VP candidate Kaine’s faith an influence, sometime struggle
RALEIGH, N.C. — The morning after Tim Kaine was named the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, his first stop wasn’t a rally or a swing state meet-and-greet — it was a church in Richmond, Virginia, where he and his wife have worshipped for 30 years.
He prayed, sang a solo and briefly avoided talk of politics.
Kaine has long balanced religion and politics, in his private life and his public one as Virginia’s governor and senator. At times, his Catholicism has run directly against his governing choices. Kaine is morally opposed to the death penalty but signed off on 11 executions during his four years as governor. After opposing gay marriage in his 2005 gubernatorial run, he later broke with the church to support it. He’s personally against abortion but has consistently voted in favour of abortion rights.
“How many of us are in the church and are deeply serious about our faith and agree with 100 per cent of church doctrine?” Kaine told the National Catholic Reporter in August. “I would argue very few Catholics are in that position. We’re all working out our salvation with fear and trembling.”