Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly summoned priests to rid her San Francisco home of evil spirits after an intruder attacked her husband, Paul Pelosi, with a hammer last year.
“I think that weighed really heavy on her soul. I think she felt really guilty,” said Pelosi’s daughter Alexandra. “I think that really broke her. Over Thanksgiving, she had priests coming, trying to have an exorcism of the house and having prayer services.”
St. Vincent de Paul Church, Pelosi’s local parish, said that they were not involved in such a rite, and instead, Pelosi may have gone outside her local church hierarchy for holy help.
“As far as I know, no exorcism or priest services were performed at her home,” said Fr. Arturo Albano.
The news received wild responses on social media, with many urging Pelosi to get psychiatric help instead, even from Christians.
“The woman is positively conflicted. She wears her Catholicism on her sleeve while basically sticking her middle finger at the Catholic Church every opportunity she has,” said Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League.
But according to Fr. Vincent Lampert, exorcist for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, exorcism can be used to fight “demonic infestation” and the evil that might linger in a location where violent crime has happened.
“It would be the recitation of a particular prayer, inviting the presence of God back into the house, casting out any presence of evil that may be there,” Lampert said. “Then the house would be blessed with holy water, reminding us of our new life in Christ, and the fact that we need not fear any evil, because recognizing that Christ is dwelling with us.”
“I would say I get thousands of those requests every year,” he added.
Paul Pelosi, 82, was attacked on Oct. 29, when conspiracy theorist David DePape barged his way into the residence in search of the then-Speaker of the House.
DePape has since pleaded not guilty to six charges, including attempted murder, first-degree residential burglary, elder abuse, assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, and threatening a family member of a public official. DePape is still being held without bail; his state case returns to court on Feb. 23.
