GRAND FORKS -- On Aug. 24, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press." She was asked by Tom Brokaw when life begins.
In a rambling and nervous response, Pelosi described herself as an "ardent practicing Catholic" who has studied the issue for a "long time." She then tried to argue that the issue of when life begins has been debated by the Catholic Church and church fathers "for centuries," and that the Church's conclusion that life begins at the point of conception was reached "like, maybe [in the past] 50 years or something like that."
She implied that this issue was in play for Catholics and thus, an "ardent, practicing Catholic" such as the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives could conclude at life does not begin at conception.
I cannot speak to Pelosi's study habits but can say that she would have been quickly eliminated if there was a game show titled, "Are you smarter than a St. Michael's Catholic School fifth grader?".
To answer the question of when the Catholic Church teaches that life begins, one need look no further than the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the official statement of all Catholic faith and doctrine. It is found in virtually every Catholic household.
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Paragraph 2274 of the Catechism states, "Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being."
As it relates to abortion, this teaching was established by the first Christians in the Didache in 70 A.D. The church has never deviated from this teaching, with the most recent declaration coming from Pope John Paul II in his encyclical "Evangelium Vitae" wherein he declared that the Church's teaching on this subject was "unchanged and unchangeable."
During this election season, Catholics must be increasingly vigilant of our church's teachings as candidates highlight their Catholic faith in an effort to attract Catholic voters. This is especially true when high profile Catholic politicians, whether Republican or Democrat, claim to be speaking authoritatively on Church teachings.
Grant Shaft
