The Holy See has announced that His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI will receive in a personal audience, the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House. Speaker Pelosi will travel to Rome later this year. The Holy Father was most gracious to the Speaker during his pastoral visit to Washington, DC, where he personally invited the Speaker to join him at the Mass held at Nationals Stadium.
14 comments:
On my 3rd Mediterranean cruise (1985) went to Rome on a tour and visited St Peter's square where John Paul II waved to me from his window.
So that divine intervention may help me later on. :)
take care, blessings
I am sure he will use the time to speak to her with no punches pulled.
Perhaps Speaker Pelosi can teach the Pope on the Catholic teaching regarding abortion....since she implies she has a grasp of it.
I am too. And some who are very sure they know the Pop'es mind may be surprised.
Unless he excommunicates her, the Pope has sold out by giving honors to a pro-abortion politican.
They met and thankfully the Pope preached the truth about the dignity of all persons to Speaker Pelosi. Here is the story below:
Pope to US Speaker Nancy Pelosi: Catholic politicians must reject abortion, protect lifeBy VICTOR L. SIMPSON | Associated Press Writer
10:06 AM EST, February 18, 2009
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday told U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, a Catholic who supports abortion rights, that Catholic politicians have a duty to protect life "at all stages of its development."
Pelosi is the first top Democrat to meet with Benedict since the election of Barack Obama, who won a majority of the Catholic vote despite differences with the Vatican on abortion.
The Vatican released the pope's remarks to Pelosi, saying Benedict spoke of the church's teaching "on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death." That is an expression often used by the pope when expressing opposition to abortion.
Benedict said all Catholics — especially legislators, jurists and political leaders — should work to create "a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development."
Pelosi could not immediately be reached for comment after the 15-minute meeting, which was closed to reporters and photographers. The two met in a small room off a Vatican auditorium after the pope's weekly public audience.
The Vatican said it was not issuing a photo of the meeting — as it usually does when the pope meets world leaders — saying the encounter was private. The statement said the pope "briefly greeted" Pelosi and did not mention any other subject they may have discussed.
A number of the bishops in the United States have questioned Pelosi's stance on abortion, particularly her theological defense of her support for abortion rights.
Benedict has cautiously welcomed Obama's new Democratic administration, although several American cardinals have sharply criticized its support of abortion rights — a sharp policy break from former President George W. Bush.
Pelosi had meetings with Italian leaders in the past few days, including Premier Silvio Berlusconi.
According to the news Pope Benedict told Pelosi that all Catholics — especially legislators, jurists and political leaders — should work to create "a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development."
I'm just sorry more Catholics didn't adhere to that principle back on November 4, 2008.
Speaker Pelosi has an admirable record in defending human life from unnatural death due to war, capital punishment, poverty, malnutrition, and many forms of exploitation. I hope the Holy Father's words renew the Speaker's commitment to those just causes.
And, as we all know, she does have a regrettable policy position on abortion. Hopefully his words while encouraging her on the previous matters will also lead to a change of heart on the last matter mentioned.
It was most gracious of him to find the time to meet with her. While I am confident it was never under a moment’s consideration by the Holy Father, it is also appreciated that he ignored the unkind and inappropriate calls for her excommunication by the usual right wing clap-trap with their petitions and press releases. They are truly an embarrassment to the Church.
God bless.
From the wires...
Pope watchers found the Pope’s criticism rather mild.
“I think there was something for both sides,” said Dave Gibson, author of The Rule of Benedict: Pope Benedict XVI and His Battle with the Modern World. “When he talked about 'a system of laws capable of protecting life,’ Pelosi can say ‘We Democrats do a better job of protecting children and mothers.’”
Gibson noted that Benedict has met with and given communion to pro-abortion rights Catholic politicians from Italy without controversy in the past.
Pelosi received communion last April in a service during the pope’s visit to Washington.
Pelosi grew up in a devoutly Catholic family in Baltimore’s Little Italy. Her statement Wednesday noted that she showed the Pope photos of her family's Papal visit in 1950. It also noted that she showed him photos of her five children, and her grandchildren.
Dear Deacon M.,
“Rumors aside, FOCA no threat to Catholic hospitals” from, February 5, 2009.
This article undermines those of us working to stop the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), a task assigned by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). In fact FOCA legislation will make abortion a Constitutional right, and our Catholic Hospitals will not be allowed to deny anyone’s Constitutional rights.
The bishops' own legal counsel wrote:
"The combined impact of these various provisions is the likely invalidation of a broad range of state laws if challenged under FOCA, including . . . government programs and facilities that pay for, provide, or insure childbirth or health care services generally, but not abortion; laws protecting the conscience rights of doctors, nurses and hospitals, if those laws create even minimal delay or inconvenience in obtaining an abortion or treat abortion differently than other medical procedures . . . ”
This article opens stating that the “legislation died with the 110 Congress” under the Bush Administration. This is intentionally misleading by Ms. O’Brien of the Catholic News Service (CNS). All pending legislation of the 110th Congress under the Bush administration has to be reintroduced under the new administration of the 111th Congress; it does not mean it is dead.
President Obama said this at a Planned Parenthood conference.
"Well, the first thing I'd do as president is is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That's the first thing that I'd do."
Bishop Robert N. Lynch, feels sure FOCA is no threat. His statement was not based on any facts or recommendations of the USCCB, but on his feeling that, “there’s no sense of ominous danger”. He is basing what he believes on his keen sense of “ominous danger”?
Sister Carol Keehan, Daughter of Charity, and President of the Catholic Health Assoc. She is just as unreliable, stating, “I don’t believe FOCA will pass” once again her thoughts are based on nothing. Sister Carol goes on to say that in the worst case, “I want to make it very clear that Catholic health care will not close…”
Someone needs to tell Sister Carol that she does not have this kind of power to promise this.
In fact the bishops have stated that closing hospitals may very well be an option rather than allow abortions in Catholic hospitals. Placing Sister Carol and Bishop Lynch in opposition to the USCCB. While Ms O’Brien of the CNS reduces the USCCB to promoters of rumors started by Internet bloggers and others, whose e-mail source cannot be traced. I guess Ms. O’Brien was trying to root out those Catholics making “FOCA Novenas”, boy wouldn’t we like to know!
I have been asked to announce the card signing campaign at Mass but articles like this, cause confusion and is irresponsible journalism from the CNS and the Register.
Yours in Christ
Mark G.
"Speaker Pelosi has an admirable record in defending human life from unnatural death due to war, capital punishment, poverty, malnutrition, and many forms of exploitation."
Her record for these things is in the form of socialism not Catholic Social Teaching.
This article undermines those of us working to stop the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA)
The mission is to explain the facts, not support any political strategy.
In fact FOCA legislation will make abortion a Constitutional right
It already is under Roe v. Wade.
The bishops' own legal counsel wrote:
"The combined impact of these various provisions is the likely invalidation of a broad range of state laws if challenged under FOCA, including . . . government programs and facilities that pay for, provide, or insure childbirth or health care services generally, but not abortion; laws protecting the conscience rights of doctors, nurses and hospitals, if those laws create even minimal delay or inconvenience in obtaining an abortion or treat abortion differently than other medical procedures . . . ”
A rather vague statement.
This article opens stating that the “legislation died with the 110 Congress” under the Bush Administration. This is intentionally misleading by Ms. O’Brien of the Catholic News Service (CNS). All pending legislation of the 110th Congress under the Bush administration has to be reintroduced under the new administration of the 111th Congress; it does not mean it is dead.
Bills die when Congress adjourns. They don't have to be reintroduced. Many are not. The bill is dead. There is currently no bill before Congress.
Bishop Robert N. Lynch, feels sure FOCA is no threat. His statement was not based on any facts or recommendations of the USCCB, but on his feeling that, “there’s no sense of ominous danger”. He is basing what he believes on his keen sense of “ominous danger”?
Probably that there is currently no FOCA, and that in the past when there was, no action was ever taken on it, not even a subcommittee vote. And it does not have the votes in the Senate or the House to pass.
"Her record for these things is in the form of socialism not Catholic Social Teaching."
Only if you assume that you know more about CST than the Church does. Her positions match what the Church has asked.
"Only if you assume that you know more about CST than the Church does. Her positions match what the Church has asked."
Yeah yeah yeah, about like the actions of obama meeting your predictions of lowering abortion.
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