Posted on 09/24/2016 2:00:00 PM PDT by NYer
.- Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has released a list of 33 prominent conservative Catholic advisers for his campaign, according to reports from Philly.com, a website of The Inquirer and Daily News.
The announcement comes in the midst of a highly contentious election season and at a time when Trump is struggling in the polls among Catholic voters, according to some reports.
Among the released names of advisers are former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, who ran for president in 2012 and 2016. When he left the race in February, Santorum originally endorsed Sen. Marco Rubio. When Rubio left the race in March, Santorum endorsed Trump, citing the vacant Supreme Court seat as a key reason.
Another key person reported as a new Catholic adviser for Trump is Joseph Cella, founder of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast who reportedly will be the chief liaison to the Trump campaign for Catholic affairs.
Notably, Cella is a signatory of An Appeal to Our Fellow Catholics, an open letter written by George Weigel and Robert P. George in March during the primaries and signed by more than 30 Catholic intellectual and readers, including Robert George, law professor at Princeton University; Mary Rice Hasson, director of the Catholic Womens Forum at the Ethics and Public Policy Center; and Thomas Farr, director of the Religious Freedom Project at Georgetown University.
The letter denounced Trump as a man manifestly unfit to be president of the United States who has driven our politics down to new levels of vulgarity. Citing Trumps ethnic prejudices, promises to punish the families of terrorists, and his sudden about-face on pro-life issues, among other issues, the signatories pleaded with Catholics not to vote for Trump in the primaries.
The new list of Trumps Catholic advisers also reportedly includes Tom Monaghan of Michigan, founder of Dominos Pizza and the Ave Maria University; Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List; Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback; Matt Schlapp, president of the American Conservative Union; former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating (R); U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, Republican of Ohio; Jim Nicholson, former Republican national chairman, secretary of veterans affairs and ambassador to the Vatican; and longtime conservative leader Richard Viguerie.
The election season has thus far been a tumultuous one for Catholics, as leaders such as Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia have noted.
Only God knows the human heart, so I presume that both major candidates for the White House this year intend well and have a reasonable level of personal decency behind their public images. But I also believe that each candidate is very bad news for our country, though in different ways, he said at the University of Notre Dame earlier this month.
One candidate, in the view of a lot of people, is a belligerent demagogue with an impulse control problem. And the other, also in the view of a lot of people, is a criminal liar, uniquely rich in stale ideas and bad priorities, he added.
Many Catholic leaders continue to debate whether Catholics can in good conscience vote for Trump, following the voting guidelines laid out by the United States Bishops.
The first debate between Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton will take place on Monday September 26 at Hofstra University on Long Island in New York.
"The choice for Catholics in this presidential election could not be more stark," Whittlesey said in a statement. "Clinton support a breathtakingly radical cultural agenda and judicial nominees which leave no room for the legal protection of the unborn and the ability of Christians to fully and freely practice their faith that is constitutionally protected by the First Amendment," she said. "Trump will fight for Catholics in defense of life, and their religious liberty."
Catholic ping!
That could cost him some votes...
Look to your own pews...loaded with those who vote Democrat by the millions.
A lot Catholics live in those swing states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. They’re blue collar working people. In other words, many of them are Deplorables. Many are not radicalized kooks like other Democrats are, and they are the kind of voters that Trump needs to appeal to. Smart political move!
Could help Trump big time in PA.
Hopefully not. Hope people of goodwill, regardless of faith, race, gender, etc. will vote for Trump. There is no other choice.
Trump is surrounding himself, one faction at a time.
Remember he's been anointed by two black churches in the last couple of weeks.
Perhaps Trump is closer to the truth than many Catholic voters and leaders.
No Presidential candidate will match everyone’s expectations, but Trump is abetter choice on the Catholic issues such as abortion, religious liberty, government mandates against religious beliefs and political correctness, etc.
We know that the Democrats do not solve problems and all they want is power and larger government. Even in Wisconsin government is the second largest industry employer.
They need to narrow this poll to the basic requirement to be a Catholic in good standing, i.e., once per week (Sunday obligation).
Santorum should concentrate on trying to win PA and his current VA; there’s little time for anything else.
Tweeted to all the high profile Catholics I could fit in a tweet.
A little late with this.
But later is better than never.
I’ve been waiting for something like this to come out. About time.
I’ve met liberal Catholics and I’d hesitate to call them Catholics.
And gain him many others.
Do you know how many pro-life names are on these lists?
One candidate, in the view of a lot of people, is a belligerent demagogue with an impulse control problem. And the other, also in the view of a lot of people, is a criminal liar, uniquely rich in stale ideas and bad priorities, he added. — Archbishop Chaput
I read the first part of that and thought “he’s referring to Hillary. Then when I read the second part and realized he’s referring to Hillary again! So why do people think he was criticizing Trump?
Selected Trump articles on FR, from 12:00am to 5:00pm EDT, 9/24/16:
Trump names 33 conservative Catholics as new advisers CNA
Judge to New York Times: No Trump divorce records for you HotAir
Florida's Republican Votes from 4,000 in 1900 to 4.2 Million in 2012 Autopica
Clinton's debate experience could shape encounter with Trump AP
Clinton gave $100K to NYTimes group same year paper endorsed her [June 15] FrBeacon
No Voter Fraud? Then How Come the DEAD Are Voting in Colorado? DownTrend
Ohio's process for removing voters from rolls is illegal, court rules ColumbDisp
Weekly Update: Clinton Emails JudicialWatch
STATEMENT ON NEW REVELATIONS FROM FBI ABOUT THE HILLARY CLINTON COVERUP OPERATION Donald J. Trump
GOP lawmaker: FBI gave immunity to top Clinton aide AP
Trump Threatens to put Gennifer Flowers in front row of debate if Mark Cuban is there Twitter
Flowers will be at debate TPM
Mark Cuban Offers $10 Million if Trump Answers His Policy Questions Fortune
Hillary Clinton Works with Three Major Islamic Terror Leaders Who Want to Kill Christians, Make America into an Islamic Country; Trump Must Bring This Up in Debates to Crush Her Shoebat
Dick Morris on Hillary: 'When You Criticize Her, She Goes Nuts' NwsMx
Taking Trump Seriously, Not Literally Salena Zito
Evolving Terror Threats Require Constant Security Policy Shifts Rep. Daniel Donovan
Trump campaign chair in Ohio county resigns over Obama racism remark CBS
Donald Trumps Shiny New Washington Hotel [NY Slimes alert! NYT
Hillary Clinton, International Arms Dealer Townhall
No Fortune 100 CEOs Back Trump [Cheap Labor Express wants Cankles] WSJ
How Is This Not Classified?"- Obama Used Pseudonym In Emails w Hillary, FBI Data Dump Reveals ZH
USC Dornsife/LA Times-Poll [Trump 45.3 - Clinton 43.3]
Ben Carson Recalls: Trump Stood w Him When He Couldn't Hear His Name Twitter
Behind the scenes with Trump [videos] Sharyl Attkisson
DONALD TRUMP/MIKE PENCE PRAYER VIGIL 9/24/16 FR
Trump to spend $100M on ads [$60M TV $40M digital] now to Election Day Twitter
Unmasking George Soros and His Antagonism Toward Israel Armstrong Williams
Hillary Surrogates Already Assigning Blame for Her Poor Numbers as Race Tightens GP
LIVE: Donald J. Trump rally, Roanoke, VA, 6:00 PM ET
If Not Trump, Who Will Cure the Rot? WSJ
Hillary Clinton: We Cannot End Terrorism Without Gun Control Breitbart
Hillary Sponsored Secretive Arab Spring Program that Destabilized Mid East Breitbart
If Hillary Loses Dems face a long time in exile NYPost
Why Ironman shouldn't tell Pepe or you how to vote (video)
Dallas Morning News Headed For Bankruptcy for Attacking Trump GetOffTheBS
Obama: once out of office, Im gonna stop being polite and start getting real Vox
OTOH, I know several devout Catholics who are died in the wool Democrats. These individuals consider themselves "pro life" and attend the annual National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Babies. It's as if a veil had been drawn and they can no longer see the truth. I have attempted to gently prod them to explore facts but they are stubbornly attached to that party, unable to justify why. The only response I can give is to pray for them.
The choice for catholics is simple...vote for Hillary who believes in abortion on demand which goes against the teaching of the church ...or vote for pro-liife candidate Donald Trump!
In the mine and industrial rust belt ( which also happen to be battleground states) this will be a winner!
Freegards
LEX
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