Pelosi on church "enforcement" of its teachings

[Della]

They could repeat the teaching, and before Communion or after the homily, or some time before Mass, tell the congregation that they ‘absolutely should not come up for Communion if they are contracepting’. You’re right that they couldn’t enforce it, but they could put it on the shoulders of the congregation.

To use a British idiom, the majority of our clerics have used the “softly, softly” approach to contraceptives because they knew a good many of their people were using them and didn’t want to see a good portion of their congregations walk out on them if they tried to tell them the Church means what she teaches–at least that was the fear. They’ve tried to be “pastoral” about it, thinking that if they can keep them in the pews maybe they’d come around on their own. I can understand that way of thinking but in reality it hasn’t worked very well. People have left anyway, and now we have people thinking it’s okay for “them” because their case is “exceptional” not thinking that too many people have been excusing themselves and so weakened not only their own faith, but also faith in the Church’s teachings by those around them. Only now are many of our leaders learning where “feeding the crocodile” really leads–it’s to people like Pelosi making outrageous statements, trying to force the Church to kow-tow to the idealogy of death. We only have ourselves to blame for this, really we do.

 

[JimG]

Contraceptives are widely available right now! The Church can’t keep people from usiing them, mandate or not. But the Church can respect her own teachings by not offering contraception, sterilization, and morning-after pills as a part of its own insurance package. The Church has a right not to be forced to contradict its own doctrine. So do Catholic institutions, and Catholic individuals for that matter.

There is simply no shortage of contraceptives. There is no need for a mandate.

If Catholics obtain abortions at the same rate as the general population, is that an excuse for the Church to offer abortion coverage in insurance policies offered by Catholic institutions?

No, it isn’t, but be prepared for the HHS to mandate it in the coming years.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I think Pelosi is right here. In the Church’s defence though, how would they know if you use contraception?

Look at the size of families in the pews today, copared to 60 years ago.

Jim

 

[sedonaman]

…It must be Nancy Knows Best. …

Pelosi, people must realize, almost never knows what she is talking about. And some evidence is,

…She apparently has discerned that those bishops ought to be enforcing Catholic teaching and, in her estimation, they have fallen down on the job. One can only speculate as to the enforcement mechanism Nancy envisions which they have failed to utilize (bedroom police? pharmacy spies? confessional exit polls?)

 

[Havard]

She may be right, but it’s still the height of hypocrisy for her to say it.

Priests avoided the issue because people like her would have a cow if they didn’t.

 

[scipio337]

She may be right, but it’s still the height of hypocrisy for her to say it.

Priests avoided the issue because people like her would have a cow if they didn’t.

I find it ironic that if the Church did “enforce” its teachings…

she would be the most obvious target of that enforcement.

 

[MichaelTDoyle]

The issue is not enforcement. The issue is that participating in contraception or providing contraception is a sin. Because it is a sin, the Church (and laity) cannot in good conscience comply with the regulation.

 

[mark_a]

On Monday, at Texas A&M University, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi claimed the Catholic Church has not “enforced” its teaching against contraception and that the Church now wants the federal government to do the Church’s enforcement work for it, by objecting to the HHS mandate to provide birth control health insurance coverage for employees.

For article, see cnsnews.com/news/article/pelosi-catholic-church-has-not-enforced-its-teaching-contraception.

It must be Nancy Knows Best. She apparently has discerned that those bishops ought to be enforcing Catholic teaching and, in her estimation, they have fallen down on the job. One can only speculate as to the enforcement mechanism Nancy envisions which they have failed to utilize (bedroom police? pharmacy spies? confessional exit polls?)

Lord have mercy.

 

[Rence]

Look at the size of families in the pews today, copared to 60 years ago.Jim

Size of family alone is no indicator of the usage of ABCs. Supposedly NFP is just as effective as ABCs to avoid pregnancy, and then there’s the issue of infertility, which is a growing concern today.

 

[tunemiester]

Before we all get worked up about this, remember who we’re talking about. Pelosi holds the title of “arch bishop of misinformation”. This is the woman who gave a 20 minute speech in the house to support abortion then met Pope Benedict XVI with a rosary wrapped around her hand telling him how she prays it everynight with her grandkids. There are two books she’s never read the Didache and the Catechism of the Catholic Church which is apparent by her knowledge of the faith!
Just remember this whatever she says look it up and you’ll know how to defend the truth. Just because you haven’t heard it from the pulpit doesn’t mean the Church doesn’t teach it, that’s why we should all have a copy of the CCC in our homes!!

 

[jmcrae]

The Church is not a police officer; she is a teacher.

As adult Catholics, it is up to us to follow the teachings we have been given. We answer to God; not to human beings.

What sort of “enforcement” would people like to see, anyway? Should the Church maintain its own system of jails, or what?

 

[sedonaman]

…Just remember this whatever she says look it up and you’ll know how to defend the truth. …

No need to go to all that trouble. She is what I call a ThOpp-er: Think Opposite of what she says to know the truth.

 

[sedonaman]

The Church is not a police officer; she is a teacher.
…

What sort of “enforcement” would people like to see, anyway? Should the Church maintain its own system of jails, or what?

That’s why I said she doesn’t know what she is talking about. The minute the Church started “enforcing” its beliefs about sex or whatever, she would bellyache about “staying out of our bedrooms” et al. There is just no pleasing some people.

 

[LilHomemaker]

Contraceptives are widely available right now! The Church can’t keep people from usiing them, mandate or not. But the Church can respect her own teachings by not offering contraception, sterilization, and morning-after pills as a part of its own insurance package. The Church has a right not to be forced to contradict its own doctrine. So do Catholic institutions, and Catholic individuals for that matter.

There is simply no shortage of contraceptives. There is no need for a mandate.

If Catholics obtain abortions at the same rate as the general population, is that an excuse for the Church to offer abortion coverage in insurance policies offered by Catholic institutions?

No, it isn’t, but be prepared for the HHS to mandate it in the coming years.

So true.

 

[Teelynn]

Sadly, yes.

I have to agree completely…that said, she has probably picked up some talking points from traditional Catholic bloggers who have voiced the same. As proud as I am now of our Bishops, they are a little late to the party. Better late than never, and they do have some catching up to do, but they have eventually “shown up”. The problem being with some of them in their relative theology, some of the laity were all too happy to go along with the program. It can be very tempting when your Bishop gives the ok to do basically what you want.

 

[buffalo]

Before we all get worked up about this, remember who we’re talking about. Pelosi holds the title of “arch bishop of misinformation”. This is the woman who gave a 20 minute speech in the house to support abortion then met Pope Benedict XVI with a rosary wrapped around her hand telling him how she prays it everynight with her grandkids. There are two books she’s never read the Didache and the Catechism of the Catholic Church which is apparent by her knowledge of the faith!
Just remember this whatever she says look it up and you’ll know how to defend the truth. Just because you haven’t heard it from the pulpit doesn’t mean the Church doesn’t teach it, that’s why we should all have a copy of the CCC in our homes!!

They all seem to be cut from the same cloth:

Congresswoman Hochul Booed

Part II - Fr Leon asks questions

Part III - she says its a proper accommadation, young man calls it a lie and an insult

Part IV - young man asks a question and she ducks out…

Constitution Ignored for HHS Health Care Mandate

Congresswoman Kathy Hochul (NY State 26th District) denies that the Constitution was consulted for Obamacare HHS Mandate. She even implies that constitutionality was not considered for the entire Health Care law.

 

[catharina]

The Church is not a police officer; she is a teacher.

As adult Catholics, it is up to us to follow the teachings we have been given. We answer to God; not to human beings.

What sort of “enforcement” would people like to see, anyway? Should the Church maintain its own system of jails, or what?

You took the words right out of my mouth.
Thank you.

 

[pnewton]

The Church is not a police officer; she is a teacher.

This simple distinction seems to escape the Congresswoman. Her point is down right ignorant, switching the role of government and the Church as if the two are similar, and playing to those wanting simple solutions and talking points. I am surprised that such illogic was even attempted among college graduates.

The Catholic Church can not, will not, never can, “enforce” moral teaching. All she can do is teach. The federal governement on the other hand is wanting the Catholic Church to act in a way contrary to its teachings. Now the Church, as an entity can not contracept. That is the act of an individual. The Church can however pay to make this possible, or not. Only one choice is moral.

If Ms. Pelosi would exercise even a modicum of logic, she would see that what she is presenting as a contradiction is in fact comparing acts of the individuals, all who are admittely sinners with the teaching of the organization. Yet as one of the most active anticatholic Catholics, she can not resist the chance to attack the Holy Catholic Church and wound the Body of Christ on Earth to play to her constituency.

 

[Lochias]

The teachings of the Church are readily available for anyone interested enough or serious enough about their faith to look. Our priests have a LOT of ground to cover, and they can’t spend all of their homily time on one specific issue. I have not heard a homily in a while concerning birth control and the like, but I did not need to have it “fed to me” to know it’s something we’re not supposed to do.

If anything, I’d say that mediocre RCIA classes are more to blame, if blame should be apportioned at all. You can’t lecture people on specifics when they don’t get the basics. Even then, almost anyone truly invested in their Faith can pick up a copy of the Catechism, and ask a priest for specifics if they have questions.

As others have said, expecting the Church to “enforce” it’s teachings is patently ridiculous; are nuns with rulers going to start patrolling the streets now?

All Pelosi is doing here is trying to turn Catholics against their own Church and its teachings, by laying blame where none can truly be laid.

 

[buffalo]

This simple distinction seems to escape the Congresswoman. Her point is down right ignorant, switching the role of government and the Church as if the two are similar, and playing to those wanting simple solutions and talking points. I am surprised that such illogic was even attempted among college graduates.

The Catholic Church can not, will not, never can, “enforce” moral teaching. All she can do is teach. The federal governement on the other hand is wanting the Catholic Church to act in a way contrary to its teachings. Now the Church, as an entity can not contracept. That is the act of an individual. The Church can however pay to make this possible, or not. Only one choice is moral.

If Ms. Pelosi would exercise even a modicum of logic, she would see that what she is presenting as a contradiction is in fact comparing acts of the individuals, all who are admittely sinners with the teaching of the organization. Yet as one of the most active anticatholic Catholics, she can not resist the chance to attack the Holy Catholic Church and wound the Body of Christ on Earth to play to her constituency.

When someone is bought and paid for it is truly amazing the gyrations they go through.