Catholics for Choice released the findings of a new poll today with some unexpected results.

According to the press release, 

"Catholics support both a public option in healthcare reform and a plan that would include funding for abortion."

And lest you think those polled are not church-going Catholics, 84% of those actually attend church regularly from several times a week to a few times a year. 

The poll found that a large majority of Catholics actually support funding for abortion care - whether via a public option or private insurer - and that a majority of Catholics disagreed with the US Catholic Bishops:

Catholic voters believe the US Catholic bishops are wrong on healthcare reform. Sixty-eight percent disapprove of US bishops saying that all Catholics should oppose the entire healthcare reform plan if it includes coverage for abortion and 56 percent think the bishops should not take a position on healthcare reform legislation in Congress.

Despite what many conservatives argue, Catholic voters are against refusal clauses for institutions that take taxpayer dollars. Sixty-five percent said that hospitals and clinics that take taxpayer dollars should not be allowed to refuse certain procedures or medications based on religious beliefs. In addition, 60 percent believe that hospitals and clinics that take taxpayer dollars should be required to include condoms as part of HIV prevention.

Conservative, anti-choice groups portray their organizational agendas as consistent with "mainstream American perspectives" on abortion provision and government funding. However, as CFC president, Jon O'Brien says, 

"It is telling that the US bishops have done two polls on abortion recently. On neither occasion did they poll only Catholics. We did and the results are clear: US Catholic voters see reproductive healthcare as part of a comprehensive healthcare package--and that includes abortion for women who need it."