Bishop on Pelosi: It's Categorically Impossible to be Catholic & Hold Abortion is Just a Choice

LifeSite ^ | March 1, 2007 | John-Henry Westen

[NYer]

PORTLAND, OR, March 1, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - "It is categorically impossible for the same person to state that he or she believes simultaneously both what the Catholic Church teaches and that abortion is just a choice," says Bishop Robert Vasa in a column released today by the Catholic Sentinel, the diocesan newspaper of the Archdiocese of Portland and the Diocese of Baker.

Although Vasa, the Bishop of Baker, did not mention her by name, he was referring in his column to Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi specifically, and to all politicians of a similar ilk in general. 

"Some months ago a prominent Catholic public person," says Vasa, "described as faithful to the church, was asked if being pro-choice or pro-abortion was an issue which conflicted with the Catholic Faith."  He goes on to quote verbatim what Nancy Pelosi stated in a highly publicized interview with Newsweek in October last year.  "To me it isn't even a question. God has given us a free will. We're all responsible for our actions. If you don't want an abortion, you don't believe in it, [then] don't have one. But don't tell somebody else what they can do in terms of honoring their responsibilities."

Vasa then adds a comment by Pelosi's daughter Alexandra Pelosi, calling her only a "close relative" of the unnamed prominent Catholic.  Alexandra was quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle on January 17 as saying that according to her Catholic school education neither abortion nor homosexuality were wrong, "They were just choices." 

"It seems to me that there are just choices and there are unjust choices," counters Bishop Vasa. "Choices would be the preference for chocolate ice cream over vanilla ice cream or sherbet instead of ice cream. That is just a choice."

"A just choice would be to choose to pay a fair and living wage to employees as opposed to simply meeting the mandatory standard of minimum wage laws," he wrote.  "An unjust choice would be to choose to terminate the life of another human being. This is not just a choice and it is not a just choice; it is an unjust choice."

"Furthermore it is an unjust choice which is diametrically opposed to the clear and consistent teaching of the Catholic Church as well as to the clear and consistent teaching of God Himself in the Ten Commandments. The direct, intentional taking of the life of an innocent human being is inhumane and unjust. It is not just a choice!," wrote the Bishop.

Although not referenced in Bishop Vasa's column, the younger Pelosi commented about her mother to the Chronicle saying: "My mother, throughout her entire life, has been faithful o the Church, even though the Church has not been that faithful to her because of her politics. And I think that takes a lot of perseverance. And still, people protest her right to go to her own church."

Bishop Vasa concludes his column "It is categorically impossible for the same person to state that he or she believes simultaneously both what the Catholic Church teaches and that abortion is just a choice."

See Bishop Vasa's full column:
http://www.sentinel.org/articles/2007-9/15257.html

See the San Francisco Chronicle article in question:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/17/...

See the Newsweek interview with Pelosi:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15387929/site/newsweek/ ;

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[NickatNite2003]

Pelosi roots for the Devil.

[Scotswife]

"Pelosi roots for the Devil."

I doubt she believes in the devil.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I am sixty miles from being in Bishop Vasa's diocese. There are times I wish I were!

[Retired COB]

I really like your tagline.

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

I really like your tagline.

Thanks. It came to me one day while reading some lib's vitriol about how we mean-spirited anti-abortionists are trying to interfere with a woman's right to "family-planning."

[Basheva]

Nancy Pelosi has several choices:

She can choose another Church.

She can choose to be a Catholic, adhere to the principles of the Church in her personal life as well as voice her acceptance of those principles publicall.

She can chose to be a Catholic and then be silent on those principles in public life. Adhering to them privately, and NOT advocating against them in public.

Instead she has chosen to advocate publicly against a basic principle of the church to which she claims membership, she is at war with the Church to which she claims membership. She can't be a member of this Church (which she has freely chosen) and be at war with it.

This bespeaks a basic lack of principles.

But, then, she's a liberal, so being at war with her own principles is fully understandable.

DUH

[Deo volente]

Nancy Pelosi stated in a highly publicized interview with Newsweek in October last year. "To me it isn't even a question. God has given us a free will. We're all responsible for our actions. If you don't want an abortion, you don't believe in it, [then] don't have one. But don't tell somebody else what they can do in terms of honoring their responsibilities."

Pelosi wouldn't know what "free will" is if it jumped up and bit her on the nose. God did not give us free will so that we might murder one of his little babies in the womb. He did not give us the license to kill an innocent human being waiting to be born.

She is correct in saying that we are all responsible for our actions, but she hasn't the faintest idea what moral responsibility is all about. Her "morality" is all about the unrestrained will of the individual to do whatever he pleases. Hitler and his fellow Nazis thought they were "honoring their responsibilities" by exterminating the Jewish people and pursuing German domination of Europe. According to Pelosi's logic, who would have the right to tell him he was wrong?

[markomalley]

But Ms. Pelosi is a priestess of the Church of Liberalism.

Ms. Pelosi is a priestess of Moloch. Along with anybody else who so actively supports the murder of innocent children.

[incredulous joe]

I'm less concerned with Pelosi's personal beliefs. She can answer for her own life at that dreadful hour. However, she is trying to construct a new Catholic worldview in which there is an alternative to life. This is something new compared to other "catholic" pols who obstinately vote in favor of abortion.

If she wishes to jump off a cliff, so be it. She doesn't need to lead others astray.

If I see pornography that is called "free speech" - I call it pornography. When I see garbage that is called "art" - I refer to it as garbage. When I hear of someone stating that they are Roman Catholic, though they strenuously do everything to undermine our faith I call it what it is - NOT Catholic. It is my obligation to do so.

[theBuckwheat]

I agree. A church is free to officially define what it holds to be true and what it holds to be unacceptable teachings or behavior. In the process, it will define some as being so much a part of its core values as to allow it to disown or eject any member who disagrees in public.

We would not expect the local mosque to continue to accept anyone who said Mohammad just dreamed up Islam so he could marry young girls. If such a person still insisted he was a full and faithful member even though he insisted on that belief, we would not take his side and say the mosque was wrong for ejecting him. Based on the actions of many supporters of Pelosi, we might not even care when some other mosque members cut off this fellow's head for apostasy.

In reviewing this story about Pelosi's views on abortion, it seems like the MSM is at best neutral, if not surprised that any clergy would have the gall to state the facts in public. Of course because the MSM assumes that abortion is not the killing of the unborn. That is not a developing baby, that is only a blob of tissue that looks like a baby.






Individuals are not free to change those statements and doctrines on the church's behalf. They are only free do accept or reject them for themselves.

[BlackElk]

Bishop Vasa is Bishop of the Diocese of Baker, Oregon. He does not enjoy a general portfolio allowing him to discipline homicidal, infanticidal political/social revolutionaries like Nancy Facelift wherever they may be found just the ones who claim Catholicism while residing in his diocese over which he has jurisdiction.

The real question is whether the Archbishop of San Francisco wherein she does reside would like to strike a blow for Catholicism by making a public example of her. As is noted elsewhere here, she is automatically (latae sententiae) excommunicated in any event. The only remaining question unless and until the unlikely event of her repentance and repudiation of her excommunicating offenses is whether there will be a public spectacle and the answer is that there ought to be.

[TheStickman]

God Bless this Bishop!

[trisham]

Although not referenced in Bishop Vasa's column, the younger Pelosi commented about her mother to the Chronicle saying: "My mother, throughout her entire life, has been faithful o the Church, even though the Church has not been that faithful to her because of her politics. And I think that takes a lot of perseverance. And still, people protest her right to go to her own church."

*************

If Nancy Pelosi had an ounce of decency, she would weep at hearing these words.

[marshmallow]

"My mother, throughout her entire life, has been faithful to the Church, even though the Church has not been that faithful to her because of her politics. And I think that takes a lot of perseverance. And still, people protest her right to go to her own church."

She's a victim, i.o.w.

Note the narcissistic, self-centered world view, here. It's not Pelosi's obligation to adhere to Church teaching. No, the Church is supposed to get behind Pelosi and support her.

About as clear an exposition as it is possible to get of the "religion as a feelgood personal experience" approach to theology. We are not miserable sinners in need of redemption through God's Mystical Body, the Church. Rather, it's the Church which is a miserable wretch, and it is enhanced only by the gracious presence of the likes of Ms. Pelosi and her family.

[Kenny Bunk]

Or have we come to the point where there is no longer any such thing as voluntary association?

Nancy claims membership in an organization, from which she derives certain presumably electoral benefits. She does not hold with the association's rules.

She is perfectly free to try to get the association to change it rules to conform with her position. She is perfectly free to leave the association. If she runs about as she and her daughter are doing, misrepresenting the association's rules, the association is free to throw her out.

Both sides are skating on thin ice trying to avoid dragging religion into politics. E.G., Giuliani (says he) doesn't "promote" abortion. Neither does Pelosi. But, they allow it, they vote for it, they permit funds to flow toward abortion providers.

The Romans haven't the ecclesiastical cojones ( a medieval theological term) to excommunicate them, or even deny them the sacraments. ("Them," including Ted Kennedy, and John Kerry, and a couple of hundred others. The "Catholic" pols look around and see what happened to Santorum, who took the position much closer to that his religion dictates. Just look what happened to him; in a majority-Catholic state, no less! So Pelosi/Giuliani/Kennedy/Kerry haven't the integrity to quit and join an association that's more in concordance with their position.

So I agree with the Bishop. However, his elegant Roman circumlocution just doesn't get the job done.

[theBuckwheat]

Great reply. >>However, his elegant Roman circumlocution just doesn't get the job done.<<

Even so, I get the impression that the MSM is shocked that someone would dare to say as little as has been said. The secret rule is: the left is allowed to say anything it wants, while the right must take it it silence. If anyone on the right dares to speak out, it is "frightening" to those on the left.

[livius]

Rather, it's the Church which is a miserable wretch, and it is enhanced only by the gracious presence of the likes of Ms. Pelosi and her family.

That's what I got out of her statement, too. These people believe they are just so special. God should be really honored that the Pelosi family even deigns to take His Name in vain.

[LonePalm]

You got the baseball analogy backwards but it is still a good analogy.

30 days until opening day.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[wolfcreek]

"It is categorically impossible for the same person to state that he or she believes simultaneously both what the Catholic Church teaches and that abortion is just a choice,"


Are Catholics willing to overlook this in regards to Rudy Guilianni? I've asked this question on many threads and received no replies.

[verga]

So, do you have the backbone to excommunicate her? She is excommuncated 'latae sententiae'. Actually according to paragraph 2272 of the CCC latae sententiae excommunication is incurred by who those Formally cooperate in an abortion and mentions those procuring abortion specifically. I beleive that this would also include doctors who perform abortions, and any medical personnel that also participate in the procedure.