Some Louisiana GOP lawmakers at odds with Catholic Church
Sen. David Vitter, R-La.; left, and Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson.
By on December 26, 2014
Catholic Republicans at odds with Church policies
It used to be Catholic Democratic politicians at odds with the Catholic Church -- almost exclusively over U.S. abortion policy. The church opposes abortion, and that has caused awkward moments for such Catholic Democrats as Sen. Mary Landrieu and former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo as they maintained their positions of personal opposition to abortion but advocates for a woman's right to choose.
But lately, it's been conservative Catholic Republicans, like Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson who have been odds with the Catholic Church over President Barack Obama's recent executive order on immigration and his move to end over 50 years of non-engagement with Cuba. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., who is also Catholic, has also spoken out very critically against the immigration executive order, though he's made no comments on the president's Cuba initiative.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops supports Obama's executive order that will stop deportation procedures for up to 5 million undocumented immigrants -- a policy that Jindal, Scalise and Vitter argue is executive overreach and potentially illegal.
"We've been on record asking the Administration to do everything within its legitimate authority to bring relief and justice to our immigrant brothers and sisters," said Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, auxiliary bishop of Seattle and chair of the bishop's Committee on Migration in endorsing the president's immigration order.
And on Cuba, it was Pope Francis who encouraged Cuba and the United States to work to normalize relations, a rapprochement that Jindal described as an "appeasement toward Cuba" that along with other administration polices endangers "national security and the American people."
It used to be Catholic Democratic politicians at odds with the Catholic Church -- almost exclusively over U.S. abortion policy. The church opposes abortion, and that has caused awkward moments for such Catholic Democrats as Sen. Mary Landrieu and former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo as they maintained their positions of personal opposition to abortion but advocates for a woman's right to choose.
But lately, it's been conservative Catholic Republicans, like Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson who have been odds with the Catholic Church over President Barack Obama's recent executive order on immigration and his move to end over 50 years of non-engagement with Cuba. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., who is also Catholic, has also spoken out very critically against the immigration executive order, though he's made no comments on the president's Cuba initiative.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops supports Obama's executive order that will stop deportation procedures for up to 5 million undocumented immigrants -- a policy that Jindal, Scalise and Vitter argue is executive overreach and potentially illegal.
"We've been on record asking the Administration to do everything within its legitimate authority to bring relief and justice to our immigrant brothers and sisters," said Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, auxiliary bishop of Seattle and chair of the bishop's Committee on Migration in endorsing the president's immigration order.
And on Cuba, it was Pope Francis who encouraged Cuba and the United States to work to normalize relations, a rapprochement that Jindal described as an "appeasement toward Cuba" that along with other administration polices endangers "national security and the American people."
It seems that the Church's teaching goes beyond their brief on religion when it comes to immigration and foreign policy. Whether Pres. Obama is correct or incorrect on those issues, Catholics should not necessarily be in lockstep with some Auxilary bishop or even the pope.
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