Originally published at National Catholic Register
Catholic supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential candidacy hosted a national organizing call with the campaign on Wednesday night in which speakers downplayed some of the faithful’s concerns about her support for abortion.
The “Catholics for Harris-Walz National Organizing Call,” held on Sept. 18 at 8 p.m., was designed to rally Catholic support behind Harris’ campaign. It was organized by a coalition of nonprofits, including Catholics Vote Common Good, which is part of the broader Vote Common Good organization that encourages faith groups to support progressive candidates.
Speakers on the call included Sister Simone Campbell, the director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; Joe Donnelly, former United States ambassador to the Holy See under President Joe Biden; Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut; and Anthea Butler, chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
Campbell, who is a member of the religious community the Sisters of Social Service, contended that polls show most Catholics supporting legal abortion.
“Our faith does not require the outlawing of abortion,” Campbell asserted in an apparent contradiction of what the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches.
“Protecting life is what we’re about, and we also trust each individual to
