Denver-based Archbishop Charles Chaput has grown more political since taking over as head of the city's archdiocese in 1997 -- and he spoke out early and often about the politics of abortion during the run-up to the 2008 presidential vote. As such, even his condemnation of abortion doctor George Tiller's recent assassination has been called into question by critics such as John Tomasic, writing for the left-leaning Colorado Independent website. Granted, the comments affixed to the Tomasic piece, "Denver's Eloquent Archbishop Issues Weak Statement on Tiller Murder," almost all favor Chaput. But that's likely the result of a web counter-campaign, not latent anti-abortion sentiment among the state's liberals.
Even so, Chaput is willing to work with abortion-supporting heathens when it suits his purposes. Note that he'll be standing alongside Boulder congressman Jared Polis and Illinois Dem Luis Gutierrez at a June 13 immigration-reform event at Northglenn's Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. A preview of the gathering published by the Catholic News Agency quotes from a Chaput column in which he declares, "Good people can disagree honorably about the specifics of immigration reform. But we can't honorably ignore the need for reform or the suffering of families who pay the cost of doing nothing."
Likewise, Polis and Gutierrez disagree with Chaput about abortion; both are pro-choice. But apparently their likemindedness about immigration reform makes them honorable, too. At least for one day in June.
