Sarkozy woos Catholic vote for French runoff

PARIS (Reuters) - Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy, who once seemed to be seeking Muslim support for his run for the French presidency, has been successfully wooing the overlooked Catholic vote as the race heads for the May 6 runoff.

In a country where politicians rarely mention faith, Sarkozy openly professes admiration for the late Pope John Paul, says he prefers lively African Sunday mass to French priests' boring sermons and name-drops about his talks with French cardinals.

The strategy reaped surprising results in the first voting round on April 22, when he bested his 31.2 percent national score with up to 45 percent support among some Catholics.

The losers in this little-noticed courtship of Catholic votes were Bayrou, a classic Christian Democrat and practicing Catholic, and far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.

"The message Nicolas Sarkozy has been sending to Catholics, throughout the campaign but especially in recent days, seems to have been well received," the Catholic daily La Croix wrote.

With his eye now on the runoff, the former interior minister stepped up his Christian charm offensive on Thursday in a long interview with Catholic radio stations across France.

Muslims -- who four years ago hailed Sarkozy for creating the French Muslim Council and criticizing a headscarf ban in state schools -- apparently snubbed him at the ballot box because his campaign seemed to pander to anti-Muslim voters.

HOW MANY DIVISIONS?

French analysts rarely look at the "religious vote", both because many French think faith and politics should not mix and because the once strong grip of the majority Catholic Church has weakened to the point where believers are now a small minority.

But "cultural Catholics" -- who share the Church's concern for family, education and moral values -- are still out there.

Recent polls said between 51 and 64 percent of the French call themselves Catholic, even if only about 10-15 percent worship regularly. The Muslim minority, Europe's largest, makes up only eight percent of the population.

The La Croix poll showed 45 percent of practicing Catholics voted for Sarkozy as did 31 percent of non-practicing. His Socialist rival Segolene Royal scored lower among all Catholics than her 25.9 percent national result.

Sarkozy has never hidden the fact that, while brought up Catholic, he is divorced and remarried and attends mass rarely.

His spotty attendance, he says, is partly a reaction to the boring sermons he hears in French churches. "I like the African churches," he told his radio audience. "This joyous practice of religion corresponds better to Christ's message."

He recalled admiring John Paul's firm convictions at a huge outdoor mass in Paris in 1980. "And then, when he said 'be not afraid,' it was something really important," he said.

Sarkozy said he would help Catholic schools overcome state limits and get more teachers. He also opposed gay marriage and said the state should not subsidize mosques, as Muslims want.

He noted his brief at the interior ministry included religious issues and said: "I think few ministers of religious affairs were as committed in spiritual questions as I was."