If governor candidates rebuke faith, what about public commitments?

"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, I would never vote for the following men for Illinois governor, "says the glowing TV image of the late, beloved Cardinal Joseph Bernardin.

"I would never cast a ballot for Quinn, Hynes, Ryan, McKenna, Brady" Bernardin slowly intonates, his voice trailing off as the video shows a glowing sun set.

So appears the long deceased Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in a TV commercial that is currently playing only in the dreams of dogmatic Roman Catholic voters.

Really, if Harold Washington can be exhumed by political prestidigitators, why shouldn't Cardinal Bernardin be resurrected too?

Regardless, for Illinois' Roman Catholic electorate, the awakening should be this: a "practicing" Catholic is likely to be elected governor of Illinois -- and it will be someone who disavows an unmovable tenet of the church.

And for non-Catholics, there is a question to consider in this as well. If politicians disregard core values of their personal faith, what will they do with their public commitments and responsibilities?

Illinois currently has in Pat Quinn the first Catholic governor in nearly 100 years. Mr. Quinn, a product of Catholic schools and a regular parishioner at St. Giles in Oak Park, would appear to be as devoted a Catholic as he has been a Democrat.

But in his first actual campaign for the state's highest office, Quinn stunned some of his Catholic supporters by accepting and touting endorsements from both Planned Parenthood Illinois Action and Personal PAC.

"As governor, I am fully committed to supporting and expanding Illinois women's access to all reproductive health services," Quinn said.

The faith equation is not complicated. There are only a few things you MUST believe to rightly call yourself a Roman Catholic. One of them is that God gives life and only God can take it.

Of course, in America, you are free to believe whatever you want. But why call yourself a Catholic if you don't believe in that uncompromisable tenet?

Quinn's Democratic opponent, Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes, has the same positions on abortion while insisting he is a card-carrying Catholic and parishioner at St. Andrews in Wrigleyville.

The leading Republican governor candidates, all but one who are Catholic, are similarly out of step. While all are against legalized abortion, they also are pro-death penalty. That conflicts with Catholic dogma on life.

Only GOP long shot Dan Proft, a Catholic devotee, is both an abortion and death penalty opponent - in keeping with his stated faith.

Politicians elsewhere have invoked the ire of bishops for proclaiming themselves "pro-choice Catholics." There really is no such thing.

Cardinal Francis George, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Chicago, doesn't want to touch this one though.

It seemed reasonable to ask him about Gov. Quinn as the archdiocese marked the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade with prayer services, programs and marches. So beginning a few weeks ago I tried to get the cardinal to answer four questions:

• Did you speak to Mr. Quinn before his acceptance of the endorsement from Planned Parenthood?

• Have you ever talked to him about his views being inconsistent with the church?

• Are you disappointed he accepted the Planned Parenthood endorsement?

• Would you consider using the occasion to either pronounce the governor out of step with the church or disallow him Communion?

A church spokesman replied, "The cardinal will not be commenting on the questions that you have submitted."

Really, what could he say anyway? A candidate can call him or herself a Catholic, just as I could call myself a polygamist. But with one wife for 28 years, no one would believe me either.

Chuck Goudie, whose column appears each Monday, is the chief investigative reporter at ABC 7 News in Chicago. The views in this column are his own and not those of WLS-TV. He can be reached by email at chuckgoudie@gmail.com; followed at twitter.com/ChuckGoudie and on Facebook.