Pelosi’s political and spiritual legacy deserves Catholic Americans’ respect

You may agree with her, you may disagree with her, but there is no denying that Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) tenure as the first woman to lead the U.S. House of Representatives has been historic. 

Pelosi has served in the role across three presidential administrations of both parties, overseeing the passage of a wide variety of legislation, many times with significant bipartisan support. Furthermore, she was the Democratic Leader in Congress during the historic visit of Pope Francis where he made history on Sept. 24, 2015, as the first pope to ever address a joint meeting of Congress. 

It is clear in a variety of public statements she has made over the years and in many of her policy positions that Pelosi’s Catholic faith has significantly shaped her worldview. Her time in Washington, D.C. predated her tenure in public service as she is a graduate of Trinity Washington University, formerly known as Trinity College — a Catholic university. 

From her support for ensuring the poor here at home are treated with dignity to her support for the people of Taiwan, Pelosi’s compassion for others is not only demonstrative of her Catholic faith but specifically in strong alignment with the values most espoused by the Jesuit Order regarding the importance of serving others and promoting justice. 

Whether it was her inspirational resolve on Jan. 6, 2021, or in pushing for greater support for Ukraine ever since it was invaded by Russia last year, Speaker Pelosi has consistently and steadfastly stood up in defense of democracy at home and abroad. 

While Speaker Pelosi’s faith has undoubtedly influenced her perspective on policy, she has maintained a very healthy and important respect for the separation between church and state which many elected officials would do well in emulating in their own careers in public service. Pelosi clearly understands that such a separation is essential to protecting and guaranteeing the religious freedom of all Americans of all faiths as well as those who choose not to have a religious affiliation. 

While I did not agree with many of Speaker Pelosi’s policy proposals, I recognize the importance of her public service and that those proposals came from a place of caring and goodwill. The purpose of writing this is simple: When one Catholic American succeeds in seeking to advance policies of inclusivity, compassion and openness in American public life, it is good for all Catholic Americans. 

Pelosi is very much an heir to the legacy of President John F. Kennedy who similarly broke new ground for Catholic Americans when he won the highest office in the land and assumed the presidency. The trouble is that these days people are stuck in a red team and blue team mentality. There is nothing wrong with generally preferring one political party over another based on a preference for certain policy proposals over others, but it remains important that people be able to put country over party to come together to advance the common good — something that is sadly exceedingly rare at this moment in time. 

Back in October, Pelosi demonstrated profound courage in the aftermath of the despicable and politically-motivated attack against her husband Paul Pelosi, when an individual broke into their San Francisco home and violently assaulted Mr. Pelosi with a hammer. The attacker is said to have told authorities there was “evil in Washington” and that he was motivated by Speaker Pelosi being second in line to the presidency. Such hatred and violence ought to have no place in American public life and Pelosi’s family deserves the prayers and support of the entire country as her family continues to heal after this horrific crime. 

There is talk in Washington that while Pelosi will continue to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives as a rank-and-file lawmaker, she may soon be nominated to serve as U.S. ambassador to Italy — a rumor her office denied in September. It is my hope that if nominated, she receives a full and fair hearing by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is ultimately confirmed with bipartisan support. 

Pelosi’s Italian-American heritage and her faith would make her a natural fit for leading U.S. diplomatic efforts in the predominantly Catholic country which surrounds the Vatican. Furthermore, her political and diplomatic savoir-faire would do much good in this major European NATO allied country as Europe continues to deal with the security and economic challenges posed by Russian aggression in Ukraine. 

Whatever the future holds for Speaker Pelosi, her public service has been sincere and admirable. American public life is better for her contribution to it. 

J.P. Carroll is a senior fellow for national security and inclusive governance at the Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy. He is also the former deputy director of Hispanic media at the Republican National Committee. 

Editor’s note: This piece was updated on Jan. 9 at 2:47 p.m. to correct the spelling of the author’s name.