AP Newsbreak: Romney to attend O'Malley's elevation to cardinal

NASHUA, N.H. --Gov. Mitt Romney, who this week filed a bill that would allow a Catholic social service agency to deny adoptions to gay couples, will fly to Rome next week to attend Archbishop Sean O'Malley's elevation to cardinal at the Vatican.

The trip is further evidence of a growing relationship not only between Romney and the head of the Roman Catholic church in Boston, but also of the importance of Catholics and social conservatives in the potential presidential campaign Romney is contemplating for 2008.

President Bush, a fellow Republican, sought support from Catholics, normally a pro-Democratic bloc, in both of his successful campaigns.

"This is extraordinary, and particularly for someone of my faith," said Romney, a Mormon, before he spoke at a St. Patrick's Day breakfast in New Hampshire, an early presidential state. "I don't know that there's ever been a Mormon guy that's been to the Vatican for a Mass held by the Pope, so it's a personal honor."

He denied seeking any political gain from the trip, saying he was invited, along with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, only because of his office, not his politics.

"I don't think it has any political benefit. I don't think anybody there will be able to vote," the governor said with a laugh.

Asked whether state residents should be concerned about the church gaining an inordinate amount of influence over public policy, Romney replied: "I actually think that churches generally play a very important role in stabilizing the social structure of a community, and I welcome the input of churches of all faiths in the dialogue. They don't direct policy, but they have something to say about the social structure of our community."

Romney met with O'Malley earlier this month for over an hour in his Statehouse office to discuss a state nondiscrimination law requiring all adoption agencies -- including the church-sponsored Catholic Charities -- to consider gay couples equally for adoptions.

Over the past 20 years, Catholic Charities has placed about a dozen children with gay couples, despite church teachings defining gay marriage as immoral, and marriage as solely the union of a man and a woman. Four Catholic bishops, including O'Malley, have been seeking an exemption to state law, prompting a wave of resignations from the Catholic Charities board of directors.

Last week, the agency stunned the state by announcing it would halt its adoption services when its current contract ends in June. Romney, who initially said he did not believe the governor could do anything in the matter, filed a bill on Wednesday that would exempt church social service agencies from the nondiscrimination law if they conflict with religious teachings that would impede their ability to provide adoptions.

House and Senate leaders have said the legislation is unlikely to pass, and Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, Romney's running mate and a candidate herself for governor this fall, has said she disagrees with the bill.

During his visit to Italy, Romney will attend the March 25 ceremony in which O'Malley will receive his cardinal's red hat, as well as a luncheon on his behalf. In addition, the governor will make opening remarks at a meeting between O'Malley and the media, said Eric Fehrnstrom, Romney's communications director.

Romney and O'Malley may participate in other activities together, although there have been no firm plans for Romney to meet with Pope Benedict XVI, who will preside over the elevation ceremony. Romney will leave for Rome next Thursday and return to Massachusetts on March 26.

"Gov. Romney has come to know Archbishop O'Malley as a humble man of God and as a strong leader," Fehrnstrom said. "His new responsibility is a tribute to him and a blessing to the commonwealth and the governor looks forward to joining him in Rome for this happy occasion."

O'Malley has led the Boston Archdiocese since July 2003, succeeding Cardinal Bernard Law who left after mounting criticism of his handling of clergy sex abuse.

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EDITOR'S NOTE -- Glen Johnson has covered local, state and national politics since 1985. He can be reached at glenjohnson(at)ap.org.