Washington D.C., Oct 14, 2011 / 12:12 pm
Catholic League president Bill Donohoe praised Texas Gov. Rick Perry for distancing himself from Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress and his controversial remarks on Catholicism and other religions.
“Perry and I spoke candidly about the Jeffress incident, and about religion, in general,” Donohue said in an Oct. 14 statement. “He spoke sincerely: nothing that Jeffress said about Catholicism represents his views.”
Jeffress' comments first made the news after the Value Voters Summit on Oct. 7 in Washington, D.C., where several members of the U.S. House of Representatives spoke about the importance of defending life, marriage and religious freedom.
Jeffress, pastor of the The First Baptist Church of Dallas, introduced Gov. Perry at the summit and spoke derisively about the Mormon faith of candidate Mitt Romney, calling it a “cult.” Two days later, he said that Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism are “false religions.”