Nancy Pelosi considers herself an "ardent, practicing Catholic" as she noted in an interview on Meet the Press last August. Oddly enough, the comment gave me pause. Now I am acquainted with many Catholics - but it is hard to think that any of my Catholic friends or colleagues when describing their religious sentiments would use the phrase "ardent" or the non-descript and somewhat vile phrase, "practicing." In fact, I would bet that on the whole the majority of the people who describe themselves as "practicing Catholics" are in fact Catholics who merely perform what they deem to be the necessities - namely, showing up almost every Sunday at church and insisting when interviewed that they are in fact "ardent" about their faith. They need not be bothered with the idea that to be Catholic requires belief in Catholic things - assenting to doctrines and creeds for instance. I'd hate to repeat the argument to Mrs. Pelosi or any other ardent Catholic, but being Catholic is not simply showing up on Sunday or dipping one's phalanges ceremoniously into the holy water. In fact, when done by ardent, practicing Catholics, these pious religious affections amount to affectations. Anyone can claim to be such a Catholic. It is quite simply done. Nevertheless, I give Nancy Pelosi the benefit of the doubt that she in fact believes sincerely that her actions constitute an ardent, practicing Catholic. But what, then, does she make of the Pope?
On Wednesday, the Vatican has confirmed, she will meet with Pope Benedict XVI. If, in fact, she sincerely believes that her example of living the Catholic faith is one of ardency, what would she say of Pope Benedict's example? "Is Pope Benedict, Mrs. Pelosi," I would ask, "is he an example of an ardent, practicing Catholic?" No doubt her answer will be something along the lines of "Of course." Following up with my next question, "How then, can two ardent, practicing Catholics disagree on such fundamental issues of Catholic faith - namely that abortion murders an innocent human baby in the womb of her mother?"
Her answer, of course, was hidden in her interview on Meet the Press. Issues such as when human life begins, or abortion, or contraception, or any other issue for that matter, in her opinion, are not fundamental Catholic issues at all. Being Catholic, to Nancy Pelosi, means that one can change the position of the Church based on one's own interpretation of history, or theology, or biology, or whatever ology there is to study. The Church believes "this." Well, I am an ardent, practicing Catholic, and I believe "this" instead. This simple exchange of Catholic truth for individual interpretation may appeal to Americans - especially those of political influence - but it does not pass muster with the Catholic Church. That the Pope and Mrs. Pelosi show up to Mass on Sunday is not evidence of unity. It may have the appearance of unity - an appearance which Mrs. Pelosi may use to her advantage. But the differences are real: even as pope, Benedict XVI submits to the teachings of Christ and - as St. Augustine refers to her - to the teachings of our spiritual mother, the Catholic Church. The Pope's ardency is placed at the service of passing on these teachings - these truths - in all of their fullness. Mrs. Pelosi seems inclined - ardently, for that matter - not in passing on the truths of the Catholic faith but in passing on the opinions of Nancy's faith.
I hope that her meeting with Pope Benedict changes her. If she has read St. Augustine as she has claimed, I hope that she too might recall the passages where Augustine is persuaded "little by little with most tender and most merciful a hand, touching and composing [his] heart." I hope she too follows Augustine from error to Catholic doctrine (Confessions Book Six). For where Augustine had uncertainties about the truth, he was reassured by the certainty of the Catholic Church.
Meetings between heads of state and bishops of the Catholic Church have occurred throughout history. It is part of the Church's duty to engage world powers and remind them that despite their temporal power, they must be subservient to divine headship - they cannot be superior to God nor can they take it upon themselves to authoritatively clarify spiritual or moral matters - even if they have studied it for a long time. This particular meeting between Nancy Pelosi and Pope Benedict conjures the memory of long ago when the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, after having murdered seven thousand innocent pagan worshipers, was publicly condemned by the bishop St. Ambrose for his grave sin. Theodosius eventually repented on his knees before Ambrose - and while that image might not translate today I at least can hope that those who condone the slaughter of innocents, as Nancy Pelosi does in her support of abortion policies, might some day repent - perhaps at the prompting of the Roman Pontiff.
We can pray. We certainly must pray.
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