After being strongly criticized for her remarks on television Sunday, the Speaker of the House has now fired off a response.
I'm not sure it's cleared the net:
“The Speaker is the mother of five children and seven grandchildren and fully appreciates the sanctity of family. She was raised in a devout Catholic family who often disagreed with her pro-choice views.This is not, to put it diplomatically, an act of contrition. And it seems to indicate Congresswoman Pelosi does not believe that life begins at conception.
“After she was elected to Congress, and the choice issue became more public as she would have to vote on it, she studied the matter more closely. Her views on when life begins were informed by the views of Saint 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…’ (Saint Augustine, On Exodus 21.22)
“While Catholic teaching is clear that life begins at conception, many Catholics do not ascribe to that view. The Speaker agrees with the Church that we should reduce the number of abortions. 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.
“The Speaker has a long, proud record of working with the Catholic Church on many issues, including alleviating poverty and promoting social justice and peace.”
Let's see what the bishops do with this.
Meantime, a grateful h/t to Rocco.
UPDATE: There's some very interesting reaction to the Pelosi statement at this link. And a group of Catholic Republicans is now taking her to task and demanding a correction. Yeah, good luck with that.
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12 comments:
She clearly does not think life begins at conception. She also recently wrote in an essay that she does not believe that the Eucharist is the literal Body of Christ.
Catholicism is a big church, but she really needs a good retreat and a wise spiritual advisor.
I guess I wasn't aware that we were free to "study" church doctrine and draw our own conclusions on what is REALLY meant apart from what the Magisterium actually spells out ... Didn't Luther try that? We all know how THAT turned out.
When are you going to post Archbishop Egan's comments on this matter?
They are the best rebuke yet!
Mfranks...
I did. Check out this link.
Dcn. G.
All I can say is that I am amazed and astounded by Speaker Pelosi's comments (if they are here in full context). How can she not acquiesce to the Church's position that we cannot know about the exact moment of ensoulment and thereby assume that the soul is there by the very fact of biological life? How sad! I do pray for her and many more like her. May she and all of them change their hearts and minds on this issue, and maybe encourage the rest of us to do better as well.
Some folks want it both ways and when they can't have it they make it up. I sometimes think that politicians must really think people are mindless sheep who will follow them anywhere they lead.
I'm wondering when her bishop is going to get with it and either say something substantial (not re-printing the USCCB's statement) or Excommunicate the woman. At this point it isn't just disagreeing with the church she is misrepresenting Church teaching.
Sen. Pelosi is way out of her league on this one and you can tell has really not done her homework (but then again, she is way out of her league on most issues).
Here is the perfect example of a "Catholic" politian who should be denied Communion in the Church -- she was wrong on the Church's teaching about abortion, has been rebuked about this in the media and then still holds fast to her errors.
The time is now for all Catholic clergy to rise to the occassion!
Fr Pacwa last night on EWTN's "Threshold of Hope" addressed Pelosi directly and hit her hard. He showed how St Augustine was taken out of context and misinterpreted. He also gave examples of the constant teaching of the Church that abortion is wrong, quoting as far back as the "Didache".
Fr. Pacwa had started his criticism in his homily at the daily mass that morning. I missed Threshold, but sounds like he tackled the same issue.
To quote someone from A Shepherds Blog: “The corruption of reason is one of the logical consequences of legalized abortion
Another favorite quote, from a priest friend:
"Sin, when you are firmly unrepentant, just makes you crazy."
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