February 18, 2009 - As U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is preparing to meet with Pope Benedict today there is some breaking news about her relationship with the Catholic Church.

Last August, Pelosi appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press and did not tell the truth about Church teaching with regard to abortion. She said it was an open question and there was no definitive teaching.

The next day, in a written statement, she backed off that position after a howl of protests went up from laity as well as Catholic bishops.

As a result of the uproar, her bishop in San Francisco, Archbishop George Niederauer issued a lengthy statement of his own. He concluded it by saying, " .. as her pastor, I am writing to invite her into a conversation with me about these matters. It is my obligation to teach forthrightly and to shepherd caringly, and that is my intent."

Michael Voris of Real CathlicTV reports today in his daily Vortex column that this meeting between Pelosi and Archbishop Niederauer took place quietly and clandestinely on Sunday, February 8th in a private residence in San Francisco. Realcatholictv.com confirmed this fact with both the Archdiocese of San Francisco and Pelosi’s office in DC.

Pelsoi’s spokesman Brendan Daly said Pelosi described the meeting as quote .. "cordial and pleasant .. a fair exchange and good."

When pressed by realcatholictv.com producer and host Michael Voris , if "good" meant that she had changed her position on abortion and finally gotten in line with Catholic teaching, Daly replied, "You won’t see that happening. She is not changing her position on abortion."

This puts the ball squarely in the archbishop’s court now. He has met with her. They explained each other’s position. She admits that she understood Church teaching incorrectly and now, presumably, understands it correctly and yet remains defiant.

What follows now is very important. The Archbishop himself is away on retreat for the rest of the week according to Archdiocese Communications Director, Maurice Healy. But when he comes back, there are some serious questions waiting. The biggest one being what is his next step.

The Archbishop has met with her and has explained Church’s teaching- - and Speaker Pelosi has said .. good meeting .. thank you. I still support abortion.

The bottom line is will Archbishop Niederauer now refuse her Holy Communion?

Your move Archbishop -- a lot of people are watching.



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Comments received: 10 1. SML Says: February 18, 2009 (Wed) at 05:33:56 AM Some interesting story links on the family. Regards. Pill inventor slams ... pill http://angelqueen.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23468 Czech Cardinal, Europe is headed for Muslim future http://angelqueen.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23453 New Book: The Age of Aging, demographics are Changing... http://angelqueen.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23423 Demographic Winter Producer Encouraged by Statement... http://angelqueen.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23353 Jürgen Habermas et l'Europe "postséculière" http://www.missa.org/babillardnew/2008/12/26.html#a3814 New website prowomanprolife(dot)org God Is a Problem, Sources Say: how secular newsrooms handle stories with a religious component http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2153257/posts Louis XIV : Après moi le déluge. Claude Ryan http://angelqueen.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=108372#108372 Quebec parents pull students out of new class http://angelqueen.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23244 2. Lisa Says: February 18, 2009 (Wed) at 06:15:51 AM You are an antiquated idiot. Hijacking the Catholic church over a single issue and singling out public individuals from whom you wish to withhold Communion is so hypocritical. Are you going to withhold it from 75% of practicing Catholics who openly practice contraception? (notice how most families only have two children?) Unless you intend to be so consistent, shut up. 3. TJP Says: February 18, 2009 (Wed) at 10:40:20 AM Charity and justice require Bishop Niederauer to not only assert canonical denial of Holy Communion to Ms. Pelosi, but to formally excommunicate her. If his Excellency really cares about her -- truly loves her -- and the unborn babies whose duty it is for him to protect, then he is left with no alternative but to forthwith excommunicate. 4. Richard Says: February 18, 2009 (Wed) at 10:53:26 AM With few exceptions, most members of the USCCB will avoid confrontation, resort to vague words and weak statements and fail to act to protect the Body of Our Lord from defilement. The fact that pro-murder-of-unborn-children politicians are still claiming to be Catholic and receiving Holy Communion in 2009 speaks volumes about our Church leadership. The large number of Catholics that chose a pro-death candidate over a pro-life candidate is further evidence that our Church leaders have failed to instruct the faithful correctly. Most think and believe as Pelosi, in error. They do not have the basic understanding of the Teaching of the Magisterium so it is no wonder that there are so many consciences formed in error. The bishops and their predecessors since Vatican II have failed in their care of the souls entrusted to them. Bottom line: I don't expect Pelosi or any other pro-unborn-murder "catholic" politicians will see Canon 915 enforced by their bishops or priests. They have not done so thus far, why would they start now? Oremus, Richard 5. marjer Says: February 18, 2009 (Wed) at 03:08:55 PM If the good Archbishop remains silent on this issue, and lets nancy get away with her blase attitude towards life, he should be removed, and excommunicated along with nancy. 6. Peter Robinson Says: February 18, 2009 (Wed) at 06:59:52 PM Pope Benedict has painted his defenders, vis-à-vis Nancy Pelosi, into a corner. Nancy Pelosi and her views on abortion are a side issue. The world is asking a far more serious question – how can Benedict continue courting the SSPX despite the documented anti-Semitism? The Pope is morally crippled – every Papal opinion is tainted with this ghastly cloud. He makes his defenders look like the proverbial tree watchers who can’t see the forest. And the smell of mediaeval humbug isn’t dissipating - Rev. Gerhard Maria Wagner, who believes Hurricane Katrina was Divine retribution, turned down his Papal promotion because of “fierce criticism”. There has been nothing from him, or the Vatican, repudiating the notion of meteorology as divine feedback. The Vatican continues to pitch for the credulous and nasty at the expense of the thoughtful and tolerant. 7. Linda Fowler Says: February 19, 2009 (Thu) at 03:13:01 AM Ms. Pelosi is technically NOT a Catholic since she refuses to obey the Holy Father and Church teaching on abortion. These people like her only want a form of cafeteria Catholism. Sorry - you eat what is on your plate - no objection.We are called by Our Blessed Lord to live in this world without being a PART of this world. She has one foot in the Church and the other in the world. That is not Catholic. It is a slap in the face to all those who died for the truth for 2,000 years and are still dying for the truth. SHAME SHAME SHAME ON HER. She needs prayer and then the Holy Spirit will give her the humility she needs to realise and admit she was wrong. Taking the Holy Eucharist in mortal sin is blasphemy of the worst type. It is hypocritical to eat at the Lords table but refuse to do as He has commanded through His Church and Vicar of Earth. 8. Bob March Says: February 19, 2009 (Thu) at 06:12:30 PM The distinction between Ms. Pelosi and rank-and-file Catholics who disobey the Church's teachings (e.g,. on contraception) is that Ms. Pelosi's cooperation in evil is public -- very public. Canon law imposes the automatic sentence of excommunication for such public defiance when it is obstinate. No action by the rest of the Church is needed, though I wish her bishop would step forward now and publicly recognize her excommunicated status. But with or without that, she should not present herself for Communion. And speaking of inconsistency, many of the same people who have excoriated the Church for even hinting that Pelosi should be excommunicated for her views are also excoriating the Church for LIFTING the excommunication of the Holocaust-denying SSPX bishop Williamson. 9. GRD Says: February 20, 2009 (Fri) at 11:23:41 PM Pelosi's position is clear and unambiguous; she is committed to supporting legal abortion, in opposition to Church teaching. It is in accord with Church teaching, that Catholic's who use contraception or who support abortion or engage in homosexuality are automatically excommunicated, by virtue of having committed a grave sin. There is no hypocrisy on the Church's part there. If a private person confesses to the Church that they intend to persist in their error, then they too would be told not to present themselves for Communion. In Pelosi's case, it is known fact that she stubbornly persists in her error and is a well know public figure, Bishop N. has a moral obligation to openly affirm church teaching and deny her Communion. Pelosi spins Church teaching, and yet say that she is a devout Catholic - it doesn't more hypocritical than that! 10. tina Says: February 22, 2009 (Sun) at 04:18:51 PM we don't need people like PELOSI.