U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum views his job through the lens of his Roman Catholic faith and isn't afraid of the consequences, he told a largely Catholic audience Tuesday night.

The "great gift of America," he said, is that "we are free to espouse that faith in the public square."

Santorum spoke on faith and political life at St. Paul Seminary in Crafton as part of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh's lecture series, "Faithful Citizenship."

Santorum ... said he dismisses any talk about zealotry from his colleagues because he believes the fabric of democracy lies in religion.

"If we divorce public life from faith, freedom itself will fail," he said.

Since President Bush won re-election Nov. 2 -- aided greatly by religious voters -- conservative politicians have been increasingly emboldened to speak more openly about the role that faith plays in their public decision-making.

Santorum is known in Washington for his staunch determination to make traditional values the focus of the political forum. The senator from Penn Hills often is the leading Republican voice on social issues, sometimes to ill effect.

Santorum was heavily criticized, including by some in his own party, in April 2003 for remarks to The Associated Press about homosexuality, which he compared to incest, bigamy and adultery.

Santorum, though, often is mentioned as a possible GOP presidential candidate.

Santorum talked last night about his anger at what he sees as an unfair presumption of neutrality given to politicians who don't bring faith into the public forum.

"If decisions are influenced by faith, it's somehow illegitimate," he said.

Members of the Association of Pittsburgh Priests attended Santorum's speech. They distributed an open letter to the senator that calls for his pro-life stance to encompass more than the abortion issue.

The letter also admonishes the senator for his support of the war in Iraq and the death penalty.

"We shouldn't give someone a free pass because they're good on one or two issues," said the Rev. Jack O'Malley, an association member who is chaplain for the state's AFL-CIO.

by Megan McCloskey

Pittsburgh Tribune Review  Jan 12, 2005

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