In an interview with Newsweek’s Eleanor Clift, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi criticized the Church for its position on abortion and gays rights and stated that her Bishop has “tried to change my mind”
Pelosi responds to questions about abortion in the health-care bill and her insistence that the original pre-Stupak bill did not fund abortion and says of the Bishops “they are not willing to accept facts.”
It was reported that you were negotiating with the conference of bishops.
I talked to one of the cardinals. I said to him that I believe that what we are doing honors the principles we talked about: we want to pass a health-care bill, we want it to be abortion neutral, and we want it to [have] no federal funding [for abortion], which is the law. And we believe that our language does that. They said, “We believe that it does not.” I said, let’s sit down at the table and our lawyers can compare language. That’s what the meeting was about—to make our case. Clearly, the people at that table were not willing to accept what we know to be a fact.
Pelosi goes on to criticize the Church for its position on abortion and gay marriage while still claiming to be a “practicing” Catholic
I think you have had some brushes with [church] hierarchy.
I have some concerns about the church’s position respecting a woman’s right to choose. I have some concerns about the church’s position on gay rights. I am a practicing Catholic, although they’re probably not too happy about that. But it is my faith. I practically mourn this difference of opinion because I feel what I was raised to believe is consistent with what I profess, and that is that we are all endowed with a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions. And that women should have that opportunity to exercise their free will.
And finally admits that her Bishop has tried to change her mind on the subject, but she is not listening.
Is it difficult for you to reconcile your faith with the role you have in public life?
You know, I had five children in six years. The day I brought my fifth baby home, that week my daughter turned 6. So I appreciate and value all that they want to talk about in terms of family and the rest. When I speak to my archbishop in San Francisco and his role is to try to change my mind on the subject, well then he is exercising his pastoral duty to me as one of his flock. When they call me on the phone here to talk about, or come to see me about an issue, that’s a different story. Then they are advocates, and I am a public official, and I have a different responsibility.
What we know is that Nancy Pelosi continues to publicly represent herself as a faithful and practicing Catholic while continuing to to publicly oppose the Church on grave moral matters. We also know that her Bishop has apparently contacted her privately to try and change her mind, to which she has responded publicly by saying she will not be swayed. This is a text-book definition of scandal and should, at this point, be dealt with in a direct and public way lest no one else think that you can hold these positions and consider yourself a “practicing” Catholic.
ht to Newsbusters for the interview.
December 30, 2009 at 10:57 pm
I am continually astonished by what flies(insects)out of Madame Pelosi mouth. She, an elected offiial of a secularly "created" state, whose free will trumps that of the authority of the Holy Catholic Church and a Bishop? Just where have I been since Vatican II. Oh!…In my native home state of…CALIFORNIA!!!!!!…and…where…we…are…in …TROUBLE!!!in every,way,shape and evil form!!!
December 30, 2009 at 11:07 pm
I find her response extremely shallow when it comes to stating that she is Catholic. No she is not. You either follow what the Church teaches or you don't. Can you miss team practice or marching band practice and expect to play or march on at a given event? So many of these politicians think that they have the answers when it comes to faith and morals. It is really ashame that they can speak so bluntly about things they don't know. They don't even know what kind of Bill(s) they are voting on since they don't have the time or the interest to read them. They don't serve the public but themselves.
December 30, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Well, "Anonymous" at 5:27 PM, if you are serious you are best characterized by a slang American term which means "rectum!" If Pelosi tithes….You are obviously an anti-Catholic protestant bigot. Is it evangelical, fundamentalist,pentacostal, or another of the 33,000 sects in the U.S. alone? Your kind of heretical moron always comes out of the dry-rotted woodwork with these kinds of articles. Go listen to "pastor" Billy Bob Brown, or is it Jimmy Jack Jones?????
December 30, 2009 at 11:49 pm
Please, Nan…I'm begging…subordinate your free reigning, free wheeling will out here in California!!!Don't think we can take much more of your "FREE WILL"!!!…Lemme give you a li'l bit of advice…Nan…Maybe you and your influential, high flying, elitist and academic friends(OBAMA)…should start "LISTENING" to your "HIGHER POWER(GOD)" and your local Bishop,…Nan…and PLEASE…stop treating us uneducated, true believers, as some kind of sheep or pathetic ignorant morons……just a li'l bit advice…from someone who does care and does have the hope given by Heaven.
December 30, 2009 at 11:53 pm
I think that she was merely saying that this would be wrong, also. You are being too harsh, don't you think?
December 31, 2009 at 12:11 am
Pelosi's "Faith" is that of Aleister Crowley: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law".
December 31, 2009 at 12:54 am
Anon @ 6:15 I believe Morbots use the word "tithe" as well. Eh. A heretic is a heretic.
December 31, 2009 at 1:21 am
To Anon, 7:11…No…It is not harsh at all. It would be uncharitable for me to allow her to continue in her "GROSS AND MISGUIDED ERRORS!!! As a native S.D. Californian, "I HAVE SEEN ALL THE EVIL DRAMA IN THIS STATE!!!…WERE HEADED FOR A MELTDOWN ON "EVERY LEVEL", anarchy maybe not far ahead. I'm not a doom sayer, but when you have vices accepted not only as common place but actually considered as "NORMAL" by her and promoted as such, "YES" I say there is a problem!…just a note…Me, my family and extensive network of friends are concerned, but not worried. We pray, go to daily mass as possible, but mainly stay focused on the goal, the prize,…to get to the eventual hypostatic union with the Eternal Wisdom, known to us as the "ETERNAL WORD". Heaven is going to win and I hope to be there along with everyone else,…even Nan, possibly kicking and screeching all the way!!!!!!Boy…is she materialistic and secular. I wonder what she would do if she had nothing not even her supposed "good name". I think she is so insulated from the rest of us that she has "NO SENSE" of herself. As for us, the running joke among us is that we will be ready and able to raise chickens, goats and sheep "WHEN" the times come…Nan, you have a place with us, right there warm and loved by our campfire not far from Our Lady's visage…SALVE REGINA!!!!!!!!!!!
December 31, 2009 at 1:36 am
I would like to know just what she is going to say to Our Lord Jesus when she is judged
December 31, 2009 at 1:39 am
Kind of scary that such an intelligent person can fall so easily into Satan's clutches. "Come here little girl, eat of this apple." She conveniently states "eat it, it's just an apple" totally ignoring all that she has been taught about eating that darn apple! Stunning! Let's face it, she just wants to eat the apple and can justify it, or anything for that reason. The scary thing is, she thinks she makes sense and has convinced many other innocent Catholics to go down the same sink hole. Encouraging them to also think "there is no harm in eating the simple little red apple." IF you catch my drift … Scares me she wants to call herself a Catholic!
Not supporting abortion in any way, shape, or form is such a simplistic, bare bones issue. It doesn't matter whether she is at home or in public office. That is what her faith is supposed to do, make her an upstanding person in the public spectrum! You don't sing one tune at home and another in your position. That, my dear friends, we call "double standards," or in her case "double talk?" You protect those baby humans! At home, at work, in your car, at the beach. Doesn't matter where we are or what we are doing darn it!
December 31, 2009 at 1:41 am
"When they call me on the phone here to talk about, or come to see me about an issue, that's a different story. Then they are advocates, and I am a public official, and I have a different responsibility." Does she have two lives as well? How can a person do this? Amazing!
December 31, 2009 at 1:50 am
"…we are all endowed with a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions. And that women should have that opportunity to exercise their free will."
Okay great! I am a woman. I have a free will. I want to steal, cheat, lie, and abort my baby. I have that right! Alleluia! Oh wait, if I steal or lie, that is wrong, cheat-wrong, murder the baby human inside me? Ding-ding-ding, that one is a winner and okay says a "practicing Catholic," -Nancy Pelosi.
Boy, thanks for 'clarifying' that for me Ms. Pelosi! Some ingenious woman you are. Where did you go to college anyway? And you had 6 babies and don't think that had you killed one of them in your womb that would have been wrong, but simply your free will? It scares me to believe people like you are in power Ms. Pelosi. The more you talk the more scared I get of what you and OB are cooking up for us.
Hopefully you are just invincibly ignorant, but considering your age and your Bishop calling you, you are in for a surprise at those pearly gates. But, will keep you in our daily Rosary still. We must pray for those leaders of our country to be enlightened.
December 31, 2009 at 2:24 am
in order to change your mind, you have to have one. Pelois doesn't have one. also you can not fix stupid. which she is. And legislators or anyone else that doesnot agree with the teaching of the Church, should find a church that adhears to their beliefs. To be Christian you must believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Pelois is not a Christian if she is for abortion.
Remember Abortion stops a beating heart.
December 31, 2009 at 2:31 am
This woman needs alot of prayer and a major conversion. She really knows little or nothing of the teachings of the Catholic Church. My guess is that her spiritual life and prayer life is a sham as well. There is no way that someone who is humbly, prayerfully seeking the will of the Lord and understanding of what his will is would remain ignorant. Let us pray for Nancy and those responsible for her poor Catholic education.
December 31, 2009 at 2:32 am
Pelosi: "what I was raised to believe is consistent with what I profess, and that is that we are all endowed with a free will and a responsibility to answer for our actions."
Pelosi does not understand the concept of "free will" as taught by the Catholic Church. Free will does not mean we can do as we please. Free will means we can either choose God or choose evil. That is the only freedom we have in terms of our will. The moral choices we make are either in accord with God's will as it is revealed through the Bible and the Church, or not. The consequences of evil choices follow naturally. Her Catholicism is not Catholicism at all; it is moral relativism and very New Age. Her identifying herself as Catholic needs to be publicly denounced by the Bishops lest others be led astray by her.
December 31, 2009 at 2:34 am
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December 31, 2009 at 2:36 am
For the Roman Catholics out there, start saying a Rosary that she will change here ways. For the Christens pray the same. Complaining will not accomplish anything, but Prayer will move mountains.
December 31, 2009 at 2:38 am
It is the devil who likes to divide and confuse. That is exactly what Pelosi is able to do since she is a public figure who can voice her views. Many will be confused with her being able to be pro-choice and state she of the Catholic faith which has completely opposing views.
She needs prayer and the church needs to take a stand and let those who believe they can have it both ways are commiting a grave sin.
December 31, 2009 at 3:22 am
pray before the blessed eucharist every chance you get for nancy pelosi and there is a good chance she will change.our lord always hears are prayers never give up hope. God bless
December 31, 2009 at 3:31 am
When the Church takes a STAND Then the people will come back.