In his letter (Oct. 1), Peter van Oosten attempted to make the point that many Catholics may support President Obama, despite his views on abortion. He also made the claim that a majority of Catholics favor same-sex marriage.

That is unequivocally not true. Although these people may be catholic (small ‘c’ meaning part of the universal church), they are not Roman Catholic.

To be Catholic (big ‘C’) means to be in communion with the Catholic Church. Van Oosten’s statements about abortion and same-sex marriage are a direct contradiction to two of the five non-negotiable teachings of the Church (abortion, same-sex marriage, embryonic stem cell research, euthanasia and human cloning).

Those five issues concern actions that are intrinsically evil and thus conflict with the moral law. It is a serious sin to deliberately endorse or promote any of those actions.

That brings me to my final point. Mr. van Oosten and other catholics (including the couple in the TV ad promoting same-sex marriage) are publicly opposing Church teachings and misleading many who may not know the teachings of the Church.

Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

It is the “go and sin no more” that people often forget.

We are all sinners in need of forgiveness, but if we are truly part of the Catholic Church, we need to accept its teachings and answer the call to forgiveness that makes us essentially christian.

Mark J. Pare, Turner

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