Wednesday, February 18, 2009

A Teaching Moment With No Photo-Op

Pope Benedict XVI had a private meeting with a delegation headed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. According to the Vatican statement issued after the meeting, the Pope made a point of stressing the Church's strong position on protecting human life, including the unborn. Nancy Pelosi futilely attempted to re-interpret that position last year.
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 until 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 development.

Pelosi's office later issued a statement on the meeting that avoided the points the Pope made regarding human life. George Weigel asks if they are talking about the same meeting.

Two things worth noting. First, the meeting was closed to reporters and photographers. This denied Pelosi and the other Democratic Congress members in the group a photo-op that could be used to imply papal toleration of their pro-abortion positions.

Finally, the Pope made it clear that the Church is simply observing the natural law concerning the dignity of human life. While Church doctrine cannot be imposed on those that are not Catholic or on the whole society, the natural law is knowable by and binding on every human being, including those in positions of power, even those who are not Catholic. (Are you listening, President Obama?)

The Anchoress has some good points and links to others' comments on this story.

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