The politician’s “pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist,” Ratzinger wrote.
If these conversations “have not had their effect,” he added, then “the minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it.”
When asked by EWTN under what circumstances Communion can be denied for the sake of the recipient’s soul, Cordileone answered that “private conversations” must first take place “to try to move the person in their conscience.”
The archbishop did not comment on whether he has had private conversations with Pelosi about her stance on abortion, or whether he is considering publicly prohibiting her from receiving Communion.
In November, Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C. told a reporter that he would not deny President Joe Biden the reception of Holy Communion, if Biden were to present himself for Communion at Mass. During the 2020 presidential campaign, Biden pledged his support of taxpayer-funded abortion and promised to codify Roe v. Wade in law.
OnEWTN Pro-Life Weekly, Cordileone emphasized that worthiness to receive Holy Communion is a much broader problem among Catholics than just Catholic politicians who contradict Church teaching.
“We have a bigger problem too, in that so many Catholics don’t even understand the concept of worthiness to receive Communion, right? To be in the state of grace,” he said. “And before COVID, I often questioned how many people just nonchalantly go up to receive Communion when they’re really not supposed to be.”
The archbishop said that intentionally skipping even one Sunday Mass is an example of a serious sin that requires absolution in the confessional before a Catholic is worthy to receive Communion again.
EWTN Pro-Life Weeklyasked Cordileone this week if Pelosi’s support for abortion as a Catholic in public office was scandalous.
Cordileone answered that Pelosi is not only opposing Church teaching, but also is scandalously contradicting “fundamental human rights.”
“But this is contradicting the Church on a matter that is not specifically Catholic doctrine. Again, this is a matter of fundamental human rights,” he said. “So, we have political leaders championing an injustice, and people thinking that’s okay for Catholics to do. But it’s not.”
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