Abp. Cordileone Blasts Pelosi

You are not signed in as a Premium user; you are viewing the free version of this program. Premium users have access to full-length programs with limited commercials and receive a 10% discount in the store! Sign up for only one day for the low cost of $1.99. Click the button below.

See All Plans

SAN FRANCISCO (ChurchMilitant.com) - An archbishop in California is checking the speaker of the House after she slammed pro-life Trump voters committed to saving the lives of babies slaughtered in abortions.

On Monday, Nancy Pelosi insulted pro-lifers who voted for Donald Trump because of his stance on the abortion issue. Pelosi accused the pro-life voters of "being willing to sell the whole democracy down the river for that one issue." She added that their votes personally caused her "great grief as a Catholic."

On Thursday, Abp. Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco shot back at Pelosi beginning with what he called the "obvious."  

"Nancy Pelosi does not speak for the Catholic Church. She speaks as a high-level important government leader, and as a private citizen," said Cordileone. "And on the question of the equal dignity of human life in the womb, she also speaks in direct contradiction to a fundamental human right that Catholic teaching has consistently championed for 2,000 years."

Cordileone, archbishop of Pelosi's home diocese, spelled out the Church's 2,000-year precedent against abortion:

Christians have always understood that the commandment "Thou shall not kill" applies to all life, including life in the womb. Around the end of the first century the Letter of Barnabas states: "You shall not slay the child by procuring abortion; nor, again, shall you destroy it after it is born." One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five years later, the Second Vatican Council affirmed: "Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes" (Gaudium et Spes, n. 51).  

Pope Francis continues this unbroken teaching. Addressing participants in the conference, "Yes to Life! —  Taking Care of the Precious Gift of Life in Its Frailty" on May 25, 2019, he condemned abortion in the strongest possible terms: "Is it licit to eliminate a human life to solve a problem? ... It is not licit. Never, never eliminate a human life ... to solve a problem.  Abortion is never the answer that women and families are looking for." 

Cordileone further declared: "No Catholic in good conscience can favor abortion," adding the evocative words, "Our land is soaked with the blood of the innocent, and it must stop."

Cordileone took the opportunity to thank the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for their pointed inauguration statement to Joe Biden on Wednesday, in which the bishops reiterated that abortion is the "preeminent priority" for Catholics. The San Francisco prelate noted Abp. Jose Gomez "acted rightly and collaboratively in his role as USCCB President, and I am grateful to him for doing so."

He was referring to a key part of Gomez's USCCB statement, which reads:

So I must point out that our new president has pledged to pursue certain policies that would advance moral evils and threaten human life and dignity, most seriously in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage and gender. Of deep concern is the liberty of the Church and the freedom of believers to live according to their consciences.

Chicago's Cdl. Blase Cupich slammed the USCCB's statement calling it "ill considered." Cupich also tweeted that the statement "was drafted without the involvement of the Administrative Committee."

Reacting to Cupich, author and political commentator George Neumayr quipped to Church Militant: "Cupich is a Democratic Party activist in a priestly collar."

Despite often flaunting her Catholicism, Pelosi has a long track record of supporting abortion and Planned Parenthood (PP). Last spring, she lobbied on behalf of PP to help funnel the nonprofit organization millions in taxpayer dollars. The speaker demanded that Senate Republicans specifically include the abortion giant in its coronavirus relief package.

Cordileone reflected on the "call to unity and healing" that Biden made in his inaugural speech. Given this call, the San Francisco archbishop said Pelosi "owes these voters an apology."

Despite Cordileone's and Gomez's strong words, many faithful see their recent pro-life statements as too little too late. They're asking the bishops where they've been for decades while the abortion holocaust has played out in ever greater numbers.

Have a news tip? Submit news to our tip line.

We rely on you to support our news reporting. Please donate today.