Politics and religion don't mix?

Rep. Anh 'Joseph' Cao apologizes for taking words of praise out of context
Published: Friday, June 25, 2010, 8:15 PM
Bruce Nolan, The Times-Picayune

U.S. Rep Anh "Joseph" Cao, heading into a difficult re-election campaign, has apologized to New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond for sending out a fundraising letter that strongly implies that Aymond and the local Catholic Church have endorsed him for re-election.

In response, Aymond said he will release a clarification through the Clarion Herald, a Catholic newspaper, underscoring the church's neutrality in the November election. At issue is a direct mailer that the Republican congressman recently sent to 10,000 constituents in his largely Democratic 2nd Congressional District. The outer envelope features a prominent, boxed quotation from Aymond praising Cao's courage for "standing solidly for the values espoused by Jesus and the church in spite of personal criticism."

An enclosed letter from Cao solicits campaign donations, largely on the strength of the anti-abortion implications of his "no" vote on health care reform last spring.

Aymond's testimonial is accurate, but it came months ago in a general commentary on the passage of the health care reform bill, although that is not made clear to recipients.

Fenn French, Cao's campaign manager, said in an interview that using Aymond's praise out of context was a mistake.

"We should have been more clear. We do take responsibility for the misunderstanding," French said. "We did not intend that it look like a political endorsement."

Aymond said he was distressed when he saw the mailer because he read it as an implied personal endorsement.

"We support issues, not candidates," he said.

He said he called Cao's office, and Cao later returned the call and apologized.
Aymond's quote dates to late March, when he praised Cao's "no" vote in the Clarion Herald immediately after the health care debate.

Aymond and other Catholic bishops vigorously opposed the Obama administration's plan because they feared it would lead to public financing of abortion.

Some bishops, including Aymond, lobbied their representatives before the vote. Cao, a lawyer and former Jesuit seminarian, said he anguished over the vote because he knew his district wanted health care reform. But he said could not vote yes because of what he believed were the implications for public financing of abortion.

The Catholic Church, like others, is free to urge members to consider moral issues when choosing a candidate. But churches and pastors cannot take partisan positions on behalf of particular candidates without risking their tax-exempt status.

Many, although not all, refrain from partisan politics not only because of the tax implications, but also to protect their integrity and independence of their mission.

In 1996, retired Archbishop Philip Hannan famously announced "that no Catholic should vote for" President Bill Clinton or Mary Landrieu, then running for the Senate, because of their support for abortion rights. But within hours of that announcement, the archdiocese issued a statement asserting that it is neutral regarding candidates in elections and that Hannan, in retirement, was speaking for himself.