Notorious pro-choice Catholic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) fled from attending a mass Saturday at a Rome Catholic church after a separate meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. The priest presiding over the mass said from the altar there was a commotion and that Pelosi had left because of a “security issue.” A parishioner tipped off Epoch Times Rome reporter Bree A. Dail, claiming that Pelosi had been heckled. On Sunday, a spokesman for Pelosi denied she had been heckled, saying Pelosi left the mass because of concerns by Italian security agents about an anti-COVID mandates protest some distance away. The priest also denied any heckling in a statement to the Washington Post. However, a close listen to the church’s Facebook video of the service shows a raised female voice can be heard as the priest announced the presence of Pelosi and her husband. What the woman was saying could not be distinguished.
Original report by Dail, “ROME—@SpeakerPelosi reportedly heckled at St Patrick’s Catholic American Parish, in Rome, causing her to abruptly leave the Mass she was attending. Paulist Fr. Steven Petroff, rector of St. Patrick’s, addresses the alleged “security incident”, causing the Speaker to leave.”
ROME—@SpeakerPelosi reportedly heckled at St Patrick’s Catholic American Parish, in Rome, causing her to abruptly leave the Mass she was attending.
Paulist Fr. Steven Petroff, rector of St. Patrick's, addresses the alleged “security incident”, causing the Speaker to leave. pic.twitter.com/IxBlfiBAMp
— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) October 9, 2021
Statement by Pelosi spokesman Drew Hamill, who then went back and forth with Dail:
“There was no heckling. An unrelated anti-vaxxer protest prompted security officials to take precautions. See actual journalistic coverage of that protest here from Reuters:”
There was no heckling. An unrelated anti-vaxxer protest prompted security officials to take precautions. See actual journalistic coverage of that protest here from Reuters: https://t.co/nc0d4rsDYQ https://t.co/G5uAw2YeGr
— Drew Hammill (@Drew_Hammill) October 10, 2021
Dail, “Hi, Drew. I reported in near-real time, with a text from a parishioner. It’s interesting that this is the narrative you all are just now providing. How did the protests cause a security concern, miles away from the Church? Do similar protests impede Speaker’s work, often in DC?”
Dail posted a map showing the church was several miles away from the site of the protest.
Hi, Drew.
I reported in near-real time, with a text from a parishioner.
It’s interesting that this is the narrative you all are just now providing.How did the protests cause a security concern, miles away from the Church? Do similar protests impede Speaker’s work, often in DC? pic.twitter.com/gcAjkO4urA
— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) October 10, 2021
Hamill snarked back, “I’m sorry you had a bad source. The decision here was made by Italian security officials. We have our share of protests in DC and also our share of reporters with bad sources who tweet before confirming what they hear. Do better next time.”
Dail replied, “Drew, would you comment on the “incident”? This is bad PR on your office’s end, when you have a security incident that must remove the speaker from Worship. What security incident threatened the Church, which is miles from the protests you referred to?”
Drew, would you comment on the “incident”? This is bad PR on your office’s end, when you have a security incident that must remove the speaker from Worship.
What security incident threatened the Church, which is miles from the protests you referred to? pic.twitter.com/WjpIjg2Q9V
— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) October 10, 2021
Dail followed with a screen capture of the tip that said Pelosi was heckled out of the mass, “Hi, Drew. Happy to update with your statement and @washingtonpost’s interview with the priest, but as clearly stated in my tweet, “reportedly” is not the same as “confirmed”. Posted earlier, with reference from source at the Mass, yesterday. 24hrs is a long time to respond.”
Hi, Drew. Happy to update with your statement and @washingtonpost’s interview with the priest, but as clearly stated in my tweet, “reportedly” is not the same as “confirmed”.
Posted earlier, with reference from source at the Mass, yesterday. 24hrs is a long time to respond. pic.twitter.com/BicR3KCFo2
— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) October 10, 2021
Washington Post reporter Chico Harlan got a comment from the priest denying any heckling, “But meantime, Pelosi’s office says there was no heckling, and that the decision was made by Italian security officials. Also, I just talked to Fr. Petroff, the priest in the video. “Absolutely not. … There was no heckling.” Here is everything he told me:”
But meantime, Pelosi’s office says there was no heckling, and that the decision was made by Italian security officials. Also, I just talked to Fr. Petroff, the priest in the video. “Absolutely not. … There was no heckling.” Here is everything he told me: pic.twitter.com/sEB6Ei4O5L
— Chico Harlan (@chicoharlan) October 10, 2021
At seven minutes the priest introduces Pelosi and her husband. A woman’s raised voice can be heard in the background followed by the sound of something slamming several seconds later as the priest apparently looks in Pelosi’s direction.
Ten minutes in the priest does a double take, looks on with concern, puts his mask on, leaves the altar and then returns a minute later.
At 21:30 the priest announces Pelosi has left due to a “security issue.”