McCain’s Not Lone Option for Catholics
Editor: I feel compelled to respond to last week’s letter to the editor headlined, “For Catholics, Christians John Is the Real McCain” by Al Carli.
Mr. Carli seems to say that Catholics should vote for a president who will keep us in Iraq. He should remember that Pope John Paul II criticized our entry into the war at its inception. A Catholic person should not vote for a person because he wants to remain at war.
Also, I am at a loss as to what President Bush’s “meritorious work” has been. Getting us into a war, based on a lie, that has cost the lives of more than 4,000 soldiers and thousands of Iraqi civilians is not “meritorious” according to any Catholic teaching I know of.
I am also not sure how President Bush has helped “to preserve big city Catholics schools.” As a pastor of a parish with a Catholic School, we have not received any help at all to support our school.
My basic problem with Mr. Carli’s reasoning is that there is no such thing as a Catholic candidate in this or any election. All the candidates are good public servants, but none of them fully accept Catholic teaching in all matters.
Catholics should inform themselves about the candidates’ views, study the U.S. Catholic Bishop’s document, “Faithful Citizenship,” and vote for the best candidate.
— Rev. John W. Dearhammer
Pastor, St. Gall Catholic Church