As Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan read the benediction at the conclusion of the Republican National Convention last week, President Obama felt very uncomfortable.
He's kind of like that fellow in the hemorrhoid commercial.
You know the one I'm talking about.
It's the one where the gentleman taking his seat on the airplane feels like he's sitting on top of a cactus.
Here's the story.
Cardinal Dolan was summoned to a high-level meeting with the President last year.
As President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Dolan had been expressing his concern regarding the free expression of religious practice.
Obama invited the prelate to the Oval Office to give assurances that Catholics need not fear government intrusion from this administration.
Like Neville Chamberlein leaving Munich with assurances of nonaggression from Der Fuhrer, the Archbishop of New York returned home echoing Obama's promise to respect the way Catholics put their faith into practice through thousands of charitable institutions throughout the world.
The church leader was stunned just a few months later when the Department of Health and Human Services dictated that abortifacients and contraceptives be covered in all healthcare plans.
Even Catholic healthcare plans.
The Cardinal, understandably, felt he had been double-crossed.
He launched an ambitious campaign to inspire Americans to protect their religious liberty.
Timothy Dolan recognizes that he has been called to serve in a battle between good and evil.
Catholics throughout America have been aroused from their slumber of apathy.
Catholics are embracing the First Amendment as a protection against the kind of insidious government control seen in the Health and Human Services mandate.
The Democratic party leadership resented the announcement that Dolan would give the benediction for the RNC in Florida.
Obama figured that he could diminish Cardinal Dolan's impact by telling the world that Dolan was merely a Republican partisan.
The fact is that Catholic bishops have prayed over many conventions, both Republican and Democrat, in the past.
Dolan even offered to give the benediction at the Democratic convention this week to demonstrate that the Catholic Church doesn't endorse parties or candidates.
Democratic strategists decided to test Dolan and take him up on his offer.
They invited him to give the benediction at the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Dolan Responded brilliantly.
He said yes.
And now you can understand the President's discomfort.
At the conclusion of the Democratic convention, a Catholic Cardinal will approach the podium to offer prayer.
If this prayer is similar to the one made in Florida, he will call upon the creator to aid men in demonstrating a respect for the sanctity of life and religious liberty.
A prayer to end abortion and to stop a government that forces Catholics to accept immoral healthcare plans.
That is why the president is uncomfortable.
Community organizer outflanked by an Irish priest with street smarts.
The White house needs some Preparation H.
And the H stands for Heaven.
Let’s face it: Cardinal Dolan is a Prince of the Church who wants to be King-maker.
ReplyDeleteBut I’d like to humbly remind the good Cardinal, as he parades under the spotlights
of the political conventions: that there is room for only ONE real super-star in his religion.
The one who started it!
For as the Cardinal addresses and blesses the Republicans and their billionaire buddies,
as he smiles upon those who would destroy Social Security & voucher Medicare to death,
and as he struts on the stage with those who readily admit they “don’t care about the very poor”
......it would be good for the dear Cardinal to remember -and take to heart-
the words of his boss, who once said “Whatsoever you do for the least of these - you do for me”.
Unless perhaps, ...just perhaps, the Cardinal is working for someone else these days?
Just asking.
Our Founding Fathers wisely realized that politics, secular power, and religion do not mix.
That they bring out the worst in each other, ....that ultimately they would destroy each other, and us.
A pastor.....should stick to his pulpit, not political conventions. Period.
Very well written, David. I appreciate knowing more about this story involving Cardinal Dolan. I too, think that it was wise of him to take up the democrats offer to pray at their convention. I can just imagine the shock and awe when he accepted! LOL. We are to be 'wise as serpants, and gentle as doves,' as I'm sure you know...and he is doing just that. Our constitution simply says that our government cannot FORCE any ONE religion on everyone. It does not give a small percentage of people some crazy RIGHT to never 'hear or be influenced' by them in any way! Therefore, it also does not mean that private citizens, politicians, or even Cardinals for that matter, can't express their views in the political arena. In our own American history, it was the pastors who were right out in the front, pushing for freedom from taxation without representation, for civil rights, and many other very important changes. I for one, wish that our churches would stop believing that they must exchange their freedom of speech for being excluded from paying taxes. I don't really think that they should have to pay taxes anyway - and that having to agree to not speak about politics from the pulpit in order to be excused from paying them, is a misnomer! (I heard a conversation on the radio one day about this.) As far as Republicans not caring about the 'very poor'...it has been statistically proven that Republicans FAR outspend democrats in giving to charities. This democratic President that we now have in office, and his administration, wants to take away the tax deduction we now have for giving to the poor in these ways! When the last commentor quoted "Whatsoever you do for the least of these, you...have done unto me," would that mean then, that the democrats planning to stop people from donating to charities for the poor by taking away their deduction, are actually going to be doing this heinous act - against Jesus? Something he may want to think about...that is if he really is concerned about offending Jesus.
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