Claim:
Former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from San Francisco, once received communion at a papal Mass in Rome despite the archbishop of San Francisco saying she could no longer receive it due to her views on abortion.
Rating:
True ( About this rating? )
Former U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi allegedly took communion at a papal Mass presided over by the pope at the Vatican despite Archbishop of San Francisco Salvatore Cordileone — who is responsible for the archdiocese in which Pelosi resides — denying her the sacrament due to her views on abortion, according to social media posts, including this one on X ( archived ), posted Aug. 7, 2024:
The post had gained more than 1.3 million views and 37,000 likes as of this writing, while some people responded to it with amusement. One X user replied: "She'd make a decent Richelieu," referring to the 16th century French cardinal whose cunning helped him rise to the position of principal minister of King Louis XIII.
Based on our findings, we rated the claim "True."
What Are Pelosi's Views on Abortion?
Pelosi, a Democrat, once described herself as a "devout Catholic," according to the Catholic News Agency , adding that she had "five children in six years and one week." Her faith has not prevented her from supporting legal abortion , a point on which she stood in direct opposition to the Catholic Church, whose doctrine said any abortion is "evil," according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB):
Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.
Due to her views on abortion, the conservative Archbishop of San Francisco Salvatore Cordileone issued a letter barring Pelosi from taking communion until, and unless, she changed her mind on the topic. Cordileone's public post on the matter, published in May 2022, read as follows:
After numerous attempts to speak with her [Pelosi] 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.
Pelosi responded , saying that while she respected all views on abortion, she did "not respect us foisting it on others."
Several months prior, in September 2021, Pelosi introduced a bill attempting to enshrine into law the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade , which made abortion legal in the U.S. However, the bill failed in the Senate. Two months after the exchange between Cordileone and Pelosi, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade , allowing several U.S. states to institute abortion bans at different stages of pregnancy.
Did Pelosi Take Communion at Vatican papal Mass?
On June 29, 2022, five days after this decision, Pelosi visited the Vatican. She met with Pope Francis, prior to him holding Mass at St Peter's Basilica, and received a blessing from him. In defiance of Cordileone's ban, she received communion at this Mass, according to the Associated Press , without renouncing her opinion on abortion. In fact, she harshly criticized the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision, calling it "outrageous and heart-wrenching."
Another witness, talking to Reuters , said Pelosi received communion from a priest, with Reuters noting that t he pope does not give communion himsel f at such ceremonies.
Pelosi's communications director Ian Krager also confirmed to Snopes via email that she received communion at the Vatican.
During that Mass, Francis reiterated that the Catholic Church stands for life, but also called on archbishops to welcome all, even sinners, into the church. The New York Times , who also confirmed the event independently, reminded its readers Francis had previously said "communion is not the reward of saints, but the bread of sinners."
Sources:
'Biden Vows Abortion Fight, Assails "extreme" Court Ruling'. AP News, 24 June 2022, https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-ruling-reaction-699a24d04b6085bcfa80824f530782b0 .
Bowman, Emma. 'An Archbishop Bars Pelosi from Communion over Her Support for Abortion Rights'. NPR, 21 May 2022. NPR, https://www.npr.org/2022/05/21/1100536547/nancy-pelosi-communion-abortion-rights .
Chu, Judy. Women's Health Protection Act of 2021. HR 3755, https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3755/text .
CNA. '10 Times Nancy Pelosi Supported Abortion While Citing Her Catholic Faith'. Catholic News Agency, https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251310/10-times-nancy-pelosi-supported-abortion-while-citing-her-catholic-faith . Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.
---. 'Nancy Pelosi Describes Herself as a "devout" Catholic Who Grew up in a "pro-Life Family"'. Catholic News Agency, https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/250789/nancy-pelosi-devout-catholic-abortion-stance . Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.
Cordileone, Salvatore. Letter to the Faithful on the Notification Sent to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 20 May 2022, https://sfarchdiocese.org/letter-to-the-faithful-on-the-notification-sent-to-speaker-nancy-pelosi/ .
Cordileone, Salvatore. Notification to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress Nancy Pelosi. 20 May 2022, https://sfarchdiocese.org/notification-to-the-speaker-of-the-house-of-representatives-of-the-united-states-congress-nancy-pelosi/ .
Holman, Jim. 'Why Pope Francis Doesn't Give Communion'. California Catholic Daily, 15 May 2013, https://www.cal-catholic.com/why-pope-francis-doesnt-give-communion/ .
May 27, Olivia Beaty and 2022. Diplomacy as the Art of Continuous Negotiations: Cardinal de Richelieu and the "Political Testament" - Classics of Strategy and Diplomacy. 27 May 2022, https://classicsofstrategy.com/2022/05/27/diplomacy-as-the-art-of-continuous-negotiations-cardinal-de-richelieu-and-the-political-testament/ .
'{{meta.pageTitle}}'. {{meta.siteName}}, https://www.oyez.org/cases/1971/70-18 . Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.
'Pelosi: Far Right Uses Abortion as a Cover for Other Things They Want to Accomplish'. MSNBC.Com, https://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/speaker-pelosi-far-right-uses-abortion-as-a-cover-for-other-things-they-want-to-accomplish-140693573539 . Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.
'Pelosi Receives Communion in Vatican amid Abortion Debate'. AP News, 29 June 2022, https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pope-francis-politics-religion-nancy-pelosi-249a32b2af9de647f1bae94aacb60c6e .
Pitofsky, Marina. 'Pelosi Responds after Archbishop Denies Her Holy Communion for Supporting Abortion Rights'. USA TODAY, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/24/pelosi-archbishop-communion-abortion/9913015002/ . Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.
Pope: Eucharist Is Bread of Sinners, Not Reward of Saints | National Catholic Reporter . https://www.ncronline.org/spirituality/pope-eucharist-bread-sinners-not-reward-saints, https://www.ncronline.org/spirituality/pope-eucharist-bread-sinners-not-reward-saints. Accessed 13 Aug. 2024.
Respect for Unborn Human Life: The Church's Constant Teaching | USCCB. https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/abortion/respect-for-unborn-human-life . Accessed 12 Aug. 2024.
Roe v. Wade and Supreme Court Abortion Cases | Brennan Center for Justice. 6 Oct. 2022, https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/roe-v-wade-and-supreme-court-abortion-cases.
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