Commentary: 'Catholics in Alliance' Responds to Deal Hudson

While there are indeed many individual Catholics engaged in faith outreach efforts for Sens. McCain, Clinton and Obama, our organizations are not. CACG and NETWORK do not endorse candidates. We have no connection to "Roman Catholics for Obama."

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Catholics in Alliance) - Deal Hudson is either misinformed or more likely very calculated in his effort to depict our organizations -- Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby-- as little more than partisan cheerleaders for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential bid.

In his recent column, "Catholics Organize to Elect Barack Obama", he tells readers to look for Catholics in Alliance to play a "leading role in gathering Catholic support for Obama." This would be real news to most of our bi-partisan advisory board members, including notable Republican Thomas Melady, a former ambassador to the Holy See.

CACG is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes the fullness of Catholic social teaching. Our participating organizations, including NETWORK, are not staffed by partisan operatives, but faithful Catholics, both lay and religious, whose life work has been devoted to promoting human dignity, the common good and a consistent ethic of life.

While there are indeed many individual Catholics engaged in faith outreach efforts for Sens. McCain, Clinton and Obama, our organizations are not. CACG and NETWORK do not endorse candidates. We have no connection to "Roman Catholics for Obama."

Given Mr. Hudson's high-profile, insider status as a Catholic advisor to President George W. Bush and other Republican luminaries, one would think he would take extra care before casting false accusations about mixing faith and politics. In his new book, Mr. Hudson describes himself as "the chief Catholic surrogate" for the White House and takes pride in the fact that he was a "Bush White House intimate."

In contrast, CACG, NETWORK and all of the Catholic social justice organizations we work closely with seek to avoid even the perception of political bias. The same can't be said for Mr. Hudson, who seems less interested in challenging both the Democratic and Republican Party to live up to the high ideals of our rich faith tradition than in wielding influence with partisan powerbrokers.

Catholics are challenged by our bishops in "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship" to "be guided more by our moral convictions than by our attachment to a political party or interest group." Indeed, the bishops even ask us to "transform the party to which we belong and not let the party transform us in such a way that we neglect or deny fundamental moral truths."

CACG and NETWORK will continue to be guided by this eloquent testament to our faith's ability to transcend, and ultimately transform, narrow and divisive political debates.

To this end, our organizations are sponsoring a Convention for the Common Good in Philadelphia, July 11-13, that will bring together Catholics and other people of faith who are eager for a new conversation about the most pressing moral and political issues facing our nation. Democratic and Republican presidential candidates and elected officials have been invited.

We hope Mr. Hudson will join us.