Elsewhere: Catholic politicians

Elsewhere

Catholics are not free to disagree with God (neither are non-Catholics, BTW). We can not pick and choose which truth to accept and which we prefer not to. Living by 7 out of 10 commandments is not “good enough.” Rejecting the teaching of His Church is rejecting God and sinful on several levels. Putting politics ahead of God is idolatry. Doing so while saying that you are a faithful Catholic adds at least the sins of lying and scandal. Receiving communion adds another one. This amounts to a cornucopia of mortal sins.

Some Catholic politicians, none-the-less, often claim to be faithful Catholics while at the same time vigorously promoting extremely grave sins. They claim either that their actions are informed by their faith or that they do not wish to “impose their faith” on others as justification. Complete, total BS either way. They have been told enough times it is BS so this is not a matter of unintentional error or astoundingly poor catechesis. It is rather, willful and insistent.

There are unfortunately many Catholic politicians who – very sadly – fit this description. Three who stand-out for holding high positions, loud and frequent proclamations of their Catholic faith and yet relentless efforts to scandalize the faithful leading people into sin are: Nancy Pelosi, Joseph Biden and Andrew Cummo. Their gravely sinful actions, repeated frequently over a period of decades, leave no objective room to charitably excuse.

At a press conference last week, Nancy Pelosi was asked why it is reprehensible (her word) murder to kill outside the womb (as Dr. Kermit Gosnell did in Philadelphia) but killing in the womb moments earlier is perfectly legal — or in her words “sacred”. Instead of answering, she belittled then ignored the reporter as she has done in the past when asked about her faith in practice. Calling abortion, the killing of innocent and defenseless children, sacred is outrageous.

Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests for Life wrote the following letter to her:

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Dear Mrs. Pelosi,

Last Thursday, June 13, you were asked a question in a press briefing that you declined to answer. The question was, “What is the moral difference between what Dr. Gosnell did to a baby born alive at 23 weeks and aborting her moments before birth?

Given the fact that the Gosnell case has been national news for months now, and that Congress, where you serve as House Democratic Leader, was about to have a vote on banning abortion after 20 weeks fetal age, this was a legitimate question.

Instead of even attempting to answer the question, you resorted to judgmental ad hominem attacks on the reporter who asked it, saying, “You obviously have an agenda. You’re not interested in having an answer.

Mrs. Pelosi, the problem is that you’re not interested in giving an answer.

Your refusal to answer this question is consistent with your failure to provide an answer to a similar question from me and the members of my Priests for Life staff. Several years ago, we visited your office with the diagrams of dismemberment abortion at 23 weeks, and asked the simple question, “When you say the word ‘abortion,’ is this what you mean?” In response, nothing but silence has emanated from your office.

In what way is this refusal to address an issue of such national importance consistent with the leadership role you are supposed to be exercising? Public servants are supposed to be able to tell the difference between serving the public and killing the public. Apparently, you can’t. Otherwise, you would have been able to explain the difference between a legal medical procedure that kills a baby inside the womb and an act of murder – for which Dr. Gosnell is now serving life sentences – for killing the same baby outside the womb.

Moreover, you stated at the press briefing on June 13, “As a practicing and respectful Catholic, this is sacred ground to me when we talk about this. I don’t think it should have anything to do with politics.

With this statement, you make a mockery of the Catholic faith and of the tens of millions of Americans who consider themselves “practicing and respectful Catholics” and who find the killing of children – whether inside or outside the womb – reprehensible.

You speak here of Catholic faith as if it is supposed to hide us from reality instead of lead us to face reality, as if it is supposed to confuse basic moral truths instead of clarify them, and as if it is supposed to help us escape the hard moral questions of life rather than help us confront them.

Whatever Catholic faith you claim to respect and practice, it is not the faith that the Catholic Church teaches. And I speak for countless Catholics when I say that it’s time for you to stop speaking as if it were.

Abortion is not sacred ground; it is sacrilegious ground. To imagine God giving the slightest approval to an act that dismembers a child he created is offensive to both faith and reason.

And to say that a question about the difference between a legal medical procedure and murder should not “have anything to do with politics” reveals a profound failure to understand your own political responsibilities, which start with the duty to secure the God-given right to life of every citizen.

Mrs. Pelosi, for decades you have gotten away with betraying and misrepresenting the Catholic faith as well as the responsibilities of public office. We have had enough of it. Either exercise your duties as a public servant and a Catholic, or have the honesty to formally renounce them.

Sincerely,

Fr. Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life

This letter and a petition to Nancy Pelosi appear on the Priests for Life website: Open Letter to Nancy Pelosi. Pray for her conversion. Pray for those who are led astray by her “leadership”. Most importantly, pray for the innocent lives sacrificed in the name of choice.


Comments

  1. Wow, you hit one out of the park with this…your commentary as well as inc the letter and the vid are amazing.
    Thank you for so succinctly and beautifully summarizing “Catholic” leadership in our culture of death.

    Have a great day…Thanks for sharing.

Share Your Thoughts

show