Ahead Of Election, San Diego Bishop Discusses Role Of Catholic Church In Public Policy

The San Diego diocese responds to statements announcing Democrats in a parish church bulletin. Some tips on keeping those ballot measure stay in your head. This is Maureen Cavanaugh. I'm Maureen Cavanaugh. It's Friday, November 4. Our top story and midday edition, you may see the story popping up in national news outlets. A bulletin published by a Catholic church in San Diego contained a flyer warning parishioners they go to hell if they voted for Democrats. Another bulletin published by the same church, the immaculate conception in Old Town said Hillary Clinton is influenced by Satan. These outbursts prompted San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy to issue a strong statement about the Catholic Church's role in elections. Joining me is Kevin Eckery, vice Chancellor of communications for the San Diego The diocese. Kevin, welcome to the program. Thank you. I think many Catholics and non-Catholics were shot to see this statement put out by Immaculate Conception church. Was the diocese shot? We were surprised. When the word came to us, I think the language that people are adopting is horribly demoralizing and we need to be more positive. The language in those brochures and in the bulletin themselves, don't reflect Catholic teaching, much less any other kind of positive affirmation. Do you know how those articles got published? The pastor has said, the flyer which triggered the story was put in bulletins without his knowledge. The material that's in some ways, even more upsetting was included in the bulletin itself and he wrote it. Don't these bulletins have to be approved by church leaders? No. Parishes have a lot of independents, it would be next to impossible to ask everyone to send things up for preapproval. The parishes are their own organizations and they typically managed on our own. Will the pastor of immaculate conception be admonished? I don't know what will finally happen. I think Bishop in the pastor will speak this weekend, in terms of what finally happens and I don't know. I know that he is upset by the language that was used and by the idea that someone would go to hell for voting for republican or democrat. The church takes many strong public policy stance. What is the difference between a priest giving a sermon, against abortion, against a border wall or then publicly supporting or opposing a political candidate? There's a lot of difference. It's one thing to talk about individual issues and address the moral implications. One of the things about the Catholic Church is that they take positions on one level would align with Republicans in terms of pro-life and issues around abortion and on another level around Democrats. To be in the tank, if you will for one party or another means that you have lost the ability to talk about issues that cross party lines. The church loses when it gets down and says Democrats are the way to go or Republicans are the way to go. It's more important to talk about the morality of the issues and the implications that Catholic teaching would inform people about issues about life or stem cells, that's far more Portland than addressing and saying Blanket Lee, this party or that party is better. That is not our role. It's no role that we seek. Bishop spoke about the sickness in the political soul of our nation, it is ironic, is it not that these statements come from the immaculate conception bulletin, that look like part of that. It is ironic and it's fair to say that these are contributing to public discourse. We're about openness and transparency as a church, when they affect Catholic teaching. Some of the things that were contained in those bulletins, not just don't reflect Catholic teaching but are diametrically opposed, the idea that is slavery to behold -- told how many guns you can have. That Hillary Clinton is acting through Satan or vice versa or that you are going to hell or that because you are Muslim that you should not be allowed in the country. The idea of using Catholic -- so-called Catholic teaching to explain devices anti-catholic. Just because you sprinkle in legitimate Catholic teaching, doesn't mean the whole thing is legitimately Catholic. Trust me. Win parishioners go to church on Sunday, what kind of his vice should be they be hearing from the pulpit. It's to remember that we are all Americans and open and honest. Amiable discourse and the day before election day we will be Americans and after. It's really important not to turn upon enemies by using overheated rhetoric that is reckless. I've been speaking with Kevin Eckery, vice Chancellor of communications for the San Diego's Catholic Diocese. And thank you.