Elections 2012

Pa.’s Catholic bishops: Democracy depends on people fighting for what they believe

Election Day, Nov. 6, offers “a critical opportunity for Catholics … to exercise our civic duty and fulfill our social responsibility in a way  that becomes us as aspiring saints,” the Catholic Bishops of Pennsylvania said in a statement Nov. 2. “Because politics is the place where competing moral visions of a society meet and struggle,” […]

Nominees back access to contraceptives, but differ on how to provide it

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (CNS) — Both President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney backed women’s access to contraceptives during the Oct. 16 town hall debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead. But the two presidential nominees differed on how to provide such access. “In my health care bill, I said insurance companies need to provide […]

Voters Resources Guide 2012

What does the public record say about the presidential candidates' positions on issues of interest to Catholics? What are the views of local candidates for the state legislature and U.S. Congress, in their own words? Before the election Nov. 6, learn all about the candidates vying for your vote plus other important information in the Voters Resources Guide 2012, prepared by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. Take time to form your conscience, then vote on Election Day.

USCCB disputes HHS mandate topic in VP debate

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has reacted to the debate between vice presidential candidates Sen. Joseph Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan in Danville, Ky., Oct. 11. Among other topics, the debate touched on the issue of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ regulations that would force virtually all employers to include […]

Voters say battered US economy, candidates’ solutions are a top concern

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The nation's economy, which has been put through the wringer, is on center stage for the November elections as voters look to what the two major presidential candidates are saying about the situation and what their response is for getting it back on track. New economic data reveals a grim picture: The […]

Same-sex marriage an issue for voters on state level this November

WASHINGTON (CNS) — This November, voters in a handful of states across the country will decide if state law should uphold traditional marriage or allow same-sex marriage. Four states — Maine, Maryland, Washington and Minnesota — have ballot initiatives on the issue. Supporters are hoping for victory in those states, saying it could be the […]

Romney, Obama stake out different approaches on immigration

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The vastly different approaches of Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on immigration share a common denominator: Both men agree that Obama didn't accomplish what he intended to when he was elected in 2008, when he promised that comprehensive immigration reform was high on his agenda. As Obama […]

Catholic voters, general public place health care among top five issues

WASHINGTON (CNS) — There are few issues in the 2012 presidential campaign on which the major candidates have more clearly differentiated opinions than health care. Much of President Barack Obama's stand on health care is built on provisions of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the Republican […]

Little being said on US-led war in Afghanistan on campaign trail

WASHINGTON (CNS) — As America's longest war in history marks its 11th anniversary Oct. 7, it remains a largely undiscussed issue in the presidential campaign. Both major candidates — President Barack Obama, the Democrat, and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney — have kept Afghanistan on the back burner as they crisscross the country even though […]

Activists hard to impress on candidates’ environmental positions

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Given their knowledge of Catholic social teaching on the environment, those who make it their stock in trade to promote stewardship of the earth using Catholic principles say the two major presidential candidates' positions on environmental issues leave something to be desired. “Like many issues of concern to the Catholic community, neither […]