Posted on 08/26/2008 4:54:34 AM PDT by radar101
In a rare public rebuke of a top politician, the archbishop of Washington said Monday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was incorrect when she recently said the moment of conception has long been a matter of controversy within the Catholic Church.
In a release issued Monday night, Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl said Pelosi's comments on "Meet the Press" on Sunday "were incorrect."
Wuerl noted that Pelosi responded to a question on when life begins by mentioning she was Catholic.
The release quoted Pelosi as saying the church has not been able to come with a definition of when life begins.
“After Mr. Tom Brokaw, the interviewer, pointed out that the Catholic Church feels strongly that life begins at conception, she replied, 'I understand. And this is, like, maybe 50 years or something like that. So again, over the history of the church, this is an issue of controversy,' " the release said.
Wuerl strongly disagrees.
He said, "We respect the right of elected officials such as Speaker Pelosi to address matters of public policy that are before them, but the interpretation of Catholic faith has rightfully been entrusted to the Catholic bishops. Given this responsibility to teach, it is important to make this correction for the record."
Wuerl pointed out that the Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear, and has been clear for 2,000 years. He cited Catechism language that reads, "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception … 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.”
A Pelosi spokesman did not immediately comment for this article.
The Speaker recently said she, unlike other Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, has not clashed with her church about receiving communion.
In an interview on C-SPAN that aired earlier this month, Pelosi was asked about how some church officials have raised objections about whether former presidential contenders — such as Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) — should receive communion.
Pelosi, a Roman Catholic whose district includes most of San Francisco, said she has not encountered such difficulties in her church.
“I think some of it is regional,” she said, “It depends on the bishop of a certain region, and, fortunately for me, communion has not been withheld and I’m a regular communicant, so that would be a severe blow to me if that were the case.”
I guess even Wuerl couldn't ignore this.
Not what I would call a rip.
Pelosi has self-excommunicated.
She is NOT in communion with the Church.
It is not up to a priest to pick out those who might be receiving unworthily.
Sick old elitist witch.
IOW, you don't have a clue, and don't speak for the Catholic Church.
Mrs. Pelosi cannot parse this away. Life begins at conception. After all, isn’t that why kids are encouraged to use rubbers? What does the Speaker think rubbers are for? Preventing the birth of 1948 Plymouth?
Abetting abortion, which Mrs. Pelosi does, is a mortal sin in the Catholic faith. If she does not confess this, it will stain her soul until she dies.
God doesn’t like it when we kill his babies.
I don’t know where Pelosi goes to Mass in DC (if she does), but I’m praying that she will soon be denied reception of the Eucharist due to her consistent scandalous position on abortion. Pray that the bishops responsible will finally take action on this.
watched her speech last night...horrible.
watched her interview afterwards...closeups...ugly...ugly
Where’s a good Grand Inquisitor when you really need one?
August 25, 2008
The following statement is from Washington Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl:
On Meet the Press this past Sunday, August 23, 2008, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi made statements regarding the teaching of the Catholic Church, human life and abortion that were incorrect.
Speaker Pelosi responded to a question on when life begins by mentioning she was Catholic. She went on to say, “And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the Church have not been able to make that definition...” After Mr. Tom Brokaw, the interviewer, pointed out that the Catholic Church feels strongly that life begins at conception, she replied, “I understand. And this is like maybe 50 years or something like that. So again, over the history of the church, this is an issue of controversy.”
We respect the right of elected officials such as Speaker Pelosi to address matters of public policy that are before them, but the interpretation of Catholic faith has rightfully been entrusted to the Catholic bishops. Given this responsibility to teach, it is important to make this correction for the record.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear: the current teaching of the Catholic Church on human life and abortion is the same teaching as it was 2,000 years ago. The Catechism reads:
“Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception…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.” (Catechism, 2270-2271)
The Catechism goes on to quote the Didache, a treatise that dates to the first century: “’You shall not kill the embryo by abortion and shall not cause the newborn to perish.’”
From the beginning, the Catholic Church has respected the dignity of all human life from the moment of conception to natural death.
Contact:
Susan Gibbs
Director of Communications
301-853-4517
gibbss@adw.org
The fact is that Demonrats are just hedonists; there is no right or wrong in their worlds, except for being in opposition to them and their power-hungry, controlling goals. They will say anything to fool people into voting for them and play the religion card even though it is so transparent Pelosi is on ‘Catholic’ in name only. They are abominable to religion and any sort of recognition of morals.
It is true that both Augustine and Aquinas wrote of a delayed ensoulment, but I don’t believe that either declared it legitimate to destroy the unensouled, but still animate, embryo.
Great theologians sometimes speculate, and not all speculation rises to the teaching of the church.
Yeah, when did the ripping take place? Not seeing it...
I’m Lutheran, not Catholic, and my question is meant to obtain understanding and is in no way an evaluation or critique.
Is it possible that Pelosi has lulled herself into believing she’s safe in her pursuit of abortion rights because communion rights have not been withheld? So, she rationalizes her continued allowance of the Sacrament of Communion by assigning convoluted and illogical confusion within the Church on the topic. Sort of a self-justification mechanism.
Just trying to understand how someone who claims to be a practicing Catholic (or member of any Christian church) could be so disabused of Christian doctrine.
Weasel words. It is easy to read into this statement an acceptance of the discredited Cuomo stance of “personally opposed but not wishing to impose one's morality on others through the law.”
Archbishop Wuerl continues to be a part-time Catholic and a full-time Democrat.
We should pray for his conversion.
I agree with you (and I'm not even Catholic) as you are exactly right in that statement. The Bible is very clear on this: "Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself." - 1 Cor. 11:27-29.
Just curious....what is your source for the grounds for excommunication?
I’m sorry to hear that your mother passed away. Prayers for you and your family, in the knowledge she now is in Heaven with Christ our savior.
Pelosi’s (and now the Church’s) problem, is that she made her separation from Church doctrine public is a big way. Archbishop Wuerl’s statement was made to correct the record (apparently) but that just clarifies the schism between Church doctrine and her work and her beliefs. It would seem to me she’s painted herself and the Church into a very public corner.
The Catholic Church believes that life begins at conception, and we will not participate at any level. We will instruct our clergy to teach that to all Catholics. The Catholic Church believes that marriage is made up of one woman and one man, and we will not participate. We will not participate in same sex adoptions.
Any clergy member participating in the advancement of these sins will be defrocked. Catholics who publicly disagree or work toward the implementation of these sinful activities will be denied Communion and/or excommunicated.
We are taking this stand because, as Nancy Pelosi has shown, too many of our faithful have not been properly instructed in Church Doctrine.
I think Pelosi, having made the issue very public, has challenged the Church on this. What remains to be seen is what the Church will do. I'm certainly in no position to make suggestions. I'm simply curious how this will evolve.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05678a.htm
Summarized at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excommunication
Sounds like his problem with her is that she was on his turf - rather than her promoting evil.
Wait, I sure see some inconsistency here. How about Teddy Kennedy’s pro-abortion stand, his perverse ways, his lying, why hasn’t any Bishop taken him to task over these things for DECADES?? If someone has, I would appreciate a reference.
So many of us are so disgusted at politician’s in-your-face behavior but worse than that are the ones who continue to vote for them and keep them in POWER.
St. Luke seems to have thought the soul entered the embryo at or very soon after conception—he has St. Elizabeth speak to Mary concerning “the fruit of your womb” and call her “the mother of my Lord” (1.42-43), at a time that may have been only a few days after the Annunciation.
“Sounds like his problem with her is that she was on his turf - rather than her promoting evil.”
No. Ms. Pelosi has done more outrageous things than this under the archbishop's nose.
Rather, the public nature of her heretical statements forced him to make some response, no matter how weak.
And this response was very weak.
sitetest
Agreed.
Pls see post # 19 on this thread and then vist the thread below:
>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2068438/posts<
I understand God’s Word, and how she is apart from God in her actions and beliefs. My point, however, is that the Archbishop of Denver has called into question Joe Biden’s qualification for the Sacrament of Communion, yet no one has brought this aspect up regarding Pelosi. And make no mistake; her continued taking Communion was part of her dialog.
If the Church can excommunicate someone for failing to live up to Church doctrine, can they not also recommend abstaining from Communion unless/until the offending party shows themself worthy? And if the Church can do this, then will they in this case, or will political expediency prevail?
Pelosi has called this down upon herself. Will the Church act? That’s what I wonder.
The Denver Archbishop is putting Pelosi and Biden on notice...if you plan on going to Mass in Denver...you have been told...do not take Communion...unless you repent...It also give any priest in the Denver diocese cover to refuse Communion to either Pelosi or Biden
Yes, I understand that. I guess my questions have been directed to what occurs in their own parish. We may never know the fallout in that regard unless their individual Archbishops go public with pronouncements.
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