The news that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will meet with Benedict XVI sped like wildfire through the Catholic blogs on Thursday.  Many Catholics, disgusted with her rabid pro-abortion politics, were outraged that the pope would agree to meet with her.  They forget that the Holy Father is a head of state and must, as a matter of course, meet with political leaders from every nation, regardless of their positions on issues important to the Church. 

It's also a good idea for Benedict XVI to meet with misguided souls like Pelosi, because you can never underestimate the impact of being in his presence on someone who is running from the truth as fast as she/he can. 

More important than the mere fact of the meeting is all that will surround the Pelosi visit to the Vatican.  Will she attend Mass? Will she receive communion? How many media will be present?  How widely will the photos and videos of her reception be spread around the world?  How many of her fellow pro-aborts will be at her side-- any Catholic members of Planned Parenthood or Marie Stopes?  

Pelosi, of course, should be denied Communion, but it is very unlikely to happen.  Any priest who celebrates Mass with Pelosi present will be carefully chosen beforehand in order to avoid embarrassment to the Speaker and her entourage.

You can make sure that Pelosi will choreograph her visit to get maximum attention paid to her identity as a Catholic.  To offset that, two things should happen:

Benedict XVI should use the opportunity of the visit to make a strong public statement about the attack on unborn life being waged by the new Congress and the new administration.

Pelosi's ordinary, Archbishop Niederhauer of San Francisco, should issue a public statement strongly critical of Pelosi as a Catholic politician. He should include a statement that if she presents herself for communion he will deny it to her. 

Fr. Euteneuer's wish that Pelosi be publicly and formally excommunicated, unfortunately, makes it more unlikely to happen, since bishops don't want to appear to do what they are told by the head of HLI or any other Catholic apostolate. But our good friend at HLI is right on the mark, as usual.