Catholics place ad in 5 papers to scold Kerry

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Five newspapers in presidential battleground states will publish a full-page ad today from Catholic elected officials and voters chiding Democratic Sen. John Kerry for his pro-choice stance on abortion.

The ad, titled “An Open Letter from Fellow Catholics to John Kerry,” was funded by the Bush-Cheney campaign. It is running in mid-sized newspapers with strong Catholic readership in Pennsylvania, Iowa, New Hampshire, Wisconsin and Florida.

“In the most recent debate, Senator Kerry, you said, ‘everything you do in public life has to be guided by your faith,’ and that ‘everything is a gift from the Almighty.’ But apparently, when it comes to the issue of the right to life, you follow neither your own faith nor your own reason,” the ad says.

“Senator Kerry, your stand contradicts both your faith and reason,” the ad says.

The letter is signed by 38 Catholics, including Sen. Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania Republican; American Catholic Council President Connie Marshner; former Major League Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn; and a handful of college professors, including two from Catholic University.

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