Washington D.C., Aug 25, 2004 / 22:00 pm America/Denver (CNA).
In the wake of controversy surrounding a presidential candidate questionnaire, produced by the lay staff of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, many Catholics have embraced an alternative voting guide, issued by a Catholic apologetics organization.
Though the USCCB has discouraged use of this new guide, more than one million copies are in circulation and at least one major archdiocese has distributed it, says the publisher.
The Culture of Life Foundation issued a report in its publication Culture & Cosmos about the new 10-page "Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics."
The booklet is produced by Catholic Answers, a lay apostolate based in San Diego, whose mission is to defend Catholic teaching.
Citing papal and Vatican documents, "Voter's Guide" identifies five issues it calls "non-negotiable": abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell research, human cloning and same-sex marriage. Supporting any of these issues, according to the guide, would disqualify a political candidate as a viable option for a faithful Catholic.