Today Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), well-known for her pro-abortion career in politics despite her profession of Catholic faith, met briefly with His Holiness Pope Benedict.
Here is a statement from the Press Office:
Following the General Audience the Holy Father briefly greeted Mrs Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, together with her entourage.
His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church’s consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development.
I have not seen any photos from the meeting.
I wonder… is the teaching of the Church clear now Mrs. Pelosi?
She got it from the top.
But she might have gotten it from her own bishop, with whom she said she would meet.
A spokesman for Archbp. Niederauer of San Francisco said on 13 Feb:
“While she initially accepted the archbishop’s invitation to a pastoral meeting, she has not been able to arrange such a meeting on her schedule, despite our putting forward several available dates,” …
UPDATE 1653 GMT
Pelosi Statement Following Meeting With Pope Benedict XVI
Last update: 10:09 a.m. EST Feb. 18, 2009
WASHINGTON, Feb 18, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ — Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today following a meeting at the Vatican with his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI:"It is with great joy that my husband, Paul, and I met with his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI today.
"In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the Church’s leadership in fighting poverty, hunger, and global warming, as well as the Holy Father’s dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel.
"I was proud to show his Holiness a photograph of my family’s Papal visit in the 1950s, as well as a recent picture of our children and grandchildren."
SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House
She says it is a "conversation". She mentions only what she thought was important enough to reveal.
Fair enough.
The Holy See mentions in its release what the POPE thought most important to reveal.
The mismatch between the two statements suggests to me that she was either unmoved by the content of what the Pope said to her, or embarrassed.
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I wonder if “stronger” words like the “E” word was used.
God bless him! We are so lucky. I pray she listened…
Listening is one thing, hearing is another.
I wonder… is the teaching of the Church clear now Mrs. Pelosi?
Probably, but I fear it is the wrong question. The correct question is, “Will Mrs Pelosi now adhere to, preach, and support the Church’s teaching?”
_I have not seen any photos from the meeting._
The meeting wasn’t open to the press.
I’m just astounded by her gall – that she could visit the Pope after all of erroneous statements, and think that he’s just going to treat it as a friendly diplomatic visit.
From the Catholic News Service weblog, here is Mrs. Pelosi’s official statement:
“It is with great joy that my husband, Paul, and I met with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI today.
“In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the church’s leadership in fighting poverty, hunger and global warming, as well as the Holy Father’s dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel.
“I was proud to show His Holiness a photograph of my family’s papal visit in the 1950s, as well as a recent picture of our children and grandchildren.”
It seems Mrs. Pelosi attended a different papal audience than the one the Holy Father attended with her.
“I had the opportunity to praise the church’s leadership in fighting …global warming”
Huh?
Nancy Pelosi got off much easier than Bishop Williamson despite the fact that the holocaust of abortion that she supports has killed more than 6,000,000 innocent lives.
My yellow lab will speak Latin before she renounces her cult of death.
It’s a shame that the Holy Father’s subordinates allowed her through the door. You know she’ll use this as a photo op to curry favor with the CINOs in America.
On another note Father, you should read the editorial for this month’s Latin Mass Magazine. It is a brilliant piece on the state of Catholicism in the United States.
Father, check out American Papist. I think he has a photo of the meeting. :) and….. Z chat? pretty please?
Madame Pelosi probably figured that the Pope would not say anything too controversial. She must have been disabused of that notion rather quickly.
However, she has the power of the secular media to help, what do you want to bet that all we hear is her side of it?
never mind. It was a photo from last year.
As I read somewhere – it reminds me also of Judas.
If Mrs Pelosi embraced the Church’s teaching on life issues, she’d lose her seat in Congress. Her consituency is about as left-wing, pro-abort as they come and they’d vote her out in a heartbeat.
There goes all her power. No, she won’t change.
Perhaps we can see this as step one in the “education” of Pelosi. Could it be that tue next step could then be a formal pronouncement or warning against her actions, before the final step of excommunication? Obviously, her own Bishop has failed his duty to make sure she knows the teaching of the Church, so the our Holy Father did it for him…so it seems.
Fenton your Yellow Lab may be closer to speaking Latin then you think…
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1476105&id=591692308
As posted by Fr. Jay Finelli here: https://wdtprs.com/2009/02/fr-l-fr-l-quid-feci-tibi/#comments
On the note of Nancy Pelosi and the Pope. Good for him, hopefully what he said will keep coming back to her mind until she changes her position.
I would be more than willing to help Speaker Pelosi’s schedulers find a time to meet with her bishop. It would be great if he could come to D.C. to meet with her.
Father Z, if she makes some sort of public statement supporting abortion in the future, isn’t the Church obligated to pronounce the she has separated herself from the Church? Especially in light of the Holy See’s press release?
His Holiness has set her up nicely. I just pray there are no sentimental photos of this meeting which the left-wing, pro-abortion, and solidly Democratic Press, will use to undercut the Pope’s clear message. Tom
Some say she already met secretly with Abp. Niederauer. See:
http://johnmalloysdb.blogspot.com/2009/02/has-pelosi-already-met-with-archbishop.html
It’s not clear though…
“I had the opportunity to praise the church’s leadership in fighting …global warming”
Huh?
Well, Vatican City is now officially carbon-neutral.
But her statement is almost a caricature.
She still doesn’t get it and her press release says nothing about the main topic of public officials being required to defend life in all its stages from conception to natural death. But God will not be mocked and her intransigence will not be rewarded. She’s cutting her own throat but is too stupid to realize it. Photos of her kids and grandkids….PLEASE…it strains all credulity. What about photos of missions of aborted babies aborted during her watch? Egads, it boggles the mind.
_You know she’ll use this as a photo op to curry favor with the CINOs in America._
As I noted earlier, the press wasn’t invited, and the potential for that sort of thing is part of the reason why. The Vatican publication of the Pope’s remarks from a private interview with a non-head-of-state is also highly unusual, but I imagine was done for similar reasons — to limit Pelosi’s ability to sow confusion about the content of the meeting.
A spokesman for Archbp. Niederauer of San Francisco said on 13 Feb:
As a currently former member of the SF archdiocese, I can say that the Archbishop was most likely in absolutely NO hurry to meet with Pelosi. They both have a wink and a nudge type relationship; each knows EXACTLY what NEEDS to happen. But as long as they never meet officially, each can always play off that fact (i.e. “I was never told…” or “I never got the chance to…”).
Niederauer has a very odd relationship with the Catholics of SF. He only wants support from the ones which share his ultra-liberal view and leanings. Unfortunately, many of these (like Pelosi) also cross the line and hold views (even publically) contrary to church teaching.
As they say, “if it aint broke, don’t fix it!”
I seriously doubt you will see any photos of Pelosi with His Holiness. I bet it was a closed door meeting without Vatican cameras flashing. I fear she would use such pictures to show the world that the Pope met her and they had a nice chat. If the Vatican is smart, this is the only communication that should come out of this meeting.
Father Zulhsdorf,
CNA has the story at http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=15125 for what it’s worth. God bless.
I doubt you will see any change of heart or ideology on the part of Mrs. Pelosi. Still, I’m glad the Holy Father had the chance to personally convey Church teaching to her.
Here’s hoping that Catholic priests in parishes across America end their own silence on this matter.
She is indeed a charter member of the cult of death. I fear she will heed not the words of our Holy Father, but those of her voters. Her true loyalty almost certainly lies with those who would destroy life in the name of “convenience.”
Mike
My favorite part of this whole shindig is that Pelosi’s office IS saying she met with Archbp. Niederauer. Someone is lying.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/concerns-hopes-as-pelosi-meets-pope-at-the-vatican-2009-02-17.html
The Hill, February 18, 2009, Page 8
“The next month, Pelosi’s hometown Archibishop George Niederauer of San Francisco stepped in and invited Pelosi to discuss whether she should continue to receieve communion at the Catholic Church in wake of her comments.
The two had the meeting, according to a House aide, though it was not publicly noted at the time. No details have emerged, but she has continued to receive communion”
Fr. Z — I think she was completely taken aback by his staying spot on the most important topic. Embarrassed, yep. I don’t mean to be uncharitable in any way, but when I see her speak, the look in her eyes speaks volumes to me of her delusions. She definitely needs our daily prayers.
I just learned on Fox News that there were no photos. Thanks God for that. Tom
Maybe the media doesn’t like Pelosi? I just see that the AP and all types of MSM are making the number one point of the meeting is that the Pope has, indeed, corrected her on abortion. Well, good ! Glad the MSM is doing that.
“It is with great joy that my husband, Paul, and I met with his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI today.
“In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the Church’s leadership in fighting poverty, hunger, and global warming, as well as the Holy Father’s dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel.
“I was proud to show his Holiness a photograph of my family’s Papal visit in the 1950s, as well as a recent picture of our children and grandchildren.”
No matter how much the WDTPRS appreciate the holy father’s lecture to Pelosi, that this politician would promote it as a positive event was predictable and the main-stream media would spin a positive view of it as well.
This is nothing to rejoice about in that it does not help the church’s fight against abortion. By giving legitimacy to these politicians it only weakens the rights of the unborn. Pelosi knows the church’s teaching on abortion. If she does not listen to her priest nor her bishop it is highly unlikely that she will listen to the pope. It was just a publicity stunt at best. At worst it was a mockery of the church at its highest level.
This is equivalent to if in 1942 the the pope entertained a politician such as Heinrich Himmler. No matter what the pope would have said, even meeting him would have tainted the church and a similar positive spin regarding hunger, poverty, and social justice could have been made.
If anyone thinks Mrs. Pelosi will change her position on anything, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I’ll consider offers for.
Loren Z — I don’t agree at all, respectfully submitted.
I like it: she got 15 minutes, some instruction on her moral duty, and no photo op. Perfect!
Kathryn Jean Lopez of the National Review has a commentary in the NCR about Nancy’s Catholicism. I hadn’t realized that Nancy had written a book on “Being Catholic Now.” I think she does intend to instruct us, the bishops and everyone else. Maybe even the Pope, but we weren’t privy to their conversation so I’ll stop there. Lopez uses the phrase “gospel of death” to refer to Pelosi’s views. Nice touch.
Article is here: http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/17325/
Fenton and Mitch_WA – thanks. I’m still laughing. What do you think your Golden Retriever will say?
In a testament to “think then post”, I have to say it just saved me some embarrassment and possibly from sin.
Father Z, thank you for your summation, I think it is right on. Let’s pray she was embarrassed and can in turn find the strength to act upon it!
“It is with great joy that my husband, Paul, and I met with the Prince of Darkness just inside the front gates of his realm.”
“In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise Hell’s Satanic leadership in supporting freedom of choice. I also took the opportunity to scold him about his carbon feetprints, and his way over his limits use of coal, natural gas, hellfire and especially the excessive sulfur gases he releases. When I asked him about lunch…”
“I hadn’t realized that Nancy had written a book on “Being Catholic Now”” – Comment by MargaretMN
The book cited is by Kerry Kennedy (of the pro-choice pseudo Catholic Kennedy clan, and daughter of the late Senator Robert Kennedy, who, I’ll bet, was pro-life). In it she interviews various prominent Catholics, including Ms. Pelosi.
If Vatican diplomats could come up with no excuse for the Pope NOT to meet with the United States’ third banana, then this is the best of a bad situation.
However, I have to agree with Loren Z. While Catholic blog denizens may appreciate the subtleties, the cultural points all go to Nancy. The Pope has a statement, but so does Nancy, and the Pro-Choice Catholics… dilution, confusion and scandal.
If even after this she is still receiving communion, how can Catholics not be further confused and the faithful scandalized?
I really want to feel good about this, but so far…
Pelosi: In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the Church’s leadership in fighting poverty, hunger, and global warming,
Strange, but not strange, that she would speak as a judge of the Vatican’s social agenda.
She ought to have thanked the Holy Father