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  • 2023-01-23 (xsd:date)
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  • Did Nancy Pelosi Seek an Exorcism at Her House After Attack on Husband? (en)
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  • In October 2022, then-U.S. House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul, was attacked by a man wielding a hammer in their home in San Francisco. The man, David Wayne DePape, was arrested and charged with assault, attempted murder, attempted kidnapping, and more, to which he pleaded not guilty in January 2023. A San Francisco investigator testified that DePape said there was evil in Washington, and he wanted to harm Pelosi because she was second in line for the presidency. DePape reportedly also was prone to following conspiracy theories. Soon after the attack, Pelosi announced her decision to step down as leader of the Democrats in the House. The incident reportedly shook her and her family, to the extent that her daughter described how Pelosi even called priests to their San Francisco house for an exorcism. Tabloids jumped on this detail, describing it as a stunning admission. Conservatives also made fun of Pelosi, saying they hoped she didn't vanish after an exorcism: In a Jan. 21, 2023, New York Times Opinion story, Maureen Dowd interviewed Pelosi and her daughter, Alexandra. They described the toll the violent attack had taken on their family, and Alexandra in particular detailed her mother's feeling of guilt. In the exchange, Alexandra described an exorcism in their San Francisco home, the site of the attack: Pelosi, who has described herself as a devout Catholic, did not contradict the account in the interview. We reached out to her office to learn more about what exactly the exorcism entailed. An exorcism may not be as out of the ordinary as some think. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, an exorcism is a specific form of prayer that the Church uses against the power of the devil. However, the conference describes exorcisms as used primarily with afflicted persons, so it was not clear how it was performed around the house: Father Vincent Lampert, exorcist for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, told the New York Post that exorcisms can be carried out for homes where a violent crime has occurred, and he gets thousands of requests for that each year. It would be the recitation of a particular prayer, inviting the presence of God back into the house, casting out any presence of evil that may be there. Then the house would be blessed with holy water, reminding us of our new life in Christ, and the fact that we need not fear any evil, because recognizing that Christ is dwelling with us, Lampert said. While we know little about how the exorcism was carried out, the Pelosis have stated that one took place at their home. We will update this post with specific details if we hear back from their team. We rate this claim as True. (en)
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