the Archbishop of San Francisco has now barred Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi from receiving Holy Communion.

This is reported by various media, including the AFP news agency and the US broadcaster CNBC.

In a letter to the US House of Representatives published on Friday, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone justified the exclusion with her support for the right to abortion.

This is contrary to Christian teaching.

"A Catholic legislator who supports abortion despite knowing the doctrine of the Church commits a manifestly grave sin," writes Cordileone.

Canon law prescribes that such a person should not be admitted to Holy Communion.

Cordileone therefore forbids the 82-year-old practicing Catholic from taking communion in his archdiocese.

Should Pelosi appear anyway, the priest must not let her participate.

Pelosi is allowed to participate again if she changes her stance

The Archbishop went on to say that because Pelosi, contrary to his requests, has not publicly distanced himself from her support for abortion rights and uses her Catholic faith to justify her position, he has "no choice" but to issue the ban.

However, she is allowed to take part in Holy Communion again if she publicly changes her attitude, confesses and "receives absolution for this grave sin".

The Catholic Church in the United States had already argued last year about whether politicians should be allowed to receive communion even if they advocate abortion.

At that time the focus of the debate: US President Joe Biden.

Pelosi, whose constituency is in San Francisco, like most politicians in President Joe Biden's Democratic Party, supports women's right to abortion.

This right is currently in danger in the USA: In the coming weeks, the country's Supreme Court could pass the almost 50-year-old landmark decision »Roe v.

Wade, which enshrined a constitutional right to abortion in 1973.

One of the most controversial socio-political issues in the USA

Should the conservative-dominated Supreme Court overturn the landmark ruling, as suggested by a draft ruling leaked in early May, states would have a free hand to ban abortion or drastically restrict access to abortions.

Around half of the states are likely to go this route.

There is no federal law on the subject.

The Pelosi-led House of Representatives has already voted in favor of a bill that would change Roe v.

Wade” would be poured into law, so to speak.

In the Senate, where the Democrats only have a wafer-thin majority, attempts to pass it have repeatedly failed, most recently in the middle of last week.

Abortion rights are one of the most controversial socio-political issues in the United States.

It is now likely to become a major campaign issue ahead of the midterm congressional elections in November.

tfb/AFP