Marco Rubio, the charismatic senator-elect from Florida, is in many ways similar to other Cuban-American politicians from his home state: conservative, Republican and a “practicing and devout Roman Catholic,” in the words of his spokesman, one who “regularly attends Catholic Mass” and “was baptized, confirmed and married in the Roman Catholic Church.”
But while Mr. Rubio, 39, presented himself on his Florida Statehouse Web site and in interviews as a Roman Catholic, bloggers and journalists have noted since his election that he regularly worships at an evangelical megachurch whose theology is plainly at odds with Catholic teaching.
For much of the last decade, Mr. Rubio has attended Christ Fellowship with his wife and children. He “comes very regularly to worship service” at the church’s Palmetto Bay campus, said Eric Geiger, the executive pastor. According to Mr. Rubio’s campaign Web site, he contributed almost $50,000 to Christ Fellowship from 2005 to 2008.
At lease one priest thinks Rubio’s religious flip-flopping is odd.
“I don’t think this is very common,” Father Elizondo said. “I know that some Catholics switch for a while and then return, and some switch and never return, but I really don’t know of any who claim to be Catholic but attend another church.”
Maybe Rubio is different because most people are not opportunistic “Family Values” politicians who play both sides of the religious fence to get money and votes. It does appear that Rubio is waffling on worship to appeal to more than one constituency in Florida.
