Catholic leaders are applauding President Barack Obama’s nomination of black Catholic family practitioner Dr. Regina Benjamin to serve as the nation’s new surgeon general.

And Benjamin, who is a product of a Catholic college education, certainly has an impressive résumé of providing selfless medical service to the residents, many of them impoverished, of Bayou La Batre, Ala.

Go here, here and here to read about Benjamin’s impressive résumé and the praise extended to her appointment by Catholic leaders.

One area of potential concern is whether Benjamin supports Church teachings on life issues, a question that arises with any Catholic appointment made by Obama because of his history of appointing Catholics who dissent on these issues.

So far it’s unclear where Benjamin stands, an indication that at a minimum she doesn’t appear to have lobbied in favor of abortion. We’ll report on the matter further as more details emerge.