A Mormon bishop is backtracking after criticising fellow Mormon and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in a recent blog post.
The article by Bishop Mark Paredes titled "Good Riddance to Harry Reid, the Mormon Senate Leader," was published in The Jewish Journal last week.
The Los Angeles bishop called Reid "an embarrassment" to the Mormon Church because he supports same-sex marriage, abortion, and gambling rights. Paredes said that the political stances are contrary to the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
While he maintained his opposition to the controversial issues, Paredes apologized Sunday for judging the Democratic senator.
"I do apologise for the tone of the article, for giving the impression that I was criticizing Sen. Reid in my role as an LDS bishop, and for implying that I am in a position to judge the senator's temple worthiness," Paredes told The Associated Press.
"However, I can't apologise for criticising his advocacy of certain issues and on behalf of certain interests," he continued. "Any criticism I had of Senator Reid was based on his actions (e.g., defense of the gaming industry, advocacy of a certain social agenda), not his political affiliation."
Although Paredes identified himself as a bishop in the article, he also wrote that the attitudes expressed are his opinion alone. The Mormon Church said that Paredes was "entirely inappropriate" to use his title when publishing a political piece.
Reid has not publicly responded to Paredes' article or apology, but other Mormon Democratic leaders have spoken out in defense of the Senator.
"He ought to be apologising for saying that Mormons and Democrats can't co-exist when clearly we can," LDS Democrats of America Vice Chairwoman Crystal Young-Otterstrom said. "We are Democrats because of our Mormon beliefs and not in spite on them."
Sen. Reid's political position is the highest that a Mormon elected official has held. He will no longer be the Majority Leader in January, when Republicans assume control of the Senate.
