Catholic school auctions off dinner with Nancy Pelosi

Every year, St. Helena Catholic School -- situated in the Napa wine country -- has a benefit auction at the Rutherford Grove Winery called “Gala at the Grove.” Guests pay $150 a ticket to bid on distinctive wines and other products to benefit the school. This year’s gala included a unique item up for bid: “Dinner with the Speaker,” an intimate dinner with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The winning bid for the dinner was $14,000.
. . .
[School principal Jim] Ritchie refused to comment when asked how a Catholic school could offer dinner with a militantly pro-abortion, pro-homosexual politician as a prize. “I can’t answer that,” he said. “You’ll have to call her office.”

I'm certain everyone else can answer it - does the school care about the example it sets for students? Apparently not - scandal is, after all, all the rage in California these days.

Monsignor John Brenkle, pastor of St. Helena Catholic Church, part of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, is scheduled to join the winners at the Pelosi dinner. When he was asked the same question as Ritchie, Brenkle answered by invoking the Iraq war.

Sounds familiar...refuse to discuss the real issue while attempting to move the 'discussion; off into another area...a common tactic used by dissenters...

He also has a different take on Canon 915 than Archbishop Burke...

California Catholic Daily: “But you can be a Catholic and support the idea of a just war. You can’t be a Catholic and support abortion in any way, shape or form.”

Brenkle: “You cannot support this war I’m afraid.”

California Catholic Daily: “So you can throw abortion out the window because you don’t like Bush and the war?”

Brenkle: “No, but you put up with the imperfections of politicians. Nobody is perfect.”

California Catholic Daily: “Have you met Nancy Pelosi?”

Brenkle: “She’s a part-time member of our parish.”

California Catholic Daily: “Have you ever discussed her positions on abortion and homosexual marriage with her?”

Brenkle: “I have not had an opportunity to do so.”

California Catholic Daily: “Do you allow her to come to Holy Communion after the Church has taught that manifest public sinners who are unrepentant are to be denied Holy Communion?”

Brenkle: “The Church has never taught that.”

California Catholic Daily: “I think the Archbishop of St. Louis would disagree -- and he’s a canon lawyer.”

Brenkle: “Yeah, well I happen to be a canon lawyer too, y’know, and I think the bishops who said that are in a very minority position.”

Would a faithful Catholic want to receive spiritual advice or direction from such a priest - one who is incapable of unwilling to see and address the horrors of intrinsically evil acts and the necessity of confronting those who support those acts. Great example for the school children! Not!

at California Catholic Daily