Catholic PAC Endorses John McCain

Fidelis Political Action, the political arm of the one of the fastest growing Catholic advocacy organizations, today announced that they have endorsed Senator John McCain in his bid for the Republican nomination for president. Brian Burch, president of Fidelis Political Action issued the following statement:

Fidelis is pleased to join a growing chorus of conservatives nationwide in supporting Senator John McCain in his bid for the presidency. As a

Catholic based advocacy group, Fidelis believes McCain's pro-life record, his commitment to selecting judges who will respect the Constitution, and

even his controversial positions on immigration and torture merit thesupport of Catholics, and we are proud to stand with him as he prepares for

a very difficult election ahead.

Senator McCain has amassed a strong pro-life voting record in the United States Senate. He has repeatedly called for the overturn of Roe v.

Wade, and has pledged to nominate judges that will exercise judicial restraint, and respect the Constitution.

Catholics too should respect the efforts of Sen. McCain on the issue of immigration. While many conservatives criticized the Senator for his reform proposal, Senator McCain attempted to craft what some called a patient and intelligent compromise that could both respect the rule of law, while providing a dignified path to citizenship for the millions of hard working immigrants looking for a better life in America. His legislative proposal was not perfect, but his attempt to balance two seemingly irreconcilable interests was laudable, especially given that the decisions involved our fellow human beings and their families. His recent decision to make securing the border the first priority was wise, and should help answer his conservative critics.

On the issue of torture, McCain -- himself a former prisoner of war -- uniquely stood out in calling for policies that affirm the dignity of the

human person, consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Fidelis is also confident that Sen. McCain will do whatever is necessary to protect the institution of marriage. While we disagreed with

his prudential judgment on the federal marriage amendment, his support of the federal Defense of Marriage Act and state efforts to protect

traditional marriage have not gone unnoticed.

On the issue of funding for embryonic stem cells, Fidelis has lobbied the Senator for over a year, and believes the recent advancements in

science likely make this issue obsolete. Since the scientific breakthroughs, Senator McCain has signaled he is prepared to reassess embryo destructive research altogether.

The stakes of this election are too large to ignore. Abortion supporters are awaiting the opportunity to eliminate eight years of progress on pro-life legislation by electing a President who supports abortion. There are six justices on the Supreme Court over the age of 68, and granting a President Hillary or President Obama the opportunity to fill possible vacancies would be disastrous. Our endorsement of Sen. McCain is not simply a compromise endorsement. America needs the experienced leadership of John McCain.