Phoenix, Ariz., Aug 8, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Arizona governor Janet Napolitano is one of the latest to be directly affected by a ban put in place by Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmsted which disallows politicians who support issues like abortion and gay marriage from speaking in Catholic churches.
The conflict arose last year when Napolitano was scheduled to speak against Proposition 200, an Arizona ballot measure restricting the rights of undocumented immigrant workers--an issue the Church has spoken out against itself.
The issue however, according to a letter issued by Bishop Olmsted last December, is that Catholic churches who invite politicians that disagree with fundamental Church teachings, like abortion, could be providing a platform “which would suggest support for their actions.”
According to the Arizona Republic, Napolitano, who is a Methodist, said that she was unaware of the ban but had heard about the bishop’s letter.