Today Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), well-known for her pro-abortion career in politics despite her profession of Catholic faith, met briefly with His Holiness Pope Benedict.
Here is a statement from the Press Office:
Following the General Audience the Holy Father briefly greeted Mrs Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, together with her entourage.
His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church’s consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development.
I have not seen any photos from the meeting.
I wonder… is the teaching of the Church clear now Mrs. Pelosi?
She got it from the top.
But she might have gotten it from her own bishop, with whom she said she would meet.
A spokesman for Archbp. Niederauer of San Francisco said on 13 Feb:
“While she initially accepted the archbishop’s invitation to a pastoral meeting, she has not been able to arrange such a meeting on her schedule, despite our putting forward several available dates,” …
UPDATE 1653 GMT
Pelosi Statement Following Meeting With Pope Benedict XVI
Last update: 10:09 a.m. EST Feb. 18, 2009
WASHINGTON, Feb 18, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ — Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today following a meeting at the Vatican with his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI:"It is with great joy that my husband, Paul, and I met with his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI today.
"In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the Church’s leadership in fighting poverty, hunger, and global warming, as well as the Holy Father’s dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel.
"I was proud to show his Holiness a photograph of my family’s Papal visit in the 1950s, as well as a recent picture of our children and grandchildren."
SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House
She says it is a "conversation". She mentions only what she thought was important enough to reveal.
Fair enough.
The Holy See mentions in its release what the POPE thought most important to reveal.
The mismatch between the two statements suggests to me that she was either unmoved by the content of what the Pope said to her, or embarrassed.
