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Pope Francis Finally Weighs In on the Overturning of Roe v Wade
Faithful Catholics all over the US have been waiting to hear from Pope Francis on the recent SCOTUS decision on Dobbs and the overturn of Roe v Wade. Receiving a joyous and heartfelt message from the Pope would be a great gift to all those who have prayed and sacrificed and worked for this day.
However, it wasn’t what we expected. As one has heard, a picture tells a thousand words.
Pope Francis, greets Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her husband, Paul Pelosi before celebrating a Mass on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. Pelosi met with Pope Francis on Wednesday and received Communion during a papal Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, witnesses said, despite her position in support of abortion rights. (Vatican Media via AP)
For some reason, Nancy Pelosi, one of the most prominent pro-abortion Catholic politicians (and perhaps the face of the movement) just happened to be at the Vatican on June 29. According to this article, Pelosi met with Francis on Wednesday before the Mass and received a blessing, and then received Holy Communion at the papal mass in St. Peter’s on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. What a coincidence. And what a scandal. And what a slap in the face to Archbishop Cordileone who publicly reprimanded Mrs. Pelosi and forbade her from receiving Holy Communion until she publicly repents of her pro-abortion beliefs and activities.
CatholicVote President Brian Burch speaks to Fox News' @JesseBWatters about @SpeakerPelosi's latest scandal. pic.twitter.com/0Td3oT936h
— CatholicVote.org (@CatholicVote) June 30, 2022
Now some will say, Scott, you darn rigid restorationist you, you just hate Vatican II, and that is why you always bring up these Pope Francis scandals. How in the world can this merciful pope know everything there is to know about the USA?
Well, for one thing, he was aware of the horrific deaths of the illegal immigrants near San Antonio and sent out a tweet asking for prayers.
I sorrowfully heard the news of the tragedy of the #migrants in Texas and #Melilla. Let us #PrayTogether for these brothers and sisters who died following their hope of a better life; and for ourselves, may the Lord might open our hearts so these misfortunes never happen again.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 28, 2022
It is a monumental scandal that Pope Francis allows this to happen. From his homily at the mass:
Francis has strongly upheld the church’s opposition to abortion, and on Wednesday said church leaders must “continue to care for human life.” But in his homily, Francis also instructed the new archbishops to welcome everyone into the church, including sinners, and to not “remain pinned to some of our fruitless debates.”
“So many times we become a church with open doors, but only to send people away, to condemn them,” he said.
This is standard doublespeak for the pope. Yes, one welcomes sinners, but one also calls them to repentance. He says he is opposed to abortion – going so far as to call it murder, yet allows Holy Communion to be given to a manifest grave sinner such as Nancy Pelosi. Yes, the pope is a head of state, and must meet and greet all types, but he is first and foremost the Vicar of Christ (a title that he has erased) and a pastor of souls. As one said before, this is a monumental scandal. And Pelosi will run with it – she will continue to use these types of photos and the fact that “she received Holy Communion at a papal mass” to push for abortion.
I would be pleased if someone can point me somewhere to see that the pope has praised and celebrated the overturn of Roe v Wade. Yes, the gutted Pontifical Academy for Life issued a short statement, but it was very weak and bizarrely said nothing to simply condemn abortion unequivocally and celebrate the victory.
Instead of commending #SCOTUS for overturning #RoeVWade, the @PontAcadLife called for "reopen[ing] a non-ideological debate" about abortion. Why won't @PagliaAbp simply condemn abortion unequivocally and celebrate this victory?@MLJHaynes reports: https://t.co/ZXwzUBUUZ7
— Matt Gaspers (@MattGaspers) June 25, 2022
Perhaps one day popes and cardinals and archbishops will use their authority to crack down on these pro-abortion politicians in the US and fervently work to change their minds and save their souls. Until then, we will continue to see more of this:
The "devotedly" Catholic president is back at it @JoeBiden pic.twitter.com/iVCVtknB8N
— CatholicVote.org (@CatholicVote) June 30, 2022
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Published in Religion & Philosophy
Western Christendom had a big fight about that.
Please explain. I’m one of Ricochet’s less educated members.
I’m being silly and I suspect that you are as well, but at any rate, the Protestant Reformation.
This is good to hear:
QUOTE
Some of the prelates criticized President Joe Biden for his reaction to the Supreme Court decision. A baptized Catholic, the president told reporters on June 24 the Dobbs ruling was a “sad day for the Court and for the country” and the “realization of an extreme ideology and a tragic error by the Supreme Court.”
Cardinal Burke said Biden “claims to be Catholic” but responded to the decision “in a way which denies the Catholic faith in favor of the anti-life ideology and its advance of so-called rights to privacy and to choice.”
“His remarks are offensive to right reason and totally reprehensible in a Catholic,” the U.S. cardinal continued. “Catholics who practice their faith are good citizens — first, faithful to God’s law written on the human heart, they serve faithfully their homeland.” He said they will therefore “rejoice” in the Supreme Court decision “and recommit themselves to the work of safeguarding and protecting all human life.”
UNQUOTE
Seriously, though, while I don’t like this Pope, I sure don’t know what I think he should have done other than what he did when Pelosi showed up.
And we are all thankful for his awesome name.
I’m not Catholic but I would think someone would speak to her before the mass. He could ask, “It’s public knowledge that your bishop is withholding communion. We will follow his guidance. Have you repented?”
I am Lutheran and my synod practices closed communion. When we travel, I speak with the pastor before the service to let him know where we attend church and that we can participate with them.
I’m not speaking with authority on this, but I would think Pelosi’s very public support for abortion would call for a very public repentance before she could receive Communion. How does one atone for causing scandal?
Also, I suppose if she were denied Holy Eucharist at the Vatican, that would essentially be a formal excommunication. Does anyone know canon law?
Burn her as a witch, obviously. After a long and tortuous show trial with a long line of witnesses and expert testimony. And a series of public exorcism attempts. The old ways are best.
Denial of Holy Communion and excommunication are not the same. Excommunication involves denial of all the sacraments which would include the Sacrament of Penance. Nancy is still called to repentance and is able to confess her sins.
Can. 915 Those who have been excommunicated or interdicted after the imposition or declaration of the penalty and others obstinately persevering in manifest grave sin are not to be admitted to holy communion.
Can. 916 A person who is conscious of grave sin is not to celebrate Mass or receive the body of the Lord without previous sacramental confession unless there is a grave reason and there is no opportunity to confess; in this case the person is to remember the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition which includes the resolution of confessing as soon as possible.
Can. 1331 §1. An excommunicated person is forbidden:
1/ to have any ministerial participation in celebrating the sacrifice of the Eucharist or any other ceremonies of worship whatsoever;
2/ to celebrate the sacraments or sacramentals and to receive the sacraments;
3/ to exercise any ecclesiastical offices, ministries, or functions whatsoever or to place acts of governance.
§2. If the excommunication has been imposed or declared, the offender:
1/ who wishes to act against the prescript of §1, n. 1 must be prevented from doing so, or the liturgical action must be stopped unless a grave cause precludes this;
2/ invalidly places acts of governance which are illicit according to the norm of §1, n. 3;
3/ is forbidden to benefit from privileges previously granted;
4/ cannot acquire validly a dignity, office, or other function in the Church;
5/ does not appropriate the benefits of a dignity, office, any function, or pension, which the offender has in the Church.
One of the purposes of corporate discipline, at least in my church, is to serve as a warning notice to others. (cf 1 Tim 5:20 – “Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.”)
Catholics aren’t called upon to publicly correct others, but in this matter Ms Pelosi is a spokesperson for abortion and the Pope’s solicitude could be seen as an endorsement of her position. It’ll certainly be used that way. It was not necessary either to publicly turn her away or to publicly cosy up. The two entities, Church and (overweening) state each have diplomats, press handlers, etc.
When I go to church, it’s not covered in the news: when there are reporters, that’s a clue.
I’ve noticed that Francis seems to have settled on a determination to do what comes natural and let people conclude what they will. But it’s a sad fact of life that public acts are always, to some degree, messages or portrayals. There are hundreds of millions of people out there needing guidance, and when the message is unclear they remain confused.
I was sympathetic when the press ran with “who am I to judge,” and derisive when he sounded off about global warming. Jesuits have a reputation for worldliness, and that’s often taken for cynicism, but they’re dealing with an imperfect world and they’re not just here for themselves; they can’t insist on a child’s version of fairness. That’s the thing: I’m free to walk off a cliff, but not when I’m leading others.
Anthony Esolen offers a great rebuke to the pathetic response of the Pontifical Academy for Life:
Love Tony Esolen and everything he writes. Thanks for sharing this, Scott. So much of what we hear from the Vatican sounds like warmed-over leftism.
“Sometimes you gotta kill a chicken in front of the monkeys.”
You sound like my crazy Uncle when he went to Africa on Safari.
The guy who said that is now a priest.
I absolutely love Anthony Esolen. But I don’t agree with some of this, and I don’t know enough about people’s experience with the leaders he’s talking about to have an opinion on the rest.
Esolen says about the news of the Supreme Court’s decision “One might think that church bells would be ringing everywhere.”
Gosh yes. At the next victory, for the out-of-town arsonists from Ruth Sent Us or Anti-fa who, maybe, forgot to make a note of all the names and addresses of churches in the area that they might set ablaze, let’s ring those bells ! I think bell ringing is right up there with the idea of Pope Francis being anything but cordial to a vicious, possibly disoriented, and insanely proud old woman in a position of great power. Also, if I were a pro-life worker, I don’t think I’d feel or be safe being recognized right now.
I agree that Archbishop Gomez and Lori’s statement is vague, funereal, sonorous and warmed-over leftist sounding. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? If I believed these were leaders dedicated to fighting for a culture of life, if I had reason to trust the wisdom of their leadership, I might be more focused on being very pleased with the ambiguous quality of what they had written. Why ? Because, on the one hand, they probably had to write something; on the other, you don’t hand the enemy a copy of your next battle plans. I mean, the written statement Esolen is talking about was for the public, wasn’t it? And the end of Roe v.Wade is actually the end of only the first battle in the war.
Take sex education, for instance. Esolen grumbles about the same-old-same-old of the yet more emphasis on sex education in this tired sounding statement Gomez and Lori churned out. Well, while “sex education” is what Gomez and Lori officially call it, in reality, in Catholic schools, it could be prenatal development, sex and sexuality education. The class (7th grade) could begin with, and spend the largest number of class periods on, the study of the developing baby. This part of the class could be very visually oriented. There are amazing videos and pictures now. If I were teaching the class, I’d be especially sure to slip in the pictures that most wake people up to something; that picture, for instance, of the preborn baby, still in it’s mother’s womb during a c section, holding onto a doctor’s finger.
Off the subject: I wish Anthony Esolen would write a book for high school students about the rise and fall of Roe v.Wade and the work of the Right to Life movement. I would also like it to include some information on the Supreme Court justices involved in 1973 and in 2022.
While people who were part of the movement from early on are still alive, it would be good if people would start interviewing them and collecting pictures from the different decades.
@ansonia Anthony Esolen was writing about the statement put out by the Pontifical Academy for Life, not the USCCB statement. The PAL statement just quoted part of the USCCB statement.
The USCCB statement is much more in line with what we expect from our bishops on this issue:
https://www.usccb.org/news/2022/usccb-statement-us-supreme-court-ruling-dobbs-v-jackson
Perfect.
That’s beautiful.
Pope Francis does finally weigh in on Roe v Wade and his response is pathetic in my opinion.
QUOTE
Asked about the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling establishing a woman’s right to have an abortion, Francis said he respected the decision but did not have enough information to speak about it from a juridical point of view.
But he strongly condemned abortion, comparing it to “hiring a hit man”. The Catholic Church teaches that life begins at the moment of conception.
“I ask: Is it legitimate, is it right, to eliminate a human life to resolve a problem?”
Francis was asked about a debate in the United States over whether a Catholic politician who is personally opposed to abortion but supports others’ right to choose should be allowed to receive the sacrament of communion.
House of Representatives speaker Nancy Pelosi, for example, has been barred by the conservative archbishop of her home diocese of San Francisco from receiving it there, but is regularly given communion at a parish in Washington, D.C. Last week, she received the sacrament at a papal Mass in the Vatican.
“When the Church loses its pastoral nature, when a bishop loses his pastoral nature, it causes a political problem,” the pope said. “That’s all I can say.”
UNQUOTE
That loud THUD you heard was “the non-pastoral, conservative” Archbishop Cordileone being thrown under the bus. Why isn’t Francis labeled the “liberal” pope?
Bergoglio has given all the pro-abort politicians their talking points. “The pope said my conservative bishop is just turning this into a political issue. Where is his pastoral nature?”
As one said: pathetic.
What does he think a pastoral nature is?
A curated collection of South American idols?
Did anyone ask him for his “juridical point of view??” Just like does anyone care what the pope thinks about climate change (Laudato si)?? Lefties are constantly dabbling in subjects outside their competence, and things outside their competence turn out to be most everything. Economics, foreign affairs, science. . . faith and morals. . . pastoring the flock. . .
Who’s acting like a good shepherd in the case of Nancy Pelosi, trying to return a stray to the flock? Archbishop Cordileone (my friend Sal) or Pope Francis? To ask is to answer.
He is a truly awful pope. I had a conversation with Jesus before the Blessed Sacrament last night that went something like, “I’m praying for him, but I don’t have much hope. I know with You, all things are possible, but I’m just not seeing it. Help my lack of faith.” I’ve also lost all patience with Francis defenders.
Yes, the entire pastoral nature quote is mind-blowing.
Your friend Sal is absolutely a pastor of souls. He took the actions he did for Nancy’s sake – for her salvation.
Whereas Bergoglio shrugs his shoulders and says the concern Cordileone shows for Nancy’s soul causes a political problem. Francis shows no concern for Nancy’s salvation.
Just mind-blowing.
Yes, and who’s being political?? Taking political concerns first?
I like Sal’s chances.
Francis’ idea of pastoral nature appears to be very, very dark.