Register Radio: Catholic Vote & EWTN Friars' 25th Anniversary

Steve Weatherbe and Father Joseph Mary Wolfe

On Register Radio today, National Catholic Register correspondent Steve Weatherbe spoke about his recent article on the Catholic vote and broke down the numbers for us.

Weatherbe posited that there is still a Catholic vote, but it's getting smaller.

"The unaffiliated's are getting bigger," said Weatherbe. "Among those who are religious, however, the more strongly religious, the more likely they are to vote Republican. This is true among Catholics, but even moreso among evangelicals. Among those who attend Church weekly, among white Catholics, the support for Romney doubles."

Weatherbe also noted that among Catholics, both Hispanics and women, tend to vote Democratic, but overall there has been a gradual shift of Catholic voters from Democrat to Republican.

Weatherbe explained that as a result of President Obama's support for Health and Human Service's mandate, polls reveal that the President has lost about 8% of the Catholic vote.

Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word

In the second half of the program, Father Joseph Mary Wolfe - often seen and heard on EWTN and EWTN Radio - spoke about the founding of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word by Mother Angelica 25 years ago (see Register article here).

A former engineer, Father Wolfe said, "I saw this nun on T.V. who was having engineering problems, so I moved from Iowa to Alabama. I planned to stay a year."

Eventually, Father Wolfe was ordained to the priesthood on June 11, 1993. He explained how the charism of the Franciscan friars works hand-in-hand with that of the Nuns at Hanceville.

"They are the heart of the mission. We provide the voice," said Father Wolfe. "We provide for the sacramental needs of the nuns and pilgrims. The friars also do anything that's needed - from floor direction to running cameras, to directing Benediction services at Hanceville."

Asked about being a T.V. priest, Father Wolfe said, "Being an Iowa farm boy, public speaking wasn't my forte, but like Mother Angelica, that's who God chose. It's a wonderful opportunity to reach people with the Gospel."

For anyone desiring to learn more about the Franciscan Missionaries, you can visit their website at FranciscanMissionaries.com.

As always, Register Radio can be heard on the EWTN Radio network at 2 p.m. EASTERN on Friday, and also at the Register Radio webpage.