Archbishop Cordileone, the Eucharist, and the Church

“ … Because there arose no little dissension and debate by Paul and Barnabas with them,
it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question … ”
Acts 15:2

“ … I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you … ”
Jn 14 25–27a

BISHOP KEVIN J. SWEENEY

On this past Friday, May 20, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone issued a letter by which he communicated his decision that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not to be admitted to Holy Communion. Since the news story broke, I have received a number of emails and messages, mostly encouraging me to support the Arch­bishop’s decision. Two of the emails that I received directed me to (separate) articles referencing nine Bishops who have made public statements in support of Arch­bishop Cordileone’s decision. Here are the links to those two articles:

A list of Bishops Speaking Out in Support of Archbishop Cordileone

These Catholic bishops support Nancy Pelosi ban on Holy Communion

Another person suggested that I “tweet out” (send a message on Twitter) my support of Archbishop Cordileone and I think I understand the sentiment and good faith with which that message/suggestion was sent. I can see the value of social media, but I also see this moment as an example of the dangers inherent in communicating via social media in general and, perhaps, Twitter in particular. Therefore, I will attempt to give a brief summary of my view on this matter in the following paragraphs.

I do support Archbishop Cordileone in, what I believe, is his conscientious and prayerful exercise of his pastoral ministry and responsibility. While there has been much attention on and reaction to the Archbishop’s decision, I do not believe there has been as much focus on the long history that has led to this decision or the spirit with which the letter is written. If you have not read the full text of the letter, I strongly encourage you to do so. It can be found at:

Letter to the faithful on the Notification sent to Speaker Nancy Pelosi

There are two parts of the letter that I would like to highlight: first, from the section in which he shares what led to his decision:

“ … I have struggled with this issue in my own conscience for many years now, especially with regard to the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and member of our Archdiocese, Nancy Pelosi.

I have received letters from very many of you over the years expressing distress over the scandal being caused by such Catholics in public life who promote such grievously evil practices as abortion. I have responded that conversion is always better than exclusion, and before any such action can be taken it must be preceded by sincere and diligent efforts at dialogue and persuasion ... ”

From all that I know and have learned, Archbishop Cordileone has indeed, over many years, made, “sincere and diligent efforts at dialogue and persuasion.”

Second, from all that I have read and heard, there has not been much attention given to these words (in the letter):

“… Please know that I find no pleasure whatsoever in fulfilling my pastoral duty here. Speaker Pelosi remains our sister in Christ. Her advocacy for the care of the poor and vulnerable elicits my admiration. I assure you that my action here is purely pastoral, not political. I have been very clear in my words and actions about this. Speaker Pelosi has been uppermost in my prayer intentions ever since I became the Archbishop of San Francisco … ”

Two weeks ago, I shared my opinion that we are at a time in the history of our country when, as people of faith, we have an opportunity to “change the tone” of the, so-called, “abortion debate.” I do have a concern that Archbishop Cordileone’s decision or, more precisely, the reactions to his decision may cause the “tone” of the debate to go in a direction that may not be helpful. It is important to note the reasoning process of the Archbishop. The Archbishop reached a decision point that was anything but his first thought: publicly barring a sister in the Lord from reception of the Eucharist. Archbishop Cordileone has noted that the Speaker’s devout articulation of her Catholic faith, which is no doubt sincere, is discordant when expressed in the light of the Speaker’s ever more and increasing vigorous promotion of abortion without even the most minimal restriction. In his encyclical, Pacem In Terris (Peace on Earth) Pope St. John XXIII noted that the motivating impetus of political institutions and Christians who take a proper role in them must strive to see that, “Their inner, spiritual unity is be restored, so that faith may be the light and love the motivating force of all their actions” (no. 152). No doubt, it is a challenge to serve in political life and to balance competing values. The right to life, however, is a basic right whose diminishment damages the fabric of the social compact that protects all other rights. This barring from Holy Communion is not punishment or an excommunication from the Catholic Church. This moment seeks the clarity that comes from response to God’s grace.

Just as Archbishop Cordileone refers to Speaker Pelosi as, “our sister in Christ”, we must see those who disagree with us, not as our enemies, but with respect and love. While many are able to see that the Archbishop has made this decision with love and with concern for a soul entrusted to his spiritual care, there are many who do not see the decision with those “eyes” and who see the decision as uncaring or politically motivated. I encourage us all to be attentive and sensitive to those who are angered or upset by Archbishop Cordileone’s decision.

I opened this column with two Scripture passages that we heard proclaimed at Mass on this past Sunday. The Acts of the Apostles reminds us that, from the beginning, the Church has had disagreements and differences of opinion and approach. We should notice the pastoral care that the first Apostles (and first Bishops) provided for the Church and how prayer and discernment led to unity. Once again, as a Church, we are experiencing a moment of “no little dissension and debate.” There were no “easy answers” then and there are no “easy answers” now.

As we hear Jesus’ promise to send us the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, and his pledge to give us the gift of his peace, let us continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the Church, her leaders and all believers and that each of us can be instruments of his peace. We pray together at Pentecost that the Holy Spirit will guide all people of good will as we “journey from hope to clear vision” (Solemn Blessing of the Holy Spirit).