HOW HE SEES IT Not all Catholics will vote the same

By WILLIAM McKENZIE
DALLAS MORNING NEWS
The Knights of Columbus jumped to their feet and cheered wildly when President Bush affirmed his opposition to gay marriage and abortion at the Knights' international conference in Dallas. But don't think that sexual morality's the only driving force behind Catholic voters. In fact, don't assume there's a "Catholic vote," as some analysts suggest. There is a "Catholic force," says New Mexico Knight Levy Lebya. But there is not a monolithic Catholic view on politics. Here's why:
There are 65 million Catholics in the United States. They represent about 25 percent of the public. There's no way such a huge number of people are going to think alike. They especially aren't going to be a united front when you consider there are Catholics here from Latin America, Eastern Europe and Ireland, to name just three places of origin.
What's more, there are observant Catholics along with nominal Catholics. Observant Catholics actively attend Mass, pay attention to the church's teachings and derive their identity from their Catholicism. Nominal Catholics are less likely to have such a strong identity.
The two also vote differently. Southern Methodist University Professor Matthew Wilson studies Catholic voting patterns, and he recalled in an interview that 60 percent of observant Catholics voted for George W. Bush in 2000. Only 40 percent of nominal Catholics did.
The Knights I interviewed at the convention, from New Mexico to Delaware to Louisiana to Kentucky, were concerned about personal and sexual morality. But they were quick to add education, the economy and health care to their priorities. Francisco Gomez of New Mexico captured their concerns when he spoke about the need for society to care for individuals who are left behind, such as the disabled.
This sentiment differs from what you see at many GOP gatherings. At the Knights' convention, there wasn't the hostility toward government that often permeates Republican meetings.
Maybe that's why President Bush emphasized in his speech that there's a role for government in caring for the poor. Perhaps he recognizes that he doesn't have Catholics in his hip pocket like he does many evangelicals, who have become a key GOP constituency.
"Catholics are a receptive audience for the president, not a captive one," says SMU's Matt Wilson. "They are torn in two different directions."
There's a good reason for the tear. Catholics have decades of social teachings to consider. Unlike Protestants, they have statements from their church's hierarchy that carry weight. And not all of them are about abortion.
Look at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops statement on faithful citizenship. Its issues range from upholding the dignity of all life, recognizing God's preference for the poor, respecting the rights of workers and caring for God's creation. To put it in political terms, the bishops' list of priorities crosses partisan lines.
Vatican shift
What's more, top Vatican official Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger announced last month that it's OK for Catholics to vote for a candidate who doesn't oppose abortion. If a voter feels a candidate's position on other issues outweighs his or her stand on abortion, Cardinal Ratzinger said, then the voter is free to support that person.
It's a shift from only a few months ago, when Catholics were debating whether to deny communion to a Catholic politician who favors the right to an abortion. My hunch is that it will help John Kerry with nominal Catholics. (For the record, none of the dozen Knights I interviewed supported denying pro-choice Catholic John Kerry communion. What struck me was their sense that we are all sinners.)
Catholic voters remain a fascinating force to watch. My hunch is that Bush and Kerry will split Catholic voters as evenly as Bush and Al Gore did in 2000. There are too many different parts of American Catholicism for one candidate to dominate.
XWilliam McKenzie is an editorial columnist for The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.