Catholics and the Democratic Party

Anyone interested in learning more about the relationship between Catholics and the Democratic Party (past and present) should check out Professor John McGreevy's illuminating article in Commonweal — "Shifting Allegiances."

Anyone interested in learning more about the relationship between
Catholics and the Democratic Party (past and present) should check out
Professor John McGreevy's illuminating article in Commonweal —
"Shifting Allegiances."

The complete article can be found here.

Here are the opening few paragraphs of the piece, just to whet your appetite:

"True story: It is the day before Pope John Paul II’s
funeral, a year ago last April. Assembling in Rome are the members of the
official delegation of the United States government, including President and
Mrs. Bush and a number of Catholic senators and representatives. Two of those
Catholic senators are Democrats Dick Durbin of Illinois and John Kerry of
Massachusetts.

"As the two of them walk across St. Peter’s Square,
bystanders stop Kerry every few steps to bemoan his defeat in the presidential
election just a few months before. Some of these admirers — including a few
Italian priests — drape themselves enthusiastically over Kerry’s lanky frame for
group snapshots.

"Then a single priest stops Kerry and Durbin. He warns
Kerry that he will have to answer, perhaps in hell, for his position on
abortion.

"That priest is from Minnesota. "

From there, it goes on to trace the ties and tensions between Catholics
and the Democratic Party from the early 20th Century onward. Very
interesting stuff.

There's also a helpful piece by in the same issue by Professor Eduardo Penalver — "A Guide for Catholic Voters".

I'll leave it at that. Check them out. I'm anxious to hear what everyone thinks.