Speaker Pelosi’s Outlandish Gaffe, A Teachable Moment For Church Orthodoxy   By Dave Hartline 

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi handed Catholic orthodoxy a gift with her gaffe that the Church doesn’t know when life begins. She even threw Saint Augustine under the bus claiming he said life began at three months. It would have been bad enough if any Catholic made such a mockery of Church teaching. However, for the Speaker of the House to make such a statement was nearly the Hindenburg of gaffes. Naturally, we know that St. Augustine said no such thing; the Catholic Church has always stated that life begins at conception.

In my book, The Tide is Turning Toward Catholicism, I delve into the many centuries of pro-life Catholic thought. Yet, Senator Biden too is a supporter of abortion. Senator Joe Biden’s past statement that he was going to wrap a rosary around the neck of anyone who told him he wasn’t Catholic enough is an indictment of those Catholics who think they know better than the Church. Even though the sanctity of life is a benchmark of Church teaching, both Speaker Pelosi and Senator Biden appear to be oblivious to the most basic of Church teachings. Their statements sound like something that would come out of the mouth of the most prominent of dissident Catholics.

The 1960s and 1970s were full of those folks in the Church who thought they could go their own way. We are still dealing with the ramifications of that self absorbed mindset. However, the fruits of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI are beginning to be seen as those 30 and under are the most pro-life and pro teaching authority of the Church, more so than their parents and even grandparents.

Catholics who faithfully attend Mass are tired of hearing that Cafeteria Catholics are really faithful Catholics even though they think they know better than the Church. This type of self absorbed excess has not only damaged the Church but society as well. Pope Benedict XVI is fond of referring to the Dictatorship of Relativism, a reference to those who believe there is no truth in the world and therefore we are free to think everything is the truth and or nothing is the truth. Against the backdrop of freedom they have become slaves to the latest whims of secular society, truly a sad development.

Thankfully with the advent of talk radio, the internet and the Youtube age, the faithful are aware of those who claim they know better than the Church and yet try to keep it under wraps. Gone are the days when Catholic politicians who cared little for what the Church taught but yet wrapped themselves In the Catholic faith, could get away with it. There are an increasing number of orthodox-minded bishops, priests, religious and lay people who are calling out folks on these discrepancies.

Try as they might liberal operatives will never be able to sell the “Catholic Identity” of Speaker Pelosi and Senator Biden to the rank and file Catholic. While secular Catholics, primarily in the Northeast and West may be receptive to this message, the Catholic voters Senator Barack Obama and Senator Biden needs to win in the states of Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania are not receptive to their Catholic message.

You might recall that in July I wrote of the disastrous consequences of Senator Obama's Premature Victory Lap of Europe. While hailed in the mainstream media, this trip exhibited an aspect of elitism so hated in the Heartland. As of this writing we still haven't seen the mainstream media cover the controversy surrounding Senator Obama's refusal to support in Illinois bill, while he was in the State Senate that would have protected babies who survived botched abortions. He was the only Illinois State Senator to voice his displeasure of the bill on the Illinois State Senate floor. The Rev. Jeremiah Wright story purcolated on talk radio and the internet months before it was covered in full by the mainstream media, so it could be with this story.

The Democratic Convention began without Denver's Archbishop Charles Chaput. He was not invited. Invitations are always given to prominent clergy who reside in the city. Here again we see  another story that was hardly mentioned by the mainstream media. This coupled with Speaker Pelosi's distortion of Catholicism will only add to the view among Catholics and traditional minded religious belivers of all faiths that the Democratic Party is out of toch with the common man and woman.

On the evening of November 4, 2008, the world will see that the age of Cafeteria Catholicism has peaked and in its place orthodox-minded Catholicism is on the up swing. Before then there will be many bitter exchanges, as the secular media and the Catholic left will most certainly complain that the Church is too strong and the individual's conscience has been violated. However, this smokescreen will not work, orthodoxy will prevail, it always has. Truly, the tide is turning!

Comments Click Here                      August 26, 2008