Catholic Leaders Blast Gingrich & Santorum

Republican candidates Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are catholics, but in their effort to appeal to the teabagger base of the party and win the presidential nomination they have abandoned some of the teachings of their own faith. Most egregious among these are an attack on poor people, and racist remarks that make it sound as though only minorities avail themselves of government programs. This has gotten some catholic leaders upset, and about 40 prominent American church leaders have written a open letter chastising both Santorum and Gingrich. Here is that letter:

An Open Letter to Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum

As Catholic leaders who recognize that the moral scandals of racism and poverty remain a blemish on the American soul, we challenge our fellow Catholics Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum to stop perpetuating ugly racial stereotypes on the campaign trail. Mr. Gingrich has frequently attacked President Obama as a “food stamp president” and claimed that African Americans are content to collect welfare benefits rather than pursue employment. Campaigning in Iowa, Mr. Santorum remarked: “I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money.” Labeling our nation’s first African-American president with a title that evokes the past myth of “welfare queens” and inflaming other racist caricatures is irresponsible, immoral and unworthy of political leaders.

Some presidential candidates now courting “values voters” seem to have forgotten that defending human life and dignity does not stop with protecting the unborn. We remind Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Santorum that Catholic bishops describe racism as an “intrinsic evil” and consistently defend vital government programs such as food stamps and unemployment benefits that help struggling Americans. At a time when nearly 1 in 6 Americans live in poverty, charities and the free market alone can’t address the urgent needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. And while jobseekers outnumber job openings 4-to-1, suggesting that the unemployed would rather collect benefits than work is misleading and insulting.

As the South Carolina primary approaches, we urge Mr. Gingrich, Mr. Santorum and all presidential candidates to reject the politics of racial division, refrain from offensive rhetoric and unite behind an agenda that promotes racial and economic justice.

I am not a catholic, or even a christian, but I have to agree with these church leaders that the actions of both Gingrich and Santorum have been "irresponsible, immoral and unworthy of political leaders." If you would like to know who the 40 catholic leaders are who signed this letter, you can go to this site.