Posted on 08/27/2008 5:52:59 AM PDT by NYer
The public feud over abortion between the Speaker of the House and the archbishop of Washington intensified Tuesday as Rep. Nancy Pelosi responded to his recent criticism and the archbishop fired another salvo at the California Democrat.
The latest development came Tuesday evening, when Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl issued a statement to The Hill that brushed aside Pelosi’s explanation of her comments about conception on Sunday’s edition of “Meet the Press.”
Wuerl on Monday rebuked Pelosi for suggesting that the Catholic Church has long debated the moment of conception. Wuerl said that the church has taught that life begins at conception and has thus opposed abortion as a “moral evil” since the 1st century.
Pelosi’s office initially didn’t comment on Wuerl’s remarks. After getting questions from the media, Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly issued a statement on Tuesday that cited St. Augustine: “Her views on when life begins were informed by the views of St. Augustine, who said, 'The law does not provide that the act [abortion] pertains to homicide, for there cannot yet be said to be a live soul in a body that lacks sensation.' ”
Wuerl swiftly denounced Pelosi’s statement, saying, “As the Catechism and early Church documents make clear, abortion is always an evil. That is an unchanging teaching. The question on when the soul enters the body was a philosophical question that grew out of a lack of scientific data at the time of St. Augustine. We have the data today which shows the embryo is human. There no longer is any discussion of whether the unborn is human and so the philosophical discussion of St. Augustine’s time is not relevant today.”
The conflict with Wuerl comes as Pelosi is chairing the Democratic convention and trying to unify the Democratic Party behind Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).
In the statement issued Tuesday, Daly said that not all Catholics believe that life begins at conception, which is what Catholics are taught.
“The Speaker agrees with the Church that we should reduce the number of abortions,” Daly said. “She believes that can be done by making family planning more available, as well as by increasing the number of comprehensive age-appropriate sex education and caring adoption programs.”
Daly added that Pelosi is a mother of five children who appreciates the “sanctity of family.” He added that she was raised in a Catholic family that often disagreed with her positions in favor of abortion rights.
Daly declined to comment for this article.
Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, defended Pelosi in a statement on Tuesday: “Speaker Pelosi was correct in noting that Catholic teaching has changed over the years, even on the issue of when life begins.”
Though I'd pay money to see Benedict crozier-slap granny Rictus McBotox.
This logic falls apart right away.
Hasn't the criticism of the left always been that the Catholic Church doesn't bend to meet the needs of today's society?
Hmmmm.......
This is so brazen. Do these people want their souls perish in hell?
Augustine also said that the Church is also composed of a invisible body; no one but Christ knows whether they are of Him or of the world. I think that Pelosi should heed those words of warning and examine herself to see if she is a sheep of the Good Shepherd or is a wolf amongst His flock. He will NOT be mocked.
Besides, Bush isn't Catholic (yet?)
Nancy Pelosi shouldn’t be excommunicated. She should be burned at the stake.
I agree. Abortion is in essence the most selfish of acts. Committing murder for convenience; I will take the life of my child so that I will not be inconvenienced by the existence of my child.
But I was simply pinging others who had been posting to an earlier thread about the bishop and Pelosi.
I thought Pelosi and crew were for separation of church from state? If that is the case, then what is Ms. Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, doing debating/telling the Catholic Church what its position on abortion should be? Surely the Queen Bee is not trying to play Pope.
Democrats SHOULD NOT have a Catholic base. As a Catholic, I fail to see how they reconcile their faith and politics.
“Abortion represents the core of leftist ideology,
It is their highest sacrament.
Human sacrifice on the altar of Marx.”
So true! I hope McCain or some 527 group uses Pelosi’s words and those of the Bishops in response for some good ads against Obama and ALL DEMS!
The argument is whether or not one can murder innocent human life.
I contend that is only one of many arguments and the charge of murder is over the top and not scripturally supported IMHO.
Never the less there can be no doubt that there are literally no supported reasons or excuses for an abortion and suggesting choice is an option, is unsupported in reality. What they really want is multiple choices and after those have all run out, then they want the last choice to be ABORTION.
Too bad life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is lost on those who regard the sanctity of Abortion death as a supreme right granted by man. Death it is, but murder is a bridge too far and is one cause of the death grasp the left holds on abortion as a right.
what is Ms. Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, doing debating/telling the Catholic Church what its position on abortion should be? Surely the Queen Bee is not trying to play Pope.
A point lost on the unwashed.
How Pelosi could be stupid enough to assume she could win an argument about theology against an archbishop escapes me.
She has assured that across America, priests will bring this issue and her position on the issue, to the attention of their flocks.
Perhaps some of the flocks will also be illegals?
Ironic if Pelosi manages to convince the illegals, voting illegally as per Democrat planned for them to so do, decide to vote according to their religious beliefs.
Buh Bye, Democrats!
I'm still not understanding why she holds that position. If abortion does not kill a human, why do we need to reduce the number? If abortion does not harm a human, it is just another medical procedure, and we don't limit medical procedures like tooth extractions, rhinoplasty or hair transplants. Why the worry about just another medical procedure?
We ought to send Brokaw a thank you note for setting this up for a public scolding.
Down with Pelosi.
GO GOD!!!!!!!!
I agree. My notion/theory/speculation on this is, in part, that a person begins to get a clue as to the love of God for them when they experience the kind of love a parent can have for their child. Satan doesn’t want us to know that. Further, beginning to imagine His willingness to allow His Only Begotten Son to die in order to redeem us and bring us to everlasting life can be overwheliming as a factor in coming to genuine acceptance of His gift. Satan really doesn’t want that.
Still, the immense respect Bush shows to the Church hierarchy (and not just the Catholic hierarchy), even when he disagrees with them, is a sharp contrast to Pelosi’s attitude towards them. That Pelosi is (supposedly) Catholic and Bush isn’t (officially) is even more telling.
Ted Kennedy and Tom Ridge are not dumb enough to get into such a spat with the Church. Pelosi is, and now she has no way out.
Just think what would happen if the MSM would start asking pertinent questions of all libs.
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