According to a New Orleans Advocate story dated 8/6/16 by David Gibson of the Religion News Service, Carl Anderson, leader of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Order and one of the most influential lay Catholics in the church said that abortion out weighs all other issues in the Presidential campaign and Catholics can not vote for a candidate who supports abortion rights. Anderson also said It is time to stop creating excuses for voting for pro abortion politicians. Mr. Anderson is a conservative republican who at one time worked for U.S. Senator Jesse Helms and served in various positions in the Reagan administration. He made his remarks at the Knights International Convention in Toronto last week.
Anderson seems to have forgotten he does not speak for or make policy for the Catholic Church, the Pope does. His attempt to divide Catholics using abortion is a signature of the extreme position of the republicans and goes against what Pope Francis said about abortion soon after becoming Pope. That was revealed in a previous commentary in PolitiDose at the time dated 9/25/13. Pope Francis said in his wisdom that the Roman Catholic Church had grown obsessed with preaching about abortion, gay marriage and contraception and that he has chosen not to speak of those issues. The Pope also put his remarks in the context that the Church is a big tent with many more important issues that have an impact on all phases of the Catholic Church.
Those elected officials who support a woman's right to choose does not mean they are for abortion. It means they understand the law and that it is legal for a woman to choose. Anderson and the republican party are trying to play the religious card and make it a religious issue. The leaders of the anti abortion crowd know a constitutional amendment is needed to change the courts decision but no republican President who has claimed to be against abortion has ever had the character or courage to push for such an amendment. In other words talk is cheap for those who say they are anti abortion. The only thing they are looking for is votes and to divide the country.
The Knights of Columbus are a respected organization but Mr. Anderson gave it a black eye with his divisive speech and ignored the Pope's speech and direction concerning the subject matter.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
