In fresh remarks concerning the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Pope Francis denounced abortion.
He expressed concern about bishops losing their “pastoral nature” when asked if a Catholic politician who supports the right to choose abortion may partake in the sacrament of Communion.
The pope told Reuters over the weekend that he respected the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision even if he was unable to comment on its legal implications.
According to the interview, which was released on July 4, Francis compared abortion to “hiring a hit man.”
“I question: Is it proper or legitimate to take a human life in order to solve a problem?” Francis the Pope said.
He was also questioned regarding the controversy surrounding the eligibility of Catholic politicians who support legalized abortion for Holy Communion.
Because of her support for abortion, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was denied Communion in her home diocese of San Francisco in May by Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone.
Pelosi (D-Calif.) reportedly took communion with Pope Francis during a Mass on June 29 at the Vatican. Although the Vatican released a photo of Pelosi and the pope shaking hands in St. Peter’s Basilica, it is unclear if the pope was aware that Pelosi went.
“When the Church loses its pastoral nature, when a bishop loses his pastoral nature, it generates a political problem,” the pope told Reuters. All I have to say is that.
On July 2, a reception room on the ground floor of the Santa Marta guesthouse of the Vatican, where the pope resides, hosted the 90-minute Italian interview.
The interview also touched on the pope’s health, rumors of his resignation, and the potential for travels to Kyiv and Moscow in addition to the subject of abortion.