I’m a conservative Catholic. Keep politics out of my church, other houses of worship | Opinion

As a Catholic and someone who used to work in politics, I have often appreciated that when I step into Mass on Sunday mornings, I can focus on my faith and not the latest polling or candidate endorsements.

I support religious liberty and being able to worship without government interference. But that freedom shouldn’t allow our sacred places to become overly political. Partisan politics should be kept out of our religious institutions.

But now a new ruling will allow religious leaders to endorse political candidates in churches and other religious houses without the risk of losing their tax-exempt status. I hope that doesn’t mean I’ll be hearing about candidate X from the pulpit.

The ruling comes after the evangelical group, National Religious Broadcasters and two Texas churches, filed suit against the Internal Revenue Service last August. They were challenging, on First Amendment grounds, a tax code that defines the tax-exempt status for churches and other nonprofit organizations and prohibits their participation in “any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.”

As a result, the IRS has reversed its previous policy and will now allow religious leaders to endorse political candidates.

I’m not alone in my dismay over the thought of hearing about politics during the time I set aside for worship. Faith leaders in Miami told the Herald that they’re concerned this ruling could create rifts in religious communities. Houses of worship shouldn’t become cogs in political machines.

There are those who see this as a victory for religious freedom. Dr. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, praised the filing and tweeted, “Government has NO BUSINESS regulating what is said in pulpits!”

President Donald Trump also applauded the development. During the first White House Faith Office summit on July 14, he said “God is once again welcomed back into our public square.”

But I see it differently. God has never been absent from the public square — as a Catholic, I bring my values into my civic life every day. The real issue here is whether houses of worship will become extensions of political campaigns.

I recognize the frustration some conservative Christians and others feel. In the past, many evangelicals embraced political engagement with enthusiasm, speaking at campaign rallies for Trump and mobilizing voters through explicit endorsements. This change in the law means they will no longer have to risk their tax-exempt status if they want to engage in partisan endorsements.

The “Souls to the Polls” movement, which focuses on Black churches, is one way that that faith communities already have influenced voter turnout.

But the Catholic Church is drawing a line when it comes to this latest ruling. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement saying that the “Church maintains its stance of not endorsing or opposing political candidates.”

I’ve spent enough time in pews and on the campaign trail to know the difference between a sermon and a stump speech. And those lines shouldn’t be blurred.

When politics enters the pew, division follows. Houses of worship should be places of refuge, reflection and reconciliation. I may differ politically with my fellow congregants, but on Sundays during Mass, we are united in worship under one God.

The last thing I want to know is who my priest is voting for or their political affiliation.

As a conservative, I believe we should value institutions that transcend politics, not surrender them at the altar of partisanship.

Religious leaders have many responsibilities — to guide us on issues of morality and faith, for example. But let’s keep politics out of it.

Mary Anna Mancuso is a member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. Her email: mmancuso@miamiherald.com