Archbishop slams Catholics Biden, Pelosi for condemning new Texas abortion law

Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and President Joe Biden, both Catholics, issued statements condemning a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld a new Texas pro-life law. The politicians promised to take action to reverse the pro-life legislation. Their statements violate Catholic social teaching on protecting all human life, says San Francisco Catholic Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone.

By Mary Margaret Olohan

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone emphasized Sunday that Catholics have a duty to challenge pro-abortion politicians like President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Late Wednesday night, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to deny abortion providers’ requests to block Texas’ new law banning abortion after 6 weeks. Both Biden and Pelosi issued statements condemning the Supreme Court ruling and the Texas law and promising to take action to reverse the pro-life legislation.

“This summer, we provoked an uproar by discussing whether public officials who support abortion should receive the sacrament of the Eucharist,” Cordileone wrote in a Washington Post op-ed. “We were accused of inappropriately injecting religion into politics, of butting in where we didn’t belong.”

“I see matters differently,” he said. “When considering what duties Catholic bishops have with respect to prominent laymen in public life who openly oppose church teachings on abortion, I look to this country’s last great human rights movement — still within my living memory — for inspiration on how we should respond.”

Cordileone cited the example of former New Orleans Archbishop Joseph Rummel, who admitted black students to seminary, ordered an end to segregation throughout the archdiocese of New Orleans and the removal of “colored” signs from churches, closed a church for its refusal to accept a black priest, and excommunicated multiple people who supported segregation.

“Rummel did not ‘stay in his lane,’” Cordileone wrote. “Unlike several other bishops throughout this country’s history, he did not prioritize keeping parishioners and the public happy above advancing racial justice. Instead, he began a long, patient campaign of moral suasion to change the opinions of pro-segregation White Catholics.”

“Was that wrong,” the archbishop asked, referencing Rummel’s excommunication of the segregationists. “Was that weaponizing the Eucharist? No. Rummel recognized that prominent, high-profile public advocacy for racism was scandalous: It violated core Catholic teachings and basic principles of justice, and also led others to sin.”

Cordileone wrote that abortion “kills a unique, irreplaceable human being” and that anyone who advocates, funds or presents abortion as a “legitimate choice participates in a great moral evil.”

“You cannot be a good Catholic and support expanding a government-approved right to kill innocent human beings. The answer to crisis pregnancies is not violence but love, for both mother and child,” he said. “This is hardly inappropriate for a pastor to say. If anything, Catholic political leaders’ response to the situation in Texas highlights the need for us to say it all the louder.”

The archbishop told the Daily Caller News Foundation in May that he has previously spoke with Pelosi about abstaining from receiving Holy Communion at Mass as a pro-abortion Catholic.

“I have had such conversations with Speaker Pelosi, she knows that I stand by Church teaching, and I know she’s respectful enough not to do anything so provocative,” the archbishop said.

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Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore

9 thoughts on “Archbishop slams Catholics Biden, Pelosi for condemning new Texas abortion law

  1. When it comes to religion and the actions of others, “judge not less ye be judged” are wise words to remember.

    When it comes to religion and politics, one has to tread carefully. Through out history some of the worst atrocities ( including 9/11) were carried out by those believing they were doing the will of God.

    Perhaps the best we can do in regards to religion is to let our beliefs guide us in our own lives, remebering that these three things abide: faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love.

    • John,

      In general, people need guidance to regulate their behavior.
      Religion has historically been that guide, and in many areas of the US, it still is.
      Relegating religion to a secondary role, pooh, pooh role, is evil, far from wise.

      It should certainly not be the government, which very often is led by “agenda” people, usurping that role.

      They often claim to KNOW what is best for us, because they went to liberal arts, environmental, etc., colleges.

      • Appreciate your comment Willem and have spent a good deal of yesterday while pressing cider with my youngest grandchild thinking about your words.

        Religion for myself, is not something I use to regulate my behavior, but as a daily inspiration, a comfort in times of sorrow, and the rock upon which I have built my life.

        Government indeed is used to regulate our behavior. Stop signs and speed limits come to mind. Government is best when it governs and intrudes on our lives the least.

        Both religion and government can be misued by those pushing their own agendas and we need to keep a wary eye on all leaders claiming either to speak for God or who say they have all the answers.

  2. The Catholic church teaches that unjustified killing is a mortal sin. The church’s answer should not be just a few priests or bishops on TV calling Biden and Pelosi hypocrites. The answer should be excommunication. That should be the Catholic church’s response and message. However that will never happen with the social justice progressive pope Catholics have now.

  3. San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone emphasized Sunday that Catholics have a duty to challenge pro-abortion politicians like President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

    EXCERPT from:

    https://dailycaller.com/2021/09/06/archbishop-cordileone-biden-pelosi-abortion/

    Late Wednesday night, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to deny abortion providers’ requests to block Texas’ new law banning abortion after 6 weeks. Both Biden and Pelosi issued statements condemning the Supreme Court ruling and the Texas law and promising to take action to reverse the pro-life legislation.

    “This summer, we provoked an uproar by discussing whether public officials who support abortion should receive the sacrament of the Eucharist,” Cordileone wrote in a Washington Post op-ed. “We were accused of inappropriately injecting religion into politics, of butting in where we didn’t belong.”

    “I see matters differently,” he said. “When considering what duties Catholic bishops have with respect to prominent laymen in public life who openly oppose church teachings on abortion, I look to this country’s last great human rights movement — still within my living memory — for inspiration on how we should respond.”

  4. As a Christian, I do not really have a dog in this fight… but I have an opinion.
    God and Jesus and the Apostles gave us a few commandments to follow. Thou shall not murder, Thou shall not kill babies or the unborn. So My time limit is zero time after conception. The chances of loosing a wife to child birth are pretty slim, I did come close once – very scary, but the daughter was already born, so it never crossed my mind.
    I have more opinions but I do not think you are ready for them!

  5. As Dante explained, there is a special place in the numerous rings of HELL for politicians. There is some hope for justice.

  6. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, it’s about time someone within the Catholic Church
    stands up and points out that Biden & Pelosi are just two of many in our government
    that profess to be ” Catholics ” but support the slaughter of the unborn, Hypocrites !!

    This Texas bill should be in every state, in this day and age if you get knocked up,
    you’re an idiot. Now if there is something criminal involved ” Incest or rape ” that’s a
    different issue, the ones fighting this are only interested in the MONEY involved and
    the power they don’t want to lose.

    The Black communities should be jumping for joy with this bill, as abortions disprop-
    ortionately affect black and minority women, and this is accordig to the CDC as black
    women account for 38% of all U.S. abortions, even though Black Americans make up
    just 12% of the US population……. is there a plan to eliminate generations of black ??

  7. Biden and Pelosi loudly profess to be pro-abortion.

    That means they are not devout Catholics.
    They do not live by the edicts of the Church, which include no abortions, except if the mother’s life would be endangered.

    They are pseudo Catholics, i.e., in name only, CINOs, likely because their parents were Catholic.

    Being religious has certain benefits for politicians.

    First, they have their handlers announce, they will be going to church.

    Then, the obsequious US Media shows up for photo opts, which will show them solemnly entering a church, to commemorate this or that, which, as devout politicians, always looks good for PR purposes.

    Texas passed a law making it illegal to provide abortions, if a woman has been pregnant 6 weeks, which is ample time to perform a very simple pregnancy test at home.
    If the urine test shows pink, a woman is pregnant

    NOTE: Personally, I think it should be 10 weeks. That way a woman would miss two periods, etc.

    Almost EVERY woman would know to immediately get a test and an abortion, if so desired.
    And every money-making clinic would squeeze her in to beat the deadline.

    There are hysterical, pro-abortion folks, who would advocate abortions up to the day before birth, which, for sure, is ethical/moral murder.

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