Pope Leo promotes archbishop who barred Pelosi from Communion to one of Vatican's highest courts

Pope Leo XIV has appointed San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, who made international headlines after barring then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from receiving Holy Communion over her support for abortion rights, to serve on the Vatican's highest judicial body, in an announcement Saturday.

Cordileone was among seven clergy named to the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the Catholic Church's highest court after the pope. The appointment allows him to continue leading the Archdiocese of San Francisco while serving a five-year term on the Vatican tribunal, which oversees the administration of justice within the Church.

The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura is made up of cardinals, bishops and priests appointed by the pope for a term of five years, and is led by the Cardinal Prefect.

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In 2022, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said that Pelosi would be banned from receiving Holy Communion in her own San Francisco Archdiocese because of her pro-abortion position.

"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," Cordileone wrote in a May 2022 letter. "Therefore, universal Church law provides that such persons ‘are not to be admitted to Holy Communion .'"

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Cordileone said he was honored by the appointment.

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"I am deeply grateful to the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, for this appointment as a member of the Supreme Apostolic Signatura," Cordileone said. "I receive this responsibility with a profound sense of stewardship, recognizing that every office in the Church is entrusted for the service of Christ, His people, and the mission of the Gospel. The Supreme Apostolic Signatura assists the Holy Father in safeguarding the proper administration of justice within the life of the Church."

Cordileone continued, "Justice in the Church is never merely legal; it is ordered toward the salvation of souls, the protection of the rights of the faithful, and the strengthening of ecclesial communion. I am honored to contribute to that important mission. This appointment comes during a special year for the Archdiocese of San Francisco as we commemorate the 800th anniversary of the Transitus of our patron, St. Francis of Assisi."

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Cordileone reflected further, saying, "His life reminds us that true greatness in the Church is found not in honors or titles but in loving Christ, serving His people, and embracing the Gospel with simplicity and joy. I pray that the example of St. Francis will continue to shape my own ministry. This appointment does not involve a reassignment from the Archdiocese of San Francisco or require me to relocate to Rome."

The archbishop added, "My primary vocation remains that of shepherd of this archdiocese, and I will continue to devote myself to serving our priests, deacons, religious, and parishioners while fulfilling the additional responsibilities entrusted to me by the Holy Father. I ask the faithful to pray for Pope Leo XIV, for the Church throughout the world, and that I may fulfill this responsibility with wisdom, charity, and fidelity."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Vatican for comment.