'There isn't any one Catholic party,' says a Saint Vincent professor. 'Each party holds some positions that are incompatible with the Catholic approach to politics.'

The students in a Saint Vincent College class on Catholic political thought weren't poring over campaign fact sheets last week, but discussing how ancient Greek philosophers might help them analyze current issues.

One student said pagan philosophy could help them frame arguments against abortion that would engage secular voters. "Appeals to reason are where politics and faith have to intersect," he said. "The Greek philosophers' methods are helpful for showing that our stand on this isn't based on [religious] revelation."