Last August, Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives made a statement dredging up the tired old nonsense about about how some theologians 500 years ago did not know about the development of the unborn child and therefore speculated on the time at which the soul was infused. As I pointed out back then, none of this has anything to do with the morality of abortion since all the said theologians were resolutely against abortion at any stage.Several US Bishops came out with statements correcting the misconceptions given by Pelosi and there followed an excellent fact sheet from the US Bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activities giving a concise and helpful answer to Pelosi's contention that the church's teaching on abortion has changed or is of recent origin.
Today, Mrs Pelosi briefly met the Holy Father, following which the Press Office of the Holy See published this communiqué:
Following the General Audience the Holy Father briefly greeted Mrs Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, together with her entourage.Damian covers this with the title "Benedict XVI: the recovery begins as Pope slaps down the ghastly Nancy Pelosi"
His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church’s consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development.
National Review Online offers an amusing fictional account of what might have happened at the audience: Speaker in Rome.
3 comments:
Why doesn't the Church defend Humane Vitae with the same zeal, when 80 percent of married Catholics in the USA practice Contraception?
This is like Cafeteria-style teaching and preaching on matters of Faith and Morels.
Is the Church applying the old adage, Vox Populi,vox Dei?
"The Church" does, Edward. Some individual ecclesiastics seem to be shy of the teaching of Humanae Vitae. This is a great pity because it is a most important teaching for our time and a powerful means of conversion.
I'm 49, a woman, who up until a few years back considered herself a liberal democrat and a feminist. I admit that through my teenaged years and early adulthood, I left the church, not because I disagreed with Christ's teachings, and I hadn't stopped believing.
I wish the church was much more straightforward with Catholics.. when I reflect on things, I believe that the church seemed to enter a crisis period in the '60s - '70s, where it dropped the ball, so to speak. I can understand the assaults made against it were and continue to be frustrating, but the church has faced such onslaught's in the past. Since coming back to church, it's occurred to me that some members of the clergy I've met don't seem to have the faith, or lack the commitment necessary. The young people that I've met over the past few years who have a strong Catholic faith, seem to have had the benefit of clergy who are straightforward, and do not have a problem conversing with parishioners and students on the subject in an in depth manner. Their faith is recognized as sincere. Again, this is only my opinion.
After the '70s, so many of those who grew up in the '60s and '70s were hungering for faith, something to believe in, as the pop culture they'd embraced in their younger days had been so shallow and lead to self destruction. Many former Catholics went off in different directions, and didn't return to the faith they were raised in. There are still wonderful Catholic priests in the US, but there seems to be a spiritual crisis in the church in the US, especially in the upper reaches of the church hierarchy.
Mary M.
Kalamazoo, MI US
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