Catholic News Service: Whatever the outcome of the Nov. 2 election, there will be lingering effects on both religion and politics from the attention to Sen. John F. Kerry's Catholicism and President George W. Bush's use of religious rhetoric, according to observers who have expertise in church and political affairs. In addition to whatever political changes the nation faces after the election, the Catholic Church also may be reworking its approach to public policy.
Kerry, the Democratic nominee, became the first Catholic nominated by a major party since John F. Kennedy in 1960. But while Kennedy had to contend with an undercurrent of anti-Catholicism in his race, Kerry came under fire from within his own church for his view that he cannot impose on society the church's moral standard over issues such as abortion.
Read more ...
