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The problem is finding a Catholic. This is an ambassadorship to a sovereign state. The Vatican does not have a religious test. Obama need not name a Catholic, and the Vatican would have no objection to the views of such an appointee. Where this gets dicey is asking the Vatican to accept a Catholic who openly defies Church Dogma. That IS a slap in the face to the Churh.

My guess is that Obama is interested in smacking the Church. Otherwise it would have been very easy to pick any contributor in the Dem party for the post, as long as the person wasn't outrageous, say Sean Penn. But no he is looking for pro choice Catholics to wave his abortion and social positions in the Church's face. Maybe he's looking to start a schism and make John Kerry the new Henry VIII.