The Roman Catholic Church is a big tent operation. I came into the Church at a time when Catholics were laying their lives on the line in El Salvador and elsewhere for the sake of the poor. Barack Obama and I see Christ's teaching in the same way. But the Church is also full of single-issue believers who think no faithful Catholic can support a pro-choice candidate. This year the fight between Catholics with opposing views is particularly intense. The New York Times reports:
In a departure from previous elections, Democrats and liberal Catholic groups are waging a fight within the church, arguing that the Democratic Party better reflects the full spectrum of church teachings. . . The escalating efforts by more-liberal Catholics are provoking a vigorous backlash from some bishops and the right.
It gives me great pain that so many Catholic priests and bishops throughout the country are urging their parishioners to vote on one or two issues which Christ said nothing about, and forgetting, say, the story of the rich man who has trouble going to heaven. They're also ignoring the statement by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops last year titled FORMING CONSCIENCES FOR FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP: A CALL TO POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY. Though this statement did have strong things to say about abortion, gay marriage, and euthanasia, it also said:
Racism and other unjust discrimination, the use of the death penalty, resorting to unjust war, the use of torture,4 war crimes, the failure to respond to those who are suffering
from hunger or a lack of health care, or an unjust immigration policy are all serious
moral issues that challenge our consciences and require us to act. These are not
optional concerns which can be dismissed. Catholics are urged to seriously consider
Church teaching on these issues.
Even if bishops and priests in some key swing states are ignoring these words, many nuns and lay Catholics aren't. Here's an ad released by Catholics United: