Although Catholic clergy have been accused of telling their flock who they can vote for, Archbishop Gomez explained, “It is not my intention to tell people for whom to vote.” “However, I encourage Catholics to understand the teaching of the Church on the broad spectrum of public issues that are of great concern, today.”
He also called upon the faculty and staff at St. Mary’s “to continue to carry out their responsibility to educate their students in their political responsibility in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church.”
Hillary Clinton’s visit to southern Texas is calculated to bring her more of the Hispanic vote as she struggles to revive her flagging campaign. She has scheduled five stops in Texas on Wednesday and Thursday, all in south Texas, where the Latino vote is a huge factor in the state's March 4 primary.
Several key Latino political leaders including U.S. Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D-San Antonio) have endorsed Clinton's primary opponent, Barack Obama. Gonzalez’s father, the late Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez, was the first Mexican American elected to the U.S. House and is a celebrated figure among Texas Hispanics.