House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lashed out Thursday at comments by the Archbishop of San Francisco, who said Catholics backing legislation to codify Roe v. Wade are supporting nothing more than “child sacrifice.”
“I’m Catholic. I come from a pro-life family, not active in that regard, different in their view of a woman’s right to choose,” said Mrs. Pelosi, California Democrat. “And I am in my right to choose. I have five children.”
San Francisco’s Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone said of the bill, “This proposed legislation is nothing short of child sacrifice, and clearly in reaction, among other things, to the recently passed Texas Heartbeat bill.”
He said the measure “is surely the type of legislation one would expect from a devout Satanist, not a devout Catholic.”
Mrs. Pelosi said, “The Archbishop of the city, that area — San Francisco — and I had a disagreement about who should decide this. I believe that God has given us a free will to honor our responsibilities.”
“For us, [having a child] was a complete and total blessing, which we enjoy every day of our lives, but it’s not our business how other people choose the size and timing of their family,” Mrs. Pelosi said.
Congressional Democrats are pushing for the passage of the Women’s Healthcare Protection Act since several Republican state legislatures have passed “heartbeat” bills to ban most abortions in their states. In Texas, the new law bars abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy.
The House bill authored by Rep. Judy Chu, California Democrat, guarantees a pregnant woman’s “right to access an abortion — and the right of an abortion provider to deliver these abortion services — free from medically unnecessary restrictions that interfere with a patient’s individual choice or the provider-patient relationship.”
Archbishop Cordileone said, “It should come as no surprise … that bill is being challenged by none other than The Satanic Temple and precisely on the grounds of religious freedom.”
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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