A liberal group says Peoria's bishop may be jeopardizing his church's tax-exempt status by ordering priests to read a letter critical of President Obama's birth control stance from the pulpit this weekend, days before the election.
The chancellor of the diocese says the letter doesn't violate IRS guidelines because it doesn't tell anyone how to vote, or mention Obama by name – even though it does reference “the president.”
No such letter will be read aloud in Springfield churches, although the diocese did ask parishes to include a statement from the Catholic Conference in church bulletins, advising Catholic voters to follow church teaching when casting their ballots.
