Letters to the Editor: Deny Nancy Pelosi Communion? She’s not the only pro-choice Catholic
To the editor: Shame on you, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, for denying the sacrament of Holy Communion to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), a devout Catholic, a devoted mother and grandmother, and a true American patriot.
There are many of us pro-choice Catholics in this country, many of them (particularly women) serving as the backbone of parishes and religious organizations.
When John F. Kennedy ran for president in 1960, there were many Americans who were hesitant to vote for a Catholic, thinking that he would take his orders from the church hierarchy. He proved that a Catholic could be elected and serve every American.
It is ironic that a church leader in the 21st century would deny Holy Communion to someone who seeks to serve all Americans and not foist her personal values on those who do not share her religious faith.
Mary Ellen Early, Sherman Oaks
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To the editor: We all know that life begins at conception. Pro-abortionists deny that for obvious reasons, but ask any fertility doctor who joins an egg and a sperm in a petri dish to be implanted into the womb of someone who desires to have a baby.
Medical science has progressed a great deal since Roe vs. Wade was decided in 1973. Contraceptives are readily available and should be handed out for free to anyone who wants them. These days, no one who wants to avoid having a child should be getting pregnant.
I believe one of the most important goals of all the nations on our fragile Earth should be stopping over-population and all its problems with free contraception. We can do this while stopping the murder of unborn babies.
Millie Derose, San Fernando
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To the editor: Cordileone’s official and public sanction of Pelosi needs to be seen by the Internal Revenue Service for what it is — a clear and studied attempt to influence law and politics in America, with the goal of imposing Catholic dogma regarding abortion onto the lives of all Americans.
This goes well beyond a cleric admonishing a parishioner to change their stance — he could have done that in private communication with Pelosi.
This kind of behavior on the part of a high church official should result in the removal of tax-exempt status, or at least the threat of it, for that archdiocese. I hope the IRS is drafting a stern letter to the archbishop, reminding him that lobbyists and political action organizations are not tax-exempt.
Alex Murray, Altadena
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To the editor: I was raised Catholic. I was baptized, attended catechism, went to confession, received my first Communion and finally got confirmed at 13 years old.
I no longer identify as Catholic because of the hypocrisy I discovered. The pedophilia and sexual abuses by priests and the cover-ups were too much for me. The “holier than thou” attitude and the belief we must have blind faith in order to be a good Catholic are not part of my spirituality.
In dealing with Pelosi and her faith, I would like to remind Cordileone that Jesus warned us, “Judge not lest ye be judged.” He also said, “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will be able to see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Amen.
Nelson Sagisi, Santa Maria
