White House mum on reported Bush political appeal to Vatican

Yesterday there was a NYT story that through the Vatican Sec. of State Bush tried to involve the Pope in his political campaign for president by getting him to politicize the U.S. catholic clergy in favor of his anti-gay policies and other conservative measures. An editorial in today's NYT informs us that the GOP House is trying to pass an amendment that says "churches that venture too zealously into politics would be allowed three 'unintentional violations' of the law governing nonprofit organizations without risking immediate loss of their tax-exempt status." Obviously, Bush is willing to destroy the moral and ethical credibility of institutions as well as individuals (see Colin Powell) for votes.


White House mum on reported Bush political appeal to Vatican
Mon Jun 14, 2004

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House refused to confirm or deny a published report that US President George W. Bush sought election-year help from the Vatican during a visit there earlier this month.

The president and Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Angelo Sodano "discussed a number of priorities of shared concern, and their views are well known on those issues," spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters.

The National Catholic Reporter, an independent weekly, reported recently that Bush asked Sodano to push US Catholic Bishops to be more aggressive politically on issues like gay marriage, which the White House opposes.

The weekly, citing an unnamed Vatican official, said that Bush told Sodano and other Vatican officials that "not all the American Bishops are with me" on such divisive issues, which could sway the November 2 US presidential election.

The weekly cited other unnamed sources in the meeting as saying that they could not recall Bush's precise words, but that he pledged aggressive efforts on issues like the fight against gay marriage and sought the Vatican's help in getting more vocal support from US Bishops.

Sodano did not respond, National Catholic Reporter said, again citing unnamed sources.

Repeatedly pushed by reporters, McClellan said Bush and Sodano had "a good private discussion."

"The president's views and the Vatican's views are well known on those issues," McClellan added. "But I'm not going to get into the discussions of a private meeting."

Bush has called for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

His Democratic rival, Senator John Kerry, has endorsed civil unions for homosexuals, while coming out against both gay marriage and the amendment that Bush favors.