House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared on "Meet the Press" yesterday and showed her profound, almost incredible ignorance.
And Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput has taken it upon himself to educate her.
He's released a statement. Read the whole thing here.
H/T to the always-reliable Anchoress.
UPDATE: The USCCB tonight released a statement on the Pelosi mess:
In the course of a “Meet the Press” interview on abortion and other public issues on August 24, 2008, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi misrepresented the history and nature of the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church against abortion.UPDATE II: The Archbishop of Washington has now thrown in his two cents. How long until the Speaker apologizes? Or admits that she was wrong?
In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, “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, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law.” (No. 2271)
In the Middle Ages, uninformed and inadequate theories about embryology led some theologians to speculate that specifically human life capable of receiving an immortal soul may not exist until a few weeks into pregnancy. While in canon law these theories led to a distinction in penalties between very early and later abortions, the Church’s moral teaching never justified or permitted abortion at any stage of development.
These mistaken biological theories became obsolete over 150 years ago when scientists discovered that a new human individual comes into being from the union of sperm and egg at fertilization. In keeping with this modern understanding, the Church teaches that from the time of conception (fertilization), each member of the human species must be given the full respect due to a human person, beginning with respect for the fundamental right to life.
UPDATE III: Better late than never...the Cardinal Archbishop of New York has released his own statement on L'affair Pelosi.
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6 comments:
Wow... she (Pelosi) really doesn't get it.
Please Bishop Chaput, continue...tell us more. Tell us just what you would like to see enacted. What legislation would you support? What punishment meted out? Don't proclaim the moral teaching of the Church but avoid the hard issues that confront a Catholic legislator. Tell us what punishment you forsee awaiting the woman who procures an abortion in the world post Roe v. Wade. Would it not be premeditated murder? If not, why not?
I think the Bishop Chaput did an excellent job setting the record straight.
sthuntz1,
I responded to your comment/question under a different topic. There I gave you the benefit of the doubt that you were asking a sincere question. However, from the tone of your current comment toward Archbishop Chaput it appears that you are simply using this question like all the others, to end discussion.
It is the office of Archbishop Chaput to teach and defend the Catholic faith not to draft laws. If you read the Archbishops new book you will understand that there is a proper separation between Church and State. As a practical matter Roe v. Wade was bad case law in the first place as even Joe Biden admitted. Are you just trying to bait the Archbishop into a position that you can then argue with? Do you think that it shouldn't be illegal?
Sthuntz, you are right murder is murder. There are various mitigating circumstanstaces that come into play in a regular murder case that affect the sentence. I imagine something similar would happen in the case of abortion being illegal. One important note. The woman is hiring the murderer. The real murderer is whoever performs the abortion. If that is a doctor, at the very least he/she should lose his/her right to practice medicine.
You are absolutely correct that these are details that must be hammered out before a law can be enacted. However, for me at least, it is hard to think about these "little details" when the people on the other side of the argument insist that we have the right to end the life of another human being. Seems premature to argue about setencing when we can't agree that a wrong has been committed.
The point I wish to make is that Catholic politicians have a very tough job. There are so many who so quickly point fingers and stand in judgment without considering the full context of the situation. I completely agree with the position of the church regarding abortion. I want to see an end to it as much as anyone. However, it is naive to think that simply passing a law or overturning a precedent is going to stop abortion. We all know abortions will continue. Even if we were to provide full medical, educational and housing care to every pregnant woman, there will still be abortions. I want to know how this will be handled. Will every woman who uses an abortoficient "birth control" pill be guilty of causing the death of another human being? What would you, or the bishops, like to see as appropriate punishment for this crime? I think it is very easy to condemn and accuse, it isn't so easy to write law. Simply criminalizing abortion will not end abortion, it'll just make some people feel better about themselves.
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