If one looks at Rudy Giuliani he would come across as one of the most likely presidential candidates when it comes to the Roman Catholic voters. He is the grandchild of Italian immigrants, he went to Catholic schools, and he even contemplated joining the priesthood.
However, church leaders are not happy with Giuliani or other well-known Catholic politicians who say that while they are personally against abortion, they would not like to force their beliefs on others.
Thomas J Tobin, an American bishop from
Other Catholic bishops have said though they would not use a candidate’s name to criticize his stance on abortion but they would not have any problems to say that Giuliani’s position on abortion is contrary to what Catholicism teaches people.
If we go back to 2004 presidential election, remember how John Kerry’s presidential bid suffered after a dozen of the country’s more than 200 bishops said that they would deny his communion because of Kerry’s stance on abortion. This lead to a debate between the bishops on whether the church had ventured too far into partisan politics.
Giuliani would not be bothered too much about being denied communion. He has been observed leaving Mass at a church in
Even with his stance on abortion, Giuliani is the most popular Republican candidate. In a poll conducted by New York Times and CBS News, 52 percent of Catholic Republicans still have a favorable view of Giuliani. However, 13 percent did not view him favorably.
For more Election 2008 news, go to http://www.usaelectionpolls.com
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