Pastor who backed McCain apologizes for remarks | Reuters

Hagee apologizes to catholic for cal.ling them "great whole" but stands on his view about Muslims and Islam

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - A Texas evangelical leader who endorsed Republican presidential candidate John McCain earlier this year has apologized for anti-Catholic remarks that angered Church members and embarrassed McCain's campaign.

John Hagee, pastor of the 19,000-member Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, wrote a letter of apology to the Catholic League on Monday for comments in which he called the Church "apostate" and likened it to the "great whore" in a passage of the Bible.

Hagee's comments, which circulated on the Internet, drew comparisons with the controversy surrounding Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama over statements by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

McCain, who accepted Hagee's endorsement before the Texas primary in March, had faced a call by Catholic League President William Donohue to repudiate the pastor, who, he said, had "a history of denigrating the Catholic religion."

Hagee said in the letter to Donohue made public on Tuesday that he now had an "improved understanding of the Catholic Church" and expressed his "deep regret" for any comments Catholics had found hurtful.

McCain welcomed Hagee's apology, telling reporters at a campaign stop in North Bend, Washington, that "whenever someone apologizes for something they did wrong, then I think that that is a laudable thing to do."

Since accepting Hagee's endorsement, McCain has distanced himself from some of the preacher's remarks, including labelling as "nonsense" a statement by Hagee that God punished New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina for planning a gay pride parade.

At the start of this year's primary nominating season, the Arizona senator had limited support among Christian conservatives, an influential bloc in the Republican Party.  Continued...

Pastor who backed McCain apologizes for remarks | Reuters