i have been saying for years, churchs should lose their tax exempt status. they are a fucking business with thousands of employees

natiion, the good Bishop is an official of a foreign country and is manipulating the US voting process for his nation's (Vatican City) benefit.
Why do we have diplomatic relations with the Vatican? Since we do, why are they exempt from our laws and accepted standards of behavior?

Archbishop has pledged to obey the Pope.
The Pope is the leader of a foreign city/state


and it has been explained on DU just recently that the IRS has stopped investigating because they have not authorized anyone to investigate .......... not sure where the post is

However, they cannot expressly campaign on behalf of any candidate.

Since the commercial at question here appears to go towards an issue (gay marriage) and not a particular candidate, it isn't prohibited.

Hope this helps.

And making statements about issues is not considered a violation. The issue itself is non-partisan, so he is free to comment on it directly.

and pay taxes on their income and property taxes on all those very, very expensive churches they
promote their politics in. Sickening.

100% legal.

OF course, there's no First Amendment guarantee to having a tax exempt charitable organization status.

HE can say what he likes. His directive to the parishes should end with the loss of 501.C.3 status for the Roman Catholic church.

That also means that, under the law, the Roman Catholic Church would have to provide insurance that covers birth control to all employees, since they will no longer be a church under US tax code.

I was surprised but thought it was cool although neither side should really be doing it.

Not candidates, but issues. Including ballot issues.

on Sunday morning telling their congregation to vote against socialism, vote for family values, vote to protect marriage, vote for life. Just because they don't come out and say the candadite's name does not mean that is not the effect it has. The congregation knows exactly who the priest is talking about when they say those things. If they're going to do it they should lose their tax exempt status.

....I can only speak from my experience as a Catholic and what I've personally heard. And I've never heard a Catholic cleric ever tell me I must vote for any candidate, even when one might imply that a particular candidate is favored.

And when the matter is a ballot initiative, such as in the OP, it's a bit of a logical leap to think that advocating for a side on the initiative requires a carryover vote instruction on the partisan races. You might presume that advocacy for or against a particular ballot initiative on gay marriage or abortion means they also are demanding that their congregation must vote for the partisan candidate that appears closest to the church's opinions on those issues, but that's never been explicitly been stated.

Before you condemn all clergy from speaking about political issues - please remember that there are progressive clergy who support us. Maybe you are too young to remember, but I'm 62 and recall fondly Congressman Robert Drinan, a Catholic priest who was a leader in the peace movement in the 1960s / 70s. After winning a seat in Congress from Massachusetts 4 times, he was prohibited from running again by the Pope. But he remained active in the peace movement for decades. Some of the best, most dedicated supporters of the SCLC were clergy, many of them white. I remember many photos of MLK leading marches in the south along with Robert Abernathy, Jesse Jackson, and many Catholic priests in the from row. The United Farm Workers movement led by Cesar Chavez was supported by many active progressive Catholic clergy.

BTW - I am an active non-believer but will work with anyone, including clergy, who support union rights, voting rights, and a world without war.