Nancy Pelosi and Pro-Choice Catholics

I'm a Catholic Democrat. I'm for most liberal ideals of compassion and second-chances. I'm for the little guy (that includes the unborn). I do believe in the primacy of conscience. The Catholic Church whose faith I profess believes that we all must follow our conscience—though conscience is not just a personal preference or feeling as many leftist Catholic Democrats will say. I was recently pleased to see an Archbishop in Kansas reprehending the Catholic Democratic Governor for her pro-choice position and vetoing legislation that would restrict access to abortion.

But greater than she, as a problem, is Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, the highest ranking Catholic in public office—second in line to the presidency. She remains a challenge for proponents of Catholic orthodoxy in America, particularly for politicians in their unique call to unify their faith, moral convictions, and political responsibilities. Pelosi has manifestly rejected this call. The dichotomy between her stance as a radically pro-choice liberal Democrat and her professed Catholic faith is quite clear. She said that during the Democrats' first 100 hours in office, she planned to tackle expansion of embryonic stem cell research. She’s Catholic?

Despite her public dissent, Pelosi has continuously been honored amongst Catholics even to the point of being given the privilege to speak at Catholic commencement ceremonies and receive praise despite her abortion rights advocacy. She has received praise from Archbishops, been welcomed on Catholic campuses, and even participated in a Mass celebrating her election with people well aware of her pro-choice position, given the Eucharist by a priest—a Jesuit, in the instance of her "celebration" Mass—known for championing dissent based on conscience, an ill-conceived conception of conscience, as acceptable.

This is a serious issue for the Church. And what is even more despicable is that there are Cardinals, Bishops, and priests who know the severity of this crisis and refuse to reprehend Catholic politicians committing scandals by denying them communion. Denying people communion has just become an empty threat. John Kerry, the 2004 presidential candidate for the Democrats was seen receiving Holy Communion, post-election, even when his publicly professed positions contrary to Church teaching are known. Perhaps, a person can change their mind and reconcile with the Church. Kerry has not made any public retractions and continues to vote in favor of legalized abortion, in favor of embryonic stem cell research, and against marriage.

The same treatment is given to Nancy Pelosi, unfortunately. Pelosi, God bless her, is not struggling with the Church’s teaching, she isn’t trying to restrict abortion or work to protect life within the constraints of the current U.S. laws. She flat out rejects the Church’s teaching. She is unapologetically in support of abortion rights. She has a 100% NARAL pro-choice voting record.

She is an issue and so are all other Catholic dissidents in the public square. I’ll admit I am more biased against Pelosi because I believe (right or wrong) that she’s not even a good Democrat. Her bias toward Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton in the past primary season despite her being a “neutral” uncommitted superdelegate has been, in my opinion, ridiculous. Using her high ranking office, for months, she basically endorsed Obama behind a very thin veil and it won him many superdelegates. If a Catholic had to choose between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, Clinton would by far win the Catholic vote—she did in all the primaries. Why would a Catholic back a politician (Obama) who supports not only legalized abortion, but not giving medical care to babies that survive abortions and leaving them to die in utility rooms?

It goes without saying, if this woman, a public figure, who undermines Church teaching though she professes to be a Catholic, if she isn’t publicly challenged head on, by the Bishops, by the rest of us, by lay Catholics, then every day decisions on how to be faithful Christians in the midst of the complexities of our professions are compromised—surely the evil we do isn’t as grave as advocating abortion. Pope Benedict XVI addressed the matter in the document, Worthiness to Receive Communion: “Regarding the grave sin of abortion or euthanasia, when a person’s formal cooperation becomes manifest (understood, in the case of a Catholic politician, as his consistently campaigning and voting for permissive abortion and euthanasia laws), his Pastor should meet with him, instructing him about the Church’s teaching, informing him that he is not to present himself for Holy Communion until he brings to an end the objective situation of sin, and warning him that he will otherwise be denied the Eucharist.”

Fundamentally, the problem with Pelosi and pro-choice Catholic politicians is only a manifestation of a greater problem. Catholics in public life who facilitate abortion, embryonic stem-cell research, and gay marriage are not in “full communion” with the Church. Hence, they should not receive communion. This idea of “conscience” as a means to any sort of behavior based on personal preference is senseless. We have somehow reached a point, I think, where a Bishop would certainly reprehend a priest for denying communion to parishioners who are not willing to abide by Church teaching on, say, contraception or observe the Church’s laws on marriage. Yet, I imagine it would be these same Bishops who have ignored the problem with priests abusing children—denying it and failing to address the issue head on.

What is that we fear? Perhaps, they believe a schism in the Church would potentially leave her in ruin. Where would that leave us? God forbid Bishops actually upholding the truth of the Gospel. God forbid Catholics living a virtuous, chaste life in imitation of Christ Jesus in marriage, priestly and religious celibacy, or unmarried chastity. If my opinion matters (I’m sure it doesn’t), we need to cut back on laxity, improve catechesis, and preach the truth and not compromise the Gospel for the sake of our comfort in our sins.