CV NEWS FEED // House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, said she was “pleased” with a statement that the Vatican sent to U.S. bishops warning them to tread lightly on the topic of pro-abortion Catholic politicians receiving Communion.
The document Pelosi was referring to told the U.S. bishops to discuss the matter among themselves, to avoid public controversy and division, and ultimately to leave the question between politicians and their local Catholic authorities.
The Vatican statement, which Pelosi described as “basically” saying “don’t be divisive on the subject,” was released after two liberal bishops asked Rome to intervene against the U.S. bishops’ plan to publicly clarify the Church’s teachings on reception of the Eucharist.
Those two bishops, Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago and Joseph Tobin of Newark, have caused political controversy in recent years, making a name for themselves as more ‘progressive’ than many of their brother bishops.
During the leadup to the 2020 election, Tobin addressed the question of whether faithful Catholics can vote for pro-abortion polticians by saying that “a person in good conscience could vote for Mr. Biden,” but said that “in my own way of thinking,” he would “have a more difficult time with the other option,” President Trump.
For his part, Cupich protested very publicly when Archbishop Jose Gomez, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), pointed out where President Joe Biden’s policy positions differ with the teachings of the Catholic Church on Inauguration Day.
During that controversy too, Tobin reportedly joined Cupich in contacting the Vatican to lobby for an intervention against the USCCB.
Other Catholic Leaders React
The USCCB reportedly had planned to issue an authoritative document on reception of the Eucharist at their upcoming assembly in June. In addition, a number of other Catholic leaders have been raising awareness about the importance of the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of life, and the connection between that teaching and the question of whether pro-abortion Catholic politicians should present themselves for Communion.
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of of San Francisco stated earlier this month that those “who reject the teaching of the Church on the sanctity of human life … place themselves in contradiction to the communion of the Church, and so should not receive the sacrament of that communion, the Holy Eucharist.”
Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix, AZ, concurred with Cordileone, adding: “Woe to us bishops if we do not speak clearly about the grave evil of abortion, and the consequences of any Catholic who participates in the act or publicly supports it by word or action.”
Bishop Donald Hying of the Diocese of Madison, WI, also agreed with Cordileone, and recommended his statement as a “timely” message on “the need to challenge political leaders who are pro-abortion — especially those who profess Catholicism….”
Hying spoke out again this week.
“Pelosi says she’s ‘pleased’ with Vatican letter to U.S. bishops on Communion,” he tweeted Friday. “So, in other words, Nancy, we bishops should just be quiet about your radical pro abortion stance, as you facilitate the continuation of the murder of millions of unborn lives.”
Speaking to EWTN’s Raymond Arroyo, Cardinal Gerhard Mueller criticized the efforts of Cupich and Tobin to thwart the U.S. bishops’ plans to clarify the matter.
“I think these two bishops came to Rome as members or representatives of the Democratic Party,” Mueller said.
Watch Mueller’s comments below.