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Pope Francis receives Nancy Pelosi and her husband Paul in St. Peter's Basilica
Photo: HANDOUT/AFP
According to a media report, US Democratic politician Nancy Pelosi, who was barred from communion in her hometown, received Holy Communion at the Vatican instead.
The head of the US House of Representatives received the sacrament from a priest during a mass in St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday, the Catholic online newspaper Crux Now reported.
US media such as the Washington Post also report.
The Archbishop of San Francisco last month barred Pelosi from communion for her pro-abortion support.
The Vatican circulated photos showing Pelosi and her husband Paul with Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica.
The Vatican initially did not respond to a request from the AFP news agency about Pelosi's visit on Wednesday.
Archbishop of San Francisco relies on canon law
Pelosi openly supports the right to abortion and had sharply condemned the decision of the Supreme Court announced a few days ago to repeal the US-wide right to abortion.
San Francisco's Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone wrote in May that Pelosi said she was "clearly committing a grave sin" by supporting abortion rights.
Canon law prescribes that such a person should not be admitted to Holy Communion.
Cordileone therefore prohibited the 82-year-old practicing Catholic from taking communion in his archdiocese.
She is only allowed to participate again if she publicly changes her attitude, confesses and "receives absolution for this grave sin".
President Joe Biden could soon face a similar fate.
The conference of Catholic bishops in the USA wants to withhold the church sacraments from him - also because of his position on abortion issues - which, like Pelosi's, corresponds to the current legal situation in the USA until last week.
kfr/AFP