With only weeks remaining until Election Day, another group is attacking Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry-the leaders of his own religion.
Catholic bishops have joined the campaign battle by seeking to influence Catholic voters against Kerry, telling them because Kerry's stance on abortion and stem-cell research go against church doctrine, they should support President Bush.
The harshest criticism has come from Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of the Colorado prelature. According to an article in The New York Times Tuesday, Chaput has gone as far as saying that voting for Kerry would be a sin worthy of confession.
\If you vote this way, are you cooperating in evil?"" Chaput said. ""And if you know you are cooperating in evil, should you go to confession? The answer is yes.""
The Times reported Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis has issued similar statements recently, and other bishops across the United States have also aligned against Kerry. Bishop Michael J. Sheridan of Colorado Springs and Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark have both declared that opposing abortion is more important than any other issue.
The Madison diocese has not issued any statements supporting the bishops, because Bishop Robert Morlino is recovering from heart surgery, according to William Brophy, Office of the Bishop communications director.
""[Bishop Morlino] has some pretty strong feelings on the pro-life issue but he did not endorse a candidate to be sure,"" Brophy said.
It is not unusual for the Catholic Church to side against Democrats, according to UW-Madison sociology Professor Myra Marx Ferree. She cited recent clashes between the church and former Gov. Mario Cuomo of New York and Geraldine Ferraro, former Congressional representative and vice-presidential candidate.
""The Catholic bishops made a big issue over Geraldine Ferraro being Catholic and being pro-choice. They made a big issue of Mario Cuomo being Catholic and pro-choice,"" Ferree said. ""Both Ferraro and Cuomo, I think, more assertively made the point that abortion is only one of a number of issues about which Catholics are concerned.""
The Catholic Church will not necessarily influence voters, according to UW-Madison political science Professor Charles Franklin. ""Everyone talks about Catholics being this swing group."" Franklin said. ""But polling shows that Catholics are not that differently divided than those non-evangelical Protestants.""
Ferree said she believes the attempts could be very dangerous to the Church in the long run.
""I personally think it's very ill-advised,"" Ferree said. ""This notion that the only way the Catholic Church can be 'for life' is to be against women is very foolish and short-sighted on the part of the Church.\
