House spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi invoked her religion to refute claims that she “hated” President Trump.
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On the way out of her weekly press conference, Nancy Pelosi was recently asked by James Rosen of the Sinclair Broadcast Group if she hates President Trump. Rosen was referring to comments from Rep. Doug Collins, R-Georgia, who had previously hinted that the Democrats are charging the president for hating him.
Pelosi, who had moved away from the podium, exploded. She pointed her finger at roses and said, “I don’t hate anyone. I grew up in a Catholic house. We don’t hate anyone. “
Then she added, “And as a Catholic, I am annoyed that you use the word ‘hate’ in a sentence that speaks to me. I pray for the president all the time. So don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that. “
I watched the exchange between Pelosi and Rosen with pride, amusement, astonishment and, ultimately, anger.
It may come as a surprise to some, but I was proud of this woman, even if I reject her politics and question her values. I have to admire anyone brave enough to tell a reporter room, “Don’t mess with me”. Besides, this Baltimore woman is – no one can deny it – wild. She reminds me a bit of my own mother (but not so pretty).
But I was amused by Pelosi’s idea that Catholics don’t hate anyone. As a Catholic, I can assure you that Pelosi does not speak for me because I hate a lot of people, including some of the people currently sitting in Congress with the initials AOC.
While I’m sure Pelosi believes her heart is bursting at the seams, just like the Grinch did after his conversion, her actions don’t show it. Father Joe Zaleski, an archdiocesan priest who appeared on my radio show last week, remarked, “It is the teaching of the Church that we should not hate. . . (but) look at what she said, you know, ‘I grew up in a catholic house not to hate’ but then she calls (Trump) a coward, then she calls him meme. . . She says she’s praying for the president, but I’m not so sure I believe that. “
My astonishment came from the fact that Pelosi even questioned her beliefs when the reporter simply asked if she would agree with another legislature’s comments. Turning a question on politics into a referendum on religion was frankly odd.
But my overwhelming emotion triggered by Pelosi’s statement was deep anger. No one should try to hide behind a religion if they have spent most of their professional life on misrepresentation, as Pelosi did through her passionate support for abortion.
In a 2008 interview with Meet the Press, Pelosi said, “As a passionate practicing Catholic, (abortion) has been a longstanding issue. And what I do know is that the Doctors of the Church have not been able to come up with that definition over the centuries. ”A number of bishops had to correct it.
In 2013, she rejected a bill that would have banned all abortions after 20 weeks, and she is not a fan of the Hyde Amendment. She has even stated that Catholics don’t have to refuse abortion.
It is unacceptable for Pelosi to use their supposed Catholicism as a protective shield. Matthew 7:16 says, “You will know them by their fruits.” That is, if you have to tell people what a good Catholic you are, don’t bother.
Christine M. Flowers is an attorney and columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News.
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