Posted on 01/02/2007 5:40:11 AM PST by veritas2002
The new speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, is showing what I consider extreme arrogance, even for a pro-abortion figure in public life who claims to be a faithful Catholic. Her handlers are making it abundantly clear that anything goes in their effort to showcase Pelosi and her life story, including the use of a Catholic Mass to cement her public image as a Catholic mother and grandmother.
That, my friend, is a disgrace that I cannot ignore.
As a practicing Catholic mother and grandmother, I am highly offended that this woman would use the influence of her new office to flaunt her Catholic label while advocating the brutal murder of preborn children without apology. This “mother and grandmother” from California’s 8th District in San Francisco has been one of the most outspoken advocates for unrestricted abortion in Congress.
Perhaps the only thing more egregious than her support for aborting preborn children is her inability to comprehend the sacrilegious nature of her intended use of the Mass scheduled for tomorrow at Trinity University, a Catholic institution in Washington, D.C. To prevent such a scandal from occurring we have respectfully asked Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C. to intervene and cancel any festivities at the Catholic college, particularly any attempt to honor Pelosi during Mass.
The reasons for this request are best characterized by quoting Archbishop Wuerl’s recent commentary, “The Human Quest for God.” He faithfully wrote, “a reflection on the moral order in the universe can lead us to a natural knowledge of God. We are aware that our actions should be just, truthful and temperate.”
The act of abortion is a grave injustice perpetrated against an innocent human being created by God in His own image. Those who advocate this act are deceiving mothers by suggesting to them that their children are nothing more than disposable problems and instilling in these mothers the idea that “freedom of choice” empowers them to make a decision that results in the death of their child. There is nothing temperate about the act of abortion. In fact, aborting a child falls into the category of one of the most intemperate acts currently engrained in the culture.
A thinking person with any sort of moral sensibilities would conclude that the bald-faced contradiction between advocating for abortion and heralding one’s attendance at a Catholic Mass is simply outrageous and should not be permitted. While it is usually the case that we should not prevent another person from attending Mass, which is a source of grace and blessing, this is no ordinary grandmother attempting to reconcile her abortion advocacy with her God; this is the soon-to-be speaker of the House making a public spectacle of the Mass for political purposes as she attempts to improve her public image.
At what cost does a prelate of the Catholic Church permit such an atrocity?
Archbishop Wuerl wrote in the same column that we “hear in the voice of our conscience,” which is a “manifestation of the presence of God,” the insistent call to goodness. “Conscience is described as the still, quiet voice of God within each of us,” he said. It seems to me that the archbishop would be doing Congresswoman Pelosi a tremendous favor if he were to quietly but firmly inform her that her staff’s public and repeated focus on the Mass as part of her “agenda” is an insult to her faith because she has not listened to the voice of God, but rather has succumbed to the voices of the culture of death. Otherwise, she would not champion abortion on demand as a “right” in America, nor would she be continually casting her votes against even the slightest pro-life legislation.
Our request of the archbishop is based on the most basic of Catholic teachings: That the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is both a reminder of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for us by His death on the Cross, and also an opportunity for Catholics, with contrite hearts, to come to Him and receive Him in the sacrament of the Eucharist. The Mass is not a political rally; the Mass is not a public relations event; the Mass is not an “extreme makeover” for an intransigent, pro-abortion politician.
Perhaps, as our public statements on this tragic state of affairs settles in on the minds and hearts of those closest to Pelosi, she herself will realize that her choice of venue is more scandalous than it is anything else. Perhaps that still, quiet voice within will invite her to cancel her public forays into a Mass that she might otherwise have attended without the public hoopla and without the disingenuous statements of those who work for her.
Perhaps, as Archbishop Wuerl wrote, Pelosi will come on her knees before the Lord, publicly repudiate her support for abortion, human embryonic stem cell research and other crimes against life, and “respond to God’s loving call with a ‘yes’ of faith.”
If not, we hope and pray that Wuerl intervenes for the sake of every believing Catholic, young and old, who knows that every single abortion is an act of murder. For the sake of all those who believe, we beseech the archbishop to act in defense of Christ, regardless of headlines or public image. We need his leadership and, as a Catholic grandmother myself, I realize that Pelosi desperately needs his moral guidance as well. Mrs. Brown is president and co-founder of American Life League, the nation's largest Catholic pro-life educational grassroots organization. She is a recognized expert on the sanctity of human life and member of the Pontifical Academy for Life.
Former Fetuses For LiFe!
It seemed to work for them in WWII, unfortunately. Maybe the Pope has yet to take a hand in this.
That's what I love about liberals: Let's make a kids movie about what we are doing to penguins in Antarctica, but at the same time let's assassinate 45 million of children at the same time.
It's ironic on so many levels it makes my head hurt. Julia Roberts, a big time pro-aborter, makes a movie about protecting the life of a pig.
There's a great new book out about the research a liberal has done on the charitable giving patterns of liberals vs. conservatives. The name of the book escapes me, but the upshot is that liberals basically talk a good game with regard to all types of benevolent social intervention, but when the spikes are laced, conservatives outgive liberals 4 to 1 in equivalent socio-economic stratums.
Pelosi is either a Catholic or a legislator who actively promotes the wholesale slaughter of human babies.
She can't be both. No-one can be both.
Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism (Basic Books), Arthur C. Brooks
Some threads I bookmarked about it:
Charity's Political Divide, Republicans give a bigger share to charity (Democrats Don't)
So, who really cares more about the poor? (nice summary)
“Cheap In America” [John Stossel On Charity - Who Gives, Who Doesn't, and Why We Should]
Seconded. The failure to do so is a terrible scandal. It's analogous to allowing Nazis to call themselves Catholics. We don't see the issue clearly because we're too close to it, but future generations will see the bishops' failure to act as it is.
She's a democrat. They'll still vote for her. So what?
The founders may be, but Ms. Pelosi would be right in line with many of the current crop of Sisters of Notre Dame and the schools they run.
No, it doesn't. It depends entirely on just how close to Catholic teachings the Bishop wants to hold.
I'd sure hope you're right, but for whatever Cardinal that Bishop answers to, and hopefully both to God, but with Mahoney here in LA...?
It's Pelosi's fault.
She is a CINO!
Check out this link!
Yes, I know.
They seem to have confused womanly virtue and feminism, and decided that abortion is a 'choice.'
Many of the older bishops grew up in an era when the Democrats were considered the champions of the poor and downtrodden. Since the Bishops believed the mission of the Church was to help the poor and downtrodden, they gravitated to the Democrats. Besides, most of them had grown up in strong Democrat households, anyway.
It wasn't until after 1973, when abortion was made legal that things started to unravel with the Democrats. Many people still wanted to vote Democrat, but didn't like the idea of supporting abortion. It was Jesuits like Robert Drinan who convinced the Kennedys and other Catholics in Congress that they could use the "I'm personally opposed, but..." excuse to avoid losing the voters. Then along came Bernardin and his 'Seamless Garment' nonsense.
Unfortunately too many Catholics still continue to vote Democrat because they still mistakenly believe that Republicans want poor people to starve and die, and don't want to do anything to help them. That's because in the mind of the typical Catholic, helping means giving something to them, as in charity, and Democrat sponsored government hand out programs equal that in their eyes.
Any way Happy New Year , at least some of us knew what was going on.
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But it hurts to watch this play out exactly the way we knew it would nonetheless. Especially when we still hear the same sanctimonious pontificating out of the holier than thou political "purists" who sold us down the river and got nothing but self righteousness in return. Keep the faith brother, we will prevail.
Does anybody know how this finally turned out? I haven't heard anything.
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