ABSTRACT
In 1987 and 1988, the bishops were confronted by a series of court cases, new laws and regulations which distracted their energy and attention from political concerns and made them extremely cautious of political involvement. A divided body of bishops, distracted by legal issues and new federal rules, took a far more low-keyed, neutral, less partisan but also more detached and disengaged role in the 1988 elections than they had in the past twelve years. Catholic bishops had played a major role in American politics. The traditional American categorization of issue positions and leaders as liberal, moderate or conservative cannot readily be applied using consistent ethic of life principles. In 1987 and 1988, American bishops seemed confused and divided among themselves on these issues, and they were responding to them in very different ways. "Horrendous blind spots," understood in a variety of ways, probably explains the bishops' unusual quiescence in the 1988 presidential elections.
