Loud Speaker
I wanted to get to this story about new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi days ago, but over Christmas it slipped into the background. Before getting it out today, I found that Amy Welborn has it covered so well, I’d rather send you there. It’s dynamite. Pelosi is out on the fringes on abortion and says so to anyone who asks…and she’s doing a lot of talking these days.
Sounds like her mind is made up. And there’s not a bit of Catholic-tinged reasoning even touching the edges of her actions, associations or explanations. So while comments about “how we can be pro-life while still espousing limited legal abortion” have been part of the discussion here before, they have no place at this moment, for that is not what Nancy Pelosi is interested in, that’s not where her head is.
Where she’s planting herself is squarely at the center of attention…and the government. She’s grabbing as many open microphones as possible, lining up extravagant ‘coming out’ parties and declaring herself something like a new matriarch, though one who noticeably claims to be Catholic. But, as Amy points out here, it’s not exactly about Pelosi ‘being Catholic’ as the culture knows that label.
No, it is about playing and using Catholic identity as a political tool and not being called on it, especially when the one doing the playing uses her power to actively work against what the bishops of this country say is a priority of theirs.
There should have been more reaction to that “Statement of Principles” that 55 Catholic members of the House of Representatives issued last February essentially stating that their ‘primacy of conscience’ trumped Church teaching on the issue of abortion, and anything else they felt strongly about. But there wasn’t much.
There’s one Church prelate who has clearly addressed the question he continually gets about Catholic politicians supporting abortion and receiving Communion at Mass. Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship.
Inside The Vatican: Recently, an issue that has been given a lot of attention are the moral obligations of Catholics during election times. Is it a duty of them to vote for pro-life politicians, and should those Catholic pro-choice politicians be given communion?
ARINZE: You are asking me if a politician says, “I vote for abortion, and I will continue to ask for abortion.” Then you ask should he be given holy communion. So, you are really saying, this politician says, “I vote for the killing of unborn children.” Because we call things by their names. And he calls that pro-choice.
This is so excellent, “we call things by their names.” Can’t we all be that clear?
Now here’s classic Arinze, asking people to apply critical thinking skills to this question.
Suppose somebody voted for the killing of all the members of the House of Representatives, “for all of you being killed. I call that pro-choice. Moreover, I am going to receive Holy Communion next Sunday.” Then you ask me, should he be given communion. My reply, “Do you really need a cardinal from the Vatican to answer that question?” Can a child having made his First Communion not answer that question? Is it really so complicated? The child will give the correct answer immediately, unless he is conditioned by political correctness. It is a pity, cardinals have to be asked such questions.
It’s a pity the situation keeps presenting itself, in churches and in press conferences by politicians and media who don’t get it.
If a person has a way of life which is against the major Commandments, and makes a boast of it, then the person is in a state which is publicly sinful. It is he who has disqualified himself, not the priest or the bishop. He should not go to communion, until his life should be in line with the Gospel.
Period. Any questions? Get them ready, because it’s almost showtime in Washington, and you’re going to be hearing a lot more about this.