Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden are talking up their religion and their Catholic street cred in order to lure swing voters in Catholic areas of the country. Given the Democrats’ Devil-may-care (so to speak) approach to abortion, this is raising the ire of Catholic leaders.
In an interview with FOX News on Tuesday, Archbishop Donald Wuerl said people need to reflect more before they start talking about church doctrine. He also issued a statement calling Pelosi’s explanation of the church’s abortion stance “incorrect.�
“The current teaching of the Catholic Church on human life and abortion is the same teaching as it was 2,000 years ago,� Wuerl noted. “From the beginning, the Catholic Church has respected the dignity of all human life from the moment of conception to natural death.�
Wuerl cited a passage from the church’s catechism that condemns abortion as “gravely contrary to moral law.�
“Since the first century the church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion,� the catechism states. “This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.�
Biden seems unsure if abortion is a venial or a mortal sin; in other words, will he grow heair on his palms or burn in Hell for all eternity. Which means he at least knows that it is in fact a sin, which is more than can be said for Nancy Pelosi. She seems to think that “the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition. And St. Augustine said at three months. We don’t know.â€? False. We do know. Whatever a person’s own views on abortion, the Catholic Church has always maintained that it is wrong to abort the life that begins at conception.
Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput has called for Pelosi to be denied communion.
August 26th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Murder of innocents is a sin and that’s why the catholic church opposes the war in iraq. it’s amazing that republicans (including catholic ones, are there any on this site?) can maintain their staunch pro-life views at the same time that they propogate warfare. The cognitive dissonance must be unbearable! Unless they are just totally un-self-aware, which is also possible.
August 26th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Spell Catholic with a capital C.
The irony of your comment is that Barack Obama joined a “liberation theology” church which views Christ as a fiery warrior for the downtrodden. Obama’s church has no problems supporting bloody Marxist wars in Central and South America in the name of Christ.
August 26th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
I make no claims about obama. I was pointing out an obvious hypocrisy on the part of republicans, and catholic ones who support the murder of innocents (with questionable justification) in particular.
August 26th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
There are very few Catholics who support both abortion and the death penalty. The Church’s teachings on both are clear. And to further confuse you, the Catholic Church is not anti-war per se so you have failed to understand their reasons for opposing the Iraq liberation. Do your homework and come back with something useful to say. This site expects better quality commenters.
August 26th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I was referring to catholics who are (rightly) against abortion and (wrongly) FOR the war in Iraq. The catholic church is adamantly against the iraq war and always has been. Perhaps you should do YOUR homework. My contribution is useful because it points out an obvious hypocrisy among republican catholics who support the war in iraq and other military action that the catholic church opposes. This commenter expects better quality from this site’s management.
August 26th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
This writer suggests you start a blog of your own…
W
August 26th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
sorry, didn’t mean to introduce an informed and rational perspective to this wingnut blog.
August 26th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
I didn’t realize you were only interested in a circle-jerk.
August 26th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Ironydetector.
I cant remember the last time a fetus tried to kill me.
Spare me the innocent bulls*t.
Cognitive dissonance ? No, its called knowing the difference as opposed to tunnel vision.
That tunnel would the “anal cavity” of altered history you guys look thru.
Whats an even worse is the hypocrisy on the left.
Peace, love, dont kill.
But hey, if a fetus with a heartbeat gets in the way of your plans just toss it an incenerator, even if it didnt launch and IED at you
August 26th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I agree with you, Micky, about the hypocrisy on the left. It’s equally repugnant, which is why I despise both of the major national parties.
No innocent iraqi that has died as a result of this unnecessary conflict has tried to kill you, rest assured.
August 26th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Yes, but you must realize that Iraqi deaths due to our soldiers were not intentional as opposed to the indiscriminate insurgent that is the real enemy.
Its called collateral damage which the US commits the least of due to our impecable and even ridiculous ROE at times.
The overwhelming amount of Iraqi deaths are not due to American soldiers, but rather the radical elements
August 26th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
the point was that from the perspective of the catholic church, the iraq war is WRONG. Those catholics who choose to support the war while they oppose abortion are hypocrites. period.
August 26th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Wellll no, that is an exercise in moral relativity. It is not a religious teaching that the Iraq war is wrong, which means Catholics are free to support or not support it. It was a Vatican political position, not a religious interpretation.
But what you cannot do is promote abortion as a Catholic. So you are comparing apples and oranges.
Getting back to the subject of this post, Joe Biden is not allowed to take the sacrament while having knowledge of mortal sin, which is his promotion of abortions via public policy advocacy. That he continues to take sacraments while committing this sin is hypocrisy (and quite literally damning).
August 26th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
actually, the Vatican was opposed to the start of the war, but is NOT in favor of the usa pulling out of iraq. the Vatican wants two things:
a.) more international participation in iraq
b.) better protection of iraqi Christians — by the usa actually
it absolutely does NOT want us to cut and run and leave the iraqis to die
August 26th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
The Catholic Bishops need to take a History of Biology course! The answers to questions of when life begins, the soul, conception, the value of newborns and such changed dramatically over the centuries. The Church was always behind biology and always amended its views to suit the times.
In the past, Catholics delayed baptism and communion for a reason, too many infants and children died of disease were therefore not worth the cost of the sacraments! The “value of life” is directly determined by medical advances, technology and profits, not by bibles and bishops.
Life is also not determined by bibles and bishops. Biologically life is a continuum. Conception is not the beginning of life, the human egg and sperm are very much alive, and very much human. Conception (or fertilization) it the activation of the developmental process of the individual organism, but it’s not the beginning of life nor a guarantee of it for that particular individual.
August 26th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Soniassiah, tell us when does life begin since you know so much more than Catholics about philosophy. And do you have an opinion about excommunicating Joe Biden?
August 26th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
I’m a little late to the conversation, but as a Catholic, I have to choose by my conscience who to vote for. If I have to err, it will definitely be on the side of a completely innocent life.
I know it’s a dangerous road to decide which life is more valuable, so let’s look at it as the numbers of lives saved. Between 2005-2007, there were an estimated 1,287,000 babies killed by abortion. Between 1976- Sep. of 2007, there were 1099 people killed by execution. (for the US only on both statistics)
August 26th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Could the Catholic Church be…wrong? Since when is the Catholic Church always right about everything? Ever heard of…the Protestant Reformation?
What’s all that borderline porn stuff on the bottom of my screen?
August 27th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Ed, no one’s asking you to become Catholic or share Catholic beliefs. However, Pelosi and Biden are Catholic and try to appeal to voters who are. The Church is merely pointing out how they aren’t properly representing Her. (and that they should reconsider)
August 27th, 2008 at 9:10 am
F*cking religion.
How do we come to arguing between bad guys and babies rights ?
Its a no brainer.
I believe in God, right and wrong, but hold to no doctrine.
Fetuses with heartbeats, premature infants etc.. have no place in a conversation that involves seeking out and killing/destroying evil.
“oh, you support the war but you condemn abortion, that makes you a hypocrite”
What kind of chemical imbalance promotes this logic that equates an innocent life in its creative stage to mass murdering terrorists ?
August 27th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
The Catholic Church Bishops have to take a stand on the issue of Politicians taking the eucharist. They are causing a great scandal. I pray that the Church Bishops will act and not let this become like the child abuse scandal of the past. This lack of action is causing a loss of faith in the Church’s ability to deal with important issues. Many people left the Church after the abuse issue was so poorly handled and many more will leave if this issue is not delt with immediately.
I am not authority, but I would think the Bishops inactivity would be a sin for the loss of murdered babies.