Tell Bishop David Kagan: Stay Out of the North Dakota Senate race

Petition Background

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Bismarck, David Kagan, has just issued a pastoral letter that echoes Republican campaign ads urging voters not to pick the "likeable" candidate and warns Catholics they can only vote for candidates who oppose marriage equality, abortion rights, and even stem cell research.

But now State Senator Tim Mathern, a practicing Catholic, is courageously demanding that the bishop withdraw the letter, citing church teaching on the primacy of conscience and the bishops' official guidelines on avoiding partisan activity.

If we can demonstrate huge grassroots outrage before the letter is read at Mass this weekend, the bishop might be forced to withdraw it -- and we can send a powerful message to other church officials across the country who might be tempted to abuse their positions for partisan political purposes in the final days before the election.