The Catholic Case Against Rick Santorum

[PA Democrat]

GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum, a proud Catholic who often speaks about his faith on the campaign trail, is attracting some formidable buzz from pundits who view his strong showing in the Iowa caucuses as a sign that the former Pennsylvania senator might have enough mojo to rally a coalition of religious and blue-collar voters.

Evangelicals are also taking notice. Writing on CNN’s Belief blog, Chris LaTondresse, the founder and CEO of Recovering Evangelical, calls Santorum a post-religious right candidate “whose concern for poor and vulnerable people” is “firmly rooted in his Catholic faith.”

It’s easy to see why Santorum might appeal to some culturally conservative Catholics and moderate evangelicals who are wary of Democrats but also turned off by the Republican Party’s cozy embrace of economic libertarianism and tireless defense of struggling millionaires. Santorum is more comfortable with communitarian language, has been a strong supporter of foreign aid to impoverished countries and connects with personal stories of his blue-collar upbringing.

But it’s a political delusion to think Rick Santorum is a standard-bearer of authentic Catholic values in politics. In fact, on several issues central to Catholic social teaching – torture, war, immigration, climate change, the widening gap between rich and poor and workers’ rights – Santorum is radically out of step with his faith’s teachings as articulated by Catholic bishops and several popes over the centuries.

http://www.faithinpubliclife.org/fplaction/the-catholic-case-against-rick-santorum/

[Kingofalldems]

1. Looks like he is one of those 'Cafeteria Catholics'

[PA Democrat]

4. I find it ironic that many of the very Catholics who push for obedience to

the Church's stance on birth control, abortion and gay marriage, choose to ignore the things that Christ himself emphasized, like feeding the poor, caring for the sick, peace making.

[lsewpershad]

2. Catholic

When convenient

[Angry Dragon]

3. The more I read about santorum

the more I feel he is a man without principles

[PA Democrat]

5. The guy is certainly full of himself.

[Raven]

6. The man lacks Charity which is the cornerstone

of Catholicism. Charity is the unlimited kindness to others.

[zbdent]

7. Is it true, didn't his wife actually have an abortion in the 90s?

If true, it was another case of "Rules for thee, not for me ..."

[moriah]

8. Not an abortion per any article I've read.

Antibiotics and narcotics were administered, but those were the only interventions. The miscarriage proceeded naturally, they tried to get the hospital to give her drugs to *stop* the labor but they refused because .... well, her uterus was filled with infection and they were trying to encourage her to speed up labor, not stop it.

They did admit, though, that they would have accepted the drugs if they were told his wife had an hour left or she would die. That's the part we should be focusing on -- that he acknowledges that the health of the mother is a factor that should be considered. As he considered his wife's health in making the decision about whether or not to induce.