20 October 2016, The Tablet

View from Rome


 

For decades, many have argued that the acid test for a Catholic deciding where to cast his or her vote should be where the candidate stands on the abortion issue. Others have always argued against the wisdom of making voting a single-issue question. Now it seems the Hillary Clinton-Donald Trump race is about to blow these arguments out of the water.

Trump is nominally opposed to abortion – so far, so good – but his position on immigration and laissez-faire capitalism are wildly at odds with Catholic Social Teaching and the views of Pope Francis. And then there’s the thorny issue of the many women who have made allegations of sexual assault against Trump.

For the Pope, being pro-life means a great deal more than defending the unborn. It’s about protecting life in every situation, whether by working to abolish the death penalty or by ensuring the low-paid aren’t left without health insurance. His personal preference amongst the presidential candidates seems to have been Bernie Saunders, the Democrat challenger to Clinton who shares the Pope’s distaste for unregulated capitalism and a commitment to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. The two met briefly earlier this year in the Vatican, much to the consternation of Holy See diplomats.

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