Pelosi, Niederauer Meeting to Spur Debate, Resolution or Both?

When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi meets with San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer to discuss Catholic teaching on abortion, at least two paths could emerge. The strongly pro-choice Catholic politician might vigorously debate Augustine and church history with her archbishop. Or the two will try to put their heads together to create a public resolution that is acceptable for everyone. Or maybe they will do both.

But two Catholic scholars who know about butting heads with the church agree on this: The controversy that brought this meeting about could have been avoided.

“I think it’s a mistake for politicians to talk theology,” said Jesuit Father Thomas J. Reese, senior research fellow at Woodstock Theological Center. “Let’s just say, it’s above their pay grade.”

Pelosi not only dabbled in theology, she did it on national television just as her Democratic party was headed into its convention.

During an Aug. 24 “Meet the Press” interview, Tom Brokaw asked Pelosi, “Senator Obama saying the question of when life begins is above his pay grade … If he were to come to you and say, 'Help me out here, Madame Speaker. When does life begin?' what would you tell him?”

Pelosi replied, “I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue that I have studied for a long time. And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition. And, Senator, St. Augustine said at three months. We don't know. The point is, is that it shouldn't have an impact on the woman's right to choose.”

When Brokaw pointed out the church’s stance, Pelosi added, “I understand. And this is like maybe 50 years or something like that. So again, over the history of the church, this is an issue of controversy.”

Pelosi also talked at length about the political realities of abortion and, Reese said, if she had stayed on that track, she might well have avoided controversy. That’s something Reese knows something about. His tenure as editor of America magazine was cut short by pressure from the Vatican to remove him.

Pelosi need not have engaged in parsing of church history and doctrine, he said.