San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone has responded to Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) defiant insult in an interview this week with the National Catholic Reporter.
In Pelosi’s interview with the “progressive” publication, which has been condemned for undermining Church teachings, Pelosi said that she is continuing to receive communion – even though the archbishop has banned her doing so because of her scandalous support for abortion – and that her defiance is “his problem,” not hers:
"‘I received Communion anyway. That's his problem, not mine," she said.
"‘My Catholic faith is, Christ is my savior. It has nothing to do with the bishops.’"
“Nancy Pelosi’s recent interview with the National Catholic Reporter has elicited a number of requests of me to offer a comment on it,” Archbishop Cordileone wrote Tuesday in a statement responding to her comments to the Reporter.
Quoting the prophet Ezekiel, the Cordileone stressed that, as “a pastor of souls,” he has an obligation to teach, console, heal and forgive, but also, when necessary, to correct, admonish and call to conversion those embroiled in sin.
“One of the most the effective ways for a pastor to accomplish these duties is by way of dialogue, honest dialogue, where each party listens openly and honestly, seeking to understand the other, and being honest with one’s own self,” Cordileone writes.
“My own personal experience has taught me that this kind of dialogue can dispel misperceptions and melt away hostilities, and build new bonds of friendship,” Cordileone tells Pelosi, calling her to engage in a dialogue regarding issues such as the killing “innocent human life”:
“I therefore earnestly repeat once again my plea to Speaker Pelosi to allow this kind of dialogue to happen. I ask this not only to dialogue in areas of disagreement, such as if and when it can ever be morally permissible to kill innocent human life, but also in other critical areas where our views on behalf of human life and dignity are aligned, especially threats to religious liberty internationally and the plight of immigrants domestically.“
“This should not be a problem, as Catholics are not afraid of the truth,” challenges Pelosi.