Nancy Pelosi on Female Priests in the Catholic Church

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, mentioned on Wednesday that her grandson might witness the presence of a female priest in the Catholic Church. During a conversation with Politico’s Jonathan Martin, she reflected on this possibility while participating in Politico’s event titled “Securing Europe: NATO’s Next Step.”

Pelosi, who identifies as Catholic, has faced opposition from the Archbishop of San Francisco due to her abortion rights stance, which led to her being denied communion. She also elaborated on her views regarding the church’s positions on contentious issues, including attitudes toward members of the LGBTQ community and divorced Catholics receiving communion.

In her remarks, Pelosi criticized the church’s limitations on abortion, calling such restrictions “sinful.” She expressed her discomfort with some of the church’s stances, particularly regarding women’s roles within the institution.

Her comments came just before the election of Cardinal Robert Prebble, who was named as the first American pope to adopt the name Leo XIV. This shift in leadership might influence the discussion about women in the priesthood.

Pelosi also reminisced about her encounters with the late Pope Francis during her visits to the Vatican. “I’m excommunicated, but when Pope Francis was right there in the next pew, I received communion at the Vatican,” she noted, interpreting it as a personal message to the archbishop.

Previously, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco publicly stated that Pelosi was banned from receiving communion due to her support for abortion rights. Nevertheless, during a mass in June 2022, she was able to receive communion celebrated by Pope Francis.