Hagee apology good enough for Catholics, not DNC

Pastor John Hagee, a supporter of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), apologized Tuesday for comments he made about the Roman Catholic Church — remarks that may be harmful to the presumptive presidential nominee.

{mosads}“Out of a desire to advance a greater unity among Catholics and evangelicals in promoting the common good, I want to express my deep regret for any comments that Catholics have found hurtful,” Hagee said in a letter to William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights.

“After engaging in constructive dialogue with Catholic friends and leaders, I now have an improved understanding of the Catholic Church, its relation to the Jewish faith, and the history of anti-Catholicism,” Hagee added.

The pastor is head of a Texas mega-church and is also known as a televangelist.

Hagee was cast in the middle of presidential politics after McCain had to disavow his comments about Catholics. Hagee’s comments threatened to become an issue in the general election, and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) sought Tuesday to keep the controversy alive — perhaps to balance out the GOP’s likely use of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s controversial statements against Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

“Now that Rev. Hagee is apologizing for his anti-Catholic comments, does John McCain think that Hagee should also apologize for his other comments?” said DNC communications director Karen Finney. “If so, will he have the courage to say so publicly? Unless John McCain’s idea of being a new kind of Republican includes cozying up to radicals who compare women to dogs, hold racially insensitive fundraisers and call one of the worst natural disasters in our country’s history God’s punishment, he should renounce John Hagee’s endorsement immediately.”

However, Donohue, one of Hagee’s fiercest critics, said the letter is “sincere,” adding that he considers the case closed and that the pastor has achieved reconciliation.

“What Hagee has done takes courage and quite frankly I never expected him to demonstrate such sensitivity to our concerns,” Donohue stated. “But he has done just that.”