REPUBLICAN GROUP JOINS ANTI-HOLY SEE UN CAMPAIGN

WASHINGTON, DC (CWNews.com) - A pro-abortion Republican group joined a campaign to revoke the Vatican's status at the UN as a non-voting Permanent Observer this week, blunting efforts to connect presidential candidate Al Gore to the campaign.

Republicans for Choice (RFC) announced it was joining the See Change campaign sponsored by the so-called Catholics for a Free Choice. Several hundred groups have joined the campaign over the past year, while several thousand have joined a counter campaign supporting the Holy See in just the first six months of the year. Anti-Vatican groups object to the Holy See's access to UN meetings, denied to non-governmental organizations.

RFC executive director Stacy Kratt said concerns were voiced by conservative Republicans that the association of RFC with more liberal groups on the issue would "throw a monkey wrench in the GOP's plans to paint Gore as an anti-Catholic," because most of the groups advocating a change in the Vatican's UN status "were more inclined to support Gore."

Republican leaders said RFC did not represent the mainstream of the party, including the GOP majority in the House of Representatives and Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush.

"We know that Al Gore is not an anti-Catholic," said Republican National Committee spokesman Chris Paulitz. "But we do know he's willing to align himself with anti-Catholic groups because he feels it'll win him votes."

Click here to share this news story with a friend.

Terms of Use    Privacy Policy