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Additional link at post #10. I wish Bishop Boyea would call out Molehern.
Posted on 02/19/2009 7:35:38 AM PST by NYer
SAN FRANCISCO, February 18, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In the wake of House Speaker Pelosi's closed-door meeting with Pope Benedict XVI last weekend, news has erupted that earlier this month Pelosi secretly met with her own bishop, Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco, to discuss her stance on abortion. Pelosi had publicly accepted an invitation to meet with Niederauer after the Speaker attempted to justify abortion in light of Catholic teaching last year during an interview on NBC's Meet the Press.
Michael Voris of Real Catholic TV broke the news today that the promised meeting took place Sunday, February 8 in a third-party home in San Francisco. Voris reports that Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly said that the Speaker described the meeting as "cordial and pleasant ... a fair exchange and good."
When asked whether Pelosi had changed her position on abortion to agree with Catholic teaching, Daly stated, "You won't see that happening. She is not changing her position on abortion."
Attempts by LifeSiteNews.com to reach the Archbishop's office were unanswered by press time.
Pelosi got in hot water with Catholic Church officials and laity after she told Tom Brokaw of Meet the Press last August that "the doctors of the Church haven't been able to make that definition" on whether life begins at conception.
"The point is, is that it shouldn't have an impact on the woman's right to choose," she said. "This isn't about abortion on demand, it's about a careful, careful consideration of all factors and - to - that a woman has to make with her doctor and her god."
Archbishop Niederauer joined a chorus of bishops condemning the comments, issuing a lengthy statement to correct Pelosi's error and invite her to "a conversation with me about these matters." Pelosi immediately responded, saying she would "welcome the opportunity ... to go beyond our earlier most cordial exchange about immigration and needs of the poor to Church teaching on other significant matters."
Niederauer had met the Speaker in 2007 but did not touch upon the abortion issue because, Niederauer said, the issue of immigration was "very much the hot-button topic of the time."
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
"Catholic" Speaker Pelosi Denies that Catholicism Condemns Abortion
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/aug/08082502.html
26 US Bishops Have Rebuked Pelosi…So Far
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/sep/08091004.html
San Francisco Archbishop Niederauer Says He Doesn't Know Nancy Pelosi Stand on Abortion
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/feb/07020802.html
I encourage everyone to pray for her. She could be in the midst of a conversion. There is a lot of public pressure on her to remain pro-abortion, especially representing a district with San Francisco.
However, like most people, I’m sure she knows in her heart of hearts that abortion is wrong. Pray that she is given the light and courage to admit it, and to feel that conviction. She knows a conversion would cost her her political career.
She is garnering a lot of attention lately from the church so there could be something good that comes out of this. Just say a few prayers for her.
Maybe a different Catholic rite would work on her?
So I would further bet that if she attempts to receive Communion, she will be turned away. Is somebody going to follow her into church and report on what happens next?
For an institution with a reputation for being rigid, authoritarian, etc. etc., one can only be perplexed by the seemingly-infinite patience exhibited by the higher clergy in the case of Pelosi and others similarly situated. But this patience has already crossed over into corrupt toleration, and it will come to an end. It has to.
Pharaoh hardened his heart.
Pharaoh hardened his heart.
Pharaoh hardened his heart.
Pharaoh hardened his heart.
God hardened Pharaoh’s heat.
— you excommunicate yourself....”
True.
She needs to be publicly excommunicate along with ted kennedy and joe biden.
Do you think the Vatican is playing her like a Stradivarius by giving her every opportunity to be pastorally counseled by the appropriate ecclesial authorities before coming down hard on her public defiance and obstinance in support of gravely sinful behavior?
Meanwhile, The Speakerette poses as if she has had the honor of a private audience with the pope, as if it were a sign of her Catholic bona fides - when in reality it was a dressing down by the pope?
One of the American bishops (Burke, I think) rightly censured his fellow bishops and the Catholic News Service for confusing Catholics by intimating that there were other social justice issues which carried as great a weight as abortion. Since I know a fair number of Catholics who did not consider the Iraq war to meet just war principles, Obama's anti-war stance may have played a part. As well, there are many Catholics who share the Democrat vision of social welfare. To balance that 52% out, there were almost as many Catholics like myself who consider abortion to be the ultimate social injustice, and voted accordingly.
For 40 years (since the Second Vatican Council), the church has been teaching Catholics moral relativism -- all religions are good; you can do just about anything you want; don't worry about sin, just be happy; etc.
Now, two generations have been raised on this claptrap -- and yet, people can't figure out why the churches are empty or why these nominal Catholics no longer pay heed to Church teachings.
“one can only be perplexed by the seemingly-infinite patience exhibited by the higher clergy in the case of Pelosi and others similarly situated.”
Like you imply, I don’t think it’s patience. In fact, I think most of the hierarchy would only be too pleased to just keep letting Pelosi and other pro-baby butchery Catholic pols vote their pro-abortion agenda whilst calling themselves good catholics at the same time. As long as they do it quietly. The problem comes, much to most bishop’s dismay in my opinion, when they see pro-baby butchery Catholic pols open their yaps on national TV about what they think the Church teaches. Then folks get upset, and statements have to be made, much to the regret of most bishops, who ‘probly wish the abortion issue didn’t come up so much so they can concentrate on “peace and justice”.
I wonder why Pelosi wanted to meet the Pope. Is it certain that she was the one who requested the meeting? Seems like the timing of all this is a tad weird. Maybe the time honoured strategy of the soft pastoral touch is about to be replaced...
Freegards
I am not Catholic either.
One does not have to be Roman Catholic to know that abortion is evil, wicked, sinful, and totally wrong.
That said, how many of our contemporary Christian faiths are taking a strong stand in upholding the basic right to life?
Last night, O’Reilly kept try to push the Catholic Priest with the argument that SanFranNan was just upholding the Constitution regarding the “freedom of religion”. I thought O’Reilly had a point there, until I thought about it while going to sleep.
It dawned on my that the Catholic priest was being polite, and not reminding O’Reilly (probably a Catholic) on the air, that the Constitution also supports the “right to life”, so as not to embarrass him. But, I’ll bet he mentioned it to him once the cameras were off, or by e-mail!
We can’t cherry pick the Constitution for the pieces we like, as if in a cafeteria line. And, we can’t pick which of the Ten Commandments we like either.
My rant off.....
Our PR people totally screwed up the inquisition thing, but we still have the Rite of Exorcism for the likes of Nancy Pazuzu.
You don’t have to be religious to know abortion is wrong. Just common sense! Pro-baby butcherists LOVE to claim abortion is soley a religious issue. Like you said, that’s a crock as long as one can read our founding documents.
Freegards
Pelosi needs to change churches. What about Episcopal? What are their views? (A friend of mine is Episcopal and he called it “J.V. Catholic”, but I don’t know what they believe on abortion.
Still, if the church prohibits abortion, then she needs to make some hard choices, i.e., either jump on board the church’s tenets or un-join her church.
My church Covenent verbiage states that we’ll “abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage”. So I attend the church, but have not joined as I don’t believe this. (It’s legalism, and we’re no longer under law, but under grace.)
Hmmm, seems to me I heard something about another crucifixion once and that turned out pretty well. Lots of souls were saved as a result.
Sorry I missed the program. Do you recall the priest’s name?
You are absolutely correct. Thank you for the reminder.
If you would like to be added or dropped from the Michigan ping list, please freepmail me.
Additional link at post #10. I wish Bishop Boyea would call out Molehern.
Don’t forget John Kerry
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