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(LifeSiteNews) — Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, a former papal nuncio to the U.S.A., has urged the American bishops to excommunicate “all those” involved in “politics and institutions” who promote abortion.
In an audio message delivered via The American Report, Archbishop Viganò cited the findings by Judicial Watch that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) purchased organs of babies killed in abortion.
“I learned with horror the news released by Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton that the Obama-era FDA had purchased ‘fresh and never frozen’ aborted baby heads and other body parts,” said the archbishop.
Fitton recently posted a short video to social media highlighting the group’s 2021 findings via a Freedom of Information Act against the FDA, regarding the “provision of human fetal tissue to be used in humanized mice research.”
READ: Pope Francis: Biden’s support for abortion is a matter for his ‘conscience’ and ‘pastor’
The FOIA revealed that the “federal government demanded the purchased fetal organs be ‘fresh and never frozen’,” and also that the body parts be “shipped on wet ice” to preserve their freshness.
The records included a list of prices for baby body parts, with an intact skull (8-24 weeks) valued at $515, according to a 2013 service fee.
In response, Archbishop Viganò called for the U.S. episcopate to take firm action to prevent the “crime of abortion” by widely excommunicating those involved.
Faced with the horror of crimes that cry out for vengeance in the sight of God, the time has come that the Bishops of the United States should condemn the crime of the abortion [in] the most solemn and unequivocal way, imposing excommunication on all those who, betraying the natural law and the Commandments of God, act in politics and institutions to make this slaughter of the innocent possible.
He singled out the staunchly pro-abortion Joe Biden for excommunication, highlighting Biden’s recent executive order pushing abortion on demand, up to the point of birth:
Among these, undoubtedly, Joe Biden, who despite bearing the Catholic name, just signed an executive order to recognize the “right” to kill babies in the mother’s womb.
The former papal nuncio to the U.S. described the overturning of Roe v. Wade as a comfort to Americans, adding that the abortion industry is linked to the “deep state”:
The American people, comforted by the historical ruling of the Supreme Court, must regain the pride of their dignity and their Faith, and put an end to this massacre, behind which the foul profits of the organ-trade and the unspeakable interests of the deep state, are hidden.
Responding to Biden’s recent executive order, Archbishop of Baltimore William E. Lori – Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities – penned an official letter condemning the order. Biden was using his power to seek “every possible avenue to deny unborn children their most basic human and civil right, the right to life,” said Archbishop Lori.
READ: US bishops’ pro-life chair condemns Biden’s abortion executive order, mum on denying him Communion
However, he did not issue any further sanctions against Biden, such as denying him Holy Communion in accordance with Catholic teaching and Canon 915.
It remains to be seen whether any U.S. bishop will take the step to excommunicate any pro-abortion Catholic politician, especially in light of Pope Francis’ recent support for both Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden.
Pelosi was banned from presenting herself for Holy Communion by her local prelate, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, in May. Following this, a number of bishops supported Cordileone for his decision, but remained a minority of the members of the USCCB.