Some thoughts to consider: On the one hand, as third in line to the presidency, Speaker Nancy Pelosi was duly recognized by the Vatican as a head of state, of sorts. And yet, the kibosh was put on any elaborate public ceremony or even a photo-op, which Pelosi could have manipulated as "pope and Pelosi, best of friends" type propaganda. The pope was not about to let images of himself and Pelosi, one of America's most "ardent" Catholic defenders of abortion rights, be circulated on the web as strained evidence that disagreement over such an important matter as abortion is of no real consequence after all. Clearly the pope was well abreast of Pelosi's shenanigans and rants over the past few months, not to mention her across the board anti-life voting record that stretches back years. The meeting then was of a personal and pastoral nature before it was a political one. Benedict XVI, as Holy Father, showed genuine love for a misguided daughter of the Church.
Pelosi should consider herself richly blessed that she had a private opportunity to be guided (corrected) by a spiritual and intellectual giant. Her strange statement after the audience though was disappointing, if not all that surprising, as she awkwardly elided the one issue that everyone knows was the focal point of the meeting and instead talked about the Middle East and of course, global warming. What does this omission say about her powers of assessment and capacity for honesty? Hopefully, the American bishops will draw strength from the pope's firm pastoral hand in their own inevitable dealings with Pelosi et al.
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