The Sleeping Giant Will Sleep No More!

I have referenced in a prior post that the "Pelosi Heresy" will be a defining moment and turning point for the Roman Catholic Church in America. The past practice of the Catholic hierarchy in the U.S. privately trying to counsel pro-abortion, Catholic politicians to see the error in their ways while these politicians politely deflected the issue to seem passive came to a blazing, Hindenburg-like end one Sunday morning. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated in front of all America that St. Augustine’s writings would have permitted a pro-abortion position.

This scandal, as literally defined by the Catechism, was unleashed across the airways and country and could not be recoiled back into the bottle by private actions. In trying to confuse the issue for her political gain, Speaker Pelosi actually did the complete opposite by invoking the 2,000-year teaching authority of the Catholic Church to starkly publicize her error. It was the arrogance of a conditioned politician who thought she would have free range without hierarchy interference.

An unending list of Who’s Who of American Prelates (Chaput, Wuerl, Lori, Rigali, Egan, Niederauer, Zubik, Sheridan, etc…) soon followed denouncing Pelosi and her lack of understanding of the Catholic Faith. It was obvious that our Cardinals and Bishops now had their kid gloves off. Enough was enough with this prolonged, American farce that adamant, pro-choice politicians could claim that they were devout Catholics in good standing with their Church.

The clerical outrage that started with the "Pelosi Heresy" has continued and broadened through this whole election season as Church leaders are not remaining silent anymore. Denver’s Archbishop Charles Chaput has not minced words, or dabbled in vagueness, citing specifically that Barack Obama, by name, is the "most committed" abortion-rights candidate for the presidency since abortion became legal.

Knowing the Archbishop, his vocal amplification of the Gospel of Life will not stop on Inauguration Day, if the unspeakable does happen. He will be as much as a nemesis of Barack Obama as he was when the DNC were putting up those "Styrofoam pillars" in the Archbishop’s backyard. Obama greatly underestimates Chaput’s conviction and the Archbishop’s not caring whether or not he is ever invited to a Heads of State dinner. This core of character cannot be understood by most expedient politicians. It is contrary to their very existence. They sniff the air for something they can use. Similar to an indicted mobster not understanding how a district attorney making $45,000 a year cannot be bribed but will do what is just and bring him down while continuing to live below the poverty line because of his conviction. Chaput will be Obama’s ongoing nemesis.

Anyone who travels a lot for business has travel horror stories. Four hours out on a tarmac; a twenty-hour layover; and things not going quite right at 30,000 feet in the air. When these latter prayerful moments come, as they will, I always look at the flight attendants faces to reveal the seriousness of the situation. These reactions of those in charge will tell you more than any group announcement by the pilot.

This strategy holds true as well in the religious realm as we have witnessed the reaction of the leaders of our Faith over the past few months. This election is a very serious moment for the pro-life movement and there has been a plethora of prelate statements reinforcing this view. Rocco Palmo of the UK Tablet has documented that some 50 active, U.S. bishops have issued statements that abortion is the key issue of this election and that it should dictate how Catholics vote.

The latest entry in this catalog of conscience has been Cardinal Justin Rigali, again not mincing words:

"At this moment in our country’s history, defense of innocent human life is a moral responsibility for all of us. The same God who thundered from Mount Sinai: "Thou shalt not kill," thunders still. When life in the womb is destroyed, God thunders: "This is a child!" When by the most barbaric means, unworthy of any civilized people, the brain of a child is sucked out of his or her head by a vacuum, God thunders: "This is a child!" When a baby is left to die of exposure on a shelf because of a failed abortion, and this is considered a "right" by any leader, God, the Source of all law and authority, thunders: "This is a child!" When we are faced with every modern means of education and communication, in addition to the law placed in our hearts at creation, no one, and most especially, no Catholic, can ever say: "I did not know."

The vast majority of Presidential polls point to the fact that the Pro-life cause may have lost the battle of the 2008 Presidential campaign. But take heart! As we continue to fight the "Cultural of Life" war we have a new era of bold, Catholic leadership who will preach the unfiltered Gospel and influence the 25% of the electorate under their pastoral care.

In the movie Tora, Tora, Tora, Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto ceases the celebratory and congratulatory mood after his subordinates confirm that the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was a complete success. The Admiral laments, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve."

On that Sunday morning in August, Nancy Pelosi poked the sleeping giant that is the Roman Catholic Church in America in the eye, and the sleeping giant awoke. The sleeping giant will sleep no more. I do not doubt its resolve.

Archbishop George H. Niederauer Statement on Nancy Pelosi

Yesteday, Archbishop Niederauer issued a statement on Nancy Pelosi's Meet the Press interview where she stated the Catholic Church internally has different views on when human life begins.

It is a little less direct than the statements from Cardinal Egan and Archbishop Chaput.

http://www.catholic-sf.org/FPArticle14b.htm

Two More Bishops Speakout out Against Nancy Pelosi

From Life News:

"Bishop [Michael] Sheridan [of Coloroda Springs] warned Catholics in his statement Tuesday that Pelosi's picture of Church history and teaching is categorically false. "Speaker Pelosi's outrageous attempt to present what she considers the teaching of the Catholic Church regarding abortion is simply wrong and should be disregarded by every faithful Catholic...

"The teachings of the Church on abortion are consistent and unambiguous, and it is very disturbing to hear someone who claims to be a Catholic distort these teachings and sow seeds of confusion among the faithful by attempting to relativize the right to life...""

"Bishop [David A.] Zubik [of Pittsburgh] on Wednesday also condemned Pelosi for going too far: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stepped out of her political role and completely misrepresented the teaching of the Catholic Church in regard to abortion." The bishop went on to reject the notion that Church condemnation of abortion "is somehow new and therefore unsettled.""

Eight prelates and counting...

SF Archbishop Niederauer Will Issue a Nancy Pelosi Statement Sept. 5th

From Rick DelVecchio's column in the San Francisco Catholic (the newspaper for the Archdiocese of San Francisco which is Nancy Pelosi's home diocese):

"The Archdiocese of San Francisco received hundreds of e - mails from around the country, many urging that the Church correct Pelosi. A "horrified" Bill Kelly of Carolina Shores, N.C., wrote: "Since she spoke as a Catholic will there be any action taken by the Archdiocese to refute her?"

Archbishop George Niederauer will address recent comments by Pelosi in a column in the Sept. 5 issue of Catholic San Francisco, archdiocesan spokesman Maurice Healy said."

DelVecchio did a very thorough job in covering the story from every Catholic angle.
Vive Christus Rex was one of the Catholic blogs quoted in the story as well.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: It's a Scandal; No Really...

So what is really happening now with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Joe Biden and the Roman Catholic Church?

In my opinion, and I obviously do not speak for the Magisterium of the Church, the recent high-profile American Catholic politicians publicly speaking and acting in violation to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church have become so bold as a group that it has reached the level of scandal. Not the scandal that you see on the cover of the National Inquirer at the checkout counter, the scandal that is addressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Respect for the souls of others: scandal

(2284) Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. The person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor's tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense.

These offenses, that have always taken place, by American "Catholic" politicians who used their Catholic Faith to gain votes while mortally sinning and ignoring the Catechism all the way to the voting booth, have been dealt with in the past for the most part in a private setting. The responsible clergy for the soul of the offender would quietly discuss Church teaching and why their position endangered their soul, and others, in hopes of saving the soul.

In the last year, the severity of these offenses has increased in magnitude while having being done in multiple, high-profile, public settings. These scandals were now public and had to be met definitively and publicly by the Church.

It started with former-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani receiving Communion in the presence of the Holy Father at the Yankee Stadium Mass in April. Giuliani did this ignoring a private agreement he had with Cardinal Egan that he would respect the Church’s Catechism. Giuliani was in violation of the Church’s teaching in many ways.

Joe Biden within the last week threw out his Catholic Faith every chance he got nationally to win Catholic voters, but was also attending Sunday Mass and receiving the Eucharist while supporting abortion on demand, the killing of babies, publicly.

And finally, the "beaut" by Nancy Pelosi this weekend stating that her history of the Catholic Church does condone abortion on a national news show for all America to witness.

It was time for the Roman Catholic Church to not put up with this garbage anymore. It was a scandal!

Nancy Pelosi should read the Catechism of the Church a little further considering all the research she has done on abortion and the Catholic Church:

(2285) Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized. It prompted our Lord to utter this curse: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."[85] Scandal is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others.

Enough said.

Princes of the Church Speak Out Against Nancy Pelosi

New York Cardinal Edward Egan Scolds Pelosi:

"What the Speaker had to say about theologians and their positions regarding abortion was not only misinformed; it was also, and especially, utterly incredible in this day and age.

... “Anyone who dares to defend that they may be legitimately killed because another human being ‘chooses’ to do so or for any other equally ridiculous reason should not be providing leadership in a civilized democracy worthy of the name.”

Cardinal Justin Rigali, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities, and Bishop William E. Lori, chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine today set the House Speaker right:

"In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law." (No. 2271)"

Two Archbishops Correct Nancy Pelosi on Catholic Faith

From the Associated Press:

"Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl, citing the teaching responsibility entrusted to bishops, issued a statement late Monday that read, in part: "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable."

Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput and his auxiliary bishop, James Conley, said in a statement posted on the archdiocesan Web site: "Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is a gifted public servant of strong convictions and many professional skills. Regrettably, knowledge of Catholic history and teaching does not seem to be one of them."

Abortion "is always gravely evil, and so are the evasions employed to justify it," the statement continued.

Over the weekend, Chaput said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that Democratic vice presidential nominee-in-waiting Sen. Joseph Biden should refrain from receiving Communion because of his abortion stance."

There are many things here that are headed for a conflict and truthful resolve. There will be a priest, or bishop, somewhere that will refuse Biden and/or Pelosi Communion and all their rhetorics on how they are practicing Catholics will be exposed as false.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi: An Absolute Disgrace

In my many years of following the Pro-life issue, I have seen many and all pro-abortion politicians squirm, weasel, deflect, hide behind euphemisms and try to confuse the issue when trying to explain why they support killing babies inutero. This morning, on Meet the Press, I heard House Speaker Nancy Pelosi give the most disgraceful and dark answer that I have ever heard in my life.

Tom Brokaw: …"I if [Obama] were to come to you and say ‘help me out here, Madam Speaker, when does life begin,’ what would you tell him?

Nancy Pelosi: "I would say that as an ardent practicing Catholic this is an issue that I have studied for a long time, and what I know is over the centuries the doctors of the Church have not been able to make that definition. And St. Augustine said three months. We don’t know. The point is it that it shouldn’t have an impact on a woman’s right to chose."

Pelosi was exploiting a Saint of the Catholic Church to defend her political expedient view allowing babies to be burned alive and dismembered to death in the womb. I can not say anything else but she is an evil woman who has no fear of her God. I do not use the term evil lightly or often. There is no other explanation for this.

Here is Pelosi's e-mail for anyone who wants to set her straight about what St. Augustine would think: sf.nancy@mail.house.gov

Postnote 8/25: The Catholic League today issued a press release on this topic saying the have sent Nancy Pelosi the book, Catholicism for Dummies. She should really read it before she opens her mouth on Catholicism again.