"The bishops are desperate to demonstrate that their flock isn't ignoring them on abortion the way it has on contraception for half a century."

No, the bishops are correcting the ignorant babbling of a woman who's blinded her own conscience and now seeks to spread the blindness t o the faithful. It's funny how the 'separation of church and state' card is used when it's convenient for politicians, but not really held to as a standard.

It's also nice to see the LA Times doing the democrats dirty work.
Ben | 08.27.08 - 1:07 pm | #

"The bishops are desperate to demonstrate that their flock isn't ignoring them on abortion the way it has on contraception for half a century."

O RLY? If the flock is ignoring them, why this mad scramble by the DNC and their media cronies to man the bilge pumps after Pelosi's big mouth holed their ship below the waterline?
Scott W. | Homepage | 08.27.08 - 2:22 pm | #

Tim Rutten seems to have fallen into a trap common to political junkies (myself included), that of assuming that all people act only according to their political inclinations. He has lost sight of the fact that people who wear mitres sometimes have to make statements that have political undertones without actually trying to be political operatives.

I sense that perhaps he is a fan of Pelosi's positions without particularly liking Pelosi. He criticized her tactics, called her incoherent and conceded that she blew the facts. I'll give him credit for not trying to out bishop the bishops.
DGS | 08.27.08 - 2:28 pm | #

Talk about "novel reductionism" - Rutten reduces 2000 years of Catholic moral and political tradition to a single quotation from Fr. John Courtney Murray.

But Rutten even misunderstands Murray - looks like Murray is talking about pluralism within a democratic society, not within the Church (kinda hard to tell since there's no context given for Murray's words).
Sam Schmitt | 08.27.08 - 5:04 pm | #

I wonder how long the Democrats will keep Pelosi as speaker. She seems to be making one serious gaff after another--from suggesting drilling protesters heads, to trying to out teach the Catholic Church on moral issues.
Judith M. | 08.28.08 - 1:59 pm | #

Had to get back in the blog game watching the ridiculousness that is Her Pelosiness. And how good and wholesome it is for numerous of our esteemed bishops to administer the theological equivalent of WWF Smackdown upon her well-coiffed noggin. Was watching and waiting until the Abortion Question would peep up from the cracks during Election '08. A fine time it is since the Dems have selected a Secular Messiah who never met an infanticide procedure he didn't like. Would like to modify a line by PJ O'Rourke on those who ply her trade. Releasing theological speeches by politicians is like giving whisky and car keys to teenage boys. Bravo Esteemed Bishops for preaching the Word whether convenient or inconvenient. To those who would distort its truths.
Gerard E. | 08.29.08 - 12:01 am | #