When asked who they would vote for or who they are leaning toward if the election were held today, 52 percent of Catholics picked Mr. Biden and 47 percent chose Mr. Trump.

But the president performs better among white Catholics, with nearly six in 10, or 57 percent, saying they would vote for him, while 42 percent back Mr. Biden. Read more

This time, a group that favours Trump is trying to ensure a repeat victory. And it's using something called geofencing to find Catholics at Mass.

For All Tech Considered, NPR's Audie Cornish spoke with Heidi Schlumpf of the National Catholic Reporter about what's going on.

HEIDI SCHLUMPF: Geofencing is a way of data mining that targets people based on their location.

So when you agree to those apps that want to share your location data, geofencers are able to capture that when you enter or leave a geographically prescribed area - in this case, a church.

CORNISH: How does it happen?

I mean, what is the trigger?

I guess, as you're going to and from Mass?

SCHLUMPF: If your phone is on and you have an app open in which you've allowed the sharing of location data, the geofencers can capture your IP address and other data from your phone.

Then they can target ads directly to that device.

But they can also cross-reference that data that they've acquired with other data sets, so in this case, probably voter rolls. And already we have this conservative Catholic organization that's doing exactly that to try to target Catholic voters.

CORNISH: Who's the organization, and what have you learned about what they're up to?

SCHLUMPF: The organization is called CatholicVote.

And on their website, it lists a number of issues that are important to them.

But in the end, they narrow it down to three culture war issues. And that's abortion, gay marriage and what they call religious liberty.

CORNISH: Now, you report that using geofencing, CatholicVote has already identified some 200,000 Catholics in Wisconsin, which of course is a key state heading into 2020.

They're able to discover that half of those Mass-goers are not registered to vote. Help us understand, from there, how does this give them the advantage, so to speak?

SCHLUMPF: Yeah. CatholicVote, the organization, is planning what they're calling the largest Catholic voter mobilization program ever, based on this geofenced information that they've mined.

It's basically a get-out-the-vote effort.

They've identified people who are regular Mass-goers.

They want to get them registered to vote and get them to the polls because they have data that shows that 60% to 70% of regular Catholic churchgoers - again, especially in these geographic areas of white suburban churches that they're targeting - are going to vote for the Republican Party, and in this case, Donald Trump. Continue reading

In the latest Quinnipiac poll (which thankfully includes a set of questions about religion), 55% of Catholics say they will definitely not vote for Trump in 2020, as opposed to 32% who say they definitely will vote for him and 12% who say they'd consider it.

Even if all those who are only considering voting for him end up in his corner, the resulting 55-44 margin would be a major blow to his reelection chances.

In 2016, Catholics voted for Trump over Hillary Clinton by 50% to 46%.

Given that Catholics make up roughly a quarter of the electorate, the 15-point shift away from him would equate to nearly four percent of the entire popular vote.

The poll suggests that the overall Catholic shift towards the Democrats in last fall's midterms is continuing.

In 2016, Catholics preferred Republican to Democratic House candidates 53% to 46%. In 2018, they swung the other way, favoring Democrats 50% to 49%.

When it comes to Trump, the shift among Catholics is more pronounced than among other religious groups.

In 2016, 39% of non-Catholic Christians (Protestants and others) voted for Clinton.

In the Q-poll, the proportion who say they definitely won't vote for Trump is up just two points from that, to 41%.

Nones show a comparably small point increase, from 67% who voted for Clinton to 70% who say they definitely won't vote for Trump.

Interestingly, the slippage is somewhat greater among white evangelicals.

Where 80% of them voted for Trump in 2016, now 60% say they'll definitely vote for him, and another 15% are considering it, for a total of 75%.

Where 16% voted for Clinton, now 24% say they definitely won't vote for Trump.

What accounts for the proportionately greater Catholic shift?

A number of explanations suggest themselves.

Even relatively conservative Catholics retain elements of Catholic social teaching that put them at odds with Trump policies. Continue reading

• Image: Religion News Service

With the 2017 General Election in just over two months, this is the message of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops in their 2017 Election Statement, Step out and Vote.

Bishop Patrick Dunn, President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference says "this is an opportunity for us all to reflect on the big challenges facing our society and ask the tough questions, both of ourselves and our candidates.

"Last year while speaking at an international youth event in Poland, Pope Francis warned the young of being couch potatoes and leaving it to others to decide our future."

The Bishops' Election Statement, which is going out to churches this week, focuses on what they see as key considerations in shaping New Zealand's future.

Bishop Dunn says "what we're not doing is giving preference to or offering opinions on political parties. We are, however candid on what we see as non-negotiables in a vision for our country.

"These include the provision of affordable housing, ensuring a safe society, a respect for life, the nurturing of our environment and the care of refugees and asylum seekers."

He goes on to comment, "we acknowledge the different paths in working towards a just and peaceful society but, at the same time, echo the words of Pope Francis that an election is not simply a spectator sport."

"It is a wonderful opportunity and indeed our responsibility to decide who we feel best to steer the ship and guide the policy on the future course of this country. This is a time for us to reflect, discuss and debate on what sort of society we want New Zealand to be."

Stand up, uphold the common good of our nation, choose wisely, and your vote will be a blessing for our nation.

Click here for The full New Zealand Bishops 2017 Election Statement

Source

Supplied: Amanda Gregan, Communications Advisor, New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference

Image: Screenshot NZCBC

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, having received the opinion of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, has decided that it would be appropriate to publish the present Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the participation of Catholics in political life.

This Note is directed to the Bishops of the Catholic Church and, in a particular way, to Catholic politicians and all lay members of the faithful called to participate in the political life of democratic societies.

Central points in the current cultural and political debate - Doctrinal notes

It is not the Church's task to set forth specific political solutions - and even less to propose a single solution as the acceptable one - to temporal questions that God has left to the free and responsible judgment of each person.

It is, however, the Church's right and duty to provide a moral judgment on temporal matters when this is required by faith or the moral law.

When political activity comes up against moral principles that do not admit of exception, compromise or derogation, the Catholic commitment becomes more evident and laden with responsibility.

In the face of fundamental and inalienable ethical demands, Christians must recognise that what is at stake is the essence of the moral law, which concerns the integral good of the human person.

This is the case with laws concerning abortion and euthanasia (not to be confused with the decision to forgo extraordinary treatments, which is morally legitimate).

Such laws must defend the basic right to life from conception to natural death.

In the same way, it is necessary to recall the duty to respect and protect the rights of the human embryo.

As is stated by The Congregation for The Doctrine of the Faith it is a serious sin to vote for a candidate or party who proposes a policy that is contrary to the Church's teachings on abortion or euthanasia.

Whilst it is essential that an elector must be aware in conscience that God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end every Catholic should know the Fifth Commandment, Thou Shall Not Kill.

This is not just a matter that can be left to an uneducated conscious but requires the clergy to exercise its commitment to teach God's law.

Our NZ Bishops appear to disagree with this teaching and they say "Certainly, it is not sinful to vote for the party or candidate you think is most suitable overall, even if that candidate or party advocates free abortion or euthanasia."

They then refer to a clarification on this matter by Cardinal Raymond Burke (who says "Catholics who support pro-abortion candidates participate in a grave evil. They must show a change of heart and be sacramentally reconciled or refrain from receiving Holy Communion.") and say that Cardinal Burke is caught up in uncharitable warfare and is an extremist.!!!

Prefect of the Sacred Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura and the President of the Advisory Board of the Dignitatis Humanae Institute Cardinal Raymond Burke could be wrong but he is fairly senior and one would assume qualified to speak on these matters.

As the New Zealand elections are fast approaching I would like to see some further advice from our Bishops advising the laity, for whom they have a Sacred responsibility, not who to vote for but who NOT to vote for, to avoid mortal sin.

Joe Hannah

Then, in last week's Sunday bulletin, a full one-page flyer inserted in the bulletin entitled "The Catholic Vote" urged all Catholics to consider the church's teaching and pointed out the concerns with the current administration in regards to this teaching. This past Sunday's bulletin included an even more detailed and extensive insert comparing the two candidates on issues important for the "Catholic vote."

My husband, who often attends Mass at a different parish, reported that the "Catholic vote" message at that church actually came from the pulpit.

A friend who also attended that same Mass detailed that the message named certain "non-negotiable issues" for Catholics and accordingly encouraged the direction in which Catholics should vote.

I am what they call a cradle Catholic. Baptized within months of my birth, I was "catechized" on Catholic doctrine and socialized on Catholic practice well into my adult years.

I attended a Catholic elementary school, Catholic high school and a Catholic college. I was educated by gifted and talented nuns.

The priests that I knew were dedicated, inspiring men who never surfaced as pedophiles during the clergy sexual abuse scandal.

I spent 13 years as a nun in a religious order of women who remain exemplary in their value-centered living and dedicated social service. All in all, one could safely say that I have had an overall positive Catholic experience.

Yet, I am also African American with Caribbean and Central American heritage; I am a heterosexual woman who is a LGBT advocate, and a psychologist, an educator, author, and a diversity management professional.

And it is from these multiple identities that I take issue with my church on what they have deemed to be the "Catholic vote."

The fundamental error in defining a vote as Catholic is that it assumes that I have only one identity that governs my thought process and that determines my behavior. Continue reading