There ought to be a law. Or at least some kind of self-regulation. Catholic publications should accept no political advertising from candidates, and perhaps, I’m tempted to say, not even issue-related advertising.

In Michigan during the last election, there was an issue, extensively covered by the American Papist, regarding Jennifer Granholm ads in 3 "authorized" but not "official" publications –

The Catholic Times/Catholic Weekly, the "Authorized Publication of the Dioceses of Lansing, Saginaw & Gaylord" has published a fullpage ad in each of its three editions for Pro-Abortion Governor Jennifer Granholm (paid for by the Michigan Democratic State Committee).

A reader alerted me that further north, the U.P. Catholic (Diocese of Marquette – "U.P" being "Upper Peninsula" diocesan paper also ran a Granholm ad. The editor explains:

Explaining our political advertising policy to people has helped them understand the situation. So I’m taking this opportunity to explain this policy to all our readers, just in case there’s a few out there still wondering what’s going on.

The U.P. Catholic must follow Internal Revenue Service rules that have been established for non-profit organizations. As a non-profit, tax-exempt publication we are free to accept political advertising.

However, we are not free to accept or decline political advertising as we please. According to the rules, if we accept political ads from one candidate or political organization, we must accept ads from all political candidates and organizations.

We do not actively solicit political advertising from any candidates or organizations. They come to us.

He then goes on to explain that they are reconsidering whether to accept political advertising at all.

A reader from the area writes about the paper’s presentation of the letters to the editor protesting the ad.

Then, on page 15 there are 2 Letters to the Editor expressing disappointment over the adds being run. On the same page, next to the letters, there is a large chart titled "Abortion Opinions." This chart (source: The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life,) basically says that 26% of Catholic adults feel that abortion should be generally available, and only 17% of Catholic adults feel that abortions should never be permitted.

The placement of the chart next to the Letters to the Editor gave the impression that the ladies who wrote in were out of touch with "what Catholics really think," as if public opinion invalidated the criticism of Graholm (and abortion itself.)

Instead, what I found myself asking was, "if only 17% of Catholics think that abortion should never be permitted, when the Catholic Church clearly teaches that it is intrinsically evil, who’s fault is it that Catholics are so poorly informed?"