Archbishop Cordileone Stands Tall

Last year San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone issued a pastoral letter Before I Formed You in the Womb, I Knew You. In this letter the Archbishop laid out the reasons why a pro-abortion Catholic politician should be denied Communion, and the steps that should be taken for this to happen. While Cordileone was not the first bishop to speak out about this important issue, his voice was particularly important due to a high-profile member of his flock: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Catholic with a long history of rabid support for legalized abortion. A year ago today I interviewed Archbishop Cordileone about his pastoral letter, and at one point in the conversation I asked him point blank if he would deny Holy Communion to Pelosi. He said he was not ready to do that, as he felt he still needed to further discuss with her the gravity of her actions. To be honest, I was frustrated and disappointed, and so were many Catholics. After all, Pelosi has been openly pro-abortion for decades, and Cordileone has been her Ordinary for almost a decade. What more could be said or done? What was the purpose of waiting?-- More...