San Francisco Archbishop addresses recent comments made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

catholic-sf. ^ | Most Rev. George H. Niederauer

[edcoil]

The Archbishop could have saved a tree - SanFranNan does not care what the church believes.

[Jeff Chandler]

Not exactly drawing a line in the sand.

I expect San Fran Nan to ignore or rebut this letter, and I expect her to continue to receive Communion at every available photo op.

[flyfree]

http://www.sfarchdiocese.org/about-us/news/?i=1308

[DeLaine]

She knows better than her church does.

/s

[mouse1]

Where is 9% Nancy hiding these days.
Probably not feeling too well, you know qbs.
Queen Bee Syndrome

Go Sarah Go!!

[exit82]

Pelosi needs to receive a must attend invitation from her pastor, the bishop, to receive instruction on Catholic doctrine.

If she does not show, or does not listen to the bishop, she should get a letter threatening ex-communication.

If she doesn’t comply, the bishop needs to act on it. It is his spiritual responsibility.

If she repents, fine. She has done a lot of damage, and she acts as if she is under the authority of no one. That’s fine, but that’s not the way it works in the Church.

She can go find another and call herself something else.

[pgyanke]

With all due respect, Archbishop... the longer the answer... the more twisted the logic. I noticed you never truly challenged SanFranNan directly, just invited her to dialogue.

Count me among the unimpressed... again.

[NYer]

Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[Antoninus]

Accordingly, as her pastor, I am writing to invite her into a conversation with me about these matters.

Wow, all those words to invite Nancy to a "conversation"? Uh, with all due respect, Your Excellency, you're dealing with a very public and very unrepentant advocate of abortion on demand who has dared to misrepresent what the Church teaches so that her own ghoulish opinions appear validated.

Nancy needs a crozier upside the head, not a conversation.

[pke]

Brevity is the soul of wit (and inspires a greater appreciation of clergy.)

[Notwithstanding]

And nuance requires a lawyer.

[EyeGuy]

Yes.

I wonder what il Papa thinks of this verbose and nuanced...ummmm... invitation to converse.

[maryz]

Accordingly, as her pastor, I am writing to invite her into a conversation with me about these matters.

I see that more as sort of code for "our revels now are ended" -- he knows he's been letting her slide forever and he's signalling her that he can't any longer -- whether pressure from Rome or from the other bishops. Not too long ago (6 months? a year?), he was actually claiming not to know where she stood on abortion, because they'd "never discussed it."

He didn't want to write this at all -- even stylistically, it sounds as if it was painfully ground out, letter by letter. I do think he should be commended for it -- it's rather a small step, and a reluctant one, and one he should have taken long ago. But he's taken it -- maybe a little (lot?) of encouagement will help him keep going!

[SoothingDave]

It must begin with a conversation, no?

How else is the bishop to formally correct her and give her an opportunity to submit to true teaching?

You can’t just skip to the sentencing phase.

[Louis Foxwell]

Accordingly, as her pastor, I am writing to invite her into a conversation with me about these matters.

__________________________

This is not an invitation she can blithly ignore. It is a command. She refuses the invitation at her peril.

[Antoninus]

It must begin with a conversation, no?

Indeed. I'll give him that much credit for at least initiating the process. We'll have to wait and see what happens now.

What will he do if Pelosi ignores him?

My guess is that she'll agree to meet with him and they'll work out a way for Pelosi to continue to appear to be a good Catholic, while attending Emily's List dinners on the sly. But maybe that's just the cynic in me.

[Quix]

I agree with you.

[eastsider]

What of Catholics who find themselves questioning the teachings of the Church, or experiencing uncertainties and questions about them? The bishops answer, "Some Catholics may not fully understand the Church's doctrinal and moral teachings on certain issues. They may have certain questions and even uncertainties. In situations of honest doubt and confusion, they are welcome to partake of Holy Communion, as long as they are striving to understand what the Church professes and to resolve confusion and doubt."

Bishop Niederauer is throwing Speaker Pelosi a lifeline. He is giving her the benefit of the "doubt," and inviting her to conform to authentic Church teaching through public conversation and thereby repair the widespread confusion she has sewn.

I pray that she accepts the good bishop's invitation.

[Salvation]

I may be missing a couple of bishops, but here is my count on the Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops who have spoken out against abortion-supporting politicians.

Cardinal George

Cardinal Egan

Cardinal Rigali

 

Archbishop Chaput

Archbiship Burke

Archbishop Wuerl

Archbishop Niederauer

 

Bishop Conley

Bishop Saltarelli

Bishop Aquila

Bishop Lori 

Bishop Zubik

Bishop Sheridan

Bishop Vasa