Posted on 08/25/2008 11:46:50 AM PDT by Antioch
In an appearance on the NBC program Meet the Press on Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a self-professed Catholic, denied that the Catholic Church condemns abortion.
Referring to Barack Obama's now-notorious answer to Pastor Rick Warren to the question of when life begins, Meet the Press moderator Tom Brokaw asked Pelosi, "Senator Obama saying the question of when life begins is above his pay grade…If he were to come to you and say, 'Help me out here, Madame Speaker. When does life begin?' what would you tell him?"
Pelosi responded by sidestepping the question, appealing to her Catholic faith as the source of her uncertainty.
"I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time," she said. "And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition. And Senator - St. Augustine said at three months. We don't know."
Pelosi then said that in her view the question of when life begins is a non-issue in the debate on abortion.
"The point is, is that it shouldn't have an impact on the woman's right to choose. Roe v. Wade talks about very clear definitions of when the child - first trimester, certain considerations; second trimester; not so third trimester. There's very clear distinctions. 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."
Brokaw continued to press Pelosi on the question, observing, "The Catholic Church at the moment feels very strongly that it… begins at the point of conception."
Pelosi again side-stepped the question, suggesting that the Church's current position is only a recent position and that "over the history of the church, this is an issue of controversy."
The President of the Catholic League, Bill Donohue, responded to Pelosi's statements on Meet the Press, observing that the Church's position on abortion is clear beyond any doubt. "Here is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: 'Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception.'"
He continued, "It also says, 'Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.' Looks like Pelosi didn't study the subject long enough. But not to worry: We are sending her a copy of Catholicism for Dummies today."
Kathryn Jean Lopez, the online editor of National Review, quipped, "It's the blind leading the blind in that party if the 'ardent practicing Catholic' doesn't care when life begins, only that women have the choice to do what they 'choose' (sometimes, thanks to people like Pelosi, not aware of what their choices actually are) whether it's life or not."
Pelosi concluded her appearance by contradicting another doctrine of the Catholic Church by advocating contraception. Contraception is officially condemned by the Catholic Church as "intrinsically evil."
"My Republican colleagues do not support contraception. If you want to reduce the number of abortions, and we all do, we must - it would behoove you to support family planning and, and contraception, you would think," she said. "But that is not the case."
My brain hurts (like the aflaak duck) trying to comprehend what the headline means and what she is saying. (old pro life quote: Anyone who ever bought a condom knows exactly when life begins.)
Unfortunately Archbishop Wuerl has said publicly that he would not discipline or direct priests to deny communion to Pelosi.
To be heard, you’ll have to contact the Apostolic Nuncio:
Archbishop Pietro Sambi
3339 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W, Washington, DC, USA
Telephone: 202 333-7121
Fax: 202 337-4036
or the Congregation for Bishops
Piazza Pio XII 10
00193
Rome, Italy
Fax: 011.39.6.69.88.53.03
Maybe it won’t stop Pelosi from publically scandalizing the Church, but at least it may put the brake’s on the Milquetoast Archbishop’s career aspirations
And ignorant. Just disturbed, evil and downright ignorant. What a fool. Every rat should be ashamed of himself that they allowed her to soil the speakers chair.
Jeremiah 1:5
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
I caught that too. I believe his brother David is Catholic. He certainly will set him straight.
.......and up is down, day is night, yada yada yada. I hope more bishops will stand up and condemn these people.
Catholic Democrats have been confusing to Protestants for decades! That's not to say that Catholics have a monopoly on creating confusion.
I remember telling a Baptist deacon who was supporting Bill Clinton at the time, "You can be a good Baptist, or you can be a Democrat-- but you can't be both.
And now Nancy is opposing the views of her Pope?
Amazing, absolutely amazing.
So if Michelle announces her pregnancy tonight, or in the near future, someone should ask her if the baby is alive and has the right to live
Has the Catholic Church in America sold its right to speak out against abortion by filing 501(c)3 tax exempt status?
Some of the early church fathers seem to have thought the soul entered the body some time after conception, but that doesn't mean they approved of killing the fetus. One of the oldest non-Biblical Christian texts, the Didache, condemns abortion.
FYI, here is a response to Pelosi’s comments from the Archbishop of Denver (letter in pdf format):
Someone needs to ask her who was Jesus’ father and what happens to the Host during communion.
I hope she repents in time to receive her Last Rights.
I’m not happy that Chaput has to do what should be the task of Wuerl and Niederauer, but at least he’s demonstrated to this clueless harridan that she can’t be an ardent cafeteria catholic.
She should know better - an Italian girl from East baltimore - educated in good Catholic Schools.
She should be ashamed - and as an italian - I say she is a DISGRACE to the vowel at the end of her name.
BTW - what is a harridan? - I get the clueless part.
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She has excommunicated herself by supporting abortion and is no longer able to be communicated -- receive Communion.
| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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