On the October 21 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, Catholic League president William Donohue falsely claimed: “The pope [John Paul II] has never declared this [Iraq] war to be an unjust war.” Yet, prior to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, a Vatican envoy “carried the pope's message to the White House that a U.S.-led war against Iraq without United Nations' approval would be 'unjust and illegal,'” as the Houston Chronicle reported on March 5, 2003. Donohue's erroneous assertion was not challenged by host Chris Matthews.

Donohue also claimed that “if a Catholic votes for [Senator John] Kerry because they support him on abortion rights, that is to cooperate in evil.” Donohue described abortion as “taking the scissors and putting it to a kid's head.”

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