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.”
Nazi Pelousy seems to go out of her way to step in it ...
Direct abortions.
I know for a fact that my children have taught me more about my relationship with God than anything else ever has.
And as you said, this is something Satan tries to stop.
If you look at every policy of the left, they have the effect, and I assert the INTENT, of destroying the family.
What’s the old saying about digging yourself deeper? Madam Speaker, you need to drop the shovel.
This is the inevitable result of the so-called Enlightenment. Liberty is a jealous goddess.
That's a serious step to take. I think they will be given an opportunity to repent, however, if it comes to open defiance of the church on this matter, then excommunication is the proper response. I don't think it would mean anything to these folks since their own since of power and self righteousness is so great, but it would a lot to the church. Given that these are very public and influential people, if this issue keeps boiling, I would not be surprised to the the Pope step in.
You should have said: Democrats SHOULD NOT have a Judeao-Christian base. As a Catholic, I fail to see how they reconcile their faith and politics.
You CANNOT perform Acts of Charity with other people's resources; particularly resources taken by force by the state. The salvific effect is lost when love and charity ceases to be a voluntary, personal, relationship between the giver and the receiver. "Entitlements" from the "state" taken by force dehumanize all who are involved.
Elevating abortion to the Sacrament of Selfishness seals the deal.
A guest on Laura Ingraham’s radio show put it well a little while ago. Remember how Bubba had to worry about bimbo eruptions while he was campaigning? Now the ‘Rats will have to worry about “bishop eruptions”.
Pelosi should stick to lying about oil. The typical Democrat constituent is much more ignorant regarding economic principals.
"As to the question when human life begins, the answer to which is above Mr. Obama's pay grade, let's go on a little tear. You know why they call it birth control? Because it's meant to stop a birth from happening nine months later. We know when life begins. Everyone who ever bought a pack of condoms knows when life begins."
“Archbishop Wuerl’s spinal cord rating has just soared...”
That struck me, too. It was Wuerl who, in the face of protests from Catholic pro-life groups, allowed Pelosi to put on a big show by holding a special Mass to celebrate her becoming the first woman Speaker.
I’ve seen three bishops (Denver, DC, NY) come out with statements contradicting Pelosi’s MTP comments. She and her staff seem not to know when to quit. This is getting series and is taking its toll.
At least she has exposed the thin thread to which pro-abortion Catholics cling to justify their positions. Good ole St. Augustine. I’m not sure how his philosophizing contradicts the teaching of the church going back two millennia. It’s a mighty thin reed.
If she were denied Communion, would that bar from the other sacraments as well? Or, would she have to be fully excommunicated in a more formal way? For instance, denied the last rites, Cathlic burial, etc?
This situation has her off balance. Way off balance. Last night she asked “Drill Here, Drill Now” protesters outside the DNC convention if she could drill their brains. Without this pressure from the Church, it’s not likely a statement she’d have made. Or maybe Cindy Sheehan is gaining in the polls back in SF.
.
Russert asked Hillary what she thought of drivers’ licenses for illegals.
That was the beginning of the end for her. At least IMHO
Bingo. An embryonic child responds to sound and pain. There is respiration, bodily motion.
Augustine was wrong here folks. They didn't have Ultrasound in the ancient world. But the evidence is readily available for Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden to see. No excuse for this kind of stuff now.
Nothing will be done, the same CINO’S will keep on receiving Communion. The verbal volleys are for show, until they are physically denied by their presiding Bishop, then and only then will I believe they are serious about this matter./Just Asking - seoul62......
The theory cited about embryos not having "sensation" has never been a revealed doctrine or dogma of the Catholic Church.
| 1: | CCC Search Result - Paragraph # 2271 (618 bytes ) preview document matches 1 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, URL: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2271.htm |
97%  |
| 2: | CCC Search Result - Paragraph # 2272 (580 bytes ) preview document matches 2 Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life. "A URL: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2272.htm |
96% |
| 3: | CCC Search Result - Paragraph # 2322 (290 bytes ) preview document matches 2 From its conception, the child has the right to life. Direct abortion, that is, abortion willed as an end or as a means, is a "criminal" practice (GS 27 § 3), URL: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2322.htm |
96% |
| 4: | CCC Search Result - Paragraph # 2274 (554 bytes ) preview document matches gravely opposed to the moral law when this is done with the thought of possibly inducing an abortion, depending upon the results: a diagnosis must not be the equivalent URL: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/para/2274.htm |
I don't for a moment figure that Pelousy is smart enough or learned enough to have done this sort of word-chopping. Nor do I believe that any member of her staff is a scholar of sufficient rigor to have a working knowledge of quaestiones in Heptateuchum.
I hope to heaven she doesn't have a "mole" in the Chancery of her bishop, or, God forbid, on the staff of the USCCB, who is feeding her staff this damnable slander and lies.
More likely (as someone proposed on Fr. Z's blog) she picked up some awful book by Frances Kissling (of "Catholics" for a Free Choice) and is just parroting that without having the slightest idea what she's talking about.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.