Archbishop bans Speaker Pelosi from communion; SNAP responds
(For Immediate Release May 21, 2022)
The Archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone, announced Friday that the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, has been barred from receiving communion in his Archdiocese due to her pro-choice stance. This is certainly not the first time that the Archbishop has spoken out publicly against politicians who support abortion rights, yet we cannot help but note that he has yet to publish a list of the clerics who molested boys and girls in his Archdiocese, unlike the majority of his peers.
In banning Speaker Pelosi from the receiving communion, the archbishop opined, "A Catholic legislator who supports procured abortion, after knowing the teaching of the Church, commits a manifestly grave sin which is a cause of most serious scandal to others." We believe the same can be said about Catholic clergy who sexually abuse children, and we wonder if all of them were similarly banned from receiving communion in the Archdiocese? Were the dozen clerics associated with San Francisco who were arrested, charged, indicted, or convicted of child sexual abuse allowed to continue approaching the cup?
In fact, priests accused of serious crimes against children are not only not usually banned from communion, but they also sometimes remain empowered to administer sacraments as well. Is raping a boy or girl not also a "grave sin?" Should Fr. David Ghiorso have been returned to active ministry while the lawsuit against him is still pending? Should Fr. Daniel Carter have been left in ministry despite having a criminal complaint and a lawsuit filed against him? Do Catholic prelates who have been complicit in transferring known perpetrators continue to give and take communion?
We find Archbishop Cordileone's position the epitome of hypocrisy. We ask that he refrain from public moralizing until he has done all that he can to make the children who attend his parishes, schools, and other facilities safe and to help those victimized in his Archdiocese heal. This grandstanding on one issue while refusing to come clean about the extent of abuse in his Archdiocese gets us further from that goal, not closer to it.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager([email protected], 267-261-0578), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator ([email protected], 925-708-6175) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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