The media are trying to paint Republicans as having a problem with Pope Francis' liberal stances — but in reality, it's the Democrats who have more of an issue with the Pontiff, says Bill Donohue, president of The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.
"[The media says] the Republicans have a Pope problem because the Pope is liberal – it's true [he is], on immigration, on healthcare, on climate change, and things of that nature," Donohue said Tuesday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on
Newsmax TV.
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"But I looked at the Catholic Church's public policy positions.... [It] also has positions on abortion, on human cloning, on embryonic stem cell research, on euthanasia, school choice, and things of that nature. Now the first four I just mentioned, the life issues, are what the Catholic Church regards as intrinsically evil.
"That term does not apply to climate change, to immigration, to all these other things that the Democrats are concerned about. So if the media were fair, they would say that the party that is most out of sync with the Catholic Church, including Pope Francis, is the Democratic Party."
Donohue — author of
"The Catholic Advantage: Why Health, Happiness, and Heaven Await the Faithful," published by Image — said the media is trying to make the GOP appear concerned about the Pope's upcoming visit to the U.S. in which he's expected to address issues like climate change.
"They want to try and box [them in, like House Speaker John] Boehner's going to be shaking when the Pope comes in in September, he's going to wiggle around. I mean, I hope he doesn't," Donohue said.
Donohue's group is the nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization.
"My concern is that when the Pope comes in in September, I don't want him demonstratively in favor of Republicans or Democrats. That's why I'm an independent."
Donohue's group is the nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization.
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