Pelosi responds after archbishop denies her Holy Communion for supporting abortion rights

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Tuesday responded after San Francisco’s Catholic archbishop decided to deny her Communion over her support for abortion access in the United States.

Pelosi, appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” said she comes from a large family with some members who oppose abortions.

“I respect people’s views about that. But I don’t respect us foisting it onto others.” Pelosi said.

She also noted “I wonder about the death penalty, which I am opposed to. So is the church, but they take no action against people who may not share their view.”

“We just have to be prayerful,” Pelosi said. “We have to be respectful.”

Last week, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone notified Pelosi and announced his decision to refuse her Communion.

"After numerous attempts to speak with Speaker Pelosi to help her understand the grave evil she is perpetrating, the scandal she is causing, and the danger to her own soul she is risking, I have determined that she is not to be admitted to Holy Communion," he said.

'Grave evil': Pelosi denied Holy Communion by San Francisco archbishop for pushing abortion rights

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Pelosi in September decided to bring a bill to the floor of the House that would make the Supreme Court’s landmark 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade the law of the land. The House passed the legislation almost along party lines, but it has been blocked in the Senate.

Cordileone in the announcement last week said Pelosi, who has supported abortion access for decades, said she is “not to be admitted to Holy Communion unless and until she publicly (will) repudiate her support for abortion ‘rights’ and confess and receive absolution.”

His announcement came after the leak of a draft opinion from the Supreme Court that argues for overturning its decision in Roe v. Wade, which established a constitutional right to an abortion. The draft was published by Politico earlier this month.

Catholic bishops can decide in their own diocese if Communion should be denied to anyone. The archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Wilton Gregory, has said President Joe Biden can receive the sacrament in the area.

Biden in October told reporters that Pope Francis during a private meeting told him he should continue to receive Communion. Some conservative bishops have called for Communion to be denied to Biden and other politicians who support abortion rights.

Contributing: Associated Press, Ledyard King

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pelosi responds after SF archbishop denies her Communion over abortion