Catholics cannot vote for a presidential candidate who supports abortion rights, the influential leader of the Knights of Columbus told members and nearly 100 Catholic bishops Tuesday.
In a speech at the Knights' international convention in Toronto, Carl Anderson, who has worked for the late North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms and in various positions within the Reagan administration, said abortion isn't "just another political issue," Religion News Service reports.
"What political issue could possibly outweigh this human devastation?" Anderson asked. "Abortion is different. Abortion is the killing of the innocent on a massive scale."
"We need to end the political manipulation of Catholic voters by abortion advocates," he said, according to RNS. "It is time to end the entanglement of Catholic people with abortion killing. It is time to stop creating excuses for voting for pro-abortion politicians."
GOP nominee Donald Trump says he opposes abortion, while Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has supported those rights. Clinton's running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Catholic, says he's personally opposed to abortion but supports abortion rights.
"We will never succeed in building a culture of life if we continue to vote for politicians who support a culture of death," Anderson said.
The Knights of Columbus are big benefactors to dioceses and charitable causes, and the role of abortion rights in politics has long been a "flashpoint" for Catholic leaders and Catholic politicians, RNS notes.
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