Although both major 2016 vice presidential nominees were raised Catholic and still profess to be Christians, their public policy records have drawn concern from some members of the faithful.
The “free exercise” of religion “is not simply about what you do in Church on Sunday morning,” Deacon Keith Fournier of the Common Good Foundation told CNA. “It’s how you exercise that faith in every sector, whether it’s commerce, politics, participation – all of it.”
Both major nominees for vice president are baptized Catholics. Virginia Senator Tim Kaine still identifies as a Catholic and was seen at Sunday Mass on July 24 after he was picked by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to be her running mate.
Indiana Governor Mike Pence, meanwhile, was raised Catholic but identified in 1994 as a “born-again, evangelical Catholic.” He started attending an evangelical megachurch with his family in the 1990s. It is unclear which church Pence attends now.
“I’m a pretty ordinary Christian,” freelance journalist Craig Fehrman reported him saying. Pence told the audience at the Republican National Convention that he was a “Christian, conservative, and a Republican, in that order.”
Both Pence and Kaine have drawn controversy for their public policy positions. While Sen. Kaine has said he’s “personally opposed” to abortion, he has received a 100 percent rating in 2016 from the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the political arm of the nation’s largest abortion provider, and a perfect rating in 2015 from NARAL Pro-Choice America.
More recently, it was reported that he privately told Hillary Clinton that he would support overturning the Hyde Amendment, a 40 year-old policy that prevents federal dollars from directly funding most abortions.
Pope Saint John Paul II , a towering figure of the 20th century, was a staunch critic of socialist ideologies. He recognized the inherent flaws in systems that sought to control economies and societies through centralized planning and state ownership. The pontiff's teachings offered a prophetic warning against the dangers of such regimes, which often led to oppression, poverty, and the erosion of individual freedoms. Recently, a conference organized by the Catholic Association of Propagandists in Spain brought together prominent figures who echoed the concerns raised by the late Pope. Bishop José Ignacio Munilla of Orihuela-Alicante boldly declared socialism an "enemy of the cross," highlighting its incompatibility with Christian values. He emphasized the need for a spiritual renewal, urging individuals to embrace the cross as a path to true happiness and fulfillment. French philosopher Fabrice Hadjadj also addressed the challenges posed by modern society, warning ag...