Anyway, he probably wasn't speaking ex-cathedra. He has no means of knowing who voted for whom, as the ballot is secret, and asking them to refrain is appealing to their conscience- which if they've voted for Obama they've already squared anyway. I seem to recall Irish priests making much the same pronouncements in the past over the national struggle (long before it was "terrorist") with feck all effect.

I remember dear departed Father Tom O'Shaughnessy (now in hell) telling my parents that while it wasn't his place to tell them who to vote for, the Labour candidate was a Protestant, and the Conservative a Good Catholic and a Knight of St. Columba.