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GOP-CATHOLICS Aug-30-2004 (850 words) Backgrounder. With photo. xxxn
Catholics vow to make their presence felt at Republican convention
By Tracy Early
Catholic News Service
NEW YORK (CNS) -- Catholics coming to New York to attend the Republican Party convention expressed a commitment to taking a role in the party's life and making their presence felt as Catholics.
Although the head of their party's ticket, President George W. Bush, is a United Methodist, Catholics interviewed by Catholic News Service contended that he was closer to Catholic values than was their fellow Catholic heading the Democratic ticket, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.
On Aug. 29, the day before the convention was to open, many Catholics who were delegates or planning to participate in other ways gathered for a 5 p.m. Mass at Our Saviour Church in midtown Manhattan.
Other events of special interest to Catholics during the convention were to include a "Family, Faith and Freedom Rally" at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel Aug. 31, with Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, who became a Catholic in 2002, as a featured speaker.
And the Archdiocese of New York announced that Cardinal Edward M. Egan had accepted an invitation to give the benediction at the close of the convention following Bush's acceptance speech Sept. 2.
Some Catholics critical of Bush on his war, the economy and other issues were also in New York, but to participate in various protest activities.
What was announced as the largest of these was an Aug. 29 march past the convention site, Madison Square Garden, by a coalition, United for Peace and Justice, that in general conducted the march without incident, though there were some arrests.
The celebrant and homilist for the Mass was the pastor of Our Saviour Church, Father George W. Rutler, nationally known through appearances on Mother Angelica's EWTN cable network and columns in Crisis magazine.
He did not deal directly with the political campaign issues, except for a possible allusion to the controversy over denying Communion to Kerry because of his support for keeping abortion legal.
Father Rutler said worshippers must confess their sins before approaching the altar, and that "no one has a right to take Communion."
Among those attending the Mass was Leonard Leo, a Washington lawyer who is executive vice president of the Federalist Society and coordinator of the Catholic working group that maintains an ongoing dialogue with the Bush administration and members of Congress.
Interviewed at a reception in the church basement, he said he had no estimate on the number of convention delegates who attended the Mass. But he noted the presence of prominent Catholics such as Matthew Schlapp, a presidential aide dealing with political affairs, and Kate O'Beirne, a graduate of St. John's University Law School and Washington editor of National Review magazine.
Those present also included an alternate delegate from California, Dominic Foppoli, a 22-year-old student at Dominican University in San Rafael who said he gained party attention by a near-successful campaign for the state Legislature.
He was among those declaring that Bush represented his conservative Catholic values better than fellow Catholic Kerry did.
Another active member of the Catholic working group at the Mass was John M. Klink, a California businessman who has served as a volunteer member of Vatican delegations to several meetings of U.N. units and agencies.
He said in an interview that he was a participant in the weekly conference call that enabled the White House to "have dialogue with Catholics and understanding from the Catholic perspective what President Bush's policies can do and what should be happening."
Klink said he found "many commonalities" that made Bush's outlook "resonate extremely well with Catholic social teaching."
He said this had been evident in his volunteer work as a senior private sector adviser on many U.S. delegations to U.N. meetings. Bush's pro-family policies showed major differences from the preceding administration of President Bill Clinton, he said.
Klink acknowledged that Vatican officials had some divergent views about the war in Iraq, but said members of the Catholic working group generally supported the Bush policy on Iraq.
He said it was now important that the United States "not cut and run," but "see it through."
The conventioneers' attendance at the Mass was arranged by Catholic Outreach, a project of the Republican National Committee led by Martin Gillespie, Leo said.
The goal of the group at the convention was "to demonstrate Catholics are and should be an important part of the public square," and to "show our support for public leaders who embrace the culture of life," he said.
Leo said the group had about two dozen members, all lay, and one of their convention activities would be serving as hosts at a hospitality suite.
Some writers have commented that the convention would be giving prominent roles to a number of Republicans who support abortion, including New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, New York Gov. George E. Pataki and California Gov. Arnold Schwartzenegger.
Leo said this did not disturb members of the Catholic working group because Bush had been "clear on issues regarding life," and the convention platform embraced issues of special importance to Catholics such as pro-life concerns, education and support of faith-based initiatives.
END
Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service.
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