AmericanPapist Comments
Isn't there a word for someone who deliberately distorts or "corrupts" a teaching of the Church?
I honestly think she could care less about what the Bishops say. If she did, she would not have said what she said. I am not at all agreeing with her, it is that from her perspective, she could care less. And maybe she is even amused at the whole scenario. I am, however, deeply grateful for our Bishops who have stood up to this woman's antics and rhetoric that is simple inexcusable.
I can hardly wait to hear her excuses..if she offers any. I am deeply thankful that the bishops, starting with Archbishop Chaput and Bishop Conley, have spoken. Hopefully they will keep it up.
Michelle, you underestimate how much Pelosi worries about political fallout.
this flair-up couldn't have come at a worse time for her, as the dems roll out their pro-Catholic, biden-included platform in denver this week.
For Pelosi the Democratic Party is the highest religion on earth. The Catholic Church is and remains a cheap marketing vehicle for her and her fellow travelers. If the bishops don't excommunicate this loon, they will have lost all credibility. Maybe they'll get lucky and Pope Benedict will do their work for them. If you vote Democratic, you're not a Catholic. Period. Tom
Remember to pray for her. Even if repentance looks unlikely, we must hope for that. Excommunication is a medicinal penalty.
This being said, I'm glad somebody finally did something stupid enough, and in such a manner, that our Bishops HAD to say something.
How such a shrewd political operator could make such a blunder is beyond me. As Jeremy said, the bishops "HAD" to step in here. There are two things that strike me as particularly sad:
1) Meet the Press is an institution with millions tuning in to watch. Casual Catholics ignorant of the history of Church teachings and non-Catholics alike might actually think she's right, and as brassband noted, that is quite grave. For all the viewers who saw her say what she did, we would be lucky for even a tiny fraction of them to read the statements of Chaput and Conley, Rigali and Lori, and Wuerl, and hopefully others (where the hell is Niederauer?) in the coming days. The cynic in me makes me wonder if she didn't make a blunder at all: that she's counting on people refraining from getting the facts so that when bishops such as those already mentioned speak up, the people who watched Meet the Press will think, "Well, here those yahoos go again when the CHURCH only changed its tune after World War II." Yet the optimist in me makes me willing to give the benefit of the doubt that her statements were not a political calculation intended to take out the legs of outspoken clerics but rather an episode of complete ignorance. Regardless of her intention, the damage, I fear, will be extraordinary.
2) I haven't watched Meet the Press since Tim Russert passed away. I don't know how good of a job Brokaw is doing. I do believe that Pelosi doesn't give these answers if Tim was in the moderator's seat. Given his love and knowledge of the Church, he would've absolutely nailed her on this "50 years" nonsense. I've missed him since I learned of his death, and probably more so now than ever.
Thank you for your excellent coverage of this, Thomas. It is good to know where I can get up to date information (with sane analysis) on this situation. Father Z also did an excellent piece on the Archbishop's letter from Denver.
I remember when I saw Speaker Pelosi kiss Pope Benedict's ring on the White House lawn. I thought - man, she really does have nerve. Yeah - we do need to pray that God uses this to humble her. It could be a moment of grace. Stranger things have happened. I remember when Norma McCorvey used to accompany Gloria Allred to pro-abortion protests and yell in pro-lifers faces. Now Norma is a devout Catholic.
I know the emphasis here is on Speaker Pelosi's misstatement of the Church's position on abortion, but her comments on contraception in that interview were totally at odds with the Faith as well...
God works in mysterious and wonderful ways. What a time for this to happen. Even the most nominal Catholics have to know that she was "dancing around the devil". How do we know? Her lips were moving.
This is a "push come to shove" moment for the bishops and any and all Catholic lay leaders.
God works for good in all things.
Gary Oldman once said (paraphrasing), the Dems least liked word is "Jesus" and their favorite word is "Abortion." Too true.
Correction: he said "liberals," not "democrats."
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