The Pope Rebukes Peloski

The Vatican Press Office released a note yesterday detailing part of the conversation which Pope Benedict XVI had with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and it was quite different from Pelosi’s spin on her visit. The release says:

“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.”

Vatican statements use diplomatic language, but the the correction of Pelosi is clear. You can’t be a pro-choice Catholic, Nan. You can’t advocate for the right to terminate a life and square up with very basic Catholic tenets.

Many pro-life organizations from the US and Canada expressed their concerns that Pelosi was going to be received by the Holy Father. They sent detailed data to Vatican authorities about her adamant pro-choice stance, and her pro-death voting record. Bravo!

San Fran didn’t see the meeting quite like His holiness did, as she released this:

“It is with great joy that my husband, Paul, and I met with his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI today,” she said. “In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the Church’s leadership in fighting poverty, hunger, and global warming, as well as the Holy Father’s dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel.”

Hmmm. The Vatican made no mention of the comments that Pelosi stressed in her release. The issue of abortion and the particular responsibility of Catholics in power to protect life seems to be central to his statement- not global warming. Fabulously, no PR photos were allowed of the big meeting. The AP reports that “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.” I’d put those together as a spank, Pelosi.

Catholic sources in Rome are “very much encouraged by the Pope’s statement,” saying that it shows that the “Holy Father is ready to stand up with courage to politicians that claim they are Catholics but their voting record denies those hypocritical assertions.”

Share this Right Soup with others: