CLEVELAND — In three weeks, Ohio voters will head to the polls for Issue 1. It can be confusing, but we will break it down to this:
- For the groups promoting abortion rights, they need a "yes" result.
- Those against abortions rights need a "no."
"So it's not surprising the Catholic Church is speaking out on it," 3News political analyst Mark Naymik, managing editor for Signal Cleveland, says.
However, the church is spending big money on the controversial issue in an attempt to convince people to vote "no." According to Naymik, this comes from their political lobbying group, the Catholic Conference of Ohio.
"They're trying to have a voice to move their flock," he explained. "This is going to come down to churches. That's the thrust of the 'No on Issue 1.'"
Naymik says the Catholic Church has spent millions of dollars on this political issue. On the Diocese of Cleveland's website, a link explaining their stance against the amendment is plastered right on the main page.
"This has been the forefront of their advocacy, and it's allowed. Churches can weigh in on issues," Naymik added, verifying the legality of their actions. "[There's] this myth that at a nonprofit, they could lose their tax statues. They can lean into it, and they are leaning into it."
According to the Pew Research Center, Protestants as a whole make up the largest religious group in Ohio, followed by Catholics. And for Catholics, the abortion issue is a divide for their church.
Among Catholics who attend Mass at least once a week, about two-thirds (68%) say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. Catholics who do not attend Mass weekly (65%) say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, including three-quarters who say it should be legal in cases of rape or threats to the well-being of the pregnant woman. It is worth noting that even 49%, a plurality, of regular Mass-going Catholics agree with that statement, as well.
"The climate right now is so polarized," Naymik said, "[Some parishioners] hear it in the Mass or in the homily or see a voter registration table set outside outside your church that might only really be promoting one side. I've seen it in the church bulletins; that has people upset."
WKYC reached out to the Diocese of Cleveland, but they could not be reached for comment.