A church-state coincidence: Pope meets U.S. bishops in election year

Published: 2004-01-30

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- With foreign policy in the spotlight and moral issues assuming a higher profile, the U.S. political campaign is drawing special Vatican attention this year. Pope John Paul II, meanwhile, is busy preparing his own "Campaign 2004." Starting in March, he'll begin addressing groups of U.S. bishops during a round of "ad limina" visits, which offer him a frequent platform for commentary on a range of topics, including war and peace, abortion and family values. A presidential campaign, held every four years, and the U.S. "ad limina" visits, made by heads of dioceses every five years, have overlapped only once before under Pope John Paul in 1988. "I'm not sure whether the coincidence this year is good or bad," one senior Vatican official said in late January. On the plus side, the official said, the pope's words probably will have a bigger echo in the United States, especially when he speaks on the many issues that involve moral teachings and civil legislation, like genetic manipulation, gay marriage and the death penalty. But the election-year background also may crimp the pope's style. "He'll certainly have to speak more prudently, because he can't be seen as supporting one candidate over another. A great principle of the Holy See is that the pope cannot enter into the battle of partisan politics," the official said.

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