August 31, 2008
Bishops correct Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Church leaders issued a statement in response to Nancy Pelosi's fraudulent remarks made on NBC's "Meet the Press." When asked about the Church's standing on when life begins, Pelosi responded in her usual self-serving manner:
"I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time. And what I know is over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition . . . St. Augustine said at three months. We don't know. The point is, is that it shouldn't have an impact on the woman's right to choose."
Church officials respond, from Catholic Online:
The Diocese of Fargo released a letter Wednesday written by Bishop Aquila who said that while the remarks "created confusion in regard to Catholic teaching," those familiar with it "can easily recognize the flaws in her remarks."Respect life
"The Christian teaching on abortion throughout history is unchanged," he continued. "Human life from the moment of conception is to always be respected, treated with dignity, and protected.
"Catholics who support so called abortion rights support a false right, promote a culture of death."
"Out of respect for the teaching of Jesus Christ and the Church," added Bishop Aquila, "any Catholic who supports abortion rights has placed himself or herself outside of visible unity with the Church and thus should refrain from receiving holy Communion."
From Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. and Bishop James D. Conley representing the Archidiocese of Denver:
Of course, we now know with biological certainty exactly when human life begins. Thus, today's religious alibis for abortion and a so-called "right to choose" are nothing more than that - alibis that break radically with historic Christian and Catholic belief.Abortion kills an unborn, developing human life. It is always gravely evil, and so are the evasions employed to justify it. Catholics who make excuses for it - whether they're famous or not - fool only themselves and abuse the fidelity of those Catholics who do sincerely seek to follow the Gospel and live their Catholic faith.
The duty of the Church and other religious communities is moral witness. The duty of the state and its officials is to serve the common good, which is always rooted in moral truth. A proper understanding of the "separation of Church and state" does not imply a separation of faith from political life. But of course, it's always important to know what our faith actually teaches.
Read the articles here, and here.
Posted by Ziva at August 31, 2008 02:12 PM
Comments
Obviously theCardinal is going to have a problem with Pelosi's theological diversions. I didn't think it was possible for there to be a worse response to the abortion question than Obama's stiff arm at Saddleback - I stand corrected. Politicians should know better than to talk out of their ass when discussing theology - especially when they espouse something contrary to church teaching.
Posted by: theCardinal ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.babalublog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 31, 2008 08:59 PM
Gee, I went to Catholic school for 12 years and I was told life begins at conception. Pelosi must have been absent on those days.
When my daughter's fetal heart pole showed up on an ultrasound in the ER when I was just 5 weeks pregnant, I guess Pelosi would say that St. Augustine would deny the existence of life, even when we were staring right at a beating heart?
She should go do what she does best. What is that, anyway?
Posted by: Claudia4Libertad at September 1, 2008 12:23 AM
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