Flynn to head Catholic political group

By Jim Smith

BOSTON — Former Boston Mayor and Vatican Ambassador Raymond L. Flynn has been selected to head a national Catholic political organization, the Catholic Alliance, a non-partisan group whose mission is to inform and organize Catholic voters while promoting causes such as the protection of life, preservation of families, and charitable assistance for the poor and needy.

The Catholic Alliance was created in 1995 by the Christian Coalition but became separate from that organization in 1997. It currently has a membership of 125,000 and an annual budget of about $1.2 million.

Flynn, who hosts a popular weekend talk program on WRKO-AM radio in Boston, said on Saturday that the organization hopes to register thousands of Catholics to vote, while increasing the membership of the Alliance to 500,000 by next year.

"A lot of people these days have been made to feel that they should apologize for being Catholic," he said. "Our organization plans to give them a voice that will be heard and respected around the country."

Although the Alliance will not endorse candidates for public office, it hopes to be a key player in the upcoming congressional and presidential contests by letting Catholic voters know where the candidates stand on the issues.

In a press statement, New York attorney and chairman of the Alliance Dennis Lynch praised Flynn and said that the Catholic voter "has been ignored or taken for granted by both the Democratic and Republican parties in the U.S. since 1988."

In that same statement, Republican Rep. Peter King of New York described Flynn, who is 59, as possessing "a renewed energy and a keen understanding of the social and economic justice issues that affect today’s working-class American families."

The organization has its headquarters in Oakton, Va., and an office in Washington, D.C. Persons seeking information about the Alliance can call 1 (888) 22-I-VOTE.