Buckeye Reporter

The president of the leading Catholic political advocacy organization in America slammed Ohio GOP U.S. Senate Candidate Bernie Moreno for claiming he is Catholic while refuting church teaching on homosexuality.

Catholic Vote President Brian Burch made the comments in response to an American Catholic Tribune report published Saturday.

"It is regrettable that Bernie Moreno would suggest that the Catholic faith hates gay people," Burch said. "The Church loves all sinners and calls every person to live in the truth, not pick and choose what they think is best. What’s the purpose of faith if you get to make it up as you go along?"

"This is the same version of Catholicism practiced by Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi," he said.

The American Catholic Tribune report shared quotes that Moreno gave in 2016, in which he said that the Catholic faith had an "a la carte" menu where people could pick and choose what to believe. Moreno also cited TV shows like Modern Family as improving the nation's view on gay marriage, as well as the Pope's allowance of blessing same-sex couples, which is separate from marriage and still upholds the church's ban on gay marriage. 

Bernie Moreno was born in Colombia and moved to the U.S. when he was young. He earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan. He is running for U.S. Senator of Ohio in the 2024 election. 

Madison, Wisconsin-based Catholic Vote is an advocacy organization that wants to “inspire every Catholic in America to live out the truths of our faith in public life,” according to the group’s website. Founded in 2008, its president is Brian Burch.