Yes, the Catholic Church has given progressives grief as it relates to abortions and contraceptives during the Obamacare debate. But, if you look at the totality of all of their positions, their policies are more like progressives than any of the other major faiths.
A couple examples:
In spite of the fact that they are suing the administration over mandates, they still firmly support universal healthcare.
Check this out:
"The Vatican said the Catholic Church is "committed to universal healthcare coverage" in a release Thursday that described a speech by one of its leaders before the World Health Assembly.
Archbishop Zygmunt Zimoski told the meeting in Geneva on Wednesday that the Vatican supports Resolution WHA64.9, a measure that would urge countries to "plan the transition of their health systems to universal coverage."
"My delegation strongly believes that … fundamental values such as equity, human rights and social justice need to become explicit policy objectives," Zimoski said."
Additionally, regarding Ryan's 1% budget they
said this:
"Congress faces a difficult task to balance needs and resources and allocate burdens and sacrifices," Blaire wrote to the House Agriculture Committee. "Just solutions, however, must require shared sacrifice by all, including raising adequate revenues, eliminating unnecessary military and other spending, and fairly addressing the long-term costs of health insurance and retirement programs."
"The House-passed budget resolution fails to meet these moral criteria."
That's sounds exactly like something I could have written.
I believe it's time we give the Catholic Church a little credit. Yes, I get angry at many of their positions and I get even more disturbed about how the cons use them as a hammer to try to legislate their brand of morality.
Still, considering they are a religious institution, they look pretty progressive to me.