[topher]

This was done by some Dioceses in the United States in 2004 when John Kerry was running for president. The Archdiocese of Atlanta, Charlotte, and Charleston all made such a declaration jointly (which Atlanta subsequently rescinded when a new Archbishop took over -- an African American Archbishop -- Gregory).

There is the case where Bishop Tobin of Providence, Rhode Island was having private conversations with then Congressman Patrick Kennedy.

Then Congressman Patrick Kennedy made the mistake of taking this public, and he then became ex-congressman Kennedy, as he then decided not to run for another term.

The going public was a bonehead move by Kennedy, and he realized he would be in serious trouble with voters in the next election because of his stupidity. It is my opinion that this is why he did not seek re-election.

[AnAmericanMother]

We seem to have somehow gotten a modicum of sense into Abp Gregory.

I think he has realized that this is not Chicago. We have some loons (mostly in Atlanta downtown) but overall this is a very conservative diocese.

He seems to have trimmed his sails accordingly.