Submitted by Russell E. Snow, May 13, 2007 09:53

I think it is a mistake to characterize people like Giuliani and Pelozzi as "Catholic" politicians. They are politicians who happen to be member (perhaps) of the Catholic Church. Romney is not called a Morman polician. Hillary Clinton is not called a Methodist politicians. Mostly likely, those Catholics in the public eye who publically dissent from Church teaching are already under the sentence excommunication and how their bishops deal with them ought not to be part of a public debate. Until, ordinary Catholics, loyal to the Church teaching-- ( and I mean all of it not just the parts that happen to please us)-- organize a political party with some muscle, we will have no real influence in public life. As a Catholic, neither of the two parties represent my views or the social principles of the Church. Both parties are characterized by forms of selfishness that always work to the disadvantage of the unborn, the poor, the uneducated, the stranger, and the outcast. If we had such a political party, such as the Center party which existed under Bismarck, then its members can legitimately call themselves Catholic politicans.

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