When it comes to reconsidering her pro-abortion views, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi apparently hears only what she wants to hear.

Consider her extraordinary statement following her private meeting yesterday at the Vatican with Pope Benedict XVI.

After the meeting, the Vatican released a public statement, detailing the fact that the Pope was impelled to mark the occasion by pointedly reminding Pelosi of the fundamental responsibility of every Catholic in public life to defend human life.

No informed observer could have a shred of doubt about what the Holy Father was getting at: Benedict was calling on Pelosi to forswear her legislative war against the lives of unborn babies through the promotion of legal abortion.

But Pelosi issued her own statement following the meeting. Remarkably, it makes no mention whatsoever of the Pope’s pointed remarks regarding the defence of human life.

Here is the text of Pelosi’s statement, courtesy of the CNS blog:

“It is with great joy that my husband, Paul, and I met with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI today.

“In our conversation, I had the opportunity to praise the church’s leadership in fighting poverty, hunger and global warming, as well as the Holy Father’s dedication to religious freedom and his upcoming trip and message to Israel.

“I was proud to show His Holiness a photograph of my family’s papal visit in the 1950s, as well as a recent picture of our children and grandchildren.”

Pelosi comments only about what she said to Benedict, and says nothing about what he said to her about defending human life.

We’d like to offer Pelosi a Biblical paraphrase of the words of Jesus, to help her overcome her continuing deafness to each and every effort by Church leaders, up to and including the Pope himself, to reform her erroneous beliefs regarding the acceptability of killing unborn babies through legal abortion: “Let she who has ears, hear…”