Posted on 08/26/2008 4:54:34 AM PDT by radar101
In a rare public rebuke of a top politician, the archbishop of Washington said Monday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was incorrect when she recently said the moment of conception has long been a matter of controversy within the Catholic Church.
In a release issued Monday night, Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl said Pelosi's comments on "Meet the Press" on Sunday "were incorrect."
Wuerl noted that Pelosi responded to a question on when life begins by mentioning she was Catholic.
The release quoted Pelosi as saying the church has not been able to come with a definition of when life begins.
“After Mr. Tom Brokaw, the interviewer, pointed out that the Catholic Church feels strongly that life begins at conception, she replied, 'I understand. And this is, like, maybe 50 years or something like that. So again, over the history of the church, this is an issue of controversy,' " the release said.
Wuerl strongly disagrees.
He said, "We respect the right of elected officials such as Speaker Pelosi to address matters of public policy that are before them, but the interpretation of Catholic faith has rightfully been entrusted to the Catholic bishops. Given this responsibility to teach, it is important to make this correction for the record."
Wuerl pointed out that the Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear, and has been clear for 2,000 years. He cited Catechism language that reads, "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception … Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.”
A Pelosi spokesman did not immediately comment for this article.
The Speaker recently said she, unlike other Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, has not clashed with her church about receiving communion.
In an interview on C-SPAN that aired earlier this month, Pelosi was asked about how some church officials have raised objections about whether former presidential contenders — such as Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) — should receive communion.
Pelosi, a Roman Catholic whose district includes most of San Francisco, said she has not encountered such difficulties in her church.
“I think some of it is regional,” she said, “It depends on the bishop of a certain region, and, fortunately for me, communion has not been withheld and I’m a regular communicant, so that would be a severe blow to me if that were the case.”
Just curious....what is your source for the grounds for excommunication?
I’m sorry to hear that your mother passed away. Prayers for you and your family, in the knowledge she now is in Heaven with Christ our savior.
Pelosi’s (and now the Church’s) problem, is that she made her separation from Church doctrine public is a big way. Archbishop Wuerl’s statement was made to correct the record (apparently) but that just clarifies the schism between Church doctrine and her work and her beliefs. It would seem to me she’s painted herself and the Church into a very public corner.
The Catholic Church believes that life begins at conception, and we will not participate at any level. We will instruct our clergy to teach that to all Catholics. The Catholic Church believes that marriage is made up of one woman and one man, and we will not participate. We will not participate in same sex adoptions.
Any clergy member participating in the advancement of these sins will be defrocked. Catholics who publicly disagree or work toward the implementation of these sinful activities will be denied Communion and/or excommunicated.
We are taking this stand because, as Nancy Pelosi has shown, too many of our faithful have not been properly instructed in Church Doctrine.
I think Pelosi, having made the issue very public, has challenged the Church on this. What remains to be seen is what the Church will do. I'm certainly in no position to make suggestions. I'm simply curious how this will evolve.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05678a.htm
Summarized at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excommunication
Sounds like his problem with her is that she was on his turf - rather than her promoting evil.
Wait, I sure see some inconsistency here. How about Teddy Kennedy’s pro-abortion stand, his perverse ways, his lying, why hasn’t any Bishop taken him to task over these things for DECADES?? If someone has, I would appreciate a reference.
So many of us are so disgusted at politician’s in-your-face behavior but worse than that are the ones who continue to vote for them and keep them in POWER.
St. Luke seems to have thought the soul entered the embryo at or very soon after conception—he has St. Elizabeth speak to Mary concerning “the fruit of your womb” and call her “the mother of my Lord” (1.42-43), at a time that may have been only a few days after the Annunciation.
“Sounds like his problem with her is that she was on his turf - rather than her promoting evil.”
No. Ms. Pelosi has done more outrageous things than this under the archbishop's nose.
Rather, the public nature of her heretical statements forced him to make some response, no matter how weak.
And this response was very weak.
sitetest
Agreed.
Pls see post # 19 on this thread and then vist the thread below:
>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2068438/posts<
I understand God’s Word, and how she is apart from God in her actions and beliefs. My point, however, is that the Archbishop of Denver has called into question Joe Biden’s qualification for the Sacrament of Communion, yet no one has brought this aspect up regarding Pelosi. And make no mistake; her continued taking Communion was part of her dialog.
If the Church can excommunicate someone for failing to live up to Church doctrine, can they not also recommend abstaining from Communion unless/until the offending party shows themself worthy? And if the Church can do this, then will they in this case, or will political expediency prevail?
Pelosi has called this down upon herself. Will the Church act? That’s what I wonder.
The Denver Archbishop is putting Pelosi and Biden on notice...if you plan on going to Mass in Denver...you have been told...do not take Communion...unless you repent...It also give any priest in the Denver diocese cover to refuse Communion to either Pelosi or Biden
Yes, I understand that. I guess my questions have been directed to what occurs in their own parish. We may never know the fallout in that regard unless their individual Archbishops go public with pronouncements.
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