RE: Faithful Citizens

Thanks to Amanda for highlighting the relevant section from the New York Catholic bishops’ statement, ” Our Cherished Right, Our Solemn Duty .”

The inalienable right to life of every innocent human person outweighs other concerns where Catholics may use prudential judgment, such as how best to meet the needs of the poor or to increase access to health care for all.

So, are Catholics getting the message?

Maybe. The most recent survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press reports that support for Sen. Obama among white non-Hispanic Catholics has been steadily declining. In early August, Obama and McCain were nearly even among these Catholics (45-44 percent for McCain). Since then, support for Obama has steadily declined. McCain now leads Obama 52-39.

So, support for the Obama candidacy has declined despite the addition of Joe Biden, a Catholic, to the ticket, despite increased support for Obama in almost all other demographic groups (with evangelicals a notable exception), and despite the concerted efforts of Doug Kmiec and company to persuade pro-life Catholics that Obama is actually the true pro-life candidate.