The Archbishop of San Francisco is the latest Catholic leader to call for Holy Communion to be refused to pro-abortion high-profile Catholics.

The Most Reverend Salvatore J. Cordileone called for Catholics in public life to seriously consider the Church’s teaching on the inherent right to life.

In his pastoral letter entitled, "Before I Formed You in the Womb I Knew You: A Pastoral Letter on the Human Dignity of the Unborn, Holy Communion, and Catholics in Public Life", he writes: “If you find that you are unwilling or unable to abandon your advocacy for abortion, you should not come forward to receive Holy Communion.

“When public figures identify themselves as Catholics and yet actively oppose one of the most fundamental doctrines of the Church, we pastors have a responsibility both to them and to the rest of our people.”

One high-profile figure that this letter will likely affect is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a resident of San Francisco and a staunch supporter of abortion, despite the teachings of her Catholic faith.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops will discuss the exclusion of abortion-supporting public figures from Holy Communion during their national meeting in June.

SPUC Comment

A SPUC spokesperson said: “The Catholic Church teaches that abortion is always wrong as it takes the life of an innocent human being.

“The Catholic Church also teaches that Holy Communion is truly the body and blood of Jesus Christ and may only be received by Catholics in a state of grace.

“Objectively, publicly contradicting the teaching of the Church on the issue of abortion and receiving Holy Communion puts these high-profile individuals in a state of mortal sin, whatever their subjective guilt may be in the eyes of God. The fact that this very public sin is not widely confronted causes confusion and may lead some people to wrongfully believe that abortion is tolerated by the Church.

"This is particularly so when pro-abortion politicians receive the Holy Eucharist in view of St Paul’s warning: “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth an drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord” [1 Corinthians 11:27]

“SPUC hopes that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops will make it abundantly clear to the faithful that Catholics must oppose abortion in all cases.”